CAPTAIN KRONOS, VAMPIRE HUNTER -- Mini Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 3/27/21

Currently rewatching: One of Hammer's best films, "Captain Kronos" (1974) with Horst Janson and Caroline Munro. 

 

A big plus is its connection to my favorite TV show, "The Avengers" -- it's produced by Albert Fennell and Brian Clemens and written and directed by Clemens, with music by Laurie Johnson. 

 

Original "Avenger" Ian Hendry (who played John Steed's partner in season one of that show) appears as a bad guy who crosses swords with Kronos in a tavern scene that pays homage to spaghetti westerns.

 

 

Kronos is a former military officer who hunts vampires after his sister and mother fell victim to the curse and he had to kill them after being bitten by them himself.

 

Here, he finds himself and his hunchbacked partner Grost in a village where young women are being drained of their youth in a nearby dark forest by a mysterious cloaked assailant. 

 

The premise foreshadows that of the later "Blade." The blend of swashbuckler and Gothic vampire hunter works very well. The film is wonderfully atmospheric and well done in all respects.

 

 

CAPTAIN KRONOS, VAMPIRE HUNTER -- Mini Review by Porfle

Two-Woman Shootout From "JOHNNY GUITAR" (1954) (video)

(Spoiler Alert if you haven't seen the movie!)

 

In "Johnny Guitar" (1954) Joan Crawford plays gun-totin' bar owner Vienna.

Mercedes McCambridge is Emma Small, a fierce rival who hates Vienna's guts.

It's inevitable that these two will have a guns-blazing showdown.

Which they do, finally, in the classic final scene.


Read our review of the film HERE

Originally posted on 2/12/20
I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Two-Woman Shootout From "JOHNNY GUITAR" (1954) (video)

Modern Vehicle Blooper In John Ford's "Fort Apache" (John Wayne, 1948) (video)

Right around the one-hour mark in John Ford's western cavalry classic "Fort Apache" (1948)...

...the camera pans right along a line of mounted Indian warriors. 

When it stops, watch the lower right of the screen...

...to catch a modern vehicle driving by in full view.  Oops!

Originally posted on 6/1/19
I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

Modern Vehicle Blooper In John Ford's "Fort Apache" (John Wayne, 1948) (video)

Bela Lugosi As The Frankenstein Monster ("Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man", 1943) (video)

 

Since the brain of Ygor (Bela Lugosi) was placed into the Monster's skull in GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN(1942)...

 
...Lugosi was chosen to play the Monster in the follow-up, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (1943).
Thus, the Monster, now partially-blind, would speak with Ygor's voice.

But before the film's release, all references to the Monster's speech and blindness were removed.
The Monster's stiff, lurching walk is now unexplained...
...as are his silent mouth movements.  

At 60, Lugosi was in need of stand-ins for the more strenuous scenes.
Actor/stuntman Gil Perkins looked so good in the makeup, it is he whom we first see in close-up as the Monster.  
Another actor/stuntman, Eddie Parker, also plays the Monster.
 
Perkins and Parker then take turns as Monster and Wolf Man during their climactic fight.
...with Bela appearing in the close-ups.

Mystery and confusion as to "who did what", compounded by extensive reshoots, continue to surround the production.

Fans of the film mourn the missing footage, which will most likely never be recovered.
And they imagine being able to watch the film, and Lugosi's performance, in their original form.

Thanks to Joro Gaming for the music.

(Note: At about 2:35, it should say "no longer" instead of "longer." Can't believe I missed that.)

Originally posted on 12/22/21
I neither own nor claim any rights to this material. Just having some fun with it!

Bela Lugosi As The Frankenstein Monster ("Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man", 1943) (video)

THE OUTSIDER:THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

(Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray TM I reviewed in this blog post. The opinions I share are my own.)

Originally posted on 7/18/20


I used to pick up a Stephen King novel and just get swallowed up in it. At its best, his work would draw me in, wring me out, and leave me stunned. I would binge-read one of those big, deeply involving books and loathe to put down until I'd rushed headlong through the whole thing.

It's been a while since I got that feeling, but it came rushing back when I started watching the 3-disc, 10-episode Blu-ray collection of THE OUTSIDER:THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment), HBO's adaptation of the King novel in which a smalltown boy is horribly murdered in the woods by a man whose DNA and fingerprints are all over the crime scene and there are eyewitnesses who can positively identify him.

The trouble is--and this is where you can picture King gleefully setting his literary trap for us--that the man, Terry Maitland (Jason Bateman), the boy's little league baseball coach, who has a devoted wife and two daughters and has never shown any indication towards violence or untoward behavior, can also be positively identified both by eyewitnesses and video footage as being in a town 70 miles away at the exact moment the murder occurred.

Thus, the story starts out like a really puzzling murder mystery of the "locked room" variety--that is, one in which there seems to be no possible explanation even though the investigators know that, logically, there must be one. It takes a while to dawn on us and them that, in this case, the strict rules of logic aren't being followed by whoever or whatever is responsible.

I was shocked to find that the series' star, Ben Mendelsohn, played the sniveling Daggett in THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. As Ralph Anderson, lead investigator on the case, he's a solid guy we can pull for to get to the bottom of things despite his own self-doubts, even when we find him maddeningly skeptical of anything resembling the supernatural.

Ralph's wife Jeannie, played by the great Mare Winningham (an Oscar® nominee for GEORGIA), shares with him a lingering grief over the death of their own young son, making their relationship a turbulent one that is exacerbated by their current circumstances.

Of the rest of the rather large cast playing interesting and diverse smalltown personalities, the standout for me is Cynthia Erivo as the incredibly eccentric private investigator Holly Gibney.

Holly is one of those characters--like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot--whose every move and utterance holds the viewer in keen anticipation. (Clearly, Stephen King had a ball creating her, as did Erivo in bringing her to life.)

Though something of a societal misfit, maybe even an oddball, Holly has a mind like a search engine and is perceptive to the point of being psychic. These qualities tend to intimidate others and set her apart from normal society, making social interactions difficult. It also makes her a clear threat to the elusive and darkly malevolent subject of their desperate search.

When the case takes its inevitable turn toward the supernatural thanks to her dogged investigation, Holly is the one who must suffer the withering scorn of both her peers as well as the family members involved in the case who are still wracked with unrelenting grief.

King explores every detail of the emotional distress which all of the characters must bear during what will be the most grueling and ultimately horrific ordeal of their entire lives, all the while keeping us on edge waiting with bated breath for the worst to happen at every turn.

The production itself is a visual page-turner whose first couple of episodes move at a fast clip, hooking the viewer with its sensational premise. Then the whole thing slows down and settles into a maddeningly deliberate pace which makes us wait in constant suspense for each story point to unfold.

The direction is considerably well-done, often rather disorienting in that much is shown in wide, informal camera shots with few closeups, distancing us from the action and forcing us to seek out what's going on, especially in the many scenes that take place in creepy dark rooms or other murky locations.

This may, in fact, be the most darkly-lit movie I've ever seen. Often characters wander slowly through a scene in almost total darkness, making us want to scream for them to turn on a light before something jumps out at them.  It gets even worse when something indeed appears in the form of a hooded figure whom Ralph keeps insisting is merely a dream although we know he isn't.

Jason Bateman sets the standard high with his sharp and imaginative direction of the first two episodes--he's better at it than whoever directed him in the last couple of things I've seen him in--while his portrayal of accused child-murder Terry Maitland is just as expertly done.

The ten episodes are easily one of the most watchable television productions I've ever seen, climaxing with King's usual catastrophic clash between good and evil in which characters we've grown close to must die while others are irrevocably changed by the horrific experience.

I found the story's resolution more satisfying than I expected after all the build-up, and an extended denoument takes its time in decompressing us after all that tension. (Don't miss the final scene which occurs after the end credits have already begun.)

Like some of King's best older work such as "The Stand" and "It", THE OUTSIDER:THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON gives us a disparate collection of characters who eventually must come together against all odds to oppose a terrifying and seemingly invincible unknown enemy that they can barely begin to understand. As a superbly wrought work of horror-suspense cinema, this is one of the best Stephen King novels that I never read.



BONUS FEATURES

    EL CUCO. THE BABA YAGA. THE OUTSIDER – All New Featurette
    Invitation to Set
    Stephen King and The Outsider
    Jason Bateman and The Outsider
    Adapting The Outsider
    Analyzing Holly Gibney
    The Outsider: Inside Episodes 1-10

10 ONE-HOUR EPISODES

    Fish in a Barrel
    Roanoke
    Dark Uncle
    Que Viene el Coco
    Tear-Drinker
    The One About The Yiddish Vampire
    In the Pines, In the Pines
    Foxhead
    Tigers and Bears
    Must/Can't

DIGITAL
The Outsider is now available to own on Digital. Digital purchase allows consumers to instantly stream and download to watch anywhere and anytime on their favorite devices. Digital movies and TV shows are available from various digital retailers including Amazon Video, iTunes, Google Play, Vudu and others. A Digital Copy is also included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs for redemption and cloud storage.

BASICS
Street Date: June 9, 2020
Order Due Date: May 5, 2020
BD and DVD Presented in 16x9 widescreen format
Running Time: Feature: Approx. 600 min
Enhanced Content: Approx. 40 min

DVD
Price: $29.99 SRP ($34.99 in Canada)
3 DVD-9s
Audio – English (5.1), French
Subtitles – English, French

BLU-RAY
Price: $39.99 SRP ($44.99 in Canada)
3 BD-50s
Audio – DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 – English
BD Subtitles – English, French

Read our original coverage HERE

THE OUTSIDER:THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

John Wayne's Coolest Scenes #45: Ferry Crossing, "True Grit" (1969) (video)

Grizzed old lawman Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne)...

...and a callow Texas Ranger (Glen Campbell)...

...forbid young Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) to join the hunt for the man who killed her father.

But the determined girl is not so easily left behind.

Originally posted on 7/28/19
I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it. Thanks for watching!

John Wayne's Coolest Scenes #45: Ferry Crossing, "True Grit" (1969) (video)

ROBIN WILLIAMS: COMIC GENIUS -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 11/18/18

 

Having never been a fan of Robin Williams' stand-up act, talk show appearances, or hit ABC television series "Mork and Mindy", it might be surprising to find that I'm recommending ROBIN WILLIAMS: COMIC GENIUS (Time-Life), a 12-disc, two-volume chronicle of his astounding comedy and acting career and of his life which, despite moments of happiness, was the very personification of the proverbial "sad clown" character.

I recommend it mainly to his many, many fans, who should find this collection a treasure chest of joy and laughter along with a rollercoaster ride of other emotions.  And for those who, like me, never warmed up to his comedy style, it's a fascinating account of a man who gave happiness to others even though his lifelong struggle to find it for himself eventually proved too much for him to bear.

The first volume focuses mainly on his stand-up act, with him blazing into the public consciousness as a whirling dervish of comedy onstage and growing into a bonafide superstar appearing in numerous HBO specials, other TV appearances such as "The Dick Cavett Show", and, finally, glittering showcases such as the 1986 "Robin Williams: An Evening at the Met." 

Through it all, we see hours upon hours of him performing at a lightning-fast pace with comic improvisations pouring from his imagination, his frenetic style both profane and childlike, as his audiences respond with utter delight and affection.  It's here that we see him at his most happy and content, onstage and basking in the shared experience that only charged him to go farther, faster, and funnier.

An entire disc is devoted to his USO tours alone, with Robin and special guests traveling to such places as Afghanistan to perform at military bases where the shared love is almost overwhelming for both him and his admiring audiences.  There's an extra level of mutual fun, affection, and admiration in these appearances that exceeds even his most prestigious stateside shows. 

Volume two delves deeply into Robin the actor, from the initial starmaking success of "Mork and Mindy" to a burgeoning acting career that would lead to his winning an Academy Award. 

Never a fan of the TV show in the 70s, I now have a newfound appreciation after watching these seven episodes (including the two-part pilot) for this basically goodnatured show that allowed Robin free rein to perform stream-of-consciousness comedy in an ideal setting for audiences who can barely contain their enthusiasm.

Co-star Pam Dawber reminisces in a recent interview, as do friends such as Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, Elaine Boozler, and Bob Goldthwaite.  The highlights of Robin's movie career are touched upon, as we see how his comedy genius translated into a deeply intuitive and emotionally resonant acting ability.  Several appearances on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" highlight his great talent as a sought-after talk show guest. 

Each volume is also replete with various award show appearances, promo clips and bloopers, behind-the-scenes footage, personal videos, and other featurettes.  But for me, it's the second volume's final disc, with the deeply-moving 2018 documentary "Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind", that really makes this collection worthwhile.

It's an intensely interesting story of a singular individual who grew up a quiet only child, broke out of his shell as an actor and performer while in college, and went on to become one of the most amazingly outgoing and brilliantly creative comic minds of all time--even as his personal life suffered such turbulent ups and downs that he seemed destined for a sad and lonely end.

By the fadeout of this exhaustive journey through his life, I was in tears--and now have a whole new appreciation for Robin Williams, a greater understanding of who he was and why he ultimately took his own life, and a deep sympathy for the man whose beatific, childlike smile hid an unbearable sadness.

As I said, those of you who are already fans will no doubt cherish the staggering wealth of material in this set (an even larger, 22-disc collection is also available). For me, making my way through ROBIN WILLIAMS: COMIC GENIUS was an adventure of discovery, and an eventual realization that I was lucky to be there when this incredible person was with us.



Available at RobinWilliams.com

Type: DVD
Rating: N/A
Genre: TV DVD
Aspect Ratios: 1.33:1 (4:3) & 1.77:1 (16:9)
Audio: Stereo

CONTENTS:

Disc 1: Off The Wall
HBO On Location: Robin Williams—Off the Wall
Original Air Date: October 27, 1978
Featurette: Robin Williams—The Early Years
The Second Annual HBO Young Comedians Show
Original Air Date: September 24, 1977
The Great American Laugh-Off
Original Air Date: October 22, 1977
Robin Meets Mr. Sinatra
Original Air Date: November 2, 1977
The Dick Cavett Show
Original Air Dates: May 16 and 17, 1979

Interview with David Steinberg, Robin’s Manager

Disc 2: An Evening with Robin Williams
An Evening with Robin Williams
Original Air Date: March 12, 1983

Featurette: San Francisco—Where It All Began

Director Howard Storm Demo Taping with Robin
Taped 1982

Comedy Celebration Day
San Francisco: 1982, 1984, 1990
I Love Liberty
Original Air Date: March 21, 1982
Catch a Rising Star’s 10th Anniversary
Original Air Date: September 30, 1982
The Comedy Store 10th 11th Anniversary
Original Air Date: July 17, 1983

The Comedy Store 15th Year Class Reunion
Original Air Date: November 23, 1988
Robin Remembers the Comedy Store
Taped 2001

Disc 3: An Evening at the Met
Robin Williams: An Evening at the Met
With Introduction by Lewis Black
Original Air Date: October 11, 1986
HBO Press Interview

Promo Taping

“Beverly Hills Blues” with Bobby McFerrin
Taped March 4, 1986

The Young Comedians All-Star Reunion
Original Air Date: November 15, 1986

Superstars and Their Moms
Original Air Date: May 3, 1987

Interview with David Steinberg, Robin’s Manager

Interview with Lewis Black

Disc 4: Live on Broadway
Robin Williams: Live on Broadway
With Introduction by David Steinberg, Robin’s Manager
Original Air Date: July 14, 2002
Interview with Robin and Director Marty Callner

Noises

Explicit Language

HBO Promos

HBO Promos Rough Cuts

Robin’s Promo Riff

E! Press Room after Robin’s LIVE 2002 Grammy Win
Original Air Date: February 23, 2003

Disc 5: Weapons of Self Destruction
Robin Williams: Weapons of Self Destruction
With Introduction by Lewis Black
Original Air Date: December 6, 2009

A Backstage Pass

A View from the Director’s Chair

Local Highlights

Mrs. Doubtfire Toasts Richard Pryor
Taped 1993

People’s Choice Award for Favorite Actor in a Comedy Motion Picture
Original Air Date: March 8, 1994

People’s Choice Award for Favorite Comedy Motion Picture
Original Air Date: March 8, 1994

E! Press Room after Robin’s People’s Choice Wins
Original Air Date: March 8, 1994

Shakespeare: The Animated Tales—HBO Promos
Taped August 25, 1995

Disc 6: Robin’s USO Christmas
Robin’s USO Christmas
With Introduction by Lewis Black
Taped December 2007

American Forces Network Interview: On Tour with Robin Williams
Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan
Taped October 2002
Bahrain USO Tour
Taped December 2004
Stand-Up in Al Asad, Iraq
Taped December 2004
Manas Air Base, Kyrgyzstan
Taped December 2007

People’s Choice Award for Favorite Funny Male Star
Original Air Date: January 8, 2008
Interview with Lewis Black


Disc 1: Mork & Mindy
Mork & Mindy
The Best of Season 1
The Mork & Mindy Special (2-Part Pilot)
With Introduction by Pam Dawber
Original Air Date: September 14, 1978

Mork Moves In
Original Air Date: September 21, 1978

Mork Runs Away
Original Air Date: September 28, 1978
Mork in Love
Original Air Date: October 5, 1978

Mork’s Seduction
With Introduction by Pam Dawber
Original Air Date: October 12, 1978

Mork Goes Public
Original Air Date: October 19, 1978

Interview with Pam Dawber

Disc 2: Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Original Air Date: February 11, 1984
Robin Williams

Original Air Date: November 22, 1986
Robin Williams, Paul Simon

Original Air Date: January 23, 1988
Robin Williams

Disc 3: The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
Original Air Date: September 27, 1991
Oprah’s Memories of Robin
Featurette: Robin Williams—Comic Genius

Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actor
Original Air Date: January 17, 2003

Disc 4: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Original Air Date: December 23, 1992
Robin Williams
With Introduction by Jay Leno

Original Air Date: November 13, 1995
Robin Williams, David Lee Roth

Original Air Date: May 6, 1997
Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Kevin Nealon, Barry Manilow
Original Air Date: October 14, 2004
Robin Williams

Featurette: Robin Williams—TV’s Best Guest

Interview with Jay Leno

Disc 5: Inside the Actors Studio
Robin Williams: Inside the Actors Studio
Original Air Date: June 10, 2001
Great Moments That Didn’t Make the Cut

Disc 6: Come Inside My Mind
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind
Original Air Date: July 16, 2018

Illustrated booklet "Robin Williams Uncensored"

ROBIN WILLIAMS: COMIC GENIUS -- DVD Review by Porfle

DEADLY STRANGERS -- Movie Review by Porfle

 

 

Originally posted on 5/14/21

 

Currently watching: DEADLY STRANGERS (1975), an escaped-killer-on-the-loose thriller with Hayley Mills, Simon Ward, and Sterling Hayden.

Hayley plays a girl running away from a bad situation and Ward is a homicidal psycho who picks her up on the road in his stolen car, whose owner he ran down when he got out to use a pay phone.

Sterling Hayden briefly appears later on as eccentric old rogue who takes a playfully romantic interest in Hayley but then assumes the role of protector when he discovers the identity of her young companion. 

 

 

 

It's a good example of your basic murder-suspense thriller-slash-road picture with a fine cast and very modest production values (according to IMDb, it was originally intended to be part of a TV anthology series), taking place mostly on those bleak old roads way back in the English countryside.

The screenplay is by Philip Levene, who wrote many of the best episodes of the classic TV series "The Avengers" with Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg, and directed by Sidney Hayers, who worked on that series as well.

Ward's character struggles to maintain a "normal" facade in front of his nervous passenger while eluding the police, having some violent run-ins with local toughs, and even managing to get in an impulsive rape-murder at a gas station without Hayley finding out. There are a few car-chase setpieces that are nicely done.

 

Hayley tries poking some holes in her goody-goody image here by smoking like a chimney and doing a couple of nude scenes. I've been a big fan of hers since I was a kid, and I'm still not sure how I feel about this. Frankly, seeing her with her clothes off just feels wrong to me, especially when it's depicted "Peeping Tom"-style like Norman Bates in PSYCHO.

But seeing Hayley Mills making the most of an adult role, as she also does in such thrillers as TWISTED NERVE and ENDLESS NIGHT, is a treat. And just when you think you've got this movie figured out, and settle back to let it run its course, DEADLY STRANGERS pulls a twist ending on us that sends it off on a delightfully satisfying note.

 

 

DEADLY STRANGERS -- Movie Review by Porfle

PASTOR PAUL -- DVD Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 3/8/18

 

In case you didn't know (I didn't), "Nollywood" refers to the Nigerian film industry, with PASTOR PAUL (2015) being the first American-Nollywood co-production. 

That's not what really matters, though--the important thing is that it's a well-done film that's involving, intriguing, and not a little bit mystifying.

Director and co-writer Jules David Bartkowski plays Benjamin, a Caucasian who's in West Africa to study the mathematical properties of the local drum rhythms. 

Benjamin's slight of build, mild-mannered and very unassuming, and, most of all, extremely impressionable and easily led.  That's how he ends up being talked into appearing in an independent film that's in need of a white actor.

The shoot, however, takes a dark turn when Benjamin, playing a ghost in what turns out to be a weird adaptation of "Hamlet", suffers a bizarre seizure after being repeatedly harassed by a bullying director. 

His new actor aquaintance Kubolor (Wanlov Kubolor) says he shows signs of being possessed by a malevolent spirit and should immediately seek help from a sort of witch doctor.

The rest of the story shows Benjamin bouncing between various influences, some grimly repeating Kubolor's advice while others sternly warn against it, while still attempting to pursue his studies in drum-rhythm mathematics in a neighboring village. 

There, a night of drum-beating revelry draws him into an even more intense seizure that leaves him so distraught that he wastes no time seeking out the witch doctor's help--which, unsurprisingly, draws him even deeper into fear and confusion.

But even with all this going on, the main appeal of PASTOR PAUL for me is simply taking in all the sights, sounds, and cultural eccentricities of the film's setting, a medium-sized West African city that's just brimming with local color in which Benjamin is the quintessential "fish out of water."

While playing his character with a disarming innocence, Bartkowski directs with a part documentary, part art-film style that looks crisp and eye-pleasing even when filming scenes of squalor and/or supernatural rituals that leave the viewer in a state of discomforted unease.  The score is an interesting sort of angular African jazz.

For a Westerner such as myself, Benjamin is the mundane element while all else is exotic and appealingly different (except the food, which I found anything but appealing).  To an African, the opposite would probably be true. 

This gives the film a constant feeling of newness and discovery that's rather refreshing until, of course, Benjamin's gradual crossing over into the dark side of this alien world steers things toward a strangeness that's increasingly nightmarish.

The DVD from IndiePix Films has a 1.78:1 ratio with Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo sound and English subtitles (due to some very heavy accents and dialect).  Bonuses include a behind-the-scenes short, two music performances (including Bartowski's own rendition of "I Put a Spell On You"), and a teaser trailer.

PASTOR PAUL (the title refers to Benjamin's character in the fictional film he appears in) seems more involving, both visually and intellectually, than a film this modest has a right to be.  The ominous ending sneaks up on us and may seem a bit abrupt at first, but that just gives us something to keep thinking about when the credits start to role.

PASTOR PAUL -- DVD Review by Porfle

THE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 12/27/16

 

Another nice family moves into another spooky old house and encounters yet another restless spirit (or spirits) who may have met a violent end.  Like many an oft-heard song, the notes are the same but it all comes down to how well they're played. 

THE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM (2016) handles the verses about as well as can be expected; the choruses are so familiar we can practically sing along.  Director D.J. Caruso (DISTURBIA, THE SALTON SEA), a capable craftsman, comes through with a catchy solo now and then.  But ultimately it's the same old song.

We're already in comfortably well-traveled territory when Dana (Kate Beckinsale, UNDERWORLD, VAN HELSING) and David (Mel Raido, CLUBBED, THE INFORMERS) move into a large and very quaint old house that's way off the beaten track, along with young son Lucas (Duncan Joiner).

All of them are still smarting from a horrible family tragedy that's barely even begun healing.  Hardest hit is wife Dana--she's deep in therapy, constantly on meds, and, unfortunately, a little unclear about what's real and what isn't. 

So naturally she's the one to discover that the house has its own tower with spiral-staircase access (which Dana, an architect, somehow missed while house-hunting) leading to a hidden room where someone, or something, may have been imprisoned.  And it (or its ghost) may still be there, waiting to get out.

At first, the film takes its time establishing a bucolic mood which will gradually turn dark and sinister for our unsuspecting protagonists. We meet some of the local townspeople who, of course, all seem a bit off to the transplanted city dwellers (the feeling is mutual) and who hint that bad things have happened in that old house.

Dana, it turns out, has the strongest personality of the two, with David being a bit of a wuss.  In fact, when he has to go away to the city for a few days and leave Dana alone in the house, I was thinking it might've been better the other way around.  Still, seeing her resolute (and borderline-bitchy) attitude fall apart in the face of possible madness and delusion makes her mental deterioration all the more effective. 

Along the way, director Caruso tries his best to pull some scary stuff on us, including one sequence that's right out of Danny's hallway encounter with the twins in THE SHINING.  But what he mainly manages to do is generate suspense--Dana is often desperately racing to rescue Lucas from some imminent danger and we, seeing much of the story from her point of view, are never quite sure if it's real or imagined.  This keeps us off-balance much of the time, and the tension is strong and well-rendered.

The scary stuff, on the other hand, is pretty weak sauce.  I was glad to see that the film doesn't rely a lot on the loud noises, flashy effects, and "gotcha!" scares that are so prevalent in recent horror films. 

But the ghostly elements just aren't that effective--we're interested in how the story plays out, while being in no danger of it scaring us.  Especially when someone as old-shoe comfortable as Gerald McRaney ("Major Dad", "Simon & Simon") turns up as a "scary" ghost.

Beckinsale, now with blonde hair, is easy on the eyes and does an adequate job without really over-exerting her acting muscles.  As husband David, Raido effectively comes across as a bit mousey and not much help to Dana when the ectoplasm hits the fan, which is probably intentional.  Lucas Till (LAID TO REST, ALL SUPERHEROES MUST DIE) turns up as a young handyman but his part doesn't really go anywhere.

The DVD from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, LLC (TCFHE) is in 2.39:1 widescreen with English Dolby Digital 5.1 sound and subtitles in English and Spanish.  Extras consist of a brief making-of featurette and a trailer.

If you're looking to be scared out of your wits, this'll probably barely manage to raise a single hackle.  But for a darkly suspenseful mystery tale with some nice gothic elements and a knack for keeping the viewer off-guard, THE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM should keep you occupied for awhile.



Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Twitter @FoxHomeEnt

THE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM -- DVD Review by Porfle

THE FAMILY WAY (1966) -- Movie Review by Porfle

 

 

Originally posted on 5/23/21

 

Currently watching: THE FAMILY WAY (1966) with Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett. This is my third movie headlined by that particular couple, the others being the suspense thrillers TWISTED NERVE (1968) and ENDLESS NIGHT (1972).

Here, thank goodness, Hywel's "Arthur" isn't a psychotic killer or even an overly disturbed individual. But he does have a problem: his marriage to Jenny (Hayley Mills), a pretty young virgin he's been dating for two years, has a rocky start when their honeymoon vacation package turns out to be a scam and they end up spending the wedding night in Arthur's bedroom in his parents' house, with scarcely any privacy at all.

To make things worse, the reception (also in Mum and Dad's house) is full of tension between Arthur and his father, Ezra Fitton (Hayley's real-life dad, John Mills).  This and other factors add up to make Arthur unable to "perform" with Jenny that night.

 

What seems like a temporary problem at first evolves into a major, ongoing one as their cramped, tightly-knit little village gets wind of the matter and it quickly becomes the hottest gossip item around.

Arthur is hounded by well-meaning busybodies and humiliated by louts such as his boss (Barry Foster, TWISTED NERVE, FRENZY), while Jenny is unfairly blamed for letting the secret slip out and wonders if Arthur's inability to consummate their marriage is her fault.

With the couple under the intense scrutiny of everyone in town and the situation being hashed out by their clumsily concerned parents, the film's cringe factor quickly goes up to eleven and it's anyone's guess where the plot will take us from here.

 

But just then, all of the film's various elements--surprisingly tense drama, deliciously dry humor, rich irony, fascinating characters, and a startling revelation or two--suddenly begin to come together in a way that draws us in and makes us eager to see what happens next.

While Hayley and Hywel turn in just the sort of appealing performances one might expect, it's actually Hayley's dad John Mills and co-star Marjorie Rhodes as Arthur's parents, slow-witted Ezra and long-suffering Lucy, who have the most compelling characters and dialogue.

During one scene in particular, so much is revealed about them and so many past secrets dredged up that for several minutes they become the main focus of the film and we are transfixed by their story.

The supporting cast includes the delightful Liz Fraser (who'd appear that same year on TV's "The Avengers" in the episode "The Girl From AUNTIE") as Barry Foster's wife and actor-singer Murray Head, best known for the hit "One Night In Bangkok", as Arthur's brother, who displays an unhealthy interest in Jenny. Thorley Walters (TWISTED NERVE, FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN) also turns up briefly. 

 

 
Of added interest is the fact that the musical score is written by Beatle Paul McCartney and arranged by George Martin. It's pleasant enough but not as noteworthy as one might expect. Paul would later describe it as his first "job of work."

Technically, the film is a modest, competently-done effort with adequate production values, resembling any number of English smalltown comedies/dramas.  Longtime fans of Hayley Mills may be startled by her brief display of rear nudity during an uncomfortable scene with Arthur's brother.

I was unsure what to expect during the first part of THE FAMILY WAY, but soon found myself settling comfortably into this absorbing little film whose simple yet compelling narrative leads to a glowing finale.

THE FAMILY WAY (1966) -- Movie Review by Porfle

KRYPTON: THE COMPLETE SECOND & FINAL SEASON -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

(Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray TM I reviewed in this blog post.  The opinions I share are my own.)

 

Originally posted on 1/13/20


Having missed the first season of this show, I couldn't make heads or tails of many of these character names and their motives.  For a while anyway, it's a bit tedious for those without photographic memories or some kind of mental filing system for keeping it all sorted out.

But somewhere around the second or third episode of KRYPTON: THE COMPLETE SECOND & FINAL SEASON things started to fall into place and the story actually got rather involving. Not terribly so, but enough for me to enjoy the rest of the season without a scorecard.

What it is, basically, is glorified space opera (which is a good thing, by the way) that reminded me a lot of the "Flash Gordon" serials that I grew up with, featuring fancifully futuristic societies and characters that are either admirably purehearted or hissably evil.

The comparison is also apt in that each episode always has a cliffhanger ending--you can almost hear the announcer exhorting us to come back to the theater same time next week--coming at the climax of much science-fantasy-type melodrama and derring-do.

The big difference is that this show has all the modern technical advantages of CGI and a generous budget to give us spectacular planetary vistas, raging monsters (such as the incredibly hostile behemoth Doomsday), and cityscapes brilliantly alight and swarming with flying craft.

I did, however, find the production design to be on the dark and murky side at times, as though Krypton sometimes had trouble paying its light bill.  And some shots seemed to lean so heavy on the CGI frou-frou as to make one yearn for the days of occasional visual austerity.

All that aside, the complicated multi-level plotlines do weave themselves together into quite a saga involving two of Krypton's main houses, El and Zod, which end up on opposite sides of a massive revolution.

During this increasingly cataclysmic clash, our hero Seg-El (a likable Cameron Cuffe), the grandfather of Kal-El (whom Earth will someday know as "Superman"), is pitted in mortal opposition to the murderous tyrant General Dru-Zod (powerfully portrayed by Colin Salmon of the Brosnan-era "James Bond" films), the show's ruthless equivalent to Ming the Merciless who rules the city of Kandor with an iron fist and is intent on conquering the universe.

A myriad of supporting characters include Seg-El's love Lyta-Zod (Georgina Campbell), who will inexplicably align with Dru-Zod against the rebels.  (Did I mention that Dru-Zod is the son of the younger Seg-El and Lyta-Zod? It's a time travel thing.) Also of note is Nyssa-Vex (Wallis Day), mother of Seg-El's son Cor-vex, who will someday be renamed Jor-El and become Kal-El's father. 

But seeking to prevent Kal-El from one day traveling to Earth and becoming his arch-enemy Superman is the really, really evil cyborg Brainiac, also a time traveler but with the insidious ability to enter Seg-El's body and use him toward his own malevolent ends. (Their interactions provide some of the most entertaining scenes.)

There's also yet another character displaced in time, Earth man Adam Strange (Shaun Sipos), the show's main comedy relief (he's sort of a Seth Green type) who comes from a future Earth devastated by Brainiac and is trying to keep that from happening. A dozen or so additional characters of note add to the action and drama.

The dialogue fluctuates between mock-Shakespearean and unexpectedly coarse (much of the humor is scatological) but the cast perform it all with conviction. This is especially true of Colin Salmon's Dru-Zod, a fitting predecessor to the familiar General Zod from the "Superman" movies.

The 2-disc Blu-ray from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment contains all ten one-hour episodes and is in 16x9 widescreen with English 5.1 audio and subtitles in English and French. The bonus menu consists of two featurettes, "The Fate of Superman" and "Villains: Modes of Persuasion." There are also instructions for digital download.

For those who enjoy the old serials as I do, it won't matter that KRYPTON: THE COMPLETE SECOND & FINAL SEASON doesn't quite embody the finest of the sci-fi genre.  It's quite sufficient as a lively, intense, complex, colorful, sometimes eye-pleasing, always involving chapter play, culminating in a final blazing battle between good and evil with the fate of the entire galaxy in the balance.

KRYPTON: THE COMPLETE SECOND & FINAL SEASON -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

UNEMPLOYED -- Movie Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 6/27/10

 

The best thing about watching UNEMPLOYED (2008) is that from now on, every other comedy I ever watch is going to seem a hundred times funnier. In fact, after suffering through this incredibly inept and mind-bogglingly unfunny story about two struggling actors trying to find work before sundown to avoid getting kicked out of their apartment, watching C-Span will be a cavalcade of nonstop hilarity by comparison.

The black guy, Jamal, is played by Godfrey, who is, to my surprise, an actual comedian in real life and has been in several other films such as ORIGINAL GANGSTAS and ZOOLANDER. The white guy, Dexter, is portrayed by James Charles Leary, who appeared as "Clem" in eight episodes of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as well as, among other things, a film entitled STUNT C*CKS, which he also wrote and produced. According to his IMDb biography, he "studied" with Second City in Chicago, but displays little evidence of this here.

Every time Jamal and Dexter crossed the street during their half-hearted job search, I kept hoping they'd get hit by a truck. They are, quite literally, the unfunniest comedy duo I've ever seen in my life. It might not have been so bad if they'd had some honest-to-goodness comedy lines or amusing bits of business, but writer Marvin Hayes and writer-director Dale Stelly apparently forgot to create any for them.

Jamal and Dexter go to an audition, make up some unfunny patter, and leave. They apply for a job as delivery men, are rejected because they don't have driver's licenses or a car, and leave. They steal some scooters, have the scooters stolen from them by thugs, and leave. They apply for a job at a dry cleaner's, find out the dry cleaner isn't hiring, and--you guessed it--leave. These are the comedy highlights, folks.

Oh yeah, and they actually do get hired at a place called Booty Burger, but before this premise is in any danger whatsoever of yielding a single funny line or situation, they quit, then leave. We're supposed to laugh just because the place is called "Booty Burger", and because Dexter asks an attractive female customer what kind of nuts she wants on her sundae.

Two things actually came remotely close to making me chuckle. One is when they decide to go to work for a gangsta named Mad Dog, and he turns out to be a tiny ventriloquist dummy that looks and sounds like Chris Rock. But before the scene threatens to become humorous in any way, they leave. The other thing is when Dexter thinks Jamal is dying and hastily calls 911 but accidentally calls 411 by mistake, and asks the operator the number for 911. Compared to the rest of the movie, this part is a flat-out scream.

Since UNEMPLOYED appears to have little scripted action besides "they go here" and "they go there", it's a largely improvised comedy performed by people who are totally incapable of either improvising or performing comedy. Their idea of riffing on a vague, random idea is to simply keep jabbering whatever pops into their heads in the vain hope that they'll eventually spit out something remotely amusing.

At the risk of setting Oscar Wilde spinning in his grave like a top, here's a sample of some of the funnier lines--


SECRETARY: "You can get yo' ass up outta here before I make it look like a scene from 'The Exorcist' up in here."

JAMAL (to Dexter): "I'm gonna smash you like a transsexual on 'Jerry Springer' if you keep talkin'."

JOB INTERVIEWER: "What kind of experience do you have?"
JAMAL (riffing): "I'm very educated. Ha ha ha! Look at the way I sound. Ha ha ha! I'm a laugh educator."


A host of untalented bit players drift in and out of the movie, with the occasional semi-talented actor coming as a disorienting shock. Familiar character actor Tiny Lister (NEXT FRIDAY, THE FIFTH ELEMENT) gets featured billing for walking through a scene for about twenty seconds. Director Stelly plays a low-budget director named Spike Leroy who casts Jamal and Dexter in his latest film, in which they get brutally beaten with nightsticks--my favorite scene.

On the whole, UNEMPLOYED is so utterly lifeless and devoid of entertainment value that watching it is like observing the forensic examination of a bloated corpse that's been washed ashore after floating around in a swamp for about a month.  Only not as funny.

UNEMPLOYED -- Movie Review by Porfle

I WILL WALK LIKE A CRAZY HORSE -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 8/26/16

 

I WILL WALK LIKE A CRAZY HORSE, aka J'irai comme un cheval fou (1973), features yet another warped mother-son relationship (a la VIVA LA MUERTE) that makes me wonder how much of it is also drawn from Arrabal's own experiences and/or hangups, and how much is just him messing with us. The main part of the story, however, is like a wish-fulfillment dream that mixes the surrealism of his other work with the childlike fantasy of THE EMPEROR OF PERU, building to a bizarre yet oddly optimistic ending.

After apparently murdering his rich, clinging mother and fleeing with her cash and jewels into the desert, Aden Ray (American actor George Shannon) encounters a primitive Pan-like troll named Marvel. This naive and gentle soul lives in a cave with his goat Theresa and various snakes, scorpions, and insects, and knows nothing of the outside world. When asked if he can read, Marvel responds, "What does 'read' mean?"

Marvel asks about civilization, and as Aden tells him how wonderful it is we see people in gas masks making joyless love and racing around with shopping carts. Television, he explains, is "a blind woman who teaches philosophy and caresses the foulest recesses of our brains."
Every time Aden describes the wonders of his world his words seem hollow and meaningless, although the naive Marvel finds them intriguing and funny.

Fascinated by Marvel's utterly guileless innocence and mystical communion with nature, and reveling in the first taste of freedom that he's ever known, Aden nevertheless can't wait to introduce the eager naif to the big city, which, of course, will have consequences both delightful and dire. All the while, police continue to close in on the fugitive Aden, and his newfound happiness with his soulmate Marvel proves fleeting.

While VIVA LA MUERTE was unrelentingly downbeat, this time Arrabal renders dreamlike images both dark and enchanting. The former dominates early on as we see some of the traumas that warped Aden's childhood, including the time he stumbled upon his mother (Emmanuelle Riva) being willingly sexually abused and degraded by the handyman. While she gets what is commonly known as a "facial", a distraught and confused Aden masturbates himself into a frothing epileptic seizure.

Heavily symbolic scenes include the boy Aden as Baby Jesus, mouth taped shut, as his Virgin Mary mother drives needles into his penis, and the older Aden lying catatonic in his mother's arms as she lights his erect member like a candle. Yikes. It's no wonder that he fantasizes about nailing her outstretched tongue to a table.

On a lighter note--traditionally handsome Aden and childlike dwarf Marvel make quite a pair. Their first meeting is hilarious--Marvel offers Aden some food, which he likes. What is it, he asks. "I wrapped it in rose petals," Marvel says proudly. "A little flour...mixed with goat shit." Aden watches in wonder as Marvel greets the morning by twirling ecstatically like a top beneath the rising sun until he levitates. Some blind desert dwellers arrive and implore him to heal them, which he does by dabbing their eyes with his saliva.

Hachemi Marzouk is perfect in the role--you can't help but be captivated by this grotesque little bundle of joy as he scurries around with no ambition whatsoever except to know and give happiness, and dispensing miracles without a second thought. "What is happiness?" he asks, and while Aden ponders the question, Marvel answers it himself by scampering down a sand dune with joyful abandon.

When the two arrive in the city, we fear that the awestruck Marvel will be corrupted by its sin and temptation. Yet it's as though he has a force-field of innocence that prevents this from happening. When a scheming circus owner tricks him into dancing around in boxer shorts for paying customers, Marvel not only enjoys the experience but shares his joy with everyone else by releasing some lions from their cages, causing a panic. Aden keeps trying to get unwilling hookers to give him his first sexual experience, yet Marvel, with his sweet personality, manages to snag a beautiful woman into a whirlwind marriage ceremony presided over by his goat.

One of the most vividly moving sequences takes place in a church after Marvel impulsively insists on attending mass. As a dour priest haranges his flock about their impending damnation, the tearful Marvel approaches a large crucifix and gently removes the crown of thorns and a nail from one hand, magically drawing blood. "Blasphemer!" everyone angrily accuses, yet for a moment we see the image of a loving Christ smiling down upon him.

The DVD from Cult Epics is in 1.78:1 widescreen with French soundtrack and English subtitles. Extras include a lobbycard gallery, the trailer for VIVA LA MUERTE, a six-page foldout booklet with liner notes by Rayo Casablanca, and another interesting interview with Arrabal.

After the on-the-nose autobiographical odyssey of VIVA LA MUERTE, I WILL WALK LIKE A CRAZY HORSE finds Arrabal beginning to express other feelings in other ways. The final gripping minutes are both horrifying--some will find them utterly disgusting--and inspirational, climaxing in a thrilling moment of hard-earned transcendence. The horror has barely faded before a happy ending leaves us smiling, and the swirling maelstrom of Arrabal's imagination seems to have been allowed a brief moment of peace.

Read our review of THE FERNANDO ARRABAL COLLECTION

I WILL WALK LIKE A CRAZY HORSE -- DVD Review by Porfle