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Dark Night of the Scarecrow (1981)
Bubba gets his revenge
**This review contains many spoilers**. I was around in 1981 and remember this movie being advertised. I could not remember if it was a theatrical or TV movie. All I remembered was something about a scarecrow comes to life and exacts some sort of revenge on the townsfolk. But I never saw the movie until now (October 2016). Great little made for TV movie, above average as many TV movies have been. Its theme is actually like an old folk tale/myth. An avenging spirit comes back to right the wrongs. There is a hint/atmosphere of paganism here with the elements of the harvest, fall, scarecrow, pumpkins, farms, etc. that have been used in other films and it is used here to great effect. In many ways, it reminded me of an extended episode of Night Gallery. The photography, music, production values and just the right touch of eeriness hearken back to that series of the early seventies. Unlike some of the NG episodes, the night scenes in this were actually shot at night and they look really good. Light and shadow, wind and movement are used here to very realistic effect. I'm actually glad I didn't see it until now as the film was digitally restored and put on DVD in 2010. Some small bits were restored that had been cut from the original TV airing. After seeing the film, I watched it again with director and writer commentary which I can recommend. Much of the scenery is beautiful, with wide shots that are more like a theatrical film. The director said he did that purposely to lift the overall quality of the film. Note: the movie was shot in Southern California, north of Los Angeles. It could pass as a Midwestern corn growing state though, except maybe the hills/mountains are a giveaway, i.e. not flatlands and plains. Larry Drake and Charles Durning I recognized almost immediately as character actors I'd seen in countless shows and although I was not familiar with the young actress who played Marylee, she was quite a good little actress, conveying a mature and very knowing quality, wise beyond her years without coming off as phony. Her dialogue and her insistence that Bubba is still alive were eerie and I kept wondering through the whole film whether she really was talking to Bubba and he wasn't dead (as she tells Otis) or just making it up a la wishful thinking. Drake is fabulous as the mentally challenged Bubba who is wrongly blamed for a little girl's death. Turns out she doesn't die and Bubba didn't hurt her either, but by then Bubba has already been executed vigilante style by a posse of four local townsmen in a scene that's surprisingly graphic for a TV movie. You can see poor Bubba's blue eyes peering out of the scarecrow he's hiding in and the fear in them is extremely real and haunting. You don't easily forget it. The musical score is quite good and eerie in its high pitch, sad and piercing. It's an unusual score and one that stays with you. The low budget production values just add to this film oddly enough. They make it better. What it doesn't show in direct view, e.g. Harless falling into the wood/brush grinder, the sound effects make up for and fill in the imagination. The machine obviously was real and makes that scene all the more harrowing. What kept me guessing all along was, you can often hear a sound of someone walking and the Philby character glimpses a shape, some figure going through a doorway, but the figure is just hard enough to make out, it becomes one of the most goose bump inducing scenes in the movie. Is it the scarecrow come back to life or is it someone else (human) exacting revenge on Bubba's behalf? Bubba's mother is almost certain that justice will prevail as she talks about there being more kinds of justice in this world than the law, implying that the four men will get what's coming to them but also raising the possibility that she or someone else is avenging her son's death. That question is answered and revealed in a great two part ending, first where the tractor clearly starts itself (gearshifts move by themselves) and the really best part, the scarecrow once again turning and looking at Marylee, after those footsteps can be heard again. It is Bubba after all and he's gotten his revenge. It's a great ending, chilling and something I had to go back and view again. As another reviewer said, this one is best viewed late at night, alone.
Burnt Offerings (1976)
Memories of a lifetime
I don't believe I've ever reviewed this movie on IMDb. It is certainly better than it often gets credit for. One of my all time horror favorites. Definite spoilers in here if you haven't seen it. A bit of trivia: Lee Montgomery, who plays the son in this movie later starred in "Dead of Night" with Joan Hackett wherein he plays her deceased son returned to life. A good scary TV movie available on DVD. Also, the main title theme in Burnt Offerings is "Memories of a Lifetime" which is also the line that Karen Black utters as she pores over the photos upstairs in the mansion.
Another bit of trivia, Dan Curtis, the director can be seen in one of the photos in the collection. He's wearing a top hat I believe and has a rather scary/scared expression on his face.
Yes it is dated. I saw this in its original theatrical release in 1976. A good movie that is better on the big screen because of its camera-work. Almost anything from the 70's is going to look dated now, particularly how many station wagons there are! (see the original Stepford Wives) The "fuzziness" is deliberate--Dan Curtis used "gauze" type filters over the cameras to give it a dreamlike effect. This was also done by Alfred Hitchcock in "Vertigo". I still like this movie. A lot of critics are not kind to it. But when I had it out on rental, I loaned it to a number of people and all of them liked it. I remember seeing this on network TV before the days of tape and DVD's and it really suffers on the small screen. But the widescreen DVD looks excellent, really good. The color and print have been restored for the DVD and it looks flawless in widescreen. Great music too by Bob Cobert, who did the music for the original Dark Shadows TV series. Anthony James was perfectly cast as the chauffeur, a character that can give me the absolute creeps watching this movie in broad daylight. I still to this day have a hard time watching the dream sequence where the chauffeur first appears. The music and photography are very eerie and unsettling.
When he comes driving up the entrance to the mansion, oooh! His pale face, the sunglasses, not being able to see what's in those eyes. He represents death but he's scarier than a hooded grim reaper would be.
You feel sympathy for the family, including the young boy as they are completely helpless tragic characters who will never "get out". The "chauffeur" has a special significance for me because of my grandfather working in the funeral business. He also represents an omen as he's a bad memory from a nightmare Ben has about the death of his mother and he comes back from the past, in an old car, in broad daylight where he shouldn't be. I believe he is foreshadowing the doom to come.
The effects in this movie are good. The house "regenerating" itself looks very convincing and with no CGI. When Karen Black died, there was a film tribute to her in San Francisco, which I went to see. They showed this movie in actual 35 mm but the print was not a restored one I'm sorry to say. Color went in and out, some other minor glitches etc. but at least I got to see it on the big screen for the first time in a long time. It was nice to see Bette Davis getting a serviceable role in her later years--some complain she doesn't get to do enough in this film but I think she was good as always and got enough screen time.
I don't think it could be made today with the subtlety that makes it so great. Oliver Reed gives a wonderful and sensitive performance and you feel for him as his wife can't see how the house is taking over her. It's a bit like The Shining, though this story and movie were made before Stephen King published his novel. I listened to the commentary on the DVD and was dismayed at how they badmouthed Reed, who isn't here to defend himself and who is great in this movie.
One (two?) of the best lines in the movie: "Marion?" "I've been waiting for you Ben" which then lead to the GREAT ending which still shocks me. If you like horror with a more mysterious and subtle edge, this is the one.
Fast & Furious 7 (2015)
Some ingredients missing but a fun farewell to Paul
**Note** This review contains SPOILERS THROUGHOUT
Saw this last night (April 3rd). I am a fan of the Furious series and I have seen all of them. I've always loved the cast and especially Paul Walker. Someone noted that this film is not likely to connect with viewers who are not fans of the series or have not followed it and I agree. While I enjoyed the film, it was an awful lot of loudness, explosions, car chases and just beyond unbelievable stunts along with cast members' characters surviving many car stunts and crashes that would have been highly improbable, enough to put Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner to shame. It could have used more character development and more fleshed out villains and it went ON, like a long time. I would like to have had more of Dwayne Johnson's character—he was funny and they gave him a cute daughter in the film. Director Wan does keep the action up though and it is rarely boring.
It's important to remember, this is not the film they set out to make. Had Walker lived, it would have been a different film, plot and otherwise. Visually, I did not notice the places where they used CGI with the exception of the fight in the tour bus. There were many quick cuts and it did not look like it was actually Walker tangling with the other man. That scene for me was the best, with the bus dangling over a cliff and Brian scrambling to get out. Even when you know it's not real, it looks so real, very convincing. Letty arrives just in time to save him.
Overall, I had a hard time telling when it was Walker's actual scene he was present for and not. The tip-off however to me was various scenes where Walker was present and you expected him to say something but he didn't. Those are the scenes where I believe it was not he.
The film begins touchingly enough and funny, where Walker's character is in close-up, grasping a steering wheel and you think it's another racecar and instead he's parking his SUV to get his toddler out. A real change from the early days. There is also a good amount of good-natured banter between the various characters and humorous zingers that made me laugh. It is touching because you know they were all friends on the set and they loved Paul.
Another scene with Letty all dolled up in a red dress and makeup was a lot of fun, where she does some kung fu moves in a penthouse suite with some mean bitches (can I say that?) at the Abu Dhabi tower they're at.
There is something missing however and you do see it. You can tell there's a certain emotional component that is missing. There are scenes that are just obvious, "Brian" would have been saying something or doing something, interacting more but he doesn't. There is only so much you can do with a missing cast member.
"Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee" John Donne 1572-1631
This is ultimately the cast and crew's farewell love letter to Paul Walker and in that they very much succeeded. Walker died on my birthday. I had been out that evening with family and friends only to come home, turn on the internet and see the news. I was moved to tears. How could I be so affected by this guy I never knew? I felt like I lost a friend. He just seemed like such a nice guy both in his films and out. I have heard that Paul's family wanted them to finish the film he had started and they did a pretty darn good job. The ending is appropriate and poignant. When you see it, you realize it doesn't make sense as the ending of this film per se, it's really the cast and producers saying goodbye to Paul. The image of Walker in that final scene is a much earlier one or an amalgam of his various faces through the years. It really is a goodbye between him and "Dom" and it's beautifully done. He will be missed.
The Twilight Zone: Living Doll (1963)
One of my favorites
**Possible spoilers** I own the entire original Twilight Zone series on DVD and still, I haven't watched them all. This one is definitely one of my favorites of a very favorite series and that's saying something. There is delicious dark humor in the sentiments voiced by the doll, an incongruity coming from something so seemingly innocent. It's one of the TZ episodes that generates a lot of discussion among those I know who have seen it and those who have seen some of it. The fact that the doll only voices its animosity when it's alone with the father. But it does other things that are even more impossible, such as answering him in entirely original sentences that aren't in its "program". It even winks at him at the dinner table. The doll is an ally, a friend to a poor little girl who wants so much to be loved by her stepfather who just can't show her much love. It seems like the doll is channeling what the little girl is too young to express--and it's not the little girl's fault that she can't defend herself. The voice over work of June Foray is brilliant and the tone is perfect. You really feel like that doll is alive.
Festival Express (2003)
Yes, more please...very interesting!
Just watched this last night, found it to be extremely interesting for myself and anyone who is interested in music of this era. Thank you DJ whose name I can't remember from KFOG here in SF Bay Area for mentioning this movie on the air the other day. I recalled I had heard of this movie and never saw it and forgot all about it. This was almost like a little "mini Woodstock" or Monterey Pop with some of the same artists. As vdg comments here, "More more please!" I couldn't agree more. At the end of this DVD, you just wish it could go on and that there was more concert footage. Amazing footage of Janis Joplin, close up, so close you can see her skin complexion. Amazing too to see Jerry Garcia and others when they were SO young and getting to hear a bit of conversation with them and hearing their thoughts about music and life at the time. Brief, but very insightful, this is a candid look at an actual unscripted unorganized event that for the participants was great fun and if you watch, it's like you're on the ride with them. Now if only Jimi Hendrix had been there, I would give it ten out of ten.
The Descendants (2011)
Not what it seems?
Just watched this a couple nights ago with a friend. Did not know much about it other than the advertisements from when it first came out and had heard it was a good movie. But that's where things went wrong for me. Maybe it's me but the advertising made me think this was a sort of broad quirky comedy about a frustrated dad and it looked very funny. It's not a bad film--it has a few comedic moments (very few) but really is a drama and a long slow moving one at that. In addition, it borders on downright depressing. There are so many "buttons" here that get pressed--infidelity, mortality, estranged families, loss of long held valued possessions, environmental issues. What saved it for me mostly was I thought George Clooney did an impressive performance as a man struggling to come to terms with an event in his life and the strained relationship he has with his older daughter. I agree with another reviewer here that the movie gives you the sense of building up to some larger revelation that never comes. It's just different overall than what one might expect as I said. But I also very much enjoyed the scenery as I love Hawaii and this was filmed on both Oahu and Kauai and I recognized many places in the film. Some really gorgeous shots. Beware though, there is a lot of swearing and cynicism in this film and is not for kids, nor if you're looking for an evening of comedy.
Dead of Night (1977)
Uneven, but worth your time
I have enjoyed reading others' reviews of this anthology. I definitely remember seeing it when it was new and just watched it again tonight for the first time since 1977. So glad this is out on DVD. It does feel very much like Night Gallery episodes put together, though the first one is more akin to the early Twilight Zone series' sentimental type story of time travel or wishful thinking. Funny though, I had no recollection whatsoever of either of the first two episodes. I just don't remember them at all. The one I remembered very clearly and enjoyed again tonight was "Bobby". Lee Montgomery and Joan Hackett were excellent in this cautionary tale wherein the mother turns to black magic to summon her dead son. Very atmospheric, creepy and convincing, with good production values for a TV movie, "Bobby" (to me) hasn't lost any of its punch over the years. The portrait of the boy in the living room, the rain and lightning, the ocean, the house, all powerfully suggest the fear that will come. Nice house. I kept asking myself, where was this filmed? I could not find any information on IMDb regarding filming location. It looks like California, the hills and the ocean shots reminded me of "Play Misty for me". The first two stories are OK but rent this one for "Bobby".
The Twilight Zone: The After Hours (1960)
one of my all time favorite Twilight Zone episodes
**possible spoilers**
Just heard that Anne Francis passed away on January 2nd, 2011. So sad. Ms Francis shines in this wonderful and unusual episode of the original Twilight Zone. Having seen almost the entire series, this has always been high up among my most favorite of all the episodes. There's something just unique about it in all the episodes, perhaps because it is told almost entirely through hint and innuendo, atmosphere and lighting. Very little is revealed in the dialogue. Instead, this is a very visual story, e.g. the elevator arrow going to the ninth floor (which probably existed but appears to be just storage, hence there should not be any "saleslady" there), the lighting, the realistic use of shadows, the facial expressions of the actors. The clues are all there if you just look for them. Almost any of us would be scared to find ourselves locked in a dept. store or bank or just about anywhere, alone, "after hours". What stands out in this story is empathy. Think "Pinocchio". He was made of wood but dreamed of being a "real" boy. Similarly, we can all feel some empathy for these characters. Worth noting, bears some similarity to another TZ episode, "Five Characters in Search of an Exit".
Shutter Island (2010)
A visual feast, good performances, but...
I just rented this the other night, watched it in its entirety and I have to say I have mixed feelings. It's a visual feast to be sure, very atmospheric, beautifully photographed, well acted but muddled and confusing to the viewer. DiCaprio turns in a valid performance and Mark Ruffalo I didn't even recognize until halfway through the film. What is likable about the film is that at its heart, it's a mystery, one that seems to point several possible directions, even hinting at the supernatural. My main complaints were it seemed a bit long and a bit hard to follow. **Possible spoilers** I myself would perhaps call this "A Beautiful Mind" meets various insane asylum movies.
The Stepford Wives (1975)
Great sci fi horror flick!
"Bobbie, it's gotten to YOU now!" This is one of my most favorite quotes from the film, though I have a great many. This is one of the most quotable films I've ever seen. My "Stepford" facts:
When this film debuted in 1975, I was 13 and my older sister was 18. We were going to go see this movie in the theater but never did. Regrettably, I have never seen it on the big screen.
For years, even after the advent of VCR's, it was not available on video. So one night, I was able to tape it off channel 5, our local CBS affiliate here in San Francisco. Parts were edited out I wasn't aware of. So the ending came as a surprise when I eventually saw the uncut film and saw more than I had ever seen before in the next to final scene of the film. **Possible spoilers ahead** Though it's very implausible, it has always been and still is one of my most favorite films. It's very helpful to read the book first as it references things from the book that make more sense if you've read the book ("she'll be...like one of those robots in Disneyland" .."when I cut myself, I bleed!") but changes some things to good effect. That is to say, both have strengths. I've always loved Katharine Ross (The Graduate, Butch Cassidy) and she is great as Joanna, but Paula Prentiss should have gotten the Academy Award for her (vegetable cutting) scene (Why look at YOU for heaven's sakes!)in the kitchen with Joanna. In fact, both were quite good in that scene. The underlying subtle feel of science fiction is palpable in that scene and what follows. It's arguably my most favorite scene in the movie. Tina Louise ("Ginger" from Gilligan's Island) is great as Charmaine, in what might be an under-appreciated character role from the book. In fact, the entire supporting cast of women is great. They all do the roles of the various wives very well. Even the bit parts such as the psychiatrist and the chemist who checks the water are well cast and well acted. The magic is marred somewhat by moments of bad dialogue and in particular, I wish they had done the psychiatrist's office scene a bit differently. Still, it's a minor gripe. I love the music (and sound effects) in this film. It fits absolutely perfectly with the scenes and the final music playing over the closing credits is melancholy and wistful and very fitting. Unfortunately, there seems to be no soundtrack CD available.
**Possible spoilers ahead** I wish to add two other things to this review several years after I wrote it. One thing that has been commented on is why the men didn't take photos of the wives instead of an artist doing sketches. This is an idea from the novel that could not be duplicated on screen, i.e., in the novel, the artist Ike Mazzard is famous for drawing very flattering sketches. What he draws is much more beautiful than the woman is in real life. That would be hard to re- create on film without coming off silly. So what director Forbes had to do was cast women who were already pretty attractive and they are, don't you think? Another question that has nagged me, how do these men create these women servants who are so skilled, they can bake and cook so well, etc.? As a skilled baker myself, these men strike me as being so ignorant of knowing their way around a kitchen, I'm not sure they would know how to boil water for spaghetti, let alone turn out a beautiful batch of brownies. "I know I shouldn't say this, but I...just...love...my...brownies!" (Can't resist using Kit's line from the movie). Still, credit goes to Ira Levin for duplicating well his theme from Rosemary's Baby, that of a woman alone in surroundings that seem to have something sinister going on and closing in on HER, only here he transferred it to the suburbs, and to great effect. When Joanna realizes her best friend Bobbie isn't really Bobbie anymore, the real horror sets in. She knows she is utterly alone and may not escape Stepford. It builds to the very eerie climax at the Men's Association building. Patrick O'Neal is chillingly evil in a very matter of fact way as Dale Coba or "Diz". In many ways, it is a powerful statement against technology and how it is pervasive and taking over our lives. And this was the mid seventies! It's also a savage social commentary on the conformity of upper middle class suburbia and the powerful hold that tradition can have on a community, in this case the fictional Stepford (as in "Steeped in Tradition") Village in old New England. (The sign that greets them, "Welcome to Stepford Village") and it predates the yuppie era. A very cool sci fi idea, brought to life on the big screen.
The Innocents (1961)
Miles? Miles!
I own this on DVD and just watched it again last night. It never fails to give me chills. A recent IMDb reviewer called it the "Rolls Royce" of ghost stories and although I'm quite fond of "The Others" (another excellent film in this vein) I agree. From the opening moments with that haunting song, to the finale with Miss Giddens' plaintive cries of "Miles"!, this film never fails you. The scene at the pond in the rain is pure genius--very frightening. Anyone who watches will know what I'm talking about. But just about everything about this film is top notch from the cast to the photography. Bleak, desolate, Bly House is unforgettable and sinister. One of the best ever made of its type. Highly recommended.
Dead Like Me (2003)
Deserved to go beyond two seasons
I, like others, may be adding my name the petition to get this show going again. It is top quality all the way. The characters are very original, the casting is great. I don't get Showtime, so I missed this in its original run but have seen it this year on DVD, courtesy of Netflix. I have loved every show. I am currently viewing the second season, disc two. The Mason character is hilarious and Ellen Muth does a fantastic job as George. Mandy Patinkin almost steals the show as the dour Rube. It's the best role I've ever seen him do. He was born to play this part. (Possible spoiler)** I love his comments on the afterlife, e.g. "I don't see Della Reese at this table". Another unsung character is the African American woman who plays the waitress. She's great. Perhaps in a third season, Betty could return (?). This cast of characters is just too good not to make more of this show!
The Old Dark House (1932)
Surprising
I just rented this film and watched it after hearing and reading a number of reviews, including Leondard Maltin's book and after hearing that Gloria Stuart was in it (knowing she had an early movie career but I only knew her from Titanic.) I found it surprising that it was on DVD, seeing how old it is and (I thought) obscure. I must say, I did enjoy the film and was surprised at just how effective it is considering how old it is and what a low budget it must have been shot on. The water scenes are quite realistic and it looks quite like a real storm. Photography-wise, the film looks even older than Frankenstein or King Kong, movies that were close in age to this one.It's probably best this film is in black and white as it adds to the dreadful atmosphere. It still would have worked OK in color although they weren't really doing that then were they? I do say the most effective sound effect was the constant whine of the wind outside. There is something unique about it, at once recognizable as a sound effect but also with a certain pitch that's very eerie. It never lets up and I'm sure the makers of this movie intended it. The cast are all wonderful, adding as noted, some humor while it still becomes menacing anyway in the house.
Single White Female (1992)
Why no soundtrack???
I saw this movie twice, once in its original release in theaters and once recently again on DVD. I enjoyed seeing it again on the DVD and realize I still like this movie. But I always wanted to get the soundtrack for the closing song by Chrissie Hynde. I inquired about getting it and it is not available. I don't believe a soundtrack was ever released for this film. Maybe in the future? Aside from that, I had forgotten just how explicit this film is in some scenes with violence and/or sex. There were many scenes I did not remember. I would say JJ Leigh and Bridget Fonda were both very good, but Leigh in particular I did not even recognize when first viewing the DVD, even though I knew it was her. She looked incredibly different from other roles I knew her from. And she was genuinely scary in this one.