Films That Matter
A Law Unto Themselves
The front door to an apartment swings open... an unseen figure walks through the living area and approaches a beautiful blonde woman wearing a robe as she walks around the bathroom... he then deliberately empties the barrel of his revolver into her – this is the jarring cold opening to the film noir Illegal (1955), and one thing is for sure, it knows how to grab your attention. Funnily enough, this was the third adaptation of the 1929 play “The Mouthpiece” by Frank J. Collins, following Mouthpiece (1932) and The Man Who Talked Too Much (1940) – and they say movies are remade too much today. Flash to Victor Scott (Edward G. Robinson), a district attorney who is wise to all the angles and is graced with a silver tongue. With an unyielding desire to win (he got it from growing up and fighting his way out of the slums), he argues every case like it is his last.
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Murder at Midnight Can be Funny
Who Done It?October 30, 2016Combining a touch of horror and film noir within a murder mystery, Abbott and Costello once again add their unique brand of humour to dark subject matter in the 1942 classic comedic caper Who Done It?. Directed by Erle C. Kenton (Island of Lost Souls), this flick finds straight man Bud Abbott playing Chick Larkin while funny man Lou Costello portrays Mervin Q. Milgrim; together, they are a pair of simple-minded soda jerks on the bottom floor of a popular radio station. Yet, their true dream is to become head writers for a mystery themed radio show – which is why they took the low paying jobs in the highfalutin building. Finding writer Jimmy Turner (Patric Knowles) and secretary to the boss, Juliet Collins (Mary Wickes), in their midst while working at the soda and ice cream bar, they see this as a prime opportunity to pitch their idea. Turner takes a liking to the funny friends and invites them to a live taping of his program, Murder at Midnight.
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No Man is an Island
Island of Lost SoulsOctober 28, 2016Adapting H.G. Wells’ novel "The Island of Doctor Moreau" for the screen, Paramount’s 1932 film Island of Lost Souls is not nearly as well known as the Universal horror pictures that were released around the same time (Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man), though it most definitely should be. Though H.G. Wells despised the picture and its overt horror elements (which he felt got in the way of the true message of his book), it has become known as the premier adaptation of the classic novel – though it was banned three times in Britain for its depiction of vivisection. Adapted by Waldemar Young and Philip Wylie, and directed by Erle C. Kenton (The Ghost of Frankenstein, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula), the cautionary tale follows shipwrecked survivor Edward Parker (Richard Arlen) as he is picked up by a trading vessel. Treated by a dour doctor, Montgomery (Arthur Hohl), the newly resuscitated man discovers an odd array of animals on the ship.
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Star Pick with Rudolf Schenker
Fly Me to the MoonAvatarOctober 25, 2016Soon after Avatar’s release, it became evident that it was not only a movie – it was a worldwide phenomenon that was bringing people together, getting young and old to sit in darkened cinemas for over two hours and forty minutes (promptly making it the highest grossing film of all-time – ending just shy of 2.8 billion dollars). The creative piece of world building, with its vivid, alien landscape and intoxicating mythology (while also ushering 3-D back into the cinematic limelight), also caught the eye of Rudolf Schenker, a founding member (and guitar-god) of the iconic German hard rock band The Scorpions. A master song-writer, the man has concocted numerous classic rock tunes, with catchy riffs, iconic lyrics and impressive solo work. Sharing solo and rhythm duties with co-guitarist Matthias Jabs, Schenker and the band have become known for their unforgettable, high-octane, crowd-pleasing live performances.
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Creature Feature
Creature from the Black LagoonOctober 23, 2016The last of the great monsters to come out of Universal’s iconic horror era – that ran from the 1920s through the 1950s (following in the footsteps of Dracula, Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, The Wolf Man, as well as many others), The Creature from the Black Lagoon has captured the hearts and minds of people over the past six plus decades. Seen as being a forebear to films which have people dealing with some sort of unknown or super-animalistic type creature (think Alien, Predator or Jaws), director Jack Arnold’s 1954 horror flick developed the formula for this style of films success. Set in the heart of the Amazon, the leader of a geology expedition, Dr. Carl Maia (Antonio Moreno), stumbles upon an earthshattering discovery.
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McQuarrie Cruises to New Heights in Jack Reacher
Jack ReacherOctober 21, 2016With Jack Reacher: Never Go Back opening today, I thought this would be the perfect time to reflect on the original 2012 film. I am sure that most of you have heard the controversy revolving around it, with ardent fans of Lee Child’s ‘Jack Reacher’ novels being discouraged by the casting of Tom Cruise in the leading role. Much like an overzealous carny following the stringent rules and regulations of height restrictions on rides, book lovers were uninspired by the selection of the action superstar, as his five foot seven inch frame did not fit with the character’s description – at a gargantuan six foot five inches tall.
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Star Pick with Keir Dullea
Train in VainBrief EncounterOctober 18, 2016Whilst attending Trekonderoga, the Ticonderoga comic convention that is all things Star Trek, on August 13th, 2016, I was fortunate enough to be able to interview Keir Dullea. Best known for taking on the starring role of Dr. Dave Bowman in Stanley Kubrick’s iconic space epic 2001: A Space Odyssey – he reprised the character for the film’s 1984 sequel 2010: The Year We Made Contact. Dullea has played a variety of intriguing roles over his six plus decades in the industry, getting his first lead role in 1962's David and Lisa, the actor then went on to star in 1964's The Thin Red Line, Otto Preminger’s 1965 mystery Bunny Lake is Missing, 1974's Black Christmas (often considered to be the genesis of the slasher horror film genre), and Robert De Niro’s 2006 flick The Good Shepherd, to name but a few of his film credits. The man actually highlighted a small Canadian film that he made back in 1973, titled Paperback Hero (also known as Last of the Big Guns), as being the favourite film he has worked on to this point.
