THE MAN WITH NINE LIVES (1940)

 

THE MAN WITH NINE LIVES/ Behind the Door (1940) ***

One of the low-budget "Mad Doctor" films made by Boris Karloff at Columbia Studios. The best of the series was THE DEVIL COMMANDS which is truly bizarre but this effort by the well named Nick Grinde is rather routine despite the fact that most of the action takes place in an underground ice cave. It is also notable that it takes a relatively long time for Karloff to appear on screen. The pleasure derived from these films is not one of artistic achievement but almost purely in the presence of Boris Karloff and if , like me, you are a fan, this is often enough. Here Karloff is the benevolent Dr.Kravaal, living alone on an island carrying out experiments in "Frozen therapy" which, of course, meets with the disapproval of the medical establishment - a theme reflected in the other films in this series and, indeed, in nearly all mad doctor films. Available on You Tube.

THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF (1961)

THE CURSE OF THE WEREWOLF (1961) Directed by Terence Fisher **

Written (as John Elder) and produced by Anthony Hinds this is one of Hammer's weaker efforts. Terence Fisher's solid direction makes the best it can from a script that is all over the place and makes little logical sense - it never can quite decide why Reed becomes a werewolf.  Oliver Reed's makeup as the wolf man is very impressive and lingers in the mind long after the endless talk but appears far too late in the proceedings to make one really care. Catherine Feller is pretty while Yvonne Romain is voluptuous and the rest of the cast is filled out with regular Hammer bit players (Michael Ripper is particularly memorable as always in a small role).

MY DVD COLLECTION 6

Clint Eastwood (b.1930)

 

Clint Eastwood is a towering iconic figure in the Western genre, a position achieved via his films with Sergio Leone and his avowed mentor, Donald Siegel. But Eastwood is considerably more than that because as age began to carve his features to resemble something you'd expect to see on Mount Rushmore the man with no name switched to directing. I'm a fan but certainly not an uncritical one and I dislike probably as many of his films as I like and this is reflected in the list below because I have not set out to collect the films I dislike (no comedy apes!) or the ones I was happy just to watch and forget (this would normally include all the DIRTY HARRY films after the first but the box-set came as a present). As a director he has gone from strength to strength and he has certainly proven that he knows how to exploit his own image. Clint Eastwood films in my collection are: REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955) TARANTULA (1955)  A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS (1964) FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (1965)  THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966) COOGAN'S BLUFF (1968)  PLAY MISTY FOR ME (1971) DIRTY HARRY (1971) HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER (1973) MAGNUM FORCE (1973) THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES (1976) THE ENFORCER (1976) SUDDEN IMPACT (1983) PALE RIDER (1985) DEAD POOL (1988) BIRD (1988) UNFORGIVEN (1992) THE BLUES:PIANO BLUES (1992) MYSTIC RIVER (1992) MILLION DOLLAR BABY (2004) LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA (2006) FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS (2006) GRAN TORINO (2008) THE CHANGELING (2008)

Clint Eastwood as THE OUTLAW JOSEY WALES (1976)

MY DVD COLLECTION 5

Jean Renoir (1897 - 1979)

Jean Renoir, son of the painter Auguste Renoir, is arguably the greatest of French film directors. Charles Chaplin, Orson Welles and other cited him as the "Greatest director of all time". Personally, I love his films with one exception. I fully recognise that LA REGLE DU JEU, which many rate as his finest achievement, deserves all the praise heaped upon it. It certainly is a "must see" for anybody seriously interested in the cinema but I have never warmed to it and can't explain why - my loss, I am sure. As for the rest, I can watch them time and time again. Jean Renoir films in my collection are: CHARLESTON (1928)  THE LITTLE MATCH GIRL (1928) BOUDU SAVED FROM DROWNING (1932) TONI (1935) PARTIE DE COMPAGNE (36) LA GRANDE ILLUSION (1938) LA BETE HUMAINE (1938) LA REGLE DU JEU (1939) THE SOUTHERNER (1945)WOMAN ON THE BEACH (1947) THE RIVER (1951) THE GOLDEN COACH (1952) FRENCH CAN-CAN (1954) THE TESAMENT OF DR. CORDELIER (1959) PICNIC ON THE GRASS (1959) THE VANISHING CORPORAL (1962)

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937) A Walt Disney Production. *****

I first saw this in the early 50's and have probably seen it half a dozen times since. It has never lost any of the magic of that first viewing. It is, unquestionably, a ground-breaking production of great historical importance. Thankfully the Disney Organisation (unlike some studios) has always been aware of the treasures within their stewardship and today we can view SNOW WHITE and other studio classic in pristine copies. The DVD has a fascinating commentary track which goes into great detail about the making of the film - much of it narrated by Walt Disney himself. Simply a masterpiece.

MY DVD COLLECTION 4

 

Boris Karloff (1887-1969)

 

The films of Boris Karloff in my collection are: THE BELLS (1926)  FRANKENSTEIN (1931) SCARFACE (1932) THE OLD DARK HOUSE (1932) THE MASK OF FU MANCHU (1932) THE MUMMY (1932) THE GHOUL (1933) THE BLACK CAT (1934) BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) THE BLACK ROOM (1935) THE INVISIBLE RAY (1936) JUGGERNAUT (1936) THE MAN WHO CHANGED HIS MIND (1936) CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OPERA (1936) NIGHT KEY (1937) MR. WONG, DETECTIVE (1938) SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939) MR. WONG IN CHINATOWN (1939) MYSTERY OF MR.WONG (1939) THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG (1939) TOWER OF LONDON (1939) BLACK FRIDAY (1940) DOOMED TO DIE (1940) THE MAN WITH NINE LIVES(1940) BEFORE I HANG (1940) THE APE (1940) BRITISH INTELLIGENCE (1940) YOU'LL FIND OUT (1940) THE DEVIL COMMANDS (1941) THE BOOGIE MAN WILL GET YOU (942) THE CLIMAX (1944) HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944) THE BODY SNATCHER (1945) ISLE OF THE DEAD (1945) BEDLAM (1946) LURED (1947) DICK TRACY MEETS GRUESOME (1947) ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE KILLER, BORIS KARLOFF (1949) THE STRANGE DOOR (1951) THE BLACK CASTLE (1952) ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET DR.JEKYLL AND MR.HYDE (1953) THE ISLAND MONSTER (1954) VOODOO ISLAND (1957) THE VEIL (TV Series) (1957) GRIP OF THE STRANGLER (1958) CORRIDORS OF BLOOD (1958) FRANKENSTEIN 1970 (1958) THRILLER (TV Series) (1960) THE RAVEN (1963) THE TERROR (1963) BLACK SABBATH (1963) COMEDY OF TERRORS (1963) MONSTER OF TERROR (1965) GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI (1966) MAD MONSTER PARTY (1967) THE SORCERERS (1967) FEAR CHAMBER (1968) TARGETS (1968) CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR (1968) HOUSE OFB EVIL (1968) THE SNAKE PEOPLE (1971)

 

 

Boris Karloff as The Creature in FRANKENSTEIN (1931)



 

THE BIBLE : IN THE BEGINNING... (1966)

John Huston as Noah

THE BIBLE : IN THE BEGINNING... (1966) Directed by John Huston. ***

This is, in many ways, a quite remarkable film to come out of Hollywood. Based on the first twenty-two chapters of Genesis the film does not shirk from its task, does not try to soften some of the more unpleasant aspects of the Old Testament or pander to general audience expectations - the dialogue is King James. We are dealing here with Judeo-Christian myth rather than historical fact and both script writer Christopher Fry and Huston understand that and make no excuses. The creation sequences are poetic (Atheists please note that this was never meant to be a science lesson when written) and while I, personally, found the Adam and Eve sequence a bit naff, the film really comes into its own with the Noah's Ark portion with Huston  himself giving a winning performance as Noah and allowing himself  as a director for the first and only time in the movie to inject a little sly humour (Kangaroos!). Performances are excellent..Richard Harris as Cain, Ava Gardner as Sarah, George C. Scott as Abraham, Stephen Boyd as Nimrod and Peter O'Toole as the three Angels. This may not be John Huston's finest hour but it remains an impressive film.