THE YOUNG SAVAGES (1961)

It is hard to believe that John Frankenheimer's film received an "X" certificate from the British censor. Despite its subject (New York street gangs) it looks pretty tame but back then they really thought that films like this were going to corrupt the young. Burt Lancaster is appointed as a prosecutor in what seems the open and shut murder of a blind boy by three members of a street gang. The film is well acted by a cast that includes Dina Merrill, Shelly Winters, Telly Savalas, Chris Robinson and John Davis Chandler and works very well when it is a detective story with Lancaster realising there is more to the case than meets they eye. When we get the actual trial it seems to fall apart dramatically. Of course, we know that Lancaster is going to have to destroy his own case but the emphasis of the script seems odd. Why is the testimony about a harmonica ignored and why does he reveal the victim's sinister as a hooker but fail to mention the victim's secret association with the gang? Then again, it is a trial by jury but we never the closing arguments, the judges summing up or the delivery of the verdict - all we get is the judge passing sentence. In terms of good dramatic construction it fails to satisfy. It starts as a thriller and then throws everything away to be socially conscience which is a great shame because there is enough here that it could have been both. Worth seeing but not really successful. Rating **

THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956)

It seems to be generally agreed that this remake by Alfred Hitchcock of his own 1930's English thriller is inferior to the original. Unfortunately that has led some to dismiss the film as a failure and it is far from that. That it is suspenseful goes without saying and even the Doris Day hit song is playfully woven (if somewhat self consciously) into the plot which tells of an American couple whose son is kidnapped to stop them revealing knowledge of an assassination. Doris Day is a fine dramatic actress with a particular talent for portraying normality and Hitchcock uses this to great effect and James Stewart is quite superb at exploiting the hysteria that lurks just beneath the surface of his more obvious persona. For the film buffs there are some interesting faces in the cast. Look out for Noel Willman (who was the vampiric Dr.Ravna in KISS OF THE VAMPIRE) and Hollywood heavy Leo Gordon in the non-speaking role of a villainous chauffeur. Look quickly and you'll spot Carolyn Jones as one of Doris Day's London friends and veteran Alan Mowbray playing real-life entrepreneur Val Parnell and an uncredited Richard Wordsworth (the cactus clawed astronaut from QUATERMAS EXPERIMENT) as a nervous taxidermist. London locations look like they might actually be in the areas they are supposed to be and, of course, it was great to see the grand finale in the Royal Albert Hall where I've spent many a happy evening. Rating ***

BARBARA STEELE IS TIED UP....

Horror scream queen Barbara Steele might be all tied up these days going to Horror Film Conventions but later today I will be posting some of my favourite pictures of Babs over on the WEAVERMAN ARCHIVES. If they are not there yet, check back later.

THE GIRL HUNTERS (1963)

This one is a real guilty pleasure. Good film? Frankly, no. But I've always been a fan of writer Mickey Spillane whose talents I believe have been seriously undervalued by critics. Robert Aldrich famously quipped after reading the book KISS ME DEADLY which he was about to film "Between the fucking and the fighting I couldn't find the story". Aldrich went on to make the best film ever of a Spillane story but, near masterpiece the film maybe, it isn't faithful Mike Hammer or Mickey Spillane. So why is THE GIRL HUNTERS a must for Spillane fans? The acting is pretty poor, the script also and direction by Roy Rowland is routine (although it is nicely photographed) but it does have Mickey Spillane himself playing his famous creation, Mike Hammer. Physically, Mickey fits the bill perfectly and looks believable in the part and he growls some pretty awful dialogue with total conviction despite his very limited range as an actor (matched perfectly by Shirley Eaton) in what must be a unique performance - have any other writers played their own creations on screen? Interiors were filmed at MGM studios in England while for the exteriors Cape Town stood in for New York. At the time of the film's initial release one writer suggested that the was "...one for the psychiatrist rather than the film critic," and it is easy to see what he meant. Fun. Rating **

CALLAN (1974)

Edward Woodward is highly regarded for his performance in THE WICKER MAN and his even better one in BREAKER MORANT. There was also the hit television series THE EQUALIZER but to most people my age he will always be David Callan the down at heel secret agent in the late 60s tv hit CALLAN. The show was a response to the more realistic spy stories of Len Deighton and John LeCarre. The character made on to the big screen in 1974 with this adaption of the show's pilot which was called A MAGNUM FOR SCHNEIDER. Essentially it is a pretty faithful version of the original with Woodward and Russell Hunter (superb as the eternally smelly Lonely) although some diehard fans were upset by a rather inappropriate score which replaced the evocative mood music of the original. I've seen the film at least four times and always enjoy it. The story is good, the use of London locations is exellent and the cast outstanding. As well as Woodward and Hunter there is Carl Mohner, Catherine Schell, Eric Porter, Peter Egan, Kenneth Griffith, Michael DaCosta and Dave Prowse. Director Don Sharp keeps things moving. The character of Callan was more complex than the usual tv hero and this transposes well to the screen. The original show appeared briefly on DVD and now commands silly money which makes it ripe for a re-issue. Woodward and Hunter reunited for a one-off tv sequel in 1981's THE WET JOB with fair results. Rating ***

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1999)

The first twenty minutes or so of the made-for-tv version of Lewis Carroll's books (bits of the sequel are included) really annoyed me for some reason but I'm glad I stuck with it as once Martin Short and Francis Wright appear as the demented Mad Hatter and rather scarey March Hare it becomes quite memorable. Short (hardly a favourite of mine) almost steals the film. I say almost because its a close run thing between him a Miranda Richardson who, as the Queen of Hearts, gives a sinister variation on her Queen Elizabeth I in BLACK ADDER II. It's not quite Carroll but it gets close on occasions and there is a memorable cast. Be interesting to see what Tim Burton will do with the subject. If you haven't already, read the book. Rating ***

FILM ISSUES IN THE NEWS

J'Accuse : Scorsese Speaks Out
http://www.imdb.com/ri/LINK1_HP/BOT_BUCKET/95059/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2009/08/martin-scorsese-an-open-letter-to-michael-govan-and-lacma.html


http://www.imdb.com/ri/LINK3_HP/BOT_BUCKET/95059/http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/2009/08/steven-soderbergh-calls-out-hbo-amc-for.html

Get it Right : Steven Soderbergh

These two news items caught my eye on the Imdb website this morning. Both highlight the rather cavalier attitude of big organisations and institutions to how we watch our movies and how they are presented. It is good to see to of Hollywood's top directors prepared to speak out.

I thought it was worth providing links to these pieces here.