Month: January 2019

Seven Thunders (1957)

SEVEN THUNDERS (1957)
aka The Beasts of Marseilles
Article 3174 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 2-21-2010
Posting Date: 4-23-2010
Directed by Hugo Fregonese
Featuring Stephen Boyd, James Robertson Justice, Tony Wright
Country: UK
What it is: War drama

During WWII, two British POWs lay low in the old quarter of Marseilles, which they discover is populated by a number of refugees from the Germans. But how long can they hide here safely…?

“The Motion Picture Guide” partially classifies this movie as horror, but I suspect any horror fan would walk away from this one frustrated and disappointed. It does contain a horror element (there is a serial killer present), but this element remains peripheral to the plot for the most part, and furthermore, it’s the type of serial killer that’s in it for the money, and this detail tends to lessen the horror vibe of the concept. Those who decide to see it through will find a not uninteresting wartime drama, albeit one that feels a little cluttered with too many characters; it’s one of those movies that is based on a novel and feels like it. The serial killer does provide some memorable moments, especially during a scene where he describes to a victim just what is going to happen to him, and it builds to a nice climax when the Nazis take some extreme measures to flush out the refugees in the old quarter. I’d say it’s good, but not great.

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Yellow Submarine (1968)

YELLOW SUBMARINE (1968)
Article 3173 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 2-20-2010
Posting Date: 4-22-2010
Directed by George Dunning
Featuring the voices of The Beatles, Paul Angelis, John Clive
Country: UK / USA
What it is: Musical psychedelic adventure movie

When Pepperland is invaded by the music-hating Blue Meanies, one man escapes to call on the Beatles to help them rid Pepperland of the menace.

Director George Dunning had previously produced the animated TV series “The Beatles”, a show that was not a favorite of the group itself. Probably as a result, the group wasn’t initially thrilled with this project, and though they contributed four songs (none of which proved to be hits), they largely saw it as a way to fulfill their movie contract with United Artists, and didn’t even voice their own characters. However, they were so impressed with the results that they agreed to appear in a filmed epilogue in which they lead the audience in a sing-along of “All Together Now”.

When looking at the credits, I was surprised not to see the name of Peter Max, whose work was extremely similar to the visual style of this movie; it was Heinz Edelmann who was responsible for the wild psychedelic look of the movie. The plot is pretty standard stuff; the basic adventure story format is the type of thing that would work for your average sword-and-sandal movie. But then, the movie isn’t really about the plot; it’s about the music and the visuals. It’s fascinating to watch, though it does go on a bit too long. The movie is full of references, including ones to FRANKENSTEIN and KING KONG, as well as numerous ones to the Beatles themselves. The animation is on the limited side, but it would prove to be influential on the work of Terry Gilliam.

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Welcome Home, Johnny Bristol (1972)

WELCOME HOME, JOHNNY BRISTOL (1972)
TV-Movie
Article 3172 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 2-19-2010
Posting Date: 4-21-2010
Directed by George McCowan
Featuring Martin Landau, Jane Alexander, Brock Peters
Country: USA
What it is: Psychological drama or Paranoid conspiracy movie?

A POW from Vietnam returns to the states; he was only able to survive his captivity by recalling memories of his hometown in Charles, Vermont. When he’s well enough to leave the hospital, he takes his nurse to visit his hometown… only to find that it doesn’t exist.

It’s a little hard to discuss the fantastic content of a movie like this; for most of its running time, it walks a thin line between the truth and the illusion without letting on which is which, and to talk about what the fantastic content is would be to give away the game. Let’s just say that one possible explanation takes us on an exploration of madness (marginal horror) while another deals with the marginal science fiction of vast conspiracy theories. One of these does apply.

Whatever its fantastic content, I found this TV-Movie to be truly engrossing, it’s well written, well directed, and extremely well acted. In particular, Martin Landau as the tortured POW of the title gives one of his finest performances, but I also have to mention Forrest Tucker, who shines as a fellow patient in the ward. Jane Alexander is also strong as the nurse, and Pat O’Brien has a memorable cameo as a former recruiting sergeant with a faulty memory. The movie does a strong job of keeping you in suspense as to the nature of the truth, and even once you think you know which story is true, you’ll find out there’s still some details that are capable of changing the whole game. The ending is not a disappointment. Highly recommended.

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Off to Bloomingdale Asylum (1901)

OFF TO BLOOMINGDALE ASYLUM (1901)
aka L’omnibus des toques blancs et noirs
Article 3171 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 2-18-2010
Posting Date: 4-20-2010
Directed by Georges Melies
Cast unknown
Country: France
What it is: Bizarre little trick film

Four black men turn white when they are knocked off an omnibus by a mechanical horse. They turn themselves black again, then white again, then black, and merge into one fat black man, which then….

The black men are white men in blackface, so you know that this Melies short wouldn’t fly today. According to one source, they’re being transported to an asylum, but they probably got that from the English title; the French title doesn’t appear to have any words that reflect an asylum at all. It’s surreal, quick, and fun.

CORRECTION: According to doctor kiss at CHFB, the word ‘toques’ above more or less classifies the characters as “madmen”, and the world “Charenton” on the omnibus is a reference to a French asylum. So, I stand corrected.

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Alf’s Carpet (1929)

ALF’S CARPET (1929)
aka The Rocket Bus
Article 3170 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 2-17-2010
Posting Date: 4-19-2010
Directed by W.P. Kellino
Featuring Carl Schenstrom, Harald Madsen, Gerald Rawlinson
Country: UK
What it is: Fantastically themed comedy

Two ne’er-do-wells happen upon a magic carpet which they use to run their dilapidated second-hand bus. They then agree to help a woman find her missing father.

First of all, a little history. This movie was based on a play that was the sequel to the original play version of ALF’S BUTTON. The story appears to have been changed to accommodate the use of a pair of Danish comedians. The movie was apparently released in both sound and silent versions. Sometime during the sixties or seventies, a silent Danish print of this movie was edited and shown on TV in Germany (where the duo was known as Pat and Patachon) in two half-hour segments. In place of title cards, the story is fleshed out by a German translator who narrates the story and dubs in voices for all the characters. This is the version I’ve just seen. Let’s face it; this is hardly the ideal way to experience a movie.

Still, this is probably the closest I’ll come to seeing the movie. Thanks to doctor kiss, I was armed with a cursory plot description that clears up a few details, but most of the plot is fairly obvious, and since the majority of the humor involves slapstick antics, it’s not really that hard to figure out. The comedians have a bit of character to them, which makes the movie easier to enjoy. I could describe the German dubbing as awful if I felt it was meant to be convincing, but I don’t suspect it was ever meant to be, as the whole affair has that air of being narrated. Some of the special effects are quite good as well. So, despite the fact that my version is quite a long ways from the original movie, I enjoyed it nonetheless. At least I can now mark this one off the list.

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The Mysterious Island (1905)

THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (1905)
aka L’ile de Calypso: Ulysse et le geant Polypheme, Ulysses and Giant Polyphemus
Article 3169 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 2-16-2010
Posting Date: 4-18-2010
Directed by Georges Melies
Cast unknown
Country: France
What it is: Mini Homeric epic

Ulysses returns to the island of Calypso; there he encounters the cyclops.

The deceptive English title makes it sound like it’s another Verne adaptation, but such is not the case. It’s something of a sequel to “The Odyssey”, with Ulysses seeking Calypso and doing battle with Polyphemus, all in under four minutes. The special effects are rather fun; I like the moving eye in the cyclops’s forehead.

Tomorrow we take a small break from the Melies-a-thon.

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Robert Macaire and Bertrand (1907)

ROBERT MACAIRE AND BERTRAND (1907)
aka Robert Macaire et Bertrand
Article 3168 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 2-15-2010
Posting Date: 4-17-2010
Directed by Georges Melies
Cast unknown
Country: France
What it is: Comic slapstick chase movie

Two thieves rob a bank and lead the police on a merry chase.

Many of the Melies films I’ve covered are so full of fantastic content that I have no problem justifying my coverage of them. This one is the most problematic in that regard. There are only two touches that throw it into the realm of the fantastic; the first has an explosion launching the thieves on a long journey into the air, and the second is a balloon ascent which, based on the background, shows them being taken into outer space. Both of these elements are pretty slight as far as the content goes, though. This is not to say there isn’t a fair amount of special effects; the trains are obviously not real, and the depiction of an earthquake certainly adds to the special effects content. Mostly, it’s slapstick comedy; it’s sporadically effective, but far from Melies’s best work.

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Under the Sea (1907)

UNDER THE SEA (1907)
aka 20000 lieues sous les mers, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Article 3167 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 2-14-2010
Posting Date: 4-16-2010
Directed by Georges Melies
Featuring Georges Melies
Country: France
What it is: Underwater fantasy

A fisherman is made the captain of a new underwater vehicle known as a submarine. However, his first voyage in the vehicle goes awry…

Georges Melies tends to play fast and loose with his literary adaptations; this version of the Jules Verne story doesn’t even feature Captain Nemo. It starts out looking like it’s going to be one of Melies’s epic journeys like A TRIP TO THE MOON, but it stops just short of that by dint of a plot twist that you’ll probably see coming when you start wondering why a lowly fisherman would be put in charge of an amazing new machine. Still, you get a giant crab, a giant fish, a giant clam, pushy sea flowers, dancing girls and an octopus. A tad disappointing, but still entertaining.

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Satan in Prison (1907)

SATAN IN PRISON (1907)
aka Satan en prison
Article 3166 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 2-13-2010
Posting Date: 4-15-2010
Directed by Georges Melies
Featuring Georges Melies
Country: France
What it is: Silent trick film with home furnishing subplot

An elegantly dressed man is thrown into a prison cell. He magically conjures up all the creature comforts of home, but the guards object, so he…

The Melies-a-thon continues, this time with a more elaborate variation of Melies’s “magic act” movies. Here, with the help of a white sheet, he conjures up chairs, a table, a fireplace, paintings for the walls, and even a beautiful woman to keep him company. The movie has a bit of a twist ending, but since the title gives it away, it’s really hard to call it a surprise. All in all, it’s an entertaining if minor entry into Melies’s oeuvre.

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The Prolific Magical Egg (1902)

THE PROLIFIC MAGICAL EGG (1902)
aka L’oeuf du sorcier ou L’oeuf magique prolifique
Article 3165 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 2-12-2010
Posting Date: 4-14-2010
Directed by Georges Melies
Featuring Georges Melies
Country: France
What it is: Trick film

A magician shows us the amazing things he can do with an egg.

In case you haven’t noticed, we’re on a Melies streak here. This is one of Melies’s “magic act” films; these are the ones where he more or less plays a magician who is doing tricks, only with the help of camera special effects rather than sleight-of-hand alone. The egg grows, shrinks and turns into talking heads. At the end, he eats the egg and… well, you don’t want me to give away the ending, do you? Short and sweet.

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