[6] Christopher Lee dons the fangs again for this sequel to Hammer’s original Horror of Dracula, but he hated his dialogue so much that he refused to say any lines. Even though he’s mute and his screen time is limited, a little Lee goes a long way. His performance is interesting and unusual, a more feral depiction than any of his other Dracula outings. Unfortunately, …
[8] Dustin Hoffman plays Ben Braddock, an aimless college graduate who stumbles into an affair with the older Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) before falling in love with a girl his own age… Mrs. Robinson’s daughter. The Graduate was groundbreaking for its provocative subject matter and sophisticated approach to comedy. Mike Nichols’ elegant, inventive direction earned him an Oscar, while Hoffman and Bancroft were nominated for …
[4] A mummified prince is discovered and brought to England where someone resurrects it to do their evil bidding. Hammer Films follows up their 1959 remake without stars Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing. Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb treads painfully familiar ground with a dull cast and is slow-moving until the last twenty minutes. Composer Carlo Martelli tries to compensate with a musical score too …
[5] Dr. Jekyll (and Mr. Hyde) must be one of the harder characters to pull off in any believable way. So while I admire Paul Massie’s bravery, he wasn’t quite able to convince me. I think it’s primarily because of the weird voice he uses while he plays Dr. Jekyll. And how do we explain the fact that he is bearded as Jekyll, but clean-shaven …
[6] Civil War soldiers escape capture in a hot air balloon only to become stranded on an uncharted island inhabited by mutant creatures. Mysterious Island is more than just another showcase for effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen. I enjoyed the survival aspect of the storyline, which throws disparate personalities together and forces them to depend on each other for survival (a notion I always tend to …
[4] The mystery is paper-thin in this tale of Medusa-like sisters who turn their victims to stone. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee have precious few scenes together, and neither are on their best game (Cushing’s character isn’t much to work with). The Gorgon is a sub-par entry in the Hammer Horror canon, but you’ll still find a few scenes of delicious gothic ambience. I love …
[7] Paul Newman plays Fast Eddie, an overzealous pool player who’ll sacrifice everything to beat the renowned Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason). This cautionary tale about obsession is the perfect showcase for several fine performances. It may be Newman’s finest work. He and costars George C. Scott, Jackie Gleason, and Piper Laurie were all nominated for Oscars here. Laurie has a unique, dark chemistry with Newman, …
[7] Montgomery Clift stars as a Tennessee Valley Authority officer tasked with convincing a stubborn old woman to leave her family’s home before implementation of a new dam floods her property. Elia Kazan directs, reuniting with Jo Van Fleet (East of Eden) as the old woman. Much of the film was shot on location and I love the setting, captured in Cinemascope and DeLuxe color. The …
[6] There is at least a certain amount of fun to be had in watching Clint Eastwood pump lead into Nazis. Where Eagles Dare is about a group of Allied forces trying to raid a Nazi stronghold to rescue a captured General who knows the secret plans of D-Day. The film tries very hard to be The Guns of Navarone (they’re both written by Alistair MacLean). …
[5] A professor and his daughter travel to a village in Cornwall to investigate a deadly epidemic only to discover the dead are crawling back to life! Hammer’s only zombie flick takes a long while to unearth its title subjects, and once they arrive, they take second fiddle to another villain. The zombies themselves look nice, especially in a dream sequence where they climb out …
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