Reviews
Henry Aldrich for President (1941)
The first and best Henry Aldrich movie.
Henry runs for class president and wins. Unfortunately, his opponent (an aspiring Chicago alderman?) pulls some sneaky shennanigans and Henry is accused of stuffing the ballot box. With help from his pal Dizzy, Henry is determined to clear his name. There's an absolutely hilarious scene involving a mouse in an airplane.
Wait Until Dark (1967)
I liked this movie- a lot!
Recently blinded woman is unwittingly in possession of a doll filled with drugs. A very mean narcotics dealer concocts an elaborate scheme to trick her into handing it over to him. A great psychological thriller with a twist- the audience knows exactly what's happening but gets to watch the heroine try to figure it out. There's almost no explicit violence in this movie, yet there's an underlying current of foreboding and suspense that literally permeates the entire film. You know something very bad is going to happen.Alan Arkin gives the performance of a lifetime as the cool, calm, collected psychopath who truly enjoys hurting people. And Audrey Hepburn is incredibly beautiful. You could pluck her out of this movie, clothes and all, and stick her in the toniest 90's club in New York and she'd still be the height of fashion.
There's a great `shocking' ending that really doesn't make much sense- but it's still a really good sixties movie.
Tarzan's Secret Treasure (1941)
A good movie!
Nasty, great white hunters trick Boy and Jane into helping them steal Tarzan's secret cache of gold. During the getaway, they're captured by the even nastier Gaboni tribe who have some rather unpleasant activities planned for their captives. Tarzan to the rescue with the help of his elephant friends. This is one of my favorite Tarzan movies. Tom Conway is the epitome of debonair sleaziness and Barry Fitzgerald is great as a lovable Irishman who refers to the Ape Man as Mr. Tarzan.
Zontar: The Thing from Venus (1967)
Terrible
Zontar comes to Earth, hides in cave and communicates with a confused scientist who can't act. Bat like creature then implants mind control devices in people's heads. Good scientist, who can't act either, thwarts Zontar's carefully laid plans. There's actually a scene where one of the characters tells Zontar- "I hate you guts." Incredibly, this is a remake of a 1950's movie of the same name.
I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)
Not Bad
A demented psychiatrist uses the 1950's version of repressed memory syndrome to bring out a rather unsavory character flaw in Little Joe Cartwright - he's a werewolf! It's actually a fairly decent film. The actors play it straight and it's kind of scary in parts.
The Killer Shrews (1959)
Z grade movie that's not too shabby
Cheap sci-fi from the 50's that isn't half bad. Sure, the "shrews" are wearing what appear to be really bad toupees, but the actors play it straight and there are some semi-scary scenes. The climax is pretty effective. Good, hokey movie to watch on a cold winter's day.
It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958)
It's okay.
If you'rr a ten year old kid home alone at about one in the morning in a creaky old house in the early sixties, this movie is actually pretty scary. The scenes where the monster keeps his just barely alive victims in the air vents (and actually drags one of them around with him) for who knows what reason are chillingly eery (or eeringly chilly). Good film for nostalgia fans.
Dead End (1937)
Bogie at his best
Preachy melodrama with a mixed message. This film does have a great film noir look, Bogie is young and he's the bad guy! Public Enemy Number One returns to the old neighborhood and tries to rekindle the innocent days of his youth, only to discover- you can't go home again. Based on a stage play, it's a bit stilted, but any film where Bogart plays a villain is one great movie. Excellent supporting cast features the very young Bowery Boys, Joel McRea, Sylvia Sidney and Ward Bond.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Super double excellent
Stark, cold, lifeless- and these are just the characters in the movie! Henry is a serial killer like you've never seen before. A psychopath of the umpteenth degree. He has no heart, no soul, no remorse, no emotion at all. He doesn't kill for the thrill of it- he kills because that's just what he does. But look beneath the horrific veneer of this film and you can detect a black comedy 'a la Stanley Kubrik's "A Clockwork Orange" and "Full Metal Jacket". The amoral is the norm. If you can see beyond it's purposefully shocking facade- it's actually quite funny. The final scene is either very disturbing- or hilarious.
Aliens (1986)
Sci-fi at its best
This sequel is much better than the original. Non stop action with the Aliens popping out of every nook, cranny and even the ceilng. Weaver was made for this role and Bill Paxton is great as Hudson- one tough marine who cracks under the unending onslaught of some rather nasty creatures. The aliens remind me of Ken Starr- they just don't give up!
The King of Comedy (1982)
Wonderful
A serious movie but still one great black comedy. De Niro is hilarious as a demented wanna be comedian who longs for fame at any price. The basement scenes where De Niro's fantasy world is constantly interrupted by his mother are surreal. A sad, but truly funny comment on American culture. De Niro took a real chance portraying this unlikeable character, but he really pulls it off.
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Excellent
Violent, gory yet somewhat bittersweet tale of an American tourist who has the misfortune of being bitten by a werewolf. David Naughton is young and bewildered, Jenny Agutter cute, innocent and sexy and Griffin Dunne hilarious as a rapidly decomposing poltergeist. The score is great and the special effects outstanding. This movie gives new meaning to the term Ugly American. Don't watch this on commercial TV. It can only be appreciated in its original, unedited form.
Mr. Sardonicus (1961)
Hokey, but good!
Nice, simple farm boy realizes the winning lottery ticket is buried along with his father. He digs up dear old dad and, well, it ain't pretty. The young fellow is so traumatized by the sight of the decaying corpse he becomes hideously deformed. Wealthy now, he searches for a cure to his facial problems- which for some reason involves beautiful young women. Satisfying ending that includes a good dose of poetic justice. Money just can't buy happiness.
Attack of the Giant Leeches (1959)
Horrible
This is not a movie about lawyers. Rather, a family of giant leeches terrorize a swamp community. Unfortunately, the big lugs have other leech type things to do other then terrorizing because they're not in the movie very much. One somewhat satisfying scene where a cheating wife and her greasy boyfriend get their comeuppance at the hands (do leeches have hands?) of the giant blood suckers. There is one fairly disturbing scene where several semi-conscious victims, stored in an underwater cave, are visited by the leech brothers for a quick helping of a pint or two. Skip this one.
Them! (1954)
Fantastic
One of the great science fiction classics. The supporting cast is excellent. Sure the ants are somewhat phony looking, but you forget that in about fifteen seconds. The ant "noise" brings a shudder every time you hear it. This is what a horror movie should be. See it.
Dr. Cyclops (1940)
Not a great movie but still pretty good.
Albert Dekker plays the quietly insane mad scientist who makes one of the greatest discoveries in the history of mankind- how to shrink people. Unfortunately, a group of busy bodies stumble across his secret and can only see the commercial value of his huge radium deposit. What's a mad scientist to do? Shrink them, of course. Dekker is great as the amoral technocrat who sees his tormenters as nothing more than throw away subjects for his research. Nice, quiet, solid film with an undercurrent of evil personified by the sadistic Cyclops.