edge-16 Reviews

The Patsy (1964)

Not Jerry's Best But Still Funny

[10 November 1999]

If your a big Jerry Lewis fan, and I am, you will enjoy The Patsy. It's not his funniest, at least on a consistent basis, but it does have it's share of big laughs. The premise is that a big music star perishes in a plane crash and his associates, including Claude Raines and John Carradine, need to find a replacement. In steps bumbling Jerry as a hotel employee who must be turned into the next big music star. Some hilarious scenes such as Jerry being groomed in a beauty salon, being "taught" how to sing by the always dependable Hans Conried and Jerry's attempt at lip-synching his hit song on TV. again, not his best but enjoyable and funny enough for me!

The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)

Good, but certainly not the best!

[9 May 1999]

There can be no denying the fact that "The Twilight Zone" is a good show and deserves it's status as a television classic. I have watched this show since I was a kid right up until the present and like everyone else, it has left a great impression on me and serves up a lot of memories. But let's face it, one of the reasons for this is because it has basically run continuously since 1959 so we are going to remember it. But one simple fact is: THE TWILIGHT ZONE IS NOT A SCARY SHOW! Grant it, you will feel uneasy and get chills watching episodes like "The Howling Man", "Perchance To Dream" and "Deaths-Head Revisited" but that's basically it! The large majority of the shows relied on "trick" or "quirky" or "surprise" endings, many of them humorous. With a few exceptions, the show was rarely frightening or even the slightest bit atmospheric. If you want to watch frightening and atmospheric shows that raise goosebumps on a high level, you should check out "One Step Beyond", "Thriller" or "Ghost Story/Circle Of Fear". Those shows will scare the pants off of you!

The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism (1967)

A Surreal Masterpiece!

[25 March 1999]

This is an unknown surreal little masterpiece of horror! Borrowing loosely from Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulem", director Reinl does a masterful job of pacing and fills the screen with surreal and spine tingling images. There is atmosphere a plenty throughout the film and a sense of uneasiness. The set pieces and costumes are beautiful and are enhanced by the color filming of the movie. Christopher Lee is the rejuvenated Count Regula out to destroy the last member of one of the families that put him to death. Karin Dor is the last female member of one of the families and her blood will give the count what he needs for his "life exlixer". A fun and atmospheric movie that one can watch over and over again. Just beware the heavily cut video rental version and try to find the complete print.

Carnival of Souls (1962)

A Creepy Little Movie

[25 March 1999]

I first saw this film about 25 years ago and couldn't sleep the whole night! An eerie, dreamlike film about a young girl hovering between life and death after "escaping" a car accident. Sort of like a purgatory on earth. Super pacing done by director Harvey and a good amount of chills throughout the entire movie. Some of the more powerful scenes include the unexpected glimpses of a cadaverous man(Director Harvey) at times when you least expect it as he "pursues" the heroine. The "possessed" organ playing scene at the church and of course the abandoned seaside pavillion and it's "dancers of death". This is sort of an extended episode of the underrated TV series "One Step Beyond". An outstanding little fright flick. Prepare for the constant goosebumps!

One Step Beyond (1959–1961)

Who Needs The Twilight Zone?

[23 March 1999]

I've been watching "One Step Beyond" since the early 1970's and am happy to have many episodes on video, so I have seen basically all 96 episodes and all I have to say is, Who Needs The Twilight Zone? Sure, the "Zone" had better production values and more money and clout behind it but Rod Serling's show was rarely scary or atmospheric and relied heavily on "surprise" or "twist" endings. "One Step" was genuinely scary and atmospheric throughout each episode. The moody black and white photography and the spine chilling background music only added to the atmosphere. This was a truly scary show based on actual documented cases of ESP and the paranormal and gives the viewer a sense of uneasiness when watching. Host John Newland was perfect in his role because he really believed what he was telling you and his monotone voice and unexpected appearances on the screen added to the surreal feeling of the show. I always said that THE perfect example of what an extended episode of "One Step" is like is to view the classic film "Carnival Of Souls". Enough said.

The Haunting (1963)

Much ado about nothing!

[18 March 1999]

This film is quite possibly THE most overrated movie in the history of motion pictures. I sat through this muck two times to try and "discover" what all the hype was about and I simply couldn't do it. For this horror movie fan the film was boring, too long and not the least bit frightening. I've seen half hour episodes of the "Twilight Zone" and "One Step Beyond" that raised more goose bumps. Take it from someone who has watched these types of movies since he was about six years old, if you're looking for a nice, scary, old-fashioned horror movie, watch "Carnival Of Souls" or "Night Of The Living Dead" and skip this overrated piece of fluff.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

A one of a kind classic!

[10/10 · 10 March 1999]

This is simply a one of a kind classic and the best horror movie ever made. Filming in black and white, while solely a budget decision, proved to be one of the most powerful attributes of the movie. I don't know if it would have worked as well as it did if it was in color. The 1990 color version was ok, but nothing compared to the original. An all consuming sense of fear, hopelessness and despair prevail throughout the film and as strong as the shock value is and as convincing as the "living dead" were, the atmosphere created by the black and white filming was what stamped this as a classic. I first saw this when I was 10 and to this day, cannot sit still for the opening credits because of the ominous theme music. As soon as you hear it you say to yourself, "oh yeah, somethings not right here". A classic!