vfx3 Reviews

The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957 TV Movie)

Surreal, Nightmarish, and Moving: Thoroughly Enjoyable

[4 June 2018]

Being a Baby Boomer--like many of the others reviewing the film-- I remember well seeing this film on TV when young (I may be wrong but I think it was broadcast on TV every year for a while, like the Wizard of Oz). The use of Grieg for the music was inspired (always thought this would make a great stage musical). Two scenes from the movie haunted me for years: the rats diving off the pier, and the little lame kid who can't join the others. Nice arranging and conducting of the music by Pete King, and Kay Starr's song is fantastic. Boy, could she belt out a song---what a great set of pipes!

The Fall of the House of Usher (1950)

Amateurish and strangely modern

[1/10 · 18 September 2014]

I saw this on TCM (and I do appreciate them showing it) but I found the film unbelievably amateurish, like something made by a Kinema Club in the late forties. It seemed to be filmed over a long period of time, with gaps in continuity and actors. Probably was some home-grown experiment that someone (must have been desperate) thought could be a commercial property, and they tacked on a prologue and epilogue filmed by a different director. The scenes in the crypt have a gruesome directness that seems strangely contemporary, and my only praise is for the actress who plays the old woman: she has a nice intensity. I agree with the other reviewer that this would embarrass even Edward D. Wood, Jr! Horrible musical score.

The Monster That Challenged the World (1957)

Creepy, well-done small film

[10/10 · 7 February 2012]

I remember seeing this film years and years ago on TV, and remember thinking it lacking. However, seeing it recently, on a DVD from MGM with a gorgeous print and sound, I must say it's one of the best Sci-Fi monster flicks from the fifties. Director Laven runs a taught ship, and there are some great scares worthy of Lewton and Hitchcock. Also impressed with Ted Haworth and Augie Lohman's monster creation (which actually evoked some sympathy in me!) and the impressive music score by Heinz Roemheld. The actors do a very commendable job (even former Cowboy actor Holt), and pros like Dalton, Conried, Selby, and Adams do their best. Well-written script, with just the right amount of humor and science.

Diabolique (1955)

Brilliant film with memorable details

[10/10 · 25 May 2011]

This beautifully made shocker, as with other great films, is filled with memorable details. Among them, is the setting in post-war France, with the shadows of WW2 seemingly casting a sombre pall on everything: the struggling economical problems of the characters; the look of distress on the buildings. The art direction by Barsacq captures fascinating details of the way furnishings and possessions of people looked. Another interesting element is the presentation of the students at the boarding school. The students seemed to be especially rowdy and disrespectful; was this typical behavior for students at French boarding schools in the 1950s?

Captive Women (1952)

A Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi Morality Tale

[8/10 · 22 March 2011]

A thought-provoking morality tale involving the dangers of atomic power, the thin veneer of civilization, and the pitting of good forces vs. bad ones. The apocalyptic glimpses of New York City in ruins (courtesy of matte painter Irving Block) and the quasi-Medieval/ancient Mediterranean costumes were definitely inspired by the science fiction pulp magazines of the 1940s, as well as the script. Acting fairly good, especially by Margaret Field (mother of Sally). The action moves swiftly, the sets are imaginative (especially the sewers where the Norms live and the tunnel that is beneath the river) and the film has a mood of haunting sadness that stays with one. A fairly expensive-looking production from producers Pollexfen, Wisberg, and Zugsmith, certainly costing more than Pollexfen and Wisberg's previous Sci-Fi classic, The Man from Planet X.

Good Neighbor Sam (1964)

Begins well, but ends less so

[6/10 · 28 April 2010]

The film begins well with its depiction of 1960s suburbia, the introduction of the Bissell family (including the ducks), the amusing jibes at the advertising industry (including the inaccurate but hilarious depiction of the filming of a Hertz car rental commercial), provides some great performances from all the principals, and from a great supporting cast, such as Edward Andrews, R.Q. Jones, and Neil Hamilton. It has a smart, yet affectionate quality to it. But as the film chugs along, it seems to run out of steam, as the gags keep repeating themselves, and it begins to seem more like a less successful imitation of the popular Doris Day/Rock Hudson romantic comedies of the time, and one can begin to understand why Lemmon didn't put this one in the top drawer of his memories.