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DoctorJuliaHoffman
Reviews
The Thirteenth Hour (1927)
"The Thirteenth Hour" - I enjoyed it!
Despite all the negativity, I just watched the film and enjoyed it. Moreso than I did "The Monster" (1925) and "The Bat" (1926). Lionel Barrymore is a killer and a thief who lives in a mansion riddled with secret passageways, etc. It's also the abode of Barrymore's criminal gang. His innocent secretary is held captive as the man who loves her and his wonder dog try to rescue her and apprehend Barrymore (and gang). The VHS copy I watched on-line was a bit grainy, but I'm not complaining. I heard music from Universal's "Flash Gordon" (1936), and Hitchcock's "Rebecca" (1940) and "Spellbound" (1945) used as background music here. I definitely will be revisiting this film in the future.
A Predator Returns (2021)
Lifetime Film - A Perfect 10
I hadn't seen this film until last night. I enjoyed it so much, I watched it twice in a row. The second time around, I paused to read the newspaper clippings that were hanging on the wall. This gave me more insight to the story. Houston Stevenson is a superb performer. It would be nice to see more of him in the future. Today, I watched Stevenson in the prequel to this film "A Predator's Obsession: Stalker's Prey 2" (2000) and its prequel "Stalker's Prey" (2017). Stevenson plays "Bruce" in the latter two while Mason Dye portrayed him in the first film. I think this 2021 film is the best of the trilogy. A most effective Lifetime film. (And there's room for another sequel with "Bruce" and, perhaps, his baby.)
Geheimnis des blauen Zimmers (1932)
"Secret of the Blue Room" - 1932 original
I can't believe that I'm the first one to review this film here. Many of us are more familiar with the all-star 1933 remake by Universal Pictures which faithfully adheres to the original almost scene by scene. Even stock footage of the castle and its moat were reused by Universal Pictures. The original is decidedly superior and has a much more atmospheric Blue Room set than Universal Pictures came up with which more or less looks like any old bedroom in the castle. The DVD print I purchased from Sinister Cinema is Region Free and runs 66 minutes like its remake. The subtitles are in English.
I've seen four film adaptations of this story; the aforementioned two and Universal Pictures' 1938 remake "The Missing Guest", and its 1944 remake "Murder in the Blue Room" (complete with The Andrews Sisters-like trio!) I like them all with the 1932 version the best, followed by the 1933 version, the 1938 version, and the 1944 version. Fans should definitely check this version out. There is also a Czech version made after the German original and before Universal Pictures' 1933 version called "Zahada modrého pokoje" (1933) available thru eBay. It's PAL-Region 2. I understand it doesn't have English subtitles, but it too adheres closely to the German original.
Le loup des Malveneur (1943)
Jane Eyre meets The Hound of the Baskervilles in France!
In this curio from France, we find a young woman, Madeline Sologne ("The Eternal Return" (1943)), taking a position as governess to a small girl at a mysterious chateau (à la "Jane Eyre"). The chateau belongs to the Malveneur family; a family whose reputed to be cursed by a wolf (à la the canine in "The Hound of the Baskervilles"). Pierre Renoir plays Reginald de Malveneur -- the last of the Malveneurs. He disappears one night and, thereafter, strange music is heard coming from the locked cellar.
Sologne and handsome French actor Michel Marsay try to solve the mystery. Marsay's Latin good looks are a welcome change from the gloom at the old, menacing chateau. He should have became a major star in France. My print from Sinister Cinema runs 79 minutes. It seems intact. A film worth seeking out, possibly, as an agreeable appetizer to a marvelous entrée, Jean Cocteau's beautiful and frightning "Beauty and the Beast" (1946). If you want a haunting French film double feature night, here are two films that should satisfyingly fit the bill.
Deadly Deception (1987)
Agreeable find!
I had never heard of this TV-Movie before, but it popped up as a suggestion on YouTube. I like mystery and suspense, so I tried it. I wasn't disappointed. Matt Salinger plays Jack, a man in a desperate search to find his kidnapped son whom he believes is still alive. Lisa Elibacher plays Anne, a reporter who puts in all her time to help him. Joseph Kell appears as Jack's younger brother, Teddy. Ultimately, Mildred Natwick makes an appearance as Sarah, a woman who figures prominently in Jack's infancy. I enjoyed a well-spent hour-and-a-half on this entertaining mystery.