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Reviews
Vigil in the Night (1940)
Hammer fans take note: this is one of Peter Cushing's early roles
To all fans of British horror actor Peter Cushing....this was one of the handful of movies he made while working in Hollywood in the late thirties to very early forties. When WWII broke out he returned to England as many British did in Hollywood during this period. Durring his brief stay here he worked with an impressive assemble of talent. for example:
James Wale,Louis Hayward,Carol Lombard,Laurel and Hardy,George Stevens, Miles Mander,Tim Holt,Cary Grant!,Mae Clarke,Patric Knowles and Albert Decker just to name a few.
In 'Vigil" Cushing plays a supporting role of a hapless small town loser who is in love with Carol Lombard, but its an unrequited love for Carol has thoughts only of her sister's nursing career, and later of handsome Dr Brian Aherene. She turns the whiny Joe Shand (CUSHING) down in a pretty condescending manner, when he proposes marriage to her after she takes the rap for her sister's (Anne Shirley) malpractice death of a Small child who's welfare she had been trusted with. Shirley is seen stuffing her face with tea and crumpets as we cross cut to the child choking to death on his own phlem! Then instead of trying to make some attempt at resuscitating the child she panics and runs out of the hospital to look for her big sister in the nurses dorm to help her beat the rap.
Director George Stevens keeps the movie from falling into a melodramatic soap opera which it would have in less skilled hands. The film is a bit dated, but actually keeps you interested throughout. Its an RKO release so it turns up once in a while on Turner classic movies channel, and is well worth catching or taping if you are a collector of Cushing's films. It should also be of passing interest to fans of director George Stevens and fans of nurse films. RECOMMENDED.
The Son of Kong (1933)
Missing footage from Son Of Kong??
I am very interested in finding out if anyone else besides myself
remembers a scene at the end of this movie that is missing from the Turner movies release of Son of Kong. This scene I speak of is pretty clear in my mind as to having been there on TV viewings of this film when I was a child. The missing footage should come between the scene of Carl Denham being rescued from the sunken little Kong's hand into the life boat to the rather abrupt cut to the lifeboat's occupants seemingly dying of dehyration/exposure before being rescued by a Dutch ship.To my recall there was a quick cut after Englehorn pulls Denham into the life boat to the natives in a couple of typical native long boats frantically (almost comically)rowing away in the turbid waters. The chief is seen in the front of one of the boats rowing quickly. To this Denham states "well at least the chief made it" I cannot say if thats 100% verbatium because its been a long time since I've seen it but the quote from Denham is close enough. Anyone else remember this AND would like to comment ? on it?
Deep Throat (1972)
Beware of cut versions
I went to see this finally after hearing about it since it originally came out. It had been playing in a tiny hole in the wall theature in times square in New York city for many years on a double bill with The Devil in Miss Jones. This was in the mid 1980's. what did I find ? it was a cut version, with 99% of the sex scenes missing ! There was no deep throating or oral sex or any sex except for a few one frame clips of Harry Reems banging his nurse from behind. the movie couldn't have lasted more than 20 min or so ! This must have been a print butchered after it was ruled obscene. But why show this kind of print in the 80's when sex shops and movie houses all around the area were selling/showing far worse. Anyhow after about 15 min I left in disgust! No i did not stay for the second feature.
A Reflection of Fear (1972)
Weird multilevel horror movie,not for children
When I saw this film it was a on the double bill with Columbia's THE CREEPING FLESH, back in about 1973.A FLECTION OF FEAR is a lot like Paramount pictures sadly never released on tape, LETS SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH, and the Canadian picture: THE PYX. All three were made within a year or so of each other, and were very moody, dark and scary. The plot of A FEFLECTION OF FEAR is pretty convoluted. Who is the deranged killer, a boy grounds keeper, a emotionally disturbed girl, her father (Robert Shaw in a pre-jaws role)or a weird sinister doll. Or none of the above? It will keep you guessing till the unexpected climax. A lot of pretty frightening films were released in the early 70's and I was afraid to walk around in the dark alone for years after seeing this film.
The reason I felt that this film was so scary was that it was a dark and misty looking film. filmed in low light and in many scenes,also with a possible gel filter on. Also the scenes in the house were very dark and creepy. This was especially true in the scenes of Sondra Locke's doll filled room. When the camera panned around the room showing (dark) close ups of all her dolls somewhat weird looking faces in various states of disrepair or use from age...brr. And most of all the one life-sized doll sitting silently in a rocking chair with a black cape and grim reaper like hood masking its features.....exactly as the killer is garbed. Is the doll alive? This is a horror film after all! Or is it really a person not a doll? THIS is the central mystery to the entire film.
Since I saw This film at a pretty young age,I was for years frightened to walk downstairs in the dark in our house. I kept thinking I saw that weird deaths-head doll in every shadow, and we also had the same type of rocking chair as in the movie and sometimes as I was moving around in the dark the cat would get startled and leap from the rocking chair causing it to rock back and forth! I would go running back upstairs!
All in all despite its cut released version this was a very creepy movie!
The Naked Jungle (1954)
Charlton Heston battles an army of killer ants
This movie should have been much better. the biggest problem is there is much too much time spent on the romance between Heston and his mail order bride,Dorthy Parker. the action doesn't pick up till the later half of this dated looking potboiler. But when Heston finally has to do battle to save his South American plantation from billions of ticked off soldier ants the movie finally becomes the action programer it promised to be all along.
J.T. (1969)
One of the all time great tearjerker TV movies. A Must see!
None of this films impact has been lost since I viewed it as a 10 yr old child. Thanks to the member who told us where to get this long lost tv movie. I cried like a baby seeing it for the first time since 1969/70 The price is steep at $54.00 post paid,(VHS)no DVD available. But if you love this film its cheap at the price.
Get it and have a good cry....TB.
Gorgo (1961)
A giant monster wreaks havoc in In London. yet there's a happy ending.
the best "man in a monster suit" film ever made. Neck and neck with the original Godzilla, and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. The ending though happy will make many jaded monster fans cry.