Madhouse (1974)

Review #2305: Madhouse.

Cast: 

Vincent Price (Paul Toombes), Peter Cushing (Herbert Flay), Adrienne Corri (Faye Carstairs Flay), Robert Quarry (Oliver Quayle), Natasha Pyne (Julia Wilson), Michael Parkinson (T.V. Interviewer), Linda Hayden (Elizabeth Peters), Barry Dennen (Gerry Blount), Ellis Dale (Alfred Peters), Catherine Willmer (Louise Peters), and John Garrie (Inspector Harper) Directed by Jim Clark.

Review: 

As it turned out, this was the final film that Vincent Price appeared in for the illustrious (interpret the word all you want) American International Pictures. He had appeared in over a dozen of their film productions since House of Usher (1960). Price (then by his sixties) wasn't exactly left without work of course; he just merely didn't do as many films as he did with his regular appearances on television in the remainder of his career. This was a co-production between AIP and Amicus Productions (as founded by Max Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky). The movie is loosely based on the novel Devilday by Angus Hall; development had started in 1970 when AIP purchased the novel rights. Robert Fuest (the guy behind those Dr. Phibes films that had Price) was at one point tapped to direct but nothing came of it. Jim Clark was recruited to direct, having previously done The Christmas Tree (1966), Every Home Should Have One (1970), and Rentadick [1972]). Greg Morrison's script was apparently bad enough that Price wanted re-writes, which led to Ken Levison doing revisions while they were shooting the film (Robert Quarry supposedly did re-writes for a chunk of dialogue as well). Referring to the finished film as "stillborn" (one that had re-edits imposed by Subotsky, who was disliked by Price just as much as he disliked Arkoff). Clark never directed a feature again, although his contributions to films such as Midnight Cowboy (1969) ended up being his legacy to go along with editing, which included the Academy Award-winning work in Marathon Man (1976) and The Killing Fields (1984); Clark died at the age of 84 in 2016.

You'd think there would be something a bit more there with a film mentioning "special participation" by recently departed actors (Basil Rathbone and Boris Karloff had worked with Price on some of those AIP films, and it was Samuel Z. Arkoff who insisted the clips be included in the film by any means necessary). It is a fairly decent movie that just happens to pale in comparison to the real pinnacle of Price and his theatricality in Theatre of Blood (1973). You will find a few interesting things here involving carefully-constructed horror that is at least semi-amusing. Cushing and Price had appeared in two earlier films but hadn't shared any scenes together prior to this film (with Scream and Scream Again and the Phibes sequel); they starred in one more film with House of the Long Shadows [1983]. They have some fun together, most notably with the climax that tries to make sense of the actual killer (the idea of a would-be actor being the age of Cushing, then in his sixties, is probably a bit too out there, but the forgiving type won't be too hard on it). Price might not have been big on AIP (he was quoted by Clark as referring to Arkoff and company as a word that rhymes with "mocksucker"), but he still gives it his best try anyway. You get a bit of fake "backstage filmmaking" action to go with a middling procedural (which reminds me a bit of Strait-Jacket) that has him stumble onto being interviewed by an actual interviewer in Parkinson for a chuckle. Corri is at least semi-effective in weird eerie timing that I appreciate, which is more than one can say for some of the supporting people that basically aren't given much to do anyway (Quarry included). The movie is incredibly predictable (just who could it be when you think of name actors?) but is bolstered by at least having a useful "Dr. Death" getup and some amusing moments to perhaps be enough for 91 minutes of an evening. Mild farewells for films that remind one of the old films are better than no farewells at all. People who like Price films might not have a great one on their hands here, but it at least is something that can be watched without having too many moments of embarrassment to see play out.

Overall, I give 7 out of 10 stars.

For Halloween: The Week After VI: one year later for a Wes Craven film, The Hills Have Eyes.

The Dark Crystal.

Review #1468: The Dark Crystal.

Cast: 
Stephen Garlick (Jen [performed by Jim Henson]), Lisa Maxwell (Kira [performed by Kathryn Mullen]), Billie Whitelaw (Aughra [performed by Frank Oz]), Percy Edwards (Fizzgig [performed by Dave Goelz]), Barry Dennen (The Chamberlain - skekSil [performed by Frank Oz]), Michael Kilgarriff (The General - skekUng [performed by Dave Goelz]), Jerry Nelson (The Ritual-Master - skekZok) [performed by Jim Henson], Steve Whitmire (The Scientist - skekTek), Thick Wilson (The Gourmand - skekAyuk [performed by Louise Gold], Brian Muehl (The Ornamentalist - skekEkt), John Baddeley (The Scroll Keeper - skekOk [performed by Bob Payne]), David Buck (The Slave-Master - skekNa [performed by Mike Quinn], Charles Collingwood (The Treasurer - skekShod [performed by Tim Rose], and Sean Barrett (urZah/The Ritual-Guardian [performed by Brian Muehl]), with additional performances by Kiran Shah, Mike Edmonds, Peter Burroughs, Malcolm Dixon, Sadie Corre, Deep Roy, and Jack Purvis. Directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz (#521 - The Muppets Take Manhattan and #795 - Bowfinger)

Review: 
"My feeling about puppetry relates to stylization, simplicity, boiling down to - it's a wonderful form and I really love it. But with The Dark Crystal, instead of puppetry we're trying to go toward a sense of realism - toward a reality of creatures that are actually alive and we're mixing up puppetry and all kinds of other techniques."

Jim Henson, if you didn't already know, was a tremendous force in puppeteering and comedy. Born in Mississippi and raised in Maryland, Henson had his influences in what he saw on television and heard on radio with the work of ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and television puppetry of Burr Tillstrom among others. In 1955, along with fellow puppeteer (and future spouse) Jane Nebel, he formed The Muppets, which would be featured in Henson's 5-minute show for WRC-TV in Sam and Friends (1955-61) that led to his own company in 1958 (now known as The Jim Henson Company). He soon went to the University of Maryland and learned further in craft and textiles (which led to graduation in 1960). In the following two decades, he would spend time with his puppets in various forms of television that ranged from commercials to talk shows to educational shows, with highlights including Henson's directorial debut in the short Time Piece (1965) and Sesame Street (1969). It was producer Lew Grade and his ITC Entertainment company that proved important to Henson in subsequent years: he helped to co-produce The Muppet Show (1976-1981) that helped the Muppets reach a broader audience, and he was executive producer for this film.

The film had a story from Henson (who also co-produced the movie) and a screenplay from David Odell (who had written for The Muppet Show), while Henson would direct alongside longtime collaborator Frank Oz (in his directorial debut). Henson had been inspired to make a film that had the darkness of stories such as the original Grimms' Fairy Tales, which would have spiritual influences from New Age philosophy such as the Seth Material, and noted fantasy illustrator Brian Froud would do concept art for the film. Instead of human beings on screen, this is a fantasy film with a showcase of animatronic puppets, which had a mix of control with rods/cables, radio control and human performances (which were grueling for the Garthim performers, since they had to be hung up on a rack at times to rest). The final result is a captivating and interesting film to view, one that does wonders with telling a capable fantasy story with atmosphere that makes a solid 93 minute experience for everyone, since one needs something that veers a bit into the dark now and then (it was a moderate success with audiences of the time, although some were put off by the dark elements, because irony is dead, perhaps). The voice cast do a fine job with filling the fantasy requirements needed, such as Garlick and his growing presence of confidence or Maxwell's warmth and spirit or the biting charm of Whitelaw to counteract the devious pit of decadence of the others. It builds its tension with care and appreciation for making entertainment on its own terms for everyone, one that can invite plenty of imagination over its subject matter (a TV series set years prior was just released in 2019, for example), with a climax that seals its fate of understanding with care. It invites one into a story of destiny and shattered crystals with careful pacing and a wonderful execution in style, puppetry, and music from Trevor Jones that prove very much worth a curious choice among the work of Henson.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.