Movie Night: 7 Faces of Dr. Lao.

Review #430: 7 Faces of Dr. Lao.

Cast
Tony Randall (Dr. Lao, Merlin, Pan, the Serpent, Medusa, Apollonius of Tyana, and the Abominable Snowman), Arthur O'Connell (Clint Stark), Barbara Eden (Angela Benedict), John Ericson (Ed Cunningham), Kevin Tate (Mike Benedict), Noah Beery, Jr. (Sam), Royal Dano (Casey, the Brutal Henchman), John Doucette (Lucas, the Henchman's Sidekick), Lee Patrick (Mrs. Howard T. Cassan, the Stuffy Matron), Minerva Urecal (Kate Lindquist, the Shrewish Wife), John Qualen (Luther Lindquist, the Meek Husband), and Frank Cady (Mayor James Sargent)  Directed by George Pal (#247 - The Time Machine)

Review
This is a weird sort of film, it feels like a fantasy film, but it sometimes feels like it tries to be a comedic film, and it also manages to try to show a cavalcade of stop motion effects, creating a jello mold of a film in which the main actor tries to flesh out 7 different characters. But does this film work as a whole? Eh...it depends. The directing for the most part is alright, George Pal (also notable for producing The War of the Worlds in 1953) does alright, and focus doesn't get too off focus. And while Randall does okay in his performances, it is a tour de force in the makeup department by William Tuttle as he even won an honorary Oscar for the makeup. The effects are alright, and the Serpent does look good. The rest of the actors are okay, not too bad, even if they are overshadowed by the effects and Randall, though probably unintentionally. The film is dated at some points and despite some questionable aspects, this is at least okay, and while it is a weird experiment in the amount of characters one actor or actress can play, I suppose it can't be too harmful. Take this film at your own risk.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Ace in the Hole.

Review #194: Ace in the Hole.

Cast
Kirk Douglas (Chuck Tatum), Jan Sterling (Lorraine Minosa), Robert Arthur (Herbie Cook), Porter Hall (Jacob Q. Boot), Frank Cady (Mr. Federber), Richard Benedict (Leo Minosa), Ray Teal (Sheriff Kretzer), Lewis Martin (McCardle), John Berkes (Papa Minosa), Frances Dominguez (Mama Minosa), and Gene Evans (Deputy Sheriff) Directed by Billy Wilder (#106 - Some Like It Hot)

Review
Nearly sixty one years old, this film still has some bite. Originally called The Big Carnival, it was not a success initially, but today it is a classic. Cynical and nail biting to the point, it also has good acting from Kirk Douglas, who is the father of another great actor, Michael Douglas, who I mentioned already (#095 - Wall Street). Both can play alluring roles that charm you into watching the movie. Fun fact: Kirk's real name was Issur Danielovitch. Wilder directed, wrote, and produce, and yet this wasn't much of a success back then. But as time passes, so does opinions, and I feel that way as well. Unrelenting yet still realistic with good noir with a good ending shot to top it off. It might be a bit slow in the beginning, but it all tops out in the end. Countdown to 200: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6...

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.