Movie Night: Bright Road.

Review #528: Bright Road.

Cast
Dorothy Dandridge (Jane Richards), Philip Hepburn (C.T. Young), Harry Belafonte (School Principal), Barbara Randolph (Tanya), Maidie Norman (Tanya's Mother), Rene Beard (Booker T. Jones), Howard McNeeley (Boyd), and Robert McNeeley (Lloyd) Directed by Gerald Mayer.

Review
While only lasting 69 minutes, Bright Road manages to strike a chord and makes a big impression with such a small budget that some big budget films can't even do. The actors consist of mostly kids, but Dorothy Dandridge does a fine job in a lead role, and Hepburn does an alright job in what seems to be (according to IMDb) his only film role. Belafonte has a good ballad song that stands out and the film has a good deal of passion for its subject and it certainly is a fine film to watch, not too shabby all in all.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Review #105: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?

Cast
Bette Davis (Jane Hudson), Joan Crawford (Blanche Hudson), Victor Buono (Edwin Flagg), Maidie Norman (Elvira Stitt), Anna Lee (Mrs. Bates), B. D. Merrill (Liza Bates), Marjorie Bennett (Dehlia Flagg), and Dave Willock (Ray Hudson) Directed by Robert Aldrich.

Review
The film is a thriller and an excellent drama with Bette Davis doing a great job as the twisted Baby Jane (even if she looks like Betty White...). Anyway, the film delivers slight chills (Not like a horror film...A good one anyway) It's stunning, it's madness, and it's wonderful for it. The mystery develops over the film, and at the end it delivers it with a twist that's not so Shamalyan at all in the sense that it makes a good end for a good film. Hard to believe this is the first film I've seen on Davis or Crawford's. And I didn't regret seeing it one bit.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.