Fright Night (1985).

Review #2446: Fright Night.

Cast: 

Chris Sarandon (Jerry Dandrige), William Ragsdale (Charley Brewster), Roddy McDowall (Peter Vincent), Amanda Bearse (Amy Peterson), Stephen Geoffreys (Edward "Evil Ed" Thompson), Jonathan Stark (Billy Cole), Dorothy Fielding (Judy Brewster), Art Evans (Detective Lennox), Stewart Stern (Cook), Robert Corff (Jonathan), and Pamela Brown (Miss Nina) Written and Directed by Tom Holland (#614 - Thinner, #1003 - Child's Play)

Review: 

“The story of Fright Night was very specific. It’s about a teenage horror movie fan who becomes convinced the neighbor next door is a vampire. OK? That was me. And I was writing about the movies that I loved when I was 15, 16, 17, and they were the AIP and Hammer Horror films, which starred Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Vincent Price... that’s how you get Peter Vincent, the horror movie host. And so I was writing about myself and my growing up. And I thought the story was so strong and had such human values, especially in the person of Peter Vincent, the Roddy McDowall character... the story was strong, and the vampires were right for that.”

Sure, let's feature a Tom Holland movie. As one might wonder, the Poughkeepsie native attended Northwestern University for theater before going to and later graduating from UCLA. He wasn't too keen on acting but took the time to train at the Actors Studio and appeared in a handful of guest roles on TV and film. Around that time, he became friends with Stewart Stern, who influenced him to try writing. He went back to UCLA to study law but found the itch from writing to be too much to bear. His first screenwriting credit was the TV film "The Initiation of Sarah" in 1978 before becoming a film writer with the adaptation of The Beast Within in 1982. Other scripts followed, such as the story for Class of 1984 (1982), which was then followed with being hired to write Psycho II (1983), and lastly was Cloak & Dagger (1984)*. The premise that became Fright Night arose during the writer of Cloak that became tempting to direct himself when he saw the results of Michael Winner's direction for his script Scream for Help (1984). Despite not having a completely wide release from Columbia Pictures in August 1985, the movie was a qualified success with audiences. In total, Holland directed five further movies as a director, although because he was busy with Child's Play (1988), he could not be involved with Fright Night Part 2 (1988), which had Ragsdale and McDowall return to their roles. A remake of Fright Night (which relocated it to Las Vegas with a stage magician that may be an expert on vampires) came around in 2011.

There was a sea of vampire movies in its era that ranged from The Hunger (1983) to Lifeforce (1985) to, well, The Lost Boys (1987), but Fright Night does manage to stick out for itself pretty well because of its enthusiasm. Sure, the slasher was making the rounds for what audiences were going with in its time, but it didn't mean you were going to be lacking at least one movie to cut straight from the heart in playing to familiar comforts. The playful rendition of "Boy Who Played Wolf", combined with some worthwhile effects, does make for a pretty good time for those in the mood for it. You get vampires that can deal in wolf form and/or mist to go with the general tone of menace in baring fangs but in the suburbs to go along with having a vampire killer that actually isn't just the usual authority on the matter. It takes time for Ragsdale to get comfortable in the role, but he does spring a few bits of humor in what comes from actually being right in what his eyes see rather than just cloying, although it helps to have chuckles when paired with Bearse or Geoffreys. It is interesting that the part played by McDowell was basically a homage to the great Vincent Price, mostly because I would assume there was tiny bit of influence in Boris Karloff (okay well the character is also named after Peter Cushing, the vampire hunter actor for all time), who actually did host a TV show about horror (specifically, Thriller back in 1960-62)*. But McDowall aimed to played it as if the character was an old ham actor rather than just being a pastiche of Price (who while approached for the role was winding down from taking horror roles). He basically becomes the heart of the movie with the humor that comes from playing it to the ego required of flipping the usual authority with engaging conviction. Sarandon does make for a solid adversary though, managing to draw the power necessary in icy charm that could swoop in and out from sight in a suburb without becoming a hammy threat to wash away. The sequence near the climax involving him, Ragsdale and Bearse has a special curiosity to it in just seeing how seriously Holland wants to make the plight of someone being correct about vampires being among people and being powerless in that moment. The effects (as led by the team that had just done Ghostbusters [1984]) benefit the film particularly well in reminding one of just how entertaining it can be to look at vampires out in the open. As a whole, the movie eventually finds its footing by the time its 106-minute runtime is over due to its various charms that come off as affectionate rather than just being a failed homage. To put it mildly, it has the vibes worth watching for the spooky season.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

*Incidentally, Cloak and Dagger was inspired by the short story "The Boy Cried Murder", which had been adapted into a film a few times over.

*I wonder if there is a tiny bit of inspiration that was cribbed from Targets (1968), a movie where Karloff plays a disillusioned horror actor who actually gets confronted with real terror and, well, strikes it down.

Laserblast.

Review #2316: Laserblast.

Cast: 

Kim Milford (Billy Duncan), Cheryl Smith (Kathy Farley), Gianni Russo (Tony Craig), Roddy McDowall (Dr. Mellon), Keenan Wynn (Colonel Farley), Dennis Burkley (Deputy Pete Ungar), Barry Cutler (Deputy Jesse Jeep), Mike Bobenko (Chuck Boran), Eddie Deezen (Froggy), and Ron Masak (Sheriff) Directed by Michael Rae.

Review: 

Admittedly, willingly watching this movie is low-hanging fruit on the levels of say, Trog (1970). But you have to have a palate cleanser when it comes to wondering what kind of crap exists for sci-fi, so here's one for the books. You might wonder about the director of the film in Michael Rae. Well, there isn't much to really say, because it is the most notable movie he directed. However, it is a production produced by Charles Band (son of Albert Band, who himself had directed movies such as I Bury the Living), who at least some people know for a variety of low-budget films directed and produced over the years, which started with Last Foxtrot in Burbank (1973); his brother Richard even worked on the music for the film (alongside Joel Goldsmith). The movie had alien effects from David W. Allen, who did a variety of movie effects that spanned from Equinox (1970) to puppet/effects work in Young Sherlock Holmes (1985; he received an Academy Award nomination) to several Band productions prior to his death in 1999. Franne Schacht and Frank Ray Perilli wrote the movie, and the latter (also a writer on that Burbank film) actually did manage to write something better in that he was a co-writer with John Sayles on...Alligator (1980). 

Admittedly, I do check around to see how certain movies are rated when it comes to picking out ones with reputations in the tank. With this one...eh, I don't get it, the movie is merely just a hokey dud that is pretty strange to try and sit through for 80 minutes. One minute you'll see a bit featuring an old pro getting a quick buck in Wynn and then if you turn around for a bit you'll see "Character Actor Pro" Burkley playing a silly cop before you see the guy from The Godfather and a young (if there ever was a time to say that) Eddie Deezen. All of this goes with an amusing looking laser device, a not quite-so thought-out outline and effects that only work best when looking at aliens only. The fact that the film has a sequence where one is seen blasting a Star Wars sign is probably the biggest chuckle the film has to offer (intentionally or not), since I assumed the film was too cheap to afford a Close Encounters of the Third Kind sign. Milford had appeared in the theatre from a young age, later appearing in the original Broadway productions of Hair and The Rocky Horror Show. This was the first of his three most prominent film appearances in 1978, where he appeared in Corvette Summer and Bloodbrothers. Sadly, Milford suffered with heart defects throughout his life that saw him die at the age of 37 in 1988. The movie doesn't give him the plight one would expect from a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde knockoff to, well, actually drive drama to where it needs to go for meaningful tragedy (he may have a girl but sticking his hand up the silly weapon so he can use his other hand to fire it is clearly worth more because....). One just sees the routine of making him look like a ghoul and just sighs. The best part might as well being the pot-smoking cops played by Burkley and Cutler (folks might recognize the former as having voiced Principal Moss in King of the Hill), since they merely are shooting the breeze in a way that inspires chuckles more than quizzical stares; naturally, the film has to let one of them get lasered, so of course it has to be done when taking a bathroom break. Russo merely inspires a chuckle in trying to play the agent type for a film that barely has any cohesive structure when it comes to "pursuit", particularly when you have Wynn there to briefly exchange words about totally relevant stuff. Smith has nothing of presence to actually say, which is funny for a film where McDowall is given the bare minimum to do for what I'm sure what was a lark. The fact that Deezen is playing a nerd that actually gets in on bullying the lead is actually more amusing than the performance itself that came out before I Wanna Hold Your Hand and Grease. The movie has little to really offer beyond a few moments spent with the aliens (which naturally works out to set up a convenient ending), which seem more at home for the film than some of the actors. The movie ends just as weirdly as it starts, featuring convenience to wrap itself just as amusingly as it had set itself (aliens blasting people and stuff). The movie is dopey but a curiosity that I could at least see had something worth looking into beyond calling it one made on liquor and stupidity. In that regard, it might be worth a sit to gawk at the results.

Overall, I give it 4 out of 10 stars.

Next up: For Thanksgiving, have a lump of coal with Uwe Boll and BloodRayne.

Class of 1984.

Review #2213: Class of 1984.

Cast: 

Perry King (Andrew Norris), Merrie Lynn Ross (Diane Norris), Timothy Van Patten (Peter Stegman), Stefan Arngrim ("Drugstore"), Michael J. Fox (Arthur), Roddy McDowall (Terry Corrigan), Keith Knight ("Barnyard"), Lisa Langlois (Patsy), Neil Clifford (Fallon), Al Waxman (Detective Stewiski), Erin Flannery (Deneen), David Gardner (Principal Morganthau), and Linda Sorensen (Mrs. Stegman) Directed by Mark L. Lester (#324 - Commando)

Review: 

"Class of 1984 was prophetic in terms of high school violence. I never imagined how disastrous that situation would become over the years. But at the beginning of the film, it does say that it's a warning to America: that this will be happening everywhere."

Sure, why not another movie involving punks. I suppose it makes sense to go with the film that helped pave the way for stuff like Firestarter and Commando. Cleveland native Mark L. Lester had graduated from Monroe High School in the San Fernando Valley before starting his career with a handful of B-movies directed such as Steel Arena (1973) before eventually getting to "less B-movie studio" stuff such as Roller Boogie (1979). Anyway, he had an idea for what became this film by a trip back to the Valley to see his old high school and what he saw from the students of the now. As such, he got Tom Holland to work on a first draft of what became the script before others came along. Lester, alongside Holland and John Saxton, were credited for the screenplay with Holland being credited for the story, although others such as Barry Schneider did work on the film (specifically punk dialogue) but requested no credit. Really the film is just inspired by the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle, if crossed with a bit of A Clockwork Orange. Holland had been an actor in a variety of parts for the past decade before becoming a film screenwriter with this and The Beast Within in the same year of 1982. Eight years after the release of Class of 1984, Lester returned to write (alongside C. Courtney Joyner) and direct a follow-up with Class of 1999, albeit with a completely different cast and, uh, now featuring robots for teachers.

Sure, let's just assume the opening title card makes sense in calling the film "based partially on a true event". What we have here is a movie that basically takes things by the horns for a manic muddle of a time (94 minutes) that you can see coming in some of the beats that matter for a crime thriller with plenty of contradictions fit for its target in what it calls punks, complete with a performance by Teenage Head (after an opening song by Alice Cooper). As a production shot in Canada, you've got a mix of actors where McDowell (as the most experienced) ends up doing the best of the whole bunch, with Van Patten perhaps being just a bit above King in the second tier. There is just something quite curious that comes from a sequence involving McDowell getting students to learn biology in clearly the sanest way he believes possible: holding a gun to them, for which McDowell shows that he was not merely a guy there for show. King does fine with the material, but I find the descent (whether that means dealing with cops) far more interesting than the elements involving teaching or family. Go figure that the most noted actor among the youth was Fox (who had a handful of television appearances and exactly one film appearance before this) and not Van Patten, who does sell those times when one really wonders what kind of sociopath can play their hand in commanding attention. Granted, the group around him are not as particularly convincing, but I suppose that is how it goes when it comes to playing it simple with punks at the forefront of doing things for the sake of things (like making people take their clothes off or getting to stab folks in a ruckus).

Really the film rides on just how much you go with the ending. After a whole film of punks getting what they want as the goons they are, it goes right in to revenge flick for its climax, which at one point sees a guy getting his hand sliced off before a totally-not ironic title card for the ending. On the one hand, sure, totally sounds about right for a vigilante film. On the other hand, it really seems more appropriate to call it a movie where a man has been descended into a pit of hell by the punks that had been terrorizing him. It probably isn't a surprise that Lester is proud of his film to the point where he has called it "prophetic" in that aim to do Death Wish in a high school (and when it comes to punks among the society, 1983's Suburbia probably does it a tad better). I'm not sure how much of that belief is applicable when it comes to this film and the decades that followed its release, but regardless of that fact, the movie is mostly entertaining enough in the long run to inspire a look for being a boiling time for those interested in that sort of thing.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

The Poseidon Adventure.

Review #1442: The Poseidon Adventure.

Cast: 
Gene Hackman (Reverend Frank Scott), Ernest Borgnine (Detective Lieutenant Mike Rogo), Red Buttons (James Martin), Carol Lynley (Nonnie Parry), Roddy McDowall (Acres), Stella Stevens (Linda Rogo), Shelley Winters (Belle Rosen), Jack Albertson (Manny Rosen), Pamela Sue Martin (Susan Shelby), Arthur O'Connell (Chaplain John), Eric Shea (Robin Shelby), Leslie Nielsen (Captain Harrison), and Fred Sadoff (Linarcos) Directed by Ronald Neame (#673 - Scrooge and #1204 - Meteor)

Review: 
"I suffer along with them. We have many story conferences. As a writer/director/producer, I have triple agonies. I'm bucking to be known as the most sympathetic producer in town."

Oh sure, there were plenty of films to pick from that had an independent streak with directors and stars in the 1970s, but let us not forget about the films that followed the lines of all-star casts that came from previous decades. In this case, the all-star cast format came in the disaster movie genre, one that is just as prevalent in generating spectacle as other genres. Airport (1970) was the start of a whole new era of disaster films, as it made over $100 million upon release that was followed by three sequels before the decade ended. Who better to further the genre than Irwin Allen, the "Master of Disaster"? After all, he had already mastered the hand of producing/directing in television and film with projects such as The Sea Around Us (1953, an Academy Award winning documentary), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961, which became a hit 1964-68 series), and Lost in Space (1965-68). He would produce four further disaster films (with all but one in the 1970s) with The Towering Inferno (1974, about a fire in a tower), The Swarm (1978, involving killer bees), and Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979, which involved a return to the ship to recover treasures). The director who fell right into directing this film turned out to be a good one with Ronald Neame (after Gordon Douglas stepped off). He had been a cinematographer in British films starting in the 1930s before taking a hand at producing (Cineguild, with David Lean and Anthony Havelock-Allan) in the late 1940s that moved to directing with Take My Life (1947). Although he did not find the final result to be one to be proud of, he did describe it as his favorite film in that it gave him plenty of "F.U. money".

I suppose one reason for my curiosity with this film (based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Paul Gallico) was seeing how all of these stars would match up with each other, considering there are five Oscar-winning actors here (Hackman, Borgnine, Winters, Albertson, Buttons) alongside a mish-mash of supporting actors with melodramatic turns and plenty of spectacle. The result is one of the most ridiculously enjoyable films to ever sit through, one that is soapier than Grand Hotel (1932), with actors that did a majority of their own stunts that makes one think they are watching a P.E. competition. It is like going to a restaurant and asking everyone about who they were and what they liked to do and then going back to eat something you know is overstuffed but eating it anyway because you just need that experience (or getting a kick, I suppose), regrets be darned. Hackman leads this disaster squad with plenty of unorthodox spirit and candor to go with it that makes for an fair rapport with the equally blustery Borgnine who is charmingly rough around the edges. The others fall around the lines you could see coming from their opening moments, such as the quiet haberdasher Buttons that proves resourceful when paired with a nervous Lynley, or a gloomy but game Winters (who apparently gained 30 pounds for a role that requires her to do a swimming sequence). Others like Albertson, Stevens and Shea have smaller parts to play, but they do their best in making a good time with convenience (whether that means a quick remark or not), and this also includes short trips with McDowall (switching accents as a waiter, I kid you not) and a sternly useful Nielsen (an actor with standing even before hitting it bigger with comedy). One is here to see some fiery action, and they do generally pay off well, starting with the crash that starts all the fun (complete with a massive fall onto a light in an upside down dining room, a tremendous stunt to see). It is executed well with a fine look of despair and water to keep things sinking through for 117 minutes with plenty of moments that can make your head agape for better or worse (the question one generally associates with that would be "Wait, what?" in my view). It's funny, I had heard of the song "The Morning After" a number of times before seeing this film, but I didn't actually realize that it was performed in this film first (written by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn), which was apparently written in one night. Oh sure, it's a terrible song (cheesy but annoyingly catchy), but it found a following and ended up winning an Academy Award for its songwriters. The additional Academy Award won by the film (which snagged eight nominations, mostly technical) was for its visual effects from L. B. Abbott and A. D. Flowers. A sequel followed a few years later, and there were two remakes (one for television, one theatrical), but none have really matched the sheer lasting power of this, one with plenty of silliness alongside enjoyment to go for an era like this.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Embryo (1976).

Review #933: Embryo.

Cast:
Rock Hudson (Dr. Paul Holliston), Barbara Carrera (Victoria Spencer), Diane Ladd (Martha Douglas), Roddy McDowall (Frank Riley), Anne Schedeen (Helen Holliston), John Elerick (Gordon Holliston), Vincent Baggetta (Collier), Jack Colvin (Dr. Jim Winston), and Joyce Brothers (Herself) Directed by Ralph Nelson.

Review:
I had wanted to do this film a while back during the fall season, but I had forgotten about the movie (which is amusing, given all the reviews that occurred anyway) until now. Strangely, the movie begins with a statement from a Dr. Charles Brinkman III, stating: "The film you are about to see is not all science fiction. It is based upon medical technology which currently exists for fetal growth outside the womb. It could be a possibility tomorrow...Or today." I guess with words like that, one could have hope for this strange film, released by Cine Artists Pictures (who went bankrupt before being able to renew the copyright on the movie). And how is it? Well, it certainly is something you wouldn't expect (nor expect to find). The movie revolves around trying to make life (or more specifically, keeping life alive). Naturally, he starts with a dog before deciding upon doing so for a fetus with some sort of experimental thing called "placental lactogen". This goes about as well you'd expect (complete with voice-over by Hudson during the latter experiment), with all of it meant to be taken seriously. Yes, even with the fact that the decision to proceed with a human is only a few days after having "success" with a doberman. When the movie turns from a half-baked Frankenstein into an equally half-baked version of My Fair Lady (or Pygmalion) is likely when the movie lends itself rope to seal its fate. It is evident that the makers of the movie wanted to do something with horror and drama (with not-science fiction, if one goes by the opening) that would have an effect of audiences, but that never seems to succeed. At least it isn't too long (104 minutes), but that can't help in making it seem somewhat dull.

McDowell makes a "cameo" as a chess player who competes against Carrera's character, complete with an outburst after the match ends, which is somewhat amusing. Hudson is the best actor in the movie by merely having a presence that comes closest to being convincing, even with somewhat dry monologues (recorded on tape) throughout the film. Carrera doesn't really spring much personality into the role; she is watchable when trying to interact with colleagues or when trying to search for a cure to her biological problem, but that doesn't excuse a somewhat listless performance. Even when she makes a villainous turn (gasp if you aren't surprised), it doesn't help in making the movie entertaining. Ladd doesn't fare too well either, nor does Schedeen, in part because they don't have any sort of screen time to make anything significantly worth investing in. When the movie gets to its climax, there is no investment in any of these characters, and when you can't care about the stakes the film tries to set, one question is posed: Who cares? Naturally, it ends with a car chase (no joke), complete with aging makeup and a reveal that would be shocking if not merely serving to end a ridiculous movie. On the whole, this is a ridiculous movie that doesn't have as much entertainment value as it should while also not having as much credibility as it wants to strive for, failing on numerous levels for everyone.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Planet of the Apes (1968).

Review #347: Planet of the Apes.

Cast
Charlton Heston (George Taylor), Roddy McDowall (Cornelius), Kim Hunter (Zira), Maurice Evans (Dr. Zaius), James Whitmore (Assembly President), James Daly (Honorious), Linda Harrison (Nova), and Robert Gunner (Landon) Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner.

Review
It figures that even though I happen to own the 2001 remake and the 2011 reboot Rise of the Planet of the Apes, the original, 1968 version is reviewed first. That or it was on, I suppose. And because Rod Serling wrote the screenplay along with having Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall starring in their first times here, why the heck not, they can't pry this review from my cold, dead, hands. The story is good, I like how it doesn't try to veer into silliness, strangely resembling (for me anyway) a longer version of a Twilight Zone episode (BTW, you should really check out The Twilight Zone, it's a really great series. The 50's one, I mean), especially with the ending, which works well to this day. The acting works, it grows on you after a while or so (like Heston), especially with some memorable quotes. It is easy, however to tell what age this was made from as is sometimes has a dated look, but that doesn't hurt the film entirely. 45 years since, and it still is a recommended piece to watch, either before or after watching the remake. My goodness...You did it. You really did it. You maniacs! You remade it! Damn you! Damn you all to hell! Countdown to 350 Reviews: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3...

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Black Hole.

Review #092: The Black Hole.

Cast
Maximilian Schell (Dr. Hans Reinhardt), Anthony Perkins (Dr. Alex Durant), Robert Forster (Captain Dan Holland), Joseph Bottoms (Lieutenant Charlie Pizer), Yvette Mimieux (Dr. Kate McCrae), Ernest Borgnine (Harry Booth), Tom McLoughlin (Captain S.T.A.R.), Roddy McDowall (V.I.N.CENT), and Slim Pickens (B.O.B.) Directed by Gary Nelson.

Review
The film is unlike other Disney films in the fact it's more suited for more then just kids. And for that reason, it succeeds. The film has special effects unlike other films, such as Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The acting's standard good, and the robots are great. they're unlike other droids of their time, such as R2-D2 or Dewey. I like those droids and the others as it's imaginative and useful. The film has action, even if it is in the last 25 minutes. But it's still a good film for what it's worth. And with this review, Robot Week ends. It was great to do reviews involving robots, especially one every day. Now then, what number are we on? Number 92? We're getting closer and closer now. 10, 9, 8...This ends Part VII of Robot Week. Thank you for your appreciation.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.