House of Usher (1960)

A young man (Mark Damon) visits his fiancee (Myrna Fahey) at her family estate only to discover that he is in an Edgar Allan Poe story.

This is the first of eight Poe stories that Roger Corman made over six years. They were his first color films, all starring Vincent Price, and considered to be among his best.

If I ever read The Fall of the House of Usher, it was a very long time ago, so I can’t speak to the movie’s faithfulness. This follows the expected story line. Roderick’s sensitivity to sound and light, the family curse, the premature burial, the literal and figurative fall of the house. I believe the biggest change was the addition of the love interest. I covered a 1949 version here nine years ago but have no memory of it. There’s a 1928 silent version but I can’t seem to find it.

Price always delivers, even with poor material. And to be fair, this material isn’t poor. Sci-Fi legend Richard Matheson adapted the screenplay. My biggest complaint is with Roderick’s constant exclaiming “Don’t you understand!” when nothing was even remotely explained. But I am sure this is a fault of the source material. Some things make more sense on the page than screen. AMRU 3.

Shane (1953)

An ex-gunfighter (Alan Ladd) crosses paths with a homesteading family that is being bullied by a wealthy rancher. He decides to hang around to help.

Shane leans hard into the myth of the old west, while getting a surprising amount right. Conflict between ranchers and farmers was a real thing. Despite the vastness of the landscape, resources (grazing pastures and water in particular) were scarce. Gone is the quaint and clean old west town. Life was harsh. The trope of the good gunfighter against the evil gunslinger, however, is readily apparent. The “Man’s gotta do” philosophy is a prevalent theme.

Jean Arthur came out of retirement as a favor to friend director George Stevens to play the homesteader’s trusty wife. The unspoken sexual tension between her and Ladd’s Shane was palpable. It was borderline scandalous, this being a very kid friendly picture. Eliza Cook Jr. is a pint-sized blow-hard and Ellen Corby (Grandma Walton) is his wife. Jack Palance is wonderfully evil as the gunslinger.

Ten year old Brandon De Wilde played Joey, the boy that idolizes Shane. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance. Brandon embarked on a productive, if not stellar Hollywood career, also appearing in Hud. That career, however, was tragically cut short when he crashed his camper van on his way to visit his wife in the hospital. He was just thirty.

Shane was an iconic novel and is also an iconic film. The tension felt by the characters contrasts greatly from the optimistic and somewhat comedic tone of the John Wayne western. Something of a slow burn, it is a well paced and a very well made film. AMRU 4.

“A man has to be what he is, Joey. Can't break the mould. I tried it and it didn't work for me.”

The Last of Sheila (1973)

Rich Clinton Greene (James Coburn) hosts a party on his yacht one year after his wife was killed by a mystery driver. His friends, each with their own reason to curry favor with arrogant Greene, tolerate his game's dark nature. Then things become really dark.

With A list actors working long hours on an overcrowded boat, production became understandably troubled. Raquel Welch’s behavior was called out by James Mason who called her “the most selfish, ill-mannered, inconsiderate actress that I have ever had the displeasure of working with”. Bad weather and a terrorist bomb threat didn’t help matters.

Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim used to host murder mystery parties for their Hollywood friends and it was suggested they write a script. Many of the characters are based on real people, lovingly I presume. I believe Richard Benjamin is playing Perkins.

Despite the troubled production, The Last of Sheila is a clever, compelling drama and excellent mystery. It’s a smart film that will keep you guessing until the end. AMRU 4.5.

"Give me a glass of water and a couple of lesbians."

What Else I Watched, 2024Q2

A Hazard of Hearts (1987)
A landed gentleman (Christopher Plumber) loses all his money at dice, so he risks his family estate. He then loses the family estate in a game of dice, so he risks his daughter (a very young Helena Bonham Carter). Guess what. While our gambling hero goes and pops a cap, the new owner loses all of this to a Mr. Darcy-type character. Oh, and something about smugglers and what-not.

This made for TV adaptation of a trashy period romance novel just reeks of it. Story and dialog were occasionally terrible. But somehow they managed to get Plumber, Diana Rigg, and Stewart Granger involved. Mostly watchable despite itself. AMRU 2.5.

Anthropoid (2016)
Real live story about the plot to assassinate Reinhard Heydrich during WWII. Cillian Murphy plays a complicated world war hero. Mostly historically accurate, very slow burn, and pretty grim particularly towards the end. It was quite good, but I can’t imagine wanting to go through that again. AMRU 3.5.

A Fish called Wanda (1988)
I watched this on VHS back in 1989 and didn’t like it. My opinion may have been colored by the people I was with and the relationship I was in. It wasn't a great time for me. But over the years I have been routinely reminded that my opinion was wrong. So, thirty five years later I gave it another try. I didn’t like it.

I did find it interesting. Never laughed, but I’d seen all the gags. Perhaps again colored by memories, but it’s a pretty mean spirited comedy. AMRU 3.

12 Angry Men (1957)
Twelve jurors decide the fate of a young man accused of murdering his father. Guilty or innocent, they are instructed that the decision must be unanimous. Eleven jurors are convinced of his guild, but one wants to discuss it.

Number 5 on the IMDb top 250 movies, and the only film released prior to 1966 in the top 20, 12 Angry Men is imminently watchable and rewatchable. I rated it 8 out of 10 when on first viewing eight years ago but changed that score to 9/10. And if you know how I gravitate to the middle on my ratings, that is no faint praise. 12 Angry Men is a must see.

Not much this quarter, only four films here and nine on the main list. Life had gotten in the way of my movie watching, but things should swing towards the middle in Q3. I have four films in the queue to post, and maybe I'll watch another tonight.