Retro Holiday TV: The Messiah on Mott Street

Tony Roberts & Edward G. Robinson

Night Gallery, created and hosted by Rod Serling, ran for three seasons on NBC in the early 1970s. The anthology series generally featured tales of horror and the supernatural, with a touch of murder and madness thrown into the mix. While he didn't have the same amount of creative control he enjoyed on The Twilight Zone, Serling managed to contribute some of Night Gallery's finest episodes, including the elegiac "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar" and the sentimental holiday tale, "The Messiah on Mott Street." A holiday story on the macabre and eerie Night Gallery? Well, let's remember that Serling also penned the classic Christmas episode "Night of the Meek," featuring Art Carney, for The Twilight Zone.

"The Messiah on Mott Street," is the story of Abraham Goldman, an older gentleman who's critically ill, but hasn't lost his strength of spirit. His grandson Mikey lives with him in an apartment in a somewhat shabby New York neighborhood. Abraham's doctor, Morris Levine, believes that he should be admitted to the hospital, but the stubborn Mr. Goldman doesn't want to leave his home. He feels that Mikey might get taken away from him by social services if he's unable to care for the boy any longer. The old man is also waiting for a check from his brother, who owes him a considerable amount of money, which he feels will improve their situation.

Abraham is visited by an apparition he believes is the Angel of Death, but he refuses to accompany the specter of darkness to the other side. He tells Mikey that they need to find the Messiah, who will restore his health and help them in their desperate situation. Mikey goes out into the streets to locate the Messiah, encountering an ersatz Santa Claus and a doom-spouting religious fanatic, before a man named Buckner rescues him from the frightening zealot. Mikey, believing Buckner to be the Messiah, brings him home, only to discover that his grandfather's condition has deteriorated. Dr. Levine fears Abraham may not survive the night. Is the mysterious Buckner really the Messiah, and will the elder Goldman be saved?

"The Messiah on Mott Street" is a fabulous episode, featuring excellent performances from Edward G. Robinson as Abraham, Tony Roberts as Dr. Levine, Yaphet Kotto as Buckner and Ricky Powell as Mikey. The script is terrific, featuring some wonderful dialogue in the humanist style which Serling is often celebrated for, including a marvelous exchange between Roberts and Kotto in Goldman's apartment. Much like his later work as Sol in Soylent Green, Robinson brings real dignity to the character of Abraham, and shares some poignant scenes with Powell as Ricky, and Roberts as Dr. Levine, who still makes house calls! The episode was directed by Don Taylor, who also helmed Escape From The Planet of the Apes, and Damien: Omen II. 

Originally paired with a second entry entitled "The Painted Mirror," and broadcast as part of Night Gallery's second season during 1971-72, "The Messiah on Mott Street," could really be classified as both a Christmas and Hanukah tale. This is one of my favorite episodes of Night Gallery. It's certainly one of Serling's best latter day stories, featuring his penchant for celebrating the best aspects of humanity through tales of downtrodden characters who are gifted with sometimes small, but often memorable moments in their lives that some folks might even refer to as miracles. The hopeful finale brings to mind some of his strongest work for The Twilight Zone, and this exceptional story is worth seeking out for holiday viewing.

The Black Crowes Are Flying High Again

The Black Crowes have always made great music, both live and on record, but their offstage lives have sometimes been a bit less harmonious.  Brothers Chris and Rich Robinson often clashed throughout the years, and they've disbanded the group more than once, including an acrimonious split in 2015. Despite their disagreements, both Robinson brothers continued to create new music with solo projects, and in 2019 they finally resolved their differences and resurrected The Black Crowes. Since then, the band has toured extensively, recorded live albums, and earlier this year the group released Happiness Bastards, their first disc of new material since 2009. It's a fantastic record, steeped in that signature Crowes vibe, melding rock, soul and the blues, amply displayed on terrific songs such as "Wanting and Waiting," and "Cross Your Fingers."

The track list on Happiness Bastards includes down and dirty rockers like "Rats and Clowns" and "Dirty Cold Sun," which evoke the sound of Exile on Main Street era Stones, filtered through the Southern rock and soul grooves that are the Crowes trademark. Long-time devotees of the band will dig tunes like "Bedside Manners," and "Bleed It Dry," as well as the anthemic "Kindred Friend" and the lovely "Wilted Rose," which features country singer Lainey Wilson on vocals. The Robinson brothers are at the top of their game, and they sound re-invigorated throughout the album, which was produced by Jay Joyce. If you're a long-time fan of  the band, Happiness Bastards is a must listen.

I had the chance to check out the group at Mohegan Sun this past October, and it was an excellent show. I've seen the Crowes several times in the past, and they are always superb live, but this performance was positively exultant. In addition to classic tracks like "Jealous Again" and "Thorn In My Pride" and a healthy selection of tracks from Happiness Bastards, the group played several cover tunes, including a masterful version of The Velvet Underground's "Oh! Sweet Nuthin" with sterling lead vocals by Rich Robinson. The entire band sounded great, and it's clear that the Robinson brothers really enjoy playing together again. It looks like The Black Crowes are here to stay, and I 'm hopeful that we'll be getting more new music and live shows from the Crowes for many years to come. Here's a link to "Dirty Cold Sun," one of my favorite tracks on Happiness Bastards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEZ439nN2yE.

"The President's Analyst" is On the Run!

The President's Analyst goes for a ride

In 1967, James Coburn's star was firmly on the rise. After appearing in memorable supporting roles in films like The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape and Charade, he starred as the ultra-cool secret agent Derek Flint in the spy spoof Our Man Flint, and its sequel, In Like Flint. Coburn was very much in demand in Hollywood at the time.  One of the more intriguing films he appeared in during this period was The President's Analyst, written and directed by Theodore J. Flicker. This offbeat satire features Coburn as Dr. Sidney Schaefer, a well-regarded psychiatrist who is chosen to be the personal analyst for the President of the United States. Schaefer is provided with an office which is connected to the White House by a secret tunnel. Due to the special needs of the president, he's expected to be on call 24 hours a day.

Schaefer initially enjoys the perks this top-secret gig provides him, but eventually realizes it comes with its own set of problems. He can't talk to anyone about his sessions with the president, even his girlfriend Nan. Some members of the cabinet aren't happy about his role as the president's analyst/confidante, since Schaefer's learned a lot of top secret information. Eventually, he thinks he's being followed and monitored by government agents. An increasingly stressed-out Schaefer even suspects Nan might be spying on him. Is he being paranoid, or are there people actually out to get him? 

It turns out that Schaefer is being hunted by spies from several different countries, who all want access to the secrets they believe the president has shared with him, or to prevent him from sharing them. He goes on the run, and interacts with a disparate cast of characters, including a not so innocent suburban family, spies, hippies, and.....a British pop group?  Eventually, he realizes there's a sinister plot to control the world being hatched by a mysterious group called the TPC (spoiler alert).....aka the phone company! The President's Analyst is filled with wild set pieces, off the wall humor, and even a touch of the psychedelia that was ever-present in pop culture at the time. 

 

Writer-Director Theodore J. Flicker, later co-creator of the classic television series Barney Miller, showed Coburn the script when they were both working on Charade, and the duo brought the project to producer Robert Evans, who also worked on The Godfather and Chinatown. Due to pressure from the studio management, the names of the agencies in the film had to be changed from "FBI" to "FBR", and "CIA" to "CEA," requiring some of the dialogue to be re-dubbed at the last minute, though no one changed the name of those ultimate villains, the phone company!

The President's Analyst is a sharply written, well-directed satire that in some ways feels more timely than ever. The cast is superb, with Coburn joined by a gallery of familiar faces, including Godfrey Cambridge, Walter Burke, Severn Darden, Pat Harrington, Jr., Joan Delaney and William Daniels. While the film wasn't a huge success when it was first released, its reputation has grown over the years, and it's recently been revived for retrospective screenings, and also been released on DVD and Blu-ray. It's definitely worth checking out if you haven't seen it, or re-discovering it if you haven't watched it in a while. Here's a look at the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XvaDL-laNA.

Knock, Knock: Folk Horror and Family Secrets

Even though the Halloween season has concluded, you might still be in the mood for a well-written horror tale to curl up with as the weather gets colder. If that's the case, look no further than Neil Sharpson's spellbinding Knock Knock, Open Wide. This chilling novel is a deftly conceived combination of Celtic folklore and Lovecraftian horror. It's also a sweetly affecting love story, and a tale about family secrets, featuring well developed characters who are dealing with the emotional toll the choices they've made has taken on their lives.

 

The book begins with the story of Etain Larkin, who finds a corpse in the road while driving home one night in the Irish countryside, after spending the evening with her boyfriend Barry. This discovery leads to a terrifying encounter at a creepy farmhouse. Etain disappears, and is presumed dead, and Barry becomes the chief suspect. Much to everyone's relief, she is discovered alive some time later, but whatever she experienced that fateful night has changed her forever.

The story then fast forwards to a pair of Dublin-based college students, Ashling Mallen and Betty Fitzpatrick, who are in drama society together. They become friends, and later lovers. It turns out Ashling has a troubled home life. When Betty tries to help her with her family issues, she learns that Ashling is Etain's daughter. Ashling's childhood was scarred by a horrifying incident, and the evil events that have beset her family appear to be tied to a long-running children's show which features a mysterious puppet who lives in a box.

 

Knock Knock, Open Wide is an atmospheric horror story that benefits from Sharpson's skillful use of Irish folklore and myth. He uses the Irish setting (which becomes almost a supporting character) to weave the folk horror and supernatural elements into an emotionally rich love story and intense family drama. The suspense, horror and sense of dread builds slowly throughout the novel. Just when you think you might have figured out the mystery, there's another terrifying revelation about the true nature of the evil at the heart of the tale. Highly recommended for horror fans.

Salem's Lot on The Big (and Small) Screen

'Salem's Lot is one of Stephen King's most popular tales. First published in 1975, the novel tells the story of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine, a town with a very dark history. King also penned a pair of short stories set in the town, "Jerusalem's Lot" and "One For The Road," which were included in his 1978 short story collection, Night Shift. In the novel, an antiques dealer named Straker, and his partner, a mysterious man named Mr. Barlow, move into Salem's Lot, and suddenly people start dying (and coming back) in mysterious fashion. It turns out Barlow is a vampire, and he's been feeding on the residents of the town, thereby creating more vampires. 'Salem's Lot quickly became a bestseller, and the book has inspired three film adaptations, an unrelated sequel, and a prequel TV series. Here's a brief look at them. 

Salem's Lot (1978): If you're a horror fan of a certain age, you probably recall being frightened by this eerie two-part television version of the novel, directed by Tobe Hooper of Poltergeist fame. The cast for the mini-series includes David Soul, Bonnie Bedelia, James Mason, and Lance Kerwin, with Reggie Nalder as a very creepy Barlow. Thanks to the extra running time allowed by the format, it's a solid version of the novel. Screenwriter Paul Monash made a few changes to the overall story, but retains much of the novel's dark tone and scary moments. Hooper's direction is excellent, and this atmospheric mini-series still stands out as one of the better adaptations of King's work. There's also a shorter version of the film, running about two hours, with more explicit violence, which was made for European theatrical release. Here's a look at the trailer for this terrifying mini-series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f27iJTxhPX0.

 

A Return To Salem's Lot (1987): A theatrical release and in-name only sequel which stars Michael Moriarty as an anthropologist who visits the town of Salem's Lot with his son, and encounters a group of vampires. Directed and co-scripted by Larry Cohen, who's probably best known for It's Alive, Q and The Stuff. This so-so film has a more comedic tone than the films covered here, and is an original story that doesn't include any of the characters from the novel. The cast also includes Andrew Duggan and Ronee Blakely. Here's the trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImfWpDwE9sk.

Salem's Lot (2004): This two-part mini-series adaptation of the novel first aired on TNT, and stars Rob Lowe (who also co-starred in the mini-series version of King's The Stand), Samantha Mathis, Donald Sutherland, and Rutger Hauer. This mini-series, scripted by Peter Filardi and directed by Mikeal Solomon, updates the story to the 2000s, and while it's not quite as good as the 1978 version, it features solid performances by a good cast, and some scary moments. Here's the trailer for this 2004 mini-series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJLTggoINtM.

Chapelwaite (2021): A prequel to the original novel, this MGM+ cable series, set in the 1800s, stars Adrian Brody as Captain Charles Boone, who returns to Maine with his children following the death of his wife, and encounters some strange events, which seem to be supernatural in origin. The show is largely based on King's prequel story "Jerusalem's Lot." It's a well-produced, slow burn horror tale that is worth checking out if you're a fan of King's work. Here's the trailer for the series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO-722xS9hg.

Salem's Lot (2024): The latest version of King's novel, written and directed by Gary Dauberman, was originally produced for theatrical distribution, and was shot in 2021 and 2022. The release of the film was delayed several times, and it finally premiered on the MAX cable channel in October 2024. This adaptation of the book stars Lewis Pullman, Makenzie Leigh, William Sadler, Bill Camp, and Alfre Woodard. The film is well-acted and directed, and features a couple of neat twists on the story, but the two-hour running time makes things feel a bit rushed. There's really not as much time for development of the characters. Still worth checking out, and it's a great-looking film as well. Follow this link to view the trailer for the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtVzKkv03ic.

Piunti's Latest Shines with Power Pop Brilliance

Nick Piunti is a maestro when it comes to crafting catchy, hook-laden songs that embrace the aura of classic power pop, while also providing a fresh take on the genre. He and his band, The Complicated Men, delighted and impressed fans with their last two remarkable full-length releases, Downtime and Heart Inside Your Head. Their latest album, Up and Out of It, is yet another exceptional collection of scintillating tunes that you'll without a doubt add to your list of power pop favorites. If you dig melodic, guitar-centric rock and roll, this fabulous record will definitely have you smiling from ear to ear.

Up and Out of It kicks off with the one-two punch of “Seasick" and “Bottle It,” a pair of fantastic tracks which are effervescent expressions of the band’s love for pop-infused rock, which is also evident on songs like “Get The Feeling” and “Rejection Letter.” There are also several excellent tracks on the album which offer a slightly different vibe, including the edgy “Above Water” and the reflective “Long Way Down.” These terrific tunes sound just as compelling as the group’s signature pop/rock tunes. As usual, Piunti composed the lion’s share of the songs on the record, but guitarist Joe Daksiewicz co-wrote the rocking  “I’m Ready” and the pop-tastic “Mind Reader,” both of which are highlights of the album.

Piunti's marvelous lead vocals and guitar are complimented by the superb work of The Complicated Men, whose all-star lineup consists of the aforementioned Daksiewicz on lead guitar, Jeff Hupp on bass, Kevin Darnall on keyboards and Ron Vensko on drums. The band obviously loves playing together, and their top-notch talents and undeniable chemistry are fully on display throughout the album. By the time you get to enjoying “Eyelids” and “On The Ropes,” the scintillating tracks which close out the record, you'll absolutely be reaching for that replay button so you can listen to this incredible record again.

The excellent songs on Up and Put of It amply display Piunti's growth as an artist and songwriter. He has found a way to evoke the classic power pop and modern rock sounds of the 80s while also creating earworm-laden tunes that sound fresh and original. These songs will absolutely get stuck in your head, and touch your heart. If you're already a fan, or even if you're new to Piunti and The Complicated Men, you owe it to yourself to check out this brilliant record. Up and Out of It will be released on JEM Records on Friday, October 18. For more info go to: https://jemrecordings.com/ and https://www.nickpiunti.com/. Here are links to "Bottle It" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gahDSxsfEP0 and “Get The Feeling” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PCsM0ih-fE.

"Alien: Romulus" Explores Familiar Territory

Not many cinematic franchises have taken the kind of wild stylistic swings throughout their existence as the Alien series. Starting with 1979's eponymous original, the films have shifted gears from visceral horror to action-oriented sci-fi and on to cyberpunk, and explored concepts like cloning and genetic experimentation, tossing in a bit of philosophical and religious discourse along the way. Acclaimed directors such as Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher and Jean-Pierre Jeunet have put their stamp on the series, some more successfully than others. Throughout all of its iterations, those menacing (and very agile) xenomorphs have loomed large in the center of the Alien universe. Alien: Romulus, the latest entry in the saga, takes a deep dive into the body horror and weird science angles of the franchise. The movie also features quite a few homages and callbacks to previous films in the series.

Directed and co-written by Fede Alvarez, Alien: Romulus tells the story of a young woman named Rain, who's stuck in a dead-end job on a mining colony. When the Weyland-Yutani Corporation (remember them?) unfairly extends her work contract, she gets involved with a group of co-workers who have hatched a plan to salvage cryogenic pods from a derelict ship in orbit around their planet. The idea is to use the pods to put themselves in cryo-sleep, and travel to a planet where they have a chance at a better life. Rain brings along her adopted brother Andy, who’s an android the group will need to interface with the ship's computer systems. There are just a couple of obstacles standing (or slithering) in their way.  The ship, whose orbit is decaying, turns out to be a space station, and it’s infested with some deadly (and very familiar) creatures. There's also an artificial crew-member aboard the station who clearly doesn't have the group's best interests in mind.

Alvarez proved with his Evil Dead remake and the offbeat thriller Don't Breathe that he knows how to build suspense and amp up the onscreen tension. He and co-writer Rodo Sayaguez have created a story that leans heavily into the body horror aspects of the series, and they do introduce a couple of cool ideas into the mythology. Alien: Romulus features several exciting set pieces, but there's a sense of deja vu to the movie, as some of these sequences echo things we’ve seen in earlier entries in the series. There’s also a CGI recreation of a character from the original film that some viewers may find distracting. On the plus side, the movie is undeniably well-crafted, and the cinematography, production design and the special effects (many of which were achieved in old school practical fashion) are quite impressive.

Cailee Spenny as Rain and David Jonsson as Andy are quite good, but the rest of the cast doesn’t get to make much of an impression in their roles before they’re killed by the aliens. Alien: Romulus is exciting and well-produced, and in addition to the visual callbacks to other films, the score by Benjamin Wallfisch does an excellent job of quoting some of the musical motifs from previous composers such as Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner. The movie, which takes place between the first and second films in the series, is worth checking out, though it doesn’t quite propel the saga as far forward into new territory as it could have. The next chapter of the Alien story will be Alien: Earth, a TV show from Noah Hawley, the guiding light of the Fargo TV series. Here’s the trailer for Alien: Romulus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzY2r2JXsDM.