Thursday, January 16, 2025

Retro Mystery Movie: Murder By Decree

Christopher Plummer & James Mason

Sherlock Holmes has investigated some difficult cases, but in 1979's Murder By Decree, he tries to solve one of the greatest mysteries of all: the identity of Jack The Ripper. The film is one of the better big screen Holmes adventures, thanks in large part to the strong direction by Bob Clark, and outstanding performances from Christopher Plummer as Holmes and James Mason as Dr. Watson. There's also an all-star supporting cast, including Donald Sutherland, Genevieve Bujold, Anthony Quayle and John Gielgud. 

A series of grisly murders is plaguing Whitechapel, and Scotland Yard is having difficulty apprehending the perpetrator, or even producing any leads on the killer. When Holmes joins the hunt for the man nicknamed "Jack The Ripper," he finds his investigation blocked at every turn. Eventually, the consulting detective becomes embroiled in a conspiracy involving the police, the Freemasons and even the hallowed halls of the British government. Could Jack The Ripper have ties to the Royal Family? If Holmes uncovers the truth, will he be putting both his and Watson's lives in danger?

Murder By Decree is an atmospheric, well-mounted thriller. The cast is excellent across the board, but Plummer and Mason take top honors for their amazing work as Holmes and Watson. They have wonderful chemistry, and both actors bring warmth and conviction to their interpretations of these iconic characters. Plummer is especially good in a moving scene with Genevieve Bujold as Annie Crook, who's an unfortunate victim of the conspiracy that hopes to conceal the Ripper's true identity. He is also first-rate in a scene at the end of the film where he confronts representatives of the government regarding the truth about the Ripper mystery.

Holmes had faced off against Jack The Ripper once before on cinema screens, in the 1965 thriller A Study In Terror, an almost Hammer-style take on the story. Murder By Decree's solution to the Ripper's identity, which posits that the killer may have had a connection to the royal family, was an idea much in vogue at the time of the film's release. That theory has since fallen out of favor, but that doesn't take away from the fact this is an exciting, well-produced Holmes adventure. In addition to the wonderful cast, the direction by Bob Clark is stellar. The talented and eclectic Clark also helmed films as diverse as Deathdream, Black Christmas, Porky's and A Christmas Story.

Murder by Decree wasn't the only Ripper tale released to theaters in 1979. Time After Time, written and directed by Nicholas Meyer, features H.G. Wells (played by Malcolm McDowell) facing off against Jack The Ripper (portrayed by David Warner) in a time travel tale which brings both men to present-day San Francisco. It's a delightful movie which also features Mary Steenburgen in an an early role. Time After Time is an enjoyable science-fiction adventure, and would make a great double feature with Murder By Decree. By the way, Meyer has also penned several Holmes novels, including The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, which was filmed by director Herbert Ross in 1976. Both Murder By Decree and Time After Time have been released on DVD and Blu-ray, and are available on various streaming services.

Sunday, January 5, 2025

A Fateful Train Ride with "Dr. Terror"

Dr. Terror's House of Horrors

Horror films have found great success using the anthology format throughout the years, with multi-story productions ranging from the 1964 Japanese chiller Kwaidan, the made for TV classic Trilogy of Terror (1975) and the 1982 favorite Creepshow spinning multiple tales of terror across movie and television screens. One company whose name became synonymous with the horror anthology was Amicus Productions, formed in 1962 by producers Milton Subotsky and Max J. Rosenberg, who had previously collaborated on the 1960 film Horror Hotel (aka City of the Dead). Their initial offerings were the low budget musicals It's Trad, Dad (1962) and Just for Fun (1963), both of which were quite successful in the UK. It's Trad, Dad (1962) was the big-screen debut of director Richard Lester, who went on to helm A Hard Day's Night.

Subotsky was a long-time fan of the horror genre, and one of his favorites was Dead of Night (1945), a well-regarded British film which featured five tales of the supernatural. After working as a writer on the TV series Lights Out, he decided to pen his own horror anthology, and had originally planned to produce a weekly show featuring eerie tales of terror. That project later became the Amicus film Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, a 1965 thriller starring Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Michael Gough. In the film, Cushing portrays Dr. Schreck (aka Dr. Terror), a mysterious man who joins five others aboard a train which is heading from London to the town of Bradley. It's a train ride that none of them are ever going to forget!

To pass the time on their journey, Dr. Schreck offers to use his tarot cards to foretell the future of his fellow passengers. This leads to five offbeat and eerie tales of werewolves, killer vines, voodoo, vampires, and a vengeful disembodied hand. What the passengers don't know is that their fates have already been sealed, and there's a lot more to Dr. Schreck than meets the eye. Though the individual stories vary in quality, the movie is a lot of fun. Cushing, Lee, and Gough are all terrific in their roles, and there are some other familiar faces in the cast as well, including Bernard Lee (best known as "M" in the James Bond series) and Donald Sutherland, who was just at the beginning of his long career. The movie was directed by Freddie Francis, the celebrated cinematographer of The Innocents (1961) and The Elephant Man (1980), who also helmed a number of horror films for both Amicus and Hammer in the 1960s and 1970s

Dr. Terror's House of Horrors set the tone for six other anthology films released by Amicus, including The House That Dripped Blood (1970), Tales From The Crypt (1972), and The Vault of Horror (1973). While the studio released a number of full-length science-fiction, fantasy and horror films, including The Skull (1965), Scream and Scream Again (1970), and The Land That Time Forgot (1974), they were best known for their anthology movies, which always featured all-star casts, including actors like Joan Collins, Ralph Richardson, Donald Pleasance, and future Drs. Who Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker. Dr. Terror's House of Horrors is available to stream on services such as Tubi, and has also been released on DVD and Blu-ray. Here's a look at the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpfRzcOFnwA.

Saturday, December 21, 2024

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

"The Messiah on Mott Street," was originally paired with a second entry entitled "The Painted Mirror," and broadcast as part of Night Gallery's second season during 1971-72. This is one of my favorite episodes of the series, and it could really be classified as both a Christmas and Hanukah tale. It's one of Serling's finest latter day stories, featuring his penchant for celebrating the best aspects of humanity through tales of downtrodden characters who are gifted with 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 a watch, especially during the holiday season.

If you're looking to check out
"The Messiah on Mott Street," or some of the other episodes of Night Gallery, Amazon has the show available to stream, though there is a charge to view the series, even for Prime members. Additionally, the show has been issued on DVD, and Kino Lorber video has released the series on Blu-ray in remastered editions, featuring insightful commentaries for every episode by genre experts like Tim Lucas, Kim Newman, Gary Gerani and Amanda Reyes, and filmmakers such as Guillermo Del Toro, who does the honors for "The Messiah on Mott Street."

Tuesday, December 10, 2024

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.

Saturday, November 23, 2024

"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.

Sunday, November 10, 2024

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.

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

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.