Flanagan's Grand Guignol "House of Usher"

Bruce Greenwood in The Fall of the House of Usher

If you're a fan (as I am) of writer-director Mike Flanagan's previous work in the horror genre, which includes chilling series such as The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor and Midnight Mass, and eerie films like Oculus, Gerald's Game and Doctor Sleep, then have I got a Halloween treat for you. After providing us with superb re-imaginings of the literary tales of authors like Shirley Jackson, Henry James and Stephen King, Flanagan's latest project, The Fall of the House of Usher, takes a deep dive into the Gothic fiction of Edgar Allan Poe. It's a fantastic miniseries that proves once again that Flanagan is a modern master of the horror genre.

The Fall of the House of Usher centers on the Usher family, headed by siblings Roderick and Madeline. Roderick has built a financial empire based on the success of his company, Fortunato Pharmaceuticals. However, both he and Madeline share several secrets that have begun to tear their family, and their world, apart. Roderick's six children are being systematically killed by a supernatural force that appears to be taking revenge on him for his past misdeeds. The story of his family's downfall is told in flashback by Roderick to District Attorney C. Auguste Dupin, who's dedicated his life to exposing the corruption within Roderick's company. Dupin's name, is of course, just one of a myriad of references to Poe stories and characters throughout the series. The show is filled with easter eggs, nods and visual representations of Poe's work, both overt and more subtle in nature.

As he tells the tale of each of his children's grisly demise to Dupin, Roderick also relates stories of his and Madeline's younger years, and the questionable things the siblings did to achieve success. All of these flashbacks are skillfully tied together into a tapestry which features elements of many of Poe's classic short stories and poems, including The Black Cat, The Raven, and The Masque of the Red Death. To give too much away would spoil the many pleasures and surprises of this magnificently produced, well-crafted series. Let's just say if you're a fan of Gothic horror, and frightening set-pieces which include some memorable jump scares, and over the top terror, then The Fall of the House of Usher is definitely in your wheelhouse.

The cast is excellent, with many of Mike Flanagan's repertory company from previous productions returning in various roles for the series, including Henry Thomas, Kate Siegel, T'Nia Miller, Rahul Koli and Bruce Greenwood, who gives a great performance as Roderick. Carl Lumbly provides strong work as Dupin, Mary McDonnell is terrific as Madeline, and Michael Trucco is solid as a smarmy Fortunato executive who tangles with Roderick and Madeline, much to his eventual regret. Everyone is marvelous, but top honors for scene-stealing have to go to Mark Hamill as Arthur Pym, the Usher family's coldly efficient lawyer/fixer (whose character name is yet another tip of the hat to Poe), and Carla Gugino (also a Flanagan veteran) as Verna, a mysterious woman with deep ties to Roderick and Madeline's past, who appears to be something other than human, and who knows all of the Usher secrets.

The writing on the series is superb, with great dialogue provided for the actors by Flanagan and his co-writers, including Emily Grinwis and Justina Ireland. The show is visually striking, and brilliantly directed by Flanagan and Michael Fimongari, who also provided the cinematography for the series. The Fall of the House of Usher is a bit more wild and over the top than some of Flanagan's previous efforts, like The Haunting of Hill House, which, while it had its share of jump scares, often utilized a slow and subtle build up to its more terrifying moments. This series is a bit more Grand Guignol (by design) but it's no less well-crafted, or less effective, than Flanagan's other work. If you've enjoyed his other shows, such as the recent series The Midnight Club, then I think you'll dig The Fall of the House of Usher, which is currently streaming on Netflix. Here's a look at the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvuAWVzP6wI.

 

Retro Movie: A Different Side of Jekyll & Hyde

Martine Beswick & Gerald Sim

In the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, England's Hammer Films made a name for themselves as one of the preeminent purveyors of horror tales. Hammer created their own versions of the classic Universal monsters of the 1930s and 1940s, releasing films featuring Dracula, Frankenstein's monster and The Mummy. During the 1970s, the studio had fallen on hard times, and tried amping up the sex and violence quotient with titles like Countess Dracula and The Vampire Lovers to bring audiences back into the theaters. The studio also issued some original takes on their tried and true horror formula, with films such as Demons of the Mind, Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter and Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde. 

Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde spins the story of Dr. Henry Jekyll, an intelligent and forward thinking researcher who's trying to find a universal cure for most of the illnesses suffered by mankind. His cavalier friend Professor Robertson thinks he should get out and enjoy life more. Jekyll''s new neighbor Susan Spencer has a romantic interest in him, but he's too obsessed with his studies to notice. Jekyll reaches a compelling breakthrough in his work, but not the one he expected. He turns from curing illness to creating an elixir of life, using female hormones, since it seems to him that women live longer than men. When Jekyll drinks his elixir, he transforms into a seductive female named Edwina Hyde.

Edwina is a predatory, powerful woman and her strong persona overwhelms the weaker Jekyll, who ends up committing murder to obtain more hormones for his elixir. Ms. Hyde starts to gain control for longer periods, and she wants to become the dominant personality, eliminating Jekyll. Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde is an entertaining variation on the Jekyll/Hyde tale, featuring a good performance by Ralph Bates as Jekyll, and a dark, sensual one from former Bond girl and Hammer veteran Martine Beswick as Ms. Hyde. The clever script by Brian Clemens (who also penned Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter) manages to insert real life corpse snatchers Burke and Hare, as well as the Jack the Ripper killings, into the story of Jekyll and Hyde, and toss a murderous female alter ego for Jekyll into the proceedings as well.

Roy Ward Baker's strong direction, the evocative score by David Whitaker, and the atmospheric cinematography of Norman Warwick combine to make the film one of one of the better variations on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale. The solid supporting cast includes Gerald Sim, Lewis Fiander and Virginia Wetherall. Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde is an intriguing, offbeat entry in the latter day Hammer horror cycle, and it's worth checking out. The film is available on Blu-ray from Scream Factory, and is currently available for streaming on Peacock. Here's a look at the trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylWRtdfcMLk.

The Weeklings Salute "Brian Jones"

The Weeklings, those New Jersey based power pop maestros, have already given us a pair of excellent releases during the past year. Their magnificent version of the Beatles classic "I've Just Seen A Face," and its accompanying music video became fan favorites during the winter months, and the group's brilliant re-imagining of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm On Fire" as a rockabilly rave-up wowed us all this past summer. But if you thought The Weeklings were done dazzling us after that dynamic one-two punch, you couldn't be more wrong. The band has just released a terrific new single saluting the late Brian Jones, one of the founding members of The Rolling Stones.

"Brian Jones" is a bluesy, harmonica infused tune paying tribute to Jones, who for many longtime Stones fans was the heart, soul and driving force of the band's early years. The song, co-written by Bob Burger and Glen Burtnik, aka Zeek and Lefty Weekling, also features the exquisite harmonies that are a hallmark of The Weeklings sound, as well as some groovy guitar, bass and drum work by the group. With the Stones releasing a new album this month, interest in the band is high, so The Weeklings couldn't have picked a better time to release this fantastic tune, their third fabulous release in a row this year! 

The phenomenal lineup of The Weeklings consists of Zeek, aka Bob Burger, on lead vocals, harmonica, and guitar; Lefty aka Glen Burtnik, on bass and background vocals; Rocky, aka John Merjave, on guitar and background vocals, and Smokestack, aka Joe Bellia, on drums. If you dig "I've Just Seen A Face," "I'm On Fire" and the rest of the splendiferous music of The Weeklings, then you'll absolutely love "Brian Jones." It's an outstanding tribute to a rock and roll icon from a top-notch band. Here's a link to the fabulous video for the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abAFKBANq0I.

Songs & Stories at BVFCC with Thomas Walsh

Thomas Walsh at Best Video

Thomas Walsh is a tremendously talented singer and songwriter who, since the 1990s, has created wonderful music as the founder of Pugwash, an Irish band whose songs have echoes of XTC, ELO, The Beatles and The Beach Boys. While Pugwash's music does indeed recall the sound of those much beloved bands, their music also stands on its own, showcasing Thomas' knack for crafting marvelous pop/rock songs combining enchanting music with memorable lyrics. This month, Walsh is releasing his first solo disc, The Rest Is History. On Sunday, October 1st, he performed a show at the Best Video Film & Cultural Center in Hamden, Connecticut, to promote the album.

The show was outstanding, featuring a generous helping of tunes from Pugwash, a couple of selections from The Duckworth Lewis Method, his cricket themed band (with Neil Hannon), and some terrific covers including songs by The Bee Gees, The Move, The Kinks and Michael Penn. He also previewed several tracks from The Rest Is History, including the fantastic "A Good Day For Me" and the lovely "We Knew." Thomas is a phenomenal performer, whose affable personality, playful sense of humor and positive energy shone through not only in his singing and playing, but in the stories he shared about the origin of his songs, and his encounters with the likes of Jeff Lynne and Brian Wilson.

Thomas was in excellent voice, offering us glorious versions of Pugwash gems such as "Take Me Away", "Fall Down" and "The Perfect Summer," as well as heartfelt renditions of songs he loves, such as The Bee Gees "Birdie Told Me," and Michael Penn's "Coal."  It was a special treat to hear these wonderful songs performed "unplugged"style, and Walsh's expert guitar playing perfectly matched his heartfelt vocals. From the emotional "Here" to the light-hearted Duckworth Lewis Method track "Meeting Mr. Miandad," His joy in performing these tunes was palpable. The intimate nature of the space at Best Video and the enthusiastic audience also added to the show's positive vibe.

Another delightful thing about Thomas is that like ourselves, he's a music fan.  His unabashed affection for the artists and bands he loves, such as XTC was evident when he would break into an impromptu rendition of their song "Grass," The Kinks tune "Animal Farm" or a snippet of George Harrison's "Blow Away." Thomas Walsh creates magnificent pop/rock music, and performs it with wit, heart and passion. As a long time fan of his work, I feel very lucky to have seen him perform at a venue like Best Video Film & Cultural Center, which is the home of so many great music and film related events in this area. If you're fan of pop, power pop and melodic rock, I strongly recommend checking out Thomas' fantastic music, and if you get the chance, head out to see him perform live.

With Thomas after the show

Retro Movie: The Watcher in the Woods

Kyle Richards, Lynn Holly-Johnson and Bette Davis

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Walt Disney Pictures was experimenting with releasing live-action films that appealed to slightly older audiences than the ones that viewed G-rated family oriented fare like The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes or The Apple Dumpling Gang. Instead, Disney offered movies such as the science-fiction epic The Black Hole, an adaptation of Ray Bradbury's classic novel Something Wicked This Way Comes, and a big-screen version of Florence Engel Randall's thriller A Watcher In The Woods. Originally released in 1980, The Watcher In The Woods had a troubled production history, which included the film being pulled from theaters shortly after it opened, having some scenes cut, and a completely new ending added before it was later re-issued. There are some fans who remember being frightened by the movie when they saw it back in the day, and its worth taking a look back at the film.

The Watcher In The Woods tells the story of the Curtis family: Paul, Helen, and their daughters Jan and Ellie, who move into a home in rural England, while Paul, a musician, works on a project. The house they're staying in is owned by Mrs. Aylwood, a woman whose daughter Karen mysteriously vanished years ago. Both Jan and Ellie begin to experience strange events, and it appears there's a supernatural presence in the house, as well as the woods nearby. Jan investigates the circumstances behind Karen's disappearance, discovering a decades old secret about the night Karen went missing. Mrs. Aylwood warns Jan not to look too deeply into the past, but she persists, working with Karen's friends to recreate the events of that fateful night, which leads to a surprising revelation about the missing girl.

The cast includes Carroll Baker, David McCallum, Ian Bannen, Kyle Richards as Ellie and Bette Davis as Mrs. Aylwood. Lynn Holly-Johnson, a former figure skater who had scored a hit with the romantic drama Ice Castles (and would later be featured in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only) stars as Jan. She gives a good performance in the role, projecting the right balance between the character's wide-eyed innocence and Nancy Drew style determination to find out the truth about what happened to Karen, but it's the veteran performers like Davis, Bannen and Baker who provide the film with some old fashioned star power. The movie has an offbeat tone and some eerie atmosphere, courtesy of director John Hough, who had previously helmed the well-received haunted house tale The Legend of Hell House.

Based on the cast and the behind the scenes personnel, it seemed like The Watcher In The Woods would be a big hit...but there was trouble afoot in these woods. The script for the film went through several revisions, with the original version penned by Brian Clemens (a veteran of the British TV series The Avengers, and films like Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter) reportedly rejected as too intense for the film's intended young adult audience. The studio hired Rosemary Anne Sisson, and later Gerry Day, to rework the screenplay. During production, Ron Miller, who was the CEO of Disney at the time, clashed with director Hough and the crew, advising them to dial back the intensity of some of the more frightening scenes in the film.

When the movie premiered in April 1980, both audiences and critics were underwhelmed by the ending of the film, which many viewers felt provided an abrupt and incomplete conclusion to the suspenseful story. The climax of the movie shown during the initial release of the film included some effects work that had been rushed in order to get it completed on time. Due to the negative response to the film, Disney actually pulled it from theaters, and had special effects wizard Harrison Ellenshaw develop a new ending. The studio also hired director Vincent McEveety to shoot several new scenes for the movie, and the eerie original opening sequence was cut from the film.

The Watcher In The Woods was re-released in October 1981, and was marketed by Disney as an intense thriller that would have you spending "ninety minutes on the edge of your seat." The new version of the film was only moderately successful, and along with other highly touted Disney productions like The Black Hole, didn't live up to the studio's box-office expectations. For many years, the movie was hard to see, as it was rarely screened on TV, and after an initial release on VHS in the 1980s, was unavailable until some recent DVD and Blu-ray re-issues. In 2017, there was a new (non-Disney) remake of the film produced for Lifetime Television, starring Anjelica Huston, and directed by Melissa Joan Hart.

Part of the problem with the film is that it's never sure whether it wants to be an old school supernatural thriller or a science-fiction tale, as the plot features elements of both genres. This is especially evident in the original ending for the film, which is available for viewing on the DVD and Blu-ray editions. I think it's an interesting movie, which is worth a look for Disney fans, as well as genre devotees who are curious about the studio's attempts to try something different when they were primarily releasing family fare in theaters. While the The Watcher In The Woods isn't available for streaming on Disney+, you can find DVD and Blu-ray releases of the film online, and there are some YouTube videos of the various endings. Here's a look at the trailer for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DFacqQp8uw.

Marc Platt's "No AI: Plattinum Approved"

Here at Eclectic Avenue, I've regularly covered the exceptional music of singer-songwriter Marc Platt. He consistently knocks it out of the park on his stellar albums; his previous work includes such terrific releases as Colors of the Universe, That Mid-Life Crisis, and The Golden Ticket. Following the excellent Runaway Train, which was issued earlier this year, his latest album, No AI: Plattinum Approved, is yet another impressive record.

Platt's music is reflective, thought-provoking and powerful. As listeners, the insightful lyrics of "No Way To Live" "Dark Clouds," and "Sad Thought of Being Alone," allow us to both connect with and empathize with Marc as a person, and an artist. We've all experienced feelings of love, loss, joy and sadness, and I think you'll deeply feel the soul-baring emotion inherent in songs like "It's Father's Day Again" and "Those Shades of Grey."

The production (also by Platt) on No AI: Plattinum Approved is low-key, which is a perfect fit for these poignant, folk-inflected songs, from the austere "The Giving" to the contemplative "Sad About A Girl." Speaking of folk, the album also includes a cover of "Very Last Day," a tune composed by Paul Stookey, originally recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary, and later covered by none other than The Hollies. Platt's top-notch version of this remarkable song deftly illustrates his fondness for 1960s pop, rock and folk.

No AI: Plattinum Approved is a fantastic record, featuring Platt's masterful, acoustic flavored guitar work, emotion-infused vocals, and superb songwriting. It's an album that will definitely grow on you with subsequent spins. I think it will quickly become one of your favorites. You should definitely visit https://marcplatt.bandcamp.com/album/no-ai-plattinum-approved, to check out and purchase the album. You'll also find several of his previous releases at bandcamp as well. I highly recommend taking a deep dive into the wonderful music of Marc Platt.

Sutliff's Shimmering "Only Ghosts Remain"

Power pop fans are absolutely passionate about the artists they love. If you ask a dyed in the wool power pop loyalist to rattle off some of their favorites, you'll probably get answers that include the likes of the Raspberries, Big Star, Jellyfish, Shoes, The Rubinoos, and a host of others. One of the shining lights of the Southern power pop movement was Bobby Sutliff, who co-founded (with Tim Lee) cult favorites The Windbreakers, a Mississippi based band that released several well-regarded albums during the 1980s and 1990s, with the help of such luminaries as producer Mitch Easter and guest star Richard Barone, of Bongos fame. Bobby also released several solo projects, including the remarkable Perfect Dream (2003).

Sadly, Bobby passed away last year. To commemorate his musical legacy, JEM Records is releasing a special edition of one of Sutliff's finest albums, 1987's Only Ghosts Remain. This special edition, entitled Only Ghosts Remain Plus, will include all 11 tracks from the original disc, as well as 11 bonus tracks from throughout his career, selected by Bobby's family and friends. Produced by power pop luminary Mitch Easter, Only Ghosts Remain is full of melodic, introspective songs that will not only get stuck in your head, but will make you smile, touch your heart and have your reflecting on your own brushes with the ups and downs of life and the often thorny pathways of love.

Bobby's phenomenal guitar work, excellent vocals and sharp lyrical gifts shine through on emotionally resonant tracks such as "Second Choice," "Couldn't Help Myself" and "Same Way Tomorrow." Only Ghosts Remain Plus will delight, astound and thrill power pop fans. In it's original form, Only Ghosts Remain is simply one of the best power pop releases of the 1980s. But the Plus on this fantastic re-issue is the sensational bonus tracks, which include songs from several of Bobby's other solo albums, including Perfect Dream, On A Ladder and Bitter Fruit. These extraordinary tunes include "Change The Way," "The Color of Your Eyes" and "One Way Ticket."

If you're a fan of Bobby's work, these remarkable songs will remind you why he's beloved by power pop fans and fellow musicians alike. If you're new to Bobby's music, listening to the shimmering melodies of Only Ghosts Remain Plus will hopefully inspire you to check out his oeuvre with The Windbreakers, and the rest of his solo catalog. Only Ghosts Remain Plus will be released on September 22nd on JEM Records. Here are links to "Same Way Tomorrow" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kwm0fovT-g, and "Couldn't Help Myself" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtSG8EZvauU. Kudos to JEM Records for keeping Bobby's work alive in the hearts and minds of the power pop faithful, and hopefully introducing his work to a new generation of fans.