Dead Men Walk (1943).
The Scoop:
This is another of those Poverty Row quickies churned out by the dozen by PRC and other companies in the early 1940s, but this one manages to rise slightly above the crowd, thanks in no small part to some creepy Universal-style touches, and to the performance of George Zucco.
Zucco was the undisputed king of this genre, bringing a gravity and intensity that deserved better than the cheapness that surrounded him. Here, he delivers one of his better performances as twin brothers — one, an upstanding doctor and paragon of civic virtue, and the other, a vampire intent on destroying his brother’s life. These soap opera-style evil twin machinations are grafted onto a thin plot that is way too reminiscent of “Dracula” (complete with the presence of Dwight Frye as a hunchbacked assistant).
Of course, no matter how much the film tries to rise above its origins, that still doesn’t make it a good movie. “Dead Men Walk” is still a turd, but at least it’s a highly-polished turd and, as such, deserves some attention from b-movie fans.
Best Line:
“I don’t blame you for thinking of me as a homocidal maniac, but the truth is even more unbelievable.”
Side Note:
That “grizzled prospector”-looking guy with the unbilled cameo is veteran character actor Al “Fuzzy” St. John, who got his start in dozens of Mack Sennett silent shorts, then went on to practically create the grizzled prospector stereotype as a B-movie Western sidekick to the likes of Lash La Rue, Buster Crabbe and others.
Companion Viewing:
“The Mad Monster” (1942) and “The Corpse Vanishes” (1942).
Links:
IMDb.
Take a Look:
Here’s a taste from the action-packed climax:
If you don’t want the spoilers, the whole movie is available from Internet Moving Image Archive.
Ace in the Hole (1951).
The Scoop:
In this underrated gem (which you may also find under the title “The Big Carnival”), Kirk Douglas is excellent as ambitious big city reporter Charles Tatum who is stuck in a small town newspaper office in New Mexico. Just when he can’t stand the slow pace anymore, a local man becomes trapped in a mine, so Tatum takes charge of the situation and even hinders the rescue effort in an attempt to fan the incident into a major national story and further his own career. Billy Wilder (who directed and co-scripted with Walter Newman and Lesser Samuels) creates a scathing satire of journalistic ambition that plays just as well today as it did more than half a century ago.
Great acting all around, and a prescient look at the dark side of human nature. Unfortunately it was a flop when it was initially released — so much so that Paramount decided to recoup their losses by taking a bigger slice of Wilder’s share of the profits for his next film, the hit “Stalag 17” (1953). But over the years, “Ace in the Hole” has finally earned its reputation as one of Wilder’s masterpieces and its long-awaited DVD release will be finally coming later this year.
Best Line:
“I’ve met a lot of hard-boiled eggs in my time, but you – you’re twenty minutes.”
Side Note:
This is based on an actual 1925 incident in Kentucky, which was also the basis of the novel “The Cave” by Robert Penn Warren.
Companion Viewing:
“Mad City” (1997), which is a very loose remake.
Links:
IMDb.
Take a Look:
Tatum lands himself a job:
Two Girls and a Guy (1997).
The Scoop:
The two women (Heather Graham and Natasha Gregson Wagner) in a love triangle find out about each other and confront their mutual boyfriend (Robert Downey, Jr.), forcing him to be honest for once in his life.
Although writer/director James Toback delivers a very stagey production (the material would work much better as a play than a film), the acting of all three leads is top-notch (even from the often spotty Wagner) and fascinating to watch. In fact, this whole movie is an actor’s dream, offering these three several opportunities to show off their chops — particularly Downey, who is a natural as the weasely prick. Most of the dialogue was improvised and, while it may not offer the most edge-of-your-seat entertainment (although there is a great sex scene), watching this provides a great workshop in the craft of acting, and a few insights into romantic relationships as well.
Best Line:
“Hey Blake, do you want to braid Carla’s hair with me?”
Side Note:
Downey shot this during weekend furloughs while serving one of his many jail stints for drug charges.
Companion Viewing:
“Reservoir Dogs” (1992).
Links:
IMDb.
The official site, which still exists a full decade after the film was released.
Take a Look:
The trailer is available at IMDb.
And here’s a tease from the sex scene:
The Scarlet Letter (1926).
The Scoop:
Even into the 1920s, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s most famous novel was still being censored in many parts of the country, so mounting a film version was no mean feat. Star Lillian Gish was the driving force behind getting this film made, and it was her years of persistence in petitioning studio executives and local morality groups that finally paid off in the release of this film. And she didn’t stop there; she followed through with one of her finest performances of her career. Her interpretation of Hester Prynne is still vivid and moving more than eight decades later.
In addition, this adaptation by writer Frances Marion and director Victor Sjöström boasts gorgeous cinematography and the resotred print from 2000 has a wonderful new score by Lisa Ann Miller and Mark Northam. Forget Demi Moore — Gish’s Hester Prynne is perhaps the definitive screen interpretation of that classic character (particularly during the devestating punishment scene), making this one of the greatest silents ever made. Even Lars Hanson’s occasional overemoting as Arthur Dimmesdale cannot dampen the power of this movie.
Best Line:
“It would be pleasant, sir, to walk beside thee and hear thee condemn me for my sins.”
Side Note:
Before coming to MGM to make this movie, Gish had previously directed “Remodeling Her Husband” (1920), starring her sister Dorothy.
Companion Viewing:
“Greed” (1924).
Links:
IMDb.
Take a Look:
You can stream the whole film from Google Video.
Orgy of the Dead (1965).
The Scoop:
Leave it to the colossally inept Ed Wood to manage to make dancing naked women boring. Even the help of director A.C. Stephens can’t save this entry in the ’60s nudie cycle. The plot: a teenage couple get lost in a cemetery at night and witness a demonic ceremony presided over by Wood regular Criswell. This 10 minutes of plot is padded out by about 80 minutes of dancing “ghouls” (in reality, bad strippers in funny costumes who probably worked really cheap). The video cassette box trumpets this as “a masterpice of erotic horror.” Wrong on all three counts. If you can stay awake through through the long stretches of nothing happening, there are some laugh-worthy moments. Makes “Plan 9 From Outer Space” look polished and watchable by comparison.
Best Line:
“Torture! Torture! It pleases me!”
Side Note:
This is allegedly based on a novel. Or, should I say, it is based on an alleged novel, which is what most of Wood’s work at the time was.
Companion Viewing:
“Kiss Me Quick!” (1964) and “Nude on the Moon” (1961).
Links:
IMDb.
Take a Look:
There’s a modest treasure trove of clips over on YouTube:
1) “And I thought you loved me!”
2) Um… “Action”…?
Desuko Movie Spot. 