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Reviews
A Kiss Before Dying (1956)
His lips are lethal weapons
A Kiss Before Dying, what can I say? Even the title is creepy and suggestive. In this classic 1956 thriller, we learn just how far a greedy, smooth-talking pretty-boy will go to get what he wants. When Bud Corliss, Korean War veteran and college man, learns his lover, Dorie Kingship is expected a child out of wedlock by him, a fatal series of schemes, lies, and murders is set in motion. Why? Because Bud is simply charming sweet, but all-too trusting Dorie in order to get ahead in her father's lucrative copper business by marrying her. Since this happens in the mid-fifties, her pregnancy means the end to his dreams of wealth and prestige. Dorie's cold, strict father would throw them both on their ears. So in order to save his reputation and future, Bud decides to kill Dorie and make it seem like suicide based on shame and guilt over the pregnancy. His plan is clever, simple, and goes perfectly, or so he thinks. He shoves Dorie off the roof of a high building and calmly walks away. However, her sister Ellen has suspicions, and plays amateur detective, indirectly prompting Bud to fake another suicide to silence a witness. Tension builds to a breaking point you'll be shocked by. Is it dated? Yes. Corny? At times. Melodramatic? You had better believe it. But is it worth watching? Extremely. Robert Wagner gives a chilling portrayal of a truly evil young man, and Virginia Leith shines as the relentless bringer of justice for her tragic sister. This is a "Kiss" that will take your breath away.
Fade to Black (1980)
Murdered by the Movies
Fade to Black is a chilling, eerie look into the downward, deadly spiral of loner Eric Binford. At first glance, this seems like a standard slasher: abused loner finally snaps and gets lethal revenge. Looking beyond the surface, it turns out to be a haunting portrayal of abuse, alienation, and escaping from the ugliness of reality through the silver screen. Eric Binford is a lonely film geek who constantly watches, references, and quotes classic films. He lives with his sadistic, wheelchair-bound aunt Stella. Bitter due to Eric being indirectly responsible for her maiming car accident ago, Stella verbally abuses and harasses Eric constantly. The most ugly line she spews is "You're worthless, just like your father!" He then goes to his film company job, with a hard-nose boss. After being stood up and ridiculed by a hooker, Eric snaps. He calmly kills off all those who have treated him like dirt, using real-life movie reenactments. As the film progresses, we see Eric's sanity crack like a cheap mirror as reality gives way to his fatal fantasies. Although corny and low- budget, Dennis Christopher gives the performance of a lifetime and literally knocks them dead. A must-see for psychological horror fans and anyone who like thrillers.
Murder, She Wrote: Final Curtain (1993)
Death steals the show
This episode, in my opinion, is one of the best, if not the best of the Murder,She Wrote series. The performances are excellent, especially Robert Donat as David North. The lines are pitch-perfect creating a brooding, haunted atmosphere which heightens the pathos of North's comeback and inner demons. A play starring the great stage actor David North is being done in Cabot Cove. However, an obsessed fan, money squabbles, and the appearance of David's former manager, Eric Benderson, threaten to ruin the production before it begins. When Benderson is found assaulted backstage and later dies, everyone blames it on the obsessed fan of David. However, Jessica comes to believe a fatal accident years ago is connected to the murder. With a evocative score, the music also deepens the drama. In addition, this episode stands out for alluding to a possible gay relationship in the past, which was scandalous then and still too edgy for national television in 1993. Watch this episode and see why it might be a perfect episode.
The Violent Years (1956)
Good girls gone melodramatically bad
The Violent Years, one of my favorite Ed Wood films, takes on the toughest problem of the fifties: violent girl gangs! The gang, led by pretty Paula Prentiss, vandalizes, robs, assaults, and kills to get what they want. The dialogue is clunky, the plot ludicrous, the acting wooden, but it is hilarious. What deep, dark trauma caused Paula to take up a life of crime? Her parents don't spend time with her, buy her everything she wants, and write her blanks checks. Her life is truly a "living hell". All this leads Paula to become a vandalizing thief, a sexual predator, and a cold-blooded double killer. Go figure. What is this feminine fiend's explanation of her crimes? Not "They were scum and they deserved what they got.", not "I did it, and I'd do again", but the callous-yet-laughable "So what?". If you want a dark comedy with awkward characters, mixed messages, and a coma-inducing summary, watch this movie.
Teen-Age Strangler (1964)
Now, here's a film that gets a choke-hold on you...
This film is, without a doubt, one of the oddest, campiest, and most enjoyable I have ever come across. It isn't a teen movie, a thriller, or a true crime film, however it tries to be all three at once. Teen-Age Strangler(the title I saw it under on Mystery Science Theater 3000), is one of those films you watch, and say "So this is where that horror/crime cliché came from!" From the creepy janitor, the shower kill covered up by a turned-up rockin' radio, to the lipstick-marked victims, this movie runs like a thriller paint-by-numbers. All this being said, Teen-Age Strangler is a good popcorn film, great for the times you need a good dozen laughs. One thing I found off-putting was the killer's reveal and explanation for their crimes. There was a chance for a great creepy speech dripping with venom, but the actual one sounds vague and tired. Why did he use a stocking as his garrote? What did the lipstick mean? Did he really "touch" that girl years ago? Watch and see if you can guess the truth, and have a killer time doing it!
Psycho (1960)
Hitchcock's thriller masterpiece
As such a famous film, Psycho has stayed in people's awareness for fifty four years for good reason. The haunting score, chilling atmosphere, and grisly murders struck a chord and created the horror genre of film. For 1960, it deals with then-scandalous matters like domestic abuse, voyeurism, and "split personality" very well. Everyone remembers the shower scene, but what has always chilled me is the venomously possessive mother-child relationship. Mrs. Bates berates her son mercilessly, showing a sadistic pleasure in emotionally torturing him. So well before murder rears its fatal head, we knew something evil was happening in that lonely house on the hill. Anthony Perkins plays Norman Bates perfectly as the young man with darkness behind his odd, shy manner. Janet Leigh was excellent as Marian. Yes, this film is as good as they say. If you one horror/psychological thriller film, see this one, the absolute best.
All-American Murder (1991)
College can really burn you up
All-American Murder seems to be your average college slasher/thriller, but it actually is quite entertaining. Sure, the plot is maze like, but that is what mysteries are. This managed to be dark without being suffocated, and sinister without being nasty. As I first watched this, the questions started. Why was the poor girl burned, instead of a quieter, less attention attracting death? Who hated the kid enough to frame him? How did all the blackmail, adultery, and depravity occur at a "good" college? All these were answered if not amazingly, at least well. Rather than leave us hanging, the suspense actually ramps to the climax. Which leads to my final point. The motivation of the killer actually makes sense, in a twisted way. Too many films like this seem to have someone kill for the thrill of it, and since this one doesn't, I give it serious applause. Also, the protagonist actually has some heart, always a plus. See this if you want a good, modern whodunit with a eighties- early nineties feel.
Bright Lights, Big City (1988)
When the party's over
Bright Lights,Big City is one of Michael J. Fox's better dramatic films, in my opinion. Why? Because we gradually see that while his character,Jamie Conway, seems to be holding it together, he is dying on the inside. We start out at last call at a nightclub, where we learn Jamie's wife left him to model in Paris. As time goes on, we see Jamie fall apart, losing his job, dignity, and nearly his sanity in a desperate, hopeless attempt to keep up appearances and fool everyone around him,and himself, into believing everything is alright. The disjointed feel, repetitive flashbacks, and haunted tone of his actions show the viewer that this is a man who seriously needs help to get out of the hell his life has become. Although it might like this was excessive in response to his wife leaving, in the end, we find out what started all this:his mother's long illness and death. She had died a year before, and the drugs, booze, and work fixation had been Jamie's, destructive, way of denying his pain and grief. I will admit this is a hard movie to watch. However, Fox's portrayal of the dark side of the fast lane and self destruction is excellent. As someone who has lost a parent young, I can say it realistically depicts the true damage that grieving can cause, especially when denied for so long. If you want to see Michael J. Fox in a serious movie, watch this.
Prom Night (1980)
Drama, dancing, and death.
Prom Night is one of those few horror films with good motive, and plot. Sure, it can lag, but so can every murder mystery film. Although most would call foul for the lack of blood and gore, I think this actually helps the film. The kills are neat, brutally methodical acts of revenge and malice. The atmosphere is heavy enough to drown in, and the score is moody and creepy, giving the horrible sense that someone vicious waits in the dark... Probably the point that sold me on this film were the sinister phone calls. That hissing, nasty voice sets up tension like nothing else. Although the killer is not some ugly, looming monster, I still found them menacing, but then again, I'd be scared of my grandmother if she stood in a darkened hallway holding an ax and blocking my path. Anyhow, is it a masterpiece? Not in the technical sense, but if you like murder mysteries on the darker side, watch this. It'll be a scream..literally!
When Michael Calls (1972)
Creepy early seventies horror at it's best
This film is the type that truly scares you, because of the unknown factor. Who's the mysterious caller? Is it a prank, a ghost, or something even darker? Of course, having pillars of the community die in ugly ways adds tension. Plus the child's voice is chillingly desperate and surreal, like an angry ghost out for revenge. While there may be darker or more violent movies, few rival this in atmosphere and emotional claustrophobia. Who can our main character trust? Who wants her to suffer? The answer will shock you. Also watch for a excellent performance from a young Michael Douglas. A word to the wise: Watch this with friends, it's too creepy for solo viewing.
The Paper Boy (1994)
Childhood through a warped mind
This film, although intended to be a horror film, instead turns out to be a surprisingly dark and thought-provoking psychological thriller. Johnny McFarley seems like the perfect boy next door, but a closer examination reveals he has a very twisted psyche for a twelve-year-old. I liked this film because it has us feel pity for and be unnerved by Johnny at the same time. Unlike the Good Son, for example, you feel like this is a good kid who simply went through hell and snapped instead of a soulless demon-child portrayal. Although it may not seem scary, it touches the very ugly topics of child abuse and religion used badly well. The only real weak point I saw was the father figure, who could have been omitted entirely for the little he adds to the film. Though not the most bloody or shocking film, it hits all the right notes for a great thriller.