Welcome to the 101st Edition of my blog. Right now I am 5-1 in Fantasy Football and I must face my toughest competition yet. I must take on the 5-1 Super Troopers led by Jeff, who I don't know. He is 3 and I am 4 so if I win, I will move up and if I lose I will drop down some so may the best man win and hopefully that is me. Frankenstein is going very well, I had performances last Thursday and Friday and I have two more next weekend on the 27th and 28th which is Saturday and Sunday. Now for a small announcement. I am going to do my own little contest. My contest is for how many movies you have seen that I feature each week. This week's installment is the first week of this experimental contest. I will announce a weekly winner and an accumulative winner every four weeks, thereafter starting over after that. You must leave a comment on my blog and mention how many you have seen. You will have until the next installment I release. If there is a tie, I have a tie-breaker method that will just come into play if it happens. For it to count, I want the number and your thoughts on at least two of my movies if you have seen more than two. If all I see is "10", then it doesn't count. There are no prizes but a litttle pride and no one needs to sign up, just put them down and I will keep records. Now for what you came to see...
Mirrormask (2005): I found this fantasy on HBO On-Demand. This independent film is almost a pre-PAN'S LABYRINTH, though I couldn't get into this one as much but I still had a fun time with it. Stephanie Leonidas plays a young teen named Helena whose family is part of a circus and a world she really does not always want to be a part of. Her mother falls ill and starts blaming herself which takes her into a strange dreamworld where she must find the mirrormask to save the White Queen and get back into the real world. However, the more she is in this world, the more she wonders about the line between illusion and reality. Jim Henson productions provide us with all the interesting characters in the dreamworld.
Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (1992): This Disney film is a little more unknown than some. I came across this movie in looking for something with Tim Curry for the Horror Movie Marathon contest and this movie would probably be eligible anyways due to the use of fairies. This movie takes place in a magical rainforest of the title name. Tim Curry provides the villain of this film named Hexxus, who is freed by man and symbolizes all the polutants of this world and tries to drive these men into destroying the rainforest. Samantha Mathis provides the voice for Crysta, a free-spirited fairy shut off from the horrors of the world. She believes she is saving a human named Zac, from a monster, not knowing he works for this company and she shrinks him. Zac then realizes that his job is doing more harm than good. Christian Slater provides the voice for a masculine male fairy. Robin Williams is funny as Batty Coda and the legendary stoners Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong also provide voices. This is a children's movie with an ecological message.
A Fish Called Wanda (1988): Here I was wanting a loophole in the horror contest and one name for "Does not have to be horror" included Jamie Lee Curtis who stars in this movie as the title character who teams up with her lover, posing as her brother, Otto, played hilariously by Kevin Kline. They are an American couple in Britain, teaming up in an armed robbery with two Brits, George, played by Tom Georgeson and Ken, a fish lover played by Monty Python alum Michael Palin. Other Monty Python alum John Cleese stars as George's attorney who forms a relationship with Wanda. As you might guess Wanda, Otto, George and Ken have a little tough time getting along and don't really trust each other in the heist. This is a great comedy with a cast that works very well together.
Ju-on: The Grudge (2003): Don't worry, I don't leave horror out altogether from the Horror Movie Marathon. This is Takashi Shimizu's film based on his own American Remake. When a social worker visits a house, she finds that mysterious spirits reside in the home and affects anyone who enters the home. This was a pretty creepy film, it is rather episodic, taking a look at each character residing in the home. Certainly not my favorite but a Horror movie buff, which I'm not, should really love this one.
La Haine (1995): I saw this movie at the Co-Op film festival so I decided to include this even though it does not fit on the Horror Movie Marathon. This is a French movie which takes a look at three local hoodlums and their difficulties in the ghetto. I'm aware that this was very controversial in France, though even France has its bad part of town. This is more of a character study than anything with characters who are pretty unlikable but still compelling.
The Mole People (1956): I now take a look into a b-film where a group of archaeologists discover a world of a mutanted humans under a glacier who for some reason have a bunch of slaves of humanoid mole men. They also have a bunch of women slaves in their cheavanistic (spelling) society. The humans then look for a way out. This is actually quite entertaining with an ending I didn't really expect. It is good for what it is, a cheesy sci-fi film with LEAVE IT TO BEAVER alum Hugh Beaumont.
Barabbas (1961): I wanted a loophole in the Horror contest for Jack Palance and found this religious epic in this fictional account of the man set free when Pontius Pilate who asks his people who they want set free between Barabbas, played very well by Anthony Quinn, and Jesus Christ. Well, I think we can guess who gets sent free here. Barabbas, a thief and bandit, finds himself free and tries to reconnect with his former lover Rachel whose beliefs in Christ get her stoned to death. He then returns to his life of crime in a guilty concious on why he lived and not Christ. He then gets sent to work on a sulfer mine and is then recruited for gladiator school where he looks to earn his freedom. Jack Palance plays a veteran gladiator who Barabbas finds himself at odds with. This person comes from a passage in the bible and is an interesting account of what might have happened to this person in the bible we really have no background about.
Service With a Smile (1934): This is my short for the week which stars Leon Errol in this early Vitaphone short when Technicolor was becoming big. Here he stars as a gas station owner who learns his gas station burned down and when he is informed of his insurance, he takes full advantage making his new station into a state-of-the-art gas station including things like a golf course, chorus girls waiting on customers, and features really nice cars from that era. I like the idea of going to the theater and what you pay gets you some nice entertaining short films instead of these previews and anymore commercials. If you find this, which i found it on TCM, you an in for an entertaining 17 minutes.
The Climax (1944): I wanted to find a Boris Karloff film where he plays someone human and this was perfect. In this variation of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, Karloff stars as theater physician Dr. Hohner whose jealousy drives him to murder of the soprano of the theater. Ten years later, his actions come to haunt him when a new soprano whose voice strongly resembles that of the woman he murdered and does what he can to prevent her from singing. This was a pretty suspenseful film showcasing a legend in Karloff.
Dracula (1931): I featured Boris, now I feature his so-called rival Bela Legosi who introduced many people to the most famous vampire. This is a role that he originated on the stage. When Universal films came calling, first they wanted Lon Chaney but unfortunately he died right before filming so Bela got the call to play the vampire in the famous Bram Stoker novel. What I liked about this was the beginning, giving a small background story of Boris Renfield and how he became such a loon. Dracula takes a liking to Mina Harker. Dwight Frye was good as Renfield. As much as I like this version, personally I feel that the version many years later from Francis Ford Coppola was more complex which could get me bit by some people for that comment. However, I understand money was tight then to do a full-fledged version of the novel. When it was all said and done, Legosi pretty much got type cast, still playing some pretty good roles at times, but also pretty bad ones. His drug problems probably did not help him much either most likely making Karloff easier to work with but Bela has his own image and should be respected.
Well, that is it for this week. Now I go into the Horror Movie Madness marathon where I may very well have the most non-horror featured so here come some strange choices. Remember, I rate with 6's though I'm not good with ratings.
Film
Witchboard (2005): This was the Japanese horror film I featured in my recommendations last week but not here so it is still eligible. There is a lot better Japanese horror out there but this is tolerable. 66
Music of the Heart (1999): Here is one of the many loopholes I have found finding Wes Craven in an extreme abandonment of his usual genre. This movie focused on school music programs and the only cutting here comes the budget for Roberta's violin class. This was featured last monday on my recommendations blog but not through the marathon. 666
Night of the Living Dead (1968): This is the last of the movies from my recommendations last Monday. Romero directed this ground-breaking Zombie film proving low-budget can go a long way if used correctly. 666 1/2
Mirrormask (2005): See the description above. It does not rank in my favorite films and quite frankly I found PAN'S LABYRINTH to be a far better story and easier to follow but this movie still has its moments and good special effects from Henson's crew who keep his name alive. 66 1/2
Ferngully: The Last Rainforest (1992): Description is above and counts here due to Tim Curry and the many fairies featured. Pretty good Disney animation. 666
A Fish Called Wanda (1988): Another movie showing the crook in me to avoid too much horror by finding one of many eligible titles as long as Jamie Lee Curtis is featured. This one is for laughs and a little comical violence. 666 1/2
Ju-On: The Grudge (2003): Description is above, pretty creepy Japanese film with a scary ghost. 666
The Mole People (1956): Harmless B-Movie Sci-Fi classic with some strange looking creatures who never really got a name except I guess the title. 666
Barabbas (1961): I'm sure I have Horror Movie buffs going crazy at the lack of horror I use for this marathon but oh well, I still want my diversity for the recommendations. 666 1/2
The Climax (1944): Good classic Karloff with description above. 666
The Fearless Vampire Killers Or: Pardon Me But Your Teeth are in My Neck (1967): I was going to include this as a recommendations but I learned that the female star in this movie, Sharon Tate, was an extra in BARABBAS so I decided not to feature this one in the recommendations section yet, maybe sometime in the future. This was a spoof to vampire movies directed by Roman Polanski who also co-starred as Alfred, one of the vampire hunters who must deal with Count Von Krolock, played by Ferdy Maine. Alfred then takes a liking to Sarah, played by Sharon Tate, but then the Count takes a more sinister liking. Unfortunately, most people who know of Sharon Tate only know her because she was murdered by Charles Manson's women. They ended what could have been a great career and a life. 666
Dracula (1931): The description is above to this Tod Browning film. One day, I will pursue the Christopher Lee version of the film and not the one I saw at a store for $1. 666 1/2
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935): This is probably my favorite adaptation of the Mary Shelley classic. Colin Clive and Boris Karloff both reprise their respective roles. My only issue is the name change from Victor to Henry. This time Dr. Frankenstein is blackmailed by a more devious doctor into making the creature a mate. In the meantime, the creature finally finds some peace with an old blind man who has lived alone for years and befriends the creature but his peace is kept way short. Elsa Lanchester plays the bride though she is credited as ?, the same way Boris Karloff was in the first FRANKENSTEIN. However Elsa Lanchester is credited as to playing Mary Shelley in the beginning. Dwight Frye played Fritz in the first FRANKENSTEIN, here he plays Karl who is quite similar to that character. The big notable things of that era were that the Creature spoke and the trailor made it a mystery as to what the bride looked like which I'm sure was a very anticipated thing at the time. 6666
The 39 Steps (1935): I decided to look into some unseen Hitchcock when I found this on the Encore networks. This is probably the best of his early films in my opinion. Robert Donat stars as a murder suspect who tries to elude the police to prove his innocence. He learns of a spy ring and assumes many identities to expose it and even becomes handcuffed to the woman who betrayed him. We see a lot of great Hitchcock elements here about the mistaken identity theme popular with Hitch. 666
Television
Reaper: I have really gotten into this show a lot and see great things. Ray Wise is great as the Devil. 666 1/2
Pat No Pay, Blackened Sponge: Here Spongebob gets a black eye for being stupid but makes up an enemy who turns out to be real.
Nature Pants, Opposite Day: Spongebob becomes reallys stressed and decides to join the jellyfish.
Aztec Rat Race: Jackie, Jade, Uncle, El Toro and Paco track the talisman power of the Rat (reanimation) to Mexico. Finding the rat in an acient Aztec temple, El Toro accidently causes the rat's powers to accidently bringing a statue of the God Quetzalcoatl to 'life'. God Q mistakes Jade for the Goddess Chiuacoatl. In attempting to save Jade, El Toro is mistaken by God Q for Xoloti who takes souls to the underworld. God Q captures out heros on the outskirts of a nearby village. Daolon arrives to take the rat for himself. Jade manages to change the marking on Daolon's forehead to resemble that of Xolotl and convinces God Q that Daolon is the real enemy, not El Toro. Grabbing the rat from Daolon, Jade runs into the village and animates the Super Moose plush toys being sold there. The Super Mooses free Jackie and the others. God Q defeate Daolon and learn how he was brought to life, and agrees to be returned to a statute. Clancy does the voice for Super Moose in this episode
Twilight Zone: Now here is a more conventional show for this contest. 666 1/2
Piano in the House: A theater critic obtains a self-played piano which brings out the other side of other people being bad or good.
The Last Rights of Jeff Myrtlebank: Here the title character is having a funeral and rises up much to the surprise of everyone else and must adjust when people become suspicious.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: I found this DVD of the second season at the library of the television series done by the "Master of Suspense" and always doing the "Good Evening" pre-talk before the the half hour episodes. 666
Wet Saturday (1956): A vulnerable man is pinned with a murder he did not commit.
Moonlight (2007): I'm really getting into this show a lot, due to the main character. 666 1/2
Fever: Mick is protecting a witness but the burning desert sun affects his abilities to heal prompting Beth to rush to his aide.
Biography: Boris Karloff (1995): If you don't want to count this I will understand. I'm not usually interested in this show except certain people and this was great which took a look into his theater career that many people don't know about including myself at the time. He played the role of General Kurtz in HEARTS OF DARKNESS 20 years before Marlon Brando made the role famous in APOCALYPSE NOW. He also had a long run as Captain Hook in PETER PAN. It did not leave out his great movie career and even his work in television. 6666
Some of these episode descriptions come from tv.com.
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