trig6 Reviews

The Crimson Cult (1968)

I like Mark Eden in "Crimson Cult"

[27 February 2012]

I saw this movie when I was an adolescent, and I remember it made quite an impression on me Witchcraft movies were the rage in the wake of "Rosemary's Baby." I was fascinated by the subject, and I would get my mother to take me to many of these movies. I loved this movie back then, and after viewing it recently, I still like it. I agree with the consensus on the cult aspects of the movie, the bizarre S/M costumes, atmospheric quality, etc., and all of these aspects, including the trio of horror movie vets, make the movie entertaining.

However, I feel that I should put a word in for Mark Eden. Mr. Eden made quite an impression on me when I first saw the movie, especially in the scence in which he removes his pajama top. I thought he brought a strong, masculine presence to the movie, and I didn't find him bland in any way. I think his performance still holds up, and I am sorry that he did not appear in more movies.

OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006)

break me off a piece of that

[7/10 · 26 May 2008]

Pretty amusing spoof with great attention to detail re: the look of the 1960s spy films and the way the action was staged back then. The fight sequence in the hotel room was a hoot and the casting was perfect with a Peter Lorre lookalike added to the mix of villains. A big plus: Jean Dujardin is hot and the scene in which he is tied up without a shirt was a highlight. Plus his eyebrows deserve some sort of recognition for doing a great job.

Funny aside: the people behind me in the theater kept gasping after every plot twist as if they were watching a 'real' spy thriller.

Before the movie started, a trailer for "Get Smart" was screened. The preview made the movie look embarrassingly bad with lame attempts to incorporate the jokes and gags from the TV series. Looks like a bomb and quite a contrast to the comparatively sublime jokes and gags of OSS 117, though, of course, OSS had its share of misfires. The overall tone of OSS, however, was not an insult to the audience's intelligence, and the material didn't feel as it had been 'dumbed down.' I did get the distinct impression that if I understood the language, I would have caught more of the jokes, and one in particular (the pistol gag) was mishandled in the interpretation for the subtitles.

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

two great westerns; lot o' noms

[8/10 · 23 October 2007]

I saw "The Assassination of Jesse James" yesterday and "3:10" today. Thought I would burn out on the genre doing the back to back. Because they're two different types of westerns, I was not bored but absolutely riveted.

I am calling Peter Fonda and Ben Foster from "3:10" getting noms or awards at the end of the year and Casey Affleck getting the same. Brad Pitt, maybe, but more for Hollywood political reasons because he was excellent. I don't know if this guy has been secretly getting some acting lessons but he's definitely improved in the last 10 years. Instead of thinking "Oh look. Brad Pitt's acting," it's more like "this guy is a great actor." The scene when he apologizes to Casey Affleck is a stunner.

The Best of Everything (1959)

Pink opening credits in Cinemascope

[8/10 · 10 September 2007]

I watched the first few moments on TCM a few years ago but stopped after about 15 minutes. I saw it listed on the schedule at the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto, and I vowed I would make the 40 minute drive. The Stanford is an old fashioned movie house that starts each movie with the curtains still shut Yes, they have curtains. They opened as the Fox logo fanfare began to play. When "The Best of Everything" appeared in huge pink letters spread against the New York City skyline, I knew I was right for waiting.

I lapped this movie up. There were so many little moments that added to the look and feel of the movie: When Hope Lange walks into the publishing office for the first time, the titles of the magazines published there are etched on the glass (The Teenager and Elegance); Joan Crawford's swanky apron that she wore so she could serve her guests at her party without mussing her outfit; the way the camera tilted to indicate how crazy Suzy Parker was becoming (it was almost sideways at one point); how Hope Lange kept living at that dumpy flat she shared with the others even though she obviously was making a lot more money than at the beginning of the film (guess it was too scandalous for a single gal to live alone).

Hope Lange was so beautiful; so was Suzy Parker. And how about Mark Goddard in a non-speaking role. I fell in love with him when I was a kid watching Lost in Space.

Seeing this gem on the big screen prompted me to plan another trek down to the Stanford to see The Old Dark House. Incidentally, I bought a small soda and popcorn at the concession stand, and I was taken aback when the worker asked me for two bucks.