The Dark Corner

The Dark Corner
1946 - 20th Century Fox
Directed By Henry Hathaway



SYNOPSIS

Bradford Galt (Mark Stevens) is a detective who was recently released from prison for manslaughter... framed by his former partner Jardine (Kurt Kreuger.) He relocated to New York City from San Fransisco and hired a secretary (Lucille Ball) who fancies him. They spot a man (William Bendix) following them and Galt suspects his old partner of hiring the tail. Soon Jardine turns up dead in Galt's apartment and when Galt and his secretary lean the identity of the tail... he turns up dead too. Galt has only one small clue as to who is trying to frame him.



MY THOUGHTS

A great little film noir, The Dark Corner should be put in the center of the room so it can be enjoyed by more people.

Great performances by the leads make the film stand out.
Mark Stevens is tough and ballsy like any true film noir hero. His character is more sympathetic than your usual noir detective like Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe. The fact he was framed, sent to prison, and is now back trying to lead life as a law-abiding citizen... coupled with his romance, make him easy to root for.

Though she has a few funny lines, Lucille Ball proves herself as an excellent dramatic actress. She pulls off the tough but romantic secretary very well (very un-Lucy like.) It's a shame she didn't play more roles like this. She seems to be equally adept with drama as she was with comedy.
The strong relationship between the characters is one of the rarer elements that separate it from the usual noir... and it's one of the best-handled parts of the story.

Director Henry Hathaway delivered greats in the noir style like Niagara, The House On 92nd Street, and Call Northside 777. But The Dark Corner fits the noir label the best.
The cinematography is pure noir... striking and full of deep shadows and dark places. Noir rarely looked better. There are many great views of New York as well.

The dialogue is snappy and has many great lines:
Bradford Galt: "I can be framed easier than "Whistler's Mother"."

Plot-wise the film is fairly predictable (and somehow also a bit confusing at the same time!) but the direction, cinematography and performances make up for it. The Dark Corner doesn't stand as one of the very best of the bunch... but it's pretty damn close.

Dead Snow

Dead Snow
2009 - Norway
Directed By Tommy Wirkola



SYNOPSIS

A group of seven friends on Easter break from med school head to a remote cabin deep in the Norwegian wilderness. Unbeknownst to them, the area used to be a major Nazi stronghold. The Nazis remain all these years later... as zombies!



MY THOUGHTS

It's always fascinating to see how people from a different culture handle a very familiar story archetype... in this case the standard slasher horror film where a group of teens encounters an evil that picks them off one by one. The film's plot echos The Evil Dead (it's even name-dropped in the film) Nightmare On Elm Street and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre among other classic American horror films.

Dead Snow adheres to many modern Hollywood horror cliches.... heavy metal music (though sung in Norwegian...) several cheap scares (not involving the villains...) a stranger with the back story to set up the film... the slutty chick is the first of the group to go... etc. The film uses these cliches to poke fun (and pay homage) at the genre in far more subtle ways than Scream and its sequels did.

The film isn't all jokes though.. the humor is always there but takes a backseat to the suspenseful and scary scenes to create an excellent sense of realism. Director Tommy Wirkola creates the perfect sense of dread that fill the film, even when we're seeing the most absolutely beautiful scenery.

Like all the great zombie films, Dead Snow delivers with a ton of gore. Heads are torn apart, bodies are eviscerated, zombies meet chainsaws... and the blades of a snow-blower engine.
The makeup is outstanding and realistic and would fit in perfectly in a George Romero zombie film.
Much of the goriest gore is done during nighttime scenes, which keep everything dark and keeps the effects from possibly being less hokey-looking. It's far more horrific keeping those scenes partially in the shadows.

The characters were far more fleshed-out and seem more like real people than in your average horror film. There's no 'jock,' 'nerd,' 'slut,' 'girl-next-door-type,''weirdo,' 'stoner' and the other flat characterizations that flood other films in the genre.

Any fan of zombie movies should definitely seek this one out... it's one of the best and is a blast.

The Street With No Name

The Street With No Name
1948 - 20th Century Fox
Directed By William Keighley



SYNOPSIS

After a mysterious gang in Center City kills 2 innocent people on a crime spree, The FBI Inspector (Lloyd Nolan) sends in Agent Gene Cordell (Mark Stevens) to find and infiltrate the gang. Cordell becomes 'George Manly' and gets in with the gang led by Stiles (Richard Widmark.) Stiles' contact in the police tells him the FBI and police know of the gang's upcoming robbery. The gangster soon suspects someone in his group and soon he finds evidence pointing to George Manly.



MY THOUGHTS

It feels like I've seen this somewhere before...

The Street With No Name's first act is practically identical to the wartime film noir The House on 92nd Street (read my review by clicking here.)
We're told from the onset that what we will see is based on real events in FBI case-files. A montage of actual FBI agents and workers follows with a narrator giving the film a documentary feel. We're then introduced to the central problem of the story... a gang that's threatening public safety. Lloyd Nolan appears as Inspector Briggs and selects an new promising agent to infiltrate said gang.

This is exactly what happens in both films.... but from there the stories diverge. 92nd Street dealt with saboteurs trying to get atomic bomb secrets, while The Street With No Name deals with the same common hoods that were a problem before the war. But, the hero in both films faces very similar problems in fitting in with his new 'friends' and finding out how to save the day.

This story archetype is very limited. Having seen this plot used countless times on TV and in film (especially in many James Bond subplots,) we know the agent will be found out at some point. He also will be uncertain when he's forced to break the law while playing his alter-ego.

There's only two ways you can make a well-worn plot stand out - it's got to look great and have great performances.

The direction from William Keighley is outstanding. He brings the story a fast pace and real suspense. When Cordell/Manly secretly investigates the gang's weapon's stash and Stiles shows up... it's a very tense escape through the shadows. The final robbery, after Stiles learns Cordell/Manly is in the FBI, is filled with even more tension and dread.
Keighley fills the screen with some of the screen's best noir photography. Many rooms are cluttered and dark, creating many shadows that are very visually appealing and create a great atmosphere for the film.

The actors also brought their 'A-game.'
Richard Widmark was coming off his film debut in Kiss Of Death which netted him an Oscar nomination. He played an insane homicidal gangster thug. Widmark plays a remarkably similar character here, though Stiles is more refined, a leader and not as certifiably crazy. He carried both roles with such a charismatic sense of cool and evil that he's great to watch and practically steals every scene he's in.

He's a sharp contrast to Mark Stevens. Stevens, as a young responsible upstanding FBI agent, plays the man wooden, like the by-the-book type of character should be. He 'loosens his tie' a bit when becoming George Manly (whatta name!) and develops more of a sharper wit and swagger.

The rest of the gang seems to be more realistic than you're average background gangster characters. They're usually either square-jawed thugs who look gruff and grumble when they talk... or goofy Damon Runyan-types (a la Guys And Dolls.) These gangsters seem to split the difference and seem like real people.

The script gives Lloyd Nolan less to do here than in The House On 92nd Street. He appears only briefly, in a role similar to M in a James Bond film.

The film does lack the female touch. Stiles' punching bag of a girlfriend is the only woman in the cast. The absence of women is unusual for noir.

Still, The Street With No Name is able to overcome that and the stale plot to become a suspenseful and entertaining film noir.

Blu-Ray: The Wizard Of Oz

The Wizard Of Oz
1939 - MGM
Directed By Victor Fleming



Blu-Ray Review

There are very few films out there that you're safe to say that everyone's seen... but The Wizard Of Oz is one of them. On Blu-Ray it's a completely new experience!

(Like with my recent reviews of North By Northwest and Gone With The Wind, I will toss aside any critical analysis of the film itself and focus on it's recent hi-def upgrade... this being the 3-Disc Emerald Edition of the film.)

When the film switched from its sepia-toned black and white to it's full Technicolor Oz, my jaw dropped. The colors are more vibrant than ever (and the film never looked bad in the first place.)

The 1080p transfer reveals many new details.

Watching when I was younger, I always though the Scarecrow's face makeup was particularly weak. The makeup people did a poor job matching his face to the burlap sack around his neck.
I was amazed to find on blu-ray that the makeup people actually did an outstanding and very detailed job. They completely replicated the burlap texture... just the audience wasn't able to see it in the previous lower-quality television and DVD transfers.
Heck, you can also see some of the Cowardly Lion's makeup lines and parts where some of the latex had started to peel away from his face!

The new clarity reveals the stunning detail in costumes and sets, especially in the crowd scenes in Muchkinland and in the Emerald City.

The special effects remain solid and benefit from the the transfer, especially the tornado and the wizard's floating head.

The audio was remastered for the previous DVD edition and is in Dolby 5.1 and it sounds as good as any modern release.

Disc 1 features the film and several extras.

You can also enjoy the film in new ways with commentary by John Fricke, a film historian, along with some old interview bits with the filmmakers, stars and/or their children. Also included is a sing-along version. The lyrics for the songs pop up as their sung so you can join in.

The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz: The Making Of A Movie Classic - a 1990 TV special detailing the film hosted by Angela Lansbury.

The Art Of Imagination: A Tribute To Oz - Modern filmmakers and actors pay their respects to the film.

Because Of The Wonderful Things It Is: The Legacy Of Oz - The effect of TV on the popularity of the film.

Memories Of Oz -The Munchkins, fans and other cast member's family reminisce in this Turner Classic Movies special.

The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz Storybook - Angela Lansbury reads a truncated and lightly animated version of the story.

Prettier Than Ever: The Restoration Of Oz - I believe this is a carry-over from the previous DVD edition covering the restoration of the film.

2-minute bios detail all of the major supporting cast members (even Toto!) These are narrated by Lansbury and feature clips from other memorable films.

Several audio-only extras include radio show versions of the film, promos, and the actual recording sessions for the songs.

A few outtakes and deleted scenes are included, some appear just in a series of still photos. Angela Lansbury is back, narrating intros to these.

Composer Harold Arlen also took some home movies of the set.

Trailers and still photos round out the disc.

Disc 2 features the brand-new documentary Victor Fleming:Master Craftsman that details the life of the director who not only brought Wizard of Oz, but all-time greats like Gone With The Wind and Captains Courageous.

A 30-minute documentary covers the life of author L. Frank Baum.

Another new documentary shows the Munchkins finally getting their star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2007. Several of the survivors appeared and are interviewed.

7 earlier visits to Oz are included:

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910) - The 14 minute short is the first trip to Oz on the big screen.

His Majesty, The Scarecrow Of Oz (1914) - written and directed by L. Frank Baum. It runs about 1 hour.

The Magical Cloak Of Oz (1914) - 43 mins. - Produced by Baum

The Patchwork Girl Of Oz (1914) - 50 mins. - Produced by Baum. Future film producer Hal Roach played the Cowardly Lion. He met and befriended Harold Lloyd, who appeared in a bit part. Roach formed his studio the following year and made the films that made Lloyd a star.

The Wizard Of Oz (1925) - 80 min.

The Wizard Of Oz (1933) - a short animated version of the story. It featured a black and white Kansas and a Technicolor Oz... but no Cowardly Lion. The animation is not on the same level as Disney or Looney Tunes.

All of these earlier versions, of course, pale in comparison to MGM's masterpiece but they are interesting, especially how they are trying to be ambitious with very little budgets.

The disc also features the 1990 TV movie The Dreamer Of Oz - a biography of L. Frank Baum starring John Ritter. This is the only flaw of the entire set. The film literally looks like they just dubbed over a worn VHS copy. Watching it on an HD television makes it look even worse. It's terrible when a 1910 film has better clarity than one made in 1990!

And to top the whole package off... on Disc 3 you get the outstanding 1992 6-hour documentary miniseries detailing the entire history of MGM called MGM:When The Lion Roars, hosted by Patrick Stewart. It covers the films and the behind-the-scenes politics of the studio. The disc is a standard 'flipper' DVD.

The only word to describe all of these features is exhaustive!

In the DVD era, Warner Brothers (who now owns Oz) set the standard with it's extras-heavy 2-disc special editions of classics. In the Blu-Ray era, they've moved well beyond that and film fans everywhere are reaping the benefits. Hopefully many more films get this deluxe treatment.

This should be a welcomed addition to any movie collection.



Warner's also released an Ultimate Collector's Edition, which includes all of the above plus:
a Limited-edition 70th-anniversary watch
Original 1939 campaign book reproduction
Behind the Curtain of Production 1060: 52-page commemorative book
Replica of original movie budget

The Sea Hawk

The Sea Hawk
1940 - Warner Brothers
Directed By Michael Curtiz



SYNOPSIS

Swashbuckling English pirate Geoffrey Thorpe (Errol Flynn) sinks a ship carrying the new Spanish ambassador (Claude Rains) to England. He delivers the man and his niece (Brenda Marshall) to Queen Elizabeth (Flora Robson.) She sends Thorpe on a secret mission to learn of the armada the Spanish are building. There are traitors in her ranks... and Thorpe and his men are ambushed in Panama and enslaved in the galleys of the Spanish ships.



MY THOUGHTS

Director Michael Curtiz and star Errol Flynn team up for the last time and deliver a truly epic finale to their collaboration.
The Sea Hawk is a little bit of Captain Blood, The Adventures Of Robin Hood, and The Private Lives Of Elisabeth and Essex and their other films all rolled into one.

Much of the plot is an allegory of World War II, which had already erupted in Europe. Here, the Spanish stand in for Hitler and the Axis powers. The Sea Hawk is not very subtle about it.
Especially Elizabeth's final speech:

"And now, my loyal subjects, a grave duty confronts us all: To prepare our nation for a war that none of us wants, least of all your queen. We have tried by all means in our power to avert this war. We have no quarrel with the people of Spain or of any other country; but when the ruthless ambition of a man threatens to engulf the world, it becomes the solemn obligation of all free men to affirm that the earth belongs not to any one man, but to all men, and that freedom is the deed and title to the soil on which we exist. Firm in this faith, we shall now make ready to meet the great armada that Philip sends against us. To this end, I pledge you ships - ships worthy of our seamen - a mighty fleet, hewn out of the forests of England; a navy foremost in the world - not only in our time, but for generations to come."

When FDR called the heads of the studios to Washington a few years before this film, he asked them to make films that would help prepare the American populace for the eventual war. Most of the studios balked at the idea, but Warner Brothers obliged. Confessions of a Nazi Spy was one the first (and one of the most overt) in this cycle of films. Films set in World War I and in earlier times like The Sea Hawk helped to fulfill the studio's duty to FDR.

Errol Flynn gives his most dashing, swashbuckling performance here with sharp wit and excellent swordsmanship. This film would be the perfect introduction to the actor and his unique screen presence.

The film drags in many spots, especially when the love story comes front and center.
This time around, Brenda Marshall is Flynn's girl. She's no Olivia de Havilland. She's not very likable, but not bad.

Every fight scene in the film (and there are many) is exciting and even thrilling. There are so many actors present in them that it must have been a pain to stage it all, but they all turned out amazing in the end.
Those battles wouldn't have been nearly exciting with out the music by Erich Korngold. He did the memorable music for all of Flynn's swashbuckler adventures, and this is his best. I imagine hearing this music apart from the film would still make me want to grab a sword and do battle.

The Sea Hawk's rousing action scenes and the performance by Errol Flynn definitely lift this far above the average Hollywood action film of any decade.

Going My Way

Going My Way
1944 - Paramount Pictures
Directed By Leo McCarey



SYNOPSIS

Young Father O'Malley (Bing Crosby) joins the parish of Father Fitzgibbon (Barry Fitzgerald,) which is in dire financial straits, with the hope of turning it around. He begins by reigning in the wild boys of the neighborhood and forming a choir. O'Malley begins bringing in money and wins over the older Fitzgibbon... before a fire threatens everything!



MY THOUGHTS

A seemingly unlikely choice to win a Best Picture Oscar... Going My Way is a light-hearted comedy with a lot of heart. It lacks an overdose of sentimentality that could easily turn it into schmaltz.

Bing Crosby won an Oscar for Best Actor and is clearly the best part about the film. He plays a religious figure without being too churchy or bland. He's practically hip (at least for 1944.) O'Malley easily captures the hearts and minds of the street kids (led by Stanley Clements and Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer) and ropes them into singing.

Fitzgerald is the more square 'churchy' figure. He's provides great and believable contrast to O'Malley and also captured the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the role.

The film, made at the height of World War II, offered a great escape from the war. Though the war could not be forgotten, even in this film... the son of the church's mortgage owner heads to war after marrying a friend of O'Malley.

A running gag early in the film has Fitzgibbon repeatedly asking O'Malley why he joined the church. This is never answered. With O'Malley's terrific singing voice, it's a wonder why he opted for the church and didn't become a great singer. But it is his songs that ultimately save the church... so maybe, divine intervention?

The film is perhaps a little long and moves at a slower pace, but this doesn't interfere with its breezy and light feel.

Going My Way remains a fun film to watch, despite its 'old fashioned-ness.'

Around The World In 80 Days

Around The World In 80 Days
1956 - Warner Brothers
Directed By Michael Anderson



SYNOPSIS

Phileas Fogg (David Niven) makes a bet with colleagues and sets out on a trip to prove he can go around the world in 80 days.



MY THOUGHTS

It's considered by many to be the 'least worthy' film to ever capture a Best Picture Oscar... and it lives up to its reputation.
Somehow, academy voters decided this film was superior to fellow nominees The King And I, The Ten Commandments, Friendly Persuasion and Giant. I certainly don't see it. Time has aged those films like fine wine, while Around The World In 80 Days has turned to vinegar.

This dull trip around the world works more as a travelogue than a fictional film. In each stop along the way, we're treated to stereotypical local customs (i.e. in Spain - flamenco dancing, in India - human sacrifice.) It's a superficial way to pad a bare-bones plot and gets tedious, especially with its 3+ hour run time.
The film was actually shot in more than a dozen countries and practically every bit part in the film was played by well-known actors (Charles Boyer, Frank Sinatra, Buster Keaton, Peter Lorre, George Raft, Marlene Dietrich, and the list goes on and on and on.) In fact, the producer coined the term 'cameo role' during production.
The screen is also packed with hundreds or thousands of extras whenever possible. Amazing cinematography and sweeping music add to the sparkle. But, it's all epic flash and spectacle, and no substance.

The film begins with an extremely dry introduction by Edward R. Murrow while clips of the classic 1902 George Melies film A Trip To The Moon are shown. It was the first film to adapt a Jules Verne story. From the onset we're told we're watching a film, which causes a detachment from the rest of the proceedings. So much for getting us caught up in the narrative!

Once the story starts up, we are never given a reason to root for Fogg or even care one way or the other if he and his assistant make it.

David Niven plays the character very stiff-upper-lip British, so he's very bland and not very likable.

Despite the 3+ hour run time, much of the story is glossed over. We spend 30 minutes in Spain (much of it with flamenco dancing and a tedious bullfight,) then Fogg goes from Spain to France, then all the way to Egypt in a blink of an eye.
Later, Fogg apparently gets arrested in India after saving a princess (noted Indian actress Shirley MacLaine) from a sacrifice. We see the rescue, but none of the arrest + aftermath. It's alluded to by Fogg's cohorts back in England but never referenced by Fogg and his group so it may have never happened. The audience is left in the dark.

The film drags on and on. Much of the run time is devoted to the main actors watching the scenery. The film feels like you've been watching for 80 days.