Western Wednesdays: North of Hudson Bay (1923)

I haven't posted in forever as I've been super busy with my new job. Christmas break has allowed me some much appreciated free time so. . .

     North of Hudson Bay was released by the Fox Film Corporation on November 18th, 1923. Directed by John Ford, it stars Tom Mix as Michael Dane, a Canadian man who sets out to join his brother when he strikes gold in the Hudson Bay. It is one of two Tom Mix films directed by Ford (the only one to survive).

      North of Hudson Bay is a partially lost film, with 40 of the 50 minutes surviving (that we know of). What remains is watchable, but the ending is rather abrupt. Dane's brother Peter is murdered, and his partner Angus (Will Walling) is framed for this by the real murderer, Cameron McDonald (Frank Campeau). MacDonald runs the local trading post and wants to cheat Peter and Angus out of their gold. His daughter Estelle meets Michael on the way to meet her father and both encounter Angus who has been sentenced to the "Death Trail" where he must wander through the frozen wastes until he dies.

     Micheal tries to protect Angus until he discovers that it's his brother he's accused of having murdered. As he has inherited his brother claim, McDonald tries to swindle and murder Micheal as well, using the same (overly complicated) device he used to murder Angus. Micheal discovers this duplicity and McDonald he is killed in a struggle, but Micheal is accused of his murder. A confused Estelle watches as he and Angus are set off on the Death Trail, now united in their plight. 

      Estelle, who had fallen for Micheal, discovers his innocence and sets off to save him but ends up needing saving herself when McDonald partners try to spirit her away. The climax is, sadly, truncated. It is unclear how Estelle initially escapes her captors and Micheal's rescue of her (as her canoe careens toward a waterfall) is hard to follow. The (extant) ending shows her being saved but cuts out the denouement where they (presumably) make it back to the trading post and embrace.

     John Ford's direction is strong. There is a real sense of atmosphere and occasionally, his usual dose of sentimentally, particularly the opening seen where Micheal bids farewell to his weeping mother. It's a little light on action for a Tom Mix vehicle (Tony isn't featured at all!) but the action there is is fairly well done. Tom fends off a pack of ravenous wolves who have cornered him and Angus in a cavern and his rescue of Estelle (though truncated) looks to have been exciting stuff in the original, completed version of the film. 

     Hopefully this film will be recovered  in its entirety some day but for now lets be grateful we have at least most of it available for public viewing.

Score: 6/10

Shocktober 2021: Wrap-Up

As usual my brother and I watched a few family friendly films with our younger siblings throughout the month. In addition to Duel, the first two Quiet Place movies (which I've already written about) and A Nightmare Before Christmas (which has become mandatory seasonal viewing at this point) we also watched:

Corpse Bride (2005)

Of the three stop-motion films that Tim Burton has been involved with (he also wrote Nightmare Before Christmas and directed Frankenweenie) Corpse Bride is probably the most conventional in terms of plot. Like Nightmare it hearkens back to the old Rankin/Bass holiday specials. The German setting is reminiscent of Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town in particular. The story also owes a lot to gothic romances. As usual, the director puts his own unique stamp on the film with its macabre visuals and quirky sense of humor. Danny Elfman, with the help of John August, puts in a particularly strong score, filled with memorable songs and clever lyrics. 

Score: 9/10

As always we watched Halloween this years, this time as a double feature with Halloween II, so some updated thoughts on that film are in order: 

Halloween II (1980)

Halloween II is only sequel to feature significant contributions from the three artists most responsible from the success of the original film: John Carpenter and Debra Hill co-wrote the script again, and Carpenter also wrote a new score (with some help from frequent collaborator Alan Howarth). Perhaps most critically, Dean Cundey returned as the films cinematographer. His contribution cannot be underestimated. Not until the 2018 reboot (which apes his style more or less successfully) would the series be able to recapture the visual flair of the first two films (or three if you count the series misfit Season of the Witch). The result is the best Halloween sequel for whatever that's worth.

Score: 7/10

Django the Bastard (1969)

As I've been watching Spaghetti Westerns this year in preparation for next year's (tentatively) Westember III, I decided it would be a good time to check out this western/horror hybrid from Sergio Garrone. While not quite a horror film (the protagonist can never be the source of horror in a genuine horror movie)  does contain a lot of creepy, sepulchre imagery.  Then too, Django has an enigmatic quality that often accompanies horror movie villains (especially in slasher films): it is never made clear if he is mortal. Many spaghetti western heroes have a quasi-supernatural aura about them, but it is much more pronounced here.  The film is a bit plodding at times, and that primitive/low budget quality which is so typical of this genre is both a help and a hindrance, but for the most part this is a really solid and unique entry in the genre.

Score: 8/10

Shocktober 2019 Ranked

Ranked on Flickchart.com

1. The Sixth Sense (1999)

An absolute masterpiece. 

2. The Thing (1982) 

For pure, nail-biting suspense, very few horror films can match John Carpenter's The Thing. 

3. The Fog (1980) 

An underrated Carpenter film, I’ll always have a soft spot for the The Fog as my introduction to the genre.  

4. The Innocents (1961) 

A superb adaptation of the Henry James The Turn of the Screw. 

5. Poltergeist (1982) 

It’s a bit bonkers at times, but, for my money, Poltergeist is still the classic haunted house film. 

6. I Married a Witch (1942) 

I’m a sucker for old screwball comedies, and this is a really good one.   

7. A Quiet Place Part II (2020) 

Though not as strong as its predecessor, A Quiet Place Part II wisely keeps its focus on developing the characters and (less successfully) expanding the world of the first film.  

8. The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) 

A great, underappreciated werewolf picture. It may not have the groundbreaking special effects of its Universal counterpart, but it more then makes up for this with it’s sense of atmosphere and mounting terror.   

 9. Duel (1971) 

Speilberg’s first theatrical effort still holds up. Never was an rusty old truck more terrifying.  

10. Corpse Bride (2005)

A strong stop-motion effort from Tim Burton. 

11. Black Sunday (1960)

An impressive debut for Mario Bava. 

12. Constantine (2005) 

Not a great film by any means but I have a soft spot for anything that features Keanu Reeves killing demons with a cross-shaped machine gun that shoots bullets filled with holy water.   

13. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

A film of sharp contrasts, Dr. Jekyll is carried by a strong performance from Fredric March and surprisingly animated direction from Rouben Mamoulian. 

14. The Omen (1976)

Richard Donner’s classic still holds up despite some (occasional) tonal inconsistency. 

15. The Brides of Dracula (1960) 

A rock solid sequel to the film that introduced Christopher Lee’s iconic take on the legendary nosferatu.  

16. The Blob (1988) 

A surprisingly fresh remake, the 1988 version of The Blob is much more dark and violent then the campy 60’s original.  

17. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021) 

Though easily the least scary of the, now, three film series, The Devil Made Me Do It is still a strong entry and wisely keeps the focus on its characters.  

18. Halloween II (1981) 

Still the best of the many unnecessary Halloween sequels, though that’s not saying much.  

19. The Shadow of the Cat (1961) 

Erratic pacing mars what is otherwise a really unique, well directed horror film. Never was the sight of a cat so unsettling.  

20. Django the Bastard (1969)

The films unique, sepulcher atmosphere is off-sett by its plodding pacing and occasionally sloppiness.

21. The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960) 

This intriguing (and rather loose) adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic is held back (for me at least) by its (for the time) excessive raciness.  

 

22. Captain Clegg (aka Night Creatures) (1962) 

A fun, if fairly forgettable Hammer thriller.  

23. The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)

An excellent piece of science-fiction horror in the Gothic vein of Hammer’s Frankenstein films, this film would probably be higher on the list if I hadn't seen so many good films this year. 

24. Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead (2014) 

An inventive horror film to be sure, but one that's a little too tasteless for my taste.

25. The Thing (2011) 

Though a vastly inferior prequel, there are enough flashes of inspiration in The Thing to make me curious about the director’s original vision.  

26. The Stranglers of Bombay (1960)

Though not a bad film by any means The Stranglers of Bombay is occasionally dull and the plot is rather contrived in places.  

27. Color Out of Space (2019) 

Though it effectively builds a sense of impending doom and madness, the Color Out of Space is too tonally inconsistent to really be effective.  

28. Prince of Darkness (1987) 

A lesser effort from Carpenter, though it does sustain a really eerie atmosphere, the plot is overly convoluted and the characters thinly drawn.  

29. Damien: Omen II (1978)

The only truly terrible film we watched this time around, the second Omen film is a dreadful bore. 

That about wraps it up for this year. Thanks for reading everyone!

Shocktober Week 4

 For this last week, my brother and I watched horror movies from Hammer Film Productions.

1. The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) 

A slow burn mystery film, The Man Who Could Cheat Death is an interesting exploration of mortality and obsession. It features a strong lead performance from Anton Diffring as Dr. Georges Bonnet, a scientist who has discovered how to prolong his life and preserve his health indefinitely, which leads him to begin seeing himself as being above the common lot of humanity. Arnold Marlé is great as Bonnet's aged companion, who tries, to no avail, to prevent his old friend from losing himself. Christopher Lee is featured in a supporting role as fellow scientist who begins to suspect Bonnet's dark secret.

Score: 8/10 

2. The Stranglers of Bombay (1959) 

A tale of the Thuggee in colonial India, The Stranglers of Bombay is a rather flawed horror/adventure film. The British authorities in the film are so incompetent that it takes away from the films verisimilitude. It's also an oddly paced film with the climax, in particular, being rather rushed, with Guy Rolfe's protagonist simply stumbling upon the Thuggee's secret temple and being caught, only to be set free by one of the Thugs, who has a convenient last minute change of heart. On the other hand, Rolfe makes a likable protagonist and the film's portrayal of the Thuggee is relatively accurate to the history while also doing a decent job making them a genuine threat. 

Score: 7/10

3. The Brides of Dracula (1960) 

Director Terence Fisher returns for this follow-up to his 1958 classic. The Brides of Dracula also sees the return of Peter Cushing's Doctor Van Helsing, though Christopher Lee's iconic vampire does not make an appearance, instead we are introduced to a younger vampire played by David Peel. The strongest aspect of the film is its measured pacing and true sense of terror it evokes, especially from Martita Hunt's Baroness Meinster, mother of the vampire who tries to hide him from the world, to no avail. Jack Asher's cinematography is amazing and the costume and set design are, as always, top notch. Malcolm Williamson's score is unusually emotional for a film of this kind. Yvonne Monlaur's Marianne is a bit of a weak link, behaving so naively that she becomes more of a plot device then a character. Its a solid sequel nonetheless. 

Score: 8/10

4. The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960) 

As a study in moral dissolution, the Hammer version of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novella makes an interesting contrast to the 1931 adaptation produced by Paramount Pictures. In that film, Hyde is a violent, domineering reprobate, with little sense of self control. Here he is a cold, calculating deviant, dedicated absolutely to the attainment of pleasure. It's a good critique of the hubris of modern man, believing he can unshackle himself from moral restraint and be ruled by pure intellect. While Jekyll suffers as a result this hubris in both films, his fate differs somewhat. While Frederic March's Jekyll repents too late and is killed while under the form of Hyde, here, through a herculean struggle and at the cost of his life, he is ultimately able to exorcise the monster inside. 

Score: 8/10

5. The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) 

Terence Fisher's werewolf film is a minor masterpiece. Deliberately paced, it slowly builds a sense of uneasiness surrounding Oliver Reed's Leon Corledo. The werewolf isn't even seen until the third act but it is well worth the wait. Fisher's religious sensibilities are on full display here. It is only through the love and care of others that Leon can keep the beast at bay but one night spent in a dance-hall is enough to bring it raging back to life. Arthur Grant's moody cinematography beautifully captures the film's impressive production design and the Benjamin Frankel's bombastic score lends a film a tragic, operatic quality. 

Score: 9/10

6. The Shadow of the Cat (1961) 

An eerie, atmospheric horror film Shadow of the Cat evokes, at times, the unnerving quality of Edgar Allen Poe (whose poem "The Raven" is quoted at the beginning of the film). John Gilling's unconventional direction makes clever use handheld camerawork to create an unsettling feeling. The shots showing the point-of-view of the cat, which are intentionally distorted, are particularly effective. Barbara Shelley's Beth Venable provides the film with a relatable center, surrounded by petty, selfish characters who are slowly driven mad by their own guilt. The pacing can be a bit erratic and the denouement is just a little too neat but, other then that, this is a solid little horror film. 

Score: 8/10

7. Captain Clegg (1962)

Though not really a horror film, Captain Clegg features enough intrigue and macabre imagery to make it appropriate October viewing. It features an (as always) solid performance from Peter Cushing, as a village parson who is not quite what he appears. Anthony Hinds script, loosely based on a character created by Russell Thorndike, is a little episodic, but the characters are all fairly well fleshed-out and the film has a good cast. Director Peter Graham Scott keeps the film moving at a decent clip and the costume and set design are up the Hammer's usual standards. There are worse ways to spend 80 minutes.

Score: 7/10

Shocktober 2021, Week 3

Supernatural horror, probably the purest form of horror, was the overriding theme this week. . . 

1. The Innocents (1961)

     A fantastic adaptation of Henry James' "The Turn of the Screw", The Innocents is able to maintain the novella's sense of ambiguity while perfectly translating its chilling atmosphere to the screen. Deborah Kerr carries the film as the harried but steadfast nanny and her young co-stars, Martin Stephens and Pamela Franklin, impress as her two youthful charges. Not to be overlooked is Megs Jenkins, who imbues the film with some badly needed warmth and humanity as Mrs. Grose. Freddie Francis' deep focus cinematography is fantastic and greatly contributes to the film's eerie, unsettling atmosphere as does Jim Clark's unusual editing. It's a great film.

Score: 10/10

2. The Omen (1976)

I decided to re-watch this (minor?) classic in memory of the lately deceased Richard Donner (RIP) though I had previously reviewed it for Shocktober in 2018. It still holds up and actually improved on a second viewing. By keeping us in the dark about Damien's true nature for much of the film, it is able to build up a real sense of mystery around him. We, like Gregory Peck's skeptical Robert Thorn, only gradually come to accept the terrible truth. Despite its occasional goofiness (the deaths can be hilariously over-the-top) Donner maintains a remarkable sense of tension throughout the film and the suspense builds and builds until the moment when Thorn drags his protesting son to the altar, fully intending to slay him. Though we, like Thorn, are fully convinced of Damien's diabolical nature by this point we can't help but sympathize when he looks at this seemingly innocent child and proclaims "God help me!"

Score: 8/10

3. Damien: Omen II (1978)

A truly lame, and completely unnecessary, sequel. The first Omen film worked because of the sense of mystery surrounding Damien. This is totally lacking here. Since we know from the start that he is the Antichrist we are left waiting around for the other characters to figure this out and it is a remarkably dull experience. William Holden and Lee Grant are largely wasted in their thankless roles as Damien's new guardians. Jonathan Scott-Taylor has at least a little more to do as a grown up Damien who, interestingly, is unaware of his own demonic nature but his transition from unassuming teenage boy to unfeeling anti-Christ is so quick as to be practically non-existent.

Score: 5/10

 4. Poltergeist (1982)

The film that defined the modern haunted house movie, Poltergeist manages to keep the story focused on the plight of its beleaguered family amid all the wacky supernatural high jinks. As in E.T. (often cited as a kind of companion piece) where Spielberg (the producer and possibly co-director for this film) seemed to almost uncannily tap in to a child's sense of wonder, this film taps into childhood fears. Indeed, the line separating the two becomes increasingly blurred in both films. It's not a perfect film. Some of the effects hold up better then others and it's portrayal of the supernatural is a bit muddled at times. For the most part, however, Poltergeist remains an effective piece of horror film-making, thanks to strong direction from Tobe Hooper (and quite possibly Spielberg as well) and an, as always, terrific score from Jerry Goldsmith.   

Score: 9/10 

 5. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

The third entry is the Conjuring series is a distinct step down from its predecessors. This may be due in part to the absence of director James Wan, whose tight direction was so crucial to the success of the first two films. Another problem is that the stakes have been appreciably lowered here, with the threat coming not from a demon but a completely human demon-worshiper, who seeks to manipulate others not through possession but witchcraft. The film simply fails to conjure up (get it) the scares of its predecessors. This is not to say that The Devil Made Me Do It is a bad film, far from it. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga continue to carry the series on their shoulders as paranormal investigators and authors Ed and Lorraine Warren and the films' unambiguous portrayal of demonic evil, and the power of the Church to combat it, is more welcome now then ever.

Score: 8/10

6. I Married a Witch (1942)

A welcome break from all the violence and terror, I Married a Witch makes for ideal light-hearted October viewing. Veronica Lake makes for a delightfully eccentric foil for Fredric March's befuddled gubernatorial candidate and (despite the fact that the two actors did not get along behind the scenes) they have wonderful chemistry together. The film's portrayal of witchcraft, though tinged with irony, is refreshingly wholesome by today's standards. Both Jennifer (Lake) and her father (Cecil Kellaway) are shown to be unambiguously wicked ("'Twill be sweet  to plague the human race again" says Jennifer) prior to the former's reform and subsequent abandonment of her witchcraft. The script Robert Pirosh and Marc Connelly has all the wit and absurdity one comes to expect from a screwball comedy of this era and director René Clair keeps the film moving at a good clip.

Score: 9/10

 7. The Sixth Sense (1999)

Say what you will about M. Night Shyamalan, The Sixth Sense is still an absolute masterpiece. I honestly marvel at the films economy. Though deliberately paced (the first ghost does not appear until nearly the halfway mark) the film is also remarkably short and not a minute of screen-time is wasted. Shyamalan's ability to coax amazing performances, both from veteran actors and, especially, newcomers, is also incredible. There is a naturalistic quality to his best films that helps to ground them despite their heightened stories. He is greatly aided here by Tak Fujimoto's fluid, uneasy camerawork and James Newton Howard's subtle, emotional score. If you haven't watched it recently (or perhaps have never seen it) do yourself a favor and check it out. 

Score: 10/10

Next week Hammer!