THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1923)

 

I've mentioned a few posts ago how I had been reading Scott Eyman's EMPIRE OF DREAMS, a biography of Cecil B. DeMille. Ironically last month Edward R. Hamilton Booksellers had on sale the Paramount DVD of DeMille's silent 1923 version of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, a version I had not yet seen. Being in a DeMille mood, I ordered the DVD, which features a very nice print of the film, backed by an original music score by Gaylord Carter. 

The big difference between the '23 COMMANDMENTS and DeMille's 1956 remake is that the silent version has a modern parallel tale involving contemporary American characters. Unfortunately this modern tale takes up over 60% of the film. When DeMille announced his plans to make a story concerning the Commandments, his film making partners were highly skeptical, so perhaps the director felt the modern scenes would be help sell the movie to a current audience. Many historical/religious epics of the silent era had modern parallel stories, such as D.W. Griffith's INTOLERANCE and Micheal Curtiz's NOAH'S ARK. The modern scenes of the '23 COMMANDMENTS are the least effective parts of the film, and prevent it from being one of DeMille's best productions overall. 

The biblical prologue of the 1923 version is pure DeMille spectacle, despite the fact that it was filmed entirely in California. It omits any details of Moses' early life, and starts right out with the Israelites being persecuted by the Egyptian Pharaoh. The movie mentions the Plagues, but does not show them, as Moses demands that his people be set free. The Exodus, the parting of the Red Sea, and the revelation of the Ten Commandments are shown, along with the destruction of the Golden Calf. 

The actors who play the major roles in the biblical portion of the '23 COMMANDMENTS are basically unknown today, but in a way that makes the film seem more authentic (the viewer isn't watching stars with well-known personalities). The acting is rather grandiose (Moses in the '23 film has a resemblance to Gene Hackman's blind man in YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN), but it fits this type of presentation. The scenes inside Pharaoh's throne room have a moody, expressionistic style about them, and DeMille ramps up the spectacle during the Exodus sequence, with huge sets and hundreds of extras. The parting of the Red Sea in this version is still quite impressive. 

The biblical portion of the '23 COMMANDMENTS only runs about 50 minutes, and it's surprising that DeMille didn't think about making it a bit longer and releasing it as a separate feature. The modern story that follows runs about 86 minutes, and it's a turgid, slow-moving lecture against immorality. 

The modern tale is set in San Francisco, and it deals with the McTavish family, a elderly mother and her two grown sons, three excessively stereotypical characters. Mother McTavish (Edythe Chapman) is a dour, disapproving woman who is so obsessed with religion that she cradles her over-sized Bible as if it were a newborn baby. Her eldest son John (Richard Dix) is virtuous and self-sacrificing to a fault, and he's also a poor carpenter (get it??). The youngest son, Dan (Rod La Rocque) laughs at his mother's sanctimonious ways, and tells one and all that he intends to break every single Commandment. After this declaration, any viewer of this film knows exactly what they are in for. 

John and Dan both love Mary (Leatrice Joy), but in the time-honored tradition of American women before and since, she chooses bad-boy Dan. Dan becomes rich, mainly due to the fact that he's totally corrupt, while John toils away, still living with his mother. Dan gets a contract to build a massive cathedral, and, in order to cut costs, uses shoddy materials in its construction. The not-yet completed structure collapses, causing tragedy for all concerned, but Dan has even more problems than that--his mistress is a sultry Eurasian (Nita Naldi) who happens to be an escapee from a leper colony! 

I highly doubt this modern sequence caused any sinner to change their ways (except perhaps having them leave the theater early). DeMille and his multiple cameramen tried to inject as much visual style into the modern section as possible, but its over-the-top melodramatics and hit-you-upside-the-head message makes it hard going for anyone in the 21st Century. 

DeMille's next religious epic was THE KING OF KINGS, and in that one the director avoided any modern parallels, stuck strictly to the life of Jesus as related in the Bible, and made what I consider his greatest silent film. 

The biblical portion of the 1923 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS is certainly worth watching for any film geeks, and it makes a great comparison to DeMille's 1956 remake, in which he even reused some of the same shot compositions. The modern storyline is just excess baggage, and it's the type of material that people who can't stand silent films refer to. The Paramount DVD of the '23 version doesn't even use any images from the modern story on the disc case. 

THE AMOROUS ADVENTURES OF MOLL FLANDERS

 

This film was recently released on Blu-ray by Kino, and the main reason I bought the disc was the fact that Kim Novak stars in it. I had never seen THE AMOROUS ADVENTURES OF MOLL FLANDERS, and while it's obvious a lot of money, effort, and talent went into the project, it's a silly, one-note movie. 

Based on the novel by Daniel Defoe, the film charts the life of Moll (Kim Novak), an orphan who learns very early on how to use her looks to charm men. Moll gets herself involved in all sorts of relationships and circumstances as she tries to gain a secure living in 18th Century England, and she even winds up in jail awaiting execution. There's no need to worry, though....due to this movie's dopey tone, one can be assured that Moll will get a happy ending. 

It was the success of TOM JONES that influenced this movie in getting made. MOLL FLANDERS (released in 1965) is presented and set up as a provocative and rambunctious bawdy comedy, but it's more silly than funny, with everyone in the cast hamming it up, and situations that one usually sees in old Hollywood slapstick two-reelers. (At one point during a chase scene on horseback in a forest, the Three Stooges "Bending back a branch and releasing it to have it swing back and hit the person chasing you in the face" gag is used.) The movie feels like an overlong Benny Hill skit.....but if Benny Hill had been involved in this movie somehow, it probably would have been much more entertaining. 

Where the movie really misses the mark is in the portrayal of Moll Flanders. Instead of a conniving minx, she's more of a naive klutz (ironically Moll has more virtue than all the other major characters in the film). It appears that those in charge of this production didn't want the leading lady to come off as unlikable, so Moll blunders along through most of the story, bending (or falling) over several times. (The major special effect in this movie is Kim Novak's cleavage.) Novak is ravishing here (she gets dozens of costume changes), but you don't believe for a second that Moll is really all that greedy or manipulative. 

MOLL FLANDERS was a high-class production, with very impressive locations, production design, and wardrobe, and it has a high-class cast as well, with the likes of Angela Lansbury, George Sanders, Vittorio De Sica, Leo McKern, and plenty of fine British supporting players. Richard Johnson plays Moll's true love, a bounder who isn't very good at being a criminal. (Johnson and Novak would wind up getting married, but their union didn't last very long.) 

Terence Young directed MOLL FLANDERS, and at the time he was known for instigating the James Bond film series. Unfortunately the wit and sexy nature of the early Bond movies is missing here. (Young does use 007 veterans like Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, and Anthony Dawson in small roles.) At a couple points Young even opts to use speeded-up footage, which brings a sitcom-like vibe to what is supposed to be a major theatrical film. John Addison's music doesn't help--at times it sounds as if he's scoring a Looney Tunes entry. MOLL FLANDERS is 131 minutes long, and that's way too much time for a film of this nature. 

I will say that the print of MOLL FLANDERS used on the new Kino Blu-ray looks magnificent. It's very colorful and sharp, and it shows off the fine work of cinematographer Ted Moore (another Bond veteran). The movie looks so good on this Blu-ray that it makes one wish even more that the content lived up to it. 

If THE AMOROUS ADVENTURES OF MOLL FLANDERS had been made only a few years later, it probably would have been a much more different film. By the late 1960s you could wind up doing just about anything on the big screen, for better or worse. MOLL FLANDERS tries to be ribald and titillating but it never gets going. It's a movie best recommended for Kim Novak fans. 

MANTOPUS!

 

How long has Joshua Kennedy been working on MANTOPUS! ?? Let me put it to you this way--he started work on this film during the first Trump administration. After years of production, MANTOPUS! had a special premier screening recently at the historic Citrus Theater in Josh's hometown of Edinburg, Texas. The movie received a rapturous response, and I was lucky enough to be presented with my own personal copy from the director himself, which I viewed last night. My immediate summation is that this is the ULTIMATE Joshua Kennedy movie. 

MANTOPUS! is heavily influenced by the horror and sci-fi flicks produced by Herman Cohen, especially those which were made in the late 1950s-early 1960s and starred English character actor Michael Gough. The story takes place sometime in 1950s Hollywood, where filmmaker Charles Landor (Josh Kennedy) toils away making horror movies for Danziger Studios. Landor is known as "The Monster Man", but the studio chief believes the director should start making cowboy musicals. The peeved Landor goes off one night in search of inspiration, and he wanders into a mysterious antique shop--where he discovers an actual real-life monster, a creature with a human body and a octopus head, called Mantopus. Landor decides to use this creature in his next production--but he also decides to use the beast off-screen as well, as an instrument of revenge against those who have either belittled him or have gone against his wishes. 

There's so many things I wish to discuss about MANTOPUS! that I really can't, because I feel the movie's wonders are best enjoyed by an unsuspecting audience. It's bold, wacky, and colorful, in the best Joshua Kennedy Gooey Films tradition. The movie has a nice flow, and at times takes on a manic energy. It's packed with enough in-jokes to fill out an entire spiral notebook, and most important of all, it's fun. Josh Kennedy's entire life has been influenced by the classic cinema of the fantastic, and he revels in this material, instead of looking down on it. 

I must mention that Josh gives the best performance of his Gooey Films career as Charles Landor. Film geeks will immediately know that Josh is imitating Michael Gough, but it must be pointed out that he's interpreting a very particular type of Michael Gough performance--one that the actor gave in such films as HORRORS OF THE BLACK MUSEUM, KONGA, BLACK ZOO, and Hammer's THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Josh's assimilation of Gough's various horror films tics in MANTOPUS! is astounding. The supercilious manner, the preening vanity, the sarcastic asides, the uncomfortable body language--Josh displays it all, so much so that he becomes a kind of Mini-Gough. For Old Monster Movie fans, it's worth watching MANTOPUS! just to see Josh's performance. 

Thankfully there's much more to this movie than just a Michael Gough tribute. Many of the Gooey Films stock company return here, and they all get a chance to shine. The head of the Mantopus, brilliantly made by Mitch Gonzales, looks like something that would have appeared in a actual Herman Cohen production, and it also has some surprising attributes of its own. MANTOPUS! was entirely filmed in 16mm, or "SuperGooey 16", and this gives the movie a very unique, quaint look--it doesn't have the overly-perfect coldness of today's digital age. Rosa Cano's striking lighting effects make the colors bold and imaginative, and Reber Clark's music score perfectly matches the tone of each scene. 

I absolutely adored MANTOPUS!. My one worry about it is that those viewers who are not monster movie geeks will not be able to appreciate it as much as those who are in the know--but this movie has such an entertaining vibe I don't think it will matter. MANTOPUS! should soon be available on Amazon Prime, and Josh is preparing an official home video release. For those who have been following the career of the South Texas wunderkind, MANTOPUS! will be a must-see. It's a film that encapsulates the fun and enchantment of classic fantastic cinema. 

My Favorite Hammer Movie Acting Performances--Female

 

This is a follow-up to my last post, in which I listed my ten favorite Hammer movie male acting performances. Now it's time for the Hammer Ladies, which might cause some snickering. As soon as you mention "Hammer Ladies", one immediately thinks of well-endowed young women cavorting about in nightgowns instead of any measure of acting talent. 

Nevertheless, Hammer's horror & science-fiction features did give a number of actresses a chance to show their dramatic abilities, although it has to be admitted the average female role in a Hammer production wasn't written with too much depth or characterization. If you were a lady in Hammer feature, you were probably going to get chased by a monster or wind up being the monster. The "Damsel in Distress" part doesn't have a lot of room for originality to it, but some of the Hammer Ladies were able to go beyond the generic restrictions. 

As in the Male Performances list, each actress can only be listed once--if I didn't do that here Barbara Shelley would absolutely dominate this chart. The list is not in any particular order, but I do start off with a special favorite. 

Ingrid Pitt as Carmilla Karnstein in THE VAMPIRE LOVERS

The most famous female performance in Hammer history? Probably so, and one that continues to resonate today. Most people assume that Ingrid was in about a dozen Hammer films, but she was actually only in two (this one and COUNTESS DRACULA). Pitt was really too old to have played the vampiric Carmilla, but her screen presence more than made up for that. And yes, Pitt was an extraordinarily sexy woman--and if it bothers you that factor was important on this list......oh well. 

Veronica Carlson as Anna Spengler in FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED 

Veronica's Anna is one of the most put-upon women in Hammer history, so much so that it's hard for anyone who knew Carlson personally to watch FMBD at times. Carlson didn't have a lot of acting experience when she got the role of Anna, but when one considers what the character went through, and all the various reactions and emotions she has to show, it's hard to believe a more experienced performer could have done a better job. 

Barbara Shelley as Helen Kent in DRACULA--PRINCE OF DARKNESS

I could have put Shelley on this list a half-dozen different ways, but this is the role that stands out. Her haughty Helen is transformed from a staid married Englishwoman to a seductive bloodsucker, and Shelley plays it effectively and chillingly, Barbara Shelley was Hammer's true female star. 

Jennifer Daniel as Marianne Harcourt in THE KISS OF THE VAMPIRE 

This is one example of the "Damsel in Distress" role being more than it usually is. Daniel is so appealing and believable as the kind, loving English wife that her forced conversion into a vampire cult has a major impact. (When the hypnotized Marianne spits into her own husband's face, it's a huge shock.) Daniel basically repeated this role in THE REPTILE, but her decent manner added much to that movie as well. 

Freda Jackson as Greta in THE BRIDES OF DRACULA 

Jackson's scene-stealing performance as the cackling maid to Martita Hunt's Baroness Meinster is one of the many great pleasures of BRIDES, and her revelatory monologue about the true nature of the Baroness' son is one of Hammer's great overall moments. (Martita Hunt was a prime candidate to be on this list as well for her role.) 

Marla Landi as Cecile Stapleton in THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES 

Landi's sultry and devious Cecile almost seduces Christopher Lee's Henry Baskerville to his death, and the movie's climax--where she goes off the rails--is a highlight. Landi's anger during her big scene is so palpable, she even dominates Lee!

Martine Beswicke as Sister Hyde in DR. JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE

This film could have come off as a joke--Dr. Jekyll turns into a sexy woman--but Martine elevates the material with her wonderfully cunning portrayal of Ralph Bates' stronger side. Beswicke is another name that is constantly associated with Hammer, but the truth is the company didn't use her enough. 

Jacqueline Pearce as Anna Franklyn in THE REPTILE 

Pearce plays the title role in THE REPTILE, which means that technically she is the monster--but she's also a sensitive young woman who has been dealt a horrible fate, through no fault of her own. Pearce's underlying sadness as Anna makes an impression on the viewer. 

Valerie Gaunt as Justine in THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN 

I was going back and forth on whether I should pick this role played by Gaunt, or her memorable vampire in HORROR OF DRACULA. I chose her portrayal as Baron Frankenstein's maid (and mistress) due to the fact that it was shown first, and it set a pattern that a number of Hammer actresses would follow. 

Yvonne Monlaur as Marianne Danielle in THE BRIDES OF DRACULA 

This choice is more of a personal preference. I have a personal fan-theory that Monlaur's Marianne went on to marry Prof. Van Helsing (he had to have descendants somehow, what with the modern Hammer Dracula films of the early 1970s). Marianne wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but Monlaur did have probably the most expressive eyes in English Gothic history, and just about every Classic Monster Kid would want to go out of their way to to save her from the undead. 

My Favorite Hammer Movie Acting Performances--Male

 

Another Hammer-related list?? I'm afraid so. This time I'm setting down my favorite acting performances in a Hammer film--one list for actors and one for actresses. 

I decided to set a limit on how many times (once) a particular actor can be included, simply because if I didn't, Peter Cushing & Christopher Lee would take up all the spots. I also felt that this would enable me to shine a light on a few roles that tend to get overlooked. 

Once again, this is all intended to be fun--don't take it as personally as so many Hammer internet fanboys seem to do about any mention or reference the company gets on social media.  And if you have your own personal favorites that are not on this list, by all means reveal them in the comments section. 

This list (which includes ten entries)  is not written in any sort of order or preference, but anyone who knows me can easily predict who I'm going to lead off with. 

Peter Cushing as Van Helsing in THE BRIDES OF DRACULA

My favorite all-time Cushing performance in my favorite all-time Hammer movie (I'm sure I've mentioned that on my blog dozens of times). Did Cushing ever give even a below-average performance in any of his Hammer appearances?? I certainly can't think of one. Another great Cushing Hammer performance that doesn't get enough attention is his portrayal of the title role in CAPTAIN CLEGG. 

Christopher Lee as Kharis in THE MUMMY

I know what you're thinking...."But, but--what about Dracula??" Yeah, what about him?? It's way too easy to go down that route. Suffice to say that Lee is the greatest film mummy of all time--his ability to convey everything about his character simply by his body language, even while totally encased in a hindering makeup, is astounding. If you're looking for another great Lee Hammer performance that's off the beaten path, check out THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL, where Lee's shifty man-about-town Paul Allen winds up being more sympathetic (and more interesting) than the title character(s). 

Richard Wordsworth as Victor Caroon in THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT 

Hammer Films' first true monster, Wordsworth is incredibly creepy as an astronaut who has returned to Earth infected with an alien presence. Wordsworth would go on to play a number of small roles for Hammer, and he always managed to get the viewer's attention, even with very little screen time. 

Michael Ripper as Tom Bailey in THE REPTILE

Of course Michael Ripper has to be on this list somehow. There's plenty of choices when it comes to Ripper's Hammer outings, but I picked this one mainly due to the fact that Tom Bailey (a warm and dependable fellow who fittingly runs the local pub in the story) is actually the real hero of the film. 

Marne Maitland in THE REPTILE

The horror and science-fiction films Hammer made during their golden period were filled with unique, striking character actors that could take a small role and make it leave an impression upon the audience. The Calcutta-born Maitland was one of those performers, and his sinister, mysterious presence adds a lot to THE REPTILE, even though the man he's playing isn't even given a proper name! (In the credits he's listed as "Malay".) 

Christopher Neame as Johnny Alucard in DRACULA A.D. 1972 

This choice will get some folks riled up. Neame's go-for-broke performance as Dracula's disciple has garnered plenty of discussion among Hammer fans over the years, but I feel his wild antics perfectly match A.D. 1972's overall loony entertaining tone. 

Andre Morell as Sir James Forbes in THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES

Morell was another fine veteran actor who worked for Hammer several times, and this time he gets his best showcase from the company, and the leading heroic role to boot. Morell's understated, realistic manner, sprinkled with plenty of dry humor, is the perfect complement to all the undead goings-on. 

Brian Donlevy as Quatermass in THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT 

This is another choice that will tick off some people, especially British Hammer fans. I'm well aware of the fact that Quatermass creator Nigel Kneale couldn't stand him, but Donlevy's domineering and bull-headed scientist in this film and its sequel adds greatly to those movies' pace, rhythm, and no-nonsense style. 

Freddie Jones as Richter/Brandt in FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED 

Jones actually plays two roles in this film. At first he's Prof. Richter, an eminent doctor who is murdered by Baron Frankenstein so that Richter's body can be used as the new "home" for the brain of another scientist named Brandt. Jones then plays the revived body, still looking like Richter but with Brandt's personality. Jones' portrayal of this figure--a "new" man who has had a ghastly experiment done to him without his consent--is moving and memorable, especially in his interactions with Brandt's wife, who obviously does not recognize him in his new state, and with his methodical revenge against Frankenstein. 

George Pastell as Mehemet in THE MUMMY 

Pastell was another excellent member of the Hammer repertory company, and here he plays the Egyptian power behind the revival of Kharis the Mummy. Pastell could have played this role as an out-and-out bad guy, but his Mehemet is cultivated, cunning, and absolutely believable and understandable in his determination to seek revenge against those who have violated the tombs of his ancestors. 

FOUR FRIGHTENED PEOPLE

 

Last month I was at Half Price Books, and I happened upon a hardcover copy of EMPIRE OF DREAMS, a biography of Cecil B. DeMille written by Scott Eyman. Reading it inspired me to pull out a DeMille DVD box set from Universal I had bought years ago, and pick out the least-known film from the set to write a blog post on: 1934's FOUR FRIGHTENED PEOPLE. 

FOUR FRIGHTENED PEOPLE was one of the least successful films DeMille directed for Paramount Pictures. Its story is simple--two men and two women escape from a plague-ridden tramp steamer in a lifeboat, and wind up on a Malaysian island. The group manages to get a native to guide them back to civilization, but they get even more lost as they go deeper and deeper into the jungle, dealing with one sort of dangerous situation after another, as each of their individual personalities undergoes a change. 

The four castaways are a prim Chicago geography teacher (Claudette Colbert), a dull chemist (Herbert Marshall), a brazen journalist (William Gargan), and a eccentric upper-class Englishwoman (Mary Boland). Accompanying them is the native guide (Leo Carrillo), who appears to have gotten to Malaysia by way of Mexico. 

FOUR FRIGHTENED PEOPLE is a hard film to pin down. The above poster is very deceiving. The movie isn't a melodramatic hard-edged thriller--it has way too many lighthearted moments, and at times one gets the feeling that DeMille and his writers were sending up the whole "civilized people stuck in an uncivilized situation" genre. Most of the film was shot on location in Hawaii, and while DeMille and cinematographer Karl Struss get the most out of these settings from a visual standpoint, there's a lack of danger and excitement. 

The only one of the four characters who generate any interest is the schoolteacher, Judy Jones, played by Claudette Colbert. When we first see Colbert, she's wearing almost no makeup, she's sporting glasses, and her hair is tied back in a plain manner. You just know that a star like Colbert isn't going to stay looking like that, especially in a DeMille film, and sure enough, Judy becomes more and more alluring the deeper into the jungle she gets. Eventually she even winds up making a sarong for herself using various plants, leaves, and ferns. By the end of the film it is Judy who is the dominant personality--she's almost a Jungle Queen, becoming proficient with a bow & arrow and being able to spear fish. Judy is so taken with her newfound "life" that she doesn't even want to go back home. At one point Colbert bathes underneath a waterfall (this is a Pre-Code film, and a DeMille one at that, after all). 

Unfortunately the two mediocre leading men are not worthy of Colbert's virtues. William Gargan's world-famous journalist is a blowhard, while Herbert Marshall spends most of the movie with a hangdog look on his face. (In defense of Marshall, he had an artificial leg, so I'm sure trooping around out in the rough in Hawaii while under DeMille's domineering presence wasn't very enjoyable.) Mary Boland and Leo Carrillo are the questionable comic relief, and they are more intrusive than entertaining. (Boland gets kidnapped by a native tribe, but the chief kicks her out because she's taught the women of the village how to stand up for their rights.) 

FOUR FRIGHTENED PEOPLE didn't make a lot of money at the box office, and it's biggest impact may have been on the rest of Cecil B. DeMille's film making career--for the rest of his life he made mammoth, epic spectaculars with easily identifiable themes. Despite the Hawaiian locations FOUR FRIGHTENED PEOPLE is a very low-key affair, with a 78-minute running time and a lack of large-scale action. (It also has a dud firecracker of an ending.) The movie is more of a curiosity, a sore thumb on the highlight list of Cecil B. DeMille. 

THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE (1962) On Blu-ray From Eureka

 

The fourth film in the 1960s Dr. Mabuse series produced by Germany's CCC Studios is THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE, a remake of Fritz Lang's legendary 1933 thriller. 

This 1962 TESTAMENT creates all sorts of timeline conundrums. The early entries in the 1960s Mabuse series make reference to the original Doctor, and Lang's 1933 TESTAMENT details Mabuse's incarceration in an asylum, and his death. In the 1962 TESTAMENT, the man who has taken on Mabuse's mantle (played by Wolfgang Preiss) also winds up in an asylum, where he also dies. 

So.....if Preiss isn't playing the original Mabuse (which he is not), how can the exact same thing happen to his character? If this is meant to be a straight remake, then how do you account for the original Mabuse? In his introduction to this film on the Blu-ray it appears on in this MABUSE LIVES! set, Tim Lucas suggests that this film is actually a prequel--but I have to disagree with that, since the movies in the series following this establish Walter Rilla's Professor Pohland as the embodiment of Mabuse, and this character wasn't in the earlier films, so....needless to say, having a remake/sequel in the middle of a set of movies having an overall continuity will drive most film geeks crazy trying to figure it out. Let's just say that like most movies and TV shows dealing with famous characters, continuity and events that happened before are thrown out the window by producers and writers who are more concerned by getting a movie made than any fanboy questions. 

The original TESTAMENT was producer Artur Brauner's favorite film, and he had always wanted to remake it. Brauner's 1962 TESTAMENT is nowhere near on the same level as Fritz Lang's creepy, one-of-a-kind mystery, but it is a slick, well-made crime adventure. Gert Frobe returns as Inspector Lohmann, convinced that a series of daring crimes bear the stamp of the notorious Dr. Mabuse, despite the fact that the larger-than-life figure is currently in an asylum, supposedly numb to the outside world. But Mabuse's power is far greater than anyone could expect--even Prof. Pohland, the esteemed scientist studying him. It turns out that Mabuse is actually treating the professor, and instigating a way for his nefarious schemes to continue even after the end of his physical existence. 

Special mention must be made of Wolfgang Preiss in this film as Mabuse. Ironically throughout the Mabuse series Preiss has very little screen time overall, but here he gets plenty to do, and despite being reduced to a pathetic figure locked away in an asylum, the actor vividly shows how dangerous and deceptive the Doctor truly is. Charles Regnier makes a big impression as Mabuse's main henchman, and Senta Berger gets to play the damsel in distress this time. American TV fans will recognize Leon Askin, another henchman, for his role as a Nazi General in HOGAN'S HEROES, and GOLDFINGER fans will find it amusing that during the climax Gert Frobe's Inspector is tied up and tortured. The music score for this film, created by Raimund Rosenberger, is very wild, even by Krimi standards. 

Like all the films in this Mabuse set from Eureka, TESTAMENT looks great, with a very sharp black & white 1.66:1 print. German and English voice tracks are included, with English subtitles. An original German trailer to the film is provided, along with an English trailer that gives the film's title as TERROR OF THE MAD DOCTOR and has it seem to be a Gothic horror film. 

Tim Lucas provides another of his fine introductions on this set, and he discusses how this TESTAMENT fits into the overall Mabuse timeline. Lucas also talks about the movie's director, Werner Klingler, and co-writer R.A. Stemmle, who was a major director himself in 1930s Germany. David Kalat does another new commentary, and he details all the various versions of TESTAMENT over the years, and how this movie fits into the Krimi genre dominating German cinema during the period in which it was made. This movie appears on the third disc of the MABUSE LIVES! set, in the second disc case. 

The 1962 THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE isn't the major cinematic work that Fritz Lang's 1933 original was, but it is still an entertaining crime story that will satisfy Krimi fans. (By the way, if you haven't seen the original TESTAMENT, I highly suggest that you do.) 

THE CRUEL SEA On Blu-ray From Kino

 

THE CRUEL SEA is a 1953 WWII film from England's famed Ealing Studios, based on a novel by Nicholas Monsarrat, with a screenplay by Eric Ambler and direction by Charles Frend. 

The movie details the wartime experiences of one Captain Ericson (Jack Hawkins). Ericson was a merchant ship captain before the war broke out, and he now finds himself in the British Royal Navy, in charge of a corvette named the Compass Rose. The ship is assigned to convoy escort duties, and as Ericson and his inexperienced crew get to know one another, they also learn how to deal with the frustrations and the ever present danger of sailing in the rough seas of the North Atlantic. As the war goes on Ericson forms a strong bond with his First Officer Lockhart (Donald Sinden), and the two men face all sorts of daunting experiences before they can finally go home. 

I had never seen THE CRUEL SEA before, but I was very much aware of its reputation as one of those great British WWII films that take a more realistic and nuanced approach to the conflict. There are no John Wayne-Errol Flynn types in this film--Captain Ericson is a competent and resolute commander, but he's also a human being, a man with fears and emotions just like everyone else. The crew is made up of various types and personalities, but they all come off as real people instead of contrived characters. The men serving aboard Compass Rose are not larger-than-life fighting machines, they're just trying to do their jobs to the best of their ability while hoping they survive the war. There are no over-the-top speeches about battling tyranny or flashy action sequences. 

The narrative style of THE CRUEL SEA is much different than American WWII films. The incidents in this movie have a sort of randomness to them, just like in real life. There's suspenseful sequences, but there's also plenty of scenes showing how monotonous life onboard a convoy escort ship can be, despite the fact that the vessel can be blown out of the water at any time without warning. The German U-Boats that Ericson battles against are almost never encountered. 

Jack Hawkins is excellent as Captain Ericson, and he's backed by a fine cast of British acting talent, including Donald Sinden, Denholm Elliott, and Stanley Baker in a small role. Charles Frend moves the story along in an efficient, understated manner, but he whips the tension up during the important moments, and like Terence Fisher, he knows how to get maximum impact from a close-up. 

Kino's Region A Blu-ray of THE CRUEL SEA presents the film uncut, with a 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The black and white visuals are not outstanding looking, but overall the print is very good. 

The disc's extras include an interview with actor Donald Sinden, which lasts around 30 minutes (it appears to have been recorded sometime in the early 2000s). He talks about his experiences during the production of THE CRUEL SEA. A new audio commentary by Simon Abrams is included. It's an unevenly paced talk, and Abrams spends a lot of time reading entire passages from the novel the movie is based on. There are also a few trailers from other war movies released on home video by Kino, including one for THE CRUEL SEA. 

This film impressed me a great deal, but I expected it would, considering the studio behind it and the people involved in it. THE CRUEL SEA deserves to be on the list of great movies about World War II. 

BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN

 

BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN is a brand new documentary detailing the creation of the legendary rock and roll band and the production of the group's first two albums. The film was directed by Bernard MacMahon (who was also co-writer and co-producer). 

The film begins with brief sequences charting the younger years of the four future members of the band--guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. Even as a teenager in the early 1960s Page is already a musical prodigy, becoming an in-demand player on several music sessions in London for various groups. Page accepts an invitation to join The Yardbirds, but he soon finds that the contemporary pop scene doesn't allow him to do the things he wants to do with music. When The Yardbirds split up, Page takes the opportunity to form a brand new band, a band that will reflect his tastes and ambitions. Led Zeppelin is born in late 1968, and the group soon became popular due to its massive touring schedule and eclectic debut albums. 

The highlight of LED ZEPPELIN is the massive amount of rare footage and audio that is presented in it--we get to see such things as a very young Jimmy Page playing skiffle on BBC television and we get to hear Robert Plant's singing style before he even met Page. There's also plenty of footage and audio from Led's concert tours in 1969. 

All three of the surviving members of the group appear on camera to give their thoughts and opinions about what the formation of the band was like (the late John Bonham's insights are heard through vintage audio). What makes BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN different from other rock documentaries is that it focuses strictly on the music. There are no tabloid-style personal revelations, or wallowing in crazy backstage stories. Some might be disappointed in the lack of such clickbait, but what this allows the film to do is to make the viewer keenly aware of just how great an artist each individual member of the group was. (I assume the fact that the surviving members of the group gave their official sanction to the project is the main reason for the lack of any tawdry details.) The film also shows that Jimmy Page wasn't just a magnificent guitarist, he was also a brilliant producer and a savvy deal-maker--he and band manager Peter Grant were able to not only convince Atlantic Records to sign the group, they also got complete creative control musically. 

Led Zeppelin is such a monumental music group that their output is sort of taken for granted now. BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN reminds rock fans how revolutionary and earth-shattering the band was for its time, and how powerful their music remains to this day. (If you do watch this film through streaming or on demand, as I did, make sure you have a decent sound system to truly appreciate it.) Considering that this film only covers Led through its first two albums, one wonders if there might be a sequel in the works.