Gambit (1966)

“I suppose this is the end of a beautiful friendship.” 29 August 2019

From IMDb:   “An English cat burglar needs a Eurasian dancer's help to pull off the perfect heist, but even the most foolproof schemes have a way of backfiring.”

Instead of trying to write my own plot description, I’ve gone with the one from IMDb.  I watched Gambit completely blind and I think everyone deserves that opportunity. Not that I think anyone will read or care what I write, but on the off chance someone does, I don’t want to be the cause of any spoilers. 

As should be obvious by my rating, I absolutely adored Gambit.  Just about everything worked perfectly for me. Director Ronald Neame expertly crafted a film that engrossed and entertained me from beginning to end.  The pacing couldn’t be better. The film has an unusual structure that I found intriguing. While watching the movie, at about the 30 minute mark, everything you think you understand gets turned upside down.  And that’s not the last of the plot twists. Gambit’s clever script features several well-played swerves that I honestly didn’t see coming. It’s a fantastic piece of writing. Speaking of fantastic, that describes Shirley McClaine and Michael Caine.  The pair have definite chemistry and make the most of it. McClaine is simply mesmerizing during those first 30 minutes I mentioned earlier. The supporting cast is more than capable, with notable performances from John Abbott and Herbert Lom. Technically, I found Gambit flawless – cinematography, set design, music, and costume design (McClaine looks absolutely fabulous) are all as good as you’ll find.  I’m not surprised to discover the film’s art direction and costume design were nominated for an Oscar. There’s really no end to the positives I could write about.

My only quibble with Gambit and the thing that keeps me from rating it a 10/10 is the rather suddenness of what I call “the romance stuff”.  Okay, it’s not like I didn’t see it coming. It’s not a spoiler to say that I knew from the beginning that Caine and McClaine’s characters would end up together.  But their out-of-the-blue proclamations of love were a bit jarring. Regardless, Gambit is a wonderful movie and one I can’t wait to revisit again and again. 

9/10

The Fat Man: The Thirty-Two Friends of Gina Lardelli (1959) (TV)

Lucius Crane was quite an interesting character, 28 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Model Gina Lardelli is found dead in her apartment.  The police rule her death a suicide. Detective Lucius Crane is hired to prove Ms Lardelli was, in fact, murdered.  Soon after taking the case, several attempts are made to put Crane off the scent.  Crane is convinced he’s on the right track.

I ran across this obscure little TV movie last night and decided to give it a go.  Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed The Fat Man: The Thirty-Two Friends of Gina Lardelli (or The Fan Man for the rest of this).  Even though I guessed the outcome about half-way through, it was still a joy to watch Robert Middleton as Lucius Crane figure things out.  Middleton’s Crane is an eccentric, mannered, thoughtful character. He’s a man of many talents, including being accomplished chef and a competent harpsichordist, but equally adept with his fists when it comes to it.  Middleton brought real life to this well-written character. The Fat Man’s plot is engaging with about three different threads going on at the same time – a drowned hoodlum with a slot machine tied to his feet, a party at a mobster’s house, and poor, dead Gina.  It’s interesting to watch director Joseph Lewis bring it all together into a satisfying conclusion. The supporting cast is strong and includes a very young Rita Moreno as the titular Gina Lardelli.

The Fat Man was the pilot for a potential series that never went anywhere.  I wished it had been picked up. It would have been nice to see more.

7/10

The Scarlet Claw (1944)

“Sit down, old fellow.  Judge Brisson has decided not to shoot us.” 27 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Holmes decides to investigate a murder in a small Canadian town.  A woman’s throat has been slashed – in the same manner as a number of sheep in the area.  The locals tell a story of strange lights and a monster living on the bog. Holmes is, quite naturally, skeptical of these stories. 

I think The Scarlet Claw might be my favorite of the Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films.  The movie’s plot is engaging enough with plenty of twists and turns. I usually don’t go for films where characters are in disguise, but it didn’t bother me much here.  The regulars, Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, are in fine form. By 1944, they knew their respective roles and how to play them. Rathbone and Bruce have a nice supporting cast to work with, including Gerald Hamer, Paul Cavanagh, and Ian Wolfe giving solid performances.  The film looks fantastic – as did most all of Universals output from the 40s. Cinematography easily gets an A+. The sets contribute a great deal to the film’s look. The Penrose House, for example, with the amazing stone work is absolutely stunning. Universal had to have used these sets in other films.  They’re too nice to have been created just for this movie. But the thing that sets The Scarlet Claw apart from the rest of the series is atmosphere. Director Roy William Neill wrings every last drop of atmosphere he could muster out of the film. The Scarlet Claw is creepier than most traditional horror movies of the period.  The dark bogs, the abandoned hotel, and the genuine fear on the faces of the townspeople - it’s like something out of a Frankenstein film. Overall, a very solid effort.

8/10

Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (1989)

A silly movie with little entertainment value, 27 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Jason follows and butchers the local high school graduating class on their trip to Manhattan. 

Re-watching Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan (or JTM for short) last night, I realized I had completely forgotten most of the movie’s details.  I suppose that’s a good thing, because when a movie is this horrifically bad, it’s probably best to put it out of mind. There’s really not much here to enjoy - characters with zero depth (less than usual in a Friday movie), lame attempts at humor, an inappropriate score, ridiculous dialogue, horrible acting, and not a single scare in sight.  But I suppose the two things I disliked the most were the setting and Jason. I didn’t mind the boat/ship stuff as much as most people, but Manhattan – how stupid. Jason is a feral, forest being. Take him out of the woods and it just doesn’t feel right. My complaint with Jason is that in JTM, he’s given the power to “teleport” far greater than we’ve seen in past movies.  There’s a scene where a character gets clear of Jason. She’s way ahead of him. Looking over her shoulder (at Jason trailing behind, I presume), she quickly climbs a ladder. Immediately, Jason throws her through a window. How’d he get up there that fast?    

Honestly, I could go on and on.  But really, what’s the point? It’s like shooting fish in a barrel.  Overall, a silly movie with little entertainment value. I may need to revisit Part V.  I don’t remember it being this bad.

3/10

Terror by Night (1946)

Nice entry in the series, but far from perfect, 26 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Sherlock Holmes has been hired to guard a famous diamond aboard a train bound for Scotland.  But when the diamond is stolen, Holmes not only needs to uncover a thief, but a murderer as well. 

Even though I have a number of problems with Terror by Night, that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy rewatching it last night.  Even the worst of the Rathbone Holmes’ films are entertaining. With a mysterious coffin on board, every passenger looking suspicious, and Watson hysterically bumbling around, there’s plenty here to like.  Roy William Neill does an excellent job of keeping things moving. At less than an hour, there’s no time to waste. The claustrophobic nature of the train was put to good use. Everything is close and cramped.  Terror by Night might not have been a big budget film, but you wouldn’t know by looking at it. As with most of Universal’s output from the 40s, the cinematography is terrific. I also enjoyed the miniature work on most of the exterior train shots.  Nicely done.  

As for what didn’t work - some of the acting is a bit iffy.  Rathbone, for example, gives a professional performance, but it’s easy to tell he’s tired of the role.  Renee Godfrey may be incredibly lovely, but her acting is stiff and her accent is laughable. But the biggest negative I have is with the film’s finale.  The solution is fine, but the final fight scene and its aftermath are ludicrous. There’s just no way that could have happened.  

7/10

The Horror at 37,000 Feet (1973) (TV)

“You don’t need a priest, Mr Farlee.  You need a parachute.” 25 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  A transatlantic flight is carrying the remains of an old abbey in its cargo hold.  The flight begins to go horribly wrong when the “ancient ones” locked in the abbey start to take over the flight - and a few of the passengers.

In any traditional sense, it would be difficult to call The Horror at 37,000 Feet a “good” movie.  But, regardless of the faults I could list, it was still a reasonably entertaining experience. Any time you see William Shatner in the cast, you know that at least you’re in for a laugh or two - intentional or not.  The film is listed, at least in part, as horror. I’d be shocked to find anyone who actually got a real fright out of the thing. It’s all too corny to be horrific. The acting is about what you’d expect. No one is going out of their way to produce an award winning performance.  Poor old Chuck Connors is the exception. He seems to be the only one taking it seriously. Special effects range from poor to laughable. The plane’s carpet spitting up Exorcist-like pea soup is the most ridiculous. In the end, though, it’s a watchable and, occasionally, an enjoyable mess.  

5/10