Reviews
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (2016)
Slow build to ..... Nothing
Many reviewers have called this film "a beautiful poem", "a beautiful period piece", and a throwback to pure Gothic. It did have atmosphere, but I found it more soporific than nostalgic. Wish I had watched it after dark, as it's alleged that the true artistry is seen only without distraction. As it was, I watched it while my husband slept in the chair, both cats jumped on the couch to sleep and my dog wandered off into the other room. After the first half hour of watching, I got up to make coffee, and that action was a frenzied explosion of activity compared to the movie. I assume Polly, apparently a psychic since her clothing was that of a woman dressed sixty years into the future, was murdered by her new husband, walled up behind the wainscoting, and slowly molded away. I can't believe Lily ever earned a nursing degree, as her character was as slow-witted as she was slow moving. The beautiful Paula Prentiss, whose bone structure has at least endured, has little to do but stare vacantly at the wall. Her character is relatively mobile and apparently without stress of any type, but she isn't cared for, as you see only two interactions between her and her caregiver. Did no one ever feed her? Wash her hair? Change the sheets? Nothing ever "happened" in this movie, but if it had, it would have occurred in a vacuum. The pace is akin to watching coal turn into diamonds, and no consensus is reached about what happened in this house or to these people. Slasher movies are not my thing, but I do expect something to HAPPEN, and a reasonable resolution.
Criminal Minds: Jones (2007)
And where was Marie LaVeau?
Loved this episode. All of my favorite characters are here, except Joe Montagna. It's obvious that something is critically wrong with Spencer, although why he bullies Emily is never explained. I lived in Louisiana and have been to New Orleans many times. Yes, the setting of the French Quarter is dreadfully inaccurate, and I don't know why some of the characters were given this strange "Alabama crossed with Hollywood" accent. Cajun/Creole dialect is much different. Those of us who know the real things are probably a little distressed, but it's still a good episode.
Anything to do with Jack the Ripper is almost automatically gripping, and this episode thoroughly exploits the fascination. New Orleans, itself, is both beautiful and creepy, with an evil undertone. The atmosphere of the movie "Skeleton Key" is effectively duplicated, so turn on the lights and watch with a friend.
I simply can't see Josh Stewart as a love interest for the beautiful JJ. He has some stage presence and is considered a solid actor, but I just can't see her with this sad-eyed mope. If he's going to be around more, maybe I'll begin to love him, too.
Penelope, to me, is always the MVP for the group. Without her help, they'd be at loose ends, and I would love to have someone like her in our tense little office. Enjoy the interaction between her and Morgan, and her with the two other women. I get the sense they like each other which is very nice for the viewer. CSI Miami suffered after the two female leads gave every indication they didn't like each other and were jockeying for position. It ruined the team concept we all love. I assume Reid's instability comes from his hostage situation, and that hasn't been thoroughly explored. Gideon talking with Reid at the club was both gentle and touching, which also added to the happiness of all of us watching.
This show has numerous strands, all loosely tied to the terror in New Orleans, and each character held a piece of the puzzle. This time, it transcended being a "police procedural" and became a true psychological enigma. Well Done!
PS: Marie was a Voodoo Priestess from the 1800s, buried in one of the larger cemeteries. People still visit her grave to ask for favors, and she is presumed to know the evil that haunts New Orleans. Am glad they didn't drag her out, but she's a big part of the gloomy cloud that hangs over The Big Easy.
The Bat (1959)
Don't read the book first
Mary Roberts Rinehart is my all-time favorite author, and having read the book, most of my complaints have to do with the mish-mash of characters. The maid's name is LIDDIE (Lydia), not Lizzie, which grated on my nerves, and she and Cornelia have a complex, platonic, of course, relationship which isn't shown, but is significant in the book. Most of the humor between these two was eradicated from the movie. Darla Hood was dreadful in her part, and the two romances were cut entirely. The back-story was left out completely, so way too many characters just showed up, with no obvious relationship to each other or the plot.
Agnes Morehead does as well as possible in her role, and Vincent Price is always superb. I found it surprising that "Cornelia" is presented as a "cougar". Cornelia, in the book, would never have worn the revealing night clothes, and her hair wasn't worn in a braid down to her butt. It's a different era. The characters' problems with daily details of life in the country is also ignored, but are a plot imperative and a lot of fun, so the feel of the era is destroyed. It was jarring to see early 1950s fashion in a period piece. Part of Cornelia's charm is her "elderly", rich, out-of-her-comfort zone, with a spine of steel, reaction to the weird happenings.
Spoiler Alert: The "Bat" is a human criminal. He didn't have steel claws, and didn't slash throats, or do monstrous experiments on bats. This movie is a mixture of crime novel and early 1950s horror movie, which is an uncomfortable union. I'm sure the producer, director, and the actors tried hard to make a success of this bastardized version of a good book. I've never made a movie, but think in more talented hands, it would have been a major hit.
North Circular Road (2015)
Is it or is it not a ghost story?
This non-slasher (thank you!) movie is hard to rate as the presentation has no coherence. The cinematography leaps from bright lights/big city to low-key, Irish floral, apparently on a whim. The make-up was bizarre, with Matthew looking at times as if he had a huge port wine stain, and Janice with pitted skin. The Seeress veered from white clown make-up to the skin of a woman dying of blood loss. The main characters, Matthew and Janice had absolutely no chemistry and couldn't fake it. No way could I believe he was her husband and that they conceived a child together. They seemed to have such an isolated life together that I could understand why she had an affair. I think the underlying plot of the movie is based on "Gaslight", mentioned fondly during one the final scenes, but neither the director nor the young cast could pull off a plausible imitation. Not a bad way to spend a rainy night, but a waste of "Cinematography Night". Not one actor was able to pull off the belief that he/she became the person they portrayed, which is death to a good film.
Black Field (2009)
Beautifully bleak
JulietteofOhio 40 minutes ago Stunning visuals and Sara Canning is a rare talent. As a history major, I was fascinated by the raw country and sheer amount of physical work these women would be required to put in. In the real world, they would both be dead within a year, either from malnutrition, disease, or hypothermia, The father and brothers were reported to have died of typhoid, a water-borne illness, and it would undoubtedly strike the two under-fed, over-worked women. This was a time that required male strength and protection, an asset not valued sufficiently today. In actual fact, the extreme northern plains required a community as even groups of men died on the hostile northern prairies. The only flaws I spotted were the metal artifacts on the dilapidated house and barn. The fixtures, handles, etc., were "antique modern", not the forged iron of the period. Hair and dresses were accurate, as per the post-Civil War era, but the shoes were circa 1900. The setting was bleak, the outlook was bleak, but it was an engrossing film.
Summoned (2013)
Savvy but frightened woman solves ghostly murder mystery
I enjoyed this made-for-TV movie, partially because I liked Ashley Scott so much in Jericho. Wish she hadn't cut her hair. This movie doesn't have any gore or slashing, but relies on creepy clues and great lighting to manufacture the chill. The ending was unexpected despite the fact there were a sufficient amount of subtle clues. Perfect way to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon. There is also a strong possibility of romance between appealing characters, as a good LMN movie should provide. The heroine shows compassion for elderly characters, which I hope becomes a common trend. This compassion leads to some valuable information for her, demonstrating that courtesy always helps. The houses shown belonging to various characters are amazing, so we have to assume these are professional people called to jury duty, which is, in itself, unusual. The title,"Summoned" refers to the fact that citizens are "summoned" to jury duty, or in this case, summoned to an untimely death. Worth watching in my opinion.