Reviews
The Spirit of Christmas (1950)
A Treasured Childhood Memory
I've been looking for this for years, but didn't know the title. I heard the familiar voice on a TV program and made note of the name--Alexander Scourby. It wasn't until a couple of weeks ago that I found out the title and that it was available on DVD. Like a previous poster, I saw this every year as a child in elementary school. It was something I looked forward to each year. The puppetry was so impressive to a younger child back then--waaaaay before all the overdone CG effects of contemporary entertainment. Even now the puppet work still looks good. Both segments have such a simple charm. The puppets are costumed as live actors would be---this is far from a shoestring production! This is a timeless classic--required Christmas season viewing.
Shadows Over Chinatown (1946)
Not the best, but interesting never the less...
This CHAN entry is a little different from the opening. First, there is a sequence in the Missing Persons Bureau with an off-screen narrator explaining the goings on. Then the "torso killings"--shades of the Black Dahlia. I don't recall such gruesome deaths in the earlier Chans, although here they are only spoken of. The plot is pure Monogram Chan for better or worse(a scorecard would come in handy with this outing as well as most of the others). The interaction between Toler, Sen Yung and Mantan Moreland is as always fun to watch. Much has been made of Moreland's parts in these films and their supposed "racist" overtones. Maybe so, but IMNTBHO him playing a scared bumbler is no different than Lou Costello playing a scared bumbler in one of the A&C flicks---and they are both super at it. If all else fails there is beautiful Tanis Chandler to ogle! Why she never became a true star is beyond me--she's a sight.
My Little Chickadee (1940)
I'll take ya' and how!!
It's a shame that West and Fields had such a dislike for each other. In their few scenes together you can see how incredible this film could've been. Their introduction on the train is a delight, with him slurping all over her "symmetrical digits" and she crooning "you're compromisin' me". Field's disguising himself as her lover the Masked Bandit and getting some lip action under false pretenses is hilarious. If only they could've spent so much more screen time with each other instead of focusing on their separate routines, this would be a major classic. As it is it is still great fun. And Fields' asides to Margaret Hamilton are priceless! "I hope she don't get too violent--I haven't strength enough to knock her down!"
The Christmas Wish (1998)
An intimate, heartfelt Christmas movie
This is one of my favorite Christmas movies. It is slow, to be sure, but the whole feel of it and the ambiance created are beautiful. It is such a heartfelt story and the cast is excellent. Neil Patrick Harris still comes off very young, but his work as Will is multi faceted. Debbie Reynolds is, as always, a joy to watch, and her restrained performance helps anchor the story. I usually can figure out plot twists from the get-go, but the final revelation of who Lillian is was a complete surprise--heart wrenching and uplifting all at once. If you want an intimate, heartfelt holiday movie don't miss THE Christmas WISH.
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
A SPARKLING Christmas CLASSIC!
This film is one of my favorite Christmas classics. Sure, it's fluff, it's not "relevant", but when did movies being simply entertaining and fun become a bad thing? No, this movie is definitely "A Good Thing" as Martha Stewart(appropriately)would say! Barbara Stanwyck is so appealing in this film and Dennis Morgan perfectly compliments her. Both of them have charm and warmth to spare. They are assisted by a crew of those incredible character actors who seem to have disappeared since the 40's and 50's--Sydney Greenstreet, S.Z.(Cuddles)Sakall, Reginald Gardiner and Una O'Connor among them. Where are characters like this today? Not one role could have been better cast. Bette Davis thankfully refused this role as beneath her and she was right to refuse it. She would have attempted to steam roll over everyone and everything around her and completely destroyed the film. Stanwyck was a strong actress, but had the wisdom to play this lightly. She has seldom been more appealing and is pitch perfect. Morgan is the essence of the nice guy. Because his part is the least splashy there is a tendency to overlook his skill. Just the fact that he could hold his own surrounded by such distinct character actors is an accomplishment in itself, but he too is absolutely perfect as Jefferson Jones. Skip the ill advised(and pointless)1992 remake and watch this bright, sparkling holiday gift!
Halloween: Resurrection (2002)
Michael Myers on Fear Factor
This movie is a good time waster, no more. The first mistake was the ridiculous explanation of how Michael is STILL alive, but OK I'll go with it. The next and for me unforgivable mistake is killing off Jamie Lee Curtis' character of Laurie Strode. She is as much to credit with the success of the HALLOWEEN series as is Michael if not more so. Her presence in the lead role in H20 lifted that film above mediocre status. To kill her off in the first 10 minutes was inexcusable. She is the only one who can properly end the series hopefully with an assist from son John. Of course she IS the sister of the unkillable one. Maybe it runs in the family? The casting of Busta Rhymes is yet another screw up. He is nothing but irritating and his constant stream of M.F.s is tiresome and offensive. This is good dialogue?! They throw in a girl whose emotional extremes make things go haywire in the auditions, then do nothing with it. That at least could have been something different, but maybe they were afraid it would look like a ripoff of F13TH THE NEW BLOOD'S Tina. On the plus side it was good to see a reasonable facsimile of the Myers'house, not the more traditionally haunted house looking one used in H4 and H5. They got that right. What made the house frightening was its ordinariness. Also it was funny when the real Michael came mask to mask with the pretend Michael. A little more should have been done with that for comic relief. A time waster--nothing more.
From Hell It Came (1957)
I've known the Tabanga since I was a child...
I won't go into the plot, which was told by previous posters. All I can say is this movie is a blast from the past. My brothers and I used to catch this and many other movies of its kind on a local Saturday night horror show called WEIRD. FROM HELL IT CAME and the Tabanga are old, dear friends. I own a DVD of it as well as a lobby card featuring a "terrifying" climactic scene of leading lady Tina Carver being abducted by the tree monster. The Tabanga is one of 50's monster maker Paul Blaisdell's best and most imaginative creations--right up there with the "cucumber monster" Beulah, from IT CONQUERED THE WORLD. He worked with all these cheapie movie producers and made some of the most memorable beasts of the 50s. This movie is highly recommended for bad cinema buffs or lovers of nostalgia!