The Sound of Music (1965) Review- By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: The Sound of Music
Year: 1965
Director: Robert Wise
Country: US
Language: English

At the time, The Sound of Music was commercially successful (grossing well over $100 million at the box office), but was universally panned by critics. Pauline Kael described it as “the sugar-coated lie that people seem to want to eat.” In my opinion critics were right to dismiss the picture, as it seemed to be old hat for 1965. The cinema was going a different direction; becoming a more bold innovative art-form, free from the chains of convention. Sound of Music seemed like a 1950's musical in contrast. 

The film stars Julie Andrews as Maria, a woman who leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the children of a Naval officer widower.

By 1965 American Cinema had become drastically different from the more traditional "Old Hollywood" of the pre-60's. The most financially and critically successful films had focused on racial relations (In the Heat of the Night), sexuality (The Graduate) and/or violence (Bonnie and Clyde). Films that were more family-friendly (Dr.Doolittle) were immediately ousted and are now largely forgotten from cinematic history. The Sound of Music is a rather strange phenomenon, because even though the culture had become drastically different, it still managed to fare well. 

Despite being produced during a rather odd time in history, Sound of Music is a terrific adaptation of the 1959 Broadway musical composed by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Almost every tune has become engrossed in our culture, many of which I have difficulty getting out of my head. The cinematography is awe-inspiring, the acting is remarkable and the costuming (though historically inaccurate) is worthy of its Oscar nomination.

It's rather interesting to hear that some of the cast members still despise the very film they worked so hard on. One critique that I have of Sound of Music is that it is a bit too upbeat considering it is set in WWII Austria. It is also strange that some minor conflicts (a child misbehaving) are given the same weight as major conflicts (FREAKING NAZIS INVADING) Julie Andrews is the glue that holds this film together, just watching her remarkable singing is worth the price of admission. 

Meet Me in St.Louis (1944) Review- By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: Meet Me in St.Louis
Year: 1944
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Country: US
Language: English

Famed actress Judy Garland originally wanted nothing to do with Meet Me in St. Louis. She fought hard to avoid the assignment, even getting her mother to meet with Lois B. Mayer. Garland was finally getting some hard-earned adult roles (such as For Me and My Gal and Presenting Lily Mars) and she was concerned about being typecast as a child. Despite her hesitance, Mayer insisted she play the part, and she began to fall head over heels for the role. 

In the year leading up to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, the four Smith daughters learn lessons of life and love, even as they prepare for a reluctant move to New York. 

Throughout production Judy Garland became romantically involved with the Director Vincente Minnelli. They would marry in 1945 and produce one of the world's finest talents; Liza Minnelli (Cabaret) The film itself was a commercial and critical hit, many film critics at the time citing it as a rather charming film. It would become nominated for four Academy Awards (Screenplay, Cinematography, Score and Song) and boost the career of Margaret O' Brien. 

Indeed Meet Me in St.Louis deserves great acclaim. Any event in which we are able to hear the wonderful voice of Judy Garland is a memorable one. The wonderful music, such as "the trolley song", are only icing on the cake in a picture filled with good acting, exquisite cinematography and astonishing use of colour and set design. Every scene breathes new life and exhumes tremendous amounts of joy.

Perhaps knowing some of Judy Garland's real personal struggles takes away from some enjoyment of Meet Me in St.Louis, but for the most part you'll feel entranced and glued to the screen. It's a warm picture that is very hard to negatively critique. 

Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? (1972) Review- By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: Whoever Slew Auntie Roo
Year: 1972
Director: Curtis Harrington
Country: UK 
Language: English

Poor Shelly Winters. I've seen her in Lolita, Night of the Hunter and now this. Does she survive any movie she has been in? Is she the Sean Bean of the 1950's-1970's? Who Slew Auntie Roo? comes from a relatively small budget studio (American International Pictures) known for putting older studio stars into horror splatterfests

In this film, a demented widow lures unsuspecting children into her mansion in a bizarre "Hansel and Gretel" twist. 

Director Curtis Harrington previously directed Winters in the similarly titled What’s the Matter With Helen (1971) starring Debbie Reynolds. Curiously this horror isn't as gore-heavy nor bosom filled as most AIP productions. The story is more psychological in nature and reflects a growing trend of pictures known as “Grand Dame Guignol”. This forgotten sub-genre, which began with Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) featured golden age actresses portraying characters who were on the brink of insanity.

The “Grand Dame Guignol” movies are not necessarily terrifying, but they do evoke themes of loss, depression and obsession. Auntie Roo's scenes are full of dread and worry; we have anxiety over the children's safety and great doubt over Winters' intentions. The film is technically well made, although for trying to evoke Grimm's Hansel and Gretel I'd say it somewhat misses the mark. While I was entranced, I did feel like we were in a fairytale/nightmare. 

I love Shelly Winters. She was a great actress, and even though she was "over the hill" in 1972 (52 years old) she gave a tremendous performance as a rather sympathetic villain. I only recently knew of this film's existence, but I was certainly glad to see it. 

Up! (1976) Review- By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: Up!
Year: 1976
Director: Russ Meyer
Country: US
Language: English

Please don't mistake Russ Meyer's Up! for the G-Rated Disney Pixar Adventure from 2009 that was nominated for "Best Animated Feature" at the Academy Awards. This film is, in one word, outrageous. It could also be described as excessive; in busty heroines, sexy femme fatales, bloody violence and vicious vixens. To its credit Up! does try to have some semblance of a plot, but I doubt any audience member cares. They came for the T&A! 

Up! kicks off with the murder of one Adolf Schwartz. Who did it? No-one knows or cares, as they're too busy being distracted by busty Margo Winchester, who hitch-hikes into town and gets involved with all the local men.

If you're watching this movie expecting an intelligent murder mystery...you'll be disappointed in a very good way. As with most of Meyer's filmography you'll be treated with copious amounts of testosterone, sex, nudity, pornography, all coming off as undeniably humorous. Up! is a cheeky film in more ways than one. Its cheese is rather charming, even for those who despise sexploitation.

 Effective in its mission of unrefined eroticism and gung ho extravagance, Up! is hard to walk away from. Each scene is contained within an atmosphere of weirdness, eccentricity and pure sexual madness. While not exactly a technically well made film, as the dubbing is poor and the sound effects are even worse, Meyer's film is still one hell of an event. 


I'm not entirely sure where you can find Up! to purchase, the copy I watched was on Youtube.This film isn't "great" in any sense of the world, but it certainly must be seen. Its a very unique picture that could have only come out in the 70's.

Deep End (1970) Review- By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: Deep End
Year: 1970
Director: Jerzy Skolimowski
Country: UK
Language: English

Set in London in the period when the optimism of the “Swinging Sixties” was beginning to dwindle, Deep End paints the picture of a British culture suffering from the emptiness of sexual decadence. It's an eccentric coming of age drama, not unlike Mike Nichols' The Graduate. The film is Polish Director Jerzy Skolimowski's second feature film, and would be rarely seen if not for TCM's Underground series (and recently BFI's dual format edition). I first viewed this film on TCM...at about 3am on a Friday. 

In this,15-year-old Mike (John Moulder-Brown) takes a job at the local swimming baths, where he becomes obsessed with an attractive young woman, Susan (Jane Asher), who works there as an attendant.

Most films from the 70's looked back at the 60's as a bubble of glittering optimism and stellar youth movements. Skolimowski exposes the seedier side of the youth scene, the purposeless of their lives and the pointlessness of their ideology. A study of unredeemable characters, the film probes into the empty lives of shattered people. Every character in Deep End struggles greatly with their personal identity, collective identity and their gender roles.

Deep End is contained in an eccentric atmosphere, filled with nervous electricity. The film dances between many different genres, experimenting with absurd comedy, black comedy, melodrama, and surrealism. Skolimowski uses a handheld camera, and combined with the constant use of natural lighting, it feels like a very low-budget independent production. The film's mis-en-scene is rather interesting, as every scene looks remarkably clean even though we are dealing with material that needs some scrubbing. 

Deep End is an utterly fascinating picture, certainly one of the most unique films I have ever seen. Unfortunately, because the studio failed in its marketing, Skolimowski's feature would not be a critical or commercial success at the time. Due to its unavailability throughout the years, it doesn't have the following that it rightfully deserves. Thankfully BFI and TCM believe in this wonderful cinematic achievement. 

Farewell My Concubine (1993) Review- By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: Farewell My Concubine
Year: 1993
Director: Chen Keige
Country: China
Language: Mandarin

Widely considered as the greatest mainland Chinese film of all time, Farewell My Concubine was an immediate international success upon theatrical release, which brought worldwide appreciation for Chinese cinema.  It was given many prestigious awards including Oscar nominations and the Cannes' Palme d'Or. It did very well financially, and paved the way for other Chinese pictures do make great amounts of money throughout the world. 

Farewell My Concubine is a story of two men, who met as apprentices in the Peking Opera, and stayed friends for over 50 years.

Set in the cultural and political upheavals of twentieth century China, the film works as both a deeply personal love story and a culturally shared experience. We see the cold, strict training regiments of the Peking Opera and must confront the difficult nature of theater. We are also drawn into the lives of Dieyi and Xiaolou, a homosexual relationship that is constantly threatened by the collapsing society around them.

If nothing else, Farewell My Concubine is a visual feast. We are treated to an epic full of lavish sets, gorgeous colorful costuming, and emotionally powerful characterization. We are immersed in the setting and feel the extravagant nature of every tumultuous historical event. The score is also incredibly important, as many times it leaves you breathless and on the edge of your seat. 

Farewell My Concubine is a very complex multi-layered film that will leave you wanting more. The 3hr running time will feel like a breeze as you find yourself pondering the many themes of gender identity and sexuality. I can certainly say this is in my top ten of favorite films. Chen Keige's film is a must-see for any cinephile.

50 Favourite Horror Films (Pre-1960's)

Title: 50 Favourite Horror Films
Year(s): 1915-1959

I was first exposed to the horror genre as a child, when a television station played all the Universal Horror Classics near Halloween. These amazed me, and I became motivated to watch the best that horror had to offer. Unfortunately, perhaps due to Psycho's influence, post 60's horror became more reliant on blood, gore and torture. As time went on, I felt the genre had lost what pulled me into it in the first place; atmosphere. 

Granted there are still some pretty great post 60's Horror (A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night from 2014, Don't Look Now from 1973) and I may cover those at a later date. This list is my favorite pre-1960's horror (or pre-Psycho horror). I do stretch the genre to include science fiction, some Hitchcock thrillers, a creepy Billy Wilder film noir hybrid and a medieval period picture but my logic is that they have an intense focus on death and are infused with a great horror-like atmosphere

1. Les Vampires (1915)
2. Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
3. The Golem (1920)
4. The Haunted House (1921)
5. Haxan (1922)
6. Nosferatu (1922)
7. Dr.Mabuse: The Gambler (1922)
8. Phantom of the Opera (1925)
9. A Page of Madness (1926)
10. Faust (1926)
11. The Man Who Laughs (1928)
12. M (1931)
13. Frankenstein (1931)
14. Dracula (1931)
15. Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde (1931)
16. Vampyr (1932)
17. The Mummy (1932)
18. Island of Lost Souls (1932)
19. Testament of Dr. Mabuse (1933)
20. The Invisible Man (1933)
21. King Kong (1933)
22. The Wolf Man (1941)
23. Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)
24. Suspicion (1941)
25. Cat People (1942)
26. The Uninvited (1944) 
27. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
28. The Thing from Another World (1951)
29. Strangers on A Train (1951)
30. Wages of Fear (1953)
31. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
32. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
33. Dial M for Murder (1954)
34. Rear Window (1954)
35. Them! (1954)
36. Godzilla (1954)
37. The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues (1955)
38. Night of the Hunter (1955)
39. It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955)
40. Les Diaboliques (1955)
41. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
42. The Monster that Challenged the World (1957)
43. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
44. The Seventh Seal (1957)
45. The Haunted Strangler (1958)
46. Fiend Without a Face (1958)
47. Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
48. Vertigo (1958)
49. Corridors of Blood (1958)
50. The Blob (1959)