BAD SISTER (1931)

This early sound picture has the distinction of being the very first film to feature Miss Bette Davis. The young actress had just signed a contract with Universal Pictures after several successes on Broadway. Based on a novel by Boothe Tarkington, BAD SISTER tells the story of a selfish young woman who causes a lot of misery for her family and takes advantage of two men who love her. Does that sound like the plot of many a Bette Davis picture? Maybe so, but she doesn't get to play the headstrong, destructive bitch in this one. That role is played by another Universal starlet, Miss Sydney Fox (MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE 1932). Davis is the good sister in her screen debut.

This film is worth seeing mainly as a curio and to see the beginnings of a future superstar of the silver screen. Make that two future superstars, because a very young Humphrey Bogart is also featured as a slick bad guy who manages to beat the bad sister at her own game and run off with a big bunch of money at the same time.

Bette Davis is incredibly repressed and quiet in this film, but it's easy to see the raw talent and potential that is there. Sydney Fox is not terribly impressive in the showy role of the vixen who gets her comeuppance and morphs into another good sister by the film's conclusion. The top billed star is Conrad Nagel as the family patriarch. Also featured are Zasu Pitts and Slim Summerville.

VANISHING ON 7TH STREET (2010)

This fascinating horror thriller uses a plot device similar to many other horror and science fiction films. Most of the Earth's population has suddenly disappeared with no warning and the few survivors try to find out what happened and why they weren't taken along with everyone else. Films as diverse as TARGET EARTH (1954) and 28 DAYS LATER (2002) have started out in much the same way. Those other films, however, provide explanations and conclusions, while VANISHING ON 7TH STREET ends as mysteriously as it begins, which makes it all the more unsettling.

After the Earth has suddenly plunged into darkness and all known power sources have ceased functioning, almost the entire human population has disappeared, leaving only their clothes, glasses, jewelry, etc. Four survivors (Hayden Christensen, Thandie Newton, John Leguizamo and Jacob Latimore) manage to come together to seek answers and try to escape the fate of the rest of humanity. They discover that only carrying some source of light (flashlights, torches, etc.) has enabled them to survive. They find themselves surrounded by mysterious shadows that threaten to overtake them if their light sources stop working.

I had never heard of this film until I found it for sale at Big Lots for $3.00. It apparently had a very limited release and failed miserably at the box office. That's unfortunate, because this film is definitely worth seeing. It brought to mind one of my favorite horror films, KAIRO aka PULSE (2001), an excellent Japanese thriller directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. KAIRO also features a post-Apocalyptic theme with individual people mysteriously disappearing while those still existing search desperately for an explanation. But while KAIRO offers an existential explanation for the disappearances, VANISHING ON 7TH STREET only hints at a possible connection to the Roanoke Colony that vanished without a trace in 16th Century America.

The film was directed by Brad Anderson, who also directed another one of my favorite films, THE MACHINIST (2004), starring Christian Bale. The evocative music score was composed by Lucas Vidal, and on-location filming took place in Detroit.

Highly recommended. And completely devoid of violence and gore.

THE CLOVEHITCH KILLER (2018)

Talk about teenage angst. Sixteen year old Tyler (Charlie Plummer) begins to suspect that his clean cut, church going, all around good guy dad (Dylan McDermott) just might be a notorious serial killer who terrorized his community ten years ago. The boy investigates and finds out things about his dad that he wishes he hadn't. But does that make the man a killer? While the viewer sees Tyler uncovering some very incriminating evidence that appears to give credence to his suspicions, the film throws enough curves to cause us to have doubts. The excellent, understated performance of McDermott is the key to the ambiguity that pervades the first half of the story and then leads slowly and steadily to a terrifying conclusion. Plummer, so good in 2017's LEAN ON PETE, is intense and convincing throughout, making him a perfect match for McDermott. Also featuring Samantha Mathis as Tyler's mother, and Madisen Beaty as Tyler's friend Kassi, whose own mother was a victim of the serial killer. Directed by Duncan Skiles. Despite the subject matter, the film actually has very little violence. A well constructed thriller that delivers on its promise.

NANCY (2018)

The trailer for Christina Choe's NANCY is somewhat misleading. While watching it, I got the impression that the film was a creepy psychological thriller. I was only slightly let down when I realized the film was not in any way a thriller, but satisfied that the concepts of "creepy" and, most importantly, "psychological" still applied.

Andrea Riseborough, resembling a slightly washed out version of Uma Thurman, plays Nancy Freeman, a thirty-five year old woman who lives with, and cares for, her elderly sick mother (Ann Dowd). She is a frustrated writer who works temp jobs and lives a fantasy existence through identities she creates for herself on the internet. (One of these fantasies involves John Leguizamo in a good performance.) After her mother dies unexpectedly, Nancy sees a news report on television about a couple (J. Smith-Cameron and Steve Buscemi) whose five year old daughter was kidnapped thirty years ago. Nancy becomes convinced that she may be their daughter, and after contacting them, goes for a visit. There is an understandable awkwardness between Nancy and the couple, but eventually there develops a certain amount of bonding and affection as the three of them await the results of a DNA test.

Because of the trailer and the constant sense of unease in the film, I kept expecting Nancy to go postal, grab the nearest meat cleaver, and start swinging. That doesn't happen. Instead, the story comes to a quiet conclusion. Somehow that seemed appropriate considering the quiet, hidden life of the title character and the sad, frustrated lives of the parents whose child was stolen from them so many years ago.

Solid performances by all concerned help make this unique story believable and involving. Special mention must be given to the ever dependable Steve Buscemi, who forgoes his trademark wide-eyed, sarcastic craziness, and brings to life a compassionate, caring husband.Well worth seeing.

WILD REBELS (1967)

Low rent motorcycle gang nonsense starring singer Steve Alaimo as stock car racer Rod Tillman who, having crashed too many cars and run out of money, gets recruited by the cops to infiltrate a rather pathetic gang of cycle driving losers who plan to improve their financial lot by robbing a bank. The gang calls itself, no kidding, Satan's Angels, the membership of which consists of three guys suffering from possible walking brain death and a sleazy chick (Bobbie Byers) who's just in it for the kicks, baby, kicks.

Mayhem ensues when the gang robs the First National Bank in Citrus Grove, California. Tillman signals the cops who follow in frenzied pursuit as the gang takes refuge in an abandoned lighthouse. After much cinematic carnage, the male members have all gone to their eternal reward. Or eternal punishment, depending on your particular spiritual outlook. The sleazy chick, however, having reconsidered her lifestyle choices at the last minute, sides with Tillman and the cops and manages to survive the aforementioned carnage, only to be promptly arrested and carried off to jail. Tillman walks off into the sunset with one of the cops. Kicks, baby, kicks.

Steve Alaimo sings two songs before this is all over. Additional music from The Bird Watchers. Also starring Willie Pastrano as Banjo, John Vella as Jeeter, and Jeff Gillen as Fats. Directed by William Grefe.

MY SWEET CHARLIE (1970)

This made-for-television drama is both a powerful social commentary and insightful character study that still resonates fifty years after it debuted.

Two people from different backgrounds are hiding out in a Texas beach house that has been closed for the season. Marleen Chambers (Patty Duke), a poor Southern white teenager, who is unmarried and pregnant, is running away from her parents. Charles Roberts (Al Freeman, Jr.) is a black lawyer from New York. He came to the South to get involved with the civil rights struggle and killed a white man in self defense. He is fleeing from the police out of fear that he won't receive justice. Marleen has broken into the house first and resents the intrusion of the "uppity Nigra" from the North. Charlie is appalled by Marleen's ignorance and prejudice. The two fugitives clash at first, but eventually come to like and trust each other while trying to survive.

Strong performances by the two leads (Duke won an Emmy Award for Best Actress) and a believable, no-holds-barred script make this worth seeing.

Patty Duke with her Emmy Award for Best Actress in MY SWEET CHARLIE

FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD (1967)

There are so many things I could praise about this wonderful epic film.

I could compliment the direction of John Schlesinger. Or the screenplay by Fredric Raphael that captures so faithfully the spirit of Thomas Hardy's classic novel. There are, of course, the moving performances of excellent actors like Terence Stamp, Peter Finch, Alan Bates, and Prunella Ransome. And mention must be made of the haunting musical score by Richard Rodney Bennett and the fact that the film makes good use of traditional folk songs.

More importantly, I would have to acknowledge the glorious cinematography of Nicholas Roeg that so perfectly celebrates the countrysides of Wiltshire and Dorset, proving that only the British know how to make films like this.

In the end, however, only one thing is important; that once upon a time an exquisite creature named Julie Christie took her place in front of Roeg's camera, filling the screen with so much uncanny, ethereal beauty that the human heart is practically overwhelmed.

Therein lies the magic of FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD.

STOKER (2013)

Stoker is a psychological thriller made for no other discernible reason than to promote widespread psychological disturbance among those who choose to watch it. As a testament to bad genetics being passed from one generation to another, it succeeds admirably. It also succeeds from the standpoint of imagery. The digital cinematography, created for individuals with short attention spans, consists largely of a series of quick shots lasting about two seconds, with scenes from different times and places tirelessly juxtaposed on each other, leaving the viewer disoriented and dizzy and wondering what the hell is going on. Once it becomes clear just what is going on, one almost wishes it had all remained unclear, proving that some mysterious boxes are best left unopened.

Nicole Kidman has wandered in from the set of THE OTHERS, leaving behind the English accent, but bringing with her the same haunted, breathless confusion from the earlier film. Mia Wasikowska, so likable as the sensitive blonde teenager in THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, now has black hair and is no longer likable. Matthew Goode has penetrating, saucer-like blue eyes and gets creepier with every scene. He and Ms. Wasikowska make an unlikely and disturbing couple.

The film weaves its mystery around the viewer's neck, much like being choked with a leather belt, combining  hypnotic beauty with horrific ugliness in a film that is fascinating to watch and not easily forgotten.

But you can try. Your psychological health may well depend on it.

GHOST DRIVE-IN

If you should ever find yourself in the east central Illinois city of Danville, take Main Street all the way through town heading east toward the Indiana state line. Just outside the city limits stands a ghostly monument to a culture that no longer exists. The remains of a drive-in movie theater called the Illiana. I grew up in a very small town a few miles from the "big city" of Danville, once a blue collar industrial mecca now fallen on hard times. Danville was our go-to center for shopping and entertainment. At one time the city had three indoor theaters and three drive-ins. All have long since disappeared except for one indoor theater (which sat vacant for decades but is now restored), and the dilapidated ruins of the Illiana. This theater closed sometime in the early 1980's, I believe. Why it still stands, I have no idea. But the place fascinates me.

A few years ago I decided to trespass onto this possibly haunted piece of property to see what was left of the buildings and just generally soak up the atmosphere. The entire area was delightfully deteriorated and more than a little creepy. Overgrown weeds and trash were everywhere. I half expected to encounter the exploratory invasion force of the coming Zombie Apocalypse staggering out of what was left of the refreshment stand. I chose not to go into the stand because I was afraid I might never come out.

The screen was still standing, although part of the roof was collapsing. The rest of the structure seemed solid enough to stand defiantly for another fifty years. A door was open on one side, inviting (or daring) me to venture in and take a look around. But as with the concession stand, I decided some doors are best left unentered. There was only one old speaker stand that I could see, no speaker included. The whole property was eerily quiet, even though it was located on a busy thoroughfare. Kind of like the Twilight Zone. I walked around for about twenty minutes, snapped several pictures, and then left for the world of the living.

I drove past the Illiana recently and there was a For Sale sign on the property. After all these years I guess someone has figured out that this piece of land might be of some value. Or could it be that some enterprising soul wants to reopen the theater? How exciting that would be! At least for nostalgia freaks like myself. More than likely the old screen and the other structures will eventually be torn down. I hate to see it. It's a good feeling knowing that ghosts can still find a place to hang out and see a movie under the stars.

LOUISE BROOKS: LOOKING FOR LULU (1998)

This excellent documentary about the life and career of American actress Louise Brooks is told in as straightforward a manner as possible for a woman whose life story is anything but straightforward. It begins with her birth as Mary Louise Brooks in Cherryvale, Kansas in 1906 to a businessman father and a mother who had strong artistic and intellectual interests. It tells how at age fifteen Louise went to New York to study dancing. From there she worked as a chorus girl in the George White Scandals, and then as a specialty dancer in the Ziegfeld Follies. In 1925, when she was eighteen, Louise began working as an actress in the movies. Her acting career consisted of seventeen silent pictures and eight talkies. She made her last picture in 1938.

This collection of facts, dates, and numbers are mere footnotes in the life of a fascinating woman who has become a legendary, almost mythical figure in cinematic history. For many, the trajectory of Brooks' life and career has become symbolic of the tremendous opportunities for success and fame offered to those who get caught up in the business of motion pictures, as well as the possibility of tragedy and failure. Her very real story could easily have been the script of a studio produced soap opera about a girl from the Midwest who found acclaim as a movie star and then fell from grace and was forgotten by the public, only to be rediscovered years later and given the chance to start life anew.

Brooks was known as much for her great beauty as for her acting ability. At least at first. But as she matured, her energy, personality, and photogenic quality began to get her more attention and better films. After playing a succession of sexy flapper roles, William Wellman directed her in the serious drama BEGGARS OF LIFE in 1928, costarring along with Wallace Beery and Richard Arlen. This was a turning point in her career. Her studio, Paramount, cast her in a showcase role in a mystery called THE CANARY MURDER CASE. Unfortunately, this film was made at the time when her contract was up for renewal. The studio, trying to save money to cover the tremendous costs of converting to sound pictures, offered Brooks less money, and she turned them down. Instead, she accepted an offer from a German director named G.W. Pabst to go overseas and make a film for him.

The film was PANDORA'S BOX (1929), a very adult silent film that won a lot of attention in Europe, but was largely ignored in an America that was obsessed with the new talkies. She made another film for Pabst that same year, DIARY OF A LOST GIRL, a downbeat, expressionistic drama that also got little attention in America. But Paramount gave her another chance when they asked her to come back and record her dialogue for THE CANARY MURDER CASE, which was being converted to sound. Brooks refused, angering the studio. They spread the lie that her voice was unsuitable for sound pictures. Her part in THE CANARY MURDER CASE was shortened and poorly dubbed by another actress.

She made her sound debut in the French film PRIX DE BEAUTE aka MISS EUROPE (1930), her voice being dubbed once again. Although G.W. Pabst wanted her to continue working in Europe, Brooks refused and returned to Hollywood. She found herself limited to small parts in low budget films until William Wellman offered her the female lead in THE PUBLIC ENEMY (1931). She refused this chance as well and the role went to Jean Harlow.

Brooks left Hollywood and returned to dancing. After a few years she tried to make a comeback in films, but could only find work in low budget Westerns. After appearing opposite a young John Wayne in OVERLAND STAGE RAIDERS in 1938, she quit the movies for good. For a time, she returned to her native Kansas and operated a dancing school. When that failed, she returned to New York and worked as a salesgirl, tried her luck as a radio actress, and eventually worked as a call girl for an escort service. As the years went on, she became a reclusive alcoholic, forgotten by the movie industry and the public.

In the 1950's, film critics and students began discovering the three films she had made in Europe. Suddenly her work was getting the attention and appreciation of a new generation of adoring fans. She relocated to Rochester, New York and was associated with the George Eastman House and its extensive film archives. Miss Brooks became an accomplished writer and film critic and eventually published her memoirs in a book entitled LULU IN HOLLYWOOD. Lulu, of course, was the name of the tragic character she had portrayed in PANDORA'S BOX. Brooks herself understood how strongly fantasy and reality had merged in her life. LOOKING FOR LULU features several clips from interviews she gave during the 1970's where she talks freely about her life and why she made some of the choices that profoundly affected her career.

She died in 1985 at the age of seventy-nine. Her last years were spent in ill health and seclusion. And yet her legendary status is secure and remains so to this day. It almost seems as though this intelligent, beautiful woman had been writing her incredible story while she was living it, with all the fame, downfall, resurrection and triumph planned and plotted on each page, and in every year, of a life that was as much a collection of images on a movie screen as it was a flesh and blood reality.

Shirley MacLaine narrates the film. Some of the commentators include actress Dana Delaney, writer Adolph Green, actor Roddy McDowell, a close personal friend, and actor Francis Lederer, who worked with Miss Brooks in PANDORA'S BOX. The documentary was directed by Hugh Munro Neely for Turner Classic Movies.