JUDY (2019)

I went to see this film with a sense of trepidation, not knowing what to expect. Was Renee Zellweger going to attempt a full blown masquerade as legendary singer/actress Judy Garland in the manner of Fay Dunaway's portrayal of Joan Crawford in MOMMIE DEAREST (1981)? And, if so, would she fail utterly and deliver a cringe worthy imitation of Garland as opposed to Dunaway's almost eerie spot on personification of Crawford?

And what about the story itself? Would it dwell on some of the more tragic aspects of Garland's life in the interest of sensationalism, or offer a more balanced, sympathetic approach?

It came as a very pleasant surprise that the film did manage to present a positive, balanced portrayal of Garland. Although I don't agree with some critics who consider the film to be the "definitive" story of her life, I found myself engrossed in the story from start to finish. As for Miss Zellweger, let me just say that she did not bring Judy Garland to life for me. But then, I honestly doubt that any actress in the world would be able to accomplish such a feat. The problem for me is that Judy Garland is so unique, so iconic, and so alive in my memory, that no one else could ever approach her. That holds true not only for her amazing talents as a professional entertainer, but for her personality as well. However, Zellweger did give a sincere, moving performance, and she deserves credit for the hard work she put into it.

The film was directed by Rupert Gold and based on Peter Quilter's play END OF THE RAINBOW. The story follows Miss Garland during the final year of her life. (She died in 1969 at the age of 47.) For die hard Garland fans like myself, the details are all too familiar. We see the singer experiencing difficulties with her health, making her increasingly unreliable as a performer. And we see her having financial troubles that leave her practically homeless when she gets thrown out of hotels for not paying the bills. Her last resort is to take her two young children, Lorna and Joe, back to their father, Sid Luft (Rufus Sewell), from whom she is divorced. While battling Luft for child custody, she reluctantly travels to London for a series of concerts at The Talk of The Town that she hopes will solve her financial woes. Before leaving, she meets a young man named Mickey Deans (Finn Wittrock), who will become her fifth and final husband. Garland's health problems and unreliability follow her across the sea, unfortunately, and she is unable to complete her singing engagement. But at the last minute she comes through and gives one final, riveting performance.

As I said previously, Renee Zellweger gives her performance everything she's got, not just as an actress, but also as a singer. Naturally, no one has ever had a voice like Judy Garland's, but Zellweger manages to impress. She must have studied many of Garland's television performances, because she mimics many of the singer's trademark stage movements, such as Garland's peculiar habit of throwing the microphone cord over one shoulder and almost wrapping herself up in it. The final song is, of course, Over The Rainbow, which provides a truly moving, emotional ending to the film.

The movie actually begins with the Young Judy (Darci Shaw) working at MGM under the strict control of her mother, Ethel Gumm (Natasha Powell), and studio head Louie B. Mayer (Richard Cordery). Mr. Mayer is portrayed a mind controlling sadist with sexual designs on his young contract player, while Mrs. Gumm appears to have graduated from the Nazi School of Motherhood. She treats her daughter as a commodity, forcing Judy to keep a cruelly strict diet while also giving her the amphetamines and sleeping pills that would cause a lifelong addiction. These somewhat distorted details are based on a combination of Garland's real life experiences and exaggerated legends about those experiences. Many of the exaggerations came from Garland herself. Whatever the real truth might be, these details add great dramatic effect to the story. We also see the young Judy interacting with her frequent co-star and close friend, Mickey Rooney (Gus Barry). In one scene, she has a huge crush on Rooney, but he rebuffs her and says she is just his "pal". In a later scene, after the two have just finished a stage performance, Mickey invites Judy out for dinner. For a moment she looks at him with a sense of longing. But then she turns away from him and looks back toward the stage. Hearing the applause and shouts from the audience, Judy's face lights up. It's as though she realizes that the stage is the one and only place where she will find true love and affirmation. It's one of the best moments in the film.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the magic of Judy Garland, apart from THE WIZARD OF OZ, let this biopic be a stepping stone to experiencing the real legend. Find some of her classic films, such as MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944) or EASTER PARADE (1948). Watch A STAR IS BORN (1954) and I COULD GO ON SINGING (1963), which feature not only some of her best singing, but also showcase her true power as a dramatic actress. Or listen to her records, especially JUDY GARLAND AT CARNEGIE HALL (1961), possibly the greatest and most successful one woman concert in history.

There are many things to like about this movie. There is so much more to like, and indeed love, about the incredible Judy Garland. Don't stop here. Keep exploring!

CONFESSIONS OF A SEXAGENARIAN HORROR MOVIE FREAK

That's not nearly as carnal or creepy as it sounds.

In more agreeable language it means I'm a man in my sixties (and pushing hard toward my seventies) who has been happily obsessed with horror flicks ever since I learned to be afraid of the dark.

You might say my fascination with horror movies is genetic. My mother used to love telling my sister and me about going to see all of the classic scary movies (DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN, THE MUMMY, etc.) when she was growing up in the 1930's. Her eyes would light up with delight as she would remember walking home through the dark streets of the city she grew up in, expecting Boris Karloff or Bela Lugosi to be waiting around the next corner, prompting her to run instead of walk. She made it sound as though being scared was the most fun thing in the world.

Her enthusiasm for horror movies turned into a family activity in the late 1950's as we went to see movies like HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, THE BAT and THE TINGLER. I was all of seven years old in 1958, and those movies must have rearranged something in my brain, because in no time at all, I was hooked.

Seeing THE TINGLER in theaters during its first run was a memorable experience for a small number of lucky (?) patrons. The film's producer/director, William Castle, was the master of "gimmick cinema", a genre he practically founded all by himself. For HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL he had equipped some theaters with a stunt called "Emergo", which consisted of a plastic skeleton attached to a wire that extended from the screen to the back of the theater. During a key scene in the movie that featured a skeleton, its plastic counterpart would be sent along the wire, flying over the screaming (and very possibly laughing) crowd. For THE TINGLER, Castle went for a more visceral reaction. In some theaters electric wires were attached to selected seats. During a climactic scene these seats would be given a mild electric shock, scaring the wits out of the unsuspecting patrons. This cool idea was called "Percepto". These gimmicks were most likely used in Hollywood and perhaps some other major cities. It's highly unlikely that those of us going to the movies in fly-over country (in my case Danville, Illinois) would have the golden opportunity to get wired up with Percepto. But my mother swore up and down that her seat at the Fischer Theater was indeed connected to the Percepto grid. Who knows? Maybe she was right. Or maybe she was just "wired up" all by herself!

While all of this glorious mayhem was going on in theaters, television was beginning to show old horror and science fiction movies, everything from the old classics from Universal to the low budget programmers from studios like Monogram. These movies were usually shown late at night on Friday or Saturday. One regular show during this time was Terror Theater on Channel 10 in Terre Haute, Indiana. In those days, long before cable television, we were only able to get this particular channel when the wind happened to be blowing in just the right direction. One night, probably in 1959 or 1960, after my sister and I had already gone to bed, our mother asked us if we wanted to watch a scary movie, SON OF DRACULA. Was she kidding? Of course we did! We made it into the living room just as the Universal Pictures logo, that sparkling, swirling globe, was showing on our 21 inch black & white console television. After the logo faded, the screen was filled with cobwebs. Then a pair black-gloved hands appeared to wipe away the cobwebs and show the title of the picture. I will never forget the chill that ran up and down my spine when I saw those hands. Even though I've seen SON OF DRACULA many times over the years, I still get that same thrill when I watch those opening credits.

This was when my fascination with all things horror really went into high gear. I can't remember exactly when I bought my first monster magazine, but I first noticed Famous Monsters of Filmland on the shelf at a grocery store in 1961. I was drawn to the cover featuring Vincent Price in THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM. At some point, when my parents granted me an allowance, I began spending my money not only on Famous Monsters, but also on Castle of Frankenstein, Horror Monsters and Mad Monsters. Then in 1962 a horror movie show called Way Out began broadcasting every Thursday night at 10:30 on WCIA-TV in Champaign, Illinois. It was hosted by a cool guy named Trebor (Robert spelled backwards). I didn't learn until just a few years ago that Trebor was played by a young guy named  Robert Shive, an employee at the station.

Robert Shive as Trebor on the Way Out show.

Of course, Thursday was s school night, and I had no business being up so late. But my mother knew how much it meant to me to see these movies, so she allowed me to stay up. I don't think I missed a single one of these shows during its three year run. Way Out was a godsend for this fledgling horror fan. I got to see all of the Universal classics from the 1930's and 40's as well as the Bela Lugosi films made at Monogram. I also saw most of the science fiction movies from the 1950's such as THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE. Way Out even showed some fairly recent films like MISSILE TO THE MOON and FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER. I was beginning to see the differences between the Universal films and those made by other studios. And I loved them all.

This was a golden age in history to be a horror movie fan. Actors now known as legends, such as Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone, were all alive and well and turning out quality films at American-International Pictutes. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing were busy at Hammer Studios filming updated versions of the old Universal monsters. And a beautiful young actress named Barbara Steele was starring in some very moody, shocking Italian films, as well as having appeared opposite Vincent Price in AIP's THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM. I didn't get to see all of these films when they first came to theaters. But I was able to see some of them when they were re-released. Most of them I finally saw on television during the late 1960's and in the 1970's. One movie I did see in the theater was THE INNOCENTS (1961), starring Deborah Kerr, now considered to be one of the greatest ghost stories ever put on film. Even at the tender age of ten I was able to sense the psychological weirdness of this very adult film. These films were supposedly not intended for children. But we managed to get in anyway. Either someone wasn't paying any attention or they just didn't care. And for that I offer up my eternal gratitude to the gods of cinematic horror, whoever, or whatever, they happen to be!

While I didn't get to see BLACK SUNDAY when it was released in America in 1961, I saw all of the famous still photographs that were featured in the monster mags, and knew the film's plot as described in the Special Vampire Issue of Castle of Frankenstein. I was totally fascinated by the film years before I was finally able to see it on television, and by its incredible lead actress. The first time I saw Barbara Steele was in 1964 in CASTLE OF BLOOD, which was playing on a double bill with another Italian film, HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD, featuring Christopher Lee. The movies were being shown at the Palace Theater in Danville. This somewhat run down theater was right next to the more elegant Fischer Theater, which is where THE INNOCENTS had played. The movies that came to the Palace were always of the more low budget, exploitational variety. The Saturday matinees at the Palace were wild experiences. Fifty cents for two features and some cartoons. Jammed with screaming kids and teenagers, most of them throwing popcorn at each other, and some fights breaking out here and there. But for me, coming to see CASTLE OF BLOOD was a serious mission. I was there to see Barbara Steele. I was focused. When she first appeared in the film, it was a close-up of her very strange and beautiful face in all of its black & white Gothic glory. I was mesmerized, and remain so to this day. All of these decades later, Miss Steele, now 81, is the last remaining star from the glory days of 1960's horror films.

As I entered my twenties, my fascination with horror movies subsided quite a bit. At some point I threw away all of my monster magazines. I seldom went to see newer horror films as they began concentrating on graphic violence and gore rather than the Gothic atmosphere I had once loved. It wasn't until the advent of home video that I started getting my old enthusiasm back. I started collecting some of my favorites on video cassette. When the DVD/Blu-ray era came in, my collecting hobby took off like crazy. I hadn't seen some of the Universal classics since my ancient Way Out days. Now I was seeing them with adult eyes and appreciation. But the old magic was still there in full force. And I even started collecting monster magazines again, not just some of the old ones I used to have, but the new generation of mags like Filmfax, Scarlet Street, Scary Monsters and Monster Bash. In 2005 I attended my first fan convention, the Monster Bash in Pittsburgh, PA. It was great fun being surrounded by folks who shared all of my obsessions. When I was growing up, being a monster fan was a rather lonely experience, as no one else I knew cared about horror films in the same way I did. On the last day of the convention, when the crowds were thinning out, I was in the hotel lobby when Forrest J. Ackerman, the legendary publisher of Famous Monsters of Filmland walked past me and gave me a friendly smile. I was so tongue-tied I couldn't even speak. I almost genuflected.

In 2011 I attended my first Horror Hound convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. My mission? To meet Barbara Steele. I was able to sit down with this marvelous woman and chat with her while she autographed a photo for me. "To Michael..." Then she drew a little heart symbol and gave me a warm, lovely smile. I gazed into those incredible green eyes and was mesmerized once again. It was just like being transported back to the Palace Theater in 1964.

SHIVERS (1975)

MURDEROUS PARASITES THAT CAME FROM WITHIN AND GAVE EVERYBODY THE SHIVERS

In 1975 Canadian film maker David Cronenberg made his inaugural feature. For reasons known only to himself (and I sincerely hope it stays that way), he chose to tell the story of genetically altered parasites that, upon entering the human body, turn that human into a violent, insatiable sex maniac. Then these slimy little creatures are passed from body to body, presumably turning human society into a never ending sex orgy. The original title of this pleasant little cinematic opus was THE PARASITE MURDERS. When released, the film was known alternately as SHIVERS, THEY CAME FROM WITHIN and by its French title, FRISSONS.

The story takes place in a high rise apartment complex, the Starliner, located on an island just minutes away from the city of Montreal. As the opening credits roll, we are taken on a photographic tour of the complex, narrated by a disembodied male voice. We see the modern (for 1975) decor and furnishings, the common areas, and the shops, restaurants and medical facilities on the ground floor. After the credits, we see a young couple arriving to look at an apartment and being greeted by a rather gaunt, weird looking manager. As they begin their tour, the scene switches abruptly to the interior of one of the apartments where a violent confrontation is occurring between a young woman and a much older man.The man is Dr. Hobbes, one of the creators of the parasite. He had used the woman as a guinea pig by implanting her with a parasite. However, the experiment has gotten out of control, and the doctor intends to kill the woman, destroy the parasite before it can spread, and then commit suicide. He doesn't know that the woman has been sexually active with several residents of the complex who are now infected as well. This opening sequence is very unsettling as the film switches back and forth between the graphic brutality taking place in the woman's apartment and the placid conversation between the young couple and the manager. Cronenberg wastes no time leading the viewer into a world of disorder as the tranquil, antiseptic environment of the complex is shown as a thin veneer that barely conceals the ugliness going on behind closed doors.

We also learn that Cronenberg is not going to hold anything back visually. The disgusting murder/suicide is shown in as much glorious gory detail as he was able to get away with. Blood is in ample supply. And soon we are treated (?) to a look at the parasites themselves, slithering their way around the building and grounds. They look like pieces of raw meet that can move. (Delicious looking indeed, although not nearly as amusing as the man-made chickens in David Lynch's ERASERHEAD.) One infected man standing on a balcony vomits a parasite onto an umbrella being carried by an old lady. It lands with an audible "splat" and then crawls off into the brush seeking its next host.

While all of this marvelous movie magic is entertaining the viewer, Dr. Hobbes' partner, having discovered what Hobbes had been doing, contacts the Starliner's resident physician, Dr. St. Luke, and alerts him to the danger. The two men try to capture and destroy the parasites before they become unstoppable. In the meantime, the film shows us scene after scene of various residents of the building being attacked and infected by the creepy crawling monsters. Some of these scenes contain elements of dark humor, such as one showing a parasite jumping out of a washing machine and landing on a woman's face. However, some scenes are quite ugly, especially those involving children, and are difficult to watch.

The most ostentatious infection happens to a gorgeous Lesbian named Betts, who receives a parasite while lounging in a bathtub and sipping a glass of wine. The enterprising little creature comes up through the drain, swims its way between the woman's legs and enters her body. Betts is portrayed by veteran actress Barbara Steele, who adds name value to a cast of lesser known actors. Miss Steele had been a popular star of European films during the 1960's, many of them stylish horror films with Gothic themes (BLACK SUNDAY, THE HORRIBLE DR. HICHCOCK, NIGHTMARE CASTLE). She brings considerable dramatic and sensual flair to her supporting role. Her other major scene involves a Lesbian kiss which shows the parasite advancing from her throat and entering the mouth of her partner. Miss Steele would later praise Cronenberg as a director and called him the man who introduced gynecology to the horror film.

The elegant Barbara Steele in SHIVERS.

David Cronenberg firmly establishes his style with this impressive, visceral first effort. He isn't content with just getting his point across, but insists on jamming it right into our faces, overwhelming us with one grotesque image after another. He is showing us a society in decay and totally out of control, living solely for unlimited sexual pleasure and conquest. How appropriate that he would make this film in the 1970's, the era in which the sexual revolution of the previous decade was enjoying its ultimate victory with the spread of the free love, one night stand, drug infused, contraceptive culture that was finding rapid acceptance in mainstream Western civilization. Cronenberg was certainly trying to make a statement, but he couldn't possibly have known how prescient that statement was. Dark and disturbing throughout, SHIVERS ends with a celebration of cynicism and hopelessness.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT... (1986)

While the strains of a nearly perfect 1980's pop music soundtrack keep us happily tapping our toes, the combined, and considerable, star power of Rob Lowe and Demi Moore drags us mercilessly through the mire of extreme human emotionalism in this story of two 20 somethings living the high life in the Chicago singles bar culture. Our two protagonists, Dan and Debbie, are determined to extend adolescence for as long as possible with the diligent use of contraception and a mutual disdain for marriage and commitment. Unfortunately, they make the common modern day mistake of settling for the transient half-life known as "moving in together" in order to gain easier access to sex. This course of action provides Debbie and Dan with the opportunity to play in several scenes depicting their collective confusion about what exactly their relationship is. Are they really a couple? Or are they just friends with bedroom benefits? Are they both still single? Do they love each other? Or do they even have a relationship at all? These scenes are performed quite well and allow us to revel in endless closeups of Miss Moore's beautiful, tear stained face as her trademark gravelly voice pulls at our heartstrings, while Mr. Lowe, cast in the role of Every Dumb Guy Who Ever Lived, holds in his feelings, looking stoic and somewhat constipated. Adding to the bright entertainment are James Belushi and Elizabeth Perkins as the best friends of Dan and Debbie, respectively. Their function is to bring endless sarcasm and conflict into the lives of our cohabitating sex partners , and they prove to be quite gifted in that regard.

The film, directed by Edward Zwick, is based on David Mamet's play Sexual Perversity In Chicago. Presumably, there is still as much perversity to be found in Chicago, sexual and otherwise, as there was in 1986 when this delightful little movie was released. Your options are as follows:

1. Drive to Chicago and seek out some of that perversity for yourself.

2. Spend 1 hour and 53 minutes watching Dan and Debbie being perverse so that you don't have to.

3. Save yourself a lot of trouble and just listen to the soundtrack on your CD player.