WILD SEED (1965)

 

My feelings about certain films change over time. They tend to evolve, to mature, as I evolve and mature. That could have something to do with where and how I discover such films. In my experience, getting to know a film by watching it on television resonates in a much more personal, solitary way than seeing a movie in a theater. Theaters are public settings that don't involve much privacy or solitude. This doesn't imply, naturally, that watching a movie in a crowded theater can't possibly affect one in a deeply personal way. But there is something quite different about entering into the world of a movie when you're curled up on a couch in a darkened living room all by yourself, at a late hour with the sound low. This is how I got to know those old movies from the 1930s and onward, including all of the classic horror flicks. Even though I've been able to see many of those movies on the big screen over the years, the pleasure of seeing them on TV has never left my memory. 

It's hard to believe nowadays, but there was a time when local TV stations would fill their schedules by showing old movies and old television shows, especially on weekends. This was the era before the ubiquitous infomercial culture took over the airwaves. True, the films were cut for time considerations and had commercial breaks, but it was all so normal that most of us didn't even think about it. We just relished the chance to watch movies all afternoon on a Saturday and Sunday, even movies we had seen already. WILD SEED was one of those movies that seemed to show up quite often during the late 1960s and through the 1970s. The film was released in 1965, but I never knew it existed until it played on TV. Maybe it had a short theatrical run, or maybe it just didn't play in the theaters I had access to.

The plot of the film is rather simple. Seventeen-year-old Daphne Simms (Celia Kaye) sneaks out of her New York apartment, where she lives with her adoptive parents, in the dead of night. She intends to hitchhike to Los Angeles to meet her real father. Daphne's real mother, who died when the girl was five, had told her stories about meeting and falling in love with a young military man. She left Daphne a few romantic letters from this man, who unfortunately disappeared from her life. Daphne knew her father's name, but thought he was dead until, by accident, she learned he was alive and well and owned a piano store in Los Angeles. She wrote him a letter and got no response. Nevertheless, she was determined to meet him and get to know him. Her hitchhiking soon gets her into trouble when an older man tries to sexually assault her. She manages to get away, but her belongings get left in the man's fleeing car. At a gas station, she meets a young drifter who calls himself Fargo (Michael Parks). Fargo sizes up the innocent girl as an opportunity to hustle some fast cash, and Daphne is justifiably wary of him. Soon, however, they begin to be friendly, and Fargo agrees to help her get to L.A. by riding the rails.   

 Naturally, Daphne quickly falls in love with this handsome, enigmatic young man, and, also quite naturally, Fargo, the quintessential loner, tries hard to resist falling in love with her. But, if he didn't, then the movie would have no point. So, they enter in what appears to be a very chaste love affair, with the worldly Fargo trying to protect Daphne as much as he can. Along the endless stretch of railroad tracks, they talk about life, their pasts, their dreams, and have one major run-in with the law, which doesn't take kindly to hobos and runaways hopping on and off of train cars. They also get temporarily sidetracked by Fargo becoming seriously ill and regaining his health because of Daphne's resourcefulness. 

When they reach L.A., Daphne's father is cordial but not interested in having this young girl become a part of his life, as he's married and has other children. Fargo learns that the so-called love affair with Daphne's mother was nothing more than a brief sexual encounter lasting a few days. Daphne's mother had made up a romantic story for her daughter's benefit and wrote those romantic letters herself. Her real father has sent for her adoptive parents to come and take her back to New York. Upon learning this, Fargo beats the man senseless. Fargo tells Daphne the truth about her father and tells her to go home with parents who obviously love her. The two say goodbye in a bar where Fargo is in the process of getting drunk. Later in the night, he leaves the bar and finds Daphne waiting for him. She's decided to stay with him, and they walk off together into an uncertain future.

The most important thing to realize about these two young people is that they are doomed. The next most important thing to realize is that it doesn't matter, not to them or to anyone watching the movie. This is an allegory about love and loneliness, with a dash of hopelessness thrown into the mix. There is a certain realism to the movie, with location shots and exciting cinematography. But these two young drifters almost seem to be a little too healthy, too well-groomed for the kind of hard existence they're supposedly living. But once the viewer accepts this as a romantic fantasy, such details aren't problematic. Of course, Daphne doesn't go home with her parents, choosing instead to a romantic life on the road with the young man she loves. She may even have dreams of reforming Fargo and convincing him to settle down in a domestic framework involving marriage, children and honest work. Then again, maybe she doesn't. Maybe Fargo has reformed her.

At one point in their journey, safe in a nice, comfortable train car, Daphne challenges Fargo about his life as a drifter: "You just keep going from nowhere to nowhere. What's going to happen to you when you get older, and you can't run so fast? Don't you ever feel that you need somebody?" This is a question Fargo can't answer, and it remains unanswered at the end of the film.

Michael Parks had already worked in television, but WILD SEED marked his feature film debut. Parks is the logical successor to James Dean, both in looks and acting talent. In fact, I think he had the potential to surpass Dean as an actor, and I've always seen him as the right choice to play Joe Buck in MIDNIGHT COWBOY, not that he was ever considered for the role. He made several films during the 1960s and starred in the TV show Then Came Bronson, as well as making his mark as a singer. He was quite the hot young actor for a while, but eventually his career faltered as he got the reputation of being "difficult". Still, he continued working and appeared in such films as KILL BILL 1 & 2 and TWIN PEAKS. Parks died in 2017 at the age of seventy-seven. Celia Kaye (Burkholder), who made her film debut in 1964 in ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS, for which she won a Golden Globe award, had a less prolific acting career in films and television. She was married for several years to the director John Milius. She gives a natural, unaffected performance as Daphne.

A familiar and very welcome face turned up early in the film when Rupert Crosse, known for SHADOWS (1959) and THE REIVERS (1969) appears as a hobo.

I always loved reconnecting with this film whenever it came back on TV. I was a teenager myself the first time I saw it and couldn't resist the romanticism and adventure of living a life on the road as a drifter. Maybe it was the feeling of loneliness that affected me more than anything else. It's hard to say. At some point, I lost touch with the film and pretty much forgot about it. Recently, I happened to come across the title when I was searching an online site that sells bootlegs, copies made from VHS tapes or recorded from television. I sent away for the DVD-R, and it was very well-made, considering the circumstances, and was quite watchable. There were many things I remembered about the film and even more that I had forgotten. But it was an emotional experience seeing it again. That atmosphere of loneliness and hopelessness seemed even heavier than it had when I was younger. What impressed me the most was Michael Parks' great talent as an actor. This man deserved to be a major star. 

But the film haunted me. I hadn't seen it since I was in my late twenties or early thirties. Now, I was in my 70s. So much time had passed, and I wasn't watching the movie with young eyes, with so much time ahead of me, with that sense of adventure. Fargo and Daphne were still drifting together, riding the rails. To where? To what conclusion? I watched them as they wandered off into the dark Los Angeles night at the end of the film, knowing that they were doomed. And I felt myself walking off into a dark night of my own. What haunted me were the words Daphne said to Fargo when she was challenging him about being a drifter, words that mean something entirely different to me now:

You just keep going from nowhere to nowhere. What's going to happen to you when you're older, and you can't run so fast?

MIKE'S FORMER MOVIE ROOM THAT NO LONGER EXISTS

 

While this humble blog bearing the title of Mike's Movie Room does indeed continue to exist, the actual space that was its inspiration has been vacated. After more than thirty-six years of living in a rather spacious one-and-one-half story, three-bedroom house, I have relocated to a smaller space. The spare bedroom that gradually evolved into my movie collection room, as seen in the photos on the left, is now empty of my DVDs, Blu-rays and posters, lobby cards and photographs.

There were a lot of factors that brought me to this decision to move after so many years. 

The house had many structural issues that, to my regret, were never properly addressed. And then there were the health issues, primarily having to climb stairs with two arthritic knees. The situation was getting to be a little too much for me to handle. So, I looked around for something a little more practical that was all on one level. I found a nice little two-bedroom house in a decent area and made the big move a few weeks ago. All of the "stuff" from the old movie room is safely packed away in boxes until I get the spare bedroom painted and recarpeted. After that's done, I'll start setting up Mike's Movie Room 2: The Saga Continues. It may take a while!

In the meantime, the photo at the top of the blog will stay where it is, as a way to remember the old room and all the good times I had over the years discovering films and reliving my lost youth with old TV shows. I have to admit that it was a cool space, albeit somewhat crowded as the collection kept growing. The new room might turn out to be even more crowded, but it's hard to say until I start setting up shelves and seeing just how much room there is. As I prepared to move, I began downsizing a lot of my collections. I gave away a lot of books and sold off quite a few records, CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays. My guiding principle was that if I knew I would never watch a movie again, there was no reason to keep it on the shelf. As a result, I made quite a nice chunk of change. What didn't sell went to Goodwill. I ended up giving away the bulk of a vinyl LP collection that had been growing since I was in high school. I have no regrets about it. I was determined not to haul those records to another house. Once I started letting go of items I thought I could never live without, it got easier. I still love records and still have an old-school stereo system with a turntable, but I plan to focus more on CDs for the storage factor and the general practicality.

I look at the empty rooms, and it seems like a scene from BACKROOMS, although not quite as weird and scary. What I'm left with now, I guess, is the Movie Room of the mind. Here's hoping I don't get lazy and complacent and put off the renovations for too long, with all the movies boxed and stored quietly away. The new room will be a lot different. Maybe not as interesting, but then, maybe more. This hobby has been such a big, important part of my life and I can't imagine not doing this anymore. Let's see how things progress.

Stay tuned...

PAYMENT ON DEMAND (1951)

 

When discussing a major movie star like Bette Davis, no title in her filmography can be called minor or insignificant. Laborious, plodding, and tedious, perhaps, but not insignificant. PAYMENT ON DEMAND is significant because it was the first film Miss Davis made after leaving Warner Brothers, ending an eighteen-year tenure at that studio. Her career had been spectacular, earning her two Academy Awards for Best Actress and five more nominations. She had several years of apprenticeship in B movies and a famous court battle with the studio along the way, but through hard work and determination, not to mention an amazing talent, she had become probably the most distinguished actress in Hollywood. From the late 1930s and into the mid-1940s, she had one successful film after another. In the late 1940s, however, she began to struggle. When studio head Jack Warner assigned her to BEYOND THE FOREST in 1949, a film she desperately did not want to do, she asked for her release when the film was finished.

For her first film as an independent actress, Davis returned to RKO Radio Pictures, the studio where she had made OF HUMAN BONDAGE in 1934, in a role that showed the world what a powerful talent she was. As the cold, manipulative Cockney waitress Mildred Rogers, she brought forth an intensity that shocked audiences and won her critical accolades. Her new RKO assignment would be quite different.

Davis plays Joyce Ramsey, a San Francisco socialite who is married to a successful attorney, David Ramsey (Barry Sullivan). They have two grown daughters. Joyce became a dedicated social climber when she married David, who was then struggling to get his law practice started in partnership with his friend, Bob Townsend (Kent Taylor). When a businessman comes to the law office requesting Bob to handle the patent for his new product, Joyce, who is working as the secretary, convinces the man to hire David instead, lying about his experience with patents. When David and Bob learn of her deception, Bob leaves the firm and the two friends are estranged. 

Joyce's social ambitions and control over her husband's life and career cause a strain in their marriage. When their children are grown, he asks for a divorce and moves out of their house. Joyce hires a detective and learns that David has a mistress, Eileen Benson (Frances Dee). Joyce asks for David's entire fortune as a divorce settlement, threatening to sue him and cause a scandal over his infidelity.

When she goes on a long vacation, Joyce comes to understand what her life would be like as a wealthy divorcee. She begins seeing a charming, attractive man (John Sutton), only to find out he's married and looking for a mistress who has money. She also visits a fellow social climber, now divorced and living a miserable life as an alcoholic and getting her kicks from a young gigolo. When Joyce and David are reunited at the wedding of one of their daughters, she regrets the mistakes she made, and David asks her for a reconciliation. While Joyce wants nothing more than to be with her husband that night, she asks him to wait a few days to make sure he really wants to come back to her. David walks away with a happy smile on his face, indicating that he already knows what his decision is going to be.

This is pure soap opera from start to finish, although that isn't problematic. Soap operas can be loads of fun, if done correctly, but that isn't the case here. The story is told in a series of flashbacks as Joyce looks back over the beginning of her marriage, the birth of her children, and the conflicts with David that led to their unhappiness. Though the movie is only 90 minutes long, it seems much longer. There is absolutely no romantic or sexual chemistry whatsoever between Davis and Sullivan. Watching these two people interact makes one wonder what possibly caused them to get married in the first place and, in later years, how they can stand to be in the same room with each other. Barry Sullivan tries to bring some life and believability to his character, but it's an uphill battle, as the role is poorly written and doesn't give him much to work with. As for Davis, by this point in her career, she had settled into an almost regal acting persona where all of her characters seemed to be the same. They may have had different names and been involved in different plots, but all of them were played in the same imperious manner and delivering their dialogue in the same clipped speaking voice that had become the actress's trademark sound. Now, for those of us who love Bette Davis, it's enjoyable to watch her in this persona. So, I'm not complaining.

The most amazing thing about PAYMENT ON DEMAND, which originally had the title THE STORY OF A DIVORCE, is what came after. Before the film was finished, Miss Davis was contacted by Daryl Zanuck, the head of 20th Century-Fox, who was in a panic. Claudette Colbert was contracted to star in the new film ALL ABOUT EVE but had broken her back. Zanuck needed a replacement right away. When Davis read the script, she was thrilled and signed on immediately. Maybe it was the incredible script, or the marvelous character of Margo Channing, or the brilliant direction of Joseph Mankiewicz, but the Bette Davis who starred in ALL ABOUT EVE had dropped the regal persona and regained all of her power and former intensity. OK, maybe Margo did have her regal moments, but they worked perfectly in the context of the character. Davis gave one of her most legendary and courageous performances. RKO withheld the release of PAYMENT ON DEMAND until February 1951, leading everyone to believe it was made after EVE.

Some interesting young performers show up in PAYMENT ON DEMAND. Peggie Castle and Betty Lynn play the two daughters, and Richard Andrson appears briefly. Natalie Schafer, always a welcome and charming presence, appears as a society lady. One of the biggest treats is actor John Sutton, a gentleman whose dignified demeanor and distinctive voice add quality to any role he plays. Speaking of quality, Otto Kruger is featured in a small role. There is also a brief appearance by a tiny little girl named B.D. Sherry, playing the part of one of Davis's daughters as a child. You might call this typecasting, as little Miss Sherry is the actress's real-life daughter. The child didn't go on to have an acting career, but she did become a writer of sorts. But that's a blog post for another time.

NIAGARA (1953)

 

NIAGARA stands out from the many Films Noir of the era. First and foremost, it was made primarily to promote Marilyn Monroe, the fastest rising star at Twentieth Century-Fox. Miss Monroe had been serving a long apprenticeship in Hollywood since the late 1940's, finally beginning to gain notice in supporting roles in Fox films such as ALL ABOUT EVE and THE ASPHALT JUNGLE, both in 1950. When NIAGARA was released in January of 1953, she had reached top stardom and followed with HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE and GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES in the same year.

The film also is one of the few Noirs to be shot in color instead of Black & White. Director Henry Hathaway and cinematographer Joe McDonald were able to inject many Noirish moments into the film, with the contrast of light and shadows, while still showcasing the impressive grandeur of Niagara Falls. The location footage of the Falls is so breathtaking that it almost works as a travelogue for this very popular honeymoon destination. One of the best aspects of the film is that it exists as a loving time capsule of a Niagara Falls area that no doubt has gone through many drastic changes.

The story has two married couples' lives intersecting while they're staying at a tourist cabin resort. Polly and Ray Cutler (Jean Peters and Casey Adams) are on a belated honeymoon, having been married for about a year. Rose and George Loomis (Monroe and Joseph Cotten) have also been married for a while. George has been suffering from mental problems following his service in WW2, and has just been released from a veteran's hospital. He is deeply jealous of his attractive young wife and suspects she might be cheating with another man. His suspicions turn out to be true. 

Rose has indeed been seeing another man, Ted Patrick (Richard Allan). The two plan to kill George and make it look like an accident or possible suicide. Rose is duplicitous not only with her husband, but with the Cutlers and everyone else. She taunts her husband, trying to upset him in order to make everyone believe he's unstable and dangerous. Rose and Ted move forward with their plan, but fate intervenes and our femme fatale soon becomes a victim.

The film opens with an extended look at the Falls and then shows a troubled George Loomis walking alone in the early morning, the watery mist soaking through his clothes. Then we are introduced to Rose as she lies awake in her bed in the cabin. Miss Monroe, actress and star, is fully made up, with bright red lipstick and every blonde hair in place. Naturally, every woman looks like this when she wakes up in the morning! When Rose hears George coming back into the cabin, she feigns sleep, giving him a contemptuous look. It must be said that this is the one and only time that Monroe was given the chance to play an evil character, and she makes the most of it. The studio made sure that the majority of her roles during her career were comedic, the only other exceptions being DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK (1952) and her last film, THE MISFITS (1961). She was able to show some depth of character in THE ASPHALT JUNGLE and Fritz Lang's CLASH BY NIGHT (1952), but nothing was ever seen of her like in NIAGARA. The studio's narrow attitude towards their luminous star is a great loss to the cinema. Monroe had tremendous potential as a dramatic actress.

The most fascinating aspect of Rose is that she manages to gain the sympathy of the viewer, in spite of her murderous intentions. Rose/Marilyn is such an overwhelming image of female sexuality and desire that it almost seems right that she should find the sexual satisfaction that is her due. And if she can't find that satisfaction with her damaged husband, then why not with a young, virile lover? As the plot begins to twist and cast Rose as a victim, she becomes even more sympathetic, leading the viewer into that Noirish perversity where the lines between good and evil become confused.

While it's true that other people exist in this story, such as the aforementioned Cutlers, all getting involved and reciting appropriate dialogue at appropriate times, no one and nothing else seem terribly necessary when the film presents us with Miss Monroe in a slinky pink dress. When this monumental moment occurs, we are transported to another dimension, a dimension where dialogue, plot points, and even acting simply don't matter. Monroe in that pink dress is an Event, one that needs no other context or explanation. There is a legend concerning actress Monroe, one that was repeated by several of her colleagues, that she only came to life and became truly beautiful when she went in front of the camera. There is a brief moment in NIAGARA, during the pink dress segment, when the light flashes across her face, as seen in the photograph above. As the light caresses her face, Marilyn's lips are parted, almost as if she were receiving that life-giving light as a sacrament, a gift of love. It happens so fast, you almost miss it. But it's one of her most memorable images.

And NIAGARA is one of her most memorable and important films. There is much to see in this movie, including an exciting climax featuring energetic performances by Joseph Cotten and Jean Peters. But even though Miss Peters is also a leading lady with perhaps more screen time than Marilyn, this is Marilyn's show all the way, as Twentieth Century-Fox intended. The theatrical trailer says it all: 

Niagara and Marilyn Monroe...the two most electrifying sights in the world.

Niagara (1953) Trailer #1

THE INVITE (2026)

 

After reading a very positive review of this film, I found myself compelled to shake off the cobwebs and once again venture out to my local multiplex to lay down some cash for the struggling film industry. This was my first trip to a theater since seeing BACKROOMS a few months ago. BACKROOMS is an incredible film, one which I definitely want to see again before it leaves the theater. But if I were to attempt to write about it, I'm afraid my brain would explode. I'll leave that existential masterpiece to the folks who understand existentialism and have less fragile brains.

THE INVITE is classified as a comedy, and the review I read compared it to WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966). I agree with both descriptions, and I think that George and Martha would definitely get more than a few laughs out of this new film. Of course, they also might be slightly jealous over the uncensored language they weren't allowed to use in the ancient world of 1966.

The storyline is rather uncomplicated. An unhappy married couple, Joe and Angela (Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde), invite their upstairs neighbors, Hawk and Pina (Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz) to their apartment for dinner. We get a few details about the lives of our host couple in the first part of the movie: Joe used to be a musician in a band that had one hit and then broke up. He now teaches music at a school in San Francisco. He and Angela inherited their apartment from Joe's family, and the couple have a twelve-year-old daughter. Joe has back trouble and feels he has failed in life. Angela doesn't work and is obsessive about decorating and spending too much money. Their marriage is a mess. They bicker. Incessantly.

Details regarding the lives of Hawk and Pina don't come forth until later in the movie. At first, we only learn that they are relatively new neighbors, Joe finds them irritating, and he and Angela are forced to listen to their loud, aggressive sex life at three in the morning, because their bedrooms are right on top of each other. Joe wants to bring the subject up and ask them to tone it down a little, but Angela is actually intrigued by what appears to be Pina's obvious enjoyment of her nocturnal activities.

What ensues after Hawk and Pina arrive is much too good to give away with spoilers. I would hate to cheat anyone of the exchanges of dialogue, the awkwardness between these two very different married couples, or the surprises that come forth as they begin to relax (sort of) and get to know each other. I will say, however, that any similarity to VIRGINIA WOOLF soon goes right out the window. This isn't about a psychologically damaged older couple spending a torturous night with a doomed younger couple, with a devastating secret revealed at the end. In this film, we have a couple coming to the end of a marriage and encountering another couple with an entirely different approach to relationships and sex. The script is a hot mix of satire and painful truth, much of it spoken fast and furiously by these four talented actors. And the ending? Forget it; I ain't talking.

Olivia Wilde directed the film, and the excellent screenplay was written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones. All things considered, this was another positive movie-going experience. I think I'm getting spoiled. Very highly recommended! 

DEAD RINGER (1964)

 

It's been another very slow month on my blog. In spite of my resolve to get some creative juices flowing and put a little effort into writing about films on some kind of regular schedule, I seem to have failed miserably. Not that there haven't been many false starts. All sorts of brilliant ideas pop into my head, only to dissipate after the first paragraph. Maybe the universe is trying to tell me that I need to write reviews consisting of just one fact-filled, emotionally charged, extremely erudite paragraph and leave it at that. 

So, since my writer's block has reached toxic levels, let me try something a little bit different. Here is a video I made for my Youtube channel several years ago when some of my friends and I were doing a series called Movies From A-Z. Actually, we did this project more than once and it was great fun, giving all of us a chance to talk about favorite films and compare ideas. This video gave me the pleasure of talking about Miss Bette Davis, with a brief mention of Miss Joan Crawford. Enjoy the video!

MOVIES FROM A-Z 2019 DEAD RINGER (1964)

NOTES FROM THE MOVIE ROOM June 10, 2026

 

🎬 I achieved a cinematic milestone of sorts this evening while watching the 1969 film MARLOWE, starring James Garner as the venerable detective. I was browsing through my local Barnes & Noble and saw the Arrow Video Blu-ray release of the film, which I had never seen. As much as I keep trying to avoid blind buys, I couldn't help myself with this one. It's always fun to discover a film from the 60s and get the chance to immerse myself in the atmosphere of that sacred decade. Garner's supporting cast included Gayle Hunnicut, Rita Moreno, Sharon Farrell, Carroll O'Conner and Kenneth Tobey. Not a bad film, even though I had a hard time following the plot. It was based on the Raymond Chandler novel The Little Sister, which I had read a few years ago, but that didn't help me very much. Still, it was quite colorful and enjoyable. And the film provided an especially great showcase for the gorgeous Miss Moreno, playing a burlesque dancer and seriously getting into her role, skimpy costumes, sexy dance moves, and all.

So, what was the cinematic milestone, you may well ask? This was the first time I ever saw the legendary Bruce Lee in a movie. OK, I know...I know. Blasphemy, right? Hey listen, I've been totally honest about being cinematically challenged. I just never got around to seeing this man in any of his films or TV shows that he made during his short life. Or if I did see him at one time or another, I've completely forgotten. He made quite an impression in MARLOWE as a character named Winslowe Wong, who entered the private detective's life for nefarious reasons and proceeded to kick and chop his way through a series of walls, doors, windows and basically destroying every set he walked into. In the film's most memorable scene, he has Marlowe cornered on the ledge of a high-rise office building. When it looks like Marlowe is done for, Mr. Wong gets somewhat over excited with one of his strenuous kicks and ends up flying right off of the building. What an exit! A star was born!!

I didn't know much about Bruce Lee, so I looked him up on Wikipedia. His filmography goes all the way back to 1941. MARLOWE was his first Hollywood film appearance, and he served as the action director as well. He previously served as action director on THE WRECKING CREW. Martial arts flicks aren't my thing, but he added something really special to this movie. 

He almost steals the film from Rita Moreno. Almost.

STREAMLINING MY COLLECTION: THE JOURNEY CONTINUES

 

This is my most recent take-to-Goodwill pile. The effort to streamline my collection is an ongoing process. This is a combination of films I picked up as blind buys, some from dollar stores, as well as quite a few films I enjoyed once or twice, but probably would never watch again. I'm giving away the Gunsmoke and Rifleman DVDs because I recently bought both shows in complete collections. My bootleg DVD of Looking For Mr. Goodbar was recently replaced with a Blu-ray edition. So, the collection keeps growing even as I try to streamline. The Pink Panther is a movie I saw when it first came to theaters, and I thought it was hilarious at the age of twelve. Now, I don't find it the least bit funny. I still haven't packed these up yet, so I may change my mind about one or two of them. Or ten or fifteen. Or... Oh, what we fanatics go through!!

(RE)READING JAMES LEO HERLIHY'S MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1965): A PERSONAL REFLECTION

 

I was seventeen when I read this novel for the first time, either late in 1968 or early in 1969. The film adaptation was in progress, so my paperback copy was one of those Soon-to-be-a-Major-Motion-Picture editions. This dark, downbeat story had a profound effect on me, and I was eager to see the film version, which was released in May 1969. When I saw it, I was disappointed. The movie, impressive as it was, didn't bring the novel to life for me. Most importantly, Jon Voight's portrayal of the title character did not ring true for me. He was not Joe Buck. Not for me.

Over the years, I saw the film a few times, eventually owning it on home video. As my memory of, and attachment to the novel gradually faded away, I was able to appreciate and enjoy the film on its own merits, including the performance of Jon Voight. And I thoroughly enjoyed Glenn Frankel's book: Shooting Midnight Cowboy: Art, Sex, Loneliness, Liberation and the Making of a Dark Classic, published in 2020 and reviewed on this blog. 

Recently, I've started revisiting favorite books that I read years ago, not only to refresh my memories, but to see how my perceptions may have changed with time. My old copy of Midnight Cowboy disappeared decades ago, so I sent away for another one and read it in two days. There were many details I had forgotten, but I quickly got caught up in the story and started to remember. Now, I don't know if I cried at the end of the book when I was seventeen. At seventy-five, I did. Walking alongside Joe Buck once again, from Texas to New York City, and riding with him on that bus going to Florida, I shared his alienation and loneliness, and it broke my heart all over again.

After finishing the book, I rewatched the film. While I still like the film for so many reasons, my gut feeling is that James Leo Herlihy's novel has yet to be adapted to the screen, as there is so much that has been left out. The novel begins where the film begins, with Joe getting himself ready to say goodbye to his life in Texas and get on that bus to New York City. But then it looks backwards into Joe's past, telling us about his childhood and young adulthood. We learn quite a bit about his life in Albuquerque with his grandmother, Sally Buck, and what kind of woman she was, how she gave him a home and provided for his basic needs. We also learn that she was never really there for Joe emotionally and wasn't terribly interested in his education or his development as a young man. When Joe drifted away from going to school at a very young age, she didn't think it was important enough for her to be bothered with. She gave him no proper guidance, allowing him to spend his days alone just watching television. She would periodically go off with some new boyfriend, leaving young Joe alone to fend for himself. We learn something about his sexual awakening, mainly with a troubled girl named Annie, and how that relationship led to tragedy. In the film, these crucial chapters of Joe's life are only alluded to in brief flashbacks. 

We also learn about Joe being drafted into the Army, his profound reaction to the death of his grandmother, and his decision to start a new life in Houston. This is where Joe meets and befriends a young male hustler named Perry. While Joe is happy to have a friend to talk to, Perry wants something more. When Joe doesn't return Perry's interest, it leads to a dark, violent encounter that changes Joe's life. It is also during this encounter that we find out where Joe got the idea of going to New York to hustle rich, frustrated women, a fact that isn't mentioned in the film. This is where the first half of the book comes to a close.

Joe is described in the novel as a well-built, blonde, boyish young guy with a toothy smile, almost bucktoothed. This vision fits Jon Voight fairly well, I have to admit. Voight is certainly a talented actor with a considerable emotional range, an actor whose feelings show on his face, especially in his eyes. My frustration with the film is not so much about Voight's casting, but rather with how the character of Joe Buck is written and presented on the screen. 

In the novel, Joe moves through the world with a cocky strut and the outward attitude that goes with it, reflections of both his natural self and the image he tries to present. Voight brings this aspect of the character to the screen perfectly. But even though the script allows us to see Joe's sensitive, vulnerable side, there is little attempt to reveal the desperate loneliness and disconnection he has felt throughout his life:

He had gone about always, even in the most familiar places of his life, with a slight frown of uneasiness, his head cocked for some clue to the mystery of the language he heard spoken, but which was clearly not his own, walking softly as if unsure of the very ground of this peculiar planet. And now, thinking it all over carefully but inexpertly, there seemed to him to have been from the very beginning a campaign afoot to make him aware always and always and always of his own alien status. And the awful conclusion he reached was that nearly everyone he knew or had ever know was part of this conspiracy. Even the many persons with whom he had enjoyed a certain sexual popularity--especially these persons--had refused any contact with his other aspects. They took their pleasure and they ran like the wind, no doubt laughing about the earnestness with which he had gone about gratifying them.

...there was an awareness entering him too momentous to acknowledge: he was a nothing person, a person of no time and no place and no worth to anyone at all.

Maybe it would be impossible to express this kind of sadness and alienation in any film. I'm not even sure if screenwriter Waldo Salt and director John Schlesinger wanted to dig this deep into Joe Buck's interior life. Their expansion of the story, which is marvelously creative, made New York City another important character in the film, and it was from this character, this chaotic, overwhelming environment, that Joe felt profound alienation. 

With the introduction of Dustin Hoffman as Rico "Ratso" Rizzo, the streetwise con man who insinuates himself into Joe's life, the film gives us the most colorful character, and, arguably, the dominant character, in the screen adaptation. While Hoffman is older than the Rico in the novel, who is in his early twenties, his portrayal is so incredible, so singular, that I find no fault in it whatsoever. The novel gives us some background of Rico's life, but I'm not sure such exposition would have added anything important to the film. Rico's energetic presence helps to move the film along from one situation to the next while the relationship between these two unlikely co-conspirators grows into friendship. Both novel and film end the same way, with Rico's death, leaving Joe alone on that bus.

I guess my vision for a film version of this novel would be much more fatalistic. Black & White. Very little music. It would have to use as much of the first half of the book as possible, making it a longer film. But, as I said earlier, maybe it couldn't be done. Maybe it shouldn't be done. It's possible that James Leo Herlihy's vision of the tragic Joe Buck would be too much to bear if faithfully adapted for the screen, for the author wasn't just describing the desperate loneliness of one character in a novel. He was trying to make us see the loneliness felt by most men. Perhaps all men:

At first glance these young men may appear to loiter in packs, for often they occupy one table or group around a single parking meter, but chances are they are as unconnected to one another as they are to the prairies and cities and rivers of their homeland. You will find in the eyes and demeanor of these persons a kind of restless sadness that is probably incurable; they seem to be suffering some nameless common loss, as if something of worth had been snatched from them with such shocking irrevocability that they have forgotten even what it was.

HOKUM (2026)

 

Feel like being scared out of your wits? In the mood to go running out of the theater screaming at the top of your lungs? Have a hankering to be so psychologically damaged by a motion picture that you never leave your house again?

Well, keep looking for another movie, because Damian McCarthy's HOKUM isn't going to deliver any of those desired outcomes for you. Still, I have a feeling most horror fans are going to like this one. I saw it yesterday at my local monsterplex after reading a very favorable review, and I'm happy to give it an enthusiastic recommendation. HOKUM is an extremely clever, very original combination of ghost story, folklore horror and also a nice series of jump scares, all packaged in relentless darkness. The creepy factor hits the top of the scale. It was filmed on location in County Cork, Ireland by cinematographer Colm Hogan. There are scenes where the design and use of lighting remind me of David Lynch.

Adam Scott plays Ohm Bauman, an American writer of fiction, who comes to a remote hotel in the middle of the Irish woods for two reasons. First, he wants to distribute the ashes of his parents who had stayed at the hotel on their honeymoon. Second, he wants to finish a book and needs peace and quiet. The ashes aren't a problem. Peace and quiet? Forget it. He finds himself in an oppressive atmosphere, surrounded by weird people, and, oh yeah, there may be an ancient witch trapped in the bridal suite.

What could possibly go wrong?

Plenty. Mystery ensues. As does terror.

We soon learn that Adam is a rather acerbic, unlikeable gentleman who has a terrible secret in his past that eventually connects with the weirdness happening in the hotel. There are so many cool surprises and plot twists in the film and I'm not going to spoil any of them for you. This is one you need to check out for yourself. The movie lasts 107 minutes, not one of them wasted. There is also very little violence other than what's necessary for the story. It's not a slasher and there is no exploitation going on.

The director also made two other horror films: CAVEAT (2020) and ODDITY (2024), neither of which I've seen. But after seeing HOKUM, I want to check out this man's earlier work. I definitely plan to pick up this current film if it comes to home video.

KEY WITNESS (1960)

KEY WITNESS is an uneasy combination of competent thriller, Neo-Noir, social commentary and some unbelievably bad decisions regarding dialogue and musical score. The most important thing it has going for it is a good cast of actors, including a reuniting of Dennis Hopper and Corey Allen who worked together in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955). Interestingly, KEY WITNESS shares one of the plot points from REBEL, that of a group of hoodlums attempting to prevent someone from "squealing" to the police.

Jeffrey Hunter stars as Fred Morrow, a businessman and family man living in Los Angeles. When he stops at a cafe in East L.A. to use the telephone, he witnesses a gang murder. A young thug called William "Cowboy" Tompkins (Dennis Hopper) and his cohorts, Muggles (Joby Baker), Apple (Johnny Nash) and Magician (Corey Allen), surround another young guy, Emelio Sanchez (Eugene Iglesias), who was dancing with Cowboy's girlfriend, Ruby (Susan Harrison). Cowboy pulls out a switchblade and stabs Emelio, and the gang flees the scene. A crowd forms around the injured man, but Fred is the only one who steps forward to try to help him. Emelio names Cowboy as the one who stabbed him and then dies in Fred's arms. When police arrive, Fred is the only eyewitness among many who offers to help identify the killer. Ruby, who didn't flee with Cowboy and the gang, watches Fred giving his statement to the officer, who is on his regular beat and is known to the gang. When the gang learns that Emelio has died, they come up with a plan to assault the officer and steal his logbook to get Fred's name and address. They then proceed to confront Fred, his wife (Pat Morrow) and their two young children, attempting to intimidate Fred into retracting his statement about the murder. 

What follows for the duration of this 82-minute film are the various encounters between the Morrow family and the gang of thugs until (spoiler alert) good wins over evil, justice is served and the appropriate personages have been locked up. The first encounter happens when the Morrows are leaving the grocery store, of all places. The gang follows them out of the parking lot, locks on to the car from the rear, and attempts to push the Morrows into oncoming traffic. When that fails, they harass the family's home, throwing rocks through the windows and slashing their car's tires. As the gang gets more and more unhinged, they attempt to kidnap the Morrow children and accost Mrs. Morrow inside the courthouse. 

A gang in crisis: Johnny Nash, Corey Allen, Dennis Hopper, Joby Baker and Susan Harrison

 The Morrow family is assisted in their plight by Detective Rafael Torno (Frank Silvera), who is assigned to the case, and his superior, Lieutenant Arthur Robbins (Bruce Gordon). Both policemen are grateful that Fred Morrow came forward as a witness when so many others didn't want to take the chance. Cowboy is finally brought into custody after an exciting car chase on a California freeway. For those who are into car chases, this one will not disappoint. After Torno runs Cowboy's car off the highway, the two men are seen running into traffic. A very well-filmed sequence.

There are so many good aspects to this film that it's easy to dismiss the fact that the concept is not all that original. A few other well-made films had already addressed the subject of young thugs committing home invasions or harassing good citizens who cooperate with police: THE NIGHT HOLDS TERROR ((1955), THE SHADOW ON THE WINDOW, which also featured Corey Allen, (1957) and JOY RIDE (1958). KEY WITNESS has the advantage of four intense young actors, Allen, Hunter, Nash and Hopper all bringing their unique personas to the project. The pleasure of watching these talented gentlemen makes up for the glaring embarrassment of Joby Baker. As gangman Muggles, Baker is called upon to overact almost to the point of parody as a possibly braindead hipster who communicates only through ridiculous beatnik-inspired poetry and jingles, accompanied by finger snapping and exaggerated gestures. It's difficult to know if the filmmakers intended Muggles to be dangerously unhinged and scary, but he comes off as simply irritating. Baker was quite active in television and films in the 1960s, usually playing likeable guys in lighthearted settings. If his performance here was intended to display serious acting range, it failed miserably.

Jeffrey Hunter, Corey Allen and Dennis Hopper

Susan Harrison, introduced to the cinema in SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957), also proves somewhat detrimental to the film. As Ruby, it is her supposed sexual allure which causes the murder of Emelio and makes her irresistible to Cowboy. Unfortunately, Harrison seems to have taken acting lessons from Joby Baker, as her character often speaks in the same kind of beatnik jargon. She is not an untalented actress, and she has some believable moments, but her performance is uneven. When it comes to these various gang members, one gets the impression that Baker and Harrison are acting in a different movie than Allen, Hopper and Nash, all of whom are assigned straightforward dialogue, delivered in a believable, straightforward manner. To be fair, the writers and the director had to have been responsible for these problems with the film, much more than the actors.

Young love: Susan Harrison and Dennis Hopper

Johnny Nash's character, Apple, is the only Black member of the gang, allowing racial prejudice to figure into the plot. Apple seems to be under the benevolence and protection of Cowboy, while the other three members regard him with either amused tolerance or, in the case of Magician, hostility. When Apple tries to convince Cowboy to stop harassing the Morrow family, Cowboy pushes him away. At the film's climax, Apple is confronted with the racist attitudes of both Fred and Cowboy, who, in a shocking moment, calls him the N-Word.

Johnny Nash and Dennis Hopper

Another glaring flaw in the film is the use of music. At the beginning of the film, as Fred is about to park his car to go into the cafe, he catches sight of hip-swinging Ruby crossing the street. The camera zooms in on Ruby, allowing the viewer to ogle at her seductive movements along with Fred. While this is going on, the soundtrack plays an innocuous, lighthearted instrumental tune that manages to remove any sense of drama or tension. The tune continues to play as Ruby begins dancing with the doomed Emelio, which leads quickly into the murder scene. The tune, composed by Charles Wolcott, is actually called Ruby Duby Du, and is used as a leitmotif later in the film when Ruby enters another scene. Along with the comical pseudo-beatnik jargon, this music creates a jarring break with the otherwise serious nature of the story. The rest of Wolcott's score is comprised of music much more appropriate for a thriller involving murder and revenge. Again, it's difficult to understand why the filmmakers would make such a choice. This song, by the way, became something of a radio hit. reaching #41 on the US Hot 100, even inspiring a few cover versions.

Stylish gang members, uneasy riders: Johnny Nash, Joby Baker, Dennis Hopper and Corey Allen.

Dennis Hopper and Susan Harrison on the set of KEY WITNESS.

I'm a huge fan of Dennis Hopper, and his appearance in KEY WITNESS is, for me, what makes this mixed bag of a movie worth seeing. After an auspicious beginning in films like REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955) and GIANT (1956), Hopper fell from Hollywood's grace after a contentious relationship with director Henry Hathaway on the film FROM HELL TO TEXAS (1958). He found himself relegated to doing some excellent work in television and low budget movies, one of which, NIGHT TIDE (1961), is a cult classic. His film career finally got back on track in 1965 with the John Wayne western THE SONS OF KATIE ELDER. In KEY WITNESS, he and his fellow gang members are a little too well-dressed and clean-cut to be considered dangerous rebels. But we do get to see Hopper on a motorcycle, a preview of his iconic character in EASY RIDER at the end of the decade. Jeffrey Hunter had been working in films since 1950 and would make a memorable appearance as the Lord Jesus Christ in Nicholas Ray's KING OF KINGS in 1961. He would also achieve cult status by starring as Captain Pike in the original pilot for the Star Trek television series. Hunter would die tragically in 1969 at the age of 42 after an accident while making another film. The always intense Corey Allen would star in another interesting film in 1960 entitled PRIVATE PROPERTY. Later in the decade, he turned to directing, working mostly in television. Johnny Nash only acted in one other film, TAKE A GIANT STEP in 1959. He was a very successful singer and songwriter, remembered for his 1972 hit song I Can See Clearly Now. Director Phil Karlson was a prolific craftsman whose filmography includes 99 RIVER STREET (1953), THE PHENIX CITY STORY (1955), BEN (1972) and WALKING TALL (1973).

Young Dennis Hopper, gifted and rebellious.

Key Witness - Film Trailer - 1960

Ruby Duby Du in Key Witness film (1960)

Jeffrey Hunter having a really bad day.

RECENT VIEWINGS Spring 2026

 

I must have been experiencing an unusual burst of energy because I actually ventured out into the world and saw two movies in the theater in the same week. Could this be a trend? Probably not. After sitting through all of the previews of coming attractions which took around thirty minutes before the actual films, I remain largely uninspired by the state of contemporary cinema. One film that I am looking forward to, however, is BACKROOMS, an A24 production that looks absolutely fascinating. I'm mildly interested in seeing PROJECT HAIL MARY, all 156 minutes of it. We'll see how that works out. In the meantime, here are some comments about the two films I saw on the big screen.

UNDERTONE (2025)  This is a Canadian film, the directorial debut of Ian Tuason. It's a psychological horror film that involves paranormal activity, paranoia and large helpings of Catholic angst. A young woman, Evy (Nina Kiri), lives in a two-story house with her mother, who is comatose and near death. Evy gives her full time care. Evy also operates an online podcast called The Undertone with her friend Justin (Adam DiMarco). They discuss alleged paranormal activity, with Justin taking the position that the activities are real, while Evy acts as skeptic. When they begin listening to audio files sent to Justin by one of their listeners, files which appear to indicate demonic possession, Evy begins to experience strange things happening in the house. Objects are being moved, water is mysteriously left running, lights are on when they shouldn't be, and her mother is sometimes where she shouldn't be. The happenings in the audio files seem to be connected to events and memories from Evy's past, and her paranoia and fear steadily increase. The film is very well made and well-acted by Nina Kiri. She is in every scene of the picture and is the only character actually seen, apart from her mother who has no dialogue. Justin only appears as a voice on the computer, the same as the audio files. The believability of the story depends on Kiri, and she underplays perfectly. There isn't very much action in the movie, but an atmosphere of darkness and tension grows with each scene. UNDERTONE belongs to a class of films I like to call Lapsed Catholic Fever Dreams, where filmmakers appear to be dealing with their experiences and guilt brought on by their Catholic upbringing and the abandonment of same. In this story, the mother is a devout Catholic and the daughter has fallen away, so the film is filled with typical religious imagery: crucifixes, icons. and a statue of the Blessed Virgin which keeps moving around, all of which are repeatedly shown in close-up as the atmosphere in the house gets weirder. This has all been done before and is no longer terribly interesting or surprising. Still, the film is worth seeing. And there is no violence, always a plus in my book.

THE DRAMA (2026) Directed by Kristoffer Borgli, this film stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as Emma and Charlie, a young couple about to be married. While having drinks with another couple, a challenge comes up where each person must reveal the worst thing they ever did. Emma is the last to confess, and her confession is so awful that Charlie and the two friends are stunned and begin to wonder if they ever knew this woman at all. (The confession is too crucial to the story, so I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen the movie. Let's just say that violence is involved.) As the wedding is only a week away, Charlie goes into panic mode, wondering if he can actually go through with it. The "drama" of the title builds steadily as other associates of the now tenuously linked couple are drawn into their situation. Everything comes to a head at their wedding, which definitely reaches black comedic status. The irony of the film is that Charlie's obsession with Emma suddenly exhibiting psychotic behavior causes him to behave like a psychotic. Not a bad film. It held my attention right up to the inconclusive ending.

The following three films were viewed at home in the movie room.

THE SURFER (2024) I picked this up as sort of blind buy, having read some intriguing things about it in a couple of reviews. Nicholas Cage excels in the title roll, a man with no identity other than The Surfer. Other characters are similarly known only as The Kid, The Cop, The Bum, etc. A few have actual names. The Surfer has returned to a remote beach in Australia where he spent his youth before relocation to America. His dream is to buy the house once owned by his father and bring his wife and son to live there. He also dreams of taking his son surfing on the beach. However, he encounters opposition and threats from a group of male surfers, led by a charismatic toxic male named Scally (Julian McMahon), who tell him he isn't allowed to surf on their beach. As The Surfer fights desperately to close the deal on the house and overcome the threats and rejection coming from Scally and his cult-like gang, his life and mental state begin to unravel. The film turns into a journey into isolation, paranoia and alienation as The Surfer becomes completely disconnected from the life he once lived. Director Lorcan Finnegan has created a masterful, unforgettable psychological thriller filled with twists and turns I didn't see coming. This might be Nicholas Cage's best work. He is perfectly matched by Julian McMahon, an actor who was completely new to me. Unfortunately, this very talented man died at the age of 56 in 2025, not long after this film was released. I would like to search out more of his work.

KNOX GOES AWAY (2023) Another semi-blind buy on Blu-ray, this very complicated crime story was directed by Michael Keaton, who also stars as the titular character, and was written by Gregory Poirier. John Knox is a contract killer who is alienated from his wife and family. He finds out that he is suffering from a fast-developing form of dementia which is affecting his work and interactions with people. While making plans to get his life in some kind of order, his estranged son, Miles (James Marsden) comes to him for help. Miles has killed a man who raped and impregnated his teenage daughter. John agrees to help him cover up the murder, turning to his friend, Xavier Crane (Al Pacino), a former thief, for help in constructing and carrying out a very detailed plan to make sure Miles isn't found guilty of the murder. I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie, but it turned out to be a fascinating combination of intricate crime thriller and human drama. Keaton does an amazing job as both actor and director. Excellent support from Marsden and Pacino. Also featured are Marcia Gay Harden as Knox's wife, Suzy Nakamura and John Hoogenakker as the police detectives who are hot on Knox's trail, but not quite able to catch up, and Ray McKinnon and Joanna Kulig as Knox's partner and girlfriend, respectively. Definitely worth checking out. This is a film I'll have to rewatch so I can catch all of the details.

THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS (1954) This glossy, colorful MGM production is loosely based on the short story Babylon Revisited, written in 1930 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I haven't read the story, so I have no idea how loose the adaptation is. While the film is graced by MGM star power, headed by Elizabeth Taylor and Van Johnson, I found it to be somewhat of a misfire. Johnson is badly miscast as Charles Wills, an American journalist working in Paris after the end of World War II. He gets involved with an American family headed by James Ellswirth (Walter Pidgeon) who lives with his adult daughters Helen (Taylor) and Marion (Donna Reed). Charles marries Helen, they have a daughter (Sandy Descher) and live the high life of Paris while Charles attempts to become a writer of novels, experiencing a succession of rejections. Eventually, wealth comes to the family through oil wells James owned in America which he gave to Charles as a dowry. The infusion of money doesn't bring happiness or fulfillment to Charles and Helen, as their hedonistic lifestyles combined with Charles' continued failure as a writer lead to dissipation and estrangement. The story has possibilities but quickly becomes overwrought with emotional melodrama that becomes difficult to believe, especially when Van Johnson is involved. The biggest flaw in the film was casting Johnson as a romantic leading man opposite the impossibly beautiful Miss Taylor. You could easily say that her image in close-up is the most important aspect of the film, perhaps the main reason the film was made to begin with. When she is onscreen, the film works, in spite of the convoluted story or any other flawed factor. The other rewarding aspect of the film is the lovely title song, composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II for the 1941 MGM film LADY BE GOOD, and winner of the Academy Award for Best Original Song. In this 1954 film, the song is heard incessantly, with full orchestra, on the piano and in vocal performances. It's one of those songs that is impossible to hear too many times, including in this 117-minute laborious movie. Also featured are the very decorative Eva Gabor, George Dolenz, Kurt Kasznar, and a very young, handsome Roger Moore in his American film debut, managing to stand out as a gigolo in hot pursuit of Helen. Directed by Richard Brooks. The film made money, so what the hell do I know?