Wow. It's been a very long time since I've done a 'Forgotten Gems' post. I think I need to do more. So here's one...
Journey to the West is considered one of the 4 Great Novels of Chinese literature. Written by Wu Cheng'en in the 1590's, the 100-chapter story details a Buddhist monk's pilgrimage from China to India. The first 7 chapters tell the story of Sun Wu Kong, a monkey who comes to learn the way of Tao. Heady stuff for a children's movie. But in 1965, Shanghai Animation Film Studios simplified the story to its basest elements and produced Havoc in Heaven (aka The Monkey King).
I first remember seeing this film sometime around 1968 or so (remember kids, Uncle P is old) in the 'cafetorium' at Clara Barton Elementary School. I immediately fell in love with it. And while I know I saw it several times during my childhood, it's probably been 35 years or more since I saw it last. A precursor to Japanese Anime, The Monkey King's Taoist message was well beyond my K through 5 ken, but its basic tale of bravery and friendship struck a chord in my developing sensibilities and I count it as one of the major influences of my youth.
The animation may be crude by today's standards, but that's not the point. Its one of the movies (amongmany) that made me love movies and memories of it evoke both nostalgia for a simpler time and a curiosity about the filmmaking process that never went away. Havoc in Heaven is available in a subtitled version (though I know the version I saw as a child was dubbed) on YouTube in 14 parts. As far as I know, there is no DVD or even VHS version available. Here is a Part One of the subtitled version:
I know I'll be spending at least some of my upcoming weekend watching the other 13 parts on YouTube. There have been several adaptations of this story, on film and in print, but this is the one that left an impression on my impressionable youth...
Well, it's been quite a while since I've done a 'Forgotten Gems' post, and this is a movie I've been meaning to talk about for a while, but just never got around to, for some reason.
Knotts plays Luther Heggs, a lowly typesetter at a small town newspaper who dreams of being a real reporter. When the 20th anniversary of the town's most infamous murder/suicide rolls around, Luther is finally given his big break - he is assigned to spend the night in the 'murder house,' where the ghost of Mr. Simmons has been reported to be heard playing the organ at midnight. Luther is terrified and has a horrible night, but his account is a sensation and the paper sells more copies than it ever has. Until he's sued by the Simmons' only heir for libel and made to look like the fool he is in court. It doesn't help that he's in love with a gal completely out of his league or that his 'mail order karate lessons' are just ridiculous. And I don't know about you, but a night in this house would surely freak me out:
The only other name you might recognize in the cast is Dick Sargent (best known as the second Darren on "Bewitched") but there are plenty of 50's and 60's character actors you'll recognize like Reta Shaw (Mary Poppins); Sandra Gould (the 2nd Mrs Crabtree on "Bewitched" - is there a pattern here?) and Ellen Corby ("The Waltons"). The movie is actually quite silly and would never fly today (though I imagine some studio 'genius' is contemplating a big-budget remake starring Jim Carrey, Jack Black or Seth Rogan as I type this) but no one did physical comedy quite as well as Knotts:
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken may not be the best movie ever made. Or even the funniest. Still, it brings a smile to my face and elicits fond memories of my childhood. If you've never seen it, you should. Just remember to access your inner 8 year-old before you press "play" on the remote. If you do, you'll find a delightfully goofy movie suitable for the entire family.
Wow... long time since I've done one of these, eh? Every so often, something from my youth rears its head in unexpected ways and places. And I'll tell you how this post came a bout, in a bit.
I know I saw the delightful animated film The Point when it first aired in 1971 on (I believe) ABC, though if you know better, please let correct me. The original airing was narrated by Dustin Hoffman, who also voiced the father. Subsequent airings had different Narrator/Fathers, including Harry Nilsson and Alan Thicke. Ringo Starr narrates the version currently available on DVD.
I was not yet an adolescent when The Point tried to make me understand that being different was okay; that there will always be those who love us, unconditionally and that each of us has purpose in life.
Oblio (Mike Lookinland -- Bobby on "The Brady Bunch")* is a round-headed boy born in a land of pointy-headed people. After a misunderstanding, Oblio is banished to the Pointless Forest, where he and his faithful dog Arrow encounter all sorts of beings in all different shapes and sizes and learning exactly what 'The Point' is. Oh, how I loved this movie...
The animation is very much a product of its time, though director Fred Wolf does a terrific job with the Norm Lenzer's script, based on an original story by the film's songwriter, Harry Nilsson. The movie generated two minor hits for Nilsson: "Me and My Arrow" (which later went on to be the theme for a car commercial) and "Are You Sleeping?" Both songs are pure 70's "Love, Peace, Flowers, Beads, Happiness," but I always associate them with this sweet little movie's oh-so-positive message.
Were we really that innocent 40 years ago? Of course, they were saying the same thing in the 70's about the 30's and in the 80's about the 40's, etc. It doesn't matter, I suppose. We were all innocent, once. Real life changes that... and that's kind of sad, actually.
I was visiting my usual cyber-haunts when I found a silly cartoon on Jonco's Bits and Pieces, which immediately brought The Point to mind, and a wave of nostalgiapassed over me. Uncle P suddenly found himself transported back to his youth in The Time of the Hippies. I was 10 years-old and had no idea why a shirtless Speed Racer made my heart race, why Batman and Robin were so appealing or why I already felt "different." I just did. The Point is one of those great little movies every kid should see, if only so they can learn that being different isn't such a terrible thing at all.
So what brought this on? A stupid panel cartoon I saw on another blog that was captioned: "Triangles and Squares know that Circles are pointless." How could that not have gone right to "The Point?"
*Remind me to tell you about my friend Jon and 'The Brady Bunch Game,' some time. It's a little sick (okay - a lot sick), but pretty damned hilarious. And there's a hilarious cemetery story to share about him, too. Hmm.... I sense a JLG post in the fairly near future. I'll be seeing him on my birthday at Coney Island, for the first time in 27 or 28 years. Yikes!
I know I have mentioned this film before, but I've never given it its full due. So, here it is:
Long before Uncle P and most of his readers were born, Theodore Geisel (AKA: Dr. Seuss) wrote an extraordinary screenplay about a boy who, forced to take piano lessons from a certain Doctor Terwilliker, falls asleep and dreams of a fantastic world in which Dr. T. plans to take over the world by forcing 500 young boys to play on his gigantic piano. How this plot could possibly work, remains a mystery. But it does make for one weird and wonderful movie musical.
Bartholomew "Bart" Collins (see The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins) is the son of a lonely widower. He hopes that someday his mother will find a new husband, and that the aforementioned husband will be the handsome plumber, August Zabladowski. But he fears that his piano teacher (the titular Dr. T) will ruin everything. Falling asleep at the keyboard, Bart dreams of fantastical world in which Dr. T is an evil villain to whom his mother has become hypnotically enthralled. His only hope is the plumber, whom he convinces to help in his plan to overthrow the evil musician. Creating an "atomic" weapon from various pocket junk and an air-freshener, Bart manages to thwart Dr. T's plan and free the 500 boys from his tyranny.
The plot is a typically Seuss-inspired affair, and director Roy Rowland creates a world that is "Suessian" in every possible way. From the curly/wavy set design to the outrageous costumes, there is no doubt that this is a dream only Geisel could imagine. Filled with dopey henchmen, repressed musicians and a pair of Smith Brothers' inspired twins conjoined at the beard, The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T. is a film that revels in its own absurdity. Starring a company of mostly C-List actors, Rowland's film is a riot of colors, nonsense and delightful absurdity, presented in glorious Technicolor. Fredrick Hollander's score is complemented by some of Geisel's most ridiculous lyrics. And while Geisel had his name removed from the credits, the movie is undeniably his creation.
Starring the amazing Hans Conried (Peter Pan; Barefoot in the Park) in the title role, The 5000 Fingers... is a riotous, joyously ridiculous musical that can be enjoyed by both young and old alike. Should you find it on AMC or TCM, I encourage you to watch it an revel in its nonsensical and absurdist joy. And in case you doubt, here are some clips to whet your appetite:
If you've never seen this delightful and outrageously fun movie, I urge to seek it out. You won't be disappointed.
More, anon. Prospero
PS. - I know that plenty of gay bloggers have posted a request to the HRC to demand the repeal of DADT today. But because I usually don't get to post until late in the day (usually after 10 PM Eastern Time), I thought such a request would have reached most of my regular readers by now and such a request would be redundant, at best. Still, I urge you all to contact the HRC and let them know you support their efforts to repeal this ridiculous and homophobic legislation.
Yesterday's post asked something about bringing a celebrity back to life and who you would choose. I chose Gilda Radner and said "The world needs more Gildas." And I meant that. I can count the number of celebrity deaths that actually made me sad on one hand. News of Gilda's death from ovarian cancer, delivered live by Steve Martin on SNL, is probably the one that made me the saddest of all.
As an original cast member of Saturday Night Live's "Not Ready for Prime-Time Players," Gilda quickly became known for a series of hilarious characters, many of them based on family and friends she'd grown up with, as well as celebrity parodies no one else was doing (or could do). Whether it was playing advice columnist Rosanne Rosannadanna (pictured); hearing impaired substitute teacher Emily Litella; nerdy Lisa Lupner; hyper-active Brownie Judy Miller or drug-addled rocker Patti Smith, Gilda's total abandon into silliness, just to make an audience laugh was without par.
In 1979, Gilda got her own Broadway show and director Mike Nichols filmed it, preserving forever some of the funniest work from one the funniest women who ever lived. The film also features a hilarious performance from Don Novello as Father Guido Sarducci, possibly the most politically incorrect Italian character ever...
And just because I loved her so, here's some more of Gilda's brilliance:
Sadly, from what should have been a nonsensical marriage of epic proportions, the films made with her husband Gene Wilder are just terrible. Yes, even The Woman in Red, though Haunted Honeymoon is undoubtedly the worst of them (and sadly, Gilda's last). Her legacy lives on through Gilda's Club, a non-profit organization providing support for cancer patients and their families. Who knows what heights of silliness Gilda might have achieved? I'm just glad we have records of some of her best.
If you've never seen it, put Gilda Live in your Netflix queue; even if you don't get the late '70's topical references, there's enough character-driven humor to make you laugh a whole lot. If, like Uncle Prospero, you saw all those great SNL moments and haven't seen Gilda Live in a while, funny is always funny, especially if you haven't seen it in a while. "Oh! My cheechnos!"
Don Knotts, probably best known as the bumbling deputy Barney Fife on "Mayberry, RFD," left us last February. He was an amazing physical comedian; gangly, geeky and somehow adorable, he played a hopeless nudnick in countless movies and TV shows. My sister and I were particularly fond of two of his movies as kids: The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (more on that movie, later) and 1964's The Incredible Mr. Limpet.
Knotts plays Henry Limpet, a patriotic fellow who, because of his astigmatism (something to which I can totally relate) has been classified as "4F," or Unfit for Duty. Yet he desperately wants to do his part in service to his country during WWII. His nagging, but loving wife (the amazing Carole Cook, still going strong at 78 in a recent episode of ABCs "Gray's Anatomy") and his best friend, Navy man George Stickle (Jack Weston, oh-so-hilarious in the movie version of Terrance McNally'sThe Ritz), wish Henry would just realize his place in the world and forget his dreams of glory.
But Henry has another obsession: Fish. He could stare at them all day. He just loves their bright colors and graceful movement as they glide through the water without a care in the world. He loves them so much, in fact, he wishes he were one himself:
One day, while vistingConey Island with Bessie and George, Henry falls into the water and is magically transformed into his heart's desire:
As a fish, Henry discovers he has an amazing sonar ability and he uses it to help the Navy track down and destroy Nazi U-Boats, eventually becoming the hero he always dreamt he'd be:
Directed by Arthur Lubin (the Claude Raines version of The Phantom of the Opera) and featuring some terrific old-fashioned hand-drawn animation from a team led by Looney Tunes animator Gerry Chiniguy (I particularly love the way Chiniguy interprets Knotts as a fish), The Incredible Mr. Limpet is based on a novel by Theodore Pratt. The screenplay, by Jameson Brewer and John C. Rose features songs composed by Harold Adamson and the movie has some hilarious voice performances from Paul Frees ("Rocky & Bullwinkle") as "Crusty the Crab" and character actress Elizabeth MacRea as "Ladyfish."
A sweet and delightful fantasy, typical of the early '60's, The Incredible Mr. Limpet is listed on my sister's Facebook page as one of her favorite movies. It's also one of mine. If you have the chance to catch this movie on TCM or AMC, watch it with your kids (or godchildren, nieces, nephews or whomever). Or rent it from Blockbuster or Netflix. A silly, funny and nostalgic family movie, you'll all love it. I promise.
By the way, a limpet isn't exactly a fish, but rather a crustacean, like a clam or a conch. I imagine Pratt must have chosen the name for its comic effect, more than anything else.
George Pal, the producer who gave us the original War of the Worlds; When Worlds Collide and The Time Machine, directed this fantasy adapted from the novel "The Circus of Dr. Lao," by Charles G. Finney. The 7 Faces of Dr. Laotells the story of Abalone, a small western town on the verge of dying. In swoops Clint Stark (character actor Arthur O'Connell) with a plan to buy out everyone in town for pennies on the dollar, convincing the citizens of Abalone that their homes are worthless. Needless to say, teh townsfolk are completely unaware that the railroad is about to come through, making them all rich.
Out of the desert appears a strange Chinese man and his bigger-on-the-inside-than-on-the-outside circus, Dr. Lao. As played by Tony Curtis, Lao is both stereotype and charicature; sometimes speaking in pigeon-English, sometimes speaking in a Southern drawl and other times speaking in perfect King's English. Lao's bizarre assortment of acts features Medusa, Pan, Merlin, The Abominable Snowman and the blind prophet Appolonius (all played by Randall) as well as a tiny fish which Lao insists is the Loch Ness Monster.
Beautiful Barbara "I Dream of Jeannie" Eden is the heroine, a widowed mother struggling to raise her son as best she can, while hunky John Ericson is her romantic interest. A slew of character actors, including Royal Dano; Noah Berry, Jr; Eddy Little Sky; John Qualen and Minerva Urecal are among the townsfolk, each of whom fall under the spell of one of Lao's attractions.
Ms. Urecal, in particular, is literally petrified by her encounter with Medusa:
On the night before the town is supposed to vote on whether or not to accept Stark's proposal, Lao presents his grand finale, "The Fall of the City."
And thoughStark recants his evil ways, a drunken Dano and company decide to take their revenge on Lao by killing his beloved pet. Needless to say - it's a HUGE mistake.
I wish the video quality was better here, because the stop-motion animation is among some of the best of the era.
While many may complain that Randall's performance is racist, I would say it is typical of the attitude of the time. Chinese immigrants were often the backbone of the American rail system, providing cheap labor and a touch of Eastern mysticism into the lives of early American pioneers. And despite what you may think about Randall, Lao and the simplistic depiction of Chinese-Americans, the movie still holds up as one of the great fantasy films of the 1960's. I loved it as a kid and still love it, today. If you've never seen this delightful little fantasy, watch for it on AMC or TCM. I promise you will enjoy it.
Silly title for a blog entry, I suppose. I've been in a silly, weird mood lately (as if all the zombie stuff wasn't clue). I suppose it's because I've been trapped indoors since November and I need to get out and start doing. I had a busy weekend and want more. Anyway, the idea for ths entry has been kicking around for a while and then the other day on i09, I came across this entry about the cloning movie, Embryowhich sealed the deal. So here, in the order of release are:
Seven from the 70's:
Cheesy Horror Movies I Love, Despite Knowing Better
The well-loved and much underrated Vincent Price stars in one of his most memorable horror roles, as Dr. Anton Phibes, a mad, disfigured musician wreaking revenge on those he holds responsible for the death of his beloved wife. With his super-fashionable, though silent assistant with the unlikely name of Vulnavia (Virginia North), Phibes picks off his victims with a series of "themed" murders, based on the Ten Plagues. Joseph Cotton, Terry Thomas, Hugh Griffith and Peter Jeffrey co-star in this darkly comic thriller from director Robert Fuest. Both Griffith and Thomas would return (as different characters) in the sequel, Dr. Phibes Rises Again.
American International Pictures was known for being cheap and outlandish (Phibes is an AIP picture) no matter what the genre, and none so much more than in their horror movies. They also wanted to draw teenagers to the movies and decided to make an ecological disaster movie starring Ray Milland, a very young and very hot Sam Elliott and... are you ready? ... you sure?... OK... Joan friggin' Van Ark! Milland is the crippled patriarch of a family whose money was made by dumping poisoned by-products into the environment. At their 4th of July picnic on a remote island, Mother Nature strikes back. It's just terrible. I like it mostly 'cause we get to see a shirtless Elliott battle hundreds of snakes with just an oar!
Writer/director Larry Cohen is simply insane, and the premises of most of his films are, too. Cohen gave the world movies like Q, The Stuff and more recently, Phone Booth and Cellular. As a kid, I was both desperate and terrified to see this movie, because of Cohen's genius at promotion. First, what may be the greatest tagline of all times: "There's only one thing wrong with the Davis baby... It's Alive!" Then the terrifying trailer below, where they never show you the baby Oh... my... God!!! It must be too horrible to imagine! It was. The movie, that is.
Author Robert Marasco's weird novel about a house that's a living entity, feeding off the fear of those who live within its walls, adapted into an even weirder movie starring Oliver Reed, Karen Black and a far-from-dead-yet though already-ancient Bette Davis. Director Dan Curtis is owed a big thank you for inspiring the trees in Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead, and for creeping me out at one of the first horror movies I saw in a theater alone.
Michael Winner directs a screenplay by Jeffrey Konvitz, based on Konvitz's novel about a brownstone in Brooklyn that may well be something worse than haunted. The cast is top-drawer talent, including Chris Sarandon; Martin Balsalm; John Carradine; Eva Gardner; Arthur Kennedy; Burgess Meredith; Sylvia Miles; Eli Wallach; Christopher Walken; Jerry Orbach and Beverly D’Angelo! Christina Raines is the damsel in distress. A very creepy little thriller that owes more than a debt to Rosemary's Baby. Posted below is fan-made trailer for the movie (and the only one I could find).
Brian DePalma (Carrie; Dressed to Kill; The Untouchables) revisits telekinesis in his rather slow-moving, though fascinating adaptation of John Farris' novel about a pair of "psychic twins" who are being sought after by both domestic and foriegn intelligence agencies. Kirk Douglas, John Cassavetes, Charles Durning and Fiona Lewis are at odds, while Amy Irving (the future ex-Mrs. Spielberg) and former hottie Andrew Stevens are the young folks in distress. Watch closely for an appearance by a very young Darryl Hannah. Plus, the final and inevitible exploding head explodes about 375 times in a row. It's insane!
I don't know that "cheesy" is the right term for this Australian vampire movie. A descendant of Elizabeth Bathory (long believed to the actual inspiration for Dracula) is psychologically tortured by a cult into believing she is their "chosen one" and that they have achieved immortality through vampirism. They even live on a commune where they "farm" their food in a massive 'barn' filled with aneasthetized 'donors' whose many exsanguination tubes resemble nothing less than milking machines. Literally biting satire, Thirst is original take on the vampire legend and features some terrific performances by genre veterans David Hemmings, Henry Silva and Chantal Contouri is lovely as the damsel... no, not gonna do it... as the young heroine.
