The Silver Screen Oasis

It's so nice when somebody sees a classic for the first time. THE SEVENTH VICTIM is the most poetic of Lewton's quiet chillers, with John Donne quoted twice. It may also be the most mature. The thrills are more psychological that external. Yet it took three viewings for me to fully appreciate this one. My favorite Lewton films are I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE, LEOPARD MAN and CAT PEOPLE. Three of the most effective thrillers I've seen.

This might not be the best place to review this movie but it was a horror movie to me, Duel an early movie by Steven Speilberg, it started pleasantly enough, a guy travelling to a meeting across the Californian landscape gets stuck behind a rig thats spewing noxious fumes, so he overtakes only to be dangerously overtaken minutes later by the rig. Again he goes to overtake but the rig veers dangerously from side to side and then the rig driver waves him on into oncoming traffic. The exploits get hairier and hairier until the car driver crashes near a cafe and goes in for a break, he's barely able to stand on his feet from the fright, he gets seated then notices the rig that he thought had been lon gone is parked outside he then looks at the line of customers at the counter, sweating and twisting a tissue. He sets off again, behind the truck he thinks only to find it waitingfor him, antoher chase ensues, then he manages to dodge him, then hides for an hour and then thinking he's escaped sets off again only to find him waiting for him. The ending the only one possible and I was on the edge of my seat, when we went out today I was eying the rigs on the road with suspicion

DUEL was the first made-for-TV movie that I remember seeing. Loved it in 1971 and it is still one of my favorite Spielberg movies. The writer, Richard Matheson, has a career of movie/TV marvels, including THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, THE BEAT GENERATION and Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.

I would add that Matheson and Charles Beaumont's episodes for "The Twilight Zone" were arguably the best.

Don't apologize, Anne!! I'm in complete agreement with you and if it means climbing beside you on a soap box, so be it.

I'd also add the remake of "Planet of the Apes" to your three. God, after watching the Tom Cruise version of "War of the Worlds" I had to pop the orginal into my DVD player just to cleanse my palate. Ditto Keanu's "The Day the Earth Stood Still". As has been said countless times before: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

And it's blasphemy IMO to mess with the classics.

Western Guy wrote:Don't apologize, Anne!! I'm in complete agreement with you and if it means climbing beside you on a soap box, so be it.

I'd also add the remake of "Planet of the Apes" to your three. God, after watching the Tom Cruise version of "War of the Worlds" I had to pop the orginal into my DVD player just to cleanse my palate. Ditto Keanu's "The Day the Earth Stood Still". As has been said countless times before: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

And it's blasphemy IMO to mess with the classics.

You can add me to this list ... I do support you both of you at 110 percent!

DUEL was the talk of the town the day after it aired. I didn't see it until many years later. But everywhere I went, it was, "Did you see..." It's gratifying to know that can happen. No million dollar ad campaign. No brainwashing people that they SHOULD like it. It came out of nowhere. And nobody had ever heard of Steven Spielberg!

Thank you, Chio, for mentioning the movie about the guy who gets really small. I'm forbidden by law to ever speak of it again!

It did have a TV feel to it, I think TV must have been better in yesteryear, I can't imagine having that kind of viewing today when everyone is talking about what was on the night before. Do we ever find out who is driving the truck? i got interrupted before he left the diner, was the driver inside the diner or outside or do we never know?

Western Guy wrote:I'd also add the remake of "Planet of the Apes" to your three.

If you are referring to Tim Burton's remake, I suppose I'd agree, although parts of it are fun. Last year's Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which is more of a re-imagining of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, I thought was really good.

mrsl wrote:In any case, I would love to see a good science fiction film come out,

A few I'd recommend:
Moon
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Fountain
District 9
Super 8
Primer

Definitely Anne I was referring to Tim Burton's reimagining of the "Apes" film. Personally I really like Tim Burton: "Ed Wood", for instance, is one of my top five favorite films (though my surrogate mom Dolores Fuller despised Sarah Jessica Parker's "Impersonation" of her - and Sarah was rude to Dolores, to boot). Anyhoo, the original "Planet of the Apes" is such a classic that any remake would fall short (think the awful remake of "Stagecoach"). Haven't seen "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" so can't comment, but I have heard good things about it. Still, on the whole, I'd much rather pull out my "Apes" box set and watch the originals. Love 'em all!

BTW: Speaking of "Duel" and Richard Matheson, I feel that for pure horror Matheson is the Master. Although as a former horror writer I owe a lot to Stephen King (who opened the door to many of us back in the 80s), I much prefer Matheson when it comes to chills. One of the most frightening things I ever saw (and as a true MonsterKid I don't scare easy) was the "Bobby" segment of the Matheson-scripted "Dead of Night". IMO that was more nightmare-inducing than anything King has come up with (I don't even want to go into the lost potential of "Pet Sematary"). And for those who remember the "Long Distance Call" episode from "The Twilight Zone", read the original ending (not the one they used for the telecast). If that doesn't send 100-watt shivers through you . . .

I LOVE talking horror ---

And for those who remember the "Long Distance Call" episode from "The Twilight Zone", read the original ending (not the one they used for the telecast). If that doesn't send 100-watt shivers through you . . .

Are you referring to the "Night Call" episode that Matheson wrote, or is it a different episode? "Night Call" is one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes and the last great work directed by Jacques Tourneur. Essential viewing.

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Yes, ChiO, thanks. It is "Night Call". Going on an aging memory. Can't be sure but maybe it was the original Matheson story that was titled "Long Distance Call". In any case, I agree it 's a good, creepy episode. But for a chiller ending they should have stuck with the Matheson original. Truly shiver-inducing.

In short (Story spoiler):






The corpse comes a callin'.

Cool! I didn't know Jacques "I can't spell his last name" directed a TWILIGHT ZONE. ED WOOD is one of the few Tim Burton films that live up to potential. Oddly, I didn't expect it to be creepy and atmospheric. Maybe that helped. The first half of BATMAN is fine. "Scissorhands" is one of his better efforts. Mostly, his films offer stylish visuals, an intriguing premise, and 45 minutes later I'm bored!

I saw no reason to remake PLANET OF THE APES. Nothing in Burton's story excited me more than the original. The action wasn't particularly impressive. Character relationships failed to move me. It's not a terrible movie. But...why?

RedRiver, you ask the eternal puzzling question. Not just with Burton's unnecessary redo of "Planet of the Apes" but the tampering of all classic cinema:

Why?

Why do I suddenly hear the ka-ching of the cash register?

Re Burton, though: Just last night I re-watched "Mars Attacks!" Guilty pleasure it must be, 'cause I enjoy the darn thing more each time I watch it.