BLACK SUNDAY (1960, ITALY)

MOVIES I WATCHED BECAUSE I GOT A SUBSCRIPTION TO NETFLIX AND THEY WERE IN THE 1001 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE BOOK MONTH

(Post 4 of 10)

Mario Bava's 1960 Italian Horror film Black Sunday (A. K. A. La maschera del demonico, A. K. A. The Mask of Satan, A. K. A. Revenge of the Vampire) is one of those early 60's black and white atmospheric European horror movies that probably would have scared me silly if I had seen it at a younger age. It's still quite disturbing and the story features a witch from the middle ages (played by 8 1/2's Barbara Steele!) seeking revenge centuries later on the descendants of the family who tried to kill her. It isn't particularly unfamiliar plot territory to a modern day viewer, but this is kind of a neat little horror film in it's on low-budget way. In fact, if I were writing a blurb for this movie, I'd probably say, "See Black Sunday, it's kinda neat!)

This also made me want to go back and see a couple of movies in this vein that I haven't seen in over thirty years, The Castle of the Living Dead. (Il castello dei morti vivi) and Passport for a Corpse (Lasciapassare per il morto) They may not date as well as Black Sunday, but who knows.

GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (1992)

MOVIES I WATCHED BECAUSE I GOT A SUBSCRIPTION TO NETFLIX AND THEY WERE IN THE 1001 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE BOOK MONTH

 (Post 3 of 10)

The film version of  the David Mamet's critically acclaimed stage play about the daily struggles of an office of Chicago real-estate salesman I found to be pretty powerful at times. The film benefits from a strong ensemble cast that includes: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alan Arkin, Kevin Spacey and Ed Harris. Alec Baldwin really connects in his one scene as a ruthless company "motivator."

My favorite quote from the movie is Ricky Roma (Al Pacino) cursing out his office manager (Kevin Spacey) after a lost sale.

WHAT YOU'RE HIRED FOR, is to help us... does that seem clear to you? TO HELP US, not to... FUCK-US-UP... to help those who are going out there to try to earn a living... You fairy! You company man!!

WITHNAIL AND I (1987, GREAT BRITAIN)

MOVIES I WATCHED BECAUSE I GOT A SUBSCRIPTION TO NETFLIX AND THEY WERE IN THE 1001 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE BOOK MONTH

(Post 2 of 10)

Withnail and I was produced by George Harrison's Handmade Films and is about two struggling London actors in 1969 who decide they need some time away from the city and spend a holiday at a country cottage with Withnail's amorous uncle. That's really about it for plot. Richard Grant as Withnail is pretty good and so is Richard Griffiths as Uncle Monty. Withnail and "I" drink, smoke grass and gripe about their inability to get any suitable acting parts. They also have a hippie drug dealer who they hang out with that is also good for some laughs. When they are on holiday, they try to cope with country life but also find time to act up and cause some problems with the rural community. Also, Uncle Monty makes a pass at "I," which is probably the funniest scene in the movie.

I guess my major problem with the film is that I was having trouble getting Netflix to download. So I guess it's more of a personal problem than anything. It really hurts your viewing if you have to keep pausing and going back and starting over. Looks like I may have to get a faster Internet connection.

THE WOLFMAN (1941)

MOVIES I WATCHED BECAUSE I GOT A SUBSCRIPTION TO NETFLIX AND THEY WERE IN THE 1001 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE BOOK MONTH

(Post 1 of 10)

I might be the only person whose first movie to be cued with their brand new Netflix subscription is...the 1941 version of The Wolfman with Lon Chaney, Jr. I just hadn't had a DVD of it available and I haven't found it available on YouTube before, so I decided to give it a go.

I grew up watching the Universal monsters on TV. Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy etc. The scariest one of all had to be the Wolfman, because the wolf  moved at you quickly like a force of nature and there was really no getting away. You could always run away from the Frankenstein monster, but there was no escape from The Wolfman.

The Wolfman as a film is dated as far as some of the action goes and the transformation scene is only adequate. However, once Larry Talbot changes into The Wolfman, I do love the way he looks. So A for makeup, B- for transformation. 

The exposition scenes with the gypsys and Bela Lugosi actually playing a gypsy named Bela is actually pretty good, though a bit on the abbreviated side. Of course, everything is abbreviated in this movie at only 69 minutes in length total. We also have appearances by supporting actor masters Claude Rains and Ralph Bellamy. 

The mood of this film which is exemplified by the Talbot ancestral home and all that darn fog is pretty effective. A for atmosphere.

The Wolfman also gave Lon Chaney Jr. his defining career role. Interesting that he did play Frankenstein and Dracula in later films, but The Wolfman was the one role that was really his. He isn't revered by film buffs like his father, but let's certainly give him his due as Larry Talbot/Wolfman. Of course, he does seem to have a little problem in the scenes where  clunky Larry Talbot is trying to hit on the lovely Evelyn Keyes. But no matter, you need to see The Wolfman. But if you are going to include The Wolfman on the 1001 list, I'd think about adding The Creature From the Black Lagoon to the list too.