Great opening sequences featuring Christopher Lee, quickly fade to standard gore and over used CGI effects. Mediocre performances abound and drag what might have been a good idea into a simply dull routine affair. The worst offender is the usually interesting Jason Scott Lee. He was simply miss-cast for this film and seemed eager to move onto something else. Don't waste your time on this flick, instead go back and watch Hammer's Mummy or the recent remake of Universal's classic Mummy with Brendan Fraser.
Reviews
7 Reviews
A Feast at Midnight
(1994)
A Feast of a Film!
21 November 2000
Christopher Lee gives a splendid performance in one of the most charming films made in Great Britain in recent memory. A Feast at Midnight is one of those warm family entertainments that manages to delight both children and parents alike.
Young Magnus Gove (Freddie Findlay) is sent away to an austere boarding school that manages to serve the most unpalatable of meals. Even the Headmaster (Robert Hardy) can barely stomach the overly healthy menu. Magnus' father (Edward Fox in a short cameo) sends him a number of enticing recipes, which spur Magnus and his oddball group of friends to venture, in the dead of night, into that forbidden no-boys land of "The Kitchen". There they discover the true meaning of friendship as they concoct the most unlikely of meals. The interaction between the boys that make up "The Scoffers" club is priceless. All handled with just the right tone by director Justin Hardy (son of The Wicker Man's Robin Hardy), to avoid falling into the bottomless well of gushing sentimentality.
Christopher Lee handles the key role of Latin Master, V. E. Longfellow aka Raptor, with great aplomb. His stern features belie a warm and fun-filled heart as is evidenced by the exchange of low-key double entendre with Miss Plunder (Carol Macready) the housekeeper over her home-cooked meals. One of the most memorable moments is of course, the kitchen scene homage to Jurassic Park. I can't even begin to explain just how pleasing this scene is. There is no question that Mr. Lee's character lives up to and deserves the Raptor moniker! To check out a clip of the Raptor sequence, visit the Multimedia page here at the site. There is also a very gentle homage to Hammer, as Raptor wakes in the night upon hearing a noise, his eyes pop open in a darkened room, in a way that is very reminiscent of a Transylvanian Count. Truly one of Mr. Lee's best and warmest performances. An excellent demonstration of why Christopher Lee is far more than simply a horror icon, but a multi-talented actor capable of a wide range of characterization! Enjoy...
Young Magnus Gove (Freddie Findlay) is sent away to an austere boarding school that manages to serve the most unpalatable of meals. Even the Headmaster (Robert Hardy) can barely stomach the overly healthy menu. Magnus' father (Edward Fox in a short cameo) sends him a number of enticing recipes, which spur Magnus and his oddball group of friends to venture, in the dead of night, into that forbidden no-boys land of "The Kitchen". There they discover the true meaning of friendship as they concoct the most unlikely of meals. The interaction between the boys that make up "The Scoffers" club is priceless. All handled with just the right tone by director Justin Hardy (son of The Wicker Man's Robin Hardy), to avoid falling into the bottomless well of gushing sentimentality.
Christopher Lee handles the key role of Latin Master, V. E. Longfellow aka Raptor, with great aplomb. His stern features belie a warm and fun-filled heart as is evidenced by the exchange of low-key double entendre with Miss Plunder (Carol Macready) the housekeeper over her home-cooked meals. One of the most memorable moments is of course, the kitchen scene homage to Jurassic Park. I can't even begin to explain just how pleasing this scene is. There is no question that Mr. Lee's character lives up to and deserves the Raptor moniker! To check out a clip of the Raptor sequence, visit the Multimedia page here at the site. There is also a very gentle homage to Hammer, as Raptor wakes in the night upon hearing a noise, his eyes pop open in a darkened room, in a way that is very reminiscent of a Transylvanian Count. Truly one of Mr. Lee's best and warmest performances. An excellent demonstration of why Christopher Lee is far more than simply a horror icon, but a multi-talented actor capable of a wide range of characterization! Enjoy...
Treasure Island
(1990 TV Movie)
A Treasure of a Treasure Island!
21 November 2000
One of the great literary classics is brought to life in this wonderful made for television version. An incredible cast, headed by Charlton Heston as Long John Silver, beautiful location footage and a great soundtrack from Paddy Maloney performed by the Chieftains, makes this one of the liveliest productions ever filmed. Cleverly scripted and directed by Fraser Heston, the viewer is treated to a wonderfully faithful adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's classic adventure tale.
Christopher Lee is near unrecognizable in the ghastly make-up of Blind Pew. Add to that the most incredible voice-work and you have one of Mr. Lee's most fascinating characterizations. Although on-screen for a relatively short time, Pew is instrumental to the plot, and Mr. Lee certainly makes the most of his limited time, effectively creating one of the most frightening and memorable characters. Never before, or since, has Blind Pew been quite so well played. His interaction with the late great Oliver Reed as Billy Bones at the Benbow Inn is a wonderful moment, particularly for Hammer fans.
The cast includes a phenomenal assortment of remarkable actors. While Charlton Heston is less than perfectly cast, he does turn in a commendable performance and in no way detracts from the production. It is evident that he is enjoying his role. Young Christian Bale in an early performance is excellent and well cast, as Jim Hawkins. Isla Blair does a great job as young Jim's protective mother. Along for the ride we also have Julian Glover in a standout performance as Dr. Livesey. His confrontation with the swaggering Oliver Reed as Billy Bones is a high point in this film. Richard Johnson as Squire Trelawney and Clive Wood as Capt. Smollet round out the cast, with Nicolas Amer (whom I thought was actually Jasper Carrot) as a suitably deranged Ben Gunn. An exceptional cast, which fits together beautifully, results in my favorite version of this oft-filmed classic. While at times reminiscent of some of Hammer's adventure films, it certainly benefits from modern film technique, and rightly exceeds even the best of Hammer's pirate yarns.
Even if you are just checking this out for Christopher Lee's or Oliver Reed's performance, you'll find yourself engrossed in a wonderful family film and wondering why more classics aren't given such great treatment. Highly recommended!
Christopher Lee is near unrecognizable in the ghastly make-up of Blind Pew. Add to that the most incredible voice-work and you have one of Mr. Lee's most fascinating characterizations. Although on-screen for a relatively short time, Pew is instrumental to the plot, and Mr. Lee certainly makes the most of his limited time, effectively creating one of the most frightening and memorable characters. Never before, or since, has Blind Pew been quite so well played. His interaction with the late great Oliver Reed as Billy Bones at the Benbow Inn is a wonderful moment, particularly for Hammer fans.
The cast includes a phenomenal assortment of remarkable actors. While Charlton Heston is less than perfectly cast, he does turn in a commendable performance and in no way detracts from the production. It is evident that he is enjoying his role. Young Christian Bale in an early performance is excellent and well cast, as Jim Hawkins. Isla Blair does a great job as young Jim's protective mother. Along for the ride we also have Julian Glover in a standout performance as Dr. Livesey. His confrontation with the swaggering Oliver Reed as Billy Bones is a high point in this film. Richard Johnson as Squire Trelawney and Clive Wood as Capt. Smollet round out the cast, with Nicolas Amer (whom I thought was actually Jasper Carrot) as a suitably deranged Ben Gunn. An exceptional cast, which fits together beautifully, results in my favorite version of this oft-filmed classic. While at times reminiscent of some of Hammer's adventure films, it certainly benefits from modern film technique, and rightly exceeds even the best of Hammer's pirate yarns.
Even if you are just checking this out for Christopher Lee's or Oliver Reed's performance, you'll find yourself engrossed in a wonderful family film and wondering why more classics aren't given such great treatment. Highly recommended!
A Corman Type Poe Flick meets Bava in Germany!
21 November 2000
Recently viewed this little gem as "The Torture Chamber of Dr. sadism". Originally released in the US and UK as "The Blood Demon", while it's German title was "Die Schlangengrube und Das Pendel". An odd film that seemed to be a sort of German take on a mixture of Bava with one of Corman's AIP Poe efforts.
Count Regula (Christopher Lee) is drawn and quartered for the death of 12 maidens, but swears his revenge. 35 years later a disparate group ends up at the Counts ruined castle. The 4 travelers are Baroness Lillian (Karin Dor of Bond fame), her maid Babette, Roger (Lex Barker, former Tarzan and a huge star in Germany) and the monk Fabian (a hilarious turn from Vladimir Medar). As it turns out, Roger and the Baroness are the descendants of the folks that originally put the Count to death and he wants revenge. The crazed servant Anatol lures them to the castle and reanimates the Count. The Poe elements then come into play as Roger faces a deadly pendulum and Lillian is faced with a pit full of snakes. Do they foil the reanimated Count or meet their doom? Check this fun film out to see for yourself!
I expected this to be a really bad film, but was very surprised to find that I enjoyed it tremendously. Christopher Lee's performance is all menace, but with just a smattering of black humour to keep things moving. Lex Barker, more than a decade after playing Tarzan, looks great and is a perfect heroic figure. Karin Dor is lovely and does a fair bit of over the top shrieking, but still manages to give a convincing performance. This was a whole lot of fun! A bit of dark humour, Grimm's fairytale mixed with a Mario Bava sensibility and a little Poe thrown in for good measure makes for a superior European horror flick. Hopefully a nicer print will turn up or a DVD release, as the Magnum Entertainment video that I viewed was murky, faded and very badly edited.
Count Regula (Christopher Lee) is drawn and quartered for the death of 12 maidens, but swears his revenge. 35 years later a disparate group ends up at the Counts ruined castle. The 4 travelers are Baroness Lillian (Karin Dor of Bond fame), her maid Babette, Roger (Lex Barker, former Tarzan and a huge star in Germany) and the monk Fabian (a hilarious turn from Vladimir Medar). As it turns out, Roger and the Baroness are the descendants of the folks that originally put the Count to death and he wants revenge. The crazed servant Anatol lures them to the castle and reanimates the Count. The Poe elements then come into play as Roger faces a deadly pendulum and Lillian is faced with a pit full of snakes. Do they foil the reanimated Count or meet their doom? Check this fun film out to see for yourself!
I expected this to be a really bad film, but was very surprised to find that I enjoyed it tremendously. Christopher Lee's performance is all menace, but with just a smattering of black humour to keep things moving. Lex Barker, more than a decade after playing Tarzan, looks great and is a perfect heroic figure. Karin Dor is lovely and does a fair bit of over the top shrieking, but still manages to give a convincing performance. This was a whole lot of fun! A bit of dark humour, Grimm's fairytale mixed with a Mario Bava sensibility and a little Poe thrown in for good measure makes for a superior European horror flick. Hopefully a nicer print will turn up or a DVD release, as the Magnum Entertainment video that I viewed was murky, faded and very badly edited.
The Devil-Ship Pirates
(1964)
Hammer's High Adventure
21 November 2000
Hammer's foray into straight adventure stories occasionally resulted in some first-rate films. Of course as was the norm with most Hammer productions, they were made on a shoestring budget. "The Devil Ship Pirates" certainly doesn't show it. It is clear that every cent was squeezed from the budget and shifted on-screen. The visuals in this film are incredible and run to the inclusion of a 120 foot long Spanish Galleon (The story of this ill fated large scale prop is an interesting tale all it's own), designed by Bernard Robinson. The costuming is splendid and certainly does much to make the film a convincingly effective historical piece. A strong cast, headed by Mr. Lee and ably supported by the likes of Andrew Keir, Philip Latham, Michael Ripper and Suzan Farmer, gives their all to achieve what is clearly one of Hammer's best forays into the pirate movie sub-genre. Michael Ripper in particular is, as always, a joy to watch.
The film begins with the defeat of the Spanish Armada. The Spanish ship Diablo is badly damaged and her Captain, a rakish privateer by the name of Robeles, takes the ship into the English coast to make covert repairs. While there, a little plundering is in order and the crew of the ship occupy a small isolated village by duping the villagers into believing that the Spanish won and that they are there as representatives of Spain. A resistance movement is formed and the usual results: swordplay, flogging, and a good deal of running around.
The plot is fairly standard stuff, but very well told and demonstrates a bit more depth than typical swashbucklers. The staunch British defend their island from invading foreigners. Thematically, it has as much in common with "The Adventures of Robin Hood" as it does with "The Eagle has Landed". Normans, Germans or as in this case, Spanish privateers, the mentality is the same. As Winston Churchill put it: "We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." Devil Ship Pirates would have made a splendid WWII era morale booster with its rather blatant message. An interesting touch that adds depth and separates this film from the usual pirate fair. By including Barry Warren's sympathetic and honorable Spaniard character, the film narrowly avoids stereotyping the Spanish. A token effort, but one that raises the tone somewhat.
Christopher Lee excels in the role of the nasty Captain Robeles. He looks magnificent in the red uniform and moves with incredible authority at all times. There are a good number of fencing sequences that are carried off with remarkable skill and dexterity; a real showcase of Mr. Lee's ability. The final sequences aboard the Diablo are simply stunning. This is one pirate flick that shouldn't be missed...and that's an order, Mister!
The film begins with the defeat of the Spanish Armada. The Spanish ship Diablo is badly damaged and her Captain, a rakish privateer by the name of Robeles, takes the ship into the English coast to make covert repairs. While there, a little plundering is in order and the crew of the ship occupy a small isolated village by duping the villagers into believing that the Spanish won and that they are there as representatives of Spain. A resistance movement is formed and the usual results: swordplay, flogging, and a good deal of running around.
The plot is fairly standard stuff, but very well told and demonstrates a bit more depth than typical swashbucklers. The staunch British defend their island from invading foreigners. Thematically, it has as much in common with "The Adventures of Robin Hood" as it does with "The Eagle has Landed". Normans, Germans or as in this case, Spanish privateers, the mentality is the same. As Winston Churchill put it: "We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." Devil Ship Pirates would have made a splendid WWII era morale booster with its rather blatant message. An interesting touch that adds depth and separates this film from the usual pirate fair. By including Barry Warren's sympathetic and honorable Spaniard character, the film narrowly avoids stereotyping the Spanish. A token effort, but one that raises the tone somewhat.
Christopher Lee excels in the role of the nasty Captain Robeles. He looks magnificent in the red uniform and moves with incredible authority at all times. There are a good number of fencing sequences that are carried off with remarkable skill and dexterity; a real showcase of Mr. Lee's ability. The final sequences aboard the Diablo are simply stunning. This is one pirate flick that shouldn't be missed...and that's an order, Mister!
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer
(1935)
Rousing And Well Made Indian Frontier Adventure!
21 November 2000
I picked this little beauty up simply because of Gary Cooper and the subject matter. Having loved Gunga Din, this seemed like a good choice. Cooper as Macgregor, the top billed hero of the piece gives a strong, warm and wry performance. The stand-out surprise of the piece though, is that he is up-staged at nearly every turn by Franchot Tone. The banter between the two is great and takes full advantage of the witty and cynical dialogue. Young Richard Cromwell on the other hand makes very little impression until the final scenes of the picture. The British institution that is C. Aubrey Smith, makes a wonderful patriotic speech from under his formidably bristling eyebrows that brings the house down.
The story-line is pretty standard stuff, three heroes in the face of overwhelming odds fight to uphold British dominance on the Indian Frontier. The strength of the film lies in the characterizations of the leads and the incredible settings and action sequences. A good deal of first rate horsemanship is also in evidence as we are treated to a full Lancer charge and scenes of tent pegging and pig sticking. The final battle is a glorious and exciting sequence that modern film makers would learn a great deal from. The script does have its goofy moments in the later torture sequences as we are treated to lines like "We have ways of making men talk" and are shown the old bamboo under the fingernails bit, but even the cliches seem fitting.
If grand adventure with an emphasis on style is your idea of a good time, you'd be hard put to find a better example than this film!
The story-line is pretty standard stuff, three heroes in the face of overwhelming odds fight to uphold British dominance on the Indian Frontier. The strength of the film lies in the characterizations of the leads and the incredible settings and action sequences. A good deal of first rate horsemanship is also in evidence as we are treated to a full Lancer charge and scenes of tent pegging and pig sticking. The final battle is a glorious and exciting sequence that modern film makers would learn a great deal from. The script does have its goofy moments in the later torture sequences as we are treated to lines like "We have ways of making men talk" and are shown the old bamboo under the fingernails bit, but even the cliches seem fitting.
If grand adventure with an emphasis on style is your idea of a good time, you'd be hard put to find a better example than this film!
The Murder of Mary Phagan
(1988)
Riveting television drama
8 September 2000
This program boasts a great cast, but more importantly it is a textbook case of how a television drama should be mounted. An intriguing but basic courtroom drama that takes on greater significance as the plot develops. Fine characterizations abound in this production. It doesn't get much better than this.
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