Ben Hur (1959)

Ben Hur (1959)

So everyone knows epics are my favorite genre.  The heyday of the epic was in the 1950s and early 1960s, when Hollywood went all in with these monster pictures in order to beat back competition from TV.  Though there are notable exceptions, I feel the 1950s were more about the biblical epics (Quo Vadis, The Robe, Demetrius and the Gladiators, Ten Commandments) while the 1960s abruptly shifted focus to the historical epic (Spartacus, Cleopatra, Lawrence of Arabia, El Cid).  The religious epic reached its zenith at the end of the decade, with 1959's Ben Hur. 

A major box office smash and the winner of 11 Academy Awards (a record until Titanic came along), Ben Hur has gone down as one of the great all-time classics.  It is clearly one of the best of the genre, and is certainly the best religious themed epic.  I actually think it is the best religious themed film ever.  Forget all the others.  Ben Hur is the real deal.

During the days of the Roman Empire, Ben Hur (Charlton Heston) is a wealthy Jewish merchant who also happens to be best friends with the newly appointed commander of the Roman garrison, Marsala (Stephen Boyd).  Marsala betrays Ben Hur, imprisoning his family and sentencing him to life as a galley slave.  Ben Hur swears vengeance, and slowly works his way back to Jerusalem for a final showdown with Marsala during an epic, epic, epic chariot race.  But along the way, Ben Hur's story interweaves with another story, that of a simple carpenter named Jesus who wanders the countryside, preaching peace and performing miracles.

Look, is Ben Hur perfect?  No.  It is dated in some places, and also tends to drag in a few areas, particularly in the beginning (that love scene does not age well at all), and following the chariot race.  I think 15 minutes of this movie could have been trimmed and it still would have been just as good.

But these are nitpicks, because Ben Hur really is superb on almost every level.  There are some people who poke fun at Heston's acting career, but when he was firing on all cylinders, he was really a very good actor.  And I don't think anyone quite pulled off the noble, larger-than-life roles as believably as Heston.  He certainly deserved his Oscar for Best Actor.  The rest of the acting is also great along the board, with a supporting cast including Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Hugh Griffith, Andre Morell, Sam Jaffe, and Stephen Boyd as Marsala.  Boyd is particularly good. He plays Marsala as a wounded man, someone who actually thinks he was betrayed by his old best friend, and not the other way around.  He was actually directed to act like a spurned lover, and watching his performance with that in mind opens up a whole new dimension to the character.  It's great work, and its a shame he wasn't nominated for Best Supporting Actor (the award went to Hugh Griffith, who was nominated for Ben Hur for playing Sheik Ilderim - a fun role and good performance, certainly, but hardly Oscar-worthy).

The direction by William Wyler is superb, the cinematography is evocative, the art direction, sets, and costumes are awe-inspiring, and the music by Miklos Rozsa is easily one of the best scores ever written for a motion picture.  This is just a superb film from top to bottom.  Compare it the other massive hit of the religious genre, Ten Commandments.   Ten Commandments is just a bundle of sheer entertainment. No director was quite as adept as DeMille at mixing the cocktail of scope and silliness into something so unabashedly fun.  But Ben Hur blows it out of the water, with a filmmaking prowess and thematic depth that most historical films of the time period could not hope to match. William Wyler took the genre as far as it could go.  It is no surprise that religious epics went out of style in the 1960s.  Sodom and Gomorrah, King of Kings, and The Greatest Story Ever Told were pale attempts to continue the genre, but none thrived at the box office.  It's almost as if audiences just knew - the religious epic should have died with Ben Hur.  It was the best they were ever going to get.  So why bother trying anything else?

MVP: 
Some small spoilers here.  At first, this seemed like a tough call.  Wyler, Heston, Boyd and Rozsa could all make a strong case.  There are also a few scenes that are so good I have to consider them.  Probably my favorite scene involving Jesus in any movie is in Ben Hur, when the beaten Ben Hur is being dragged through the desert into slavery.  The line of exhausted slaves end up marching into Nazareth, which is where Ben Hur has his first encounter with Jesus.  It's a famous scene, justifiably so, and it had more of an emotional and religious impact on me than any of the heavy-handed biblical quoting that often plague films like this.  It's a beautiful sequence, with great work from Rozsa and great acting from Heston and the Roman guard who tries to stop Ben Hur from getting water.

But it's not my MVP.

No, once you start thinking about it, it is obvious what the MVP is...and as it should be, it is the one thing that the movie is most remembered for.  It is the image that is on all the posters, DVD covers, and featured in most movie montages.  It's that damn chariot race, that final confrontation between Ben Hur and Marsala.  How could it be anything else?  That race is a show stopper and has not aged a day.  It is just as intense now as it was then.  Maybe even more so, since audiences are used to CGI action scenes whereas this scene used stunt men who really get run over by horses.  That is pretty amazing to see - and please know that the rumor that a stunt man died while filming this movie is just that - a rumor.  But watching the chariot race, you have to wonder how that is possible, because there is some crazy dangerous stuff going on!

All in all, I actually think the chariot race is the best action scene in movie history.  Ever.  And I'll stand by that.  It's not just my MVP for this movie.  It's my MVP for the entire genre!

BEST LINE:
Judah Ben Hur: "Almost at the moment he died, I heard him say, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Esther: "Even then?"
Judah Ben Hur: "Even then."

It's not so much the first part of the exchange that I like, as I've heard it thousand times. It's the second part. "Even then." Those two words sum up the message of the film, the fruitlessness of revenge, the power of forgiveness.  There is a lot of power in those two words, and they've stuck with me ever since I first saw the film.

TRIVIA:
When Kirk Kerkorian liquidated MGM's assets in the 1970s, he sold one of the chariots for $4000 to a Sacramento restaurant owner.  A few years later, during the height of the 1970s energy crisis, this guy was arrested for driving the chariot on the highway.  I know there is probably better trivia out there about Ben Hur itself, but I thought this one was too strange not to post!

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)

Hound of the Baskervilles

By 1959, Hammer Films was on a high.  Their Frankenstein and Dracula franchises were smash hits and it looked like the little British company could do no wrong.  But the studio was trying to be smart; and think ahead. They knew they wouldn't be able to rely on horror forever, and they began to look into other genres.  They found an obvious answer in the world's greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes.

This seemed like a no brainer.  The material was a perfect fit for director Terence Young and stars Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and Andre Morell, and Holmes' greatest adventure, The Hound of the Baskervilles, even had a heavy horror element to it, so it wouldn't be much of a stretch for Hammer to start their foray into detective films with this storyline.

The plot is fairly simple.  Sir Hugo Baskerville has just been killed mysteriously out on the moors near his manor, and the primary suspect is the ghost of a demon hound that has cursed the family for generations.  Sir Hugo's son, Henry (Lee) returns to Baskerville Hall to claim his inheritance, but he doesn't come alone.  The mystery of Sir Hugo's death and the demon hound has piqued the interest of Sherlock Holmes (Cushing) and his partner, Dr. Watson (Morell), and the two arrive in the moors to prevent the same gruesome fate from happening to Sir Henry.

Is The Hound of the Baskervilles as good as Horror of Dracula or other Hammer classics?  No, not really, but it is still a solid film and a good take on the character.  As Hammer rightly believed, this material is perfect for their inhouse cast and crew.  Cushing is a great Holmes, playing up the eccentricity without going overboard, and Morell is a terrific Watson.  Watson has a lot to do in this film as there are great stretches of time where Holmes is nowhere to be found, leaving Watson with the difficult task of protecting Henry himself.  Morell puts in great work, trying to keep one eye on Henry while keeping the other eye open for clues for Holmes.  He's quite the detective himself, even if he isn't as quick as Holmes.  Meanwhile, Lee brings just the right amount of aristocratic authority to his Henry, though I have to admit it is a bit strange seeing him as a good guy.  And Terence Fisher is a great choice of director, creating an eerie sense of atmosphere with beautiful mists and saturated colors.  All in all, this is a solid and entertaining film.

So it is strange to me that The Hound of the Baskervilles was a disappointment at the box office!  While not as good as Hammer's classics, it is still a lot better than a good chunk of the company's catalog, including The Mummy, which came out the same year and was an unqualified success.  I'm just not sure why this movie didn't do well.  The studio thought it was because audiences only wanted monsters, not detectives.  I've also read that audiences still closely connected the role of Holmes with Basil Rathbone, so maybe they were unwilling to accept a new actor in the role, no matter how good he was.  Either way, it is very strange to me.

I think it is time for The Hound of Baskervilles to get a second lease on life!  I want everyone who likes Sherlock Holmes or Hammer Films to go out and rent this movie!  I think you will enjoy it.  It is not a classic by any means, it is still an entertaining film and deserves more attention than it received in 1959.

MVP:
I have to go back to Peter Cushing. I love this guy!  If you want to see how versatile an actor he is, look no further than 1958 and 1959, when he played the Van Helsing, Victor Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes, and even the romantic lead in The Mummy.  He is not a flashy actor who calls attention to himself, but each of these performances are remarkably different.  He was a great actor, and I very much enjoyed his take on the iconic detective.  He may not be the best Holmes - he doesn't quite reach the level of Jeremy Brett, Benedict Cumberbatch or Robert Downey, Jr. (I don't care what Holmes purists say, I really like Downey in the role!), but Cushing is still a grand Holmes and certainly the best thing about this movie. An easy MVP, I say!

TRIVIA: 
Hammer was so confident that The Hound of the Baskervilles would be a hit that plans were already being laid to continue the franchise.  Cushing, who loved the role, was especially excited. Alas, when the film underperformed, the franchise was canceled.

BEST LINE:

Holmes: "Now would you mind sorting out a large scale map of Dartmoor, my dear fellow, while I go and find some more tobacco.  This, I think, is a two pipe problem."

The Mummy's Shroud

The Mummy's Shroud
Despite the mediocre reviews, I was actually excited about this second sequel to the Hammer Mummy franchise. Filmed in 1967, The Mummy's Shroud was a reunion of sorts between director John Gilling and star Andre Morell, who the previous year had released the thoroughly enjoyable The Plague of the Zombies.

Maybe I jinxed it. In my review of "The Plague of the Zombies," I talked about how much I liked John Gilling's direction and how the mentor characters in Hammer Films are always awesome. Oh, this movie debunked both of those statements before the first reel had ended.

The movie starts off with a flashback of ancient Egypt - in all of its cardboard set glory. Our Egyptians are all clearly white dudes covered in uneven spray tan. The Pharoah is murdered, but before he dies he asks his slave Prem to rescue the prince Kay-to-Bey. Prem swears to protect the boy for all eternity. That's great and all, but this horribly filmed, horribly acted, horribly narrated prologue goes on for almost ten minutes! The film improves somewhat (but barely) when we skip to the early 20th Century, where archeologists have uncovered the tomb of Kay-to-Bey. Of course, it's time for the Mummified Prim to exact some payback!

Our potential victims this time are the unlikable Stanley Preston (John Phillips), a wealthy businessman who wants to hog all the glory and none of the danger; Preston's long-suffering press secretary Longbarrow (Hammer regular Michael Ripper); Preston's son, Paul (David Buck); the psychic archeologist Claire (Maggie Kimberly); photographer Harry (Tim Barrett); and esteemed archeologist Sir Basil (Andre Morell). I thought at least Morell would be good, but he is entirely wasted. He is barely in the movie, and his character doesn't have anything remotely interesting to do or say. After so many cool mentors in Hammer Films, this role was a complete disappointment.

There is so much stupid stuff in this movie. Our cartoon bad guy Hasmid (Roger Delgado) isn't scary, but overacts and spews out gibberish like a cartoon character. The best thing I can say about him is that his spray tan is at least even. The police are inept, insisting on keeping our heroes in exactly the places where they are most vulnerable. Our heroes themselves are either deadly dull or annoying, or both (with one exception).

Is the movie all bad? No, I suppose not. There are some nice, atmospheric moments throughout that reminded me a bit of Gilling's other work. The one actor I quite liked was Preston's put-upon press secretary Longbarrow. As played by Ripper, he is a nice man, a kind man, but weak. He just doesn't have the strength to resist his jerk of a boss. He is really the only character whose fate I cared about. Also, I thought some of the Mummy fights were pretty decent. I especially enjoyed the Harry vs. Mummy fight in his apartment dark room.

But this is all too little. If you love Mummy movies, check this out just so you can say you've seen it. But for everyone else - stay away from The Mummy's Shroud!!

MVP: Harry vs. The Mummy - I know usually I pick a person for the MVP, but I think I have to go with this one scene, where the expedition photographer Harry is assaulted in his dark room. It's a short struggle, but pretty brutal. And Harry puts up a good fight. It's easily the best scene of the movie.

TRIVIA: It is popularly believed that Peter Cushing was the narrator of the stupid opening flashback. There is no record of who the narrator was, but it is most assuredly not Cushing. It doesn't sound anything like him.

BEST LINE: Stanley Preston: "I plan to leave as soon as suitable passage is available." Police Chief: "In that case, I'm afraid you will become a guest of the police department. And in this instance, I should warn you that our prisons are not exactly what you would choose for a holiday."

Plague of the Zombies

The Plague of the Zombies

First off, I have to be clear about something. Zombies, as we know them, did not exist until 1968 when George Romero directed Night of the Living Dead. The flesh-eating, lumbering killers who stalk the streets moaning, "brainnnnssss" just weren't on the scene yet. Instead, zombies were undead, brainless slaves, usually brought to life by voodoo black magic. These are the zombies you see in Hammer's Plague of the Zombies. I just wanted to mention that upfront, so that you won't expect one type of zombie and end up with something entirely different.

But what you do get is one of the better Hammer horror flicks! All the standard Hammer elements are here - both good and bad - but it all comes together beautifully. Even the lead actress Diane Clare's wooden performance doesn't detract but actually enhances the fun (as does young Brook Williams' terrific over-acting). But don't think I am implying that Plague of the Zombies is so bad, it's good. That's not the case. This is a solid film, atmospheric and intriguing, and its flaws are endearing as opposed to annoying.

People are mysteriously dying in a small town in Cornwall. Dr. Peter Thompson (Brook Williams) doesn't know what to do, so he calls his old professor Sir James Forbes (Andre Morell) to help. Traveling with his daughter Sylvia (Diane Clare), Sir James comes to town and finds himself facing off against the voodoo-practicing Squire Clive Hamilton (John Carson), his gang of ruffians, and some zombie slaves.

Some people might complain about the pace of the film. If fast cuts, interwoven with slashing and screaming every five seconds is your type of horror film, then don't watch this movie. You will be bored to tears because most of the movie Sir James is investigating, wandering around the town, asking questions. The chills build slowly, gradually gathering steam until its time for the exciting climax. But there are moments that are genuinely creepy in this film. The first time you see a zombie is quite shocking. (SPOILER ALERT) Sylvia is exploring an old tin mill when she sees the creature standing on the roof, holding the bloody body of one of his victims. He screams and tosses the body at Sylvia like a ragdoll before disappearing. (SPOILER OVER).

The acting is mostly pretty good - with Andre Morell at the top of the heap as Sir James. Going about his investigations with a wry sense of humor, he is just a joy to watch. John Carson as the villainous squire and Hammer regular Michael Ripper as the police sergeant are also quite good. And as I mentioned above, even when the actors aren't good, it actually really is good!

Squire Hamilton is also an interesting villain. He's not all evil, and his motives aren't world domination or anything silly like that. His ultimate goal may seem cheesy to some, but I submit that the idea is sound - the budget just didn't permit the filmmakers to do it right!

Director John Gilling (The Reptile) pushes the filmmaking envelope in some ways, as well. His direction is assured, and he experiments with dream sequences and hand held camera work. The handheld work is especially surprising to see. The shots only half work - cameras were so cumbersome in the 1960s and the shots are really shaky. But the fact that Gilling was experimenting with this in a low budget British horror film is super cool and impressive.

All in all, Plague of the Zombies is a nice Halloween treat. I definitely think you should check it out!

MVP: One element that Hammer Films always handled extremely well was the "mentor" figure. Unlike American films, where the mentor is always killed off (so the young hero can get revenge), you are never quite sure what will happen to Hammer's mentors. Sometimes they die, sometimes they live, sometimes the young lead is killed and its up to the mentor to save the day. And sometimes they even take the lead in the film themselves - which is what Plague of the Zombies does. Continuing in the long line of awesome Hammer mentors, Andre Morell is easily the best thing about this movie. He is incredibly smart, but keeps a wry sense of humor about him the whole time. He isn't winking at the audience, but he is certainly winking at all the bad guys as if he's onto them from the beginning. The scene that seals his MVP award is when he visits Squire Hamilton's house. (MINOR SPOILER) He barges into the house, in an upper class fit, and places his coat, hat and cane on top of a giant stuffed bear; the way he does this without blinking an eye, while he is still ranting, is very funny stuff, but also smart because while he is distracting the Squire's men with his behavior, he himself is carefully observing everything around him. It's nice, subtle work. Morell's performance is a huge reason why Plague is so good. A weaker actor in the role and we would've had a big problem!

BEST LINE: Dr. Franklin, upon learning the identity of one of the victims, in all his overacting glory: "...no...no...NOOOOOO!!!!!"

TRIVIA: Filmed back to back with The Reptile, with all the same sets. And yes, this is very obvious!