Tripping the house not so fantastic

The Fall of the House of Usher (1928)

Directed by James Sibley Watson and Melville Webber this film based on the short story of the same name stars Herbert Stern, Hildegarde Wilson and Melville Webber. Strange things happen to a man and woman living in a large house.

Without knowing the plot of the story this film is based on before watching this film it is pretty impossible to divine and plot or narrative here. There is no dialogue or titles cards to suggest who people are or what is happening which makes for a very confusing 13 minutes. Where the film is strong is in the striking visuals that explore a range of strange techniques.

2/5

I'm the writer, I out rank you!

The Producers (1968)

Written and directed by Mel Brooks this film stars Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn and Kenneth Mars. A scheming theatre producer and a nervous accountant attempt to make money by defrauding investors in a Broadway play.

Essentially this film is a hilarious farce that has more than a knowing nod to some of the practises of it's own industry. While the film may not be that long it does not overstay it's welcome and handles what could be bad taste subject matter really well. Some of the direction and film quality is a little weaker than the writing but while it is clear that the film was made on a budget it does not affect your viewing of the film.

4/5

Hear no evil, speak no evil

The Seasoning House (2012)

Directed by Paul Hyett this film stars Rosie Day, Kevin Howarth, Sean Pertwee and Dominique Provost-Chalkley. During the Balkans war a young girl is made to work in a brothel drugging other girls who are forced to work as prostitutes.

There are some deeply dark elements to this film and it depicts some harrowing events mostly of sexual violence, plenty of times the film is unsettling as well as keeping you on the edge of your seat. Where the plot falls down is the plot is fairly empty, failing to tie into the larger prejudices behind the war or the specific problems in the area in which it is set. It is the direction that helps this film stand out maintaining a great atmosphere despite not having the greatest script to work with.

4/5

The 13th

Lincoln (2012)

Directed by Steven Spielberg this film stars Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tommy Lee Jones. In the opening months of 1865 President Lincoln pushes for a constitutional amendment to ban slavery in the dying days of the US civil war.

Unlike many biopics this is not a sweeping story that takes place over years but a rather more contained tail which spans only a few months but does a good job of giving a snap shot into who the protagonist was. Like many films there is a idolisation of the protagonist but for the most part it seems this film is historical even if it is a little detail obsessed in the political parts of the film. As with any Spielberg film this is competently made and Daniel Day-Lewis gives a stand out performance as you would expect.

4/5

The coward Henri III

The Assassination of the Duke de Guise (1908)

Directed by Andre Calmettes and Charles Le Bargy, who stars in the film, this film also features Albert Lambert and Gabrielle Robinne. In 1588 Henri III of France summons Duke Henri de Guise to his palace where upon the duke is killed.

For those of us not especially familiar with French history of the period this short film is a little hard to understand and offers little explanation for the on screen action. Most of the short run time of this film is taken up with showing the planning of and action of the assassination itself, it would have been nice to see even just a little on why the king wants the duke killed. Largely the film is well made with good sets and costumes as well as being well shot.

2/5

Cavemen prefer blondes

One Million Years B.C. (1966)

Directed by Don Chaffey this remake of the film of the same name stars Raquel Welch, John Richardson and Percy Herbert. A caveman is thrown out of his tribe and meets a woman from a more civilized tribe.

Much of the plot of this film is pretty ridiculous as obviously dinosaurs and man never co-existed and the lack of dialogue keeps things fairly basic. There are times when the story really drags and it does not help that a lot of the special effects have not aged well. Ray Harryhausen provides the stop motion dinosaurs which work a lot better than the oversized pets which are also used and just come off as silly.

1/5

A bombshell

Kings Go Forth (1958)

Directed by Delmer Daves this film stars Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood and Leora Dana. In the south of France during WW2 an officer and one of the men under his command fall in love with the same woman.

While the basic plot of this film is very common the script adds a little shading round the edges by using class differences and racial prejudice to add to the conflict. It is some what of a nice surprise to see a slightly deeper level applied to the usual love triangle story for a change. Mostly the film is well made and the South of France provides a different back drop to the usual.

4/5