#119. The Whip and the Body (1963)

 

 

A.K.A. What! (its ridiculous United States release title) and Night is the Phantom (its much more understandable United Kingdom release title). 

 

It's hard to care about a movie's flaws when the aesthetics are this good.

 

Not only is The Whip and the Body a stylistic masterwork, complete with sumptuous sets, gorgeous lighting, vivid colours, a lush score (even if that main theme is probably repeated once too often), and some thick, heavy atmosphere, but it's also a mix of some of my favourite horror subgenres. The movie's a ghost story, a whodunit, and a gothic romance rolled into one.

 

I mean, when all those ingredients are on the table, on top of a fun Christopher Lee performance (though I think Daliah Lavi is the real standout here), I can forgive some awkward emoting and an occasionally meandering pace. Hell, even the ending is exactly what I was anticipating it to be, but I think the whole thing plays out with such hypnotic visual mystery, and utilizes such a fiery blend of strong emotions (which hits especially hard in this Italian soap opera setting), that I simply got lost in how beautiful and powerful and striking it all is.

 

Black Sunday and Blood and Black Lace may not've grabbed me much on a first viewing (we'll see how the rewatches go), but this one certainly did. You're back in my good graces, Bava.

 

Grade: A

 

#118. Gods and Monsters (1998)

 

 

When you're watching a movie about the dramatic final days of James Whale, director of horror classics like Frankenstein and The Invisible Man, you expect a lot in the way of stylistic embellishment. But while there are a few touches here and there (my favourite being Brendan Fraser's Creature-esque silhouette), it's really more of a personal story about three individuals who are in serious need of companionship. 

 

That's not only a relatable and compelling premise, but one that allows for a triple character study, which is wonderfully brought to life by Fraser, Lynn Redgrave, and, of course, Ian McKellen. Sure, the tone and conflict can get a little campy and overwrought at times, but these choices are pretty appropriate given the people involved, and they never get in the way of the relationships or their developments.

 

Even the BBC presentation (which admittedly makes the movie look like a British TV series) started working for me after a while. Gives the drama that much more tenderness and legitimacy.

 

Grade: A-

 

P.S. Another thing this movie does quite well is resemblance-based casting. Young Jimmy looks just like McKellen, the guy playing Ernest Thesiger (the crazy doctor from Bride of Frankenstein) is a dead ringer, and you could easily convince me that they really got Liz Taylor to cameo as herself in that party scene.

 

#117. Thank You for Smoking (2005)

 

 

Prior Viewings: 1

 

It's always neat when a movie can gradually get you on the side of a character that you'd obviously detest in real life. Nick Naylor is a smarmy and unlikeable prick who goes to kids' classrooms and promotes smoking. I don't think he performs a single kind act throughout the entire runtime. And yet I still find myself rooting for him.

 

Part of that's obviously due to Aaron Eckhart, who can always be counted on to provide some charisma. But I think it also has a lot to do with the wittiness of the script and the snappiness of the movie's overall presentation. When the two converge, and they pit the character against other, more hypocritical corporations, it causes his lack of scruples to feel disarming and even a little aspirational. And it's in these moments that you realize how much you want to see this guy take them down.

 

My only major problem is that, between the short runtime, the largely underutilized supporting cast, and the consistently sarcastic tone, the whole thing feels a little thin and surface-level to me. But I guess that's acceptable when the satire's this sharp, funny, and convincing.

 

Grade: B+

 

#116. Smile (2022)

 

 

We're all aware that Smile is an extremely derivative movie (it's basically just the detective story from The Ring mixed with the tone and creature from It Follows), but I honestly don't mind that. Even putting aside my weakness for this brand of modern high-concept horror, the mood is pretty consistent, and Parker Finn's direction kept me on edge, so I'm willing to overlook some unoriginality.

 

Where I'm not quite as forgiving, though, is in the frustrating lack of energy and personality. The story often has a bit of a "going through the motions" vibe, to the point where you can tell that it's being adapted from a short, and the grey presentation makes the whole experience a lot blander and more forgettable than it needs to be. Like, I can understand that this is all supposed to be an allegory for trauma and regret (which is a trend that could really use some shaking up), but would it kill you to throw in a little flavour or style every once in a while? 

 

Ah well. I still found the movie pretty engrossing overall, enough so that I'm probably gonna check the sequel out at some point. I just hope that one leans a little harder on the inherent silliness of this subject matter. 

 

Grade: B

#115. Shadows and Fog (1991)

 

 

Even when you put aside the controversies, I wouldn't call myself a Woody Allen fan. Like, the guy can be kinda funny sometimes, I guess, but I mostly just find him smug and irritating. And, to me at least, his movies often seem like they're so focused on being intelligent and cultured that they don't leave much room for anything interesting or memorable. 

 

That's basically how I feel about Shadows and Fog, too. As far as I can tell, this one really only exists so that Allen can run wild with German Expressionism for 80 minutes. There's very little story (and what's there isn't nearly as interesting as it should be), the subject matter is old hat, and the large cast is completely wasted. Even most of the jokes don't really land.

 

I'll give him this much, though: the movie sure looks the part. Yeah, the angles and camera movements don't remotely resemble the films he's attempting to replicate, but the soundstage sets, hazy imagery, and black & white photography are all gorgeous, and they really go a long way in establishing the proper atmosphere. It's just a shame that this style ultimately isn't in service of much. 

 

Grade: C+

 

#114. Dragonwyck (1946)

 

 

This is one of those Gothic period melodramas, similar in story and style to Wuthering Heights and Rebecca. And, just like those two comparables, it works best when it leans into the quiet (and sometimes not so quiet) eeriness of its setting.

 

When we're trapped in this hauntingly beautiful titular castle, with its towering sets, spooky vibes, unsettling music, and creepy (is there any other kind?) turn from Vincent Price, we reach that level of dark pomp and circumstance that I find atmospherically irresistible. And the whole thing's captured with such glowing cinematography and measured pacing that it's hard to believe this was Joe Mankiewicz's first movie.

 

Well, okay, you can sometimes tell. The tone's not as consistent as I'd like, and the passage of time could've been communicated a lot better (months frequently pass out of nowhere, and minor characters [including one or two who seem kinda vital] completely vanish from the story without explanation). But while the overall execution is far from perfect, I think the scenes that focus on building character and mood mostly are.

 

Grade: B+

 

#113. Thirst (2009)

 

 

Something I like about vampire stories is that there's about a million unique directions you can take with the subject matter, and almost all of them are interesting. It can be a comedy about change, a romance about lust, a drama about guilt/mortality, or simply a thriller about bloodsucking monsters. And the wonderful thing about Thirst is that it manages to fall under every single category simultaneously.

 

Like, the ambition here is just remarkable. Every time you think the movie has locked into its genre/plot, it suddenly swerves into a completely different tonal lane. I suppose you could argue that the result is kinda messy, with a few too many strings being pulled at once, but I found it all incredibly fresh, diverse, riveting, and unpredictable, thanks especially to Park Chan-wook's lively and energetic (not to mention funny and creepy and horny) direction.

 

Shamefully, this is the first Asian film I've reviewed on this blog, and I really need to make a concerted effort to ensure that I don't go another 112 posts before watching the next one - especially if I can expect similar results.

 

Grade: A