The Fool Killer (1965)

by Kimberly Lindbergs | September 2, 2009

Categories | Movie Reviews, Horror, American Cinema, Anthony Perkins, Lee Marvin, Drama, Mexican Cinema

I first saw Servando González’s 1965 film The Fool Killer (aka El asesino de tontos) almost twenty years ago and it’s haunted me ever since. The film features Anthony Perkins in one of his best roles and I got the urge to watch it again last year while I was obsessing over Perkins’ music career. For some unknown reason The Fool Killer isn’t available on DVD yet so I had to purchase a used VHS copy of the film to see it.

I shouldn’t have been too surprised that The Fool Killer was unavailable on DVD because Mexican director Servando González is almost unheard of in the United States. I haven’t had the opportunity to see any of the director’s other films myself so my own appreciation of his work revolves around my deep affection for The Fool Killer, but I was disappointed to learn that the director had passed away in October of last year. Servando González’s death appears to have gone almost completely unnoticed by the film community except in Latin America. This is really unfortunate because The Fool Killer clearly shows that González was a talented filmmaker with the ability to create wonderfully atmospheric films that could remain with viewers long after they had ended. Trying to find any noteworthy information about The Fool Killer is nearly impossible, but I thought I’d share some of my own thoughts about Servando González’s exceptional film in an effort to broaden appreciation of his work.

The Fool Killer is an extremely dark and ominous film starring thirteen year-old actor Edward Albert as a deeply troubled young orphan named George. After a brief opening montage filled with idyllic images of the American countryside, the film begins with George receiving a nasty beating from his foster parents while they recite Bible verses in an effort to soften the blows. Poor George blames himself for the beatings he receives because he thinks that the “foolish things” he’s done shouldn’t go unpunished. But dropping a butter churn and playing with dandelions are clearly not acts worthy of the beatings he gets. After the physical pain wears off, the emotional scars become evident when young George decides that he’s had enough abuse and heads out into the world on his own. His odyssey will take him through the dusty back roads of rural Tennessee where he’ll encounter an unusual cast of characters who consciously and unconsciously guide him on his journey.

The film is based on a novel of the same name written by Helen Eustis, but the legend of the Fool Killer was first written down by author O. Henry (aka William Sydney Porter). I’m not sure how much of the legend is based on fact or if the whole concept is a work of fiction conjured up by the author’s absinthe fueled imagination, but according to O. Henry his tale of the Fool Killer was based on an old southern myth, “like Santa Claus and Jack Frost and General Prosperity and all those concrete conceptions that are supposed to represent an idea that Nature has failed to embody.”

In his short tale O. Henry’s also tells us that the Fool Killer was a “terrible old man, in gray clothes, with a long, ragged, gray beard, and reddish, fierce eyes” who “come stumping up the road in a cloud of dust, with a white oak staff in his hand” and would “kill anyone who perpetrates some particularly monumental piece of foolishness.”

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A few thoughts about Anthony Perkins

by Kimberly Lindbergs | September 19, 2008

Categories | Actors, American Cinema, Alfred Hitchcock, Anthony Perkins

I’ve had the late great actor Anthony Perkins on my mind a lot lately. September 12th marked the 16th anniversary of his death and whenever September 11th rolls around I’m reminded of Perkins’ wife Berry Berenson (and the mother of his two sons, Oz and Elvis Perkins) who was killed when the plane she was on hit the World Trade Center. Thanks to an unfortunate twist of fate or terribly bad luck, Perkins and his family will always be linked to 9/11 in my mind.

Earlier this year I stumbled across some albums the actor recorded in the late ’50s and I’ve been listening to Anthony Perkins croon love songs to me all summer long. I had no idea that Perkins had a singing career before he became an actor and it has been fun discovering this aspect of his career.

Perkins’ recording career began in 1956 after he sang “A Little Love Goes a Long, Long Way” during a Goodyear TV Playhouse production of Joey. Executives at Epic Records were impressed with Perkins’ vocal abilities and they offered him a recording contract, which led Perkins to record a self-titled album for Epic in 1957 under the name Tony Perkins. Afterward he recorded two albums for RCA called From My Heart (1958) and On a Rainy Afternoon (1958). When his role in William Wyler’s film Friendly Persuasion (1956) began receiving a lot of praise Perkins decided to pursue his acting career more seriously and he never recorded another album.

All of Anthony Perkins’ albums have an obvious jazz influence. His first record was produced and arranged by West Coast jazz legend Marty Paich who’s better known for his work with artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Buddy Rich, Shorty Rogers and Mel Tormé. Perkins’ smooth vocal stylings make a lot of old standards like “Better Luck Next Time” and “Swinging on a Star” sound fresh and new to me. There’s even a hint of Chet Baker’s influence in some of his recordings. I think the actor has a really lovely singing voice and I’m not surprised that he had a hit single in 1957 with the song “Moon-Light Swim.”

I’ve upload a couple of my favorite tracks from Perkins’ 1958 record From My Heart for anyone who might be interested in giving them a listen:
- Swinging on a Star
- This is My Lucky Day
- The Careless Years

I first heard of Anthony Perkins after coming across pictures of him in various film books when I was a kid. My grandmother had a wonderful coffee table book called The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the World’s Great Movie Stars and Their Films from 1900 to Present Day (which was 1978 or 79) and it had a listing for Anthony Perkins along with a photograph of him as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. In the book’s brief write-up about Perkins it mentioned that the actor had lost his father when he was a child and that caught my eye at the time since I had lost my own father early in life as well.

After reading about Psycho I really wanted to see the film and I can clearly remember lots of arguments I had with my mother every time Psycho was about to play on television. As I’ve mentioned before, my parents allowed me to watch anything when I was growing up so I was exposed to a lot of movies before most kids my age but the only film that was off limits in my house was Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. My mother had first seen Psycho in 1960 when it debuted and she was just a teenager at the time. The movie absolutely terrified her. For months afterward she refused to take a shower or a bath unless my grandfather would stand by the bathroom door and protect her from a possible knife attack by Norman Bates. My mom decided she didn’t like horror films after seeing Psycho and she refused to watch them but somehow she ended up married to my father who was obsessed with horror movies and enjoyed reading Famous Monsters in Filmland while he was assembling monster model kits. This occasionally made things complicated at home since I inherited my dad’s taste in films. When he died my mother didn’t try to interfere with my viewing habits. She knew that some of my fondest memories of my dad were of watching horror films with him and she respected that, but Hitchcock’s Psycho remained off-limits for years. Even after my mother and grandparents took me to Universal Studios and we visited the infamous Psycho house there, I was still forbidden from watching the movie. Making the film taboo only made me want to see it more and I began to get slightly obsessed with Anthony Perkins.

The first Perkins film I can remember seeing was the bittersweet romantic drama Goodbye Again (1961), where a young Anthony Perkins tries to seduce a much older but still lovely Ingrid Bergman. I was completely taken with Perkin’s melancholy performance in that film and I can remember weeping for a good hour when the movie ended with Perkins stumbling into the streets trying to reconcile his broken heart. After seeing him in Goodbye Again I came across Desire Under the Elms (1958) playing on TV one afternoon. In Desire Under the Elms Perkins’ gets to romance the beautiful Sophia Loren and even though my memories of the film are a little fuzzy, I can still remember a very sexy Anthony Perkins spending most of the movie shirtless and sweaty. He wasn’t a typical romantic leading man and I think that’s why I found him so appealing.

I was attracted to Perkins’ dark good looks and I’ve always had a thing for tall lanky actors like James Stewart and Gregory Peck. Perkins’ awkwardness seemed reminiscent of countless adolescent boys I’d known so he was familiar and yet somehow alien. There was something incredibly charming about Perkins’ self-conscious behavior that made him very alluring to me. Unlike many other awkward adolescent boys, Perkins seemed more sensitive than most and often painfully aware of the world around him. He also appeared to be wound-up tight and ready to burst at any moment, but I was drawn to that edgy aspect of his personality. In retrospect, I think Perkins’ personal struggles with his sexuality encouraged him to be extremely introspective and that came across to audiences when he was on screen.

When I finally had the opportunity to see Anthony Perkins in his infamous role as Norman Bates I was floored. Watching Perkins transform from a guy who I’d like to date into a psychotic killer for the first time was mind-blowing. All the anger I had directed at my mother for not allowing me to see Psycho early on melted away. I felt incredibly lucky that I had been given the opportunity to become familiar with Perkins as a romantic leading man first. I think this helped me appreciate his performance as Norman Bates even more. Psycho not only lived up to my high expectations, it exceeded them. It is a classic film with a well-earned reputation, but without Anthony Perkins’ unforgettable performance as Norman Bates, I’m not sure that the film would still maintain its power to shock audiences some 50 years after it was made. Hitchcock clearly saw that deliciously dark and edgy element in Perkins’ on-screen persona and the director fully exploited it in Psycho. Unfortunately for Perkins he would never be able to shake off the role of Norman Bates. For better or worse, Anthony Perkins never regained the trust of the movie-going public again and audiences would forever view him with a suspicious eye.

This October Universal Studios will be issuing a Special 2-Disc Edition of Psycho on DVD just in time for Halloween and Cinefantastique recently published an interview that Perkins did about his role in the film that you can read online. It’s an interesting read if you’re a fan of the actor and the film.

Over the weekend I’m going to revisit one of my favorite and often overlooked Anthony Perkins’ films so you can expect to see another post about Perkins soon. I finally finished the piece a year later: The Fool Killer (1965)

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Mahogany Coming to DVD May 1st!

by Kimberly Lindbergs | April 21, 2007

Categories | Movie Reviews, American Cinema, Blaxploitation, Anthony Perkins

My favorite Diana Ross film is coming to DVD on May 1st and I’m really looking forward to it! Mahogany (1975) is classic 1970s camp that features some of the decade’s most awe inspiring fashions and great over-the-top performances. If you haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing Mahogany for yourself, you’re in for a real treat and for its long time fans, all I can say is that it’s time to warm up your DVD players, butter up some popcorn and get ready to enjoy Mahogany in all it’s widescreen splendor!

Mahogany was originally supposed to be directed by the great British filmmaker Tony Richardson (The Entertainer, Tom Jones, The Loved One, etc.) but he was kicked off the picture by the powerful Motown founder and film producer Berry Gordy, who ended up directing Mahogany himself. Gordy had previously produced the highly successful and critically acclaimed film Lady Sings the Blues (1972), which also starred Diana Ross and Billy Dee Williams. Creative conflicts between Diana Ross, Berry Gordy and Tony Richardson supposedly led to Richardson’s departure, but Gordy issued a statement to the press saying he was taking over directing duties because Tony Richardson “Didn’t understand the black experience.”

In Mahogany Diana Ross stars as the beautiful and ambitious Tracy. Tracy is an aspiring fashion designer and secretary, who’s slowly developing a relationship with a Chicago politician named Brian (Billy Dee Williams). After she’s spotted by the famous fashion photographer Sean McAvoy (Anthony Perkins), Tracy leaves Chicago and heads for Rome. There she meets up with representatives of the Gavina Modeling Agency, which include the lovely Carlotta Gavina (Marisa Mell) who helps Tracy transform into the supermodel and fashion maven known as Mahogany.

Critics were not kind to Mahogany when it was released. The movie was universally panned and considered a major failure. Feminists railed against the films final moments, which could be interpreted as rather old fashioned and a bit sexist. Roger Ebert called the movie “An unholy alliance between daytime soap opera and Jacqueline Susann” and Ebert was right on the money. If anyone should be familiar with Jacqueline Susann’s melodramatic writings it would be Roger Ebert, who was responsible for writing the script for Russ Meyer’s Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1971). Beyond the Valley of the Dolls was based on Jacqueline Susann’s original book Valley of the Dolls, which was made into a movie in 1967 by director Mark Robson. If you’re a fan of the original Valley of the Dolls film you’re going to love Mahogany. As a matter of fact, I highly recommend watching both movies together because they would make for an incredibly entertaining double feature.

Besides starring in Mahogany, Diana Ross also designed all the fashions she is seen wearing in the film. Ross has always defended the movie and was proud of the colorful fashions she produced for it. Her performance as Mahogany is really fun to watch and she looks amazing in the film. It’s easy to believe that the renowned and talented Diva could have had an impressive career as a fashion model. The beautiful european actress Marisa Mell (Danger: Diabolik!, Perversion Story, Seven Blood-Stained Orchids, etc.) also stands out in her role as Carlotta Gavina.

Billy Dee Williams (Brian’s Song, Scott Joplin, The Empire Strikes Back, etc.) is very good as the Chicago politician trying to win Mahogany’s heart, but he’s overshadowed by the totally over-the-top performance of Anthony Perkins (Psycho, Pretty Poison, The Fool Killer, etc.) as the fashion photographer who wants Mahogany all for himself. The film presented Perkins with one of his best roles and he chews up the scenery every time he’s on screen. If you keep your tongue firmly planted in your cheek while watching Mahogany and recognize it for the camp classic that it is, you’ll enjoy the movie. On the other hand, if you’re looking for sexist stereotypes, including disparaging portrayals of gay men and straight women, you’ll probably find them. Just remember to keep in mind that Mahogany was made in 1975 and it’s clearly a product of the era that it was produced in.

The new Paramount NTSC Region-1 DVD of Mahogany is available for pre-order at Amazon for only $10.99. The film is being released in widescreen for the first time and the DVD will include a Photo Gallery. It would have been nice if Paramount had gotten Diana Ross, Berry Gordy and Billy Dee to provide some commentary for the disc or had interviewed them about the film, but fans will have to make due with this rather bare-bones presentation of the movie for now.

Mahogany is a whole lot of fun to watch! Unfortunately director Berry Gordy never made another film, which I think is a shame. Whatever you might think of the plot, it’s hard to ignore the creative way Gordy captures the decadent world of high fashion in 1975.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the recent success of Parmount’s Dreamgirls probably lead to the release of Mahogany on DVD (Dreamgirls is also being released on DVD May 1st). I’m sure fans of both films will enjoy comparing the fictional Diana Ross of Dreamgirls to the fictional character Ross plays in Mahogany, but you can’t top the real thing and for my money, Mahogany is much more entertaining than Dreamgirls. Diana Ross doesn’t do any singing in Mahogany, but she did provide the theme song Do You Know Where You’re Going To?, which was a bigger success than the movie.

You can hear Diana sing Do You Know Where You’re Going To? in this brief clip from Mahogany that I came across on Youtube.

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Favorite DVD Releases of 2006 - Part II.

by Kimberly Lindbergs | February 10, 2007

Categories | Favorite 2006 DVDs, Japanese Cinema, French Cinema, American Cinema, Science Fiction, Criterion, Richard Burton, Anthony Perkins, Klaus Kinski, Julie Christie

This is the second part of my 30 Favorite DVD Releases of 2006 list that I’ve been slowly working on putting together. You can find Part I. here.

Please keep in mind that these are all official NTSC Region 1 DVDs originally released between 1960 and 1979 and the numerical order means absolutely nothing except that I got the reviews written in the order that they appear.

30 FAVORITE DVD RELEASES OF 2006 PART II!

Lifespan
11. Lifespan (Mondo Macabro)
Lifespan (1974) is a fascinating, sexy and understated science fiction thriller that features two of my favorite actors from the period, Klaus Kinski and Hiram Keller, as well as the recently deceased Tina Aumont. The story revolves around Keller and Kinski who both look terrific in the movie as they search for a mysterious “elixir of life” that could hold the secret to longevity. In the meantime, they’re both distracted by the lovely Tina Aumont who may or may not have plans of her own. Lifespan is a thoughtful film that doesn’t offer easy answers to all the interesting questions it raises and I really appreciate it’s ambiguity. The film has a mesmerizing and eerie score by composer Terry Riley and the director creatively uses the film’s lovely Amsterdam location. The DVD looks great and comes with some really nice extras including an interview with the director Sandy Whitelaw, audio commentary with the director and a still gallery. This was easily my favorite Mondo Macabro DVD release of last year and that’s saying a lot since the company released a lot of quality films in 2006.

Petulia
12. Petulia (Warner Home Video)
Petulia (1968) is one of the most interesting films that I saw last year thanks to Richard Lester’s terrific directing, Nicolas Roeg’s wonderful cinematography and Antony Gibbs‘s impressive editing. The film stars George C. Scott as a middle-aged doctor who’s struggling to deal with a divorce that he’s not sure he wants, as well a world that’s quickly evolving around him. Scott meets a young and seemingly care free girl named Petulia (Julie Christie) who’s married, but she seems desperate to start a relationship with him. Scott soon discovers that Petulia’s husband (Richard Chamberlain) is abusing her and gets caught in the middle of their complicated and violent relationship. All the actors are terrific in the film, but Richard Chamberlain gives one of the best performances of his career as Petulia’s abusive and disturbed husband. And Julie Christie is perfect as the fragile and troubled Petulia. She’s also never looked lovelier and wanders around San Francisco is some stunning outfits. George C. Scott is also great in the film along with Shirley Knight who plays his ex-wife. Petulia creatively used its San Francisco location as well as the city’s music (Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company even make a brief appearance) to turn the city by the bay into an important character in the film, which at its center is about individual freedom and the choices we all have to make. The DVD comes with some fantastic extras including a vintage “making of” documentary called Petulia: The Uncommon Movie shot during the making of the film with lots of great behind the scenes footage and The Uncommon Making of Petulia which features new interviews with some of the cast and crew. The original trailer is also included with this terrific DVD.

Equinox
13. 17. Equinox (Criterion)
Equinox (1970) is a low-budget horror film that I first saw on late night TV many years ago. It’s not the first thing that comes to mind when you think “Criterion,” but I really appreciate that a company like Criterion would take the time to clean up an old horror film like Equinox and offer it up to interested movie viewers and horror fans like myself. The story involves a group of college kids that go to visit one of their professors who happens to be living in a cabin deep in the woods. During their trip a strange old man offers them a mysterious ancient book of magic and the kids soon discover that the woods surrounding them aren’t exactly what they seem to be. When giant monsters start appearing, you know things are going to get nasty! The movie has few scares and the performances are forgettable, but it is entertaining and a lot of fun to watch. Just make sure you have lots of popcorn on hand! Despite its flaws, Equinox was actually a really influential movie that obviously inspired directors like Sam Raimi to make his popular Evil Dead trilogy. Criterion did an amazing job on the DVD release which comes with a lot of impressive extras including two audio commentaries, a video introduction by horror icon Forrest J. Ackerman, interviews with the cast and crew, deleted scenes and outtakes, archival test footage, an extensive gallery, the original trailer and radio spots, and much much more!

Night of the Iguana
14. Tennessee Williams Film Collection (Warner Home Video)
Warner really outdid themselves with this amazing Box Set containing six films based on the work of the great American playwright, Tennessee Williams. Why this DVD set didn’t make it to the top of every critics “best DVDs of 2006” list is beyond my comprehension since you’d be hard pressed to find a collection of recently released American cinema that equals it. This collection contains A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Baby Doll (1956) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) which are three of the finest American films from the 1950s. Three of the films in this set are from the ’60s and that’s why I’m including it in my list of favorite DVDs from 2006. The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961) stars Vivian leigh in one of her last starring roles as a washed-up movie star trying to find love and acceptance in Rome with a young gigolo played by Warren Beatty. Vivian Leigh is really terrific in the film and makes the desperate Mrs. Stone a very sympathetic character. Watch the movie for her memorable performance and try to ignore Beatty’s bad attempt at an Italian accent. Sweet Bird of Youth (1962) stars Paul Newman as Chance Wayne, a handsome fast talking aspiring actor who returns to the town he grew up in with an aging alcoholic actress in tow (played brilliantly by Geraldine Page) in an effort to further his acting career and impress his childhood sweetheart. Newman is always terrific playing a Tennessee Williams’ protagonist and he looks fantastic in the film, but Geraldine Page really steals the show with her frantic over-the-top performance as Alexandra Del Lago. The rest of the cast includes such talented actors as Rip Thorn, Shirley Knight and Ed Begley, Sr. who won an Oscar for his performance. The real treat in this excellent DVD collection for ’60s & ’70s cinema fans like myself is the incredible Night of the Iguana directed by John Huston. The film is definitely one of Huston’s best movies and it features Richard Burton in one of his greatest roles as a defrocked minister trying to find some kind of salvation in Mexico, where he becomes a tour guide for a group of frustrated spinsters that includes the wonderful Deborah Kerr and a teenage “Lolita” played perfectly by Sue Lyon. After the group finds itself at a rundown hotel owned by the vivacious Ava Gardner, human frustrations as well as sexual and romantic tensions start to stifle the group along with the hot Mexico air and in usual Tennessee Williams’ fashion, emotions are soon erupting with dramatic results. The acting is all top notch and Huston’s directing has rarely been better. Along with Reflections in a Golden Eye which I mentioned in the first part of My favorite DVD Releases of 2006 list, the release of Night of the Iguana is a real treat for Huston fans and makes 2006 one great year for fans of the director’s work. 4 of the 6 films in this terrific collection were released on DVD for the first time and the other 2 films in the set (A Streetcar Named Desire & Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) were both released in Special Editions with a ton of great extras, but all 6 films in this collection feature great extras such as “making of” docs, trailers, etc. and they can all be bought individually if you don’t want to purchase the set. The Tennessee Williams Film Collection also comes with an insightful documentary about the playwright called Tennessee Williams’ South which contains rare interviews with the writer talking about his work as well as a reading of The Glass Menagerie. The 6 films all look fantastic and are presented in widescreen when possible. Altogether this incredible collection from Warner is one of the best box sets I’ve seen released in recent years. Most of these films have been criticized for toning down the original plots of Williams’ plays, but considering the times that these movies were made in it’s understandable. The films still manage to deal with the complicated adult issues they address in creative and interesting ways. Watch them for what they are - great American movies offering some of the greatest performances ever captured on film.

Let’s Scare Jessica to Death
15. Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (Paramount Home Video)
Eerie and haunting are two words that quickly come to mind when I think about Let’s Scare Jessica to Death (1970), which is one of the most unusual and effective American horror films made during the 1970s. The movie stars Zohra Lampert who gives a memorable performance as Jessica, a woman just released from an institution after suffering a mental breakdown. Jessica moves to the Connecticut countryside with her husband and a friend to recuperate, but soon after arriving at her new home she begins to experience strange events that force her to start questioning her sanity again. I had only previously seen Let’s Scare Jessica to Death on a low quality VHS tape, so I was extremely impressed with this Paramount DVD release, which presents the film in widescreen and looks terrific. Unfortunately the DVD doesn’t come with any extras, but you can forgive Paramount since this is the first time this chilling horror film has been released on DVD.

The Illustrated Man
16. The Illustrated Man (Warner Home Video)
This thoughtful science fiction anthology stars the late great Rod Stieger in one of his most interesting roles as a tattooed man hunting for the woman who “illustrated” his body. The three short stories featured in the movie are all loosely based on original stories by Ray Bradbury and Stieger stars in each one, along with his real-life wife at the time, the talented actress Claire Bloom. Some creative set designs lend impressive eye-candy to the movie and the stories are all told in interesting ways. The Illustrated Man (1969) has long been one of my favorite science fiction films, but lots of critics seem to have very little regard for the movie and even author Ray Bradbury thought it was awful. If you enjoy unusual and stylish science fiction film from the late ’60s a much as I do, I highly suggest giving the movie a look for yourself and ignore any negative reviews you may have read. This is the first time the film has been available on DVD and Warner did a really nice job with the release. The DVD features a beautiful widescreen print, the original theatrical trailer and an interesting featurette from 1969 called Tattooed Steiger.

Sister Street Fighter
17. The Sister Street Fighter Collection (Ronin Entertainment / BCI Eclipse)
Ronin Entertainment / BCI Eclipse has a done a great job of gathering every Sister Street Fighter movie together for this nice new collection which contains Sister Street Fighter (1974), Sister Street Fighter: Hanging by a Thread (1974) Return of Sister Street Fighter (1975) and Sister Street Fighter: Fifth Level Fist (1976). All four movies star tough girl Etsuko Shihomi, a talented actress and graduate of Sonny Chiba’s famous Japan Action Club, which trained Japanese actors in the martial arts. Etsuko is terrific as Koryu Lee - the “Sister Street Fighter” - who takes on numerous bad guys with much success in the first three films that are all directed by the talented Kazuhiko Yamaguchi. The last film in the series differs a lot from the previous three and is helmed by a different director. In the last Sister Street Fighter movie Etsuko Shihomi plays another character called Kiku and it doesn’t really match the excitement of the previous Sister Street Fighter movies in the collection. This great DVD set comes with trailers for all four films as well as a really nice twenty page booklet with lots of information about the movies and an interview with director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi. All four films are presented in widescreen and look great. The sound quality is also impressive which really helps you appreciate the terrific soundtracks. This set is a real treat for Sister Street Fighter fans like myself!

Murmur of the Heart
18. Murmur of the Heart (Criterion)
I’ve always been especially impressed with the way director Louis Malle dealt with the complex emotions of young people in his films and Murmur of the Heart (1971) is a wonderful example of this as well as one of the director’s finest films. This thoughtful movie about a young man named Laurent (Benoît Ferreux) coming of age in France during the early 1950s is loosely based on Malle’s own life, and in turn it offers an especially personal and unflinching look at growing up with plenty of warmth and humor as well. Many of the issues addressed in the film such as the rather infamous sexual encounter the young man has with his mother, are handled with an understanding that only a great director like Malle could manage. This is the first time Murmur of the Heart has been available on DVD in the US and as usual Criterion has done a great job with the DVD release. The film doesn’t come with a lot of extras but the print looks terrific and the film is presented in widescreen along with the original theatrical trailer and a new essay by film critic Michael Sragow.

Trilogy of Terror
19. Trilogy of Terror (Dark Sky Films)
Karen Black gives a tour de force performance in the terrific Trilogy of Terror (1975). This entertaining horror anthology is probably familiar to anyone who grew up in the 1970s and owned a television and now thanks to Dark Sky Films it’s finally available on DVD for everyone to enjoy. The last episode in the anthology is the most infamous thanks to Karen Black doing battle with a creepy Zuni fetish doll, but the other stories in the anthology are also worth a look thanks to Black’s interesting take on her various roles. The DVD looks great and is presented in fullscreen since it was originally shot for TV. It comes with some terrific extras including a featurette about Karen Black called Three Colors Black and another featurette about writer Richard Matheson called Terror Scribe, as well as an audio commentary with Karen Black and screenwriter William F. Nolan.

Pretty Poison
20. Pretty Poison (20th Century Fox)
Pretty Poison (1968) stars Anthony Perkins as a troubled man just released from a mental institution after spending many years locked away for arson. He moves to a small Massachusetts town and tries to start a new life for himself, but his overactive imagination soon begins to get the best of him. He becomes obsessed with a cute high-school girl played by Tuesday Weld and tries to convince the girl that he’s a CIA agent on a special mission, and she seems to believe him. When Perkins’ fantasy life begins to collide with his real life and spiral out of control, Weld becomes his willing partner in crime. This great black comedy takes a disturbing and somewhat sad turn since Perkins had the ability to create incredibly sympathetic characters who you should be repelled by, but can’t help rooting for. Tuesday Weld is really riveting as a less then innocent 17 year old and manages to give one of the best performances of her career in Pretty Poison. This is the first time this film has been available on DVD and it looks terrific! The original trailer is also included on the DVD.

10 more DVD reviews coming soon!

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