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THE LODGER-1926-This silent suspense drama established Alfred Hitchcock as a director who was going places. It’s based on an English novel and the real Jack The Ripper. It doesn’t use that many title cards and instead relies mostly on visual effects. Ivor Novello portrays a mysterious stranger who comes to room in a London boarding house when a killer is on the prowl in the foggy streets. Is he the killer? Very well done but the print I saw was very worn (gee…I wonder why?).
The future Sir Alfred makes the first of his many cameos too (I’ve read he appears twice but I must have missed one!). Novello also starred in a 1932 British remake (somehow he also wound up writing dialogue for TARZAN OF THE APES in 1932!). The 1944 US version starred Laird Cregar and MAN IN THE ATTIC (with Jack Palance in 1953) covered similar ground.
REPLACEMENT SUSPECT-2002-Violent Hong Kong crime drama involving small time crooks who get entangled in the police’s pursuit of a wanted criminal. They wind up holding some customers in a bar hostage unaware that the wanted criminal is one of the hostages. Director Chi-Sin Mak directed several other films but has done more work as an editor (TWIN DRAGONS, LEGEND OF ZU, VAMPIRE HUNTERS).
ELECTRA MY LOVE-(1974)-This is a very unusual adaptation of the Greek tragedy ELECTRA & ORESTES, made in Hungary. It uses long uninterrupted camera shots and weird symbolic scenes (including dwarfs with cymbals and much nudity) that look like Alejandro Jodorowsky could have influenced them! (He made THE HOLY MOUNTAIN in ’73) Occasionally a modern day folksinger shows up and sings! It also features anachronistic props like a helicopter and guns! Did Alex Cox see this movie?? Very slow and arty but occasionally fascinating..
"If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you"....Oscar Wilde |
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Posted by CavedogRob on 2008-01-10 21:29:01 | Rating: | Views: 39
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