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TERROR BY NIGHT-Universal-1946-Murder On The Orient Express Sherlock Holmes style. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce return as Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous duo.
Holmes is called in to protect the famed “Star Of India”. Nearly all of the story takes place on a moving train bound for Scotland. Of course , the diamond gets stolen and there are a few murders, most from a poison dart. Suspects naturally, abound. A mysterious woman (Vivian Ved-der) with a coffin (that has a secret compartment), a conductor ( the always creepy Skelton Knaggs), a cranky professor (Frederick Worlock) and Watson’s old friend (Alan Mowbray) are all suspects. Holmes deduces that it could be the work of Col. Sebastian Moran, a former henchman of the insidious Dr. Moriarty! But no one knows what he looks like! Inspector LeStrade (Dennis Hoey) is on board too and he and Holmes actually work together for a change. Watson is his usual incompetent self until the climax where he actually helps out a bit!
This was the second to last entry in the very successful series, all of them (since SHERLOCK HOLMES & THE SECRET WEAPON in 1942) directed (and produced and even occasionally written) by Roy William Neil, the underrated veteran responsible for THE BLACK ROOM (1935), FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (1943) and a host of others. Sadly, he died later in ’46 at the age of 59 after making two more pictures. Screenwriter Frank Gru-ber wrote MASK OF DIMITRIOS (1944) and the last Holmes effort DRESSED TO KILL. Make-up was provided by the soon to be released master Jack Pierce.
THE UNTOLD STORY-1992-This is kind of like a Chinese IN COLD BLOOD but much more graphic, bloody and shocking. Because it’s supposedly based on a true story the film makers figured they could go all the way and show everything in gory detail.
Anthony Wong ( from HARDBOILED and THE HEROIC TRIO) plays Wong, the new owner/butcher of The Eight Immortals Cafe. He’s a whacko guy who cheats at mah-jogg and is generally mean to everyone. He kills a guy who works for him and then chops him up and makes barbecued pork buns out of his flesh and guts. He later on rapes and kills his cashier and puts her through the grinder!
The Police (led by THE KILLER’s Danny Lee) suspect Wong might be responsible for the death of the previous owner and his family. The cops seem like a bunch of ignoramuses (they berate the one female officer for having small breasts) but they get it together and eventually arrest the suspected murderer. When he won’t confess they do everything in their power to make him talk. Interrogation, beatings, torture. They even put him in a prison cell with the brother of one of his victims. Eventually after much sadistic treatment he finally owes up and explains, in a blood spattered flashback, how he murdered the cafe owner, his wife and children and mother in law. This is one of the most bizarre and brutal scenes I’ve ever seen. He’s shown savagely killing all the kids. Then chopping up the bodies with a cleaver. Blood flies everywhere until there are piles of dripping limbs and heads! When he admits the ingredients of the meat pies the cops (who’d gouged themselves on free ones) all throw up. At the end he commits suicide.
THE UNTOLD STORY is very strange film making indeed. Director Herman Yau seems to take sadistic pleasure in the pure and unadulterated scenes of shock and depravity. There seems no other reason for it’s viciousness. Few films have shown such graphic violence especially where children are concerned. His rape/killing (with chopsticks) of his cashier is hard to take.
The video box screams: “Based unfortunately, on real events” and “Horrifying because it’s true” but this is plain and simply a sick gore film trying to disguise itself as something more. Wong (who won 1993 equivalent of a Hong Kong Oscar for his performance) is very good. He’s a pathetic, brutal psycho who’s treatment by the police almost has us feeling sorry for him (but not quite). Unlike HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER this movie is hard to recommend. AKA: HUMAN MEAT PIES and BUN: THE UNTOLD STORY
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Posted by CavedogRob on 2008-04-19 00:31:19 | Rating: | Views: 77
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I've seen "Terror By Night". Good movie. I think I like Basil Rathbone as Sherlock and from now on I'll picture Holmes with the face of Rathbone.
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Posted by SubTomato
on 2008-04-21 12:24:56
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I think most people do!
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Posted by CavedogRob
on 2008-04-21 21:19:42
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