The Sunday Afternoon Western: The Indian Fighter (Region 2)

January 25th, 2007 Posted by Ian W | DVD Reviews | no comments

Kirk Douglas plays the title character but spends more time fighting his fellow white men than he does Indians. Returning to the West after the Civil War he hopes to broker a peace with the Sioux. Unfortunately he hasn’t taken into account the gold on the Indians land or how far men will go to get it.

The real bad guys here aren’t the Indians but a couple of greedy whites played by Walter Matthau and Lon Chaney. Matthau is probably best known for his later comedy roles but he could be a convincing villain and he makes the most of a fairly limited part here. Lon on the other hand just gets to act big and dumb.

This is an all action western with little time for character development. We never really learn why Douglas changed from Indian fighter to Indian lover (literally). With a star of lesser magnitude this might be a problem but Kirk carries the film with charisma to spare.

The movie is short and many of the scenes feel truncated but whether this is down to director André De Toth or interference from star/producer Douglas (this was the first venture for his new production company Bryna) I don’t know. One thing is for sure the film may lack depth but it doesn’t lack pace with eighty-five minute flying by. Toth made several westerns both for the big and small screen (he even directed a couple of episodes of Peckinpah’s short lived The Westerner series) but is probably best known for being at the helm of the Vincent Price version of House of Wax.

The Weekend Horror Double Bill: Haunted Houses

January 24th, 2007 Posted by Ian W | DVD Reviews | no comments

The Legend of Hell House (1973) Region 2

This is similar in structure to Rober Wise’s The Haunting with a group of paranormal investigators spending a few days in a haunted house and like that film was based on a novel, in this case Richard Matheson’s Hell House. The films also share similar plots with the groups gradual deterioration as the oppressive atmosphere of the house weighs on them evident in both films. Hell House is the less subtle of the two films, there’s nothing here to compare with the classic ‘holding hands in the dark’ scene in Wise’s classic.

What it does have going for it is a powerful sense of dread generated by the inventive direction of John Hough, who uses odd angles and reflections to keep the viewer off balance. Hough was also responsible for Hammer’s underrated Twins of Evil but sadly most of his work was in TV.

Adding to that oppressive atmosphere is an exceptional score by Brian Hodgson and Delia Derbyshire both of whom worked on the BBC’s Doctor Who in the early years of that show. Here they mix electronic sounds with more conventional instrumentation to great effect.

As for the actors all give decent performances with Roddy McDowall relishing the chance to take a more central role as Benjamin Franklin Fischer the only survivor of a previous expedition. I’ve always been a fan of McDowall and this is one of his best parts (at least out of ape make-up) and he’s clearly having a ball.

Tribaljazz

January 18th, 2007 Posted by Ian W | Music Reviews | no comments

Let’s get one thing out in the open right from the start - I’m not a jazz fan. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I dislike jazz per se more that I’ve never felt drawn to it. I’ve listened to a few rock artists who’ve dabbled in it (Cold Chisel, Billy Joel etc.) but unlike country or blues I’ve never felt the urge to explore further.

So what brought me to Tribaljazz? The Doors connection is the simple answer. I’ve been a Doors fan for years and have listened to several of the band members’ solo projects, from Ray Manzarek’s self-indulgent The Golden Scarab to Robbie Krieger and Friends technically brilliant but uninspired album. I’ve always hoped to find some of the magic of the Doors recordings but I’ve always been disappointed. The Doors connection on this album is twofold, first Doors drummer John Densmore is the driving forces behind the band and secondly…well we’ll save that second connection for a little later.

Of the Doors members I’ve always had Densmore down as the weakest link, so it’s with some surprise that I say this is by far the most enjoyable solo project I’ve heard from any of the surviving band members. It’s often the drummer that gets overlooked in a band and that seems to have been the case with Densmore, here he’s much more in the driving seat with much of the album built on his solid rhythms, the skeleton that the other musicians add flesh to.

The Sunday Afternoon Western: Johnny Reno (Region 2)

January 15th, 2007 Posted by Ian W | DVD Reviews | no comments

Star Dana Andrews made a few westerns but always seemed ill suited to them. Here he looks uncomfortable in western costume, walking around as if someone’s starched his long johns, although that could have more to do with his advancing years as he was well into his fifties when he made the film. He plays US Marshal Johnny Reno who arrives in a small western town accompanied by a prisoner he apprehended en route. He’s there to see old flame Nona Williams (Jane Russell). After finding that his prisoner is wanted by the townsfolk he holds up in the town jail, enlisting the aid of the town Sheriff to keep the outlaw safe when it becomes clear the Mayor wants him dead for reasons unknown.

I’ve never understood the appeal of Russell beyond the obvious and that appeal must have stared to sag by this point in her career. Like Andrews she was over the hill, just not quite as far over, only in her mid forties. Only Lon Chaney Jr. as the corrupt sheriff who gets a shot at redemption stands out from the supporting cast but he’s given little chance to really shine.

We’ve seen the lawman fighting off the mob who are trying to break the prisoner out of jail (either to hang or free him) far too often and this fails to offer anything new. It’s the sort of thing was done far better in Howard Hawks’ Rio Bravo and El Dorado but then Dana Andrews is no John Wayne.

The Weekend Horror Double Bill: Is there an Exorcist in the house?

January 15th, 2007 Posted by Ian W | DVD Reviews | no comments

The House of Exorcism (1975) Region 2

I’ve never seen Maio Bava’s Lisa and The Devil but from the original footage used in this bastardised version it looks like a pretty standard giallo murder mystery. This re-edited version, featuring new footage shot by the producer Alfredo Leone to cash in on the success of The Exorcist, is another animal altogether.

The structure of the film has been completely altered so that Bava’s footage is used in flashback to reveal what happened to Lisa Reiner (Elke Sommer) that resulted in her hospitalisation and the subsequent involvement of a priest played by Robert Alda. This restructuring results in the film making virtually no narrative sense.

Bava was an inventive filmmaker who could do a lot with a minuscule budget, creating such stylish features as Black Sunday and Planet of the Vampires, the latter an obvious influence on Ridley Scott’s Alien. Sadly here his style is so diluted as to be all but unwatchable.

The performances are nothing to shout about either. Elke Sommer is there primarily to look pretty while Telly Savalas plays the lollypop sucking butler (or is he the devil?) as if he were Kojak.

So does the film have anything to recommend it? Well yes, sort of. If features some hysterical exorcism scenes that are far funnier than anything featured in The Exorcist spoof Repossessed starring Leslie Nielsen.

Werewolves, Vampires, Zombies and More…

January 9th, 2007 Posted by Ian W | Monthly Comics Update | no comments

After missing December the monthly comics round-up returns with a bumper New Year edition!

Forthcoming titles:

Legion of Monsters: Werewolf by Night promises to bring back memories of Marvel’s horror heyday in the 70’s. Not only do we get a new story featuring Jack Russel, the furry beast of the title but also a new Monster of Frankenstein tale as well. Werewolf by Night is by Mike (X-Men) Carey and Greg (Ultimate Power) Land while Big Frankie is written and drawn by Skottie Young. Out February with more Legion of Monsters one-shot titles to follow. Anticipation factor: 9

Amazing Spider-Man 539 starts a thread that runs through all the Spider-Man titles - “Back in Black”. If you don’t get the significance of that title then you’re either not a Spidey fan or you’ve been trapped in a block of ice in the Arctic for the last few decades. The return of the black costume is obviously designed to tie-in with the release of Spider-Man 3 next summer. Here’s hoping the regular Amazing team of Straczynski and Garney will provide something more than just an empty cash in on the new movie. The fun starts at the end of February. Anticipation factor: 8

Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness sees Evil Dead’s Ash travel to the Marvel Zombies universe just as the zombie outbreak kicks off. Written by John Layman with art from Fabiano Neves and June Chung and wickedly amusing tributes to classic Marvel covers from Arthur Suydam. On sale early March. Anticipation factor: 7

The Sunday Afternoon Western: The Man from the Alamo (Region 2)

January 7th, 2007 Posted by Ian W | DVD Reviews | no comments

Glenn Ford excelled at playing laid back laconic characters particularly in westerns and this film finds him on familiar ground. Here he’s John Stroud the only survivor of the Alamo and a man branded a coward for it. Of course he had a good reason; he left in the hope of protecting his family and the families of some of the other defenders of the mission. The men drew lots and Stroud “won” but he reaches the families too late, all have been massacred save a Mexican boy who tells him that it wasn’t Mexicans but white men dressed as Mexican soldiers that were responsible.

Ford is the best thing about this fairly average revenge oater, relying on star charisma to fill in for a script that has neither the time (the film only runs 76min) nor the inclination to be anything more than an action packed B western. He gets some decent support from a couple of western regulars; Chill Wills as a newspaper man and Neville Brand playing his standard villain role as one of the men who killed Stroud’s family.

Director Budd Boetticher is most famous for the series of western he made in the 50’s with Randolph Scott. He had a gift for action and here he does a decent job, keeping things moving at a cracking pace. Yet the film lacks any real depth, there’s no meat on its bones. You’re left with the feeling that had a little more time and effort been spent on the script this could have been a classic instead of just an enjoyable time waster that will not linger long in the memory.

The Weekend Horror Double Bill: Voodoo Zombies!

January 7th, 2007 Posted by Ian W | DVD Reviews | no comments

For the first of these double bills we’ve got a couple of zombie flicks and we’re talking old skool voodoo zombies.

The Dead One (1961) Region 2

This is set just outside New Orleans on a plantation inherited by John Carlton, who’s taken his new wife there for their honeymoon. Cousin Monica is none to happy about this as she had been running the plantation prior to John’s arrival and as she moonlights as a voodoo priestess she’s not someone you’d want to piss off. She hatches a plan to use her zombified brother to kill John’s wife in the hopes of holding on to the land through a loophole in their Grandfathers will.

Director Barry Mahon’s claim to fame is that the part played by Steve McQueen in the Great Escape was loosely based on him. That’s as close to making a classic film as he came; it’s clear from this that he was a kindred spirit to that master of (mis)direction, Ed Wood.

The first twenty minutes are padded out with a couple of New Orleans jazz bands and an appearance by exotic dancer Bella Bella, the latter ends up tagging along to the plantation for no other reason than to provide someone for the zombie to kill.

Coming Attractions

January 6th, 2007 Posted by Ian W | Site News | no comments

I’ve been neglecting the site for the past month or so but now I’m back and with some new ideas for the New Year. So what does the future hold for Mine Was Taller? Read on as I give you the skinny on what’s in store.

The Weekend Horror Double Bill - This will be my attempt to recapture the spirit of the old TV horror double bills of my youth (for more info on them read my “How I Learned To Love Being Scared” post). These will probably consist of one older film (30’s-60’s) and one more contemporary tale but there will be a link (however tenuous) between the two. Some I’ll have seen before, others I’ll be getting my first taste of. Hopefully this will clear some of my backlog of unwatched horror DVD’s. Will I be able to resist the urge to pair Don’t Answer The phone with When A Stranger Calls? You’ll have to wait and see.

Random Play - Having ripped most of my CD’s I figured why not do a regular feature spotlighting a randomly selected album from my collection? The plan is to celebrate a forgotten classic or two, although given some of the things in there it may end up more of a confessional. Random Play is a working title, if you can think of a better one let me know.