Quick takes on 5 CLASSIC films

The original The Blob from 1958 is a pretty awful B movie, but it is significant for what it did for the genre, and has had a lasting effect. Featuring a very young Steve McQueen, it tells about an alien “mass” (it is never called “blob” during the movie) that comes to Earth and starts devouring people, growing with each kill. Its low budget is on full display throughout, but that’s not what makes most of this film pretty rough to watch. There are whole sections of dialogue that have no meaning and no advancement to the plot, and are really just filler to stretch a 30 minute story into 90 minutes. If you can forgive the shoddy writing and just sit back and enjoy the charisma of McQueen, it becomes a little more palatable.

Gate of Hell is a beautifully filmed Japanese movie from the ’50s. Taking place in the 12^th century, a samurai warrior acts courageously to quell an uprising, protecting a woman and standing up to the rebels, including his own brother. For his bravery and faithfulness, he is granted a wish. However, he wishes for the hand in marriage of the woman, and finds then that she is all ready married. From this point on we see a turning point in our main character, going from heroic actions to despicable deeds, as he schemes to win his prize over. Fantastic color and cinematography, and a moving story with quiet, yet intense acting all come together for the total package.

Carnival of Souls is a good old horror film from 1962. Shot on a low budget, it generates nearly of its thrills from building suspense. Mary is an organist who lands a job in a new city playing for a church, despite not being very religious. While driving cross country to her new home, she sees an old, abandoned pavilion off the highway, and can’t keep her eyes from it, obviously feeling a pull there. She subsequently starts seeing a shady figure creeping around her, at night at first, but then during the day as well, a figure no one else sees. Finally she goes to explore the pavilion and finds the spectacular answer to her predicament. I’m purposefully leaving out a big plot element, one that leads to the grand finale, but you’ll just have to watch this one to see it. Well worth it, this is a good one.

Next up is one of Roman Polanski’s greatest films, Repulsion. Many of you have probably seen this one, but it worth revisiting. This is the psychological thriller about a young woman, Carol, coming unhinged when left alone in her sister’s apartment for a week. Carol freezes whenever a man is around, becoming completely despondent. She has nightmares every night of men coming in to her room and raping her. As the week goes by, she first loses her job, and thus spends every moment in the apartment, increasingly edging towards complete insanity. Symbolically she sees cracks forming in the walls around her, until her whole world caves in upon her. The viewer really gets in to her head and feels what is going on, both her shock and her later detachment. A great film.

Ugetsu is another Japanese film from the ’50’s, with one of the same actresses of the above Gate of Hell (Machiko Kyo). This one starts out with the feel of a fable, and you can tell early on it will preach the lessons of avoiding greed, lust, and coveting. It definitely has a fantasy element too though. Genjuro is a farmer and pottery maker, and hatches a scheme to get rich quick selling pottery at the nearby town as war is breaking out around him. His wife pleads with him to stay and protect her, but he sees only money, which in his defense, he wants to buy things for his wife to make her happy. His helper, Tobei, wants money too, not for his family, but because he has aspirations to be a great samurai warrior. The lives of these two men and their wives diverge and join throughout the film, in sometimes spectacular fashion. A very well written film, wiki calls this one a “masterpiece of Japanese cinema,” and I’d have to agree.