|
||
|
SEVEN DAYS IN MAY
Paramount, 1964, B&W, 118 mins.- Warner Bros.
DVD
Fredric March: When you get to the bottom of the barrel- where we are now- you use expedience.
Spoken like a man whos risen to the top- specifically, the Presidency- and now faces the threat of a coup led by Army bigwig Burt Lancaster. Lancaster, in league with other hawkish elements of the government, thinks that Marchs disarmament treaty with the Russkies spells doom for the nation- and Lancasters going to put a stop to it irregardless of little niceties like the democratic process. But fellow Pentagon habitué Kirk Douglas gets wind of the scheme and is driven to do the right thing by his innate decency- a quality which will become rather strained as he attempts to combat the potential disaster that looms just seven days away.
Granted, its farfetched, but with a taut screenplay by Rod Twilight Zone Serling, effective direction by John Frankenheimer, and solid performances from the leads, you can buy it. The focus is on story and character, without much in the way of action, but you get to see some fun stuff- government hearings full of barbed exchanges, cocktail parties that are just as nasty, a secret military base, a smattering of period high-tech, and a wrap-up thats believable if a bit preachy. Recommended for Serling fans and political thriller buffs- just dont show it to anyone suffering from paranoia! Disc extras are limited to an audio commentary by the (unfortunately, recently-deceased) Frankenheimer.
THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR
Fox, 1947, B&W, 104 mins.- Fox Studio Classics
DVD
Gene Tierney: Captain Gregg, if you insist on haunting
me you might at least be
agreeable about it.
This handsomely-mounted romantic fantasy posits that love conquers all, even if a pesky little thing like death gets in the way. The recently-widowed Tierney, a free-spirited woman who has the misfortune of living at the turn of the last century, moves into a seaside cottage with her daughter and housekeeper. A cottage that is still occupied by its previous resident, Rex Harrison, a veteran sailor who has lost none of his salty personality despite the fact that hes been dead for some time. Impressed with her spunkiness, Harrison comes to an accommodation with Tierney, eventually giving new meaning to the term Ghostwritten when he dictates his sensational autobiography to her. But when, at his urging, she starts to take an interest in flesh-and-blood men again, he has to decide whether or not hes going to nobly step aside and let her live her life. One things for sure- time is on his side.....
This film is chock-full of healthy vintage studio goodness, with excellent production values, standout performances, and a screenplay that is at turns charming, melodramatic, and laugh-out-loud funny. In the tradition of period romances, there are numerous bumps on the road for Tierney, who bravely faces sexism, betrayal, and an uncouth dead guy who keeps hanging around her house.
Classic Hollywood character Joseph L. Mankiewicz keeps things rolling along from his directors chair, aided by a colorful musical score from the great Bernard Herrmann. If it all sounds like your cup of tea, chances are that youll find it very enjoyable. Extras on this disc include audio commentaries, a bio-doc on Harrison, and a nice selection of stills.
Billy Gray: I like you, Mr. Carpenter- youre a real screwball.
More than you know, Billy- for your pal Carpenter (a perfectly-cast
Michael Rennie) is the otherworldly pilot of a flying saucer that recently landed
in Washington. The aliens unfortunate reception at the hands of the military
immediately sets up the theme of an advanced, peaceful visitor butting up against
human ignorance and foolishness. But while Rennie is hindered by our bad side,
he sees the good in us too, exemplified by young Gray and his mother, Patricia
Neal. The two help him in accomplishing his mission- to warn the people of Earth,
who are on the verge of space travel, that the spread of their primitive violent
ways will not be tolerated by the folks Out There. In fact, any aggression will
be met with an overwhelming counterforce......which is a polite way of saying
that theyll blast us to atoms if we try anything stupid.
Director Robert Wise keeps the films action grounded in mid-Twentieth
Century America, using the fantastical elements only when necessary- an intelligent
approach that stood in contrast to the pulpier sci-fi flicks of the time. This
approach minimizes the seams in the special effects- seen quite literally on
Rennies robotic cohort, Gort- although to be fair, its easy to forgive
the flaws and enjoy the story. If youre used to the flashier stuff, you
might find this a bit slow, but its worth sticking it out to the end,
when Rennies Youre either with us or against us speech
is just as topical as ever- not bad for a 52 year-old movie. Disc extras include
an audio commentary by the director, a documentary, stills, and the shooting
script.
©
Melt Magazine 2003
|