cape fear: a triumph of departments

J. Lee Thompson's 1962 film is perhaps not as well known to a newer generation of film-goers as the remake directed by Martin Scorsese. This is quite a shame, because the film's a very effective thriller boasting some excellent acting, a creepy score by Bernard Herrmann (whose rejected score for Hitchcock's Torn Curtain adorned Scorsese's remake), great cinematography and sharp editing. I had watched the remake first and it's interesting to see the differences. Being more familiar with Scorsese's oeuvre now, I can see why the key players in the remake are morally unsteady (there are no clear good and bad guys); I can also see how the intense religious baggage (tattoos, quotations from the Bible) of De Niro's interpretation of Max Cady fit perfectly. The original black and white thriller, however, succeeds on its own merits, which, thankfully, are different from those of the remake. Max Cady is clearly sadistic and evil while Max Bowden is, for the most part, a diluted version of Atticus Finch. It's a clear case of good versus evil (with an obvious outcome). Given the inevitability of the proceedings, the excellent writing and performances lend each scene its modicum of suspense and dread. The film also succeeds by implying a lot without either saying or showing much (the word "rape" is never uttered and yet its spectre looms large; a lot of the violence is suggested and not shown, although the film is not completely without violence). The influence of Hitchcock is evident and I wonder if the Psycho house was just a coincidence because this was a Universal release. Given the film's effectiveness, it's hard to believe that it was a financial failure when it was released in 1962 -- perhaps the implied extent of Cady's obsession with Bowden's teenage daughter left people too uneasy for comfort.

sisters

Brian de Palma has been a personal favourite for a long time both for the films in his Hitchcock-ian phase as well as for the variety in his ouevre. Another reason was Bernard Herrmann. After Herrmann's tiff with Hitchcock, nothing he worked on since got him as much attention. De Palma and Scorsese, both personal favourites (back when I hadn't made the connection), managed to get him back some of the limelight that he deserved (after all he *was* the dean of film music). The Criterion Collection DVD of Sisters, an important De Palma film (its heavy Hitchcockian references notwithstanding) includes the reprint of an essay by De Palma that describes how Herrmann came on board. And all the praise for the Moog cue that Herrmann wrote for the opening credits doesn't prepare you for the sheer chill that runs down your spine. Only Herrmann could have written something to match his cue for the Psycho shower sequence. Sheer brilliance. The film offers rich rewards if you want to study the themes explored, voyeurism and duality in particular. Also included on the DVD is a text version of a 1973 interview conducted by Richard Rubinstein, where de Palma talks about the cameras he used, the different kinds of film stock, as well an idea based on ROPE (the set for the interiors of Danielle's house was erected to allow De Palma to track through the entire length and back and around, as a body bled through the bottom of the couch) that remained unused because of budgetary constraints. Some of the proceedings may seem a tad stagey (something that I believe is an artifact of editing approaches in 70s films), but there's enough in the chills and thrills department. Now if only I didn't know the plot twist -- I think I might been even more delighted.

more trivia

[august 01, 2008]: the intriguing title sequence (QuickTime) accompanied by Herrmann's nerve-chilling cue.

the fallen madonna and darkly funny new england

Thanks to a friend and some technology, I got a chance to relive some memories of bellyaches of laughter -- the cause: the pilot for the outragous ribald 'Allo 'Allo. One thing that went by unnoticed the last time I caught the series (when Star Plus was not infested with soaps and dimwit detergent dunderfests from the K-fetishist and her satellites!): Michelle's fake French accent differs from Rene's. The creators Jeremy Lloyd and David Croft were also responsible for the other ribald (and admittedly more risqué) Are you being served?. Now if only I could get my hands on the whole series and the other ribald rocker The New Statesman.

Finally, finally, finally, I caught The Trouble With Harry (on a collector's edition DVD at that). Although significant as being the first film that Hitchcock collaborated with Bernard Herrmann, this black comedy set in New England (sourced from a novel set in England) has been a rare gem. Very few Hitchcock studies or retros give it as much attention as his other defining works, despite it being a composite of elements that came the closest to defining this enigmatic director with the manners of a gentleman, and a wit so dry and droll it perfectly matched his obsession with death and all things related. Herrmann even collected some of the motifs of the film and created a suite (A Portrait of Hitch). The dialogues and the gory goings-on both complement and contrast the mindblowing Vermont colours. Keep an eye out for Hitchcock's cameo and a sharp ear for the first exchange of words between Sam Marlowe and Jennifer Rogers, as well as the temporally mind-bending discussion that Sam has with Jennifer's son Arnie. At one point in the film, Edmund Gwenn's character Captain Wiles notes "Blessed are they who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed". In agreeing with him, I'd only be faithful to the tone of the film.

journey to the center of the earth

I picked up this DVD only to give Bernard Herrmann's score a listen. The cue for the opening credits alone, with its mix of church organ tones, brass and cymbals, was worth it. The film itself is a heavily modified version of Jules Verne's novel. All the spectacular sights are clearly sets, but quite well done. And there are several enjoyable moments in the film, a lot of them being staple representations of films in this period. James Mason is entertaining, and this marks one of the few occasions I have seen him in a non-villainous role, and more so in an upbeat mood. Pat Boone is a annoyance for the most part, and especially so, whenever he breaks into song. These elements reminded me of the way Bollywood works. And the sad part is we are still doing the same thing even in the 21st century.

the man in lincoln's nose ... and the epic journey on the chisholm trail

As part of my gentle journey into the North by Northwest DVD, I watched the accompanying behind-the-scenes documentary. Most of the stuff I already knew thanks to my status as a Hitchcock fan, a Bernard Herrmann fan, a film buff, blah blah. 'Twas fun, especially to see stuff broken up for you to analyze and understand. I even began watching the film with just the score on. Proof enough of Herrmann's greatness. And Saul Bass' opening sequence is still great. And now, for the movie itself ... waiting ... waiting...

Howard Hawks' Red River is an exhilirating experience. I have long since stopped worrying about the length of westerns. The good ones make good patient use of their time. John Wayne gets a multitextured role that presages his work in The Searchers. The conflict in the film is underscored by soaring and saddening moments, great dialogue, and the epic feel of a journey. Along on the Chisholm Trail. It's fun getting to the destination. And a great movie to boot.

current reads and listens

Two wonderful books from Shashi Tharoor: India: From Midnight to Millennium is a welcome introduction for me to the background of Indian politics since independence (including "stuff that they did not tell you in your history textbooks"). The work is admittedly very subjective, but Tharoor's chapter exploring the changing caste system in Kerala and what it means to be a marunaadan malayaali really struck a very very personal chord. Not too many books have done that for me. Show Business, on the other hand, is a satire of the Bollywood movies and the moviemaking machine, written in true Bollywood fashion (how reflexive can you get!), and borrows a lot from the life and times of superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Complete with ditties, monologues, clichéd dialogues and situations, bad villain names, terrible costumes, and gossip. Even though I haven't finished either, I strongly recommend both, along with The Great Indian Novel. Tharoor also has a new book on Nehru coming out soon.

Revisited is my first long introduction to Blue Öyster Cult (connections include John Carpenter's Halloween and the TV miniseries adaptation of The Stand)

The Paradine Case is a very strange and deceptive title for what is essentially a compilation of piano pieces composed by Franz Waxman, Bernard Herrmann, and Alex North. The first track is from Waxman's score for Hitchcock's The Paradine Case, and gives the compilation its title. Good sleeve notes add value to the two Herrmann tracks (the reason I even picked this up), one from Hangover Square, and the other a short prelude for piano from 1935.

cape fear: every man has to go through hell to reach paradise

When Martin Scorsese's reworking of the 1962 thriller Cape Fear hit the theatres in India, the reviews I read talked about how De Niro's working of Max Cady was over-the-top and hammy. This was the only memory I really had when I started watching the film. Of course, since that time I had learnt more about De Niro, Scorsese, their working relationship, Scorsese's Hitchcock connections (Bernard Herrmann, Saul Bass, and in this film, production designer Henry Bumstead). I had also made the mappings: Robert Mitchum played Cady in the original and made a cameo here as Lt Elgart; Gregory Peck played Sam Bowden in the original and appeared (in what would tragically be his last cinematic appearance!) as the Bible-spouting righteous lawyer Lee Heller (which almost seems like a spoof at some level of his most cherished performance as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird); Martin Balsam who played Police Chief Dutton in the original appears here as the Judge who puts a restraining order on Saw Bowden.

The film opens with a classic Saul Bass (who was now collaborating with his wife Elaine) sequence: the credits are overlaid on ripples of water, tinged with colours that reek of fear and unease, and somewhere in the background are eyes (I scream Vertigo!) and face shots (from what was, as the excellent Making Of tells me, unused footage from a sequence for the film Seconds). And you hear vintage Bernard Herrmann (in fact, Elmer Bernstein willingly took on the task of adapting Herrmann's score for the original for this film: a strong testament for the vitality of Herrmann's work!). "My reminiscences" are the first words you hear as an XCU of Danny's eyes switch from negative-B&W to colour, and we are informed that "Cape Fear" is a river in North Carolina (I haven't seen the original so I didn't know what the title referred to). Ft Lauderdale in South Florida aided with some innovative set design stands in for North Carolina here. The whole film works in flashback (ending with Danny's voiceover concluding here reminiscences). There is a reference to her working on this in the film: one of the many touches that elevate this film from being a very fast-paced (great editing from Scorsese regular Thelma Schoonmaker) tingling effective thriller to being a great addition to Scorsese's impressive canon. There are other Bass elements in the film too, but some are best left to be relished on viewing.

The original had Cady returning to punish Sam Bowden for having testified against him. This reworking has Sam Bowden playing Cady's defense attorney who, in 1977 in Atlanta, had to put together a defense for a charge of rape and battery. The victim was a 16 year old girl. In a moment of "playing God" and being self-righteous, Bowden had suppressed evidence of the promiscuity of the victim, evidence that would have helped Cady's case. Bowden believed that Cady deserved punishment, and in some sense, took the law into his own hands. Cady, meanwhile, suffering from the characteristic horrors of prison life, builds himself up physically and mentally: being illiterate he teaches himself to read and write, and educates himself in literature and law (the biblical references are ominous when De Niro spouts them in a very convincing Southern accent). All this we find out in the course of the film, which stays on track, as being a thriller demands. Not satisfied by adding so much grey to the characters of Bowden and Cady, Scorsese and Strick also take us on another horrifying journey to the rotting centre of the familial relationships of the Bowden: Sam's infidelity, Leigh's unease and Danny's insecurity, fear and emotional vulnerability. Cady's attack is not physical -- it targets the root of the evils that ail the family, twisting it about and extracting more pain than a simple man-to-man fistfight. Every alternative to tackling Cady's relentless attack proves ineffectual, right up the very end. Max's inevitable destruction at the end leaves the family scarred for life: Sam has indeed learnt about loss, and the reunited family has been devastated beyond repair. This is where the film really works: at the psychological level.

Everything works here, especially De Niro's well-researched performance (Cady's tatoos even reminded me of The Night of the Hunter, where the Reverend Harry Powell, played by Robert Mitchum, has LOVE tatooed on the fingers of one hand, and HATE on those of the other). Scorsese's maiden use of anamorphic Widescreen pays off as a great way to explore the dark tones of Strick's script. And there are the Hitchcock references: a silhouetted view of Lori Davis' (Illeana Douglas) vicious disfigurement at the hands of Cady recalls the shadows of Psycho; the 4th of July parade has strong echoes of the tennis match in Strangers on a Train; the never-ending climactic struggle between Bowden and Cady is reminiscent of Gromek's killing in Torn Curtain.

Speaking of Torn Curtain, Hitchcock/Herrmann fans will remember that this film marked the unfortunate parting of the two over a disagreement on the tone of the score (Elmer Bernstein's version on the accompanying Making Of varies a bit in that it attributes the choice of desired mood directly to Hitchcock instead of the producing studio, Universal). Herrmann's unused score for the film has popped up on several compilations since (Herrmann even used one of the cues titled Gromek in a later film). When Cady falls burning into the stormy river, another Herrmann cue begins to play. This cue, titled The Killing, comes from the unused score and not from the score for the original Cape Fear. A grand bout of acknowledgement to Scorsese and Bernstein for resurrecting this wonderful piece.

Saul Bass tribute site

KILL BILL volume I: ROCKS!(WARNING: some spoilers!)

dismembered limbs. decapitated bodies. blood fountains all over. a cool cool (and cool again) soundtrack sourcing music from sources as diverse as postmodern asian rock bands doing rock n' roll and boogie-woogie, western instrumentals, brazilian riffs to bernard herrmann, isaac hayes and quincy jones. thankfully, i could spot the green hornet theme (itself laden with borrowings from rimsky-korsakov's the flight of the bumblebee), and ennio morricone and hayes, but i completely missed the herrmann. when I finally heard the track (from the work he did for a film called Twisted Nerve) (thanks to an online sampler), i didn't feel too bad: very very deceptive (and yet, very very herrmann). the pasha of blood and gore rears his head after 11 years to bring us a well-done pastiche of spaghetti westerns and 70s martial arts flicks complete with strange subtitles, in-jokes (Shaw-Scope, the presence of Sonny Chiba on the cast), excellently choreographed fight sequences and a simple plot. Yes, a simple plot: a tale of good old-fashioned revenge. The Bride (codename: Black Mamba) (her real name is bleeped every time someone -- to be precise, Copperhead -- utters it: all we know is the name she assumed for her fatal wedding, Arlene Machiavelli) is out for revenge -- the only survivor of an El Paso carnage (9 victims), she is now going to Kill Bill, (menacingly played by David Carradine, more homage!) her former employer (and lover) in the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, who is responsible for the bloody massacre, along with the other partners in crime: Copperhead, Cottenmouth, California Mountain Snake and Sidewinder. The film opens by proclaiming (in falsely-aged footage) that it has been made in Shaw-Scope (an ode to the Shaw Brothers, whose production company was responsible for myriad martial arts flicks). We are then introduced to the film's ultra-postmodernist bent as the opening quote comes up: "Revenge is a dish best served cold", an old Klingon proverb (the true origins of this phrase made famous by Khan in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan are debatable). There's another Star Trek reference later on in the film, but don't let that worry you: fans of B-martial flicks will relish all the references bouncing across the place. There's enough blood and dismemberment in this grindhouse fest to satisfy all Tarantino fans (trust me: there's enough gore in the film to send you from shock to laughter in no time), and there's also some anime (which Tarantino elevates to new levels of bloodness). Now, all I have to do, is find something to do before volume II comes out. NOTE: If you're expecting a textured plot, forget it. Ever heard of a revenge flick with a multi-layered plot? Go fetch! And if you thought he was going to come up with something critically satisfying like Jackie Brown, perish the thought. This is a well-deserved return to Reservoir Dogs. Students of film genre and crossovers will relish the western soundtrack extracts playing over Asian martial arts action sequences.

related: the official web site | a more useful fan-run site | details about the soundtrack and the soundtrack review | the AMG page for the soundtrack | more soundtrack information from Maverick (the label releasing the soundtrack)

bond ... and pig's blood

With Die Another Day just round the corner, ads have flooded all television channels (including the overplayed Circuit City ad featuring the American father faking a British accent; Berry, Halle Berry for Revlon's new 007-inspired lineup). AMC had a neat little hour-long feature on the Bond girls, aptly titled Bond Girls Are Forever which had Maryam d'Abo (herself a Bond girl in The Living Daylights) chatting with the different Bond girls and the importance of being a Bond girl.

I finally saw Carrie, which is replete with all the trademarks of a Brian de Palma film: the split-screen, the Hitchcock references {the high school is called Bates School, a reference to Norman Bates in Psycho; the soundtrack by Pino Donaggio quotes a theme from Herrmann's score for Psycho; the blurry lensing that abounds (although this could also be interpreted as a reference to Vertigo); the slow motion sequences}. There's something about most pre-1990 Brian de Palma films I've seen: they all seem to have been made cheaply, or else I've been duped into viewing bad prints.

Going to Poona

So today evening I got The Best of Z Z Top from the public library, to get myself an introduction to these blues-rock Texans. Thence we proceeded to Poona, a South Asian restaurant on Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth. Yes, it was the name that intrigued us. Our hostess was a friendly Bengali lady who wasn't sure why they had named the restaurant Poona. Our entrees were Vegetable Korma and Chicken Chilli to go with 2 naans. The food was good, except their tendency to add chopped peppers into the Chicken Chilli to add the "spice" to it was an unwarranted Chatpatti-style act {these people add uncooked masala as toppings to dishes like paav bhaaji}. Clearly there is a prevalent warped idea of "spicy" food. The portions are below modest, especially for the price. You wouldn't notice this, however, because their spice trick just gave you a "full" feeling.

Back home, we caught the special features on the Vertigo DVD. I must say I was disappointed. Most of the commentary (if I may dare to call it that; it seemed more like outtakes of a cofee-shop scene in a forgettable B-movie) focused on the effort involved in restoring this classic, minus any interesting technical details. The documentary was moderately interesting, including the add-on subdued ending and previews for the original release and the re-release. The original preview was a good indicator of why the film didn't do well -- the studio was clearly in no position to understand the property they had and persisted on marketing it with the tags that you would associate with Hitchcock. The re-release preview was much more faithful, except for the Powerpoint-style intertitles. Wish they had the good sense to get a film scholar to talk over the film. The closest they get is Steve Smith, Bernard Herrmann's biographer. Sadly, he deviates from the score of the film itself to other works by Herrmann, and his voluble description of Herrmann's music soon overstays its welcome. So, unless you want to listen to people go on tangents for over two hours, skip the commentary.

Movies on Memorial Day Eve

So Sunday evening was auspicious since the TV didn't conk off, allowing us to watch The Tingler and Sleepless in Seattle.

The Tingler lives up to every expectation I had from a William Castle film. Be it the noirish edge where everyone seems to be destined for ruin or the fairly serious face Vincent Price keeps on camera as he handles the Tingler (I recall legend that he could barely contain himself while handling the fly with David Hedison's head! He plays a scientist (again!) who discovers the hidden organism that creates fear in all of us, of course violating the ethics of scientists in the process. The reflexive moments when the Tingler actually enters the theatre are priceless. As with every Castle film, this one used a couple of theater gimmicks: Whenever blood-curdling screams occurred in the movie, hidden buzzers vibrated the seats. (This feature was called "Percepto.") Shills planted in the audience let out their own screams. The film is also supposed to be the earliest to feature an LSD trip (if you notice the title of the book that Vincent Price is reading it includes the words "lysergic acid"). The tape we had was the reissue, which meant that we could relish the brief colour sequence originally included in the film. It's grainy (being 8mm versus the fine 35mm in the rest of the film), but it includes that splendid shot of the hand reaching out of a bloody bathtub. Camp homage to Edvard Munch before the opening credits unfold. The opening notes of the score (which also form the musical motif in the film) recall Herrmann's score for Vertigo. Maybe not. This is the quintessential William Castle film. {more William Castle}

Sleepless in Seattle is everyone's favourite chick flick (it would seem!). What's a chick flick? A movie about and/or for women. Although that doesn't mean everyone can't enjoy the film. Lots of great references in this one. Rob Reiner (who made the classic modern chick flick When Harry Met Sally (WHMS), also number 23 on AFI's top 100 comedies) stars in this film. Nora Ephron who directed (and wrote the screenplay for) this film also wrote WHMS. Want more? Countless similarities between this one and Frasier. Great lines, good laughs and competent performances. Enjoyable, unless you think people will call you a sissy for watching movies like this (in which case, you could go watch The Dirty Dozen).

Musical Instrument of the Week: Obviously the fact that I finally managed to watch Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey (incidentally my first video rental from the Georgia Tech library) yesterday might have something to do with my selection of the Theremin as the instrument of the week. Especially considering that my favourite film composer (Bernard Herrmann) used it, as did Jimmy Page from my favourite rock band (Led Zeppelin). {other bands}.
Perhaps the first electronic musical instrument invented, the Theremin was a creation of Russian inventor Lev Sergeivich Termen (something French happened along the way) the Victor Theremin paved the way for electronic music as it is today, inspiring people like Robert Moog (inventor of the Moog synthesizer), and making it onto the soundtracks of numerous famous films.