The Wasp Woman

The Wasp Woman (1959)

Runtime: 73 minutes

Directed by: Roger Corman

Starring: Susan Cabot, Fred Eisley, Barboura Morris, William Roerick, Michael Mark

From: The Filmgroup

It seems appropriate to check out something from Roger Corman around this time of year. The Wasp Woman is a picture I’ve known of for many years; it also revolves around the top of women & aging… a plot device so powerful and relevant, the success of The Substance alone proves the conversation revolving around the topics of women, beauty & aging is as topical now as it was in the late 50’s.

I saw the 73-minute version that played in syndication starting in the early 60’s rather than the shorter theatrical cut. A mad scientist extracts royal jelly from wasps; it reverses aging in animals. What great timing for Susan Cabot then… she leads a major cosmetics company and is literally the face of the company, including in advertising. She (gasps) has become old & sales have dropped. They meet and despite his protests that she shouldn’t be the first human tested on, she demands it… of course it’s a success at first before going horribly awry.

I was amused by the film; some will & have found it “boring.” Me, the intra-office drama over her expenditures funding Dr. Zinthrop’s experimental research into the royal jelly, poor Janice Starling feeling desperate to the point of breaking in and injecting himself to increase the effects, the men at the company slack-jawed & filled w/ admiration that she appears so much younger… while not delving into the body horror of the premise or any deeper than a surface-level examination of the themes, entertainment was had by this silly little quickie, especially during the (few) times the title monster appears. This had a nice jazz score from Fred Katz… then I learned it was used in at least half a dozen Corman movies! He knew how to pinch pennies so hard, Abraham Lincoln would squeal.

Susan Cabot as Janice was the highlight of the film, sympathetic despite both her physical and mental transformation. Her life was arguably more interesting than The Wasp Woman… she battled mental illness, birthed a son who had dwarfism—and only a few years ago it was made public that the father was King Hussein of Jordan (!!!), and Cabot was murdered by her son, but due to alleged years-long abuse that likely was due to said mental illness. A shame she had those struggles; Cabot was a talented actress who acted both on stage & screen for years. At least The Wasp Woman is campy fun.

28 Days Later

28 Days Later (2002)

Runtime: 113 minutes

Directed by: Danny Boyle

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, Christopher Eccelston

From: Fox Searchlight

I don’t even need to ask—people will be AGHAST this and the two sequels have never been viewed before, let alone reviewed. The thought never really crossed my mind until Years was announced; of course, there was a long stretch where Days was impossible to stream legally-I “acquired” Days for later viewing months ago & now is finally the time for review. Yes, the film’s cinematography captured on Canon XL1 digital video cameras was known by me forever-while it is understandable why some have rejected the film outright due to the visuals, that was not a deterrent or a downfall.

No comment on the downfall of Great Britain being animal rights activists breaking into a lab and freeing a monkey w/ a “rage virus,” causing a pandemic after it spreads to humans. By now I likely don’t need to explain how Cillian Murphy played Jim, who had the misfortune of waking up from a coma after his country went to Hades, walking around the abandoned streets of London. What I wasn’t expecting: seeing all of Murphy as he first woke up!

Days was an unflinching look at life after a catastrophe where the infected (whether or not you think they’re “fast zombies” is up to you. I know the director doesn’t categorize them as such) are a serious threat & no character in the story should be considered “safe.” It’s a grim movie; playing a key role in setting a somber, melancholy tone is the cinematography from Anthony Dod Mantle, a key proponent and one of the forebearers of digital photography. So is the ethereal score from John Murphy, buttressed by tracks from the likes of Brian Eno and unforgettably, God Speed! You Black Emperor.

An element or two I could criticize—of course the increasing usage of a certain word that’s especially popular among the Brits wasn’t ideal… and I’m not referring to “the C word!” There is a heartwarming message amid the chaos and the horrifying actions of man treating their fellow men (and women) terribly in a warped attempt to rebuild. Jim met some random people and went on a journey w/ people that became a new family after his traditional family were lost. That made Jim’s journey a persuasive one, and why I was invested in a grim motion picture.

The cast did a swell job overall and it wasn’t a surprise that Naomie Harris has found steady work in the 2 decades + since release; however, it was not a surprise that this was the breakout role for Cillian Murphy, resulting in a fruitful, award-winning career. The opportunity to view 28 Years Later before without spending a lot may not happen; however, 28 Weeks Later will be tackled soon. I was happy to fix the mistake I made in not ever giving this highly-regarded motion picture a shot before. 

Two More Stooge Shorts

Fling in the Ring: 

(Short # 159 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges) 

In my first of two Stooge reviews today, despite most of Fling being stock footage from Shemp’s first short (Fright Night), this new version is disappointing. The big issue: Night had Harold Brauner as the villain; despite still being alive, they had someone else-Frank Sully-as the villain, who doesn’t compare w/ the original. Furthermore, Brauner is still present here-but they tried to make him appear to be another henchman. Bizarre.

Might as well copy & paste of what I wrote about Fright Night:

“In this short that isn’t horror-related despite the title, the trio are boxing trainers of pugilist Chopper Kane; whether in the ring in a sparring fight or simply dealing with the boxing version of a tackling dummy, the boys are sidesplitting with routines, one-liners, puns, and slapstick. Shemp had his own style of humor that didn’t replicate his baby brother. Gangsters want to-and this is stunning behavior for the sport-have Kane take a dive in his upcoming bout w/ Gorilla Watkins.

Despite their best efforts, that idea goes awry so the heels take our heroes to… a warehouse. Wacky, but this is the first of three Shemp efforts that end in a room full of wooden crates & boxes, a fact I discovered during a livestream on the official Three Stooges YouTube channel earlier in the year. This lead to more laughs as they chase each other then attempt to KO each other out-more than once, one Stooge accidentally bonked another.

One unique twist from director Edward Bernds: on several occasions, an overhead shot is used to show the Stooges and the villains chasing each other. A shot from that angle was never done before in this universe.”

Due to editing of a bad sort, new footage that was clearly inferior, and an ending where my using the term “abrupt” understates how the final moment did NOT feel like a proper denouement meant that I can’t give this better than a mediocre rating.

Of Cash and Hash: 

(Short # 160 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

This is an installment during the remake era that Stooge fans like more than most. This remade 1948’s Shivering Sherlocks (some don’t like that due to various plot hole issues) and Hash eliminated those plot hole moments. Furthermore, they used less footage from Sherlocks than usual. To copy and paste part of my review:

“In this installment, the trio are accused of robbing an armored car; they didn't help their case by randomly hiding in a garbage can! A 1940's lie detector is shown-at least presumably this was what one looked like back then. Shemp concocts a random alibi that they work at the Elite Cafe. Thankfully for them, proprietor Christine McIntyre covers for them and they start working at the establishment. Wouldn't you know who won the pony... the people who are hiding out in the family estate owned by McIntyre are the actual armored car robbers. This includes a subhuman hunchbacked hulking brute named Angel! Yes, a lot happens…”

As the replacement footage was good, I can’t carp too much or loudly about Of Cash and Hash. Furthermore, this is the last time I’ll see several actors in new scenes: Lebanese actor Frank Lankteen (who only appeared a few times, but is in fan favorite Malice in the Palace), Stanley Blystone and Christine McIntyre. They all played key supporting roles-whether once or on many occasions-so each will be missed.

Hercules in the Haunted World

Hercules in the Haunted World (Ercole al Centro Della Terra (1961)

Runtime: 85 delightful minutes

Directed by: Mario Bava

Starring: Reg Park, Christopher Lee, Leonara Ruffo, George Ardisson, Marisa Belli

From: Several different Italian and West German companies

A horror-tinged peplum is delightful-at least as long as it’s directed by Mario Bava. It’s a film I’ve known of and have had in my collection for awhile; the presence of Christopher Lee (not the only time I’ll be seeing him in the next two months—sadly, he was dubbed w/ another voice in the English dub I found) alone was enticing, but so was seeing Reg Park in the title role. Park famously was an inspiration to Schwarzenegger as a child; Arnold and he became close friends later in life. Reg was in tremendous shape at the time, making him a natural to play Hercules.

The Big H returns home, only to discover his girl under some sort of spell; it’s no surprise to the viewer but it takes our hero a long while to realize it’s Lee’s King character who is behind the plot to marry our hero’s gal. H goes on a quest to Hades with his best bro and an odious comic relief dude to retrieve items to save his gal. The time in Hades is a fun adventure, at least for the viewer if not the heroes that face such foes as a rock monster. Back home, there’s drama between Herc and his bro; after machinations from Lee, the horror elements return for the finale… where as others have noted, Hercules technically destroyed historical ruins while combating his supernatural foes.

Without having experienced much of the sword-and-sandal genre, the plot seemed standard yet the injection of another genre made it feel fresh while also remaining an engaging story; it can satisfy both action and horror fans. Naturally, Bava’s direction is the highlight. The movie was as colorful and visually stunning as you’d hope; those Twitter and Tumblr accounts posting images from films should be all over Haunted World… instead of just a few random Twitter accounts doing so. The awesome sets (allegedly left over from earlier productions) were also marvelous. No one should be gobsmacked either that fog was used often.

The plan is to view more Bava and more Lee the next two months. The hope is that those pictures will at least be as delightful as Hercules in the Haunted World.