Genocide (AKA “War of the Insects”) (Konchu daisenso) Directed by Kazui Nihonmatsu Written by Susumu Takaku; story by Kingen Amada 1968/Japan IMDb link
First viewing/Criterion Channel
[box] Since Auschwitz, we know what man is capable of. And since Hiroshima, we know what is at stake. Viktor E. Frankl[/box]
Japanese horror trades giant monsters for tiny ones in this amusingly dreadful movie.
Swarms of insects attack a U.S. bomber and it pilot becomes the first to be infected. He slowly goes insane and starts babbling about genocide. Turns out the insects have gathered together to exterminate the human race in order to to save themselves from extermination by the H-bomb. A pretty American concentration camp survivor(!) is conspiring with the insects.
The twisted mind that brought us the hilariously bad The X from Outer Space(1967) is back with this little gem, in which bizarre plot meets bad effects. The dialogue (sub-titled) is pretty great too. Recommended to my fellow connoisseurs.
The Odd Couple Directed by Gene Saks Written by Neil Simon from his play 1968/US IMDb link
Repeat viewing/Amzazon Instant
[box] Oscar Madison: Wait a minute, you’re not going anywhere until you take it back!
Felix Ungar: Take what back?
Oscar Madison: “Let it be on your head.” What the hell is that, the Curse of the Cat People?[/box]
Despite a few now cringe-worthy jokes, the performances are classic and it’s pretty funny 50 years latter.
Oscar Madison (Walter Matthau) is a divorced sportswriter, who relishes his freedom to be a slob. Felix Unger (Jack Lemmon) has just been given the boot by his wife, leaving him feeling mighty sorry for himself and announcing suicides plans. They are friends who play poker weekly with several other guys in Oscar’s pad. Oscar invites Felix to move in. He eagerly accepts.
It soon seems obvious why their wives couldn’t take any more. Oscar is a complete slob. Felix takes his chosen “housewife” role to hilarious extremes. This gives everybody the opportunity to lob one-liners back and forth for the duration of the movie’s running time.
Little attempt is made to open up Simon’s stage play. With acting as good as this, it’s still quite watchable. If you like Neil Simon, you should love this.
The premise was made into a long-running TV sitcom with Tony Randall and Jack Klugmann. They also made a perfect “odd couple”.
The Odd Couple was nominated by the Academy in the categories of Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium and Best Film Editing.
The Lion in Winter Directed by Anthony Harvey Written by James Goldman from his play 1968/UK IMDb link
Repeat viewing/Amazon Instant
[box] Eleanor of Aquitaine: Of course he has a knife, he always has a knife, we all have knives! It’s 1183 and we’re barbarians! How clear we make it. [/box]
This movie holds up so damn well to a re-watch.
The plot is kind of convoluted. It takes up the dual tasks of conveying some history of the Plantagenets of England and trying to be sort of a 12th Century Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) with three bickering sons thrown in for good measure.
At any rate, King Henry II (Peter O’Toole) is enjoying his romance with Alais, a woman many years his junior, as well as the enforced absence of his headstrong wife Eleanor of Aquitaine (Katharine Hepburn. But now the succession to the throne is weighing heavily on his mind. The choices are between the somewhat feeble minded (?) John (Nigel Terry), war-like Richard (Anthony Hopkins), and the conniving Goeffrey. Henry favors John and Eleanor, who has friends in high places, favors Richard. Henry summons Eleanor from the convent for Christmas. Then the plotting among the sons and their champions begins in deadly earnest. At the same time King Phillip of France (Timothy Dalton) shows up to add to the fun and try to enforce Henry’s promise to allow his sister Alais and John to marry.
And then there are many scenes in which Henry and Eleanor bicker on and on about whether they ever loved each other and whether they love each other now. This is interspersed with some of the most cutting domestic ddialogue in any movie, in which the spouses take low blows at each other’s known weaknesses.
Well, I fell in love with this all over again after many years. The acting by the both principals is remarkable. Such mastery of conveying real feeling under the carefully crafted dialogue. The movie also has a fiery early performance by Anthony Hopkins and I thought Timothy Dalton was excellent. Made me wonder why he is not better know outside of being Bond.
My only problem with the film was its script. I have a bias against the ‘I love you, I love you not’ theme. I also thought the melding of the modern sensibility of the script with the 12 century authentic production design was not well-handled. Again, both the performances and the production values outweighed any small niggles . I felt exhilerated when it was over. Recommended.
Katharine Hepburn won an Oscar for Best Actress in a tie with Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl (1968). The film also won in the categories of Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from another Medium and Best Music, Original Score for a Motion Picture (not a musical. It was nominated in the categories of Best Picture; Best Actor; Best Director and Best Costume Design.
Pretty Poison Directed by Noel Black Lorenzo Sempel Jr. based on a novel by Stephen Geller 1968/US IMDb link
First viewing/Amazon Instant
[box] Sue Ann Stepanek: You are some character, Dennis. I’m surprised the C.I.A. lets you out without a keeper.[/box]
Tuesday Weld and Anthony Perkins made this a must-see for me.
Dennis Pitt (Perkins) is released from the psychiatric institution where he has been an inmate since the age of 15. He is ill-equipped to re-integrate into society and is still delusional Then he skips out on his case-worker and moves to a city where he has no support. He meets high-school cheerleader Sue-Ellen (Weld). She believes it when he tells her she is pretty and when he tells her he is a spy.
It turns out that Sue Ellen has problems of her own – problems that make them a perfect couple.
This is a nice little thriller. Perkins had the dazed, sensitive, disturbed look down pat by 1967 and he employs it to the hilt. I will watch Weld in anything. Not a must-see but entertaining.
Girl in Gold Boots Directed by Ted V. Mikels Written by Leighton J. Peatman, Art Names, John T. Wilson 1968/US IMDb link
First viewing/YouTube
[box] Michele Casey: Leo says I’m really going places. Just because he deals in dope, that doesn’t tarnish me.
Critter: Oh, that’s what you think, baby. Tarnish isn’t a strong enough word for what he’ll do to you. Try “corrode” for size.[/box]
Michelle has big dreams, dreams of being a go-go dancer. She leaves her drab job slinging hash in a diner for the bright lights of L.A. She is accompanied by a couple of deadbeats who both lust after her. Despite the fact that she can’t really dance, her gorgeous body ensures instant stardom.
The plot is accompanied by several dreadful musical numbers and songs. There is some amusing stuff here, but IMO not amusing enough to go out of your way to seek out the movie. That is unless you are a connoisseur of scantily clad women, which this movie has in abundance. Seems to have been made for, and got, the MST3K treatment.
Planet of the Apes Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner Written by Michael Wilson and Rod Sterling from a novel by Pierre Boulle 1968/USA IMDb link
Repeat viewing/Amazon Instant
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
[box] Dr. Zaius: You are right, I have always known about man. From the evidence, I believe his wisdom must walk hand and hand with his idiocy. His emotions must rule his brain. He must be a warlike creature who gives battle to everything around him, even himself.[/box]
1968 was certainly a year for science fiction blockbusters!
The year is 3978 A.D. Three astronauts emerge from deep hibernation to find they have crash landed. The planet has conditions suitable for human life and is occupied by mute and wild humans and highly intelligent apes.
The lone survivor George Taylor (Carleton Heston) is the first talking man the apes have encountered. Scientist Zira (Kim Hunter) and her sweetheart Cornelius (Roddy Mc Dowell) befriend Taylor and want to learn about what makes him tick. Their superior, Dr. Zaius (Maurice Evans), believes that he should be castrated and rendered mute ASAP.
Can’t help admiring the make-up, scenery, and special effects extravaganza that is this movie. I have never liked Charleton Heston much so it’s not a fave.
John Chambers won an honorary Academy Award for “his outstanding make-up achievement in the movie.” The first competitive award for make-up was not created until 1981. The film was nominated in the categories of Best Costume Design and Best Music, Original Score for a Motion pictures.
The Queen Directed by Frank Simon 1968/USA IMDb link
First viewing/Amazon Instant
[box] “Drag is armor, darling. No matter how you look at it. Once I become Bambi, nobody can hurt me. Not my family, not the drunk assholes at the bar, nobody. A good lace-front wig and the right contouring are as strong a bulletproof vest as I’ve ever needed.” ― Jeffery Self, Drag Teen[/box]
Catty, campy, fun documentary about preparations leading up to a national drag beauty pageant. No talking heads. Not essential but entertaining, if you like this kind of thing.
They Saved Hitler’s Brain (AKA The Madmen of Mandoras) Directed by David Bradley
Written by Peter Miles; original story by Steve Bennett
1968/USA IMDb link
First viewing/YouTube
[box] Adolf Hitler: Mach schnell! Mach schnell![/box]
Not much to say about this one. Mad Nazis on a remote tropical island keep Hitler’s head in a jar. They plan to reanimate the whole man when the time is right to launch the Fourth Reich. They kidnap a top scientist to assist in their work and are pursued by various intelligence agencies.
The movie’s lone source of enjoyment are the scenes with Hitler’s head. Unfortunately, these are few and far between.
The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich Directed by Jack Kaufman Written by Jack Kaufman, Alan Landsberg, etc. from a book by William L. Shirer 1968/USA IMDb link
First viewing/YouTube
[box] What good fortune for governments that the people do not think. – Adolf Hitler[/box]
Loved the book; liked the movie.
Surely everybody is acquainted with the story of Adolf Hitler’s rise to power and his downfall. Narrated by Richard Basehart.
For some reaon, I have to watch all of these things. I live in eternal hope that one will add to my understanding of how people could have been so evil. The search continues to be futile.
The title was irresistible. I love Shirer’s book so much. What makes the book so great is that the author was a Berlin-based correspondent from 1933 to 1940. Later he had unprecedented access to documents seized by the Allies at the end of the War. The result is an intimate and personal perspective on the time.
Despite Shirer’s participation, the film is reminiscent of the many, many documentaries on the same subject. Most of the films seem to rely on the same newsreel footage and/or on scenes directly taken from Leni Reifenstahl’s Triumph of the Will (1935). This one doesn’t really add a lot to the others.
Night of the Living Dead Directed by George A. Romero Written by John A. Russo and George A. Romero 1968/USA IMDb link
Repeat viewing/Criterion Channel
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
One of 1000 on They Shoot Zombies Don’t They
[box] Field Reporter: Are they slow-moving, chief?
Sheriff McClelland: Yeah, they’re dead. They’re all messed up.[/box]
Every once in awhile neophite filmmakers produce a classic on a shoestring budget. This is not only a classic but a game changer.
As the movie opens, Barbara (Judith O’Day) and her brother Johnny visit a cemetery to pay respects to their dead mother. Johnny decides to try to freak out Barbara. This doesn’t go on too long before, the two discover the danger is real. A shambling undead ghoul is heading straight at Barbara. When Johnny tries to save her, he is killed. Barbara goes into an almost catatonic shock but is able to make her way to an isolated farm house. There she encounters Ben (Duane Jones), who is holed up there. He is frantically trying to keep the ghouls out. Barbara is very little help to him.
Later, they learn that several people are holed up in the basement of the house. Duane’s stance is they can either help him or go back to the basement. They eventually come upstairs but one of the men is an obnoxious naysayer who is little help at all. The ghouls just keep on coming. Throughout, we hear radio and TV broadcasts telling us what is happening out in the world. Turns out it’s the same thing. Film has an unforgettable ending which I will not reveal.
Actually Romero and company had fairly extensive experience in the TV commercial business. They decided they wanted to make a scary movie and succeed brilliantly. The movie takes itself seriously and is all the better for it. Though Romero referred to his characters as “ghouls” he actually created the modern (non-Voodoo) zombie. My definition of a must-see.
There are two commentaries to this on the Criterion Channel. Both are well worth listening to. It sounds to have been really fun to make.
I’ve been a classic movie fan for many years. My original mission was to see as many movies as I could get my hands on for every year from 1929 to 1970. I have completed that mission.
I then carried on with my chronological journey and and stopped midway through 1978. You can find my reviews of 1934-1978 films and “Top 10” lists for the 1929-1936 and 1944-77 films I saw here. For the past several months I have circled back to view the pre-Code films that were never reviewed here.
I’m a retired Foreign Service Officer living in Indio, California. When I’m not watching movies, I’m probably traveling, watching birds, knitting, or reading.
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