Latest Updates - Anthony Perkins

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Comment by Magic Marmalade:

There's still time.. Brother.

Well, this is a pretty bleak movie!

In fact that's why I've been meaning to see it for a while, to see if it was as depressing as it's reputation suggests, and yup, it is pretty grim.

It's not graphic, or horrific to watch, obviously, due to the time it was made, primarily, as well as the stars who appear in it would never do anything like that...It's just the whole setup, the whole premise, and situation is quite a lot to invite into your brain, especially in times like these... But perhaps that's exactly what may make this the most timely movie to watch.

So, humanity has destroyed itself globally in a nuclear war, with only Australia surviving, and an American sub, captained by Gregory Peck is heading in there as their last resort... what with home being destroyed... but nobody in this part of the world has truly escaped, and are in fact, doomed anyway, as the global fallout radiation is heading their way in just a matter of months, when they will all die from that.

(Happy thoughts everyone!)

But this is not a Mad-Max type of post-apocalyptic mutant wars scenario; Rather this is a character study of people who, though they all know what is coming, are trying simultaneously to carry on as normally as possible - after all, what else can you do? - while trying to push such thoughts of impending doom aside.

Peck's Captain lives in denial that his wife and children have perished at home, and so refuses the attentions of a barely-holding-it-together Ava Gardner, who just wants companionship, and connection in her final months. Fred Astaire's scientist has invested his remaining time in building a Ferrari to race, and enjoy what remains to him, and bleakest of all, Anthony Perkins is trying both to keep composed, while planning for the end for him, his unaccepting wife, and baby through the procurement of certain pills to speed them painlessly on their way when the time comes.

The doom and uncertainty means there's no happy ending here, and the movie was clearly intended at the time to shock audiences into abandoning the lunacy of nuclear proliferation, by painting a very effective portrait of the un-survivable aftermath of such a final devastation.

All performances are strong, including Fred Astaire in a straight up dramatic, non-dancing or singing role, but especially Ava Gardner, who steals the whole movie with charm and charisma.

One of those movies that's perhaps important to watch, but once would probably be enough.

Otherwise a very powerful, haunting movie, who's pointedly significant motif lingers long in the memory after it's ended:

There's still time.. Brother.

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Comment by Magic Marmalade:

Event horizon... For kids!

... In fact, watching this for the first time after many years, this screams Event Horizon inspiration through and through.

I just remember this scared the crap out of me as a kid...

(In fact, it's amazing how many movies if my formative years did that very thing)

... Very disturbing for a young mind, very... Off, very... Not Disney!

Imagine a hybrid Frankenstein, Dracula, zombie movie set in space, next to a black hole, on board a giant Cadillac/green house/ Victorian gothic mansion/space ship, narratively working it's way towards a William Blake style vision of heaven and hell, and you have to double take to see the Disney name on the label.

The casting is inspired, principally in the choice of Norman bates as slightly creepy idealist scientist, the effects are still hugely impressive, as much now as it was then, as well as the production design, robot design and especially cinematography.

... In fact, it's more than just Event Horizon this has inspired... As you can see this movie has undoubtedly had a huge claim to inventing the sub-gene of sci-fi horror, which many movies of the type have been influenced by.

Still too much for younger kids, and certainly still quite chilling for adults, in site of the limitations of the times, as it has in many respects, aged quite well, if not in others...

... A lovely thing though, that this even exists, testament that even Disney could colour outside it's own lines once in a while.

If only they were still as brave!

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Comment by jakal68 ●:

[YouTube Video]