Showing posts with label Pamelyn Ferdin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pamelyn Ferdin. Show all posts
A (not very well) masked man goes through an apartment complex murdering women he sees as immoral with a variety of tools. The Toolbox Murders is typical of a type of "horror" film made in the seventies, although it is not as graphic as some, but it has supposedly become notorious, a reputation it doesn't quite deserve. The picture is produced on a professional level, with an okay score and crisp lensing, but if anything puts it over it's the acting. Cameron Mitchell [Blood and Black Lace] is excellent as the owner of the complex, who lost his beloved daughter in a car accident and has become unhinged. Pamelyn Ferdin [The Beguiled] also turns in a strong performance as a young lady who is kidnapped by the killer, and Aneta Corsaut is also fine as her mother; she looks sexier than she ever did on The Andy Griffith Show. Wesley Eure is also good as Mitchell's strange nephew, as is Nicolas Beauvy as Ferdin's brother, who pays a terrible price for trying to find her. The script is illogical at times, thrown together, and there isn't enough real suspense to make this memorable. Various recordings are used as back drops for the murder scenes, which include death by hammer, power drill, and nail gun. Donnelly mostly directed television episodes. Remade by Tobe Hooper in 2004.
Verdict: A couple of stand-out performances amidst the gristle. **.
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| Geraldine Page, Clint Eastwood, Elizabeth Hartman |
During the civil war a wounded Union soldier, John (Clint Eastwood), winds up at a Southern girls school run by Martha (Geraldine Page) and her assistant, Edwina (Elizabeth Hartman). These two women and a couple of the nubile students are mightily intrigued by this Yankee, and agree to keep him hidden in the school until he's recovered, as they are afraid in his condition he might die in a rebel prison. With survival uppermost in his mind, John romances the two ladies, tells them anything they want to hear, and unsuccessfully fends off the advances of sexy student, Carol (Jo Ann Harris). Finally one night he gets an invitation from all three women, but whose bed should he go to, and what will the consequences be if he makes the wrong choice ...? The Beguiled is more about sexual tension than about anything else, and on that level it succeeds, although it could be argued that it's somewhat sexist and even rather silly at times. In spite of that the movie has a certain fascination. Eastwood [Revenge of the Creature] is more than adequate, although he's out-acted by his two powerhouse co-stars, with Page [Sweet Bird of Youth] convincing as the headmistress with her pansexual fantasies, and Hartman excellent as the virginal spinster who's come to see John as her escape. Harris, Pamelyn Ferdyn [The Mephisto Waltz] as 13-year-old Amy, and Mae Mercer as the black servant, Hallie, are also notable. Siegel also directed the classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Verdict: Obvious but entertaining and nearly a classic. ***.