Diary of a Madman and Twice Told Tales

Diary of a Madman and Twice Told Tales Good and Spooky

By Kristin Battestella

I know I know.  Spring blooms fresh fragrances and gentle breezes carry the promise of summer barbecues and crispy delectables galore.  And what am I doing? Indulging away from the sunshine with some more spooky Vincent Price treats like Diary of a Madman and Twice Told Tales.  Sue me.

In Diary of a Madman, Magistrate Simon Cordier (Price) leaves a fantastical diary account to be read upon his funeral.  After sentencing a prisoner to death for murder, the mysterious and non-corporeal but clearly evil Horla that haunted the prisoner attaches itself to Cordier with invisible tricks, corrupt ideas, and deadly possessions.  In an attempt to curb the Horla’s preying on his mind, Cordier returns to his art and sculpting work.  He hires model Odette Mallotte (Nancy Kovack) to pose for him, but the Horla (voiced by Joseph Ruskin) insists she is not as charming as she seems.  The malevolent entity works to ruin the romance, and Cordier vows resistance as the Horla’s crimes increase.    

Loosely adapted from several short stories by Guy de Maupassant, director Reginald Le Borg (Voodoo Island, Joe Palooka) and screenwriter Robert E. Kent (Rock Around the Clock, Tower of London) craft this 1963 film with a frame of mystery, mind control, and an early air of science fiction horror.  Truly, the only thing that hinders Diary of a Madman is the obvious Anglo takeover of what is clearly a French tale. The costuming, styles, and set design look more like Victorian New York thanks to the standard, bebustled fashions and reusable stock buildings. The fact that there are also no European accents to go along with names like Odette and Cordier doesn’t help, either.  There are a few bad effects and some over the top if atmospheric music- but those are part of the old-fashioned sixties horror charm.  Though familiar, the spooky house sets have plenty of great staircases and appropriately cobwebbed attics, too.

Vincent Price (House of Usher, The Pit and the Pendulum) begins Diary of a Madman as a reputable judge. Thanks to his mellow delivery, strong stature, and proud presence, we believe his good guy origins despite our built-in over the top bad guy viewer meter. Unfortunately, that same meter just knows things are going to get creepy!  He’s charming to those around him, but Cordier slowly unravels in private thanks to his lone witness of the Horla’s trauma.  Price shows both the strength needed to combat the invisible entity and the cracked weakness as the Horla takes over.  Although I must again ask- why are the women in these films always so much younger than Big V? Nancy Kovack (Jason and the Argonauts, Bewitched) is the pretty face, yes, but Odette has a fast look and somewhat husky style that seduces Cordier. Though abstract, long time television actor Joseph Ruskin’s vocals carry plenty of evil onscreen weight and conversational foil with Price as well. Through his dialogue and the invisible hijinks, the audience can indeed believe in this deadly malignance.  Yes of course, it can be somewhat silly.  Diary of a Madman, after all, is in its simplicity ninety minutes of Vincent Price shouting at thin air! Despite the leap of faith for some contemporary viewers, the cast, suspense, and a scare or two win.

 

Though not often considered a literary horror grandfather like frequent Price film adaptee Edgar Allan Poe, 1963’s Twice Told Tales takes its cue from the dark and thought provoking stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne (oh but I do despise The Scarlett Letter!).  Also written for the screen by Robert E. Kent, director Sidney Salkow (The Last Man on Earth) clearly has a small budget with which to work.  Some of the transformation effects hold up very well, but the photography is dark or somehow drab with a plain palette and ill-lit scheme.  The sound is also quite poor. Fortunately, even with these technical quibbles, the cast and drama deliver spooky and ironic entertainment nonetheless.

In “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment,” Big V helps a wonderfully bittersweet Sebastian Cabot (Family Affair) get over the death of his tragically long deceased wife Sylvia (Mari Blanchard, McLintock!) - with drastic measures of course.  Again, some of the crypt sequence is a little too dark.  However, the Victorian fashion and decor fits the period bill; spooky lightning and depressing portraits add to the lost youth and desperate desires.  Yes, this debut segment is a little mellow to start, but it’s nice to see Price as the disbelieving friend rather than the over the top madman we expect.  Of course, all is not what it seems, either, and the juicy twists are, well, juicy.

As the possessive father in “Rappacinni’s Daughter,” Price is again on form, as are Brett Halsey (Return to Peyton Place, The Godfather Part III) and Joyce Taylor (Atlantis: The Lost Continent).  Again, the Venetian setting is a little plastic in its stage like scheme. However, the period setting with foul things afoot comes across just fine.  There’s just something about dramatis personae and a spooky tale to tell that trumps minimal design- and most certainly bests recent horror slice and dice remakes that place visual shock over performance substance.

Beverly Garland (My Three Sons, Scarecrow and Mrs. King) joins Price and Jacqueline de Wit (Tea and Sympathy) for a touch of Salem in this third and final segment based on the famed “House of the Seven Gables.” It’s a bit more romantically over the top than I usually prefer, but the family secrets, ongoing witchy, and accursed houses make for a stylized mix of classic dramatic piece with a hint of gothic flair. Though contemporary audiences may dismiss these shorts from an obscure sixties horror anthology film, or at the least desire feature length, full blown gothic treatment; Twice Told Tales is a fine piece of Twilight Zone- esque bizarrity, performance, and moral examination.

But of course, Diary of a Madman has only recently become available on DVD, and is not currently available with online rental or streaming services.  Twice Told Tales also suffers from elusive DVD prints and variously affordable editions, usually double billed with Tales of Terror. The occasional late night television airing can be good for a fun family scare, but the editing and cut material can hamper the viewing for a super enthusiast.  Yes, the overly comical, too brief, and of the time low budget horror sixties glory may be too much for today’s younger audiences.  Fans of Price and this particular genre, however, will find Diary of a Madman and Twice Told Tales fine, entertaining fair for an indulgent, stormy spring evening.

 

Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean

Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean Simply Hysterical

By Kristin Battestella

I’ve been watching the nineties British funnyman Mr. Bean for years, so when my husband offered to sit down and watch the entire series set Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean, I settled in and laughed until I cried all over again.  Only afterwards did my usual thought process dawn on me: watched it, now review it!

Though seemingly an intelligent and respectable man doing trigonometry or going out on the town, the mostly silent or mumbling Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) is a little inept at socialization, to say the least.  Always wearing the same tweed jacket, brown pants, and slim red tie, he often misunderstands human subtleties and behaviors. Bean generally does simple tasks in absurd, roundabout, Rube Goldberg ways, and can be downright nasty to those that interfere with his person- the driver of a three- wheeled blue Reliant, for example, or a magician who takes his watch for a trick.  As a direct result of his selfish and erroneous ways, Bean- whose first name and origins are not entirely known- has an unusual romance with Irma Gobb (Matilda Ziegler).  He does, however, seem to love Teddy, his aptly named teddy bear - but that doesn’t save the stuffed animal from some of Mr. Bean’s most disastrous actions.

Writers Robin Driscoll (who also penned the feature films Bean and Mr. Bean’s Holiday), Robin Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually), and star Rowan Atkinson (Blackadder, The Thin Blue Line) create a fun and even lovable little man who is somehow also an unforgivably destructive, cruel, and near vindictive character. Thanks to superb comedic timing in “Mr. Bean in Room 426” and “The Return of Mr. Bean,” the simplest of ironies from the debut episode “Mr. Bean,” and great physical performance in “Mr. Bean Goes to Town” and “The Curse of Mr. Bean;” it’s the absurdity of impending disaster at which we laugh and enjoy.  To this day, my mother cannot make it through the dentistry hysteria in “The Trouble with Mr. Bean.” Some American audiences may find Mr. Bean slow, even boring and totally unfunny, particularly by the series’ final two episodes “Hair by Mr. Bean of London” and “Goodnight, Mr. Bean”.  However, it is the slow build up of layering stupidity that sets the series apart from other gag or gross out comedy.  How far will each sketch go? What is he going to do next? I can’t believe he just did that! Wait, wait for the topper! Mr. Bean’s mumbled speech and garbled reactions make it all the more amusing when he does say something of note as well.  Once we know his humorously disturbing ways, we forget Mr. Bean is a largely silent program relying mostly on visual performance and physicality alone to achieve each punch line.  Audiences of numerous languages around the world can enjoy The Whole Bean, because the tickling examination and absurdity of humanity gone awry is a hysterical rapport until itself.

After watching again with Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean, one must wonder how Rowan Atkinson did all the twisted things he did as the titular man himself.  Appearing in a beam of light at the beginning of each show and sometimes being sucked back into the light at the end of several episodes; it is strongly implied Bean is of alien origin.  We see Atkinson do the things he does as Bean in “Mr. Bean Rides Again,” witness his complete selfishness and utter disregard for others in “Back to School, Mr. Bean.”  It makes us ask ourselves, ‘How can he not know the basics of human life?’ Perhaps it is cruel to say, but there are times Atkinson does look alien indeed; his voice, appearance, style, and mannerisms are absolutely awkward and incredibly funny.  Sometimes, despite his ignorance, we even feel sorry for Mr. Bean thanks to Atkinson’s sad face and drooped shoulders.  Who knew the laughter he caused could be so endearing? Even though it is incredibly ridiculous that a grown man would have a teddy bear, much less think it is a real pet, Bean’s askew abuse amid his devotion to Teddy helps create attachment for the viewer.  Likewise, Bean’s woefully mistaken and immature relationship with Matilda Ziegler’s (Eastenders) Irma is great fun.  What on earth could she possibly see in him?

Of course, a few saucy parts or humorous nudity may mean Mr. Bean: The Animated Series is better for super young viewers, but the series here is relatively tame compared to shows today.   More things about Mr. Bean have become iconic instead; the great music and Latin lyrics by Howard Goodall (Red Dwarf, The Vicar of Dibley) for example.  Oh, the Mini Cooper and good old Teddy are always there despite whatever disasters- like being run over by a tank or shrunk in the dryer- befall them. Bean also seems to have a different apartment every time we see it, yet he is perpetually short of money, or at the very least, extremely frugal or just a tightwad and cheapskate.  Naturally, though a fairly recent video release, Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean looks old now to modern audiences. The series’ drab and cardboard design may be too poor and nineties Brit for some. However, the simplistic outdoor locations or sparse stage design are beside the point.  Mr. Bean is about the purity of irony and comedy with as little else as possible.  By making the simplest task or most familiar object comical, Mr. Bean remains fresh amid the contemporary gross out sequels and formulaic teen drivel.  

The Whole Bean is actually a relatively short compilation.  The series’ 14 half hour episodes, plus the extras and features on the set can be found for purchase affordably or rental and streaming for a quick one or two day marathon. Serious enthusiasts may go after the VHS versions or UK releases and other DVD editions, as ironically, there are several noticeable scenes missing from The Whole Bean – namely the guessing the weight of the turkey bit from “Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean.”  Annoying yes, but Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean suffices for its overall Bean fix. I feel like I’ve written so little on The Whole Bean, yet I’ve used a lot of big, abstract words in doing so.  Truly, perhaps the written word can’t describe Mr. Bean.  He has to be seen to be believed. New or young audiences can enjoy for the first time, and old school fans can revisit The Whole Bean again.  Behold the man who is a bean, indeed.

May Mysteries, Thrillers, and Intrigue

May Mysteries and Thrillers

By Kristin Battestella

There’s nothing like a sudden Spring thunder buster to get one in the mood for some intellectual foils and heart pumping thrills! Here are a few old school staples, modern mysteries, and some foreign intrigue to shock and delight your inner whodunit.

Classic Must Sees

Strangers on a Train – Passengers Robert Walker (Since You Went Away) and Farley Granger (Rope) plot to switch crimes in this slightly unloved but oft studied 1951 Alfred Hitchock (Psycho, people, I’ll just stop there!) thriller.  All the complex atmosphere and psychological analysis needed is here in duplicate.  Do we all have it in us for the anonymous kill?  What can drive a man to take such latent impulses into action? Infidelity? Shame?  Peer pressure?  Where does the wronged Average Joe end and the sociopath begin- and which of our men is which? How far can one take such crime and battles of seemingly pure versus the corrupt and expect to get away with it? Hitchcock’s adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel offers plenty of dual debate and subtextual suspense for the enthusiast as well as the uninitiated viewer. And on a side note, it’s so nice to see a fine DVD presentation and subtitles for the classics!

Three Days of the Condor – Sure, the music is a little dated, and you need some knowledge of seventies politics and sentiments of the time.  But this 1975 spy thriller directed by Oscar winner Sydney Pollack (Tootsie, Out of Africa) and starring Oscar nominee Robert Redford (The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), Best Actress Faye Dunaway (Network, Mommie Dearest), Actor nominee Max von Sydow (The Exorcist), and Best Actor Cliff Robertson (Charly) is still intelligent, taut, well played, and mentally entertaining.  Whew! On a visual note, it’s great to see the young cast. Both the 70s bad- look at those huge glasses!-  and good- the World Trade Center figures significantly in the plot- are a lot of fun. The end is a little abrupt, but that is also kind of the point.  You’ll also notice I’ve said nothing about the plot itself.  That’s the point, too.

The Wrong Man – Academy Award winner Henry Fonda (Grapes of Wrath, Mister Roberts, On Golden Pond, 12 Angry Men) is accused of a crime he did not commit in this 1953 Hitchcock thriller ripped from the headlines of the day.  Also starring Vera Miles (Psycho, The Searchers), Fonda- though Italian- is a little as miscast as his mixed up everyman titular role- Emanuel Balestrero, really? We don’t actually think of Fonda as ethnic or a young musician, do we? But of course, he’s effing Henry Fonda, so despite the WASPness and stereotypical Italian implications, we root for him to get out of the downward law and order spiral nonetheless.  Besides, a case of disastrous mistaken identity is the point, isn’t it? Ah, the unreliability of eye witness testimony! Oh the hysteria, and if everyone would just calm down, and how we’re all caught up in the system and can never get above the bills!  Hitch keeps it all too close for comfort then and now, and we’re still on the edge of our seats, cringing at every turn as the hole gets deeper and deeper.

Decent Recents

Arlington Road (1999) – Are Jeff Bridges’ (Crazy Heart) nice, new neighbors Tim Robbins (The Shawshank Redemption) and Joan Cusack (Working Girl) really terrorists up to no good?  Though both very nineties and a potentially touchy view in today’s global climate, director Mark Pellington (The Mothman Prophecies) and his fine cast keep the suspense on form and the doubt high.  Once you’ve already seen this one a few times, it can loose its luster, yes.  However, rewatching with a virgin viewer adds new intrigue and debate. Comparing what folks could get away with then that they can’t now or observing the preposterous impossibilities of film is also fun, too- especially against the scary notion of how easily we can be fooled, used, and abused.

The Machinist – Before he starved himself into Oscar glory, Christian Bale’s (Newsies, people, Newsies!) disturbingly skinny abilities stole the show in director Brad Anderson (Transsiberian) and writer Scott Kosar’s (The Crazies) 2005 thriller. Yes, it is a bit predictable, even obvious to seriously observant viewers.  However, this one really is about from where Bale is coming and how he gets to where he needs to be.  The subjective viewing; the muted, dreamlike palette and design; the clues for a careful viewer to find; and the intelligent interpretation keep The Machinist captivating despite the skeletal distractions- and yes, I was finally made to watch this one after praising that other skinny-fest, Hunger.  

Resurrection – Okay, so there needs to be a built-in explanation for his French accent just like Jean-Claude Van Damme, but Christopher Lambert (Highlander) is wonderfully compelling here as a conflicted and faithless Chicago cop investigating a seriously twisted and disturbingly religious serial killer.  You wouldn’t know this was just a 1999 HBO original movie thanks to the fast paced look, sickeningly glorious crimes, and solid support from Leland Orser (The Bone Collector), Robert Joy (CSI: NY), and Rick Fox (you know, the former L.A. Laker, who knew?).  Even once you figure out this complex and intelligently referenced and written caper, the viewer can watch again for the emotion and strong character intensity and depth.

Brit Suspense

Poirot: After the Funeral – I hadn’t seen Agatha Christie’s famed Belgium detective in quite awhile - in fact, my sister always preferred the series more to my favored Columbo. However, this 2006 TV installment has been the first film to totally fool me in a looooong time!  While tight and complete in its presentation and intellect, After the Funeral takes at least three viewings to fully catch all the great wit and subtleties of crime and character. The thirties period style is also excellent and Sachet is in charming form along with a wonderful supporting ensemble including Geraldine James (Little Britain), Robert Bathurst (The Pillars of the Earth) and a young but no less juicy Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class).

Red Road – After enjoying her sophomore Cannes success Fish Tank, I took in a viewing of writer and director Andrea Arnold’s 2006 debut.  Though quiet to start and seemingly routine and mundane; taut, distorted, and intimate camerawork turns what seems so innocent into something wonderfully intriguing but no less voyeuristic and perverse.  The lines that normally define the viewer and players Kate Dickie (Prometheus, Game of Thrones) and Tony Curran (Underworld: Evolution) are blurred.  We just know this unsolved drama is going to take us some place as ugly, dangerous, and as seedy as the downtrodden Scottish landscapes.  The videotape usage and payphones also provide old familiarity to go along with the trapped monotony.  Red Road’s kinky is definitely not for kids, and may seem slow or confusing to Americans.  However, the seriously good story trumps our commonplace expectations for typically action packed thrillers that place shock and awe over the heartfelt realism here.

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking – Though it has been some time since I read me some Arthur Conan Doyle, it seems there have been several competing, rebooting, and/or capitalizations of Sherlock Holmes again recently.  In this 2004 BBC television production, Rupert Everett (An Ideal Husband) portrays Holmes as a bit of an ass- but somehow keeps him witty and likeable all the same.  Ian Hart’s (Dirt) Dr. Watson and his rapport with Everett’s titular detective are also great fun.  There’s no glossing over of Holmes’ dark side, drug use, or egotistical ways, either. And also, again I simply have to say the youthful charm and thespian abilities of Michael Fassbender shine here, too. The period London production is what we’d expect, and though important, the onscreen fog is annoying.  Thankfully, the detective work is a good mix of modern sensibilities in keeping with Edwardian expertise.  This is an original story from Allan Cubitt (who also penned the 2002 BBC adaptation of The Hound of Baskervilles) but the fun twist here works nicely in the culminating act and definitely captures the spirit of the famed detective. 

The Woman in White (1997) – The ladies Tara Fitzgerald (I Capture the Castle), Justine Waddell (Dracula 2000), and Susan Vilder (Trainspotting) in this Masterpiece Theatre adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ novel are a little wooden, yes. Thankfully, James Wilby (Lady Chatterley), Simon Callow (Shakespeare in Love) and Ian Richardson (House of Cards) are far more interesting.  The atmosphere is also a little lightweight, but perhaps I expected more gothic brooding and melancholy then warranted.  The mystery, of course, is juicy and delightful, with the viewer an outsider speculating on all the hidden questions.  The Victorian style and English locales are great as well.  Though perhaps a little slow for Americans- especially until the final half hour- all the revelations come in due time and are well worth the wait.

And One to Avoid…

Dorian Gray (2009) – Despite a fine ensemble cast including recent Best Actor Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Bridget Jones’s Diary), Emilia Fox (Merlin, Silent Witness), and Ben Chaplin (The Truth About Cats & Dogs) along with a finely stylized Victorian production; this remake of Oscar Wilde’s famous tale falls flat in character appreciation and psychological analysis.  Weak lead Ben Barnes (The Chronicles of Narnia), stereotypically modern direction from Oliver Parker (Othello), and more confusion than care ruin what is usually such a fine and timeless story. 

I Married a Witch

I Married a Witch a Trickster Delight

By Kristin Battestella

While many adore the subsequent Bell Book and Candle or Bewitched, have had Peek A Boo hairstyles, or even know of Veronica Lake thanks to her sexy Oscar winning look-alike Kim Basinger in L.A. Confidential; it seems not many today appreciate the 1942 magical romp that started it all, I Married a Witch.

Burned at the Salem Witch Trials thanks to the testimony of Jonathan Wooley (Frederic March), Jennifer (Veronica Lake) curses Wooley and all his male descendents to be unlucky in love.  Centuries later when lightning strikes a tree and frees their spirits, Jennifer and her father Daniel (Cecil Kellaway) continue to interfere with politician Wallace Wooley (also March), his campaign for governor, and his impending marriage to socialite Estelle Masterson (Susan Hayward).  Jennifer plans to make Wally fall in love with her just to ruin him.  Unfortunately, when she is injured, Wally mistakenly gives her the love potion she intended for him.  Now that she’s in love with a mortal, Daniel disastrously interferes on his daughter’s behalf.  Jennifer, however, has bigger plans now: using witchcraft to save Wally’s campaign.

I’ll get the bit of the bad out of the way first, for only the dated production here hinders I Married a Witch.  The black and white looks somewhat unrestored, dark and tough to see sometimes.  The historical montage opening the film also has poor period stylings or seems quick and on the cheap.  Modern audiences might also be a little lost on some of the thirties mannerisms and dialogue, and the sound is often tough to hear.  While kids might enjoy this partial inspiration for the television series Bewitched, viewers with short attention spans might groan at early scenes with only smoke, fire, and old speaketh voiceovers. However, having said all that, the light-hearted comedy and hijinks of love story from director Rene Clair (The Flame of New Orleans, And Then There Were None) and writers Robert Pirosh (Combat!) and Marc Connelly (Captain Courageous) win with magical charm and innocent fun. 

Well then, let’s talk about that peek a boo queen herself, Veronica Lake. Although the diminutive star of Sullivan’s Travels and This Gun for Hire doesn’t actually appear for the first fifteen minutes, we like the off-screen witch Jennifer when we hear of her fun curses.  Despite her initial vengeance and maliciousness, we enjoy her vocal tricks and thus are thrilled when we finally do get so see those famous blonde tresses.  Lake may seem a one trick pretty, but her witchy ways are delightful and her comedic dialogue is right on time.  Though the pair seem visually at odds and she spends most of the time being carried by March; Lake has the sardonic match and onscreen weight to be a 290-year-old witch testing Wallys’ heart.  Jennifer’s supposed to be bad, purely a spiteful witch causing love trouble for the sake of a long ago wrong, yet she’s whimsical and adorable all the same.  Likewise, Oscar winner Frederic March (Best Years of Our Lives, Death of a Salesman, The Desperate Hours) proves he’s more than the straight, heavy, and serious dramatic leading man we so often enjoy.  Wally’s wedding day hysterics are almost side splitting- caught in a repeatedly false starting ceremony and running ragged over two women!  March would be the exceptional straight man indeed- if not for his perfect balance of witty, proper performance and humorous presence.

While Lake’s luster may have fallen over the decades, the budding and future Best Actress Susan Hayward (I Want to Live, Reap the Wild Wind) is wonderful as the snotty socialite set to marry Wally.  Any other time, we’d love to pedestal Hayward, but in I Married a Witch, the audience can’t help but appreciate her bearing the brunt of Jennifer’s tricks.  Dads Cecil Kellaway (The Postman Always Rings Twice) and Robert  Warwick’s (The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex)  J.B. Masterson are also great fun as the at odds parents who similarly enough have their daughters- and thus their own- best interests at heart.  Classic fashion and style lends a wonderful visual support, too. Not to be outdone by slim cut suits or tilted fedoras, the pre-war ladies’ costumes here are glorious.  The lengthy gowns and puffy sleeves just add an extra touch of class not often found in today’s recreations.  I Married a Witch was contemporary at the time, but now it is a wonderful period piece to us with great music, sweet looking cars, and great old houses.  Sure, some of the flying brooms and objects moving by themselves look hokey, but most of the smoke and mirror effects are simplistically good.  Thanks to a fine story and great performances, fancy effects aren’t required to suspend the belief needed for I Married a Witch.

Fans of the old school cast, classic films aficionados, or families looking for some wholesome witchy fun can certainly find a short 80 minutes for I Married a Witch.  Naturally, it is full of pre-war magical innocence rather than proper Wicca motifs, but again, the delight here wins against any datedness of the time.  And but of course, it doesn’t seem like we’re yet privy to a proper Region 1 DVD release, either.  Typical!  Hang on to your VHS, catch a TCM airing, and fall in love again with I Married a Witch. 

Merlin Season 3

Merlin Season 3 Finally Gets on the Magical Ball

By Kristin Battestella

After two entertaining but somewhat youthful and meandering seasons, Merlin Year 3 grows up, gets dark, and takes major strides towards the Camelot we’ve been expecting all along.

Prince Arthur (Bradley James) and his loyal but secretly magically inclined servant Merlin (Colin Morgan) have spent the last year searching for King Uther’s (Anthony Head) ward Morgana (Katie McGrath).  When Morgana suddenly returns, she is changed for the worse- thanks to the evil magic tutelage of her half sister Morgause (Emilia Fox).  Morgause and Uther’s enemy King Cenred (Tom Ellis) have united and with Morgana’s help, hope to overthrow Uther.  Court Physician Gaius (Richard Wilson), Morgana’s maid Guinevere (Angel Colby), and would be knight Gwaine (Eoin Macken) join Arthur and Merlin in saving Camelot against the brewing darkness.

The Arthurian angst picks up with the serious steps taken in the two-part season opener “The Tears of Uther Pendragon.” Episode 5 “The Crystal Cave” also leans Merlin towards establishing its own magical mythos instead of relying on creature features, special effects, or other seemingly fantastic knock-offs.  Episode 8 “The Eye of the Phoenix” has room for seriousness, nice guest stars, and a lovely quest, too. Wonderful coming of age events, emotional issues, and consequences that can’t be retconned add much needed maturity, depth, and growth.  Again, when Merlin gets heavy, it feels right, as if it should have been this way all along. This darker material harbingers intense, over arching, multi-part tales- we can have maturity and guilt without the super duper kids stuff.  Our regular players, more recurring stock, and fine guest stars all mix wonderfully, allowing the core cast to finally grow beyond their stereotypical magical conundrums.  Year 3 even has ‘Previouslies’ to update viewers on the ongoing plots, and the continuing storylines progress realistically towards the expected legends and Arthurian magic. Director Alice Troughton does some fine episodes including “Love in the Time of Dragons.”  “Queen of Hearts” writer Howard Overman often has solid episodes as well.  At last, we have some traditional Grail hints along with Merlin’s great humor, camaraderie, and banter all around; there’s even more fun thanks to the budding Round Table additions of Gwaine, Lancelot, Percival, and Elyan. Let me also assure the traditionalists looking for how Excalibur plays its part- it is worth the wait.  Yes, Merlin can seem a little too noble and preachy at times, but Arthurian tales should perhaps be so.  If we’re going to have some brooding court angst at Camelot, it is still nice to have the wholesome goodness balancing out the heavy.  

Thankfully, the use of the Dragon in “The Sorcerer’s Shadow” is also much better this season- he’s actually critical to the plot and has a reason for being there instead of just coming off as a neat effect.  Merlin is best when it’s about its own people and establishment, not creatures and borrowed magic mythos. So why then, does it always take half a season to get to the really good stuff? Shows like “Goblin’s Gold” and “The Changeling” always resort to evil magic, CGI monsters of the week, or a humorous romantic enchantment. Merlin always seems uneven thanks to the relapses toward fart jokes, unending marriage ploys, and constant hollow threats against Camelot. Do we need creatures and flatulence week after week when there’s such dark goodness to be had? How many tournaments can there be? Even magic rings too!  It’s as if the writers sometimes don’t know all they have to use and have spent the last two years with random Arthurian trial and error. Though it turned out to have serious flaws when critical players departed, I don’t wonder why creators Julian Jones and Jake Michie don’t do linear seasons and concurrent storylines as they did with Hex.  I’ve been asking for ongoing heavy for two years here! Instead, we end up waiting until the two-part finale “The Coming of Arthur” for Merlin to become truly great television. 

 

I must say, it is amusing when Arthur accuses Merlin of not being able to keep secrets!  We wouldn’t like this show if we didn’t enjoy Colin Morgan, and he is solid throughout the season, particularly in the finale.  Although he still uses some magical cop-outs when Arthur is conveniently unconscious and no one ever sees anything when he openly risks using magic in public; Merlin actually uses real spells this season, takes true magical dangers, and gets his wizardry to the level it should be.  Guest Harry Melling (Harry Potter) as Gilli makes a fine antithesis to Merlin in “The Sorcerer’s Shadow,” too. While it’s been nice seeing Merlin grow to this point-especially for younger and family audiences- again why not do all this to start? Sometimes it’s as if Merlin simply began too soon, showing us the juvenile prologue and now we are finally at Chapter One. Of course, teen lady fans will enjoy all the shirtless action, and there is still some innocent fun when Merlin gets to ride the Dragon.  That would indeed be cool. Not to be outdone, Arthur has some room to grow up against Uther this season as well, taking stands on critical issues and persons.  The power hungry versus those who cede power are realistically debated, and Bradley James really does seem like he might not be a bad King Arthur after all.

But of course, the unimaginative decisions made by the writers of Merlin hamper the ladies onscreen again. Morgana goes too obviously evil too soon.  Again, she should have been bad all along or the foundations for this naughty turn should have been built over the first two seasons far better.  McGrath, however, is good at being a potentially evil queen- but won’t someone notice all her evil smirks? The overabundance of Smirking Morgana early on in turn weakens the barely there Gwen.  Animosity between the girls and Morgana’s meddling in Arthur and Gwen’s forbidden romance again should have been ongoing since day one.  I know I’ve said ‘again’ and ‘all along’ a lot, but it bears repeating. We spend so much time with Morgana and then leapfrog over her storyline for guest humor, creating a most unrealistic and uneven internal villain. Fortunately, Gwen is strengthened a bit by some more back-story, including references to her late father and the introduction of Adetomiwa Edun as her brother Elyan. Just knowing that neither Guinevere nor Uther have forgotten what has come before adds a little more dimension as Gwen takes strides towards being the future queen.   

Speaking of Uther, Anthony Head still has plenty of arrogance and parental issues, and likewise Richard Wilson as Gaius stretches his hidden wizardry roots. Wilson is great fun in “Goblin’s Gold,” and it’s nice to see that some romances in Camelot aren’t forgotten and have long lasting rifts and conflicts. Despite some disliking Merlin for its family fantasy bend, there’s still plenty of room for the elder stars to shine without always resorting to humor.  Sometimes we don’t see as much of the adults as I might like thanks to all the kid shenanigans and special effects; but good, mature story, parental bonding, and family approvals will always trump graphics.  Michael Cronin as Geoffrey of Monmouth also supports wonderfully, and it’s great to see him and more players like Emilia Fox as Morgause.  Tom Ellis (Eastenders) also adds good villainy as Cenred.  Together he and Morgause make serious and credible threats against Camelot, and the recurring knights like Sir Leon (Rupert Young) are needed now more than ever.  Of course, Santiago Cabrera has yet to really have his moment as Lancelot, but Eoin Macken is quite cool as Gwaine.  His bar fights and ongoing appearances are wonderful and do so much more than those silly melees after tournaments after jousts.  At last, significant support players are winning out against the kiddie grasp at ratings.  Percival, people, Percival!

While we shouldn’t expect Oscar worthy cinematics on a small show like this, the battle and massive effects are a little less quality compared to the bigger, modern epics we are used to today. Fortunately, Merlin is stepping up to the plate and growing up nicely in all other areas at last.  Although it isn’t quite fair to properly compare three episodes worth of one to three seasons worth of the other, I’d be remiss if I didn’t counter Merlin and the new Starz adaptation Camelot.  As of now, I much prefer the fantastical lessons and youth of Merlin to the historical sex of Camelot. While I may end up watching all of Camelot eventually, Merlin has the better angle on how it wants to use magic in its telling, and the men here are much more likeable.  Jamie Campbell Bower and Joseph Fiennes are just too bland and completely insipid.  However, Camelot has much more epic music, realistically 5^th century locations and sets, and better handled ladies in Eva Green and Claire Forlani. I’ve been waiting for so long for the juvenile Merlin to get real and grow up, but Camelot is a little too far off the deep and dark nudity end.   It’s so strange now that there is a wealth of medieval material in film and television on both sides of the pond, and yet there still isn’t an Arthurian tale with which I am 100% happy. Merlin is a fantasy, Camelot is historical, but where is the ‘historical fantasy’ Lord of the Rings medium? Maybe somebody else will come along next year with something heavier than Merlin- but hey Camelot, lighten up.

Then again, HBO’s Game of Thrones looks to be firing on all cylinders straight out of the gate.  Somehow, this new fantasy series led by Sean Bean and Mark Addy can handle not your mama’s fantasy dark whilst still being traditionally gripping.  Thrones looks good, mixing designs that are realistically old with some exotic fantasy colors, and again the cast is both likeable and naughty all around.  Is it just because these A Song of Ice and Fire books have been adapted carefully with author George R.R. Martin that sets Thrones off and running on the right style, tone, and production?  It’s taken Merlin a long time to find where it needs to be, and Camelot is already sputtering. Kinky and nudity isn’t used to replace good storytelling in Game of Thrones, and fantasy oriented families may very well be able to handle both Merlin for the pups and Thrones once the babes are put to bed.

Unfortunately, American audiences may have to wait quite some time for Season 4 of Merlin, as there is some sort of potential scheduling hullabaloo in the UK between Merlin and Doctor Who.  After making such great efforts and character turns in Year 3 that can’t be taken back, schmikey it would be a shame for audiences to forget Merlin thanks to airing technicalities.  If you’ve already turned away from Merlin thanks to its prior youth and silliness, give Season 3 a fresh chance- it’s grown up look and charm this year may just surprise you. 

 

Highlander: The Series Season 6

Highlander Season 6 Disappoints

By Kristin Battestella

Well, as my husband said, “It’s all downhill from here.”  After continued improvement, top notch syndicated television, and impressive immortal capabilities in its first five seasons, Highlander: The Series limps through its 97-98 shortened final season for a very unfortunately discolored conclusion.

After the murder of his friend and fellow immortal Richie Ryan, Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul) retreats to a Southeast Asian monastery for a year and mentally prepares for his battle against the demon Ahriman.  Ahriman taunts MacLeod by appearing in the guises of the Highlander’s late enemies: the rogue watcher James Horton (Peter Hudson) and the leader of the four horsemen, Kronos (Valentine Pelka).  The friendships between Duncan, ancient immortal Methos (Peter Wingfield), and watcher Joe Dawson (Jim Byrnes) also become strained as MacLeod retreats to his Parisian barge, aides several female immortals from his past, and tries to find himself again.

Yeah, that is kind of a sucky summary of Highlander: The Series’ 13 episode final season.  Unfortunately, this season itself is kind of sucky and should most definitely not be used as judgment for the series as a whole.  Year 6 begins a little hokey with the two-part Ahriman opener “Avatar” and “Armageddon,” then concludes with an It’s A Wonderful Life cop out in “To Be” and “Not to Be.” Yes, it’s too abstract, David Lynch-esque, and mystical, but the Ahriman storyline- carried over from the finale of Season 5- both takes too long to get over with and yet seems to be too easily wrapped up and tidy.  While a fan of the series can see the importance of MacLeod going this route, questioning the meaning of his immortal life, and despairing over the death his longevity causes; this critical turn is only explored in half the episodes this season.  Highlander: The Series just gets too weird here, departing from all that made it so great in favor of bad immortal crime and female revenge crap.  This tiresome stretch of chicks all seem the same and drive this season into the ground. We’ve never seen any of these women before- at the very least why should we care about them when the immortals we know and love have so much more to tell?  If anything, Season 6 has me feeling a little bit of resentment for these guesting women who do nothing but waste the precious time being taken away from our real players.  Though a lovely piece in of itself, only MacLeod ends up with some small resolution in the series finale- which seems more like a mid-season two-parter by magically presenting the alternate possibilities of the rest of our company.  Yes, the show is supposed to be about The Highlander.  However, over the previous 5 seasons, we saw just how much MacLeod both rose and fell based on the mortal and immortal support about him.  To simply have the others smile as the sun sets is a little unfair for all the characters- and certainly unkind to the audience.  But again, it is still a lovely final episode, complete with a tear-jerking Highlander: The Series goodbye montage.  Sniff.

Fortunately, there are a few goods to be had this season.  “Diplomatic Immunity” and “Black Tower” are worthy MacLeod centric episodes.  “Unusual Suspects” with Roger Daltry returning as Hugh Fitzcairn is also great in another fun, all in the past delight that again proves more could have been done historically instead of resorting to these immortal women follies. And let’s talk about all these guesting female immortals.  Isn’t it amazing that in 13 episodes, it seems like we’ve had more lady immortals than in all the previous seasons combined? Hmm, why is that? Some of these gals are, unfortunately, seriously bad.  Dara Tomanovich (Bio-Dome) as Alex Raven in “Sins of the Father” is kind of cool, perhaps the first female immortal who can actually fight and likes it.  Her plot and motorcycle style, are however, a bit Renegade; and again, I wonder why Highlander: The Series would choose to retread this route.  Highlander I have on DVD, Renegade I do not.  No one is rerunning Renegade anywhere, Highlander is being remade, and Lorenzo Lamas can’t even keep a reality show about his crazy family on E!.  Even more tragic is Alice Evans (Her claim to fame is the way she ruined the career of her husband, Hornblower’s Ioan Gruffudd) in “Patient Number 7.”  While it’s not a bad premise, the episode is just very badly done, and Evans most definitely cannot carry one show, let alone an entire spin off. Likewise, “Justice” and “Deadly Exposure” just stink.  Claudia Christian (Babylon 5) is lovely, but her backdoor pilot “Two of Hearts” is just…no. Not only does it have none of the regular players, but also the subsequent episode “Indiscretions” exclusively features Dawson and Methos and thus proves just how unnecessary all this Star Search for the next female immortal really was. You want another gal in the cast? It might have been nice to see more of Joe’s daughter Amy (Louise Taylor, Eyes Wide Shut) as a player in Highlander: The Watcher Adventures.  Anything would have been better than how Season 6 actually turned out, I’m just saying.  

Of course, the MacLeod specific episodes are still the best, but remember, Duncan is, well, barely there in Year 6.  Of course, we’re sorry to see him go, but in many ways, one can understand star Adrian Paul’s readiness to depart towards bigger and better things. He even cuts his hair, people!  Seriously, what else was left for Mac? Why did they need to reduce the character to a shadow of his former self this season anyway? Did they really have so little faith in the rest of the cast without him?  Why couldn’t Duncan have stayed monking it out in his temple while Joe, Methos, Amanda, and a new watcher or young immortal or two had adventures searching the globe for the elusive Highlander? Although it’s kind of silly, I want to say Season 6 is a little underhanded in the way MacLeod is treated. After 5 years, he can go through whatever serious stuff he wants this season- so long as he gets over it in 3 episodes? It’s almost cruel to end Highlander: The Series this way.  As I wrote in my Season 5 essay, I would watch “The Modern Prometheus,” skip the Year 5 finale “Archangel,” and the Ahriman plot, then pick up “Unusual Suspects” and “Indiscretions” here before the series conclusion.   Everything else is kind of a slap in the face for longtime viewers. 

Previously, I’ve also mentioned my continued chagrin over the irregular cast credits and character appearances in Highlander: The Series.  Now that Elizabeth Gracen and Peter Wingfield are at last included in the main credits, they don’t %^&*# appear!  And their opening clips are some crappy shots, too. There were so many great scenes to choose from and this is what they get? Ironically, Roger Daltry as Fitzcairn- guest star of 3 episodes- appears more than Amanda and Methos! Jim Byrnes appears in count ‘em 5 measly shows this year, and I just find that unacceptable!  Why couldn’t he be the one helping some of these unnecessarily troubled chick immortals, huh?  Did they only have the new Le Blues Bar set for a few days or something and wrote Joe out along with it? Why make the big stink of him transferring to Paris to watch MacLeod if we are hardly ever going to see him?  I can imagine someone tuning into Season 6 on television and seeing some of these regular-less episodes and simply saying, ‘What the hell?’

Much as I love Amanda, the format taken for her brief spin off Highlander: The Raven again inexplicably returns to all the cop and crime pitfalls that hampered the first two seasons here.  Why why why?  Excuse my French, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Honestly, I really don’t understand why Amanda, Methos, Joe, and perhaps a new immortal or a returning cool like Carl Robinson couldn’t continue Highlander: The Series as it was without MacLeod.  Sure, it is supposed to be about the titular Scot, but Season 6 and perhaps even another year could have been great immortal fun in a search for Duncan or even film Highlander Connor (who gets no mention in the finale whatsoever) ala Blake’s 7. Heck, give us another new immortal MacLeod to carry on- incorporate Quentin from The Animated Series.  Why not return Kristin Minter as Mac’s kissing cousin Rachel MacLeod if you want a woman so badly? My goodness, even Joe sitting at his desk browsing the Watcher Database and introducing us to a flashback could have been fun- especially if it was something unseen from Methos’ few thousand years. Then perhaps we could have had an investigator coming onto the Game and the Watchers and let that segue into a separate Amanda show.  They could have continued in a series of 90-minute movies with some of our favorite immortals from the past, too. You have 5,000 years of Methos and instead you make a spin off with contemporary cop plots? Wow, that isn’t like every other show on television, no, not at all. Hell, I’m not buying that, and The Raven was cancelled because no one else bought it, either. I know I’ve spent more time complaining than properly reviewing, but there were so many other possibilities for Highlander: The Series to take before choosing to just whimper away with a half season of mistakes and a spin off that was flawed at the start. It’s just so effing sad to end like this!

Fortunately, we spend this shortened season exclusively in Paris, and the European locations and period flashbacks are great as always.  We see a lot of pre-MacLeod times and places in a good portion of the flashbacks- thanks to our rotating door of 1,000 year old immortal gals (Didn’t we already have a 1200 year old immortal gal? coughamandacough) Still, it’s nice to see that the historical style holds up without the eponymous man himself.  Unfortunately, the action suffers this season thanks to all those guest ladies who can’t hold a sword to save their lives.  They all also seem to wear the exact same pair of black jeans with a zippered up black leather motorcycle bomber, too.  And again, chick Quickenings are a Hell No. Even Duncan’s sweet Barge suffers- losing all its wonderful art and décor so Mac can have a more Zen like environment.  What did they do, sell all the stuff to pay for this clunky half a season? 

 (Black Leather can actually save you money!)

While season 6 may leave a bitter taste even in the Highlander completist’s mouth, it’s more important to look at the gem of the series overall.  Most shows have crappy first and last seasons.  In today’s instant ratings obsession, we wouldn’t have been given the opportunity to get past the first half of Season 1.  Though sometimes it might have made financing and production difficult, it’s wonderful that syndication and foreign formats allowed this show much more room to breath, explore, and be true to itself for full 48 minutes episodes for as long as it did.  Personally, I’d have to say I like Seasons 3 and 4 the best, followed by Year 5 and a step down to 2, and then Season 1.  We’ll give this 6^th Year an ‘iffy’ at best. 

Of course, the extras, interviews, audition tapes, bloopers, extended episodes, retrospectives, timelines, behind the scenes, scripts, and more on the DVD sets can’t be faulted for any lack of goodness.  Die-hard fans or new fans tempted to turn away from this season can always go back and enjoy all the wealth of supplemental material included with this series.  Perhaps that’s why the errors in Season 6 feel so strange, the Highlander: The Series powers that be showed so much love and appreciation previously with all these features and delightful treats.  Oh well, I suppose having this abbreviated disappointment should have been expected.  With 119 episodes, we were bound to have a few clunkers.  It’s just a pity all of Highlander: The Series’ badness came all at once. 

Damn, I can’t end these critiques on what is largely such a wonderful television series on a down note!  Whether familiar with Highlander or not, fantasy and adventure fans young and old who are looking for quality entertainment beyond special effects or bland visuals can definitely find the humor, romance, action, drama, emotion, and complexity they are looking for with Highlander: The Series.  I miss it again already!