THE NANNY

THE NANNY (1965). Director: Seth Holt. Screenplay by Jimmy Sangster.

A ten-year-old boy, Joey Fane (William Dix), suspected of being responsible for the drowning death of his younger sister, comes home from an institution and gets into a battle of wits with the middle-aged nanny (Bette Davis) -- in the process testing the patience of his stern father (James Villiers) and fragile, emotionally-devastated mother (Wendy Craig). But does his hatred of the nanny perhaps have a basis in reality? This very suspenseful movie keeps you guessing nearly until the end, and Davis' excellent performance (for once her latter-day affected style works to her advantage) doesn't give it away. Little Dix, a remarkably confident and talented child actor, is more than a match for Davis, and the other performances, including that of Jill Bennett as his aunt with a weak heart, are all very effective. Pamela Franklin is also good as a young upstairs neighbor who wonders if it's nanny or little Joey who's nuts. Very interesting story with a moving finale. Dix later appeared in Doctor Doolittle but his career did not continue into adulthood. 

Verdict: This is one of Hammer studios' best pictures. ***. 

WHAT THE PEEPER SAW

Mark Lester and Britt Ekland

WHAT THE PEEPER SAW (aka La tua prezenza nuda!/1972. Directors: James Kelley; Andrea Bianchi.

12-year-old Marcus (Mark Lester) comes home from school -- supposedly because of a chicken pox outbreak -- and meets his new stepmother, Elise (Britt Ekland of King Solomon's Treasure), for the first time. Initially they seem to hit it off, but Elise accuses Marcus of lying about some missing money. Her husband, Paul (Hardy Kruger), takes the boy's side. She goes to Marcus' school to speak to the headmaster (Harry Andrews) and discovers that Marcus was actually expelled from school for bizarre behavior, which includes peeping on couples in the local lover's lane and torturing and killing a cat! But Elise begins to suspect that Marcus may be guilty of even worse things, especially when she learns his mother's death might not have been an accident. Is the boy a sociopathic murderer, or is Elise herself in need of psychiatric help?

Who's the crazy one? Lilli Palmer, Britt Ekland

What the Peeper Saw has an interesting premise, but despite a decent screenplay it lacks the tension and skill that could have turned it into a nail-biter. Instead it meanders along at a deliberate, even dull, pace with the occasional startling moment, such as when Elise agrees to strip for the boy in exchange for his confessing to certain malfeasances. This certainly gets the attention of psychiatrist Dr. Viorne (Lilli Palmer) in a well-played sequence in her office that is by far the best scene in the movie. All of the actors are quite good in this, with Palmer a stand-out as she realizes Elise may need more help than the child. The ending packs a small wallop. 

Verdict: Too bad. This one had distinct possibilities, but ...  **1/4. 

WICKED (1998)

WICKED (1998). Director: Michael Steinberg.  

Ellie (Julia Stiles of Orphan: First Kill) is a 14-year-old high schooler who has a sick crush on her own father, Ben (William R. Moses of Perry Mason: The Case of the Poison Pen), a crush that he does little to discourage -- and worse. Ben is having an affair with the housekeeper, Lena (Louise Myrback), even as Ben's wife, Karen (Chelsea Field), is having an affair with neighbor Lawson Smith (Patrick Muldoon). So when Karen is bludgeoned to death, Detective Boland (Michael Parks) has no dearth of suspects. Once Karen is out of the picture, Ellie starts acting just like Ben's wife, until Lena comes back onto the scene. Something will have to be done about that. 

Wicked is not a very good movie, but it holds the attention and is well-acted. Stiles was 16 at the time and comes off a little older. Moses, always an appealing actor, is good in a very unsympathetic role, but Muldoon doesn't quite make the most of his part as the sleazy, sexy neighbor. Michael Parks of The Idol and Bus Riley's Back in Town offers a quirky performance that never actually seems real. There are some credible supporting players, such as Linda Hart as another neighbor who winds up falling for Parks. 

Verdict: Not good enough to be a trash wallow but the players are interesting. **. 

PHOBIA

Paul Michael Glaser

PHOBIA (1980). Director: John Huston.

Dr. Peter Ross (Paul Michael Glaser) is giving unconventional therapy to a group of patients on parole. He uses videos to expose his patients to their various phobias, everything from snakes to high heights. When a bomb goes off in his townhouse and one of those patients is killed, the police eventually figure that he was the target. Ross not only seems unconcerned with that, but with the fact that more of his patients are getting knocked off. Inspector Barnes (John Colicos) zeroes in on one of the patients with a violent history, but the killer could be anyone.

Glaser with Patricia Collins

Phobia is not badly done on some levels, but it is sadly forgettable. Even when one considers that Glaser is playing a self-absorbed, egotistical, and unlikable psychiatrist, his performance is still pretty awful. Other cast members make a better impression: Susan Hogan as Ross' gal pal Jenny; Patricia Collins as his associate Dr. Toland; and especially Robert O'Ree as patient Bubba King. Andre Gagnon's score is also helpful. This is the type of twisty psychological plot that would have worked much better as a Dario Argento-type giallo film, with more violence and more elan to the murder sequences. Huston is simply the wrong director for this type of movie.

Verdict: Watch out for those headshrinkers! **1/2.

OLD

OLD (2021). Director: M. Night Shyamalan. Based on the graphic novel Sandcastle.

A group of tourists, most of whom have personal issues of one sort or another, are directed by the resort manager to a strange, if beautiful, private beach and nature preserve. The tourists include Prisca (Vicky Krieps), her husband Guy (Gael Garcia Bernal), and their very young children, Trent and Maddox (played by varying actors). Other people on this beach include a rapper named "Mid-Sized Sedan," whose real name is Brendon (Aaron Pierre); a mentally-disturbed doctor named Charles (Rufus Sewell) and his wife, Chrystal (Abbey Lee); and others. The group eventually discover that not only are they unable to get off of the beach without blacking out, but that they are all aging approximately one year for each half hour they spend in the area. Before long, Prisca and Guy's children are confused teenagers. And things get worse ... 

Rufus Sewell as the doctor

Movies by M. Night Shyamalan fall into two categories. Either they really stink, a complete waste of time, or they work. Old works -- at least it did for me. Thanks to some very good acting, direction, camera work and music, Old builds in horror and intensity until it etches a mesmerizing and chilling  portrait of absolute despair. These poor people are psychologically and physically tortured, and nothing whatsoever makes sense as far as they're concerned. Although the premise could have been left without a real solution, the Twilight Zone-approach, and that still would have made for an effective movie, Old does offer an explanation for the terrible events, albeit a far-fetched (if satisfying) explanation. (I think Old's viewers would have liked to see the perpetrators receive a more just and dreadful punishment, but at least things don't go well for these self-justifying monsters.) There's a large cast in this -- including the director himself as the hotel van driver --  and all acquit themselves nicely. 

Verdict: Worthwhile horror film with a very creepy and disturbing premise. ***

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW A. J. Finn

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW. A J. Finn. William Morrow;2018.

Anna Fox suffers from agoraphobia and lives by herself in an East Harlem townhouse. Her husband left her and took their daughter with him, but Anna stays in communication with them. She spends her time -- in addition to heavy drinking and pill popping -- watching her neighbors, including a couple across the way who have a troubled teenage son, Ethan. One afternoon Anna is helped by, and gets to know, Ethan's mother, Jane, but some time later she appears to see Jane being stabbed through the window of the other building. However, the police think it is all an alcoholic, drug-influenced fantasy. Ethan's mother shows up -- and is a completely different woman from the one Anna met before. The Woman in the Window is well-written and it initially holds your attention, but the twists in the story -- and the identity of the true villain -- are so obvious that it pretty much ruins your enjoyment of the novel and you're just turning pages to get it over with. There are way too many recycled ideas in the book, but once it got bought for the movies (on Netflix, at least) it was destined for bestseller-hood. Serious fans of mystery and suspense books will find this a major disappointment. 

Verdict: Badly overhyped -- paging Agatha Christie. **1/4. 

FICTION: EVERY LAST SECRET

EVERY LAST SECRET. A. R. Torre. 2020; Thomas and Mercer. 

Cat Winthorpe, an entitled woman who married her boss, is nervous about her husband, William's, new employee, Neena Ryder, who also moves in next door with her own husband. Like Cat, Neena also improved her life by marrying up. Neena's plan is to ultimately ditch her loving husband and hook up with handsome William, and she does everything she can to make it happen. Meanwhile, Cat, who suspects what's going on, is equally determined to make sure it doesn't happen. With alternating chapters told from the pov of each lady, the book speeds along and generates some suspense as you wonder which woman will ultimately achieve her goal. However the story's general lack of substance, and the negative nature of virtually all of the characters, may make some readers give up on the novel halfway through. 

Every Last Secret is what I refer to as TVature, "literature" inspired more by television -- such shows as Pretty Little Liars, for instance -- than by real-life, although I have no doubt superficial women like Cat and Neena exist, lord save us (not that William is any better). Ms. Torre's writing is competent (if undistinguished) but it is alarming when she writes in her author's note that she loves (italics hers) these characters, as Cat and Neena are both borderline sociopaths. The mental universe they inhabit is ultimately pathetic. However, Every Last Secret has a very satisfying conclusion and the book will be a page-turner for some. 

Verdict: No great classic by any means but some readers will undoubtedly be entertained by the twists and turns of the plot. ***. 

TELL ME YOUR SECRETS

Lily Rabe and Enrique Murciano

TELL ME YOUR SECRETS (2021). 

"Killer" Miller (Lily Rabe), the girlfriend of a convicted serial killer, has always been suspected of being his accomplice. After serving several years in prison, she is let out and put in witness protection under the name "Emma Hall." Her handler is a shrink named Peter (Enrique Murciano), who lives in the same small bayou town where she is relocated. Meanwhile Mary Barlow (Amy Brenneman) hopes that Miller can tell her what happened to her daughter, one of the psycho's victims, whose body has never been recovered. To this end, figuring that it takes a monster to find a monster, she hires supposedly reformed serial rapist John Tyler (Hamish Linklater) to find Miller. In the town where Miller now resides, girls in an orphanage begin disappearing ... 

Amy Brenneman and Hamish Linklater

Tell Me Your Secrets is an intriguing and initially absorbing ten-part series that examines these characters and others as you wait for it to all fit together and to give up the answers to various characters' questions. The problem is that there simply isn't enough story for ten parts. After a slow opening, the series builds up steam for the next few episodes, but then it simply goes on ... too long. Six episodes would have been more than enough to highlight the often interesting and sometimes unexpected interactions between these people, but after awhile you find yourself growing impatient and losing interest. This is too bad, as some of the revelations in the final episode are certainly compelling. Tell Me Your Secrets is marvelously acted across the board, with each actor credibly reacting to all of the twists and turns of the convoluted plot. I especially admired Hamish Linklater but everyone, down to smaller roles and nice turns by Richard Thomas and others, is excellent. NOTE: This is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. 

Verdict: You may not want to give this story the time it takes to tell, but suspense and mystery fans may want to give it a whirl. **3/4. 

DEATH AT LOVE HOUSE

Robert Wagner and Kate Jackson

DEATH AT LOVE HOUSE (1976 telefilm). Director: E. W. Swackhamer.  

Joel Gregory Jr. (Robert Wagner) is the son of a man who was once the lover of the late movie star Lorna Love (Marianna Hill). Joel and his pregnant wife, Donna (Kate Jackson), move into the Love estate to work on a book about the great romance between Lorna and his father. Mysterious people run about the estate at night, and there is an attempt on Donna's life. Conan Carroll (John Carradine), who worked with Lorna and loathed her, is attacked and killed on the grounds, not far from a vault where Lorna's perfectly preserved corpse (!) is on display. Then Joel starts acting all weird ... 

Dorothy Lamour

Death at Love House sets up an intriguing situation but it's one of those movies where characterization and common sense are sacrificed so there can be inexplicable and unlikely plot twists. If anything, the denouement raises more questions than it answers. However, Wagner and Jackson give good performances, and along with Carradine we have appearances by Sylvia Sidney as a housekeeper, Joan Blondell as an obsessive aging fan, and Dorothy Lamour as Lorna's old rival in pictures. Marianna Hill proves no great actress in her brief scenes as Lorna Love. Wagner plays his father in sepia flashbacks. Laurence Rosenthal's score helps a bit. 

Verdict: You won't love this love house. **1/4.                           

THE TELL-TALE HEART (1960)

Laurence Payne

THE TELL-TALE HEART (1960).  Director: Ernest Morris. 

Edgar Marsh (Laurence Payne of The Trollenberg Terror) is a shy librarian who lives alone in his house and has a hirsute best friend named Carl (Dermot Walsh). One day a pretty young lady named Betty (Adrienne Corri) moves into an apartment across the street. Advised by Carl to make the acquaintance of the woman, Edgar summons up his nerve and before long they are dating -- although Edgar is smitten and Betty, new in town, just needs company. Betty, however, is galvanized when she meets Carl, and it is apparent that he feels the same about her. The trouble is, if something develops between the two, how will Edgar react?

Payne with Adrienne Corri

The Tell-Tale Heart, loosely based on the famous story by Edgar Allan Poe, is an intelligent and well-made expansion and revisioning of Poe's work, playing upon the theme of guilt and the resultant madness. Laurence Payne gives an outstanding performance as Edgar, and there is fine work from Walsh and Corri. Well-paced and suspenseful under Ernest Morris' direction, the film has atmosphere and is often surprisingly gruesome, including a grisly sword murder and an impalement, like something out of a Hammer film. (In fact the film opens with an announcement that the squeamish should immediately close their eyes when they hear the sound of a heartbeat!) This is a British film from Danziger productions. 

Verdict: Admirable horror film with an impressive Payne. ***. 

CHILLERS

CHILLERS (1990 TV series). 

This French-English TV series with a foolish title is based on the work of novelist Patricia Highsmith of Talented Mr. Ripley and Strangers on a Train fame. The title makes one imagine that this will be a series of scary stories, but while there are a few creepy moments, that is not exactly the case. The main trouble is that not all of Highsmith's short stories translate well to the screen, and when I looked up some of the stories that had been adapted, I didn't find the originals all that great, either. Flat wind-ups do not make for compelling episodes. Perhaps Highsmith worked better in the longer form, although there are many who might disagree. While none of the 12 episodes of this short-lived series -- hosted amiably by Anthony Perkins -- are outstanding, there are a few that are notable. "A Curious Suicide" has a man killing an old friend, now a widower, who married the woman he loved; Nicole Willamson and Barry Foster are excellent as the two principals. "Old Folks at Home" finds a middle-aged couple regretting it after they take in an elderly couple who at first seem sweet but then become more and more demanding. In "Sauce for the Goose" a woman murders her husband to be with a younger man, a singer, then winds up fearing for her own life. Ian Holm stars in "The Stuff of Madness" in which a woman has numerous pets stuffed and spread throughout her garden while her husband obsesses over an old flame. In "Under a Dark Angel's Eyes" a man isn't told that his hateful mother has died so he can keep paying the bills for the couple supposedly looking after her -- Ian Richardson and Peter Vaughn offer exemplary performances in this. 

Stephane Freiss in "Puzzle"

One episode, "The Thrill Seeker," I found too poor  to even finish. Two others are notable for vastly different reasons. "Puzzle" offers a fine performance by Stephane Freiss as Harry, a handsome executive who is caught between two attractive girlfriends who don't know about each other. Like many other episodes, this is entertaining but is not at all a "chiller" and also has a flat resolution. "The Day of Reckoning" is notable if only for the fact that it was helmed by well-known director Samuel Fuller. But the plot, a weird one about tensions between both humans and poultry at an automated chicken farm, is evocative but goes nowhere, becoming rather silly all told. I can only imagine what Fuller thought when he was handed the script!

Verdict: Some very good premises that initially stir the imagination but don't quite hold up for the most part. **1/2. 

NEVER AGAIN: ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS

Phyllis Thaxter

ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS: NEVER AGAIN. Season One. 1956. Director: Robert Stevens. Teleplay by Bagni, Gielgud and Silliphant. Based on a story by Adela Rogers St. Johns. 

Karen Stewart (Phyllis Thaxter) has a drinking problem and is terrified of losing the man she loves, Jeff (Warren Stevens). One night at a party she gets jealous of the hostess, Renee (Louise Allbritton), and throws a drink in her face. A concerned Jeff goes to her home, and she decides to go back to the party, where Renee is surprisingly understanding. But Renee's brother, Marlow (Jack Mullaney), who also indulges to excess, lets it slip that his sister wants Jeff and is hoping Karen will make a mess of things. Instead of making up her mind that this will not be the case, Karen has a martini -- and then another and another. She winds up intoxicated at a bar with Marlow when Jeff and Renee come in and Karen picks up a broken bottle ...

Never Again features fine performances from the entire cast. Thaxter, in the performance of a lifetime, is absolutely outstanding as the troubled and self-loathing Karen. Warren Stevens plays his part in such a way that you're not absolutely sure how he feels about Karen until the end. At the tragic close of the episode, Alfred Hitchcock does not make his usual quips but urges people with serious drinking problems to get help before a tragedy occurs in their own life. Never Again is absorbing and hard-hitting stuff with a devastating ending. 

Verdict: Classic episode; classic TV. ***1/2. 

ORPHAN

Such a lovely child: Isabelle Fuhrman

ORPHAN (2009). Director: Jaume Collet-Serra. 

After Kate (Vera Farmiga of Godzilla, King of the Monsters) and her husband, John (Peter Sarsgaard) lose a daughter in the womb, they decide to adopt a sweet nine-year-old girl, Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman), from the Ukraine. Esther seems to get along with her little deaf sister, Maxine (Aryana Engineer), although her older brother, Danny (Jimmy Bennett), is not as happy with her. Gradually Kate, a reformed alcoholic whose drinking led to Maxine's deafness, becomes convinced that there is something very wrong with Esther after some disturbing incidents, and makes up her mind to discover her true origins. Sister Abigail (CCH Pounder), who ran the orphanage where her new parents first encountered Esther, tells Kate that she may have reasons for concern. Then someone takes a hammer to the nun's head and beats her bloody and dead ... 

Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard

Orphan is a clever and suspenseful "paranoia" film that starts out like a modern version of The Bad Seed -- a better movie -- but turns out to be something perhaps even more diabolical, becoming more sinister with each sequence. Farmiga and Sarsgaard offer convincing performances and young Isabelle Fuhrman, only 12-years-old at the time, is nothing short of miraculous. Pounder is as wonderful as ever as the ill-fated sister. There are some illogical moments, and little Aryana Engineer, while adorable, isn't really an actress, but the film has a thrilling climax and its shock-cut moments are effectively handled. The revelation at the end channels a famous short story by, I believe, Ray Bradbury. The movie may have influenced a real-life couple to claim that their adoptive Ukrainian daughter was -- well, that would be telling.  

Verdict: Creepy and absorbing suspense-thriller with a nifty twist and a nun-kill. ***. 

SECRETS OF A PSYCHOPATH

Mark Famiglietti as Henry

SECRETS OF A PSYCHOPATH (2015.) Director: Bert. I Gordon. 

Henry (Mark Famiglietti) lives with his sister, Katherine (Kari Wuhrer), in their large family home. Apparently the only woman Henry can have sex with successfully is his sister, but he makes attempts with other women he meets on the internet and at the movies. He has gone so far as to get engaged to Grace (Mary Anthony), whom he has also met online. But when Grace shows up at the house to tie the knot, she finds a jealous future sister-in-law  waiting, and discovers she is in the midst of a deadly and frightening situation ... 

Secrets of a Psychopath is a comeback of sorts for Mr. BIG, aka Bert I. Gordon, who worked on so many fun creature features in the fifties through seventies such as Earth vs the Spider, The Magic Sword, The Food of the Gods and The Cyclops. Gordon even managed to snare no less than Orson Welles to star in one of his minor B productions, Necromancy. At the ripe young age of 93 Gordon directed this, his last feature to date -- no mean achievement. Unfortunately, while I'd like to report that this is Gordon's masterpiece, it's not that great a movie, and certainly much, much less fun than Mr. BIG's flicks on giant spiders, grasshoppers and Amazing Colossal Men. 

Wuhrer, Anthony and Famiglietti

The shame of it is that Secrets of a Psychopath has some damn good things going for it. There's the attractive lensing by Brett A. Hart which gives the picture a clean and polished look, and an effective score by Scott Glascow (although it generally tends to be a bit too languid, unfortunately, along with the film's pacing). Then there's an excellent lead performance by the appealing Mark Famiglietti, who makes Henry another charming if no-less-deadly sociopath. Although I have never heard of her, apparently Kari Wuhrer has achieved some kind of minor fame in little-known B horror flicks, and she is good as Henry's sensual sister, Katherine. Mary Anthony is also very good as the ill-fated Grace. However, most of the rest of the cast, including Henry's other victims, are played by amateurs who lower the whole tone of the movie.

The film's premise is workable, but Gordon's script is full of holes and moments of illogic  -- Henry buries one body in broad daylight, and there's this whole incredible business with two children improbably drowning in a small plastic lawn pool and the apparent lack of repercussions to this. As mentioned, the pace of the film at times seems glacial and there's only a decent spurt of energy at the very end. Gordon's direction betrays none of the flair that would make this psycho-thriller really sing. Too bad. 

Verdict: Psychologically dubious and not much fun but it's still Mr. BIG! **. 

IRRESISTIBLE

Susan Sarandon and Sam Neill

IRRESISTIBLE (2006). Written and directed by Ann Turner. 

Sophie (Susan Sarandon) is an illustrator of children's books who lives in Australia with her husband, an advertising exec named Craig (Sam Neill). Craig has a special computer assistant named Mara (Emily Blunt), but Sophie finds the younger woman a little bit creepy. When things -- including one of her favorite dresses that Mara later shows up wearing -- start disappearing from the house, a paranoid Sophie is convinced that Mara is behind the strange thefts. Or is she losing her mind? Other weird things begin happening as well. 

Emily Blunt

Irresistible is a strange, suspenseful and intriguing movie that keeps you wondering what's going on and eventually provides a reasonably satisfying conclusion along with at least one extra twist. The three leads are excellent, and the couples' children are adorable. However, Irresistible nearly derails a couple of times due to some utterly illogical moments. (I can't imagine a person actually taking their boss's spouse to court, for instance, and that the work situation wouldn't become extremely awkward afterward). Some of the characters' actions may have you scratching your head as well. 

Verdict: Pretty good if flawed suspense film. ***. 

LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH

Zohra Lampert

LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971). Co-written and directed by John D. Hancock. 

Jessica (Zohra Lampert) has been released from an institution after having some kind of nervous breakdown wherein she apparently had delusions. She and her husband, Duncan (Barton Heyman), decide to get away from the pressures of city life and take up farming, and they bring along pal Woody (Kevin O'Connor) to help out. In the house to which they've moved they discover Emily (Mariclare Costello), a squatter, but they encourage her to stay with them anyway, despite the fact that Jessica senses Duncan is attracted to her. The town seems to consist of strange and unfriendly old men, and Emily resembles a woman who once lived in the house and drowned before her wedding day. When Jessica starts having visions, we are uncertain if she is once again going mad or if someone is actually out to get her ... 

Barton Heyman

Jessica has many admirers, although most of them are viewers who are in love with ambiguity, which could be the film's middle name. I don't necessarily mind a little ambiguity now and then, but the screenwriters seem to be making up things as they go along, trying every possible avenue without offering any real solution. Jessica's mental state is paramount, but Jessica also hints at being a ghost story, a psychological marital drama, an ineffective vampire tale, and so on, with the result that it mostly comes off as a mess -- a mess that is oddly compelling at times, but a mess nevertheless. There's a lot of intriguing stuff buried in there but it is never mined in any dramatically viable fashion. 

Mariclare Costello

So we're left with performances from a cast that does not consist of young beauties or hunks but average-looking people who do the best they can with underwritten characterizations. The ever-weird Lampert is good, but the suggestion that her work is Oscar-worthy is ridiculous. There are some eerie moments (although I find it hard to believe some people were that scared by this flick) and the movie is moody and atmospheric enough. The film briefly takes a homoerotic detour when Emily seems to be coming on to Jessica, but this is never satisfactorily explored. Considering Jessica's mental state, it's bizarre that the family auto she and Duncan drive around in is a hearse, a strange touch that ultimately means little. The score is quirky but often inappropriate and overly noisy. If some viewers want to find deep meaning in this movie, be my guest, but I don't buy it. Director Hancock's most famous film is Bang the Drum Slowly. 

Verdict: Like both the heroine and the lead actress, this is odd -- too odd. **1/4.