tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post7849250749217036159..comments2024-03-29T03:05:28.466-07:00Comments on DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR...: THE SENTINEL 1977Ken Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-42582251895711111452022-09-28T22:04:52.488-07:002022-09-28T22:04:52.488-07:00I know what you mean. At the time I first saw this...I know what you mean. At the time I first saw this, I'd only seen Ava Gardner in things like "Earthqueake" and "The Bluebird." Now, several decades later, after I've seen her great early work and have developed such a respect for her beauty and talent, I really appreciate what she brings to the movie. Her star presence alone is such a kick!<br />Thank you for commenting and singing the praises of La Gardner.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-66966970801816572782022-09-28T15:52:25.245-07:002022-09-28T15:52:25.245-07:00Beauteous ⭐️ AVA GARDNER and all her glamour saved...Beauteous ⭐️ AVA GARDNER and all her glamour saved the film for me She opens and closes the film with oh matter of fact character Miss Logan Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-87005576129812989272019-09-13T11:57:02.718-07:002019-09-13T11:57:02.718-07:00Wow, that's a title from the past--one I didn&...Wow, that's a title from the past--one I didn't know Konvitz was involved in. It's a film I KNOW I saw, but can't remember a thing about. After Googling and seeing the cast credits, I think I need to check it out again. Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-41584020790261701132019-09-12T03:00:01.567-07:002019-09-12T03:00:01.567-07:00My favorite Jeffrey Konvitz picture is 1971's ...My favorite Jeffrey Konvitz picture is 1971's SILENT NIGHT BLOODY NIGHT, which also wasted the talents (and magnificent voice) of John Carradine.casydemarcohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16300173612917513839noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-13648359531994090302017-08-15T02:17:34.848-07:002017-08-15T02:17:34.848-07:00Hi Don
Ha!!
I didn't read the sequel myself, ...Hi Don<br />Ha!! <br />I didn't read the sequel myself, but thinking back to what I remember a friend told me about THE GUARDIAN, if what I recall about the "twist" is correct, you're absolutely right, it would be seen as problematic to homophobic today. Valid in context, I think, but problematic all the same.<br /><br />Would it feel the same to you if Konvitz WERE gay? Sometimes when I read or watch the word of a gay artist and homophobia comes through, I'm intrigued by the artist's internalized self-rejection (Tennessee Williams comes to mind). But the very same material created by a straight artist often feels ignorant, ill-informed, or pointedly homophobic. Intriguing response you had, either way.<br />It's certainly familiar to me and I can understand it. <br />Gay visibility in films/novels was so rare when I was young, their inclusion-whether negative or positive in context - would engender all manner of responses from me. All of them on the goosebump side of thrill.<br /><br />Thanks for bringing up the sequel to the novel (part of what was ultimately a trilogy?), based on what you've written, I think fans of the film might seek it out!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-48575971562205815722017-08-14T23:36:45.504-07:002017-08-14T23:36:45.504-07:00Ha! I was wrong about Jeffrey Konvitz: Wikipedia r...Ha! I was wrong about Jeffrey Konvitz: Wikipedia reports him as married with kids. Guess the aforementioned twist in THE GUARDIAN made me assume he was gay. Maybe that twist is terribly homophobic after all, and I'll be consigned to gay hell for liking it.Don Mancinihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12258469836226845683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-21751893485438836172017-08-14T23:32:17.432-07:002017-08-14T23:32:17.432-07:00Jeffrey Konvitz, gay author of the novel, also wro...Jeffrey Konvitz, gay author of the novel, also wrote a sequel called THE GUARDIAN which features a late-innings twist so perverse, it surely would be regarded today as the height (or nadir) of homophobia. But as a kid, this twist gave me goosebumps, and not just the scary kind. Don Mancinihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12258469836226845683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-13955934213984384042013-06-04T11:59:19.472-07:002013-06-04T11:59:19.472-07:00Hi again,66 (I've shortened your name)
Yep, g...Hi again,66 (I've shortened your name)<br /> Yep, guilty pleasure is the word. I share many of your stray observations (Sarandon's terrible mustache, Walken being Wallach's semi-mute shadow). And it's true that in spite of it being so over the top, it nevertheless "works" as an effective scary movie. A curiosity, that.<br />I like Ira Levin a great deal too. Thanks for taking the time to read so many posts and share your own thoughts on the films. They're fun to read.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-12701073303574108212013-06-04T07:54:14.047-07:002013-06-04T07:54:14.047-07:00A total guilty pleasure...watched it again just th...A total guilty pleasure...watched it again just the other night. I read the book as a kid, but was not old enough to see the movie when it came out. I thought Deborah Raffin, wasted in that tiny supporting role, should have played the lead. I want to shave Chris Sarandon's creepy moustache off; he was so handsome in Lipstick and Fright Night. A blast to see Jeff Goldblum and Christopher Walken at the beginning of their careers. I think I counted a total of two lines for Walken, though he's in every scene with Eli Wallach. Bev D'Angelo and Sylvia Miles are a hoot, as is Burgess Meredith. The movie is unsettling and scary in spite of being so outlandishly ridiculous and over the top. <br /><br />This movie reminds me of Sliver in some ways...just substitute Nina Foch for Ava Gardner as the realtor...except I think Sliver is a much better movie. I LOVE Ira Levin...nobody told a chilling story better, and Rosemary's Baby is indeed a modern masterpiece of horror, botht he book and the Polanski film. angelman66https://www.blogger.com/profile/16471674180789592940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-22757843075360451172013-05-25T13:26:41.223-07:002013-05-25T13:26:41.223-07:00"-for that price, Hell might be worth it.&quo..."-for that price, Hell might be worth it." I just love that line!<br />I think both critics and the viewing public shared your views on Cristina Raines in the lead. As you intimate, all that Grade-A hamminess surrounding her only served to emphasize what many saw as her overriding ordinariness in the role.<br />Although I wish Burgess Meredith didn't fill his latter career resume with similar eccentric old coot roles, I too love him in this film. He's so charming and funny.<br /><br />And I share your love for the 1963 version of "The Haunting" I wrote about it last June:<br />http://lecinemadreams.blogspot.com/2012/06/the-haunting-1963.html<br />Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-63794122403781725842013-05-25T12:03:30.650-07:002013-05-25T12:03:30.650-07:00I confess when I saw this film that I found Raines...I confess when I saw this film that I found Raines rather forgettable as the heroine (and you're right, it's impossible to sympathize w/fashion models). What I really enjoyed was Burgess Meredith's campy performance as the infernal gatekeeper - I loved his lascivious swagger, his ghoulish fussing about decor and cats, his whole scene-stealing aura. He seemed like a guy who could make Hell fun, or at least bearable. And I had the same gasping reaction to the rent for a Brooklyn Heights brownstone - for that price, Hell might be worth it. I also found the scene with Miles and D'Angelo weirdly funny as well as just weird. I think poor Raines had pretty tough going competing with the likes of this over-the-top trio. The whole film had a feeling of being overdone -- too much decor and elaborate sets, too many red herrings and fake shocks, too many priests, and too much plot to absorb at one sitting (I still don't quite get the Sarandon character's connection to it all). Maybe that's why the film isn't as memorable as it could have been.<br /><br />Have you written on what's just about my favorite horror film, the 1963 version of The Haunting w/Julie Harris? Would love your reaction to that one!Grand Old Movieshttp://grandoldmovies.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-86223610347524181662013-05-19T06:44:41.399-07:002013-05-19T06:44:41.399-07:00Hi Wille
For all its unevenness, I think that &quo...Hi Wille<br />For all its unevenness, I think that "The Sentinel" does pull off a lot of good, genuinely scary scenes. That encounter with the dead father being one of them. But unlike "rosemary's Baby" or even "Carrie", folks seem to enjoy "The Sentinel" now more as camp and a good spook-house shudder. I'm not sure it's taken all that seriously (but that was true of "The Birds" at one time).<br />I like both Cristina Raines and Deborah Raffin a lot,but to me they are both rather stiff actresses that could have done with some voice training. Both actresses did very well in that medium where meager talent actually goes over pretty well: television. (I like your word, glacial in describing their shared quality).<br /><br />In a weird wat, what works for me in "The Sentinel" is that the three leads are so bland (Raines, Raffin, and Sarandon) but everyone else is hamming it up full time. It strikes a great level of discord that works wonders for the film seeming so odd and nightmarish.<br /><br />Lastly, I'm glad to hear from an actual Swede thatSylvia Miles' accent is good. She is such a character...whenever I see this film in the theaters, she always gets a big laugh just by opening her mouth.<br />Checking on Beverly D'Angelo on IMDB, I see that this was her first film. Even with a weird role like this, it must have been tempting for an unknown actress to appear in a high-profile motion picture that had the potential to go huge success. It certainly got her a lot of attention. No doubt the type it took her years to live down.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-31266799265682995272013-05-19T03:34:38.771-07:002013-05-19T03:34:38.771-07:00Thanks for the great review and pics from "Th...Thanks for the great review and pics from "The Sentinel"! I've seen this one! I rarely watch horror films but when I do it's the suspenseful older ones that aren't so gorey.<br /><br />This one really scared me. The scene when Cristina meets the ghost of her dead father in the empty apartment is truly terrifying, like the worst sort of nightmare when frightening things follow you. Scenes like that has made this film unforgettable for me, even though it's not become a horror-favourite like "Rosemary's Baby" or "The Birds" (which are very mild compared to the horror films of today). I could hardly watch the ending with the ghosts in the attic!<br /><br />I think it's Cristina Raines that stops me from completely engaging in the movie. She's ok but not sympathetic enough for me to care about. (As you say, models are not people to pity!) <br />It's amazing that you have met her! What happened to Raines after this film? Did she stop making movies? With some more experience she could have become a better actress.<br /><br />I would have preferred Deborah Raffin in the main role all though she is a bit glacial too. I think she might have had a little more acting experience than Raines to make it more believable. Poor Deborah, her time in the limelight quickly faded. She was all ready just a bit player in "The Sentinel", just a few years after "Once is not Enough". She never had a hit movie, did she?<br /><br />Thanks for pointng out all the other other good actors in film, aside from the big stars! I can not understand how Beverly D'Angelo could agree to play such a part! Maybe, she would have been better in the lead. Sylvia Miles is always fun to watch. I love her swedish accent!<br /><br />I laughed how you described the apartment as "to die for"! It really was!<br />-WilleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-13837008826980764172013-05-17T20:01:12.609-07:002013-05-17T20:01:12.609-07:00Hi Argyle
What a fun, stream-of-consciousness comm...Hi Argyle<br />What a fun, stream-of-consciousness comment! I get such a clear sense of your tastes and attitudes about things. Reading it is like having a casual phone conversation with a friend. I especially like your evaluation of Cristina Raines vis a vis Kate Jackson (and "prickly" is the perfect description of what was so good about her in "Nashville"). I don't know if Kate Jackson ever worked with De Palma...perhaps you're thinking of "Sisters" with that other brunette, Morgot Kidder. Gotta check my IMDB.<br />I hope you write to tell me what you think whenever you get around to seeing "The Exorcist" and "Rosemary's Baby". By the way, Ellen Burstyn's look in The Exorcist is just great. Oddly, it's one of the strongest things I come away from the film with. Her look and the way Georgetown is photographed.<br />I liked Deborah Raffin too. She had a limited range, but there was something about her.<br />Thanks for commenting, Argyle. Love hearing from you!<br />Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-76625424636732303832013-05-17T12:45:12.059-07:002013-05-17T12:45:12.059-07:00Argyle, here. Probably saw this in '77 but do...Argyle, here. Probably saw this in '77 but don't remember for sure; I pretty much went to see everything back then. Here's where I confess I have never seen "The Exorcist" or "Rosemary's Baby." I was slightly too young when TE came out, couldn't get into an R(?) rated movie. But had read the book raptly. Good friend was obnoxious about it, saw it, recounted it, etc. to the point where all I could do was be over it. Years later, whenever it's on, the "gross" parts look so badly done I can't watch. But love Ellen Burstyn of that period (and Sydow and the other priest) and love the look and general tone (as far as I have seen) so I want to really see it properly some day. Maybe I can leave when they start going upstairs. Always knew about RB, love Polanski, Farrow, Cassavetes, the Dakota, Ruth Gordon, Ira Levin but just never had the right opportunity. It's become one of those things I'm saving for some unknown future. When I'm a shut-in, I don't know. Anyway, Christina Raines is classy in a way Kate Jackson (hard to even type that name) could never be. Although didn't Brian DePalma do something good with KJ? Raines, especially in your caps, reminds me a little of Jessica Pare on that Sunday night TV show. Raines was so good in "Nashville," very prickly. I always loved Deborah Raffin in anything, kind of intelligently vulnerable, in the same neighborhood as Tuesday Weld and Candice Bergen but slightly more modern, hard to pin down. Love Beverly D'Angelo; I must have really been in a funk not to remember this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-34293285059694025022013-05-16T18:23:06.153-07:002013-05-16T18:23:06.153-07:00Glad to hear you like this movie, too!
Yeah, I get...Glad to hear you like this movie, too!<br />Yeah, I get creeeped out by the scenes with Raines' father too. I really enjoy this film a lot, but I can't think of any other film that I watch regularly that keeps me peeking from behind my fingers so much. I wonder if the gross out factor played a part in how audiences received it? It must have been terrible for concession sales...I remember I couldn't finish my popcorn.<br />But yes, the all-star cast is a big attrraction.<br />And I agree with you about Ava Gardner. She's terrific in this.<br />And although Raines looks a lot like Kate Jackson at times (especially in those very Charlie's Angels high-waisted bell bottoms) I too think that Jackson would have been all wrong in spite of her perhaps being a better actress. She does seem too strong.<br />Thanks Poseidon!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-18599258954078407252013-05-16T10:23:13.355-07:002013-05-16T10:23:13.355-07:00Yay!! My take on "The Sentinel" is almo...Yay!! My take on "The Sentinel" is almost identical to your take. I love to watch this movie, but am similarly bothered, frightened and appalled at the climax when all the strange folks start heading Raines' way. I'm happy to know that the participants were enjoying what they were doing rather than feeling glumly exploited. Scenes with Raines' father disturb me, too!<br /><br />I am a total sucker for all-star casts and that is what drew me to this film initially. I love Ava Gardner in this period. Those eyes and mouth and that VOICE! How interesting about Kate Jackson being lined up initially. She always comes off to me as strong while Raines comes off to me as vulnerable. That would have been interesting... <br /><br />Thanks, as always, for a great look at another fun film.Poseidon3https://www.blogger.com/profile/10465785002285422594noreply@blogger.com