The Box Of Delights (1984)

When I watch The Box Of Delights now I see the varying quality of the special effects, I can't quite block out the acting that often feels both a bit hammy and patronising, and there's a sense that the plotting somehow manages to stretch out material while also not giving viewers enough of the better elements. I see all of those things, despite looking through the muslin sheet of nostalgia draped in front of my eyes. And none of those things bother me. I KNOW a lot of affection for this is the nostalgia, really I do, but taking a step back and looking at The Box Of Delights while trying to keep that muslin sheet out of my eyes is bloody difficult. And, considering how others talk about it, I am not alone here. So let's take this review for what it is, something written about a beloved TV series I cannot bring myself to criticise too harshly. A show that led to six weeks of 8/9-year-old me asking for guaranteed 30 minutes of television time all to myself. A seasonal treat that an entire generation who saw it when it first aired here in the UK now think of as being synonymous with the best of Christmas (a sense of magic, being huddled in a warm home while outside was cold and dark, the BBC providing quality programming). Treat yourselves to both this and the old BBC adaptations of The Chronicles Of Narnia and you have quite a treat for yourself, as far as I am concerned.

Without any further ado, here is the briefest of plot summaries. Devin Stanfield plays Kay Harker, a young boy who is travelling to stay with family during the Christmas break from boarding school. He bumps into an old man (Patrick Troughton) on his journey, unwittingly getting himself involved in an adventure to protect the titular box from the dastardly clutches of Abner Brown (Jonathan Stevens). Brown is being helped by a variety of baddies, including a couple of very shifty men, given the dubious names of Fox Faced Charles (Robert Stephens) and Chubby Joe (Geoffrey Larder), and a woman who used to be Kay's governess at one point (Patricia Quinn). By the end of episode one, Kay is given a hint of what the box can do, but he doesn't really have any idea of how powerful it can be. It allows anyone to shrink in size, to fly, to transform into other animals, to access the past, and more.

Based on the book by John Masefield, a sequel to his book The Midnight Folk, this may hit the ground running and move forward in a way that will have some people scratching their heads, but that isn't to the detriment of the show. While viewers are trying to piece things together, or figure out some gaps in the narrative, director Renny Rye lets the rest unfurl comfortably in between moments that either ratchet up the tension or make use of the latest special effects (for the time). Although dated and sometimes crude now, it's still obvious just what would impress younger viewers back in 1984, and there's a simple beauty to some of the animation work that crops up throughout the series.

There's also a simple beauty to the moments that have stayed so vivid in my memory over the years. Herne The Hunter (Glyn Baker) providing a bit of exposition, the idea of wolves literally following the trail of our reluctant hero, unfriendly rodents of unusual size, and one friendly rodent who seems to be of unusual size only after Harker has used the box to shrink himself, clergymen being whisked away and held captive, and more. The special effects don't actually matter in many of these instances. Once you get on board with the fantastical feeling of the whole story then you start to become engrossed and eager to see what happens in each exciting instalment.

While the cast are all acting in line with the BBC drama approach of the time, especially for this kind of literary adaptation (children's book or not), nobody can really be picked out for stinking up the screen. Stanfield actually does quite a good job of making his posh young character quite likable, and the performances from Troughton and Stevens always emphasise their opposing positions in the camps of good and evil. Stephens and Larder are enjoyably sneaky, Quinn does well with her relatively limited screentime, and everyone else hits their marks and delivers their lines.

I've tried to emphasise the nostalgia factor here, but I have also tried to remind people of how deserving of praise this really is. Effects and visuals will always date, acting styles change throughout the years, but the essence of the story, and the wonderful spirit of the whole thing, remains untarnished, even over three decades later. I can't swear that my high rating will be shared by anyone just discovering the series for the first time. I can, however, say that it reflects my feelings for it, and that it is something I will certainly invest time in whenever I remember to keep a window in my future Christmas schedules.

And let's not forget this theme music.

 8/10

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The Gorgon (1964)

A Hammer horror movie starring both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. People who know me will know that as soon as The Gorgon started I suspected that I was on to a winner.

Cushing plays Dr. Namaroff, a man who has seen a number of strange deaths in his village. He's not, however, doing anything to draw attention to those deaths, despite the protests of his assistant, Carla (Barbara Shelley). As the villagers, and local law enforcement (led by Inspector Kanof, played by Patrick Troughton), stay on edge, more bodies start to turn up. Bodies of people who have been turned to stone. Richard Pasco plays a young man who may be next in line to get petrified, literally, but he might do okay if he heeds the advice from the visiting Professor Karl Meister (Christopher Lee).

Written by John Gilling (based on the story by J. Llewellyn Devine), The Gorgon is a pleasant surprise for a number of reasons. First of all, let's be upfront here, it should be ridiculous. A movie that's possibly about a gorgon in more modern times - well, it's set in the early 20th century - is something that viewers shouldn't be able to just watch without using all of their energy on the suspension of disbelief. But Gilling just keeps things rattling along so enjoyable, with enough ambiguity, that picking it apart is never a priority.

Terence Fisher directs with his usual style and technical competence. He makes the most out of every set (which are all up to the high standards set by the better movies in the Hammer horror filmography) and creates a nice blend of the melodramatic and the ethereal as the plot unfolds.

As for the cast, Cushing and Lee are both fantastic. The only downside is that they don't share the screen together for more than a minute or two. Shelley is a delight in what may be her best role from the many she was given by Hammer, and Pasco is a decent enough, if slightly bland, potential hero. Troughton is consistently brilliant as the Inspector obeying orders weighted by money more than the law of the land.

The Gorgon falls just short of greatness, simply because the premise is, as a Monty Python character might say, "a bit silly" but it's well worth your time and surprisingly entertaining from start to finish. If you end up hating it then I'll accuse you of being made of stone (*badump-tsshhhhh*).

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Gorgon-DVD-Christopher-Lee/dp/B003AWMWH4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381698986&sr=8-1&keywords=the+gorgon

The Phantom Of The Opera (1962)

A version of the classic Gaston Leroux tale that never seems to receive much love from fans, Hammer take on The Phantom Of The Opera and provide horror fans with a delightful interpretation of the famous story.

Herbert Lom, obviously masked for most of the runtime, plays the Phantom this time around. Eschewing the doomed romance at the heart of the classic tale, the Phantom till ends up after a young singer named Christine (Heather Sears) to make her into an unforgettable star of the stage. Christine, for her part, seems nice enough. When she's not being uncomfortably chatted up by Lord Ambrose D'Arcy (Michael Gough) she is developing a relationship with the handsome Harry Hunter (Edward de Souza). But the Phantom has a habit of reminding people that he's around.

Directed by Terence Fisher, The Phantom Of The Opera is as lavish and baroque as you'd expect, at times. The main opera being performed is all about the life of Joan Of Arc and the sets and design are both wonderfully theatrical and also nicely settled within a typical Hammer budget. In fact, there are only a few sets used in the movie, or it at least seems that way, but each one is so carefully put together and made into such a nice showpiece that the relatively small scale of the production is covered up, and even turned into an asset.

The script by Anthony Hinds takes the classic tale and adds some nice twists to it, making it fresh while never betraying the essence of the material. This has never been my favourite of the beloved horror classics and, personally, I enjoyed the changes that were made. Perhaps the fact that this is overlooked so often tells me hat other Phantom fans didn't like the changes as much as I did.

Sears is fine in the role of Christine, and de Souza is an okay leading man, but this movie belongs to two men, Lom and Gough. The former gives a great physical performance, and also does sterling work in a pre-Phantom flashback sequence that reveals the backstory of the character and the cause of his rage, while the latter has so much fun being nasty to everyone around him that this ends up being one of his best roles. Michael Ripper has a VERY small role (billed, I believe, as Cabbie #1) and Patrick Troughton steals his main scene, playing a callous and carefree ratcatcher.

Give this one a go sometime, especially if you've forgotten about it while catching other interpretations of the story. You might just end up liking it as much as I did.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Phantom-Opera-Region-Hammer/dp/B001MZXAZE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381237284&sr=8-1&keywords=the+phantom+of+the+opera+1962

Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger (1977)

The last, and the least, of the Sinbad movies to involve the work of Ray Harryhausen, this not only fails to live up to the previous two movies, but also fails to live up to many other Harryhausen movies.

The plot sees Sinbad (played this time by Patrick Wayne) arriving at Charak, intending to ask the prince there (Damien Thomas) for permission to marry his beautiful sister (Farah, played by Jane Seymour). Unfortunately, nobody can  see the prince because of some apparent curse. When a bunch of nasty creatures attack Sinbad and his crew, he fights them off and is directly contacted by Farah. She tells him that she believes the prince to have been cursed by the devious Zenobia (Margaret Whiting) and only a very powerful magic may cure him if it can be found within seven moons. Sinbad and his crew set off in search of the powerful Melanthius (Patrick Troughton, who doesn't really show any magical powers at all) with Farah and the prince, who is stuck in his cursed form, that of a baboon. Of course, Zenobia is in hot pursuit.

There is just something lacking from almost every aspect of this movie. The direction from Sam Wanamaker is pretty flat and lifeless, despite the fantastical premise and the bright colours on display, while the script from Beverley Cross limps from one weak set-piece to the next, giving the distinct impression that all of the better ideas had already been used up in the previous two movies.

If the cast had a bit more gusto then perhaps it would all still have been moderately enjoyable, but Wayne is the worst of the three people to have played Sinbad in these movies and he's surrounded by an unmemorable mix of supporting players. Troughton is fun, I suppose, despite the apparent uselessness of his character, Whiting has fun as a villainess who kept making me think of Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove and Jane Seymour is certainly a lovely princess. Taryn Power and Kurt Christian (who was also in the previous adventure, as a different character) are just quite dull and lifeless, ill-served by the script.

At least fans of Harryhausen can always sit back and enjoy his work though, yes? Well, even that's a mixed bag this time around. The first creatures that attack Sinbad are fantastic, but they are the best thing in the film. The rest of the creatures shown onscreen range from the baboon prince to a troglodyte to an oversized wasp to a big walrus and one or two others. If you prefer to see Sinbad and company fighting against a big walrus when you could revisit the previous movie and watch him engage in a magnificent swordfight against the unforgettable Kali figure then that's your call, but I know what movie I would choose to revisit on a rainy day that sees me stuck indoors.

Sadly, it's just not a good film, though fans of magical fantasies will still find some enjoyment here.

4/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sinbad-Eye-Tiger-Voyage-Golden/dp/B002JF3FU6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1369381840&sr=8-2&keywords=sinbad+and+the+eye+of+the+tiger

Jason And The Argonauts (1963)

Jason And The Argonauts is, to me, the best of the movies featuring the work of Ray Harryhausen. Oh, there are a few other films vying for the top spot, but this one wins, in my opinion. Every creation onscreen here isn't just up to the usual high standard that people came to expect from Harryhausen, each one is a classic involved in a classic sequence.

The story is all about Jason (Todd Armstrong playing the Greek hero) and his crew of good men braving the perils that stand in their way as they sail away on the Argo to seek the legendary Golden Fleece. They are alternately helped and hindered by gods (mainly Zeus, played by Niall MacGinnis, and Hera, played by Honor Blackman) as they face the mighty statue of Talos, some horrible harpies, clashing rocks, unexpected treachery and much more.

Pretty much essential viewing if you're a fan of sword 'n' sorcery movies, Jason And The Argonauts only makes one or two minor mis-steps on its fantastic journey. The fact that the whole thing is a game being played out by the gods is one annoyance (especially when the real reason for the quest is forgotten) and the very final moments of the film prove, perhaps inevitably, anti-climactic after such a memorable sequence involving battling skeletons brought to life from the teeth of the Hydra.

The acting from all concerned is just fine. Todd Armstrong may not be the most memorable leading man, but he puts himself over as a good, kind leader. MacGinnis and Blackman are fun as the two main gods keeping an eye on the quest, Nigel Green is fine as Hercules, despite his limited screentime, Gary Raymond is okay as Acastus (the son of an enemy who has managed to get himself in the crew) and Laurence Naismith gets to play the man who built the Argo. There's also the lovely Nancy Kovack, who arrives just in time to fall for Jason and become involved in the big finale.

Director Don Chaffey does a good job, working from the screenplay by Beverley Cross and Jan Read, and there's very little to fault. The pacing is perfect, the dialogue does what is required, and everything is designed to move the characters from one spectacular set-piece to the next. For me, this remains the pinnacle of Ray Harryhausen's work, despite strong competition from those Sinbad movies, and if you haven't seen it already then I suggest you get to it as soon as possible. It's held up as a classic of the fantasy genre for good reason, because it IS one.

9/10

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Would I really end with any other screenshot???

Frankenstein And The Monster From Hell (1974)

The final entry in Hammer's series of Frankenstein movies is actually a welcome return to form for all involved, mainly thanks to the character of Baron Frankenstein being once again portrayed as someone well-intentioned but morally dubious as opposed to the outright evil schemer he was depicted as in Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed.

This time around the Baron (Peter Cushing) is joined by young Simon Helder (Shane Briant), a man who has been sentenced to time in an insane asylum after being caught carrying out experiments based on the Baron's work. When Frankenstein reveals his real identity to the young man and outlines a plan it's not long before the body parts start to pile up and things get ever more problematic.

With Anthony Hinds writing and Terence Fisher directing, this particular Hammer horror rises above its relatively low budget to provide a fitting final outing for the man who is constantly trying to cheat death.

Cushing is as good as ever, Shane Briant acquits himself well and Madeline Smith, John Stratton, Bernard Lee and everyone else onscreen (including David Prowse, hidden once again behind a mask but doing a better job than he did last time he was asked to play the central creature) manage to hold their own.

It's perhaps inevitable that a lot of the material here feels overly familiar and a little bit lazy but there is also some dark, twisted stuff in here (including the reason for Madeline Smith's character not talking) and some proper nastiness that still manages to retain some impact to this day.

It's not really the best swansong that we could have for the Baron but it's a hell of a long way from the worst and, for that, I'm glad.

7/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Frankenstein-And-Monster-From-Hell/dp/B004NOQ9W2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354725685&sr=8-1

Scars Of Dracula (1970)

While I admit that I was a little disappointed to see that this Hammer movie was missing my particular favourite actor known for his work with the studio, Peter Cushing, I knew that I would be in for something reasonably entertaining with Christopher Lee reprising, arguably, his most famous performance and the fact that it was directed by Roy Ward Baker and written by Anthony Hinds (two names probably familiar to fans of horror from this era).

The movie starts off with Dracula being resurrected thanks to the help of a daft, rubber bat. Then the fun really begins as the Count gets straight back to reprising his reign of terror, making some trouble for himself when he takes in a stranger (Paul, played by Christopher Matthews) and then doesn't let him leave. It's not long until Paul's brother (Simon, played by Dennis Waterman) comes looking for him with the beautiful Sarah (Jenny Hanley) by his side.

While this is not really a GREAT Hammer movie it is a damn entertaining one, despite how silly and slight it may be. Dennis Waterman makes for a decent enough leading man, Patrick Troughton is great as a servant of the fanged Count (even if he does resemble Oddbod from Carry On Screaming!), the lovely Jenny Hanley is quite lovely and everyone else does their bit portraying Hammer standards such as the scared priest (Michael Gwynn), the grouchy innkeeper (Michael Ripper), etc.

Nothing really feels too slick or polished but it doesn't ever feel like a rushed hatchet job either, falling somewhere in between the two and doing just enough to smooth over the more ludicrous moments in the movie. The ending is a bit of an anti-climax but such a slip-up is allowed when the rest of the movie is so much fun.

I actually found it more endearing than irritating whenever there was someone getting overly dramatic or whenever anyone was threatened by a distinctly rubbery bat but others may not feel the same way. That is, of course, their choice. If nobody agrees with me then I'll happily keep this treat all to myself.

7/10

Available in this super duper bargain boxset - http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Ultimate-Hammer-Collection-Disc/dp/B000HN31KQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353949514&sr=8-1

Treasure Island (1950)

If you don't know the story of Treasure Island - of Jim Hawkins, Long John Silver, The Hispaniola, mutiny and treachery and more - then you have missed out on some classic adventure goodness. The original story was written many years ago by Robert Louis Stevenson but I assure you that it holds up as a cracking yarn to this day, mainly because it throws in every pirate-related detail you have ever heard of and doesn't once apologise for it (of course, the cliches may not have seemed quite so cliched when the story was first published, considering how it pretty much created most of the established pirate traits).

This live action Disney take on the material isn't bad but the material deserves much better. It's such a great tale that I'd feel fairly assured in suggesting that it's almost impossible to make a mess of (though I'm sure that many have tried). The House Of Mouse have actually made a number of trips to this well with Muppet Treasure Island, Pirates Of The Caribbean (the ride and, of course, the popular movies deriving from the essence of Treasure Island) and Treasure Planet, to name but a few. This first attempt is probably the weakest of the ones I have seen but it still makes for passable entertainment.

Bobby Driscoll (known to Disney fans for his appearance in Song Of The South and his voicing of one Peter Pan) plays young Jim Hawkins, the lad who ends up with a pirate treasure map. He's also, along with everyone else in the tale, oblivious to the fact that Long John Silver (Robert Newton) is a scheming pirate. Which allows Long John Silver to help gather the crew that the few non-pirates need to acquire for their treasure hunt. Nobody seems suspicious despite the fact that Long John Silver has a parrot (one named after a pirate and that likes to squawk "pieces of eight", no less). Nobody seems to wonder just why Long John Silver says "aarrrrrr" so much. Surely these things are clues. Oh, and the fact that his name is Long John bloody Silver should have tipped people off.

Joking aside, the film suffers most from the same major problem that the source material had. Everything seems just a bit too over the top and obvious to take anyone by surprise. Those swarthy, coarse men are pirates?? They're all greedy enough to want the treasure for themselves?? Long John Silver has a cunning plan despite the fact that from the very beginning he looked like someone with a cunning plan?? Because the book left more to your imagination this wasn't really such a big problem. If things seemed too over the top and obvious then you could convince yourself that your imagination was at fault. The movie leaves you with no such excuse.

Byron Haskin directs competently enough and the script by Lawrence Edward Watkin translates the story quite faithfully. As the movie shared the big flaw of the book, so it shares the big plus point - the shifting moral compass of Long John Silver and the relationship that develops between him and Jim Hawkins. Everyone, and everything, is present and correct, from Billy Bones to Blind Pugh to the "black spot" to whatever else you can recall from the source material. Sadly, nothing really special is added to it all.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Treasure-Island-DVD-Bobby-Driscoll/dp/B00004CZAC