The other SEE NO EVIL, on the other hand, seems far more promising. I haven't seen it and I don't know if I'll ever get to - it was made in 1971 so it has probably gone on fire which, in case you didn't know, is what happens to films from history times. It looks especially interesting because it was written by Brian Clemens who is capable of being terrific (casting Diana Rigg in THE AVENGERS, possibly the worlds sexiest decision) but also of being wildly awful (HIGHLANDER 2: THE CONFUSENING). Not only that, but it was directed by Richard Fleischer who seems to have been capable of similar swings. It looks like it might be brilliant and I'd love to see it if either of you know where I can find a copy.
Since it is probably some kind of lost masterpiece, I guess it's okay for me to spoil the story. Mia Farrow, having been blinded in a riding accident, goes to stay with her uncle. Everyone gets murdered by a mad killer while she's out and I expect it's very tense when she comes home because it will take her a while to find the bodies and then the mad killer comes back and it will be especially frightening because the mad killer is played by Paul Nicholas.
Paul Nicholas started his film career playing a bunch of bastards: the aforementioned lunatic, a scheming grandson in WHAT BECAME OF JACK AND JILL? and the cheerfully manic sadist, Cousin Kevin in TOMMY. He went on to become a household name opposite Jan Francis in JUST GOOD FRIENDS for which he also sang the theme tune. Jan Francis went on to star in STAY LUCKY with Dennis Waterman who (as if you didn't already know) also sang the theme tune! I would like to see Paul Nicholas standing on one side of the stage with Dennis Waterman on the other and Jan Francis in the middle. They can sing their theme tunes at the same time and when they're finished we can measure which one has done the best job of attracting JF - the winner gets to toy with her emotions for a series or two.
The horses/blindness theme of SEE NO EVIL makes me think of EQUUS and Alan Strang's effect on Dysart reminds me of the effect that Walter Kovacs has on Dr. Long in WATCHMEN. In WATCHMEN, Dr. Manhattan is in self-imposed exile on Mars. Earth is between Mars and Venus and, in a strange and disturbing twist of fate, Venus will be the title of my next entry!
Shit, I think I snapped my shoehorn.
4 comments:
My other fave Paul Nicholas role is in Lisztomania, in which he is typecast as Richard Wagner. A Richard Wagner who is simultaneously Dracula and Frankenstein. He creates the Frankenstein monster of Nazism with his music, which is played by Rick Wakemen.
Oh, did I forget to mention it's a Ken Russell film?
I thought his Wagner might be a bastard but i haven't seen the film so I didn't want to comment. I have not seen nearly enough Ken Russell movies and most of the ones I have seen were so long ago that I can't remember them. I must fix this, possibly with some kind of Ken Russell Week.
A full week of Ken might be a bit hard to take. I finally got a widescreen copy of The Music Lovers though, so I intend to run that sometime.
Ahah -- the most unpleasant Word Verification word I've yet encountered: "wormeat"!
Looking back it does seem to have been rather a bold claim. I'll just watch the craziest ones.
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