Rob Roy: A Highland Adventure

Over the past month I have been recovering from foot surgery. This meant weeks spent in a recliner watching movies to keep my mind occupied. One of the films that I watched was Rob Roy starring Liam Neeson and Jessica Lange. When one thinks of Scotland, movie audiences almost immediately think of BraveHeart. I happen to think Rob Roy is superior to Braveheart in many ways.

Rob Roy is a 1995 historical drama film directed by Michael Caton-Jones. Liam Neeson stars as Robert Roy MacGregor, an 18th century Scottish historical figure who battles with feudal landowners in the Scottish Highlands. The villains in this movie were perfectly casted. John Hurt, famous for his portrayal of Caligula in the 1976 BBC television production of I Claudius, plays the part of Marquis of Montrose who lends Rob Roy £1000 only to have Montrose’s conniving factor Killearn (Brian Cox) and evil henchmen Archibald Cunningham (Tim Roth) conspiring to take the money for themselves.

Together John Hurt and Tim Roth portray the greed that can befall men who hunger for nobility and power. Tim Roth was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the villain Archibald Cunningham.

(Tim Roth as Archibald Cunningham)

(John Hurt as Marquis of Montrose)

(Liam Neeson as Robert Roy MacGregor)

Breathtaking landscapes of the Scottish highlands, steamy love scenes and non-stoping, riveting action together make this film a must see. Rob Roy had excellent cinematographers in Karl Walter Lindenlaub and Roger Deakins and costume designer Sandy Powell.

The realistic sword fighting scenes in this movie can be attributed to fencing master and choreographer William Hobbs who also choreographed Othello (1965), Excalibur (1982) and The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) among many other great films.

Click below to view the final duel between Rob Roy and the infamous Archibald Cunningham in addition to a montage of the movie with Celtic music performed by Scottish folk singer Karen Matheson.

Edge of Darkness: A Norwegian Epic

Lewis Milestone's Edge of Darkness, released in 1943, depicts the heroic true story of the Nazi resistance led by villagers in a small Norwegian fishing town of Kronos. It's hard to fathom that the threat of Nazi occupation stretched far North into Scandinavia.

Edge of Darkness is full of beautiful cinematography that captures Norway’s scenic beauty. The movie opens with German planes flying through the clouds and mist that engulf the mountains and villages. The head of the fisherman’s union, Gunnar Brogge, (played by Errol Flynn) assumes command of the resistance after his lover Karen Stensgard (played by Ann Sheridan) is raped by a German soldier.

Edge of Darkness captures the human struggles experienced by Norwegians under Nazi occupation. Lewis Milestone, who also directed "All Quiet on the Western Front" delivers a wartime drama at its best.

Salem's Lot: A Macabre Delight

Horror movies are one of the most difficult genres to pull off successfully with audiences today. There are so many horror movies being made today and most of them are terribly written and unoriginal. Many of the best horror movies ever made were based on novels or short stories written by the "King of Horror" himself, Stephen King.

My next movie recommendation for this month is Salem’s Lot which is based on Stephen King’s second novel. Salem’s Lot aired as a television miniseries in 1979 frightening millions right in their own living rooms. Salem’s Lot is a deeply engrossing story that unfolds exactly as if you were reading a book. The pace of the movie for today’s audience may seem slow, but the slower pace allows time to weave intricate relationships between key players of the story and creates a ripple like effect as the suspense of the movie increases.

Salem’s Lot is a story about author Ben Mears who returns to his childhood town to write a book on the infamous Marsten House, a 19th Century Gothic mansion that has haunted Ben since his childhood. The Marsten House was once occupied by child rapist and murderer Hubert Marsten who mysteriously died in the house. Upon Ben's arrival, he discovers that the house was recently purchased by two antique dealers, Straker and Barlow. Acclaimed British actor James Mason, who played Brutus in the 1953 production of Julius Caesar, delivers a stunning and eerie performance as Straker.

Not long after Ben's arrival, a child goes missing in Salem's Lot while another is admitted to the hospital for pernicious anemia (severe blood loss) and dies. Others soon go missing and soon the town of Salem's lot seems to be dying off to some mysterious plague. As bodies go missing from morgues and cemeteries, Ben believes the source of the evil that has succumbed Salem's Lot lies in the Marsten House and its evil tenants Straker and Mr. Barlow, whom no one has ever seen.

Salem's Lot is a truly terrifying Gothic horror movie that is reminiscent of Bram Stroker's Dracula. What it lacks in special effects and gore, it makes up in suspense and atmosphere.

Click here to view movie trailer:

Fright Night: A Cult Classic

Vampires have become such a cliché in today's pop culture, that it's not often that you find an original vampire flick that delivers. Ironically, the one vampire flick that does and one that I recommend, "Fright Night", is actually a spoof of the vampire myth, albeit a scary one. Instead of deviating from the classic lore behind the vampire legend, director Tom Holland is able to retain all the elements of the traditional myth and integrate them into 1980s America. "Fright Night" which was released in 1985 has gone on to be a cult classic. So much so, that DreamWorks recently revealed that they are in the process of making (you guessed it) a remake. More reason why you should see this one before it will be forever tainted by a remake.

Charlie Brewster loves two things; horror movies and his girlfriend Amy. In fact, the movie opens with the two together watching Charlie's favorite TV show "Fright Night", a campy horror show hosted by washed-up actor Peter Vincent (played by Roddy McDowall). As they're busy watching and making out, they are interrupted by two men moving in next door. Charlie thinks it odd that they would be moving in at night. In the nights that follow, strange occurrences happen that persuade Charlie that their strange behavior can only be explained by the fact that his new neighbors are indeed a vampire and his undead watchdog during the daylight hours.

Fright Night contains all the elements of a fun, scary movie; it's original, sexy, and full of comic relief. Ladies and men of a certain persuasion will ditch the "Edward" or "Jacob" camp of the "Twilight" series and opt for Jerry Dandrige played by actor Chris Sarandon. All audiences will enjoy watching Amanda Bearse' debut appearance who went on to play Al Bundy's neighbor Marcy in the 90s sitcom "Married with Children". She was a young actress in this film, and those who haven't seen "Fright Night" yet will be struck on how attractive she is in this film. Fright Night will also delight new audiences with its orginal soundtrack that remains a successful selling item on Amazon even today, 20+ years later!

Once Bitten: A cheesy 80s comedy that is sure to get you into the Halloween spirit

I have a confession to make. Ever since I was very young, I fell in love with campy 80s movies. Maybe it's because I'm a product of the 80s, or maybe it’s because my parents had HBO when I was growing up. Anyways, one of my favorite campiest 80s movies of all time just happens to be my next Halloween movie recommendation. "Once Bitten", which was released in 1985, stars Jim Carrey and sexy actress and supermodel Lauren Hutton. Lauren Hutton was one of America's first supermodels, cover girl and cosmetics spokeswoman since the 1960s. Lauren Hutton was in her early 40s when she made "Once Bitten" and still looked stunning.

The plot is simple enough. Mark Kendall (played by Jim Carrey) is a high school student living in Los Angeles and is desperate to get laid with his girlfriend Robin (played by Karen Kopins), but she is not quite ready. So one night, Mark and his goofy friends, Jamie and Russ, decide to cruise Hollywood to pick up chicks. They are able to sneak into a trendy Hollywood nightclub where Mark becomes seduced at the bar by the Countess (played by Lauren Hutton). What Mark doesn't realize is that the Countess is not looking for a good time. She has a problem. She is a 400 year old vampire who needs to feed on the blood of a virgin three times ever year before Halloween or else she will lose her beauty. Will the Countess, with the help of her flamboyant servant Sebastian (played by Cleavon Little) along with her coven of vampires succeed in finding a virgin in LA? You will need to rent the movie to see if Mark succumbs to the Countess' bloodthirsty desire.

I want to take this time to share a funny true story that is connected to this movie. My brother was in Kindergarten, yes Kindergarten, when he discovered this movie; probably through my bad influence. Anyways, there's a pick-up line used in the movie by Mark’s friend Russ that my brother retained to memory and after which he began to recite it to just about anyone including his kindergarten teacher without knowing the sexual connotations behind it. The pick-up line goes,

"Hi. I'm a Sagittarius. I enjoy surfing, candlelit dinners, and Tolstoy. Listen. I'm a mature person and you're a mature person, so why don't we just skip all the bullshit, get rid of our inhibitions, and DO what we really wanna DO? "

Can you imagine hearing that line from the the mouth of a kid in kindergarten? Well my brother did it and it was absolutely hilarious. We still have old family movies with him saying that line. Now that's a priceless and precious family memory we will always cherish!!!

“Once Bitten” is just a fun and innocent movie which could only have been pulled off in the 80s. Definitely cheesy, but sexy and entertaining just the same. If you like underground 80s music as I do, you will enjoy the music sequences used throughout the film. There is also a sexy dance sequence with Jim Carrey, Lauren Hutton and Karen Kopins at the high school Halloween dance that is alone worth watching the movie. Jim Carrey is a surprisingly good dancer. "Once Bitten" was the film that put Jim Carrey on the road to stardom and soon afterwards went onto work for Fox's successful comedy sitcom "In Loving Color".

If you want to mix up your Halloween movies with a taste of comedy, "Once Bitten" is a tasty treat that is sure to entertain you and your friends this Halloween.

Click below to view movie trailer:

Short And Sweet -- A Halloween Movie Suggestion

There are very few truly great horror movies, in my opinion. There are many that are fun to watch, many that are creepy, a LOT that are just plain gory. True horror, however, is more difficult to convey. One movie that does so in an incredible way is The Changeling (1980) with George C. Scott, Melvin Douglas and Trish Van Devere. (Do not confuse this with the more recent movie Changeling with Nicole Kidman. There is no relationship between the two.)

The great George C. Scott gives his usual tour de force performance as a composer, a man recovering from a great tragedy. He rents a huge and beautiful old house with a secret as tragic as his own. That's it, that's all you are getting out of me. Any further discussion would have to include aspects of the movie that would spoil it for those who have not seen it.

The Changeling is available on Netflix, and may be available on some movie-on-demand lists. However you are able to find it, don't miss this one, especially during the month of ghosts and demons!

Christine: Scary Movie Recommendation # 1

Only Stephen King could frighten millions of readers with a story about an evil 1958 Plymouth Fury and write it in such a way that makes it both believable and terrifying as well. "Christine" is one of King's earlier novels and one that I highly recommend reading. As with Stephenie Meyer's Twilight saga, King takes you back to those wonderful days of high school. Unlike Twilight, King's protagonist Arnold Cunningham (high shool nerd) falls in love with a possessed 1959 Plymouth Fury instead of a seducing, charming vampire. Arnold's best friend Dennis Guilder (football jock) is not happy with Arnie's decision to buy the rusted, beat-up car in the first place. The book follows Arnie's infatuation over his car "Christine" transform into a disturbing obsession, then finally into a frightening rage.

After purchasing "Christine", Arnie undergoes a dramatic change. His acne miraculously clears up. Remember, this story takes place in the 70s, well before ProActiv Acne Solution hit the market. His confidence signficantly increases and he is able to fend off his bullies and fall in love with beautiful Leigh Cabot to boot. While "Christine" is responsible for this transformation, she soon becomes insanely jealous and territorial. In the end, Arnie is forced to choose between "Christine" or his friends.

Since it's Halloween season, I highly recommend that you add "Christine" to your horror movie list. Christine was released in 1983 and directed by John Carpenter, who is well known for "The Thing", "Halloween", "Escape from New York", "Escape from LA" and "Vampires". I personally love John Carpenter's movies. His style is raw and entertaining and "Christine" is classic John Carpenter all the way.

If you have "Encore On Demand", you should be able to access the movie through the month of October. I will try to post additional horror movie favorites of mine every day this month.