Change Your Image
psussmann
Reviews
One Potato, Two Potato (1964)
A very prescient and advanced film of the mid 1960s
I remember seeing this film in 1964 when I was young and single. At the time, I saw change coming at a furious pace and I remember that I did not like much of it. However, when it came to interracial love, marriage and family life, I felt that love defined a state of being and feeling, not a race or colour. That state of being and feeling is special to those who share them with each other and children who may result from their union or adoption by them. As a result, I felt not tears and sorrow, but anger and bitterness toward the ex-husband of Julie, the character played by Barbara Barrie, because he came to divide a loving family. Joe Cullen (the ex-husband played by Richard Mulligan) may have provided the semen that resulted in the birth of Mary Ellen Cullen, but he was not a father; Frank Richards (played by Bernie Hamilton) was a real father to that girl; with him and the baby boy that her mother and Frank had together she felt happy and part of a real family. When asked about what she found different about her sibling, she answered, very wisely and correctly, that he is a boy. His colour was absolutely unimportant to her. I also felt anger toward the judge (played by Harry Bellaver) who decided in favour of Joe Cullen having custody of the daughter he ignored for most of her life. Ironically, I liked the actors who portrayed the judge and Joe Cullen in roles that were very different: Harry Bellaver was always the patient, paternal, sympathetic, but strict cop, Officer Frank Arcaro, in "Naked City" and Richard Mulligan was so low-key, deadpan and hilarious in a number of television programmes; amongst them "Soap" and "Empty Nest" Years later, this film that I never forgot, really became special to me because I met, courted and married a woman of another race. We are still together, 29 years and 5 beautiful bi-racial children later. My cheers and appreciation to everyone involved in the making of that film for their courage and foresight to present an interracial family as normal and as loving as any family should be. I know it was an inspiration for me. One more note: the director of the film, Larry Peerce is the son of the late Jan Peerce, one of my favourite opera singers; Jan Peerce is best known, however, for his recording of the very beautiful and moving popular song "Bluebird Of Happiness" which celebrates life and love amongst all people, regardless of their status in society.
Touch of Evil (1958)
Surreal is the only word to describe it.
Whatever you may think of the talent, or lack of it , that Charlton Heston displays as the Mexican cop Miguel Vargas, you have to appreciate that everything about the circumstances described in the movie are surreal and eerie. Every location seems to be desolate and virtually uninhabited and so are the personalities and souls of almost everyone with whom Miguel and his wife come into contact. Look at the situation with his wife; he deposits her in a creepy motel whilst he works on his investigation with the corrupt, uncooperative Captain Quinlan and his minions in the California Gringo Police. [Did you think it was only the Mexican Police who are supposed to be corrupt and heartless?]. In other words, the people depicted in this movie whether good or evil seem to be non-characters, non-people who populate a weird and surreal non-world. Totally unbelievable, but, at the same time, totally interesting and engrossing.
Mother Riley Meets the Vampire (1952)
Absolutely hilarious
I saw this movie when it was released here under the title "My Son The Vampire." It was a delight from start to finish. In fact, at the start, the title song "My Son The Vampire" is sung by none other than Allan Sherman! Believe me, his song sets the pace for what is to follow. True, the Mother Riley movies were really satires about the British Government and other aspects of British Society of the time, but this one nonetheless probably has no social or political commentary whatsoever and is simply a ridiculously brainless type of movie that will not fail to entertain you by making you laugh at the faux horror and forget about your cares.