The Day of the Locust

 

(1975) Directed by John Schlesinger; Written by Waldo Salt; Based on the novel by Nathanael West; Starring: Donald Sutherland, Karen Black, William Atherton, Burgess Meredith, Geraldine Page, Richard Dysart and Billy Barty; Available on Blu-ray and DVD 

Rating: ****½  

Big thanks to Paul from Silver Screen Classics for hosting the Classic Literature on Film Blogathon. Be sure to check out all the posts from this exceptional blogging event!

“When I saw the first cut of the film, I knew it was going to be controversial, but I was very proud of it – and still am, incidentally. I realized that maybe the casting of Karen Black as Faye was fatal, but I felt that we had a really interesting and extraordinary film which by no means was going to be popular.” – John Schlesinger (from 1978 interview, “I Both Hate and Love What I Do”: An interview with John Schlesinger, by Michael M. Riley) 

“The central vision of the novel (The Day of the Locust), ‘The Burning of Los Angeles,’ comes from a poem that West wrote in 1932…My view was much more directly political. I saw Hollywood as the center of propaganda for the great American dream.” – Waldo Salt (from 1973 interview with Tom Buckley, The New York Times)

Hollywood success stories are the myth that keeps packing audiences in the theater. Movie-goers seem to have an insatiable appetite for stories about someone down on their luck (often depicted by a plucky heroine) who suddenly makes it big. A Hollywood failure story is something else. Directed by John Schlesinger (Midnight Cowboy), and written by Waldo Salt (adapted from Nathaniel West’s short novel), The Day of the Locust strips back the glossy Tinsel Town veneer, to reveal its true, unglamorous nature. It begins with the Hollywood dream, before abruptly devolving into a nightmare. Amidst a few bright spots, the cast of characters is predominately an assortment of has-beens, hopefuls, and never-weres.  

Tod Hackett (William Atherton) is a promising young artist working on the bottom rung of the motion picture business, circa 1938. He lives in a rundown apartment building, The San Bernardino Arms (“The San Berdoo”), populated by a host of characters involved directly or tangentially to show business. He’s obsessed by his neighbor, would-be starlet Faye Greener (Karen Black), who lives with her elderly, ex-Vaudevillian father Harry (Burgess Meredith). She regards him as a friend, but he desperately wants their relationship to be more than that. Another frequent visitor of the San Berdoo is quick-tempered Abe Kusich (Billy Barty), a little-person actor turned part-time hustler.

As Faye Greener, Karen Black* encapsulates the tone of the picture – a glamorous exterior that belies the ugliness underneath. In West’s book, Faye was only 17. The fact that Black was twice her character’s age only makes her character more pathetic. Faye (sporting a Harlow-esque platinum blonde hairdo) dreams of superstardom, taking the odd extra and bit parts in the hopes of landing her big break. In the meantime, she’s prepared to live a lifestyle beyond her means, and doesn’t care who she has to step on in the process. She’s the textbook definition of a self-dramatist, never missing an opportunity to hog the spotlight from everyone in her vicinity. Faye speaks with the affectations and ersatz sophistication of someone who can only mimic the celebrities she idolizes. She’s acts as if she’s constantly on stage, to the point where we never know who the real Faye is. Her syrupy sweet façade frequently lapses with moments of rage and abject cruelty. While she toys with Tod’s affections, she finds a willing mark in naïve Midwest transplant Homer Simpson (Donald Sutherland). 

* Fun Fact #1: Schlesinger auditioned several actresses for the role of Faye, including Raquel Welch, before eventually deciding on Karen Black. According to the director, he chose Black because, “There’s something about Karen Black, excellent actress though she is, that convinces you she wouldn’t succeed.”

Donald Sutherland intrigues and repels as the perpetually bewildered Homer Simpson,*/**/*** a man who seems profoundly uncomfortable in his own skin. One of Homer’s trademark behaviors (which Sutherland perfectly replicated from the book) is that he can’t seem to control his fidgeting hands. If his hands are in a continual state of motion, Homer himself appears to be frozen in a state of indecision and unfulfilled longing (In his first attempt to win Faye’s favors, he drops a bouquet and runs). While he regards Faye with unconditional adoration, to her, he’s only a meal ticket – one in a long line of people she’s used and discarded. Homer proves that everyone, however, has their boiling point. When he finally snaps, 40 years of repressed desires and rage are released in one terrible display. 

* Fun Fact #2: Was Nathanael West’s Homer the inspiration for the eponymous patriarch of The Simpsons television show? Its creator, Matt Groening, provided conflicting views, first attributing the character to his father, before conceding that Homer Simpson was in fact derived from West’s book. Which story is true? The world may never know. 

** Fun Fact #3: Sutherland stated that it was “one of my favorite roles, because I played him exactly as I was, aged 13.” (2005 Guardian interview by John Patterson) 

*** Fun Fact #4: In order to look the part of his oversized character, the 6’ 4” Sutherland gained 40 pounds.

The Day of the Locust lays bare the wide chasm between the haves and have-nots. Amidst the established Hollywood royalty, everyone else is chasing the elusive dream of fame, or gasping on the fumes of their former lives. One of the few success stories in the film is wealthy screenwriter Claude Estee (Richard Dysart), who stages elaborate parties at his sprawling estate.* On the other end of the spectrum is Faye’s father Harry (Burgess Meredith), a one-time star of the stage and screen, is now reduced to peddling his homemade shoe polish door-to-door, performing his song and dance routine to anyone who pays attention. Much like his daughter, his behaviors are little more than an elaborate ruse. Further down the stepladder of fame are fringe dwellers Earle Shoop (Bo Hopkins), and Miguel (Pepe Serna), who stage cockfights for small-time stakes. 

* Fun Fact #5: If Claude’s mansion looks familiar, it’s none other than Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Mayan House,” which famously appeared in The House on Haunted Hill (1959).

The film underscores the human cost of motion picture production. In one scene depicting the Battle of Waterloo,* the elaborate set collapses, resulting in multiple injuries. The producer’s reaction, much to Tod’s dismay, is to sweep it under the rug and move on. Human life, especially the lives of extras, is especially cheap. The film’s climax, set during a gala Chinese Theatre premiere, contains visuals worthy of a horror movie, when the mass of fans quickly becomes a mob. The crowd that arrived to feed off the fame of celebrities turns against itself, thirsting for blood and destruction. The scene reaches an apocalyptic crescendo with Hollywood literally in flames, mimicking Tod’s painting, “The Burning of Los Angeles.” The crowd of people has transformed into an unblinking sea of pallid gray faces, their mouths paralyzed in a perpetual wail.   

* Fun Fact #6: The Waterloo film’s director is played by William Castle, in a brief cameo.

Schlesinger and Salt effectively captured the damning tone of Nathanael West’s novel. While The Day of the Locust is rife with compelling performances and an uncompromising vision, it’s easy to see why this didn’t fare well with critics or the box office. Even by the gritty standards of ‘70s cinema, this is bleak stuff. It doesn’t give us anyone to root for, depicting a Hollywood where no one is left untainted (Tod, who would probably be the protagonist in most other films, nearly rapes Faye in a fit of jealousy). It’s a grim reminder that you don’t rise to the top without getting your hands dirty, which also follows for those that sink to the bottom.

 

Sources for this article: “I Both Hate and Love What I Do”: An interview with John Schlesinger, by Michael M. Riley, Literature/Film Quarterly, Spring 1978; “Total Recall – Donald Sutherland,” by John Patterson, Guardian (2005); “Waldo Salt Recalls The Day of the Locust,” by Tom Buckley, The New York Times, Friday, December 7, 1973; “Behind the Scenes of The Day of the Locust,” by Kenn Rand 

The 3rd Hammer-Amicus Blogathon Has Arrived – Day 1 Recap

 

After a one-year hiatus, the Hammer-Amicus Blogathon has risen from the grave for yet another round. Once again, my co-host extraordinaire, Gill Jacob from Realweegiemidget Reviews has joined me to preside over the three-day blogging event. We’d like to extend a big thanks to our regulars, who have participated in our previous Hammer-Amicus blogathons, and a warm hello to those who are joining us for the first time.   

We’re excited to see such a wide variety of posts, covering deep cuts in Hammer and Amicus’s respective catalogs, shining the spotlight on some unknown and unloved titles. Once again, there’s something for everyone here, covering a wide range of genres, from horror and mystery, to musicals, and everything in between. 

If you plan to participate but you’re not quite ready, don’t despair, we’ll post your link on days two or three. Post a comment below, email me at barry_cinematic@yahoo.com, or reach me on Twitter (@barry_cinematic). You may also contact Gill by commenting on her post, through her blog’s Contact Me page, or on Twitter (@realweegiemidge). 

Now, on with the show! Be sure to check out the following links, and tune in Saturday and Sunday for recaps of days two and three.

 

There’s sure to be double, double toil and trouble if you miss Angelman’s review of The Witches (1966). 

This is Michael Denney’s (from Maniacs and Monsters) review of These Are the Damned (1962). 

Rebecca Deniston from Taking Up Room throws down the gauntlet with her review of The Black Glove (aka: Face the Music) (1954). 

 

Prepare for some stormy weather when Terence Towles Canote from A Shroud of Thoughts reviews Cloudburst (1951). 

 

Join John V. from John V's Eclectic Avenue, as he rides along with Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974). 

 

Holger Haase from Hammer and Beyond prepares us for TheVengeance of She (1968).

Gill Jacob from Realweegiemidget Reviews appears with her review of The Lady Vanishes (1979). 

 

It’s a Freud for all, when I examine Demons of the Mind (1972).

 

Take a (Werewolf) break from the ordinary, when Scampy from The Spirochaete Trail discusses The BeastMust Die (1974). 

Hey, daddy-O, get hip to John L. Harmon’s review of Ring-A-Ding Rhythm! (1962).

Jay from Cinema Essentials invites us to read about the Amicus Horror Anthologies.

The good folks at That's Cool, That's Trash! discuss what those kooky young people are listening to these days, in It's Trad, Dad! (aka: Ring-A-Ding Rhythm!) (1962).

Gill Jacob is back to serve a second helping in the blogathon, paging through Peter Fuller and Jenny Hammerton’s new book, Supper with the Stars, with Your Host Vincent Price (2021). 

 

I Am Legend Redux

“…He could still see them out there, the white-faced men prowling around his house, looking ceaselessly for a way to get in at him. Some of them, probably, crouching on their haunches, like dogs, eyes glittering at the house, teeth slowly grating together; back and forth, back and forth.” – from I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson

(Caution: Some spoilers lie ahead, so proceed with caution.)

Richard Matheson’s classic 1954 post-apocalyptic novel I Am Legend chronicles one man’s attempt to endure after a global plague has wiped out most of humanity, and turned the remaining population into vampires. While the humanoids roam the streets at night looking for blood, Robert Neville stays barricaded in his personal fortress, along with the last trappings of a dead civilization. During the day, Neville turns the tables on the nocturnal predators, by locating their hiding places and destroying them.  

Aside from the vampires, Neville’s biggest adversaries are isolation, depression and the hopelessness of being the last human (presumably) on the planet. He was powerless to save his family as they succumbed to the plague; now he labors to find a cure for what might remain of the human populace. But his efforts are too little, too late. The world has moved on, with a third human/vampire hybrid species poised to assume dominance. They represent the future – a future that has no use for Neville, or humankind as it once existed.

So far, three versions of the novel have been filmed, although we probably won’t have long to wait until another movie attempts to adapt the material for a new audience. How do the existing versions measure up?

The Last Man on Earth (aka: The Damned Walk at Midnight) (1964) Directed by Ubaldo Ragona; Written by William F. Leicester, Logan Swanson (aka: Richard Matheson), Ubaldo Ragona and Furio M. Monetti; Starring: Vincent Price, Franca Bettoia, Emma Danieli and Giacomo Rossi Stuart; Available on DVD

Rating: ****

This Italian-American co-production is the most faithful adaptation of Matheson’s novel to date. Vincent Price stars as Dr. Robert Morgan (for some reason, the writers decided to change his last name from Neville). He’s on a one-man crusade to rid the world of vampires created by a plague that devastated the human race. He ventures outside to scavenge for supplies and hunt the nocturnal creatures by day, and hides inside his fortified house at night. He spends his days creating wooden stakes, hanging garlic and mirrors, and searching for a cure for the disease.

Price captures the isolation and despair of Matheson’s protagonist. His tragic past is told in flashback, as he loses his wife and daughter to an unstoppable plague. His former friend and co-worker, turned walking dead, Ben Cortman (Giacomo Rossi Stuart) taunts him (“Come out, Morgan”), and remains a constant reminder of the world that vanished.

The filmmakers retain the simplicity of the original story, keeping the main character front and center, as our guide to a nightmarish landscape. The film retains the novel’s plot twist, as well as its bleak ending. We’re left with little solace for Morgan and his plight. Humanity, as it existed, is gone and a new species is about to take its place. Not only is The Last Man on Earth closest to the spirit of the source material, it sets the standard for subsequent remakes.

The Omega Man (1971) Directed by Boris Sagal; Written by Joyce Hooper Corrington and John William Corrington; Starring: Charlton Heston, Rosalind Cash, Anthony Zerbe and Paul Koslo; Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Rating: ***½

Charlton Heston stars as Dr. Robert Neville, one of the last individuals left alive after a world-wide plague. Thanks to a self-administered injection of serum, he’s immune to the disease. He continues his research in his personal fortress/arsenal, safe from the attacks of nocturnal mutants. Although The Omega Man was released seven years later, it seems more dated, compared to its predecessor, with its multiple late ‘60s/early ‘70s pop culture references. Also, we never learn about Neville’s past, and the mutants are portrayed in more black and white terms. But Heston creates a memorable performance, as Neville tries to maintain his sanity and decorum (watch him sporting some groovy threads that would make Austin Powers jealous). His dialogue with himself is funny and poignant. Rosalind Cash is also appealing as the plucky human survivor Lisa.

Co-writer Joyce Hooper Corrington stated she chose to stray from the original novel’s concept of vampires, instead, focusing on a man-made plague and the consequences of biological warfare. While most of the world’s population was killed outright, some humans remain, along with a horde of vengeful albino mutants. Led by the charismatic zealot Matthias (Anthony Zerbe), they vow to rid the world of the last vestiges of the old society, including technology, books and artwork.

The film’s ending, involving a blatant Christ-figure allegory, strays from the original’s conclusion, and provides a glimmer of hope for humanity. A serum derived from Neville’s blood holds the key to fighting the plague. The few human survivors leave for a mountain retreat, away from the mutant-infested city, and off to an uncertain future.

I Am Legend (2007) Directed by: Francis Lawrence; Written by: Mark Protosevich and Akiva Goldsman; Starring: Will Smith, Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Salli Richardson-Whitfield and Willow Smith; Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Rating: *** 

The third version of Richard Matheson’s novel experienced a long, torturous road to production. At one time Arnold Schwarzenegger was attached to star and produce, with Ridley Scott directing, but the project failed to materialize. Nearly 40 years after The Omega Man, a new version of the venerable novel finally surfaced, with Will Smith in the lead role as Robert Neville. While Smith might not have been an obvious choice, he does a commendable job inhabiting the role, as a man tortured over the loss of his family, and continuing his work to find a cure. The film includes some obvious nods to The Omega Man, with Neville carrying on conversations with mannequins and racing through abandoned city streets (in this instance, Los Angeles is replaced by New York) in a new Mustang.

As in The Omega Man, the plague was created by us. Instead of biological warfare, however, the plague was a byproduct of a virus intended to cure cancer. Most of the world’s remaining population consists of nocturnal sub-human creatures. Neville continues his experiments using the creatures as guinea pigs. The weakest aspect of the film is its treatment of Neville’s adversaries. Instead of an organized faction, they’re feral, barely intelligent, and loosely organized. In contrast to the other two films, the creatures are rendered in sub-standard CGI, and appear alike with no discernible personalities or distinguishing features to tell them apart. As a result, the audience has no sympathy for the creatures. We see little reason for their existence, except as video game monsters for the hero to destroy.

Although the finished product is clearly the result of Hollywood meddling and corporate interests (even though it’s after the apocalypse, product plugs still abound), there’s still room for some introspection. In one scene, Neville and another human survivor (Alice Braga) debate science versus faith, with both viewpoints receiving ample respect. Unfortunately, the filmmakers hedge their bets (and dilute Matheson’s novel in the process), with a forced hopeful ending, as if they feared the commercial ramifications of audiences leaving on a downbeat note.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers Redux

“…there’s no way you can keep from sleeping, either.  You can fight it off for a time, but finally…you’ll have to sleep.” – from The Body Snatchers, by Jack Finney

What if the people you’ve always known and loved have suddenly become someone different?  Jack Finney’s seminal 1954 novel The Body Snatchers, which inspired four movies in four decades, examined this fear of identity loss and transformation, and the death of what makes us quintessentially human.  Finney’s novel detailed how individuals could be copied exactly, emulating the same memories, physical features and mannerisms, yet producing a shadow of the former person.  The author stops just short of calling this missing component a soul, but it’s clear that the simulacrums that emerge from these space pods are bereft of the essential element that makes us human.  The copying process could be likened to a digital recording that perfectly replicates the source material, but fails to capture the warmth of the original.  The prospect of this change is inherently terrifying because it occurs without our complicity, as we drift off to sleep.  The inevitability of sleep provides a catalyst for these eventual transformations.  It’s only a matter of time before everyone succumbs to the new paradigm.  Only two of the four adaptations dared to follow the darker themes of the novel, the prospect of an unbeatable situation, to its logical conclusion. 

The book and subsequent movies have contributed the term “pod people” to our pop culture consciousness.  It’s been used interchangeably to describe someone whose behavior has become erratic, or alternatively, one who thinks and acts like everyone else. In Finney’s novel, the main character, Dr. Miles Bennell, observes subtle changes in personalities that tip him off to the fact that his friends and acquaintances are no longer themselves.  While it would be virtually impossible to properly translate Dr. Bennell’s inner monologue to a film, the common thread between each of the adaptations is the loss of self.  Each version, to varying degrees of success, explored the basic existential question: when the transformation occurs, will we still be the same person when we awake?

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) The first interpretation of Finney’s novel is also the closest to the source material.  Kevin McCarthy stars as family doctor Miles Bennell, who watches things unravel as the residents of his small town succumb to the will of a sinister alien scourge. Much has been written about this version as a reflection of Cold War paranoia and the perceived threat of communism.  In an era typified by mostly mindless b-movie drive-in programmers, director Don Siegel introduced a very different type of science fiction monster.  Passive acceptance of mob mentality, promoted by the film’s pod people, is the only choice offered to the film’s protagonist.  Bennell’s chilling admonition during the film’s climax that “you’re next” drives home this inevitable message.  The hopeful ending, added at the insistence of the film’s producers, is the only downside of an otherwise effective adaptation. 

     

Rating: ****

 

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) One of the rare remakes that surpasses the original.  Director Philip Kaufman and screenwriter W.D. Richter use the novel as a departure point, distilling Finney’s themes of identity and complicity.  The story moves south from the sleepy Northern Californian town of Mill Valley to the sprawling metropolis of San Francisco.  Kaufman expertly creates an atmosphere of overwhelming paranoia, where no one can be trusted, as illustrated by Jeff Goldblum’s character Jack Bellicec, who proclaims that everything is a conspiracy.  Donald Sutherland is especially likable as public health inspector Matthew Bennell, and serves as the film’s anchor. 

Why this adaptation stands apart from other versions is all in the details.  The characterizations are nicely fleshed out with quirks that bring out their inherent humanity.  The throbbing sound and disturbing makeup effects contribute to a profoundly disorienting, unsettling experience.  Leonard Nimoy also provides a memorable supporting performance as Bennell’s disbelieving psychiatrist friend Dr. Kibner.  There’s also a nice nod to the original film with inspired cameos by Kevin McCarthy and the original film’s director, Don Siegel.  This remains the definitive film version, improving on the ending of the novel by eschewing the artificially upbeat, deus ex machina conclusion.  Kaufman never lets us off the hook, proving that there’s no safe haven.  

Rating: *****.  Available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Body Snatchers (1993) With the 1978 version fresh in my mind, my first reaction to this film, was “why bother?”  Upon re-assessment, I concluded that my initial judgment was a bit harsh.  Although Body Snatchers doesn’t really add anything new, it doesn’t embarrass itself, either.  Director Abel Ferrara takes the premise from the original story, but moves the setting to a U.S. Army base.  Some high points are an icy performance by Meg Tilly and a great scene in a kindergarten class where all of the children’s finger paintings look alike except for the new kid’s.  Most of the characterizations are weak, and the whole movie seems rushed and hastily slapped together, suggesting that some scenes were cut out.  This is especially evident with Forest Whitaker’s character, Major Collins.  He’s introduced early in the film, and doesn’t reappear until a pivotal scene in the latter part.  The movie loses its footing by the end, during an ill-advised action scene in a helicopter gunship that dilutes the impact of the paranoid premise and shifts the focus away from the human story.

Rating: ***.  Available on DVD.

 The Invasion (2007) I was prepared to give this movie the benefit of the doubt, despite its poor reputation (Warning: a few spoilers lie ahead!).  I gave Director Oliver Hirschbiegel and writer David Kajganich points for at least trying something a little different – this time, instead of space pods, it’s a space virus that causes people to transform into emotionless simulacrums of themselves.  It’s a modern-day thriller, meaning it’s chock-full of generic action scenes, car crashes and copious amounts of product placement.  Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman (sporting an unconvincing New York accent) starred in this troubled production, which required reshoots by a different director, James McTeigue.  This time, Dr. Bennell (Kidman) is a psychiatrist who learns about the replacement people through one of her patients, Wendy Lenk (played by Veronica Cartwright, who appeared in the superior 1978 version).   The emphasis is on action, rather than character-driven drama in this film, which could have worked if the filmmakers had made better choices.  The actions of the pod people are completely inconsistent, ranging from impassive and drone-like to rage-filled and violent (throwing Molotov cocktails just doesn’t seem right).  The happy ending trashes the concept of an unbeatable foe, demonstrating that becoming a pod person is apparently a reversible process (WTF?).  There’s also a lame attempt at social commentary, asserting that war and inequality are created by our differences (duh!), and suggesting that we might have been better off becoming pod people to achieve lasting peace.

Rating: **.  Available on DVD and Blu-Ray