Crime Doctors Manhunt (1946)

Dr. Ordway is approached by yet another young man suffering from instances of missing time. Philip Armstrong (Myron Healey) is a recently returned war vet who has found himself periodically coming too at a carnival in a part of town he doesn't remembers visiting before. In following up on his case Ordway sees two men carrying a dead Armstrong from a boarding house, he gets in touch with the police. The Police assign Fred Mertz to the case, who has Ordway accompany him as they go to interview the various Dragnet character occupants of the house. In time it is somehow discovered that Armstorng was murdered with a gun that belonged to a boarding house resident who also operates a booth at the carnival, but she insists that the gun was stolen and Ordway believes her.

In the meantime Armstrong's long-time fiance Ellen Drew is becoming a bit unhinged, especially when she discovers from the gardener at her fathers estate that some hired goon type guys were around the place looking for her sister. Now Ellen hasn't seen her sister in years, ever since her father banished her for her strong opposition to Ellen and Armstrong's engagement, now we have a suspect. An APB is put out on Ellen's sister, this gets the attention of a man claiming to be said sisters husband, only he says that she died six months ago.

Spoiler: Since this is a Crime Doctor movie it would not be surprising if the crime is eventually explained by some sort of psychotic illusion, and this one sure is. You see Ellen Drew is her own sister, she developed a split personality and as her sister plotted her fiances death, with the right brain being unaware of what the left brain was doing. Yes Castle directed this film as well. I don't remember Armstrong's missing time ever being adequately explained. *1/2

I finally figured out there is a name to a certin sub-genra of horror that I like, as well as a blog devoted to it: Folk Horror Review

Extended Cut: Simon Abrams's Film Journal

The Cooler

The Crime Doctors Warning (1945)

This, the fourth Crime Doctor picture was directed by a pre-celebrity William Castle, and yes you can see his taste for the odd twist on display, though here it makes even less sense then usual. The Crime Doctor (Warner Baxter) is brought in to help the police investigate the death of a young model just arrived in town. On his way out of the crime scene Dr. Ordway is a approached by a young man who quickly runs away when the doctor attempts to speak to him. The next day this same young man arrives at the crime doctors office, he explains that he has been experiencing periods of "missing time" lately and is concerned what he might be doing. As the young man says he can usually sense when one of his spells is coming on Dr. Ordway advises that he be called the next time this looks like it is going to happen, day or night.

The young man is a struggling artist living in the same bohemian complex as the murdered girl, he is also dating/engaged to one of his models. While painting her the lad starts to feel one of his episodes coming on and phones the doctor accordingly, the model leaves at around this time. When Ordway arrives at the mans residence he finds a party going on, celebrating the recent sale of the one of the kids paintings. He tells Ordway that the moment passed but thanks him for coming anyway, then someone discovers the dead model under a trundle bed. Everything points to the young mans guilt, but the Crime Doctor isn't so sure, which is appropriate because it would be to obvious for the logical suspect to actually be the murder in one of these movies.

Now I'm going to spoil it for you, the murder turns out to be a middle aged man who has been making a living as an artist model since he was a little boy, he will pose in all sorts of getup and costume makeup and have his portrait painted as a sea captain, ect. Anyway this man is just kind of struggling along in his profession at this point, and he blames all the beautiful women that painters prefer to paint, so of course he starts killing them. Makes sense, no? The women he murdered had all once posed for the same painting, and the struggling artist protagonist has a disapproving, rich wheelchair bound mother, and on an on. No doesn't make much sense, but the fact that its odd makes it tolerable. **

The Crime Doctor's Courage (1945)

In my review of Crime Doctor's Strangest Case I said " The writing and Baxter's presence ground the film, it doesn't become comic like a Bulldog Drummond film or over the top like a Dick Tracy." I'm afraid that with The Crime Doctor's Courage I am going to have to walk that statement back some, because you see in this film for a time it is seriously floated that the murder might have been committed by a pair of  Spanish vampires. The movie starts out promisingly enough, there's this guy whose first two wives died within days of their marriage, and despite suspicion he didn't murder either of them, though indirectly he did cause the death of one of them. Now this could be interesting, exploring the effects of these deaths on the mans psyche, especially as he takes a third wife, but on the night of that marriage he himself is murdered. But by who, his new wife, his mechanically inclined father-in-law, the bitter brother of his first wife, the visiting novelist, his new wife's long time male friend, or two Spanish dancers who are only ever seen at night and thus might be vampires? Well it wasn't the vampires, there are no vampires, only disposed Spanish aristocracy. This movie dosen't make a ton of sense, and its oddly meandering in its story structre, but it is entertaining. One can only wonder what further weirdness lies ahead in the future adventures of The Camp Doctor. **

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Final instalment in director Christopher Nolan's much lauded Batman trilogy. The expectations for this were huge, and after an incredible second entry with The Dark Knight I had my doubts weather Nolan could pull this off, but he succeeded. It is often the case with superhero trilogies where the second outing is the strongest, like in the X-Men or Sam Rami's Spider-Man movies, but  The Dark Knight Rises is an excellent culmination of all that came before and is the first time I am aware of in which a Batman saga is actually given a proper ending.

The events of the Aura Colorado theater shooting can not be ignored, certainly the shooter drew inspiration from the previous film and this film has plenty of disturbing imagery of its own, and should not be viewed by young children, like some who were in the theater that night. However the violence in the film is not a celebration, its meant to terrify. Nolan has credited Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities as a source of inspiration for the plot of the film, and its nightmare scenario of class warfare has relevance in the current economic/political climate. There is a depth to Nolan's film making that feels unusual for such a commercially successful director, the Wachowski's aspired to depth in an ironically surfacy way, but I think its Chris Nolan who actually reaches it.

The Dark Knight Rises is a very exciting film that plays with political, philosophical, and just plan dramatic ideas in an interesting way, it follows through on much of what was introduced in the previous two films. This is a movie that actually takes into account the physical and psychological impact of being Batman in a fairly realistic manner. It continues to pound home the apocalyptic, city on the brink motif that was present throughout the last two films. It examines the tenuousness of contemporary civilisation, it explores moral complexities and internal conflicts, but also highlights moral absolutes and self sacrifice. This movie takes us to a dark place, but also tells us why its important to go there, and though its the most wish fulfilment part of the movie, that yes there can be something good on the other side. The Dark Knight Rises is a film to both be experienced and contemplated, and surely the standout of the summer. ****

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornest Nest (2010)

Final entry in the Swedish film adaption of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy. This is the 'court room drama' episode of the trilogy, even though very little of it takes place in a courtroom, its mostly preparing for Lisbeth's trial. It really works as the conclusion to a trilogy, even though Larsson is reported to have planned writing this series more or less indefinitely prior to his early death. The plot threads of the previous films are wrapped up nicely, there's closure, but with out definitively ending everything. Again this has to be viewed as part of a whole, if your not familiar with the first two installments watching this would seem rather pointless. ***1/2

Gilda (1946)

This film is famous as a showcase for actress Rita Hayworth, or rather the figure and face of Rita Hayworth in images that run from the sultry to the cheesecake. The plot concerns her characters strained relationship with an ex-beau/future husband played by Glenn Ford. There is also a syndicate run by George Macready and involving ex-patriot Germans, the film is set in South America, and largely in a casino. As much melodrama and noir as is packed in here there is still time to give Rita a few musical numbers, it's hard to classify this film. It's good, it works, even though I never felt all that invested in the proceedings, again this is a showcase for Rita. I don't know if this deserves all the praise it got, maybe its just a matter of having been the right film at the right time. ***

The Crime Doctor's Strangest Case (1943)

The second film in a series adapted from the popular radio serial. 'The Crime Doctor' is  Dr. Robert J. Ordway played by William Baxter. Ordway was taken to the hospital after having been found thrown from a moving car, when he came to he had amnesia and eventually decided to become a psychologist, taking his name form the hospital wing where he recovered. Ordway's back story is covered in the first Crime Doctor film, which I saw years ago, this second outing concerns the death of a retired pharmaceutical magnet and it is indeed a strange case. The rich old man was killed, poisoned in his home, there where about half a dozen people on the premises when it happened, each with motive, and each acting rather odd, or should we say strange. The writing and Baxter's presence ground the film, it doesn't become comic like a Bulldog Drummond film or over the top like a Dick Tracy. The story none the less proves rather tangled owing to the presence of five red herring characters. Lloyd Bridges is in this in an early role. **1/2

The Terror of Tiny Town (1938)

"The worlds only musical western with an all-midget cast." Yet its surprisingly dull. The little people are put into a stock musical western, with stock sets that are not to scale, and stock characters who are not interesting. A novelty film whose novelty can't sustain a film, this should have been a short if it were to be made at all. Not so good. *1/2