Movie Review: The Amityville Horror (1979)

Genre: Supernatural Horror  

Director: Stuart Rosenberg  

Starring: James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger, Don Stroud, Murray Hamilton, Helen Shaver, Val Avery  

Running Time: 118 minutes  

Synopsis: Newlyweds George and Kathy Lutz (James Brolin and Margot Kidder) stretch the family finances and buy a dream Long Island house, priced at a discount because it was previously the scene of a murderous rampage. Father Delaney (Rod Steiger) arrives to bless the house but is chased away by an evil presence, while George becomes sullen and obsessed with wood chopping and axe sharpening. Other strange phenomena include a self-locking closet, the front door blowing off its hinges, the dog clawing at the base of a brick wall, and young daughter Amy developing an unhealthy attachment to an unseen entity she calls Jody. 

What Works Well: Initially believed to be based on actual events (the predecessor multiple murders did happen), this adaptation of the Jay Anson novel does develop a sense of dread. The theme of a family's financial stress threatening tranquility underpins the premise, while the more traditional bump-in-the-night scenes are capably staged by director Stuart Rosenberg, who finds the best angles to turn a house into a threat. James Brolin and Margot Kidder make for an appealing couple, and the rest of the cast features capable talent. 

What Does Not Work As Well: A lot seems to happen, but nothing of plot substance actually happens, exposing the underlying narrative weakness. Rod Steiger's priest fumbles around to no effect, Don Stroud and Murray Hamilton are two other priests with little to contribute, and Val Avery's frumpy detective does...what, exactly? Helen Shaver as a psychic family friend seems to have all the answers to questions that are never asked, and there is an awkward wedding sub-plot that never gels. Finally a muddle of theories encompassing Satanism and the gateway to Hell are trotted out in context-free desperation to create something out of nothing.

Key Quote:

The House (to Father Delaney): GET OUT! 

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Movie Review: The Great Waldo Pepper (1975)

A bittersweet look back at the early days of flight, The Great Waldo Pepper mixes nostalgia, comedy and tragedy. Director George Roy Hill teams up again with Robert Redford and they effectively keep the characters at the centre of the drama despite the preponderance of buzzy airplanes and aerial stunt sequences.

It's the 1920s, the sight of flying machines is becoming relatively more common, and World War I veteran pilot Waldo Pepper (Redford) is witnessing the end of the barnstorming era in Midwest, in which pilots land their bi-planes in rural fields and sell a short flight experience to the gape-mouthed locals. The flamboyant Waldo is good at flying but better at lying, and he spins tall tales about an epic encounter during the war with the legendary and widely-feared German ace Ernst Kessler (Bo Brundin). Waldo tangles with fellow flyer and barnstormer Axel Olsson (Bo Svenson), but with audiences demanding more thrills and extreme risks, they become friends and team up with local girl Mary Beth (Susan Sarandon) to join the stunt flying circuit, resulting in a tragedy and suspension from flying.

In the meantime, Waldo's friend Ezra (Edward Hermann) finishes building an advanced technology plane, and attempts a dangerous outside loop manoeuvre. This causes another tragedy and lands Pepper in even deeper trouble, and he is banned entirely from flying by the newly formed federal flight regulation body. Undeterred, Waldo and Axel relocate to a burgeoning Hollywood, with Waldo assuming a new name to circumvent his ban. They are hired as pilots in a film about Kessler's exploits, allowing Waldo to finally meet and fly against his mythical foe, this time for real.

The Great Waldo Pepper is deceptively sad. While an overall sense of flying for fun and laughter in the face of danger permeates the film, the script by Hill and William Goldman contains several moments of severe calamity. Sudden and sometimes spectacular death was an almost routine part of the early days of flight, and to give credit to Hill, the opening sequence hints at men regularly rubbing shoulders with abrupt catastrophe.

Redford has the natural charm and charisma to bring Waldo Pepper to life, and his optimism and longing for unconstrained flying are infectious. Bouncing straight back up after every setback, Redford gathers life's experiences and hurtles towards his destiny, an encounter with Kessler presenting both men with an unexpected opportunity for a memorable exclamation mark. Brundin makes his appearance late in the film, but his few scenes are rich with the pathos of a man realizing that his legacy is based on one incident in the sky that lasted minutes, and that the future offers much less than what the past fleetingly provided.

Susan Sarandon makes a big impact in an early supporting role. Mary Beth spots the opportunity to soar out of her humble environment and is quickly mesmerized by the idea of fame and celebrity, the stars in her eyes blinding her to the dangers of stunt flying. Margot Kidder also has a small role as one of Waldo's former girlfriends.

Featuring some amazing aerial photography, with the stars and filmmakers actively participating in the creation of the memorable stunt scenes, The Great Waldo Pepper is a celebration of flight and the men who touched the sky only to realize that nothing on earth can compare.

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