DVD Review: Therapy For A Vampire

Count Geza von Kozsnom has been around for quite a long time, and is tired of the night. More than that, he is tired of his wife. “We’ve been together too long,” he tells his therapist, Dr. Sigmund Freud. Yes, vampires have their own troubles in Therapy For A Vampire, a delightful and original comedy which shows that even the undead can use a helping hand.

The film takes place near Vienna in 1932, near the end of Freud’s life (and just before Hitler’s rise to power). Freud (Karl Fischer) employs a talented young artist named Viktor (Dominic Oley) to paint his patients’ dreams. Viktor’s sketchbook contains some interesting and unusual work, which surprises and upsets his girlfriend, Lucy (Cornelia Ivancan). While doing a portrait of Lucy, Viktor changes her appearance to make her more appealing, more exciting, which vexes her, and so he gives the portrait to Freud. When Count Geza (Tobias Moretti) sees the painting, he believes it depicts his long-lost love, Nadila, the only woman who made his life bearable, and decides he must have Lucy.

Meanwhile Countess Elsa von Kozsnom (Jeannette Hain) has troubles of her own. She is upset that she can’t admire her own appearance, and takes out her frustration on both people and mirrors. But really it is her marital problems that trouble her. There is a wonderful scene where the Count and Countess are in the backseat of their car, seeming like any normal troubled couple. She asks him if he finds her attractive. “You haven’t said anything today,” she says. He replies: “But I tell you every night. Every single night.” She worries that she’s losing her looks, losing her man. Though their squabbles seem ordinary, they probably take on more weight when considering the couple’s immortality. Just imagine having the same problems for eternity! Like any married man, the Count has fantasies of murdering his wife. And like any married woman, the Countess berates him for not closing her coffin properly.

This film employs most of the traditional vampire devices, such as lack of reflection, having to be invited into a home, aversion to garlic and so on. But it uses them in such a way that their familiarity works on another level; that is, the fact that we’re all quite used to these things works well with the idea that the Count and Countess are both tired of their existence. These devices have become all-too-ordinary to them as well as to us, and so we actually sympathize with these murderous characters. This movie actually has a sweet humor to it, as well as many comical touches, such as the expiration date on the dream pills.

Interestingly, the Count could probably really use some therapy in dealing with his obsessive and compulsive need to count things. Karl Fischer is wonderful as Freud, by the way. I love his relaxed manner. Nothing fazes him. When Viktor despairs that Lucy is turning into a vampire and he is desperate for her to be normal again, Freud asks, “But what’s normal, Viktor?” I also need to mention David Bennent, who plays Radul, the Count’s servant. He turns in a great supporting performance. I love when he hands the Count a bottle, telling him, “Sixty percent virgin, forty percent nightclub dancer.” The entire cast is excellent, actually, especially Jeannette Hain as the Countess. The film is, in some ways, about appearance and identity, and Hain does a fantastic job with those themes.

Special Features

The DVD contains a behind-the-scenes featurette, which includes an interview with the director, David Ruehm (actually, in this featurette, his name is spelled Ruhm, which is different from the spelling on the DVD case and the film’s credits), who talks about the original idea for the film and about the tight schedule and the preparation needed. There are also interviews with cast members Tobias Moretti, Jeannette Hain, David Bennent, Cornelia Ivancan and Dominic Oley.

The special features also include outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage set to music, as well as two trailers.

Therapy For A Vampire was directed by David Ruehm, and was released on DVD on September 6, 2016 through Music Box Films. The DVD presents the film in its original German, with optional English subtitles.

DVD Review: Meet The Guilbys

Meet The Guilbys (the original title is Paris-Willouby) is a sweet, honest, and often moving film about a family that must travel together to a funeral. It stars Stéphane de Groodt as Maurice, a philosophy teacher who is told he will likely be transferred (there are too many philosophy teachers in Paris, you see), but who is worried about his wife’s reaction to having to move to Poitiers. Isabelle Carré plays Claire, his wife, who is concerned about the state of her marriage, aging and so on. They each have a teenage child from previous marriages, as well as a young daughter together. Joining them is Claire’s brother, Marc (Alex Lutz), an unemployed, broke writer who has stopped writing and who learns that his girlfriend is pregnant.

All of these people are living under one roof when we meet them, and are not communicating well with each other. Aminthe Audiard is adorable as Prune, the young daughter, who asks if she’ll have big breasts one day (and who later puts oranges in her shirt to see). She is particularly cute when she happily steals a plush cow from a convenience store. Alexandre (Solal Forte) is Claire’s son, and is clearly attracted to Lucie (Joséphine Japy), Maurice’s daughter, but has no idea how to broach that subject, or how to deal with his feelings. And of course Marc has troubles too, not just that his girlfriend is pregnant and wants to get a place with him, but that he has stopped writing. What’s nice is that though he is not writing, the film shows that he is still thinking creatively, as when he tells a story to Prune who had asked him about some lost cows.  It is a household of small squabbles and general lack of communication, but a phone call in the middle of the night forces them to band together in one slightly troubled vehicle for a day-long drive to the country.

And actually more troubles are hinted at with regards to the deceased. Prune asks about her grandfather, and we learn that he left his wife for a woman thirty years his junior, and that soon after that his wife died. Marc and Claire haven’t ever forgiven him for that, and apparently have not seen or spoken with him in the years since then. The discussion turns into a funny argument about dead pets. There is something of an age discrepancy between Maurice and Claire too, which plays into Claire’s worries.

Of course, by the end, Claire and Marc learn some surprising things about their father, and the family pulls together. I love films like this, with damaged characters who need to reach out to each other. They have the support system; they just need to realize it. No, the movie doesn’t break any new ground, but it doesn’t need to in order to be effective. The characters, and their relationships, feel true and real, and it’s not long before you come to like them and care about them. Plus, there is a nice, brief animated bit in the middle of the movie. And be sure to watch the end credits, for there is another short scene partway through them.

Meet The Guilbys was directed by Arthur Delaire and Quentin Reynaud, and was released on DVD on August 9, 2016 through First Run Features. The film is presented in its original French, with English subtitles. The DVD contains no special features.

DVD Review: The Golden Age Of Musicals

The Golden Age Of Musicals is a five-disc set featuring seventeen musicals released in the years 1937 to 1957. Some are in black and white, others are in color. There are some excellent films here, including Royal Wedding, Something To Sing About and Second Chorus. There are also a few that aren’t so good, such as People Are Funny and At War With The Army. Each film is presented as just one chapter, which can be annoying if you want to go back and watch a specific scene again. There are no special features.

1.      Career Girl

Miss Joan Terry is broke and trying to make it on Broadway. Her fiancé at first comes off as a jerk and he wants her to come home, but Miss Terry is determined to stay and moves into more affordable housing. Ah, the 1940s, when all women had gorgeous furs, even women who have to move into cheap accommodations. “Right through this window you can see Broadway, if it weren’t for that building.” Because her fiancé seems like a jerk, we don’t judge her when she accepts a date with another man. The other girls hatch an idea to help Joan stay in New York. There are several funny moments, like when Sue reads a bit of a play, reading “Pause” aloud as part of the dialogue. Or when Joan says, “James is really much nicer than he sounds or looks.”

2.      The Duke Is Tops

The first credit in this film is Million Dollar Productions, which makes me laugh, because these days that would be an extremely low budget. Lena Horne plays Ethel Andrews, the star of a local show. When she gets a chance to make it in the big times as a solo artist, Duke (Ralph Cooper) has to be unkind to her to convince her to go. There are some delightful tunes, though not much of a plot.

3.      Royal Wedding

This is an incredibly enjoyable film starring Fred Astaire and Jane Powell as Tom and Ellen Bowen, a brother and sister who perform at a theatre in New York. Their show contains an odd incestuous tone, as Tom sings of his love for Ellen, and neither is interested in marriage. When a servant says, “Married men live much longer than bachelors,” Tom replies, “If that’s true, they’re only trying to outlive their wives so they can be bachelors again.” Tom and Ellen learn they’ve been hired to take their show to England. Ellen is hilarious with her string of male admirers, and she meets her male counterpart on the voyage across the ocean. There is a lot of great dancing. Fred Astaire’s dance in the gym is a total delight. And this is the movie that contains his famous dance on the ceiling.

4.      Something To Sing About

Something To Sing About is perhaps the best film of this set. It stars James Cagney as Terry Rooney and Evelyn Daw as Rita. The film opens with a joke about Terry not really singing. Every time he sings, we hear a different voice. The opening number ends without him actually singing a note. Terry is heading out to Hollywood to play the male lead in a picture, but finds it’s not so much about learning one’s lines, but about being groomed to appear and sound like a star. Hollywood apparently has always enjoyed poking a little fun at itself. Rita is his girlfriend, and before he leaves he puts a ring on her finger, and that’s done to music and dance without any dialogue. Stephanie is a female star with an ego (one character calls her an “egotistical little mink coat,” which is wonderful). The producers don’t want Terry to know he’s good, because they’re afraid he’ll grow an ego like Stephanie. It’s an excellent film, and Cagney is great. There’s also a wonderful Japanese character. This movie had me laughing out loud many times. “Good, good, I’m getting tired of saying ‘good.’”  This movie even has a cat fight. And I mean a real cat fight. It’s an absolute delight.

5.      All American Co-Ed

Hurrah, cross-dressing, 1940s style! It’s a fairly stupid film, however. One of the transvestites applies for a scholarship at an all-girls school. And a genetic girl says, “A girl doesn’t want to live with a mind, she wants to live with a husband.” Alan Hale Jr. plays a supporting part.

6.      The Inspector General

A credit at the beginning tells us this film was “suggested by the play by Nikolai Gogol.” It stars Danny Kaye, Gene Lockhart and Alan Hale. At a medicine show, Danny Kaye feels bad about cheating a woman whose husband needs real medicine. After he’s apprehended, the corrupt town officials mistake him for the mysterious inspector general. The physical comedy is rather stupid, and it’s punched up with relentless music cues. But the movie is still enjoyable, and there are some good lines, such as “What a naughty inspector general” and “We’ll put something else around your neck.”

7.      People Are Funny

Johnny has to come up with a new radio program. Meanwhile, another guy tries to purchase a local radio show and beat Johnny to the gig. This film isn’t very good, with long comic bits that just aren’t funny, like when Johnny tries to steal a record from Leroy, or when the older man gives a speech after saying he’s not good at public speaking. Despite the film’s title, it’s relentlessly unfunny, though I do like the line, “I don’t like the tone of what you’re not saying.”

8.      Second Chorus

Second Chorus stars Fred Astaire and Burgess Meredith as trumpet players in a university band who are both interested in the same woman. When Danny (Astaire) thinks she’s slipping him her phone number, he discovers it’s actually a summons. This doesn’t make her any less attractive in their eyes, and they decide to hire her as the band’s secretary, after first getting her fired from her current employment, of course. She then goes about getting them gigs. This movie is a delight, and it features some excellent big band music by Artie Shaw, who also appears in the film, and of course some superb dancing. Burgess Meredith is fantastic, though there is at least one moment when he gives a hint of his later role as the Penguin. There are quite a few funny lines. Hank (Meredith) says sarcastically, “I suppose this elevator stops at Portland,” and the elevator operator says: “No, sir. The last stop is the twenty-second floor.” At another point, Hank says, “Can’t you smell the delta?” Lester Chisholm (Charles Butterworth) replies, “I have a slight cold.”

9.      The Fabulous Dorseys

Tommy Dorsey and Jimmy Dorsey star in a film about their lives. It begins in 1916, when they were kids trying to have fun, but forced by their dad to practice. Their mother says, “There’s only one thing worse than being Irish, and that’s not being Irish.” There is, as you might expect, some great music. Art Tatum plays in the film.

10.   The Pied Piper Of Hamelin

A credit at the beginning tells us The Pied Piper Of Hamelin is based on the music of Grieg, and one of my favorite compositions, “In The Hall Of The Mountain King,” plays a significant part in the film. The Piper (Van Johnson) plays a bit of it on his pipe before drawing a rainbow in the air, spinning around and disappearing. And when the town is overrun with rats, the Piper appears to help, playing the composition again while driving out the rats. There is some comical dancing during a song about prestige titled “Prestige.” This film also stars Claude Rains and Jim Backus.

11.   Till The Clouds Roll By

This movie is based on the life and music of Jerome Kern. It has an incredible cast, including Judy Garland, Van Johnson, Lena Horne, Angela Lansbury, and Frank Sinatra. But Robert Walker as Jerome Kern and Van Heflin as Jim Hessler really stand out. The film itself is good, but I would trim a bit from the opening and I would cut the end. After Kern sees Sally sing in Hollywood, the movie is over; yet several songs are just tacked onto the end for some reason.

12.   Pot O’ Gold

James Stewart plays Jimmy Haskell, owner of a music store. His uncle Charlie wants him to abandon the store and come into his business, as Jimmy is his only living relative. Financial troubles force Jimmy to take him up on his offer. Meanwhile, Uncle Charlie is engaged in a personal war with the big band living next door to his business. The sound isn’t perfect at times on this one, but it’s a delightful film. And the dinner scene is fantastic.

13.   Road To Bali

This movie stars Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour, and during the opening credits, their names are actually sung. In this Road movie, Crosby and Hope sign on for a dubious deep sea diving expedition and try to woo a princess. It’s a very silly movie with a giant squid, an amorous gorilla widow, and a really fucked up monkey. There is also a Bogart mirage, a cameo by Jane Russell, and a gay wedding. Crosby and Hope acknowledge the presence of the camera and directly address the audience at times, and also refer to the film itself, as when Bob Hope says: “What happened? Is the picture over?”

14.   Stage Door Canteen

Soldiers have a 24-hour leave in New York City, and discover the Stage Door Canteen, a place that entertains those in the armed services. But the girls there are forbidden from dating the guys. The entertainment is done by famous stars of screen and stage, including Gracie Fields singing a song about shooting down “Jap planes” and then singing the Lord’s Prayer (yes, it’s weird). Edgar Bergen does a bit on occultism with Charlie McCarthy. The film also features appearances by Ray Bolger, Tallulah Bankhead, Ralph Bellamy, Helen Hayes, Katharine Hepburn, Harpo Marx and Ethel Merman. It’s an important film in that Katharine Cornell does a bit of her famous Juliet from Romeo And Juliet in one wonderful scene, and apparently this is the only film footage of her doing it. It’s also her only Hollywood film appearance. The film also includes a really good rendition of “Why Don’t You Do Right?” and the cute, odd line, “Do you want to hold me while you dance?” By the way, the soldiers are given a second 24-hour leave, and then a third, because otherwise the movie would be over.

15.   Private Buckaroo

At a club, a couple waits for a table, and after the woman tips the host a dollar, they’re given a table far away, a table designed only to punish. They’re pretty funny, by the way, particularly Mary Wickes as Bonnie-Belle. Fed up, they move the table to a great spot in front of the band. Meanwhile, a singer is upset because the army won’t take him. Harry James, however, is being drafted. Really, this movie is just a series of performances at this club, and then some silliness once they all get into the army. Not much to it. But there is one really good dance sequence toward the end. And Jennifer Holt is beautiful as Joyce Mason.

16.   This Is The Army

This Is The Army stars George Murphy, Alan Hale and Lt. Ronald Reagan (yes, that’s how he’s credited), and features music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. In 1917, entertainer Jerry Jones gets a draft notice and is excited about it. Other folks happily enlist. I love the mother telling her son, as he goes off to war, “Be a good boy and don’t fight.” Once in the army, Jerry Jones leads the others in song and dance. After World War I ends, the movie jumps to World War II, with Johnny Jones (Lt. Ronald Reagan) joining the army. He and the other sons of the World War I veterans are commanded to put on a new show. There are some good lines, like “That guy wasn’t born; he was issued,” plus some great acrobatics in one scene. And there is a number about the Stage Door Canteen.

17.   At War With The Army

At War With The Army stars Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis as friends in the army. There is a song about army food, with men chanting “Bean, beans.” That is one of its few highlights. There’s not really a story, just a series of gags, most of which are not at all funny. And many of these unfunny bits are dragged out to a surprising degree, and also punched up with an annoying score.

The Golden Age Of Musicals was released on August 9, 2016 through Film Chest Media.

DVD Review: Back In Time

Back To The Future is one of those special films you can return to again and again and always enjoy. It’s been on my mind lately, because its famous DeLorean is used in the show The Last Man On Earth, where I sometimes work as a production assistant. And of course last year there we had Back To The Future Day (I love that fake trailer for Jaws 19). The film has had a significant effect on our culture in general, and that is what the documentary Back In Time is all about.

Back In Time features interviews with many of the key players, including Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, Steven Spielberg, Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson and Christopher Lloyd. Bob Gale talks about how he wanted to do a time travel movie, and then how seeing his father’s picture in his high school yearbook sparked the idea. There is some great stuff about the studios turning the project down because, as they surmised, no one goes to see a time travel film (Disney, however, turned it down because of the incest angle). So Robert Zemeckis went and did Romancing The Stone, and after that film was a hit he was able to do Back To The Future.

Michael J. Fox talks about working all day on Family Ties, then working on Back To The Future at night. He also tells an anecdote about meeting Princess Diana, and having her seated next to him at a screening of the film. Lea Thompson says, about her character, “Lorraine McFly is essentially in love with her own son, which I thought was hilarious.” There are also interviews with cast members Don Fullilove, James Tolkan and Claudia Wells. And yes, there is stuff on the original casting of Eric Stoltz, and how he didn’t quite work out. Robert Zemeckis says: “I didn’t want to believe that it wasn’t working, so that’s why I kept shooting and shooting. I was kind of in denial about it.” We do see a bit of Eric Stoltz’s footage, but without sound. There are also interviews with Huey Lewis, who wrote “Power Of Love” and appears in the film, and some key crew members.

A large section of this documentary, however, is about the fans, particularly about those who build and collect their own DeLorean time machines, as well as the folks who were part of the car restoration team. And members of the band The Flux Capacitors are interviewed. The film does include a bit of interesting criticism, like how Marty McFly has no real character arc and doesn’t learn anything over the course of the film. Keep in mind that this criticism is from a fan. No one who actually dislikes the film is interviewed here. (Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who dislikes Back To The Future.) It does feel like perhaps there is a bit too much time dedicated to those folks who have DeLoreans. I would have liked more with the cast about their personal experiences, and it would have been great had this film included an interview with Eric Stoltz. But it is wild that some fans actually built a replica of the entire town. And I was surprised to learn of the weird connection between the early drafts of Back To The Future and Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. The documentary does include some material on the sequels, but the focus is on the original film and its lasting effect on fans and on our culture in general.

Back In Time was directed by Jason Aron, and is scheduled to be released on DVD on September 13, 2016 through MVD Visual. The DVD contains no special features. By the way, during the closing credits, those interviewed talk about which periods they would visit if they owned time machines. I would visit Elizabethan England to watch some of Shakespeare’s original productions, then I’d move forward to 1965 to check out some early Grateful Dead concerts and attend an acid test or two. What about you?