Reviews
The Phantom of the Opera (1990)
A sad waste of a great director.
The Phantom of the Opera directed by Tony Richardson, with Charles Dance and Ian Richardson in it? Should have been great! Sadly, wasn't. It is beautifully filmed at the Paris Opera House, but it is tediously long and the classic story is weakened with unnecessary changes. The Phantom is supposed to be a man of mystery; this Phantom is a wimp. He wasn't rejected by his mother, abused by society... he just lived under an opera house, and acts like a spoiled kid. And what is it with Charles Dance and that dreadful fake American accent? Please!
Lizzie (1957)
Eleanor Parker deserved the Oscar!
Lizzie is a magnificent study of multiple personality disorder, a far superior film to The Three Faces of Eve, which won the Acadamy Award that year. Eleanor Parker makes all her transformations between Lizzie's characters on screen, a far more challenging task that disappearing off camera as Joanne Woodward did! Her portrayal is subtle and wonderful. I highly recommend this movie.
The Beast Within (1982)
Silly but fun
Okay, the plot of this movie has to be one of the most ridiculous there is, but it's made up for by the acting and effects. The Beast transformation sequences were, at the time, ground-breaking, and the seizures are some of the most realistic on film. Crack a few beers and watch it for a laugh and you'll love it.