EXPERIMENT IN TERROR
The Preshow Entertainment was THE TICK. These are the live-action episodes from the short-lived Barry Sonnenfield helmed television show. Based on the comic (which later gave way to the animated series), this is the story of that big blue clueless crimefighter and his sidekicks Arthur, Captain Liberty, and my favorite, Bat Manuel. We pretty much sat there silently as the strange show unfolded (Arthur had to tell his family about his lifestyle choice, being a closet superhero). All the beats and cadences of a sitcom are there, but they often fall flat when no one is laughing. And it's not like it isn't funny. It's very funny. It's just so clever and out there, that the mix is often numbing. Still, I would recommend it. You may not laugh outside, but somewhere inside, you will. I'm just not sure where.
The Random Movie selected was:
A movie that not only did I not know I owned, but one I never heard of. It's called EXPERIMENT IN TERROR. I really have zero idea what this movie was doing in the collection. It was a dub, so I obviously taped it for some reason. Maybe I thought it was a Sherlock Holmes movie, or MONKEY SHINES alternate title. Anyway, this is one of the things I love about RMC. I think I'll add more movies I've never heard of.
EXPERIMENT IN TERROR is a Blake Edwards movie, pre-PINK PANTHER and naturally S.O.B. and VICTOR/VICTORIA. It's a noirish thriller, shot in black and white. Glenn Ford plays an FBI man who is trying to stop a bad man (Ross Martin) from killing a bank teller (Lee Remick) after she robs a bank for him because he holds her kid sister (Stephanie Powers) hostage.
Some reviews say the movie drags at times, but I strongly disagree. It's all a part of the mood. I love movies when they take their time, and to do this without utterly boring the audience is no minor achievement.
The score by Henry Mancini is perfect, just how a movie score should be. At one point, source music is on a car radio, and you can see a slight Pink Panther-type melody developing.
The movie starts off great. A perfect, thrilling opening involving two people, one obscured by shadows. Mostly shot in close-up and a tight 2-shot, it grabs you like the hands of a killer around a victim's throat. The movie, aside from the aforementioned slower parts, has a few great scenes like this, especially if you like mannequins. But a weird thing happens. After building a great mood, and learning all the characters, and watching things unfold, the movie simply...ends. It's quick and comes out of left field (well, pitcher's mound, to be exact). Very dissatisfying. But then again, this was just an experiment in terror. Had it been actual seasoned terror, the ending would have worked better.
Tags: random movie club, experiment in terror, the tick
