Product: Gods and Monsters (1998)
Rating: 5.0
PROMETHEUS AGAIN?
There's an odd litle remark overheard at the funeral of late costume designer extraordinaire Edith Head, Miss Bette Davis was heard to have said "Hollywood has lost another Great Queen" - great [albeit controlled] consternation followed, until one blade realised that Miss Davis was eulogizing Miss Head....cut!SAY what they will about the late James Whale , 'twas a nasty little village back then - same applies today. [Film Pioneer, and inspiration for Tennessee Williams, Alla Nazimova is another example.] This superb reflection in the golden hues of Tinseltown stays long after the final credits have rolled. Absolute Award winning performances by Ian McKellen [James Whale], Lynn Redgrave [unrecognisable as the trusty maid Hanna - she does this unforgettable "thing" with eggs!] and Brendan Fraser as "much more than just a pretty thing".Based on Christopher Bram's "Father of Frankenstein" we visit Mr. Whale late in life, somewhere between the "40 and death" range, caught in between his haunted worlds. It's a very disturbing and moving experience, another "killing of a Unicorn" by its mates. The Hollywood buddy system is very unsympathetically betrayed, but then what's new?Would love to see a release of Mr. Whales 1937 "The Road Back" [the anti-nazi vehicle, "canned" by the studio]. He also gave us the definitive "Showboat" [1936] with glorious Irene Dunne.This movie reminds one oddly of "Spirit of the Beehive" also "The Loved One" - both well worth watching.