THE MT VOID
08/26/22 -- Vol. 41, No. 9, Whole Number 2238

Co-Editor: Mark Leeper, mleeper@optonline.net
Co-Editor: Evelyn Leeper, eleeper@optonline.net
Sending Address: evelynchimelisleeper@gmail.com
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Topics:
Science Fiction (and Other) Discussion Groups, Films,
Lectures, etc. (NJ)
My Picks for Turner Classic Movies in September (comments
by Mark R. Leeper)
Mini Reviews by Evelyn, Part 8 (NIGHT LIFE OF THE GODS,
THE GREAT IMPERSONATION, NIGHT KEY, THE BLACK DOLL,
THE MISSING GUEST, THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES)
(film reviews by Evelyn C. Leeper)
This Week's Reading (THE DISPLACEMENTS) (book comments
by Evelyn C. Leeper)

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TOPIC: Science Fiction (and Other) Discussion Groups, Films,
Lectures, etc. (NJ)

Meetings are still fluctuating between in-person and Zoom. The
best way to get the latest information is to be on the mailing
lists for them.

September 8, 2022 (MTPL), 5:30PM: BETWEEN TIME AND TIMBUKTU
(1972): Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
<https://tinyurl.com/borrow-Timbuktu>
September 22, 2022 (OBPL), 7:00PM: SIRENS OF TITAN
by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
October 6 (MTPL), 5:30PM: THE QUATERMASS CONCLUSION (1979):
Nigel Kneale
November 3 (MTPL), 5:30PM: NOSFERATU (1922) & DRACULA
by Bram Stoker

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TOPIC: My Picks for Turner Classic Movies in September (comments by
Mark R. Leeper)

In September TCM will be showing A FACE IN THE CROWD, which in
spite of the title is one of the great stand-out films of the
1950s.

The film tells the story of "Lonesome Rhodes" from being a
no-account bum to being one of the most powerful and most dangerous
men in America. A FACE IN THE CROWD features Andy Griffith in one
of his almost-serious roles. In this 1957 political drama Andy
Griffith (in one of his almost-serious roles) plays Lonesome
Rhodes, a bum in a drunk tank who gets a chance to perform on the
radio. He is amazingly popular with his listeners and soon he is a
media sensation. As his popularity builds across the country and
soon he becomes aware of the political influence he has over his
audience and he makes himself one of the most powerful and most
dangerous men in the country. The film is an entertaining essay in
how the public can be swayed and controlled. This is a powerful
film that is timelier today than when it was made in 1957. It also
features Patricia Neal and Walter Matthau, and was directed by the
great (and controversial) Elia Kazan from a screenplay by Budd
Schulberg.

[A FACE IN THE CROWD, September 20, 2:00AM]

[-mrl]

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TOPIC: Mini Reviews by Evelyn, Part 8 (film reviews by Evelyn
C. Leeper)

This column covers more of Universal's lesser-known "horror" films.
(To some extent, I am defining these as ones we have no previously
seen, and which aren't on the various DVD sets of Universal films
that we have.) Some are so obscure that they have no Rotten
Tomatoes entry.

NIGHT LIFE OF THE GODS (1935): In 1990, UNIVERSAL HORRORS: THE
STUDIO'S CLASSIC FILMS, 1931-1946 described NIGHT LIFE OF THE GODS
(1935) as virtually a lost film, with 16mm prints having "all that
disappeared" and "only a couple" of 35mm prints remaining. Now
it's available on YouTube. (And it must have been available in
2005, since my records indicate I saw it back then.) One of
several Thorne Smith novels filmed in the 1930s and 1940s, NIGHT
LIFE OF THE GODS never achieved the success of TOPPER or I MARRIED
A WITCH, probably because its humor flats flatter, it is not until
three-quarters of the way through that the gods actually appear,
and the ending [SPOILER WARNING] is a cheat.

Released theatrically 03/01/1935.

Film Credits:
<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026776/reference>

What others are saying:
<https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/night_life_of_the_gods>

THE GREAT IMPERSONATION (1935): THE GREAT IMPERSONATION is
basically an espionage murder mystery marketed as a horror film.
As an espionage film, it holds its own; just don't expect a horror
film.

Released theatrically 12/09/1935.

Film Credits:
<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026438/reference>

What others are saying:
<https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/
the_great_impersonation_1935>

NIGHT KEY (1937): NIGHT KEY was one of Channel Thirteen "Thirteen
Horror Films" that ran back in the 1980s (I think) and motivated us
to buy a VCR--the series, not this particular film. This is the
weakest of the batch. Probably included only because Karloff was
the star, it is *marginally* science fiction, with Karloff having
invented a new sort of burglar alarm. Only worth seeing for
Karloff fans.

Released theatrically 05/02/1937.

Film Credits:
<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029309/reference>

What others are saying:
<https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/night_key>

THE BLACK DOLL (1938): THE BLACK DOLL was a Crime Club mystery
with pretensions of horror (the black doll of the title is a
Mexican doll but appears to be a voodoo doll). The film really has
nothing to recommend it: the music is recycled from other Universal
films, the obligatory comedic elements aren't funny, and the ending
weak.

Released theatrically 01/30/1938.

Film Credits:
<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029918/reference>

What others are saying:
<https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_black_doll>

THE MISSING GUEST (1938): THE MISSING GUEST is a remake of THE
SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM, but anything that made the original good
was jettisoned and replaced by cliches, bland settings, and bad
comedy.

Released theatrically 08/12/1938.

Film Credits:
<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030455/reference>

THE HOUSE OF FEAR (1939): THE HOUSE OF FEAR is a murder mystery set
in a theater, again with supernatural elements suggested, but
ultimately revealed as purely mundane. As with many of these
non-horror horrors, it needs to be taken on its own merits rather
than as the horror film that it is not. It is not to be confused
with SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE HOUSE OF FEAR (1945), which is also
known as THE HOUSE OF FEAR.

Released theatrically 06/30/1939.

Film Credits:
<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031449/reference>

THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES (1940): THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES
is another adaptation of a classic work of literature. Apparently
Hawthorne was considered on a par with Dickens, in that the
original story is recognizable in the film (as opposed to THE BLACK
CAT and THE RAVEN, in which Poe would find nothing familiar). That
is not to say that Universal did not make a lot of changes, but the
underlying story is still there, and Universal did not cut corners
on the production. I realize that the book THE HOUSE OF SEVEN
GABLES has a bad reputation as having been inflicted on high school
students in schools where Hawthorne's better-known THE SCARLET
LETTER was considered too racy. Still, I would have thought this
would have shown up occasionally because of Vincent Price. (It is
available on regular DVD, while most of these films I have
commented on are available on DVD-R of [at times] dubious
legitimacy, if at all.)

Released theatrically 04/12/1940.

Film Credits:
<https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032610/reference>

What others are saying:
<https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/
the_house_of_the_seven_gables_1940>

[-ecl]

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TOPIC: (letter of comment by xx)

In response to xyzzy's comments on xyzzy in the XX/XX/22 issue of
the MT VOID, xyzzy writes:

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TOPIC: (letter of comment by xx)

In response to xyzzy's comments on xyzzy in the XX/XX/22 issue of
the MT VOID, xyzzy writes:

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TOPIC: (letter of comment by xx)

In response to xyzzy's comments on xyzzy in the XX/XX/22 issue of
the MT VOID, xyzzy writes:

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TOPIC: This Week's Reading (book comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)

THE DISPLACEMENTS by Bruce W. Holsinger (Riverhead, ISBN
978-0-593-18971-9) is a "cli-fi" novel (in other words, a science
fiction novel based on climate science) marketed as mainstream
fiction. But perhaps the fact that it is marketed as mainstream is
why it is much "softer" than the "cli-fi" of Kim Stanley Robinson,
Paolo Bacigalupi, and other unabashedly science fiction authors.

In article <fcaee8da-084a-4234-aa01-773be8251604n@googlegroups.com>,
evelynchimelisleeper@gmail.com () wrote:

>
> ===================================================================
>
> TOPIC: (letter of comment by xx)
>
> In response to xyzzy's comments on xyzzy in the XX/XX/22 issue of
> the MT VOID, xyzzy writes:
>
> ===================================================================
>
> TOPIC: (letter of comment by xx)
>
> In response to xyzzy's comments on xyzzy in the XX/XX/22 issue of
> the MT VOID, xyzzy writes:
>
> ===================================================================
>
> TOPIC: (letter of comment by xx)
>
> In response to xyzzy's comments on xyzzy in the XX/XX/22 issue of
> the MT VOID, xyzzy writes:

That xx made a lot of comments.

On Sat, 3 Sep 2022 17:22 +0100 (BST)
prd@pauldormer.cix.co.uk (Paul Dormer) wrote:

> In article <fcaee8da-084a-4234-aa01-773be8251604n@googlegroups.com>,
> evelynchimelisleeper@gmail.com () wrote:
>
> >
> > ===================================================================
> >
> > TOPIC: (letter of comment by xx)
> >
> > In response to xyzzy's comments on xyzzy in the XX/XX/22 issue of
> > the MT VOID, xyzzy writes:
> >
> > ===================================================================
> >
> > TOPIC: (letter of comment by xx)
> >
> > In response to xyzzy's comments on xyzzy in the XX/XX/22 issue of
> > the MT VOID, xyzzy writes:
> >
> > ===================================================================
> >
> > TOPIC: (letter of comment by xx)
> >
> > In response to xyzzy's comments on xyzzy in the XX/XX/22 issue of
> > the MT VOID, xyzzy writes:
>
> That xx made a lot of comments.

I'm totally in agreemnet with xyzzy. (wave rod at bird)

--
Bah, and indeed Humbug.

On Saturday, September 3, 2022 at 12:22:58 PM UTC-4, Paul Dormer wrote:
> In article <fcaee8da-084a-4234...@googlegroups.com>,
> evelynchim...@gmail.com () wrote:
>
> >
> > ===================================================================
> >
> > TOPIC: (letter of comment by xx)
> >
> > In response to xyzzy's comments on xyzzy in the XX/XX/22 issue of
> > the MT VOID, xyzzy writes:
> >
> > ===================================================================
> >
> > TOPIC: (letter of comment by xx)
> >
> > In response to xyzzy's comments on xyzzy in the XX/XX/22 issue of
> > the MT VOID, xyzzy writes:
> >
> > ===================================================================
> >
> > TOPIC: (letter of comment by xx)
> >
> > In response to xyzzy's comments on xyzzy in the XX/XX/22 issue of
> > the MT VOID, xyzzy writes:
> That xx made a lot of comments.

Oops!

I was setting up the VOIDs for while we were on vacation and things got somewhat rushed,
so I somehow missed pulling out all the unused parts of the template.

I'm back now and things will be on a more normal schedule, so this shouldn't happen again.

--
Evelyn C. Leeper