Reflection of Lydia Deetz

Mirror Mirror (Marina Sargenti, 1990)

Those connoisseurs of trash cinema over at Bleeding Skull compiled a list of their favourite indie horror films directed by women recently. The inclusion of Marina Sargenti's Mirror Mirror (1990) piqued my interest the most. Teen angst films, particularly those of the horror genre, serve as an allegory for the wider world. Consequently, celebrated horror films such as Carrie, Halloween and Scream continue to resonate today. Mirror Mirror is another teen angst horror which caught me unaware and impressed me.

The film opens with a sepia-filtered house in 1950s Iowa. In one room, Elizabeth Weatherfield is brutally murdered by her sister, Mary, in front of a large mirror. The narrative then shifts to the present day where Megan Good (Rainbow Harvest) and her widowed mother, Susan (Karen Black), move into the house of horror. Unbeknownst to Megan, the ornate furniture in her new bedroom is a demonic mirror with supernatural powers.

Let's discuss the elephant in the room: Rainbow Harvest (with a name like that, her parents must have been hippies) is the mirror image (pun intended) of Winona Ryder. The resemblance is beyond uncanny. Obviously, the director of the film, Marina Sargenti, realised this having her star dressed like Winona's most iconic goth character, Lydia Deetz from Beetlejuice (1988). Speaking of the Tim Burton classic, in a scene where Megan, Susan, and her new fella Mr. Veze (a pony-tailed William Sanderson), are dining on fried chicken, you're almost expecting them to burst into a possessed song and dance of Harry Belafonte's Day-O. Mr. Veze correlating visions of maggots on his chicken drumstick to a Vietnam flash back, is still entertaining, regardless.

The newcomer being a blight to the ignorant locals is a familiar cinematic trope. Therefore, it's unsurprising that the reserved goth is subjected to ridicule at her new high school. Her appearance attracts the mockery of the school’s bully queen Charleen Kane (Charlie Spradling) and her big haired, shoulder padded clique. One of the teachers, Mr Anderson (Stephen Tobolowsky), also exhibits unjustified hostility towards the new student. 

Fortunately, Nikki Chandler (Kristin Datillo), a likeable student who is running for class president against Charleen, befriends the outcast. Much to the dismay of Nikki's boyfriend, Ron (Ricky Paull Goldin), who finds Megan's behaviour becoming increasingly disturbing, the pair become inseparable.

The high school scenes draw inspiration from another film starring Winona Ryder - Heathers (1989). Replace Christian Slater's teen psychopath J.D. with a free-standing, demonic mirror and that's essentially Mirror Mirror in a nutshell; which explains my appreciation for this film.

The mirror's demonic powers grow more nerfarious throughout the course of the film. At first, it's the family pooch being found bloody and dead in the house, by Susan. Bizarrely, she places the dead pooch on the kitchen counter. Even Megan questions her mother's action. This is immediately followed by the apparition of Megan's dead father in her bedroom. As they hug in the darkness, she screams at her father's horribly, disfigured face.

A notable scene is set in the school cafeteria. From across the tables Charleen and her companions laugh at the new student, with the exception of her boyfriend Jeff (Tom Bresnahan), who is exasperated by her pettiness. Evidently, the demonic mirror is also annoyed. Blood drips down the glass object simultaneously with Charleen’s epic nosebleed.

Yvonne De Carlo plays Emelin, an employee of the leasing agent letting out the Weatherfield house. She discovers a book revealing the significance of the mirror and its dark history. The character is the film’s equivalent of Dr. Loomis. 

The kills are unexpectedly vicious, in what initially comes across as a fairly derivative and safe teen horror. The expected demise of Charleen is particularly nasty. The bully is scolded to death from the pipes above her in the school showers. Her death is intercut with her classmates playing in the swimming pool. The aftermath has Megan congratulating Nikki that she is the new class president since her rival has died. Tact isn't exactly Megan's strong point.

Ron is murdered in the bath by an evil mimic of his second love, Nikki. Not before serving up an epic sandwich. The irony of him saying "Oh, ladies and gentlemen! May I say, at this time, I may die a very happy man?" when sampling his culinary creation is not lost. The tragedy of it all being the poor lad never got to finish his snack.

Susan succumbs to the dreaded hand stuck in the garbage disposal. It may be a well worn cliché, but it's still a tense scene as the gruesome situation unfolds. Why on earth anyone would even consider installing such a dangerous contraption in their home?. It does make for great horror inside a kitchen, however.

Apart from the aforementioned films starring Winona Ryder, Mirror Mirror also bears some similarity to Christine (1983) in terms of its protagonist. Megan’s obsession with the mirror is strikingly reminiscent of Arnie Cunningham falling under the spell of his blood-red Plymouth Fury. While possession from a demonic force is not exclusive to both films, Mirror Mirror evokes John Carpenter’s effort with how it unravels over the course of the film. Elements of Hellraiser (1987) are also evident with its finale set inside the Weatherfield house. The score changing to a more orchestral sounds are evocative of Christopher Young's soundtrack for the film.

Based on a screenplay by Annette and Gina Gascone, the creators of the Deadtime Stories children books, Mirror Mirror is anything but a kid-friendly horror film; despite its early impression of a Young Adult story. It's considered something of a spiritual predecessor to Fisher Price horror, The Craft (1996), a beloved favourite for goth posers, ageing Tumblrinas, and Letterboxd Wiccans. However, Mirror Mirror operates without a safety net, making it a far edgier and mean-spirited offering than its sterile, coven-themed successor. The fact that it has the look and feel of a STV film, also caught me off guard. I assumed this would be some early '90s slop, fortunately that wasn't the case.

Amazingly, Mirror Mirror spawned three sequels. Which makes me even more disappointed with myself; unaware of another film franchise like the Vice Academy hexalogy, until quite recently.

You can watch this largely forgotten horror for free on YouTube.

The Wish List: 'Underrated Sci-Fi' Edition

The cold and dark of the winter doldrums makes me want to retreat into my mind like Sam Lowry. Perhaps it's because I binged on some random sci-fi films last month, but I've been thinking about some underrated entries in the genre that deserve to be on my latest Wish List:

Looker (Michael Crichton, 1981)

If you're willing to accept the premise of a middle-aged, Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, portrayed by Albert Finney, as the film’s hero, you will be rewarded with a compelling conspiracy thriller beyond its time. Looker not only predicted deep fakes in media over forty years ago, but also presented the nefarious concept of subliminal messaging in television used to influence consumer behaviour and political decisions.

Looker is desperately in need of a remaster. The picture quality of the Warner Archive Blu-ray is far too grainy and the colours are flat. Arrow or Indicator would be ideal labels to restore the film, including inserting the famous deleted scene, featuring James Coburn, which provides crucial context to the plot.

The Hidden (Jack Sholder, 1987)

A gloriously 1980s sci-fi action film about an alien insect that crawls inside people and causing them to commit crimes, while blasting uptempo rock music. 

While The Hidden is frequently included in lists of underrated 1980s science fiction films, its status has largely remained unchanged. I revisited this film after noting its obvious inspiration for The Cat (1992) last month. Pleased to say that it has lost none of its appeal since first discovering it during my teens.

A film that would benefit with superior treatment from a label such as Vinegar Syndrome or 88 Films. 

Fortress (Stuart Gordon, 1992)

Admittedly, labelling this film underrated is tenuous, given its box office success and producing a sequel. However, pretty much anything directed by Stuart Gordon that isn't Re-Animator or From Beyond barely gets the same sort of physical media love as them. 

Set in a dystopian future, where having more than one child will get you a life sentence in a subterranean, maximum security prison, a remote explosive device in your stomach, and a cyborg Kurtwood Smith trying to steal your wife, Fortress is one one of the better movies to star Christopher Lambert where you needn't worry about him talking in a horrible Scottish accent. Pure B-movie entertainment, and a personal favourite amongst prison movie canon.

Fortress would make for a worthy release on 88 Films or Kino Lorber.

Beyond the Black Rainbow (Panos Cosmatos, 2010)

 

Given its abstract cinematography and deliberate slow-pacing, Beyond the Black Rainbow is more of a mood-driven experience than one with a traditional narrative. This gives it a certain pretentious art-house quality, for lack of a better description. However, its stunning retro-futuristic visual aesthetics make the feat of deciphering it, surprisingly worthwhile. It eventually treads into familiar slasher territory, too. That would explain why I find it so appealing.

Panos Cosmatos followed this film with the similarly experimental Mandy (2018), starring Nicolas Cage; another film that I adore.

Beyond the Black Rainbow would be a suitable release for a label like Second Sight, which knows a thing or two about curateing both modern cult films and traditional titles. 

The Platform (Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, 2019)

I recently reviewed this allegorical film set within a dystopian brutalist prison. It is worth reiterating my profound impression of the film. While some scenes are very disturbing, it remains a captivating and challenging watch. Regrettably, its sequel was a significant disappointment and even undermined the original, to an extent.

Although a Netflix exclusive, The Platform was released on Blu-ray in Spain and Japan. These releases were not English-friendly. Therefore, the film is definitely in need of a Blu-ray release with English subtitles. Second Sight would be my pick to deliver the goods.

Underwater (William Eubank, 2020)

Similar to her former co-star Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart has starred in several films to distance herself from her association with the cultural ruin of the Twilight series. More recently, she starred in the enjoyable film Love Lies Bleeding (2024). My favourite example of this is Underwater, a science fiction thriller set at the bottom of the Mariana Trench with sea monsters. It might also be because K-Stew and Jessica Henwick wear skimpy underwear in it, too.

Sadly, this energetic, creature feature was caught up in the Covid kerfuffle. It's never received an official Blu-ray release in my region. Any of the aforementioned labels  would be a good distributor, to be honest. 

Original Gangster

Little Caesar (Mervyn LeRoy, 1931)

Other than some notable exceptions, pre-Code films are relatively unfamiliar territory for me. This is surprising given that films from nearly a century ago containing sex, violence and various other morally corrupt virtues are of great curiosity to me. Mervyn LeRoy’s Prohibition era crime drama Little Caesar (1931) is a prime example of this; a film which remained unseen by me until recently. Anyone with a vested interest in cinema would be aware of the film by its title alone, along with it being Edward G. Robinson's breakout performance in it. What's more, Little Caesar would serve as the quintessential template for the gangster movie; creating an entire subgenre in cinema.

Adapted from William R. Burnett’s 1929 novel, Little Caesar centres on an out-of-town hoodlum, Caesar Enrico “Rico” Bandello (Edward G. Robinson), who seeks to establish himself within Chicago’s criminal underworld. His reluctant partner Joe Massara (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) is more interested in women and dancing, but nonetheless joins an uncouth Sam Vettori’s (Stanley Fields) gang with Rico. The pair become increasingly distant over time; Rico’s imposing presence and influence within Vettori’s gang contrast with Massara going straight as a dancer at The Bronze Peacock; a club owned by rival gang boss "Little" Archie Lorch (Maurice Black). Furthermore, Joe develops a relationship with his dance partner Olga Stassoff (Glenda Farrell), who wants him to cut ties with the mob, further distancing him from Rico.

Despite the order from the Don, known as "Big Boy" (Sidney Blackmer), for everyone to remain discreet and avoid attracting the attention of the new Crime Commissioner Alvin McClure (Landers Stevens), Rico and his associates commit a robbery at the Bronze Peacock during the New Year celebrations. This results in Rico murdering the commissioner as he leaves the nightclub. Instead of being punished for this breach of protocol, Rico is rewarded for it; including the respect and takeover of Vettori’s gang. Incidentally, the capo acts oddly relieved with his demotion to soldier status once the crew choose Rico over him.

The murder of McClure has Police Sergeant Flaherty (Ralph Ince) investigating the gang and waiting for a potential slip-up. Getaway driver Tony Passa (William Collier Jr.), already a nervous wreck from the robbery, is a weak link. A chance meeting with Otero (George E. Stone), Rico’s new right-hand man, reveals that Tony wants no more to do with the gang; not even in wanting his share of the stolen loot. Tony plans to confess to the local priest. Thus, he is brutally gunned down in a drive-by on the church steps.

Tony Passa’s grand funeral procession through the streets of Chicago is a scene which could have been lifted from Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather films. Rico and his associates ride in the motorcade without any sign of grief. Ironically, the wake is nothing more but a banquet held in honour of the gang's ruthless leader. Amidst the boozy celebrations, the teetotal Rico, ironically foreshadows his own demise:

"And I wish you birds wouldn't get drunk and raise Cain, because that's the way a lot of birds get bumped off." 

Rico’s public exposure and celebrity status provoke contempt from Little Archie Lorch. The rival gang boss plots a hit on the underworld V.I.P. This scene draws a comparison to Coppola’s Vito Corleone being gunned down on the streets. Both characters are highly cautious of anything that might be perceived as suspicious. Rico mocks his would-be assassin after being wounded, remarking, “Fine shot you are!” Joe Massara’s warning about Little Archie’s hit prompts Rico to reminisce about his former partner and wanting to bring him back to the fold. First, however, he has to make an important visit to his Little Archie's club.

In a scene that Brian De Palma obviously took major inspiration from in his film Scarface (1983), Rico runs his rival out of town. With the acquisition of Little Archie's properties and business enterprises, Rico's empire grows. Eventually, the titular rogue takes over "Diamond" Pete Montana's (Ralph Ince) second-in-command position for Big Boy.

Rico’s meteoric rise is entertaining because it further inflates his egomania. The failed assassination attempt only fuels his thirst for power even further; anyone in his way will be met with his "Shoot first, argue afterwards." method.

The bling he wears is not merely for show but serves as trophies taken from those who were once above him and in his way. The derby hat, dapper suits and spats shoes also materialistically exemplify his increasing social status. When Rico is made the new boss of Northside Chicago, the expository on-screen text reads:

"Rico continued to take care of himself, his hair and his gun — with excellent results."

Homoerotic subtext is evident in the film. This is most apparent in Rico’s complete lack of interest in women and his scorn for Joe’s relationship with Olga. When Joe rejects the offer to help run Rico's empire and wanting out of the game, it culminates in a threatening ultimatum from the crime boss:

Rico: "You didn't quit. Nobody ever quit me. You're still in my gang, you got that? I don't care how many fancy skirts you've got hanging onto you, that Jane of yours can go hang. It's her that's made a softie out of you."

Joe: "You lay off Olga, Rico!"

Rico: "I ain't laying off her; I'm after her. One of us is gonna lose, and it ain't gonna be me. There's ways of stopping that dame."

This eventually leads to Rico drawing a gun on Joe. As he walks menacingly closer to his old partner, the camera closes in on Rico's face. His face is blurry and unfocused. Symbolic with the doubt in Rico's mind. For the first time ever, Caesar fails to pull the trigger. Thus, sealing his own doom.

For clarity, Olga is the one who goes squealing about McClure's murder to Sergeant Flaherty, causing Rico's gang to be apprehended. Therefore, Rico was essentially correct in disliking her; subtext or not. Rico instantly regrets not murdering Joe once the law give chase, "This is what I get for liking a guy too much."

More overt homoerotic subtext is present between Rico and his sycophantic right-hand man Otero. The mirror scene, where Otero assists Rico in dressing for his meeting with Big Boy, suggests a sexual act. Otero stood below Rico's groin, says much. 

After months of evading capture and without finances, Rico finds himself returning to the gutter from whence he came. He is no longer a teetotaller and is now a destitute drunk residing in a flophouse. From a person reading a newspaper aloud, he learns of Sam Vittori’s execution and a now promoted Lieutenant Flaherty’s denunciation of Rico of being a coward. This is an obvious ploy to lure the former crime boss out of hiding. It works. Rico’s conceited ego takes the bait. He telephones the lawman and is even more outraged by Flaherty’s verbal sparring. This provides sufficient time to trace the call and locate Rico.

Flaherty spots Rico next to a billboard, one which is poetically advertising Joe and Olga's dancing act. A defiant Rico won't give up and hides behind the sign. Armed with a tommy gun, Flaherty sprays the billboard with bullets, fatally wounding the criminal. Ever the narcissist, Rico's famous last words are spoken in third person (your humble host would never ever, dear reader) as if lifted from a newspaper headline, "Mother of mercy! Is this the end of Rico?"

Despite its somewhat rough edges, Little Caesar remains a compelling film largely due to Edward G. Robinson’s energetic performance. The actor’s distinctive, rapid delivery is particularly memorable. His confident swagger and Napoleon complex make Rico a highly alluring character. This is why Edward G. Robinson’s iconic portrayal of the character has left an indelible mark on popular culture.

Although Little Caesar may not have been the first gangster film, it established the narrative and template that subsequent films of its kind would follow. Consequently, some of its shortcomings are easily overlooked given its role in defining an entire subgenre in cinema. 

Recommended.

Free to watch on YouTube. 

Dada Debaser Note: 

Watched Little Caesar on New Year's Day, unaware it had just become a public domain film that same day.

Infamy! Infamy! They've All Got It in for Me

Happy New Year!

We've reached the same year when the post-apocalyptic sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) was set. 

Even though I wasn’t a huge fan of the film at first, it has really grown on me since then. The Shakespearean rivalry between Caesar and Koba was made it finally click for me in the end. I still don't give a damn about all the forgettable human survivors, however.

Similarly, here is a list of other films — most of which I was too young to appreciate at the time  — that have also improved for me: 

The Lady from Shanghai (Orson Welles, 1947)
Forbidden Planet (Fred M. Wilcox, 1956) 
Beat Girl (Edmond T. Gréville, 1959)
The Brides of Dracula (Terence Fisher, 1960) 
Taste of Fear (Seth Holt, 1961) 
Doctor Zhivago (David Lean, 1965)
Barbarella (Roger Vadim, 1968)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Peter R. Hunt, 1969) 
The Holy Mountain (Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1973) 
Chinatown (Roman Polanski, 1974)
Picnic at Hanging Rock (Peter Weir, 1975)
Saturday Night Fever (John Badham, 1977)
Martin (George A. Romero, 1977) 
Caligula (Tinto Brass, 1979)
Maniac (William Lustig, 1980)
Murder Rock: Dancing Death (Lucio Fulci, 1984) 
Once Upon a Time in America (Sergio Leone, 1984)
Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (Danny Steinmann, 1985)
A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge (Jack Sholder, 1985)
Withnail & I (Bruce Robinson, 1987)
Dead Ringers (David Cronenberg, 1988)
Society (Brian Yuzna, 1989)
Singapore Sling (Nikos Nikolaidis, 1990)
Popcorn (Mark Herrier, Alan Ormsby, 1991)
Bad Lieutenant (Abel Ferrara, 1992)
Split Second (Tony Maylam, 1992)
Twelve Monkeys (Terry Gillian, 1995) 
Ravenous (Antonia Bird, 1999) 
Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001) 
The Aviator (Martin Scorsese, 2004)
Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2009)
Dream Home (Edmund Pang, 2010)
Green Room (Jeremy Saulnier, 2015) 
Limbo (Soi Cheang, 2021)
The Sadness (Rob Jabbaz, 2021)