The Hidden (1987)........coming next

Night Of The Eagle (1962)

Another overlooked and largely unheralded classic and an early directing effort from Sidney Hayers. The movie itself is adapted from a Fritz Leiber novel entitled 'Conjure Wife' and first made as a movie as Weird Woman (1944). NotE, known in the US as Burn, Witch Burn, begins in a picture postcard English village with college Professor Norman Taylor and his Tansy (Peter Wyngarde and Janet Blair) enjoying a successful phase of life, particularly as Norman seems to be making rapid headway up the ladder at the college . We first see Taylor lecturing to his class about disspelling the supernatural with the words I Do NOT Believe completely unaware that his wife is a practicing Witch herself, using  protection to keep she and her husband free from dark forces.

Upon discovering these charms placed around the house, Norman insists on Tansy removing them to which she protests that she wont be held responsible for what happens if she does. Naturally, he dismisses this and has Tansy find and burn all of them from which point everything starts to turn against them. He is accused of sexually assaulting one of his pupils, nearly hit by a van and it becomes apparent that someone else in the village is a mirror image of Tansy and using black magic to destroy both she and her husband. Norman is more and more drawn into supernatural belief as the movie reaches it's climax, almost completely when he uses magic to save his wife from an early grave.

His wavering scepticism is finally broken upon confronting their envy-filled nemesis, the identity of whom is not hard to guess nor supposed to be a close guarded secret. With his last desperate attempt to dispell the supernatural with disbelief shattered, he flees knowing his wife is in genuine danger and rushes to her rescue.

NotE scores points all round, it's pacing very good of it's time with a particularly good performance from Janet Blair whose belief in the supernatural as strong as her husbands disbelief. Richard Matheson, one of 4 co-writers including Leiber, tended to always be involved in excellent screen writing and does here again. Tension throughout is built brilliantly and the film as a whole lush to look at. My own favourite shot from the film is a picture of the couple in happier times whilst in the backdrop a silhouette of Norman and Tansy as she tries to stab him.

Although a totally different type of film, if you enjoyed Night of the Demon (1957) you will probably enjoy this one too. The public doesn't need another vastly poor remake of King Kong or Planet of the Apes and then exiting the cinema thinking, yeah cost a lot but what shite eh?. It needs films which they already missed being more available which were high on (witch)craft lower on budget. Many of you here probably weren't old enough to remember this first time round, thankfully neither was I, but find it and check it out.

Miracle Mile (1988)

The only place to begin this blog with a film I have championed for many a year. Can a legendary script, a nearly as legendary B-Movie cast, a soundtrack by Tangerine Dream and an end product crammed to the hilt with irony possibly fail? No, and this wee movie never gets anything other than my full attention everytime I see it. They say actions speak louder than words but for the sake of a link I'll prove that wrong for now by linking to the Miracle Mile script. I will probably link to some trailers for many of the movies added here but not this one, even though the trailer is out there. I urge you to watch this without advance warning which is why there aren't any giveaways in my write up. You'll be all the better for it..

A treasure trove of delights are revealed on many, many viewings

The film begins at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles ensuring from the very start it's rich irony, the movie going full circle, like mankind has threatened all too often. The voice over in the museum before the opening credits roll is very important in the light of what man is capable of doing in the twinkling of an eye. After an opening 20 minutes which seems to be ambling along nicely as a romantic comedy, but is crucial to what follows, we are taken in a very different direction far removed from your typical Meg Ryan vehicle. Miracle Mile is littered with unforgettable but often very simple dialogue, fitting of the characters throughout. On-the-spot reporter Brian Jones has one of my countless favourite lines: 'We're not people anymore'.
Simple and at the same time perfectly summing up what's going on. For film buffs the cast is a real treat with so many B-faces and some scenes of utter delicious madness. Look for Jeanette Goldstein(Vasquez from 'Aliens') on the roof dolled up but still packing a big gun, Lou Hancock (Henrietta, the human form of the witch in the cellar from 'Evil Dead 2'), the rats that suddenly appear on a car bonnet after a tree is bumped, Harry and Julie so perfectly placed in the clock department of a large store when time is the one thing they haven't got, and so much more I could write a blog on the movie. That day will come.

Everything in the film focuses on the ordinary folk, the underdog, no gloss, no big names. One of the film's many, many important lines comes at the start uttered by Harry: "Love sure can spin your head round". It certainly does ordinarily let alone extreme circumstances. Many folk have rightly likened this movie to another great film, After Hours(1985), in terms of mood and the central character's predicament but if you are one of those who thinks because a name director such as Scorsese means it must be better all round than MM then you're a pretentious twat so move along.

Another Tangerine Dream score perfectly fits the mood

Tangerine Dream were responsible for some memorable movie soundtracks. Two of these, The Keep(1983) which has arguably my favourite soundtrack of theirs, and Three O'Clock High(1987) will make their appearance here at a later date. Their music is just perfect for this movie carrying us along on the ride almost without noticing. First time out director and writer Steve De Jarnett held firm on his beliefs as to how it should be done and the end product is a low budget film which is a classic at any amount.

The ending of this truly fantastic movie is beautiful, poetic and very ironic. Utterly compelling and harrowing. A must see.

Miracle Mile IMDB page