Εφιαλτική Νύχτα

Lexzilla3.0

If I hadn’t read that this was based on an Agathie Christie novel, I never would have guessed. I mean, there’s not even a parlour room denouement. Well, there kind of is, but it’s in a 1970s version of a gadgets-of-the-future house, so does a breakfast nook next to a hidden underfloor swimming pool count as the right place to bring it all together?Whatever else I can say about the film, it’s commitment to delivering on its seventies vibe is stellar. There’s big Bentley’s, big sunglasses, ascots and fuzzy cardigans. And who wouldn’t want to live in an architect-designed country house, complete with remote controlled floors and walls, that will change shape on the press of a button. Sadly, my home doesn’t have a fully stocked bat that can pop out of the wall, and now I feel deprived.As for the film itself, it’s nicely odd. It drip feeds mystery through a fore-fronted layer of melodrama and romance, giving it an off-kilter feel. Especially when it adds in some psychedelic visual flourishes and brief hazy no-context flashbacks. It feels moody, and its that vibe that has you questioning things, more than the plot. Mostly I think you’re just supposed to sit back and roll with what’s being narrated to you, up until you can’t of course. Which is just the last fifteen minutes or so.I’m choosing to ignore Hayley Mills’ American accent, because that aside her and Hywel Bennett were pretty great in their roles as the central couple. Mostly the same with the supporting cast, although there were a few moments that veered into pantomime levels of ham. But that feels comfortable in such a British production. If nothing else, the film features an older lady taking her two cats for a walk. And I think we can all agree that that is a peak cinema moment.

Slig0014.0

Based on a story by Agatha Christie, Endless Night is a haunting story of love and ambition. The film reunites Twisted Nerve co-stars Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett, the latter of which plays a similar character to the one in the aforementioned film. He's a dreamer who happens to meet a wealthy heiress, who quickly falls in love with him. The film is a slow burn but it is constantly engaging. The story rather draws you in, despite some unlikely aspects. The tone is mixed, ranging from sweet to mysterious and with an overarching sense of foreboding permeating the whole thing. It's clear that it's all going somewhere and the film really hits us with a barrage of twists in the final third - barely letting up before unleashing the next thing, all the way to the ambiguous ending. It's quite a rug pull! And maybe a bit much overall, but I have to say I enjoyed it. A hidden gem for sure!

Gentry Austin3.5

“You look especially elfin this morning.”Death at One’s ElbowA blind buy from Kino Lorber based on its yellow/giallo cover, Agatha Christie bonafides and Ms. Britt Ekland. The same year she was getting peeped on, Ekland was getting gas lit in this British produced potboiler based on Christie’s well-received thriller novel about a hired driver who marries an heiress and commissions his best buddy/dying architect (named “Santonix”) to build him a remote controlled dream house on Gypsy's Acre. Saying anything further would spill into spoiler territory, so I’ll leave it at that. Come for “desiccated old poop” George Sanders and stay for the Hayley Mills/Ekland horse girl duo. I’ll never look at my antihistamine pills the same way again.“If the wish can be willed, then perhaps the means will follow.”