Shameless Self Expression

Business tycoon Orson Welles (seen in flashbacks) is shot dead, with investigative reporter Michael Wilding put on the case. Margaret Lockwood is Welles’ widow, John McCallum his loyal but seemingly secretive aide. Miles Malleson plays Lockwood’s uncle.   Mostly colourless 1952 mystery from director Herbert Wilcox ( “The Lady With a Lamp” , “The Heart of a Man” ) had a conclusion I didn’t predict, but I also can’t say I cared much. The film takes a good while to really kick into gear and once it does it still doesn’t fire up much interest. Michael Wilding’s slightly cheeky performance as the detective was the only thing keeping me awake here. Orson Welles’ late participation is curious, it’s such a nondescript film and his lively, if unsubtle cameo performance isn’t enough to lift the film. He’s fine, but why is he here ? A pretty big waste of the always solid Miles Malleson in a nondescript role as well. I must say leading lady Margaret Lockwood didn’t do much for me, ...

Jason Evers (credited as Herb Evers) plays a brilliant but unethical surgeon who gets into a car wreck with his girlfriend (Virginia Leith). She’s decapitated, so naturally Evers decides to walk away with her disembodied head to use in his experiments back at his lab. He’s got the head…now where to find the other body parts? Answer: the sleazy underbelly of society, of course! Did I mention that Evers has some of his previous experiments hidden away in his lab? Actually, one failed experiment isn’t hidden away: His assistant, who has a deformed arm due to a botched experiment.   Written and directed by Joseph Green, this 1962 sci-fi film is often considered one of the tent poles of the ‘so bad it’s good/funny’ realm of bad cinema. It’s miscast in that field in my view. I honestly believe that this is pretty much the film Green (who strangely only directed one other film in 1986!) set out to make and he has mostly executed it to that design. It’s clearly not a film that is tryin...