Day 211: Play Misty For Me

Play Misty For Me

But you didn't say "Please".

I have been a radio DJ on and off since college. I really enjoy bringing new music to people and helping out lesser-known bands reach an audience. It's always nice to get requests as it's a confirmation that people are listening and I'm not just shouting into the darkness of radio. Thankfully, I've never had to deal with angry listeners. I did receive mail from a prisoner, but it was all positive. Being in any form of entertainment opens you up to a wide variety of people, some good and some not so good. All it takes is one person off the medication or off their rocker to become obsessed and fixated.

Play Misty For Me is a 1971 thriller horror movie directed by and starring Clint Eastwood (Gran Torino, Million Dollar Baby) as radio DJ Dave Garver. Dave broadcasts on KRML in California, playing a mix of music and poetry. One night at a bar, he meets a woman named Evelyn Draper (Jessica Walter, Arrested Development, PCU). She reveals that their meeting is not a coincidence as she is a fan of his radio show and has requested him to play the song “Misty” for her on several occasions. Dave is slightly uncomfortable, but Evelyn coerces him into sleeping with her with the agreement of no strings attached. The next day, Evelyn shows up at Dave's home to his surprise. He is a little taken aback, but does not object too much. She begins to show up unannounced and uninvited to places where Dave shows up. She alternates between saying she loves him and claiming to hate him and Dave tries to break it off gently numerous times. His ex-girlfriend Tobie Williams (Donna Mills, Knots Landing, Melrose Place) has come back to town and Dave tries to rekindle their relationship. Evelyn continues to follow him, even ruining a business meeting and a potential job for Dave. She attempts to kill herself, but manages to survive. She breaks into Dave's house, destroying his things and attacking his house keeper. She is committed to an institution and Dave begins a relationship with Tobie. Time passes, and Evelyn calls Dave, saying she has been released and is going to work in Hawaii. That night, she attacked Dave in his sleep, but was unsuccessful and escaped. How will Dave stop Evelyn and will he be able to protect Tobie? 

Who could say no to those sideburns?

We all know Clint Eastwood as the quiet, tough cowboy or the older, gruff father figure later in his career. Play Misty For Me takes Eastwood out of his comfort zone and makes him a sort-of heartthrob, complete with feathery hair. Eastwood's Dave has his flaws and tries to make things right with Evelyn, but by then it is too late and the audience is cheering for him. All this is helped along thanks to the phenomenal Jessica Walter. She is incredibly convincing, going from calm and loving, to manically dangerous. The audience knows pretty quickly that something is wrong, but Dave doesn't catch on and we watch in horror as things go from bad to worse. The movie has some good scares and thrills, culminating in a harrowing final scene made all the scarier thanks to a lack of music. Sometimes scenes are far scarier with real sounds instead of orchestras and music telling us how we should feel. There are some good scenes of violence, though they are tame compared to movies today.

The movie is a strong, simple thriller that is perfect for Eastwood's directorial debut. Things play out as you expect, but that's good because Play Misty For Me is the type of movie that does not require tricks or twists. The movie paved the way for other stalker movies like Fatal Attraction and The Hand That Rocks The Cradle. The only real problems from the movie are due to it being a victim of it's time. The 70's weren't exactly a great time and the movie is steeped in the era, from the clothes to the hair. Despite the aesthetic issues, there are scenes that reflect filmmaking at the time, like an extended music festival scene or the long reconnection of Dave and Tobie complete with cheesy love music playing while the walk along a beach and kiss during sunset. These scenes take away from the flow of movie and certainly don't appeal to modern audiences.

Wow! I can hear the ocean in your ear!

Play Misty For Me is a by-the-numbers stalker movie and there is nothing wrong with that. The movie is carried by the great performance of Jessica Walter and the good performance of Clint Eastwood. Eastwood does a fine job directing, especially so since it was his first time in the director's chair. The movie has good thrills and suspense with some decent action. It tends to be a little slow in parts and the style of the movie is steeped in the 70's which doesn't translate well to the 2010's. Play Misty For Me is a fun movie that can be watched by a wide audience.

8/10

Day 128: Pontypool

Pontypool

Bloody hell

Is a zombie movie still a zombie movie where there are no zombies in the movie? Sorry for the tongue twister, but it's an interesting question posed by the movie Pontypool. Director Bruce McDonald (Roadkill, Hardcore Logo) has stated that the people in Pontypool are not zombies. I would disagree. You don't need flesh chomping and brain eating to have a zombie movie. The true question would be “Is this a good horror movie?” The answer is a resounding “Hell yeah!”

Pontypool is a 2009 horror/psychological thriller starring Stephen McHattie (Watchmen, 2012) as grizzled radio DJ Grant Mazzy. Grant is a former shock jock and has been reduced to doing the morning radio in the tiny town of Pontypool, Ontario, Canada. He makes his way to the station early in the morning during a blizzard when a woman comes out of nowhere, women taps on his window, strangely repeating the same word over and over, before disappearing into the darkness. Grant's shock jock persona tries to break through during his show, but he is is reprimanded by his producer Sydney (Lisa Houle). They receive a call from their weatherman, Ken Loney, that a mob has surrounded the office of Dr. Menendez. He describes the carnage which causes numerous deaths and the inclusion of the army when he is abruptly cut off. They frantically try to confirm reports, but can't get anything conclusive. Ken calls back, this time from inside a grain silo when attacked by the teenage son of a local woman. The call is interrupted by a French transmission, which station assistant Laurel-Ann (Georgina Reilly) translates, telling people to remain indoors, refrain from using terms of endearment and the English language, and to not translate the message. Grant tries to leave the station, but is attacked by a horde of infected people, crushing up against the building. Laurel-Ann begins to demonstrate erratic behavior, fixating and repeating words and phrases over and over before completely freezing in place. At the same time, Dr. Menendez, who survived the initial onslaught, has crawled his way into the radio station and goes on air trying to explain exactly what is going on. He theorizes that a virus has found it's way into the English language, infecting certain words and then infecting humans. Laural-Ann, now infected, continuously slams into the radio booth, trying to get at Grant, Sydney and Dr. Menendez inside. The horde finally breaks into the radio station, and Dr. Menendez starts to succumb to the virus. How will Grant and Sydney survive?

"The golden tones of my voice will stop them!"

I don't say this often, but this movie is powerful. It's built on strong writing and even stronger performances. Stephen McHattie is fantastic in his role as a Don Imus-like DJ at the end of his rope, just trying to hang on to his former glory. He has been beaten down, but is still strong during this time of crisis, being the voice of the story and regaining what he used to be. So much of his performance is based on his facial expressions and tone in his voice, appropriate for a movie based more on words than actions. He's joined by a strong supporting cast in Lisa Houle and Georgina Reilly. Even Hrant Alianak who played Dr. Menendez was great, frantically slipping in and out of the virus's effects. Bruce McDonald does a good job directing with good wide and closeup shots which convey both the gravity of the situation and the emotion of the characters.

As I said earlier, Pontypool is most certainly a zombie movie. True, it doesn't have any real biting or even that much visual violence, but that's not really what's at the heart of most good zombie movies. The emotion and social commentary throughout the movie fits right in with such zombie classics as Night of the Living Dead and 28 Days Later. We are thrown right into the psychological maelstrom along with the characters, learning information bit by bit. The phone calls from Ken in the field, giving first hand accounts, was a really nice touch. There is some action, but I could have used some more. That's just the zombie fan in me wanting to see some arms ripped off and some head shots. There are some hints as to what and why things are happening, but we are never really given anything concrete. I would have liked a little more explanation, just to satisfy my own curiosity, but it doesn't hinder the story.

It's a radical look, but it works for you

Pontypool succeeds because of the fantastic acting, great writing, and really solid directing. Stephen McHattie puts on a particularly good performance that makes the movie work. The audience is taken on a terrifying emotional roller coaster without ever really seeing much violence or leaving the radio station. While not your usual zombie film, it has all the elements that make a zombie movie what it should be. If you're looking for lots of blood, guts, and violence, this movie isn't for you. If you're looking for a smart, creative take on the zombie genre, Pontypool is a must-see. Maybe it's because I'm a radio DJ, but I loved this movie.

9/10