The Sentinel (1977)
During the seventies, the success of several disaster movies indirectly started a trend for all-star casts. Then when the horror genre became a bankable commodity once again and Hollywood started pouring money into such productions, the casting of famous actors both old and new continued. Hence Michael Winner’s 1977 adaptation of The Sentinel, based upon the book by Jeffrey Konvitz, features multiple stars from forties and fifties Hollywood. Their presence adds some gravitas to the production but like so many of the director’s other films, there is an unseemly and somewhat unpleasant quality to The Sentinel. Perhaps a different director could have brought the various elements of the story together more successfully. Winner creates both atmosphere and shocks, but it is all a little too knowing. He also commits a cardinal sin at the film’s climax. Casting disabled actors for shock value as the denizens of hell.
During the seventies, the success of several disaster movies indirectly started a trend for all-star casts. Then when the horror genre became a bankable commodity once again and Hollywood started pouring money into such productions, the casting of famous actors both old and new continued. Hence Michael Winner’s 1977 adaptation of The Sentinel, based upon the book by Jeffrey Konvitz, features multiple stars from forties and fifties Hollywood. Their presence adds some gravitas to the production but like so many of the director’s other films, there is an unseemly and somewhat unpleasant quality to The Sentinel. Perhaps a different director could have brought the various elements of the story together more successfully. Winner creates both atmosphere and shocks, but it is all a little too knowing. He also commits a cardinal sin at the film’s climax. Casting disabled actors for shock value as the denizens of hell.
Alison Parker (Christina Raines) is a fashion model who suffers from neurosis, which has led to several suicide attempts. When she moves into a Brooklyn Heights brownstone, she notices that the top floor apartment is occupied by a blind priest, Father Halliran (John Carradine), who continuously sits at the window. Overtime, Alison starts suffering from fainting spells and insomnia. She also hears unexplained noises. Her neighbours are also somewhat odd, including the eccentric, elderly Charles Chazen (Burgess Meredith), and the female couple Gerde (Sylvia Miles) and Sandra (Beverly D'Angelo). She even attends a bizarre birthday party for Chazen's cat. Alison decides to share her concerns with the rental agent Miss Logan (Ava Gardner) but is perplexed to be told that her and the blind priest are the building’s only tennants. Alison's boyfriend Michael (Chris Sarandon), who is a lawyer, contacts a corrupt detective called Brenner (Hank Garrett), to investigate what is happening.
The all-star cast of “Hollywood legends” certainly adds to the allure of The Sentinel. The fact that such actors as Burgess Meredith, Ava Gardner and Jose Ferrer get to play such baroque and grotesque characters is intriguing. The screenplay, which was adapted by both Jeffrey Konvitz and Michael Winner, retains many of the themes from the original book such as hidden trauma and the stigma of attempted suicide. The make-up effects are unpleasant but exemplary, created by industry legend, Dick Smith. This was the age of the big budget horror film with studios eager to recreate the box office success of The Exorcist and The Omen. Hence The Sentinel seeks to replicate many of the horror tropes seen in those movies. Overall, this is a professionally made picture with good quality production values. Yet despite all this, the various elements don’t quite seem to fit and the film feels off.
The best and most revered horror films are those made by people who understand the versatility of the genre and how it can be successfully used to explore complex themes and make intelligent commentary on the human condition. The Exorcist and Dawn of the Dead are two fine examples of this. However, Michael Winner is a divisive film maker. Often with his films, there comes a tipping point where the viewer may consider is he genuinely subverting the genre and its themes to do something original, or is he mocking the material and the audience? I can’t help but feel that Winner was not the right sort of director for The Sentinel. He claimed that he was inspired by the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch but that is a poor excuse for exploiting the disabled. The Sentinel could have been a better film in different hands. As it stands, its questionable excesses diminish it.
The Games (1970)
The Games is the story of four marathon runners and their preparations for the Olympics. Harry Hayes (Michael Crawford) is a British runner with a highly demanding coach (Stanley Baker). US athlete Scott Reynolds (Ryan O’Neal) is reaching the end of his career and continues to run, even though it might kill him. Czechoslovakian world record holder Pavel Vendik (Charles Aznevour) is “encouraged” out of retirement to competes for the glory of his country, and then there’s Aboriginal Australian runner Sunny Pintubi (Athol Compton) who competes as a way of escaping his life of poverty and racial oppression. All come under media scrutiny and must confront their own demons before competing in the race that will possibly define their life.
The Games is the story of four marathon runners and their preparations for the Olympics. Harry Hayes (Michael Crawford) is a British runner with a highly demanding coach (Stanley Baker). US athlete Scott Reynolds (Ryan O’Neal) is reaching the end of his career and continues to run, even though it might kill him. Czechoslovakian world record holder Pavel Vendik (Charles Aznevour) is “encouraged” out of retirement to competes for the glory of his country, and then there’s Aboriginal Australian runner Sunny Pintubi (Athol Compton) who competes as a way of escaping his life of poverty and racial oppression. All come under media scrutiny and must confront their own demons before competing in the race that will possibly define their life.
X is an extremely interesting snapshot of the world of international sport during the early seventies. It is a fast paced, tightly edited movie (like many of Michael Winners movies) and features many international locations. The cast is eclectic but strong and the dialogue tight and to the point. It is a revelation to see Michael Crawford, best known in the UK for his seventies comedy hijinks, playing against such internationals stars as Ryan O’Neal and Stanley Baker. It was also the first time I’d seen Sam Elliot before he was grey and grizzled. Winner gets the most from his location shooting and creates a genuine feel for what it is life to actually participate in such an Olympic event. Although many of the characters are not particularly sympathetic there is a compelling quality to their respective stories and subsequent fate.
Michael Winner is not the first name you think of when considering a movie about sport, but his style compliments the subject matter. The Games manages to take what is essentially a not particularly interesting spectator sport and it into an intriguing and somewhat sleazy drama. The first two acts focus on the respective characters and their own personal challenges. As the main event draws near we see the financial and political pressure that comes to bear on each of them and how they each deal with it. The last act of the movie depicts the marathon through Rome as the gruelling endurance test that it is. Yet the editing and pacing build a strong sense of drama as to who will win the race. The depiction of drug abuse, along with the unbridled egos of some of the athletes still rings true today. As does the insidious influence of big business and corporate sponsorship.
Curiously enough the print of The Games that I recently watched sported the original BBFC rating which was curiously a U certificate. I do not think the movie would be so fortunate today. The use of habit forming performance enhancing drugs, the casual sexual undercurrent as well as depictions of institutional racism would possibly attract a higher rating. However, all of these themes are explored cogently. The depiction of aboriginal runner Sunny Pintubi (Athol Compton) was particularly good and was in some way the most interesting character in the movie. The way he turns the tables on those who seek to exploit him is suitably satisfying. Overall, The Games is an accurate assessment of the state on international athletics at the time, reflecting the political propaganda wars of the East and West. It also portrays the hubris of US sports from the era, as well as the blinkered and misplaced notion of English exceptionalism that still remained among some UK athletes.
