Comments on: Touch of Evil

By: Sam Juliano

Sam Juliano — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:40:56 +0000

True what you say there Evan, in fact I would dare say that his performance in BEN-HUR was an acting masterpiece, as he got into the skin of that character with an intimacy rarely achieved in American cinema. He deserved his Oscar for that film.

By: Evan Derrick

Evan Derrick — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:09:31 +0000

Heston is one actor who seemed to lug baggage with him from set to set to set, acquiring more and more of it with each film. He is always something of an overactor, and Ben-Hur, The 10 Commandments, and Planet of the Apes all reveal that to one degree or another. You just have to go with it, and accept what he's doing, even if he's slicing big, thick chunks of ham off in each of his films.

By: Sam Juliano

Sam Juliano — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:00:35 +0000

This is a beautiful and descriptive piece of writing, and yes I quite agree that the beginning is one of the most celebrated in movie history. I wish I could muster up more enthusiasm for this film, but through the years I have never had a successful viewing of it despite (as you note) the stunning cinematography and some unforgettable set pieces. Maybe Heston’s performance (which never rung true to me)was too much baggage, yet the Cornel Woolrich story it was based on yielded in its filmic incarceration some off-putting convolutions. This is for me one of the most overated of films, but the essay you wrote here was nothing but superbly written and most engaging to read.

By: Coosa Creek Mambo » Just a Little Evil

Coosa Creek Mambo » Just a Little Evil — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:31:49 +0000

[...] it before, and here are a few observations (be sure to read Phillip Johnston’s fine review here). Orson Welles (left) and Charlton [...]

By: Rick Olson

Rick Olson — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:18:25 +0000

“a twisted baptism into a squalid lake of filth”

I love it, Phillip.

I think you nailed it about what makes the film great, though … it’s the style much more than the story, which is kind of an overheated pulpy kind of thing. I think Welles consciously sets out trying to discombobulate us (yes, I said “discombobulate”), and he succeeds in spades.