![]() I’d never paid much attention to this movie when it was on TV I watched it fully this past weekend. He and British actor Robert Shaw had a combative relationship on set. Dreyfuss was already getting a rep as a bit of a “diva” (and he had turned down his role twice). This was Dreyfuss’ second movie after American Graffiti (directed by Speilberg’s friend, George Lucas). I learned that Speilberg, actor Richard Dreyfuss, and composer John Williams were only 26 y.o. All his work subsequently has been in television, including genre efforts such as the alien invasion tv movie Them (1996), the clairvoyance tv movie A Deadly Vision (1997) and the plague outbreak film Thirst (1998).This is the first movie to gross $100M and become known as a “Summer blockbuster.” Though it went over-budget and over-schedule, it left a big impression on pop culture (and launched the career of director Steven Speilberg). Norton made a handful of other theatrical films including More American Graffiti (1979) and the Disney dinosaur film Baby – Secret of the Lost Legend (1985). Norton was a last minute replacement director who had only previously made the action film Cisco Pike (1972). In more recent years, Salt has emerged on the other side of the camera as a producer on the tv series’ Nip/Tuck (2003-10) and American Horror Story (2011– ), as well as writing the screenplay for Eat Pray Love (2010).ī.W.L. Jennifer Salt was a minor actress of the era, making small appearances in Brewster McCloud (1971), Play It Again Sam (1972) and three films for Brian De Palma, most notably playing the lead in Sisters (1973), as well as becoming a regular on tv’s Soap (1977-81). He became a matinee idol throughout the 1950s and in the 1960s for a time became a director/writer, most notably with the tough survival drama The Naked Prey (1966), as well as the interesting collapse of civilisation film No Blade of Grass (1970). Casey (or at least the actor dubbing his voice) gives the role an unusual gravitas, which creates uncommon sympathy for the gargoyles.Ĭornel Wilde was a Hungarian immigrant who found a career as an actor in the 1940s, even being nominated for an Academy Award for A Song to Remember (1952). ![]() Nevertheless, when it comes to the appearance of Bernie Casey’s lead gargoyle with a full set of wings and piercing eyes, not to mention the scene with him abducting Jennifer Salt on horseback, the effect is genuinely eerie. Norton creates an unusual atmosphere – the one thing that would have helped the film no end is a better lighting director as the relatively nondescript and ordinary lighting we get lets us see too much that the gargoyles are just ordinary men in costumes. The creatures emerge down around the level of the average episode of Doctor Who (1963-89) and the chintzily cheap monsters of the week it was offering up during this era. The gargoyle makeups look uneven today – many of them are clearly just stuntmen in costumes, while the film also seems to have the view that watching the gargoyles lope around in slow-motion is something eerie whereas today it is simply an overused effect. Certainly, the film could well have done with more of a budget – a modern remake would clean things up to no end, although you suspect that that would also ruin the uncanny atmosphere by shoehorning everything into formula horror. Norton makes it look more like a feature film of the era than a tv movie (it was theatrically released in some parts of Europe). That said, it is an entirely original film all of its own.ĭirector B.W.L. Gargoyles was almost certainly appealing to the new interest in the occult and demonology in the early 1970s that came about after the success of Rosemary’s Baby (1968), something that went stratospheric the next year with The Exorcist (1973). Back in its day, the film gained a following and still has good word of mouth today from those who saw its original airing or caught it in sporadic repeats. Gargoyles – not related or to be confused with the excellent animated tv series Gargoyles (1994-6) – is a classic tv movie that has gained a reasonable reputation, even what could be regarded as cult status.
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