Catherine Blake Movies
This comedy offers yet another sanitized and very loose adaptation of Mark Twain's dark satire A Yankee in King Arthur's Court. This time, the story centers on Calvin Fuller, a nerdy young adolescent living in Reseda. The gangly, unsure youth is first seen standing at bat, ready for yet another strike out. Suddenly a terrible earthquake hits and as the others run for safety, the hapless Calvin is swallowed up in a gaping chasm. He falls and falls until he finds himself landing on the head of a 6th-century black knight. Upon hearing of his miraculous appearance, the elderly King Arthur, seeing him as the savior Merlin predicted would appear, dubs the boy Calvin of Reseda and invites him to dine with the court. Calvin then begins his knightly training. When the earthquake hit, lucky Calvin managed to grab his knapsack and is therefore able to wow the Arthurians with his futuristic magic that includes an introduction to rock & roll via CD-player, and a wonderful Swiss Army knife. The young wizard also shows them how to make rollerblades. His work wins him adulation and renown, but it also rouses the jealousy of the wicked Lord Belasco who will use any means to take over the throne. Meanwhile, Calvin finds himself falling for young-princess Katey. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1992
- R
Set in South London, this surreal and atmospheric low-budget film takes an interesting approach to the vampire genre by focusing almost exclusively on the emotions of its tormented central character: reclusive, intellectual vampire Alex (Julian Sands). Alex chooses to prey only on criminals and street derelicts, devoting more of his time to pursue a greater hunger for books on the occult, a passion surpassed only by his tragic love for a beautiful woman whom he lost to his ancient rival, the vampire-hunting Edgar (Kenneth Cranham). Alex's past returns to haunt him in more ways than one: as he enters a tenuous relationship with a quiet, morose librarian (Suzanna Hamilton) whose sad-eyed beauty reminds him of his lost love, the still-vindictive Edgar -- now a vampire himself -- returns to settle the score by abducting her. Though leisurely paced, this seldom-seen sleeper is driven by excellent performances, gorgeous photography, and a simple but compelling script that artfully combines subtle chills with bittersweet romance (including fitting excerpts from Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee"), all draped in a fog-bound Gothic ambience of dripping candles, billowing curtains, and crumbling stone pillars. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julian Sands, Suzanna Hamilton, (more)
- 1951
In this drama, bank robbers are exiled to an island off the English coast. They are caught in raging seas and would have died had not the two lighthouse keepers come to their aid. The crooks then try to persuade the keepers into letting them escape. It almost works. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
