Is there no thread for Michael Winner's 1977 "The Sentinel?"

Because this is one of the most batshit horror movies I've ever seen? It's shot lifeless, overlit and flat like a TV movie, with this non-stop crap melodramatic score. And it just keeps getting weirder and weirder and wronger and wronger.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqEoIPbu2sg&feature=related

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_LZ92yTgKeAQ/RsNZgjx42UI/AAAAAAAABYI/6H3AgB7mK4M/s320/sentinel2.jpg

When one can debate whether the gratuitous Beverly D'Angelo lesbian neighbor scene is the weirdest in a film, you know you're dealing with an awesome film.

Stumbling across this on HBO in the late 70s made for some very WTF viewing.

It is scary iirc.

It's been so long since I've seen it, but I do recall it having a great, bizarre mood to it, and Burgess Meredith being quite disturbing.

great weirdo cast, also christina raines was vv sexy

The scene where she lops off that guy's nose! And pries out his eye!

The cat from this movie and Blanch from House need to pair up.

Come on! This cast! John Carradine, Jose Ferrer, Ava Gardner, Burgess Meredith, Eli Wallach, Christopher Walken, Jerry Orbach, Beverley D'Angelo, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Berenger!

None of them the stars, not surprisingly. This is like the "Towering Inferno" of supernatural schlock.

Amazing amazing film. The slick production values only render you unprepared for the content. Definitely deserves its own thread.

can someone make an animated gif of jeff goldblum stuffing that thing into his mouth at :40

RIP

Wow he made six films with Oliver Reed!

I loved The Sentinel so damn much. Hopefully it's still on NF streaming so everyone else can love it too.

"with this non-stop crap melodramatic score"

I have to disagree with Josh here. I think Gil Melle's score is amazing, bold, original in its blend of symphonics, electronics and jazz. Blew me away while I was watching the film and I was overjoyed to find a decent sounding bootleg on a soundtrack nerd blog.

Looking over Winner's films list, he definitely had a knack for eliciting great music. He got several great scores out of Jerry Fielding, including The Mechanic which is all-time.

apparently i've only seen The Nightcomers, which is not good.

the sentinel is great. genuinely scared me the first time I saw it

From wiki:

The film became controversial when it was revealed the director used actual disfigured people and circus freaks to represent demons during the climax.

Never seen the film but Imma seek it out now based on that revelation.

Oh that scene is on some Jodorowsky awesome

LOL the nightcomers. Let's make a PREQUEL to 'The Turn of the Screw' and let Brando do all kinds of blarney talk all over the place.

so terrible

Letter from Marvel president Jim Galton regarding Michael Winner's Captain America script:

December 16, 1985

Mr. Menahem Golan
CANNON FILMS
6464 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, California 90028

Dear Menahem:

I thought I would write you concerning the Spider-Man script written by John Brancato and Ted Newsom, and the Captain America script written by Michael Winner and Stan Hey.

The Spider-Man script, in my opinion, is superb. It maintains the basic integrity of the character in the original story, while placing it in a modern setting. It is simple and direct in its plot line and very easy for the reader to follow. I have now read approximately twelve Spider-Man scripts or treatments, and this is by far the best of the lot!

The Captain America script, on the other hand, I found to be “bloody awful.” It does not maintain the basic integrity of the character. It plays fast and loose with the basic storylines, and I found it to be so convoluted in its plot that I had difficulty following it. In addition, I found the situation totally implausible, as it stretches credibility beyond the readers’ limit. I certainly think it means going back to the drawing board again to get a more credible script.

Best regards,

James E. Galton
President

Watched this the other night as a tribute to Winner. Not surprised to find Milton Parker repping for it, whole thing def gave off a Possession-type vibe (it's not as good as the Zulawski, tho' the scene where Ellen Griswold masturbates in her red leotard comes p close). Other things it reminded me of - The Shining (esp the 'overdetermined' score, which was awesome throughout), The Changeling, and most esp The Possession of Joel Delaney (another movie set in 70s NYC w/ a Britishes director).

The DVD I rented comes w/ a Winner commentary track btw

Never heard of The Possession of Joel Delaney before!

lol @ plot keywords

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067601/keywords

Poll

>The Possession of Joel Delaney

oh that looks good and obscure

The Sentinel is just an odd duck of a film, several of the images & scenarios are extreme enough as to usually only be encountered in european art cinema, but the production values are all slicked out Hollywood, and there's this incredible cavalcade of venerable top-level character actors strewn all the way through it, right up to the final scene where the Deep Space Nine fan I was watching this with jumped out of her chair and said 'No it is actually impossible that these people are also in this film'

>The Possession of Joel Delaney

oh that looks good and obscure

really? it was one of those prestige horror flicks of the era, and pretty controversial to boot. I remember seeing it on the tube in the 70s. tho I always got it mixed it up with the reincarnation of peter proud.

well it can't be too obscure with Shirley in it, but neither can things like Elizabeth Taylor in The Driver's Seat, films which weren't underground but fell between the cracks

I didn't even realize this until now -- the Satanic Older Lesbian in The Sentinel is played by Sylvia Miles from Morrissey's 'Heat'!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/spookytreasures/6699152571/in/photostream/

the santeria scene in it is good/creepy but the rest of it is m/l forgettable; the sentinel otoh is amazing

now that I think of it, joel delaney was one of the paramount titles legend released on DVD about 5 years ago, along with phase IV, the sender, mandingo, etc

$4.99 @ amazon! watta bargain

http://www.amazon.com/Possession-Joel-Delaney-Shirley-MacLaine/dp/B0016LFG4C

tho I always got it mixed it up with the reincarnation of peter proud.

^^Jerry Goldsmith's finest unreleased score

Fun Fact: Joel Delaney was part of deal Paramount struck with Shirl that also entailed an adaptation of Desperate Characters (also on DVD from Legend) and her own sitcom. All three tanked (although iirc, the tv show lasted a whole season).

Yeah, Joel Delaney is more...uptown...than The Sentinel: I really like the low-key way it moves into horror, and the 70s NYC locations are great to see now.

Fun Fact #2: The director of Joel Delaney, Waris Hussein, also directed the first-ever episode of Doctor Who.

Love how all the dead extras in the final scene seemed so blase about the whole thing. Also, main character's reaction to the cake orgy scene was so unexpected and funny at the same time.