A Touch of Evil

Key Movie Elements in:   A Touch of Evil
Production:	Movie Elements
Producer	Albert Zugsmith
Director	Orson Welles
Writer	Orson Welles (screenplay), Whit Masterson (based on the novel "Badge Of Evil" by)
Production Designer	Foster Thompson
Director of Photography	Russell Metty
Music Director	Henry Mancini
Film Editor	Ernest J. Nims
Actor # 1	Charlton Heston
Actor # 2	Janet Leigh
Actor # 3	Orson Welles
Actor # 4	Joseph Calleia
Actor # 5	Akim Tamiroff
Actor # 6	Joanna Moore
Actor # 7	Marlene Dietrich
Movie:		Comments and Observations
Character #1	Mike Vargas	Mexican Policeman
Character #2	Susan Vargas	Mike’s Wife
Character #3	Police Captain Hank Quinlan	Crooked Cop
Character #4	Police Sergeant Pete Menzies	Hank Quinlan’s Partner
Character #5	'Uncle' Joe Grandi	Brother of the Grandi Family boss
Character # 6	Marcia Linnekar
Character # 7	Tana	Brothel owner and friend to Hank Qunilan
Setting	Mexican town on the U.S. Border with Mexico
Story Line	The police officer haunted by the death of his wife using false evidence to convict the guilty party. A story of Love, lies and murder mystery.
Point of View	Third Person
Theme	Drama/Murder Mystery

Overview

At a time when the film industry was mandated by a code of what could and could not be said and done A Touch of Evil dances all over the lines. The theme of the movie is a mix of a love story between Mike and Susan and the murder mystery. At any time the movie could bounce back and forth. This is a movie that is hard to follow at times.

There is a contrast to this movie that you do not see in many other movies. The lighting is very dark and this radiates the harshness of the style. The sound of the movie is like nothing done before. The depth of the sound makes it seem that you are in the middle of what is going on. There is a cutting back and forth between the stories for Mike Vargas and the stories Susan Vargas there is a staggering that makes you wondering what the story is really about.

As you are becoming involved in the initial storyline the theme suddenly takes a 90 degree turn and you are following a new theme. There is a major role played by the character of Hank Quinlan. He is a corrupt police officer Haunted by the death of his wife, the only case he could not solve. In an attempt to make up for that mistake he plants evidence to expose the guilty parties in crimes. He follows his instints, filling in what is needed to get the bad guy.  Now here is a murder at the U.S. / Mexican border that has to be solved. In the process of “Solving” the crime Mike and Susan Vargas are drawn into the plot.

There are several characters that have small parts, many with little to no input. However the character of Tana is quite vital. She is a key element from the past of Hank Quinlan and in the end she justifies him. Making the statement that he was a great detective and a lousy cop, but in the end he was “Some kind of a Man”.

This movie touches on implied topics ranging from Drugs and violence to Sex and Corruption. This is an interesting work by Orsen Wells that leaves you scratching your head and wondering exactly what was he thinking.

Run Lola Run

Key Movie Elements in:

Production Crew:

• Producer                                        Stefan Arndt
• Director                                          Tom Tykwer
• Writer                                              Tom Tykwer
• Director of Photography            Frank Griebe
• Music Director                              Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek, Reinhold Heil
• Sound                                             Matthias Lempert
• Lighting                                          Ralph Brosche
• Special Effects                             Maria Koff
• Props                                             Alexander Manasse
• Wardrobe                                      Monika Jacobs
• Film Editor                                   Mathilde Bonnefay

Cast

• Actor #1            Franka Potente,

• Actor #2            Moritz Bleibtreu

• Actor #3            Herbert Knaup

• Actor #4            Nina Petri

• Actor #5            Joachim Krol
• Actor #6            Armin Rohde

Movie:

• Character #1            Lola - Just a girl trying to help her boyfriend out of trouble.

• Character #2            Manni - He trouble prone boyfriend

• Character #3            Papa - Lola’s “Father”. He is the head of the bank and is cheating with Frau Hansen.

• Character #4            Frau Hansen - The Other woman

• Character #5            Norbert - The “bum” who is the center of all the trouble.

• Character #6            Schuster – The “helpful” police officer that just seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

• Setting                      German town

• Story Line                Girl and boy are supposed to meet, but don’t. Boy gets in trouble and girl tries to fix it. Boy gets out of trouble and doesn’t realize everything that has happened.

• Point of View            Third Person

• Theme                      Action

Overview

The blurred entry pushes the focus to the center, making the questions asked stand out. This movie seems to have only one direction, and that is to go from bad to worse. The three different scenarios that you see are what could have happened based on a chain of events and the choices that Lola makes. She is desperate to help her boyfriend and goes to extreme measures to try and save him.

The movie itself leaves a lot to be desired. There are a lot of scenes that leave you feeling like there is to many things left out. But I guess that is the way that the writer wanted it. Making you think more into the movie that what was being showed. With each “what-if” you throw in your own ideas about what the next steps should be. Adding to the movie without really adding anything.

Duel

Key Movie Elements in:  Duel

Production Team:

Producer                  George Eckstein        

Director                   Steven Spielberg      

Asst Director             Jim Fargo     

Writer                     Richard Matheson      

Director of Photography  Jack A Marta            

Sound                       Edwin S Hall 

Music Director             Billy Goldenberg   

Unit Production Manager  Wallace Worsley        

Set Decorations           S Blydenburgh 

Art Director               Robert S Smith             

Film Editor                 Frank Morriss         

Actors

Actor #1  

Dennis Weaver                        Plays a believable role of the Victim. Down trodden and stressed bringing a sympathy to the main character.

Actor #2

Jacqueline Scott                        Simple and to the point

Actor #3

Carey Loftin                        n/a

Actor #4

1955 Peterbilt 281                        The visual antagonist

Movie:

Character #1

David Mann                        Simple salesman. Stressed by work and by his relationship at home. Is pulled into a ordeal of life and death

Character #2

Mrs Mann                        1970's housewife. Not happy and making sure the main character knows about it. Tormenting him and at the same time acting as the passive wife.

Character #3

The truck driver                        Demented in a simple description. Antagonizes and torments David Mann. Playing a game of cat and mouse.

Character #4

The Truck                        This is the visually body of the truck driver. Even though it is the driver terrorizing David Mann the truck is what becomes the attacker

Setting:

1970's Mountain desert highway.        

Story Line:

While traveling through the desert for an appointment with a client, the salesman David Mann passes a slow and old tanker truck. The truck driver feels offended andplays a deadly game of cat and mouse along the highway trying to kill him.                

Point of View:

First Person  

Theme:

Thriller          

Overview

 This is a well-played simple thriller. You get slowly drawn into the movie with the use of the camera angles. Meeting the “Victim” and because you never see the driver the truck takes on a personality all it’s own. Toying with the main character and slowly driving him to the point of hysterics. The contact struggle to just get away and make it to safety is ever present.

  Based on a true story the believability that this depicted from the filming and the acting will leave you looking in your rear view mirror to see if you are being followed on your next road trip.