"Deathdream"

Being what I sometimes call a "someday filmmaker" (music keeps getting in the way), I watch a hell of a lot of movies as the educational process. And ya know, a director I respect as much as Kurosawa or Kubrick or any of the other greats is Bob Clark. Just watched "Deathdream" (or "Dead of Night" or about ten other used titles), and it was great in that wonderful low-budget way. Never seen it before.

Basically, the plot is an extension/twist on the "Monkey's Paw" tale, but the script feels pretty original. And the movie was released in 1972, right at the height of dissension in this country over Vietnam. I couldn't help thinking of "Jacob's Ladder" and the Masters of Horror episode "Homecoming" while watching it, too. The cast is great and sort of odd, too. John Marley has the leading role as the returning-from-Vietnam soldier's father. He's about fifteen years too old for the part but does a splendid job with it, anyway.

Bob Clark, who passed away a few years ago, had one of the most interesting careers of any director ever. I mean, this guy, within ten years, made "Black Christmas," "Porky's" and "A Christmas Story." How's that for running the tables? Talk about genre jumping. Add "Deathdream" to his A-list.