The Unholy Three (1930)

Premiered July 12, 1930.

This film was released 90 years ago today, so we thought it was a good time to post this out-of-season Christmas review!:

A ventriloquist who calls himself Professor Echo (Lon Chaney) works at a carnival where he shows off his voice-throwing skills and rips off the local rubes.

Others who work at the carnival include a strong man known as Hercules (Ivan Linow)...

...and Tweedledee (Harry Earles), who is billed as the "smallest adult in the world"...

...and a professional pickpocket named Rosie (Lila Lee).

When Tweedledee kicks a child during a fight, a riot breaks out and the carnival is shut down.

Echo tells Tweedledee and Hercules he has a new scam that will make them all rich.  He says the three of them will disappear and change their identities.  Tweedledee says plan sounds, "unholy," which prompts Echo to call this crew "The Unholy Three."

Echo also brings along his pet gorilla, which seems to be the only thing Hercules is afraid of.  Echo uses this to his advantage whenever Hercules doesn't fall in line.

Sometime later, the trio opens an exotic pets shop they can use as a front for their criminal operation.

Echo runs the pet shop under his new alias, a grandmother named Mrs. O'Grady.

Tweedledum poses as her grandson Willie.

And Hercules pretends he's Mrs. O'Grady's son-in-law Herman.

Rosie also works at the shop.  Echo has romantic ideas about Rosie, but he treats her with contempt.  Rosie is attracted to a pet shop employee named Hector McDonald (Elliott Nugent) and the attraction is mutual.

On Christmas Eve, Echo, Herman and Willie decide to steal a valuable ruby necklace from one of their customers.  Poor Hector has no idea that he works with criminals and buys a Christmas tree and lots of toys for Willie.  Hector hopes to spend a romantic evening trimming the tree with Rosie.

However, Echo gets jealous and decides stay behind and trim the tree as Mrs. O'Grady.  Hector tells Mrs. O'Grady he plans to ask Rosie to marry him.

Tweedledee and Herman go through with the robbery without Echo.  Herman ends up shooting and killing a man while stealing the necklace.  On Christmas morning, the trio decides to pin the theft and murder on Hector.  They plant the necklace in Hector's closet and he's arrested.

Hector tells the police and judge that Rosie and Mrs. O'Grady will provide him with an alibi.  However, Mrs. O'Grady and Rosie are nowhere to be found.  The Unholy Three have disappeared and are hiding out in a cabin in the mountains.  They've brought along Echo's gorilla and kidnapped Rosie. 

Will Hector be convicted for a crime he didn't commit?

J.A. Morris says:

If the premise for this movie sounds a bit ridiculous, that's because it is!  Prof. Echo needs a money-making scam, so the first idea that pops into his head is to open an exotic pet shop?  However, it's also ridiculously great!  The "Christmas Scam" is a something of a trope in holiday movies and I'm guessing this is one of the first times it's been featured on film. 

The Unholy Three has great historical importance.  It's the only sound film appearance of the great Lon Chaney, a major star of the silent era who today is best remembered as the star of The Phantom Of The Opera and The Hunchback Of Notre Dame.  It's a shame Chaney died several weeks after the release of this film, because he's great here and he had a scary, menacing voice.

The rest of the cast provide solid support. 

Director Jack Conway makes great use of shadows in several scenes.   Here's a good example of that:

If there's anything wrong with The Unholy Three, it's that there's a (never stated aloud) message that Carnival folks are inherently bad and strange people.  While Echo displays a few, fleeting moments of humanity, Hercules and Tweedledee don't have many redeeming qualities.  They seem to exist merely to steal money and kill people.  I'm sure this was the conventional wisdom about Carnival "freaks" when this film was made, but I still feel like it needs to be called out.

Strictly speaking, The Unholy Three is more of a "Christmas-adjacent" movie than a "Christmas movie," but Christmas plays a very important role in the plot.  The trimming of the tree sets a lot of actions in motion:it causes echo to stay behind, which leads to the robbery turning into a murder, which eventually leads to the framing of Hector.  An important conversation between Rosie and Hector takes place during Christmas dinner.

Christmas is also discussed during Hector's murder trial, so we decided the movie was "Christmas-y enough" for our blog!

The Unholy Three is a fascinating film and a good farewell film for Lon Chaney.  It's especially recommended for fans of Christmas crime films and for those who need a break from predictable holiday entertainment.

J.A. Morris's rating: 

3 candy canes

RigbyMel says: 

The Unholy Three is a strange and gripping film with a "high concept" plot featuring characters from a freak show and elaborate criminal schemes.  It's also historically significant as it's the only talkie the great silent film star Lon Chaney ever did as well as being his final movie.  (He died of lung cancer on August 26th, 1930, seven weeks after The Unholy Three was released.) This movie allows Chaney to show off his considerable acting talents and also demonstrates that, had he lived longer,  he could have continued to be successful in talking pictures.

Chaney manages to be menacing in old lady drag!

It's also interesting to note that The Unholy Three is a remake of a 1925 silent movie (also starring Lon Chaney and Harry Earles).  The original version is silent and does NOT take place during Christmas.  Remakes have been around pretty much as long as Hollywood has, it would seem!   The addition of the Christmas angle to the remake serves to increase dramatic tension.

Poster from the 1925 version of the film.

Harry Earles, who plays the creepy and merciless Tweedledee/Little Willie, actually grew up as a circus and sideshow entertainer and was a part of several other important early movies such as Freaks (1932). He and his siblings were among the Munchkins in The Wizard of Oz (1939).   (Harry is one of the members of the Lollipop Guild.)  The way Tweedledee is written is ... not sensitive.  However, Earles makes it memorable and it's worth noting that he was able to have an acting career in a time when disabled and different folks were really not afforded a lot of  opportunities.

I also find the film intriguing from a material culture angle.  Viewers get extended glimpses of 1920s/30s Christmas decorations and the inside of a pet shop, for example. 

On their return from Christmas shopping, Hector helps Rosie remove her galoshes

There's even a "feather tree" (one of the first artificial Christmas trees), which is a holdover from Victorian Christmas celebrations, in the background of some shots. 

Hector gets ready to feed a cockatiel in the pet shop

It provides us with little glimpses into bygone days and small details that might be unfamiliar to modern audiences.

A feather tree (on the table) as well as a wreath and a paper bell (in the window) are on display in this shot

Christmas is central to the plot as the primary crime - murder, in the course of a robbery - occurs on Christmas Eve and there are tense Christmas morning visits from police, jewels hidden in toys, and even a touch of Christmas romance between poor dopey Hector and soon to be reformed criminal Rosie.

A "cozy" Christmas morning visit from a police detective

The Unholy Three is definitely worth a look  -- especially if one is interested in caper and/or pre-code movies or if one is a fan of Lon Chaney's work!

RigbyMel's rating: 

3 candy canes

Krampus

Premiered December 4, 2015

"Saint Nicholas is not coming this year.  Instead, a much darker, ancient spirit.  His name is Krampus.  He and his helpers did not come to give, but to take.  He is the shadow of Saint Nicholas." - Omi

It's December 22nd and the Engel family is preparing for Christmas.   Max (Emjay Anthony),  the family's youngest member, is having a hard time since many of his friends are convinced there is no Santa Claus and he still thinks there is.   His parents Tom (Adam Scott) and Sarah (Toni Collette) are distracted and not connecting well with each other or their kids and his big sister Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen) just wants to spend time with her boyfriend.   Only his German grandmother Omi (Krista Stadler) seems to have time for him. 

Max finishing up his letter to Santa.

To make matters worse,  their extended family is coming to visit.  Sarah's sister Linda (Allison Tolman), her gun loving husband Howard (David Koechner) and their brood of children, plus Aunt Dorothy (Conchata Ferrell) and their dog have come to share the holidays.   No one is very happy to see each other and family tensions keep anyone from having a good time.   Max's cousins Stevie (Lolo Owen) and Jordan (Queenie Samuel) pick on him about still believing in Santa.  They humiliate him by reading his letter with his wishes for his family aloud at the dinner table.   Max can't take it anymore, he fights with his cousins and snatches the letter away from them.   He runs upstairs to his room and rips the letter to shreds, throwing the pieces out of his window.    Christmas looks like it will be thoroughly unpleasant, just from the family dynamics. 

Overnight, a freak blizzard strikes their suburban neighborhood and knocks out the power and heat. No one else in the neighborhood seems to be around.   Creepy snowmen appear out of nowhere in the Engels' yard and a mysterious large bag of presents is delivered to their door.  

NOT Santa!!

Beth goes out to find her boyfriend and disappears.   Hours later,  Tom and Howard venture out of the house to try and find her, but instead encounter some kind of burrowing monster with sharp teeth! Howard nearly disappears as well, but gets rescued by Tom. They return to the house, deciding it is safer to hunker down with the rest of the family and ride out the storm.   

Omi tells them they should keep the fire in the fireplace hot.  It seems she knows more than she initially is willing to share about the ancient evil that seems to be stalking the family.   An Alpine demon called Krampus -- the anti-Santa -- has come to town! 

Will the Engel family live to see New Year?   They'd better watch out ... 

RigbyMel says: 

This is an interesting alternative to some of the more sentimental Christmas fare out there.   Be warned parents, it's NOT a movie for little kids!!   

Krampus is a real character from Alpine folklore and he seems to be having a bit of a popularity surge here in the U.S. of late.  Krampusnacht celebrations are cropping up all over the place, even right here in Richmond, Virginia.  Perhaps this is a reaction to the crass commercialization of the holidays? 

In traditional folklore Krampus punishes naughty children while St. Nicholas brings presents to the good ones.

Said commercialization is certainly a theme in Michael Dougherty's film.   The movie opens with the crassest of the crass modern holiday "traditions" a slow motion view of a Black Friday doorbuster stampede.  

Krampus exists to punish the bad while Santa (or St. Nicholas or Sinterklaass) looks out for the good ones.   There is certainly great potential for creepy, spooky, mischievous holiday horror hijinks a la 1984's Gremlins, and this certainly seems to be what Dougherty is going for with his take on Krampus.    Krampus and his minions (which include terrifying toys and demented gingerbread men) seem to delight in tormenting the Engel family for their lack of holiday spirit.    We even get a cool stop motion animated section, reminiscent of Rankin-Bass, in which we learn that Omi has encountered Krampus and his minions before.  

If you stick around through the closing credits there is also a rather cool Krampus-themed rendering of "Carol of the Bells".   You can have a listen via this clip: 

Unfortunately,  although Krampus was fun to watch,  I don't feel that it quite lives up to its potential. It feels like the punishments Krampus metes out in the film are out of all proportion to the actual crimes.   Teenaged big sister is the first to get taken and she seems to mostly be guilty of being … a teenaged girl.  Poor Max's rash act of tearing up his letter to Santa (implying his lack of faith? belief? what?) seems to be what summons Krampus in the first place.  However, based on what we know of the character, he seems to be a rather sweet, thoughtful kid who just got pushed a bit too far by his cousins' teasing and family tension.   What did the BABY cousin or the dog do to deserve being punished?   Personally, I'd much rather have seen Krampus wreck havoc on the Black Friday stampeders!  

I also found the deliberately ambiguous ending to be a bit of a let-down.

While there is definitely humor and spooky in this movie, it doesn't have quite enough of either to make it truly great.   This is a shame because the actors are appealing (especially Emjay Anthony as Max) and Krampus is an amazing piece of folklore.     Krampus is worth watching and may become a cult favorite in time, but it isn't quite a classic. 

RigbyMel's rating: 

.5


2 and a half candy canes

J.A. Morris says: 

I'm in general agreement with RigbyMel about Krampus.  It's okay, but feels like it could have been better.

One problem I had was that with the exceptions of Max and Omi, none of the characters in this film are very sympathetic.  When Sarah sees that Omi has cooked dozens of  beautiful Christmas cookies, she rolls her eyes and tells Omi that they just bought a bunch of cookies at the store.  Howard is generally boorish and rude to the Engels from the moment he arrives and does nothing to prevent his kids from bullying Max (Tom also seems oblivious to his son being bullied).  So when Howard is placed in jeopardy, I can't say I was very worried about him.

I was also bothered by the way Krampus and his minions are mostly kept in the dark.  Whenever I see this in movies, it makes me think that the filmmakers didn't think the special effects were good enough to show in good lighting.

But there are some positive aspects of Krampus.

There's a good scene where Max asks Tom why they have to spend time with relatives during the holidays, even if they hate them.  This is a question viewers of any age can relate to, since we've all had less-than-ideal Christmas visits with family members.

Aunt Dorothy is played by Conchata Ferrell.  Like myself, Ferrell is a graduate of Marshall University and she's enjoyed a prolific career as a character actress for four decades.  When I attended Marshall, Ferrell was appearing on L.A. Law and was a bit of a local celebrity.  I've followed her career ever since.  Ferrell has some of the funniest lines in Krampus and is a welcome presence, even if Dorothy isn't particularly likable.    

We get a scene where Howard gets attacked by a gang of killer gingerbread men.  I found this scene amusing and it gives David Koechner a chance to deliver one of the film's funnier lines.  The actors generally do a good job with the material they're given.

I'm not a big fan of recent horror movies.  But Krampus is worth seeing at least once, especially if you've overdosed on some of the more treacly holiday entertainment.

J.A. Morris' rating:

.5


2 and a half candy canes.

Quantum Leap: "The Boogieman"

Premiered October 26, 1990

"When I was growing up, Halloween was always one of my favorite holidays. "Trick or treat", we used to say. Of course, back then we always expected a treat, and if we did play a trick, it was always funny and harmless. But tonight there were no treats. There were no tricks. There was only death."
-Dr. Sam Beckett

In this episode from Season 3 of the series,  it is October 31st, 1964 somewhere in New England.

"Unbelievable.  I've leaped into the Addams Family!"

Our time traveling hero, Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) leaps into the body of second rate gothic horror novelist, Joshua Ray.   He is getting his bearings in a creepy old house with all sorts of arcane trappings when he is surprised by some people in masks and falls down the stairs.

It turns out the two masked individuals are Ray's fiancee Mary Greely (Valerie Mahaffey) and a teenaged boy named Stevie (David Kriegel).  They're getting the house ready to be part of the Church Spook House for the local Halloween festivities.

Strange things begin to happen at Ray's house.

Sinister goat offs handyman!

Tully (Donald Hotton), the local handyman is on a ladder repairing windows when a goat arrives and knocks down the ladder.  Tully is killed instantly.  Ben Mathers (Paul Linke), the local sheriff, interviews Sam about the incident.  He tells them about the goat, but Mary points out that he doesn't own a goat and there is no farm for miles.  Masters, who also happens to be Mary's ex-boyfriend doesn't buy the goat story.

Usually, Sam leaps into people's lives to put right something that once went wrong with help from Al (in the form of a hologram) and Ziggy, the supercomputer that runs the Quantum Leap Project, but nobody can seem to figure out what is going on.  Sam presumes he leaped into Ray so he could save Tully.   Or maybe he is there to save Mary from being murdered and found in the Spook House on Halloween night?

Later that day, Dorothy Yeager (Fran Ryan), the town gossip brings over candle sticks for the spook house.  Dorothy is sad to hear about Tully's death, but not exactly surprised.

When Dorothy goes to the kitchen to get cider, she is suddenly killed by a black mamba snake!
Sam chases the snake away with a broom, but it slithers away.  Two people have died and Sam is furious.  He damands that Al get to the bottom of why he leaped into this tragic scenario.

The body count is mounting and strange things including, but not limited to, flying skulls and mysterious typewriter messages relating to recent events keep happening.  

Will Sam be able to save Mary so he can leap?  Or are more sinister forces at play here?   Is some primal evil trying to stop Sam from succeeding?

Note house number.  Oh dear!

RigbyMel says:

Full disclosure, I was/am a HUGE fan of Quantum Leap and remember watching this episode when it first aired and being thoroughly creeped out by it.  (At the time,  I was also rather smugly proud of figuring out a small "Kiss With History" surprise that occurs near the end of the episode before it was revealed.)   There is a great deal of spooky tension that is allowed to build and build and the solution to the mystery of the episode is genuinely unexpected.

Creepiest scarecrow ever?

The episode holds up pretty well generally, even if it comes off as perhaps a little overly dramatic in spots.  There are a lot of fun nods to horror movie/tv/book tropes as well that reward repeated viewing.

Joshua's young friend Stevie

There's also some rather creative staging as regards Al and the troubles with figuring out what exactly Sam's mission on this leap is.  I don't want to spoil too much of this episode for those that might not have seen it before, but watch closely in scenes featuring Al.  Speaking of Al,  Dean Stockwell gets to do some great unsettling work in this episode, hats off to him!

Interestingly, this episode of Quantum Leap has developed a bit of a reputation amongst fans.   Some believe the episode to be "cursed" and will not call the program by name, preferring instead to refer to it as "The Halloween Episode"  or "The Boogiem*n".    The episode is thought to have been responsible for weird mechanical failures of VCRs/cable boxes/TVs etc and apparently even uttering the name of the episode is thought to bring bad luck.   (Reminds me of theater people and superstitions about a certain Scottish Play by Shakespeare!)    

In any case, your intrepid bloggers have not had any episode name related misfortunes (so far -- *touch wood* -- after I typed this, we started having problems loading images to this post.  Spooooooky!).  That being said, this particular installment of Quantum Leap is well worth adding to your Halloween festivities.  

RigbyMel's rating:

4 jack o'lanterns!

Yikes!

J.A. Morris says:

Unlike my co-blogger, I was more of a casual fan of Quantum Leap than a regular viewer.  I hadn't seen this episode until recent years, but it's become part of my yearly Halloween viewing.

It has plenty of seasonal trappings such as black cats, pumpkins, skulls and paranormal activity.

Bakula is good as usual and Stockwell...well let's just say he stretches his acting a little more than usual in "The Boogieman."

Stevie and his dog...Cujo!

It's worth noting that Mary Greely is played by Valerie Mahaffey.  She has appeared in dozens of tv series and movies.  Most notably, Mahaffey made an impression as Eve on Northern Exposure.

Mary hisses at Sam/Josh.

On a personal note, the "Dracula" decoration seen in this episode caught my eye.

My parents bought this Halloween decoration in the early 1980s and it was displayed in our home every October for many years.

Sheriff Masters suspects Sam is responsible for the suspicious deaths; Sam believes Masters is hiding something.

This episode can be found on the season 3 dvd set of Quantum Leap.  It also currently streams on Netflix, iTunes and Amazon.

"The Boogieman" is a fun Halloween episode and is recommended.  I lack the nostalgic attachment to this episode that RigbyMel brings, so I rate it slightly lower than she.

J.A. Morris' rating:

3 and a half pumpkins.