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The Sign of the Cross

USA 1932
produced by
Cecil B. DeMille for Paramount
directed by Cecil B. DeMille
starring Frederic March, Elissa Landi, Claudette Colbert, Charles Laughton, Ian Keith, Arthur Hohl, Harry Beresford, Tommy Conlon, Ferdinand Gottschalk, Vivian Tobin, William V. Mong, Joyzelle Joyner, Richard Alexander, Nat Pendleton, Clarence Burton, Harold Healy, Robert Seiter (as Robert Manning), Charles Middleton
screenplay by Waldemar Young, Sidney Buchman, based on the play by Wilson Barrett, music by Jay Chernis, Rudolph G. Kopp, Paul Marquardt, Milan Roder

Nero

review by
Mike Haberfelner

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After Emperor Nero (Charles Laughton) set fire to Rome, he blamed the Christians for it to try and get the Roman populace up and in arms against this unwanted new sect. Prefect Marcus (Frederic March), whose unaware of the scheme behind it all, is Nero's chief Christian-hunter - and at the same time Nero's wife Poppaea (Claudette Colbert) wants him for herself, even though he has turned her down countless times. However, when Marcus witnesses Mercia (Elissa Landi) defending two old Christians against Roman soldiers, he immediately falls in love with her (and she with him), and even though he correctly suspects all three of them being Christians, he lets them off the hook - which hasn't gone unnoticed by Tigellinus (Ian Keith), technically Marcus's subordinate, but more than a bit interested in snatching his post.

So Tigellinus soon leads a campaign especially designed to smoke out the Christians Mercia's with - and despite Marcus's attempts to save them he soon has them arrested and thrown into prison. Marcus uses his influence with the Emperor to free her (but not the others), but when he tries to introduce her to Roman high society in a lavish banquet, she totally shuts down because she can't forget the fate of those with her, and even refuses herself to Marcus (something she has never done before), only wanting to be with her people. This wish is quickly fulfilled when Tigellinus comes to fetch her - which is based on a scheme made up by Poppaea, who refuses to share her Marcus with that Christian girl.

In the Colisseum, the Christians are sacrificed one after another, thrown to different animals including tigers and alligators, but upon Tigellinus' order, Mercia is saved until very last. Marcus dashes in in a desperate attempt to save her, suggesting for her to renounce her faith in exchange for her life - but she refuses, as she rather dies with her people than live in sin. When he sees her determination, Marcus decides to face death with her, even if he knows nothing about Christianity.

 

Sign of the Cross is a movie that clearly has its moments: Every time either Charles Laughton or Claudette Colbert are on screen they steal the scene, there's a very atmospheric torture scene in a dungeon that shows exactly nothing and is all the more horrible for it, and the colliseum scenes at the end of the movie are rather delicious in both their twisted inventiveness and execution. In between though, the film, as lavishly shot as it might be, rather rises above pure clichée, its main characters lack depth - especially Marcus's transformation from fierce Christian-hater to sympathizer is not really worked out, while Mercia and her people are simply too good to be true.

That's not to say the movie's all bad, it looks good, the camerawork's fine (considering its days technical limitations), the cast is uniformly at least decent, and there are at least moments of tension. But to call the movie a masterpiece would be a gross exaggeration.

 

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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In times of uncertainty of a possible zombie outbreak, a woman has to decide between two men - only one of them's one of the undead.

 

There's No Such Thing as Zombies
starring
Luana Ribeira, Rudy Barrow and Rami Hilmi
special appearances by
Debra Lamb and Lynn Lowry

 

directed by
Eddie Bammeke

written by
Michael Haberfelner

produced by
Michael Haberfelner, Luana Ribeira and Eddie Bammeke

 

now streaming at

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Vimeo

 

 

 

Robots and rats,
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Tales to Chill
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a collection of short stories and mini-plays
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Tales to Chill
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