THE THREE INVESTIGATORS AND THE SECRET OF SKELETON ISLAND

The Three Investigators on the job

THE THREE INVESTIGATORS AND THE SECRET OF SKELETON ISLAND (2007). Director: Florian Baxmeyer. Based on the book by Robert Arthur.

In the sixties there was a series of juvenile mysteries called "Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators". Three young boys would report to the famous film director, and take off on assignments to solve puzzling mysteries. One of the books was entitled "The Secret of Skeleton Island."  [NOTE: There was an even better young adult mystery with the same title published as the first novel in the Ken Holt Mystery series by Bruce Campbell.] This German-South African production basically throws out the story of the novel and substitutes a tale of a mythical monster, a search for treasure, and a sub-theme of the evils of racism set on an island near Capetown. [The only relation to the book is that one of the boys' father's is hired to work on an amusement park, but it is never seen or referred to again in the movie.] The film has an excellent prologue wherein the boys are nearly crushed under a descending elevator, and a good scene late in the film when they're trapped in an underground chamber [this may be taken for a substitute for the books' best sequence, in which they are caught in an underwater cavern]. There's also an exciting scene when the boys go paragliding, although none have much experience at it. The young actors in this -- Chancellor Miller, Nick Price and Cameron Monaghan as the investigators, and Naima Sebe as a girl they befriend and help during the adventure -- are excellent, and the production is certainly slick. A sequel, The Three Investigators and the Castle of Terror is only available in Australia. Alfred Hitchcock, alas, is nowhere to be seen.

Verdict: Fun for children. **1/2.

STRANGLER OF BLACKMOOR CASTLE

THE STRANGLER OF BLACKMOOR CASTLE (1963). Director: Harald Reinl. West Germany.

A British nobleman, Lucius Clark (Rudolf Fernau), expecting to be knighted, lives with his niece, Claridge (Karin Dor), a reporter, on the rented estate of a weird Scottish Laird (Hans Nielsen), who is only one of many suspects in a series of murders around and about the estate. A very lively and sadistic maniac, who always wears a hood concealing his identity, strangles numerous victims, in some cases branding their foreheads and generally beheading them in various grisly and creative ways. He also has only nine fingers. Inspectors Mitchell (Harry Riebauer) and Watson (Gerhard Hartig) try to fit the murders in with some stolen diamonds and a nightspot called the Old Scavenger Inn, while Claridge's associate Mike Pierce (Hans Reiser) also tries to figure out what's what. Entertaining mystery-horror pic is no masterpiece but it moves along at a brisk pace and keeps you guessing.

Verdict: Heads will roll! **1/2.

THE LAST LAUGH

THE LAST LAUGH (1924/Germany). Director: F. W. Murnau.

The head doorman at a prestigious hotel is demoted to basement wash room attendant on the day of his daughter's wedding, and we watch his despair and disintegration as he tries to cover up the disgrace and is rejected by friends and family when the truth is uncovered. Although slow at times, this is a powerful film, greatly aided by the strong lead performance of Emil Jannings, who can be broad at times but is always effective and moving. The film has to be taken as a fairy tale of sorts, as on some occasions it stretches credulity [that only one person, the night watchman, has any sympathy for Jannings, for instance], and the ending is the purest fantasy. Yet the ending has its own quiet power and charm, and can also be taken as a mere expression of the defeated, desperate Jannings innermost desires. The new orchestral score by Timothy Brock is evocative and excellent and adds immeasurably to the film's modern-day impact. A masterpiece. [Karl Freund, who photographed the film, later worked on I Love Lucy which might be seen as a comedown -- at the very least a big change in tone -- were it not for the fact that he helped revolutionize the way TV series were filmed and became an important part of one of television's most enduring and memorable programs.]

Verdict: A near-masterpiece. ***1/2.