THE LOCAL STIGMATIC

Al Pacino and Paul Guilfoyle

THE LOCAL STIGMATIC  (1990). Director: David F. Wheeler.

Cockney roommates Graham (Al Pacino) and Ray (Paul Guilfoyle) are two borderline sociopaths obsessed with dog races and celebrities. One afternoon the two men go to a pub and encounter actor David (Joseph Maher), whom they are jealous of and whom they brutalize. There isn't much else to The Local Stigmatic, which is based on a short play by Heathcote Williams in which Al Pacino appeared in the sixties. While the characters are unmemorable and one-dimensional, the acting can't be faulted, with both gentlemen giving very good performances; Pacino is especially good as a coolly sinister borderline sociopath, even if his accent was criticized. The Local Sigmatic, less than an hour long, was never officially released but was seen in private screenings before being issued on DVD. Guilfoyle (not to be confused with the unrelated older character actor and director of such films as A Life at Stake) has also been a very, very busy actor throughout his career.

Verdict: A mesmerizing Pacino if nothing else. **1/2.

A LIFE AT STAKE

Keith Andes and Angela Lansbury

A LIFE AT STAKE (1954). Director: Paul Guilfoyle.

An out-of-work architect named Edward Shaw (Keith Andes) is given an attractive business proposal by wealthy Doris Hillman (Angela Lansbury) and her older husband, Gus (Douglass Dumbrille). The catch is that Shaw will have to be insured for a very large sum of money, with Gus being the beneficiary. Shaw's paranoia over this aspect of the alliance only increases when he is drawn into a romance with Doris, and can't tell if she really loves him or is just waiting for hubby to collect on the insurance. Then there are the suspicious "accidents" ...  Andes [Clash By Night] makes a compelling, if understandably grumpy, leading man, and Dumbrille [Mr. Deeds Goes to Town] is typically excellent. Lansbury [Please Murder Me] gives a good performance as well, but while attractive, she is not quite convincing as the sexy, femme fatale type. [Ironically, a less talented "B" actress probably could have filled the bill better.] Jane Darwell is fine if a bit wasted as a landlady. A Life at Stake holds the attention and is not entirely predictable.

Verdict: Watch out for spiked coffee! **1/2.