Movie 28: The Sentinel

Now on  Bluray with three different audio commentaries!  Because it needed that!

Starring: Cristina Raines, Chris Sarandon, John Carradine, Burgess Meredith, Ava Gardner, Joe Ferrer, Martin Balsam.

Director: Michael Winner.

About ten years ago or so I hunted down and watched The Sentinel for the first time after watching The 100 Scariest Movie Moments and thinking it looked pretty creepy and found out that it was.  I remember the basic plot details and some pretty upsetting imagery but, as is a common thing for me to discover as I've started doing this blog, I don't have a lot of super vivid memory of the flick.  I've seen a lot of horror movies but I'm finding in my old age that specific memory is becoming an issue.  I'm glad I'm doing this blog so I can remind myself-and write detailed reviews-of all these films I've seen.

It's funny that basically everybody in this movie-except it's lead-is famous.  Hell, that was Jeff Goldblum right away there.  I swear, watching two movies with Burgess Meredith in them was completely an accident.  It was not intentional.  Not that I mind.

Chris Sarandon just oozes smarm.  I get that it's basically his, y'know, thing but even when he's trying to be likable he's just kind of Prince Humperdink from The Princess Bride.

Yikes, that flashback of the day she attempted suicide is really frightening, insane stuff.  Her as a youth, wandering into the room with her aging Father with overweight prostitutes and birthday cake...then him standing there naked, smacking her in the face...she even glances down...really in-your-face stuff.  

I wonder why Cristina Raines didn't become a bigger star.  She's great here.  Beautiful super model with a decent head on her shoulders and a megaton of baggage...lots of charisma.  

I can only hope to one day be the wacky old neighbor wandering around with a bird on my shoulder and a cat in my arms while forcing myself into people's apartments.  While leaving my own picture in said apartments.  Of course, if I have the misfortune of growing old in this world, I'd prefer to end up like Burgess Meredith in any movie he ever did as an older man.

Man, I forgot how WEIRD this movie really was.  She's visiting her female neighbors and the woman(blonde with all red leotard and impossibly blue eyes) just straight up masterbates to her while Alison sits there...and Alison looks more annoyed by it than disturbed.  It's such a bizarre scene, and very...aggressive.  

The best thing about the first act of this film is mostly how everything is just...slightly off.  The party scene, for instance, is only slightly surreal.  It's disturbing, but in that way that you might see something strange out of the corner of your eye, or a kid alone at night.  Just kinda weird.  Of course, they follow it up with some really weird Ken Russell-ish surrealist dream sequences.  See, I remember some of that stuff from the first time around: terrifying weird surrealist scenes that shock and disturb.

Allison Parker is a great horror heroine.  I mean, sure, she runs upstairs to confront a supposed intruder wearing a little nighty whose straps can't quite seem to stay on her shoulders but there's still that natural toughness she still embodies.  Actually, from there we get a really excellent scare sequence: she finds the cat feeding on the bird, which shocks her, and then walks through those really dark, empty apartments...and then the door starts to close and the figure of her Father walks through the room...god, it's really a scary scene.  This ghoulish monster just keeps coming for her, and she stabs it multiple times..sees the prostitutes sitting motionless on the bed...just an extraordinary sequence.

And then Christopher Walken...who doesn't seem to have lines.  Oh, he got one or two after all.  I do like the weird "Maybe Chris Sarandon murders his Wives" insinuation.  It might not be entirely necessary, and might even be a little bit of padding, but I still kinda like it.  

Do Priests actually say "My Child?"

The "Allison suddenly sees everything in latin" is a nice touch, too. Poor Allison just isn't taking this crazy ass shit well, though.  Neighbors who don't exist, Priests that don't exist, seeing her usually dead Father...poor lady.    Unfortunately, the second act of this movie slows down a lot.  Lots of exposition, history...too much Chris Sarandon exploring information.  I'd prefer more of Allison, really.  Doing some of her own detective work, maybe.  But, hey, William Hickey just showed up.  Can't complain about that.

The sudden description of the plot is kinda lazy.  I mean, Sarandon basically says the plot twist out loud to the audience (and William Hickey, who basically just leaves afterwards.  I would have liked to see him say "Yeah, I totally don't care" and wander off) with a music sting.  I get that it's kinda complicated, I just feel like there could have been a better way to do it.  Or you could just not explain it and count on the audience to put two and two together.  I suppose the "Allison is going to die tomorrow" creates some sort of suspense, a little anyway...

I find myself disappointed at how Sarandon has become the focus, really.  Allison just kinda becomes a plot device, which is a little out of place given her set-up as a reasonably strong character.  I guess you could just blame the seventies...but I feel like this movie would be stronger if Allison was forced to, y'know, confront the threat herself head-on.  Considering the background of her abuse and attempts on her own life, it seems to follow that the plot would involve Allison having to take some responsibility.  I mean, Allison goes after him, so there is that...I just would have rather this movie be more self contained, with Allison as the full focus of the story.

Chris Sarandon apparently has a thing with reading out loud...slowly...to nobody.  It was four sentences, dude, and not very complicated ones.  

Okay, hellspawn Sarandon, weird ass mutants...now we're talking.  The sisters eating Sarandon is pretty neat, too.  This whole final sequence is some pretty freaky stuff.  Not sure how I feel about the heroic music swell when the Priest shows up...but, okay, it's still a pretty okay sequence.  The make-up effects are quite fascinating.  

Jesus, Tom Berenger?!  Who isn't in this movie?

I guess it's not too sad that Allison ends up a blind nun in the attic...she doesn't seem to mind, after all.  I'm not sure why blind is automatically part of the package, but I'll shrug it off.

Final Thoughts: Despite some real awkwardness, especially in the second act, this is a pretty effective film.  Those great moments of subtle surrealism really make things work most of the time.  Too much of Chris Sarandon and not enough Cristina Raines...a halting storyline with the police that doesn't really seem to do much in the end...but, when it works it works very, very well.

Final Rating: Three Stars.