Meshes

 

 (imdb)

MESHES OF THE AFTERNOON-1943-Weird black & white Avant Garde short by the American husband and wife team of Alexander Hammid and Maya Deren. It's dream-like imagery and unusual camera work, heavily influenced by LE CHIEN ANDALOU (1929) and L' AGE D'OR (1930), have made it an influential experimental film. A woman (Deren) may or may not be dreaming...

It was originally shown silent. 18 years later a soundtrack of koto and percussion was added. After the filmmakers divorced, both made other short films. Deren however became interested in Haiti and the Vodou religion. Some have said she killed a man by placing a curse on him!

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Another Sibling!

DAUGHTER OF DR. JEKYLL-1957-After an eerie intro about Robert Louis Stevenson's famous story where Mr. Hyde is called a "human werewolf" and he cackles "Are you sure?", Janet Smith (Gloria Talbott) comes to the house of her guardian Dr. Loomas (Arthur Shields) with her fiance George Hastings (John Agar) to celebrate her 21st birthday and their engagement. Things seem ok at first and Dr. Loomas even informs the couple that Janet has inherited a huge estate. But the big news is she is the daughter of the infamous Dr. Jekyll who became Mr. Hyde and was eventually killed by a mob. Janet refuses to marry Bill but he disagrees. Meanwhile a stupid servant Jacob (John Dierkes) hangs around eavesdropping. Of course Loomas is up to no good and he kind of hypnotizes Janet. At night she has a weird dream and then finds evidence she might have been out roaming. 

After Maggie the maid (Mollie McCard) is found dead Jacob spreads rumors that Janet could be a werewolf. She has another nightmare and wakes up with blood on her hands. "This ridiculous! We're living in the 20th century!” Of course it's Loomas who's the Hyde-wolf and he's hypnotized Janet into thinking she's the killer. George has encounter with Loomas and gets clouted but wakes in time to prevent Janet from committing suicide. After George and Loomas-Hyde have another tussle, Jacob puts a stake through his heart. But the final scene is a repeat with Hyde saying "Are you sure?". 

This run of the mill typical late '50's low budget horror film was directed by the great Edgar Ulmer who's output for interesting films was reaching it's end. He made only 6 more movies. The story has a few good scenes but basically it's not much. Screenwriter Jack Pollexfen was nearly at the end of his career too.

Star Talbott made THE CYCLOPS for Bert I. Gordon the same year. 

https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2020/11/they-dont-call-him-mr-big-for-nothing.html

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He also had a son!:

https://moviemeltdown.blogspot.com/2020/11/inferior-quasi-sequel.html

Also From Japan

FUNERAL PARADE OF ROSES-1969-This eclectic experimental Japanese new wave film is part documentary and partially based on the story of Oedipus although it takes place in the gay underground of the '60's. It follows a young transvestite Eddie (Peter) and his pals in Tokyo and features real interviews, unrelated images, sped up fights with comical music, people dancing in their underwear and several violent and graphic murders. One character even shows up and thanks the audience! The ending reminded me a bit of CARNIVAL OF SOULS. 

Director Toshio Matsumoto pushes the envelope especially for the time. He made some other interesting features and shorts but I haven't seen any of them.

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