Very interesting bio doc of one of Hollywood's few notable movie producer/auteurs (some others being Thalberg, Selznick and, if you're feeling generous, Robert Evans). As Kent Jones' film nicely brings out, what separates Lewton from other producer/purveyors of scariness, like Corman or Castle, is that the fear and terror lie not in the monster without, the one with scales, antennae or fangs, but rather in the realization that, unbekownst to us, the Beast In The Jungle has burrowed inside our collective consciences. Which is what makes Lewton's best films like 'Cat People", "I Walked With A Zombie" and "Curse Of The Cat People" so utterly unsettling. And why the loss of this cinematic genius at forty six feels so tragic.
Had Lewton lived to, say, seventy six and been productive into the 1970s how would he have fared? Who knows? I'd like to think he would have moved into TV and perhaps rivaled Serling and eclipsed Dan Curtis. Although ,with his melancholy, overly sensitive persona (which should have been given more extensive treatment in this film), I could also see him going back to writing dark novels. Or maybe he'd have moved to Italy and hooked up with Bava.
Bottom line: Can't wait to see "Leopard Man" again. B plus.
PS...Good narration from Scorsese. His light, feathery, slightly creepy voice matches Lewton's uneasy mood.
Had Lewton lived to, say, seventy six and been productive into the 1970s how would he have fared? Who knows? I'd like to think he would have moved into TV and perhaps rivaled Serling and eclipsed Dan Curtis. Although ,with his melancholy, overly sensitive persona (which should have been given more extensive treatment in this film), I could also see him going back to writing dark novels. Or maybe he'd have moved to Italy and hooked up with Bava.
Bottom line: Can't wait to see "Leopard Man" again. B plus.
PS...Good narration from Scorsese. His light, feathery, slightly creepy voice matches Lewton's uneasy mood.