mistersloane
heavy heavy monster sound
I watched Bigger Than Life last night, another Nicholas Ray film, featuring a comic tour de force from James Mason. One of the funniest and most subversive (I was going to add 'for its time', but tbh its points still hold, except the audience now is more aware of the critique he is making, in a post-modernly knowing way) films I've seen in an age.
Brief synopsis: James Mason is a school teacher working two jobs to keep his wife and son upwardly mobile in 1950s suburban America, who suddenly contracts a rare life-threatening illness, which can only be averted by taking new wonder-drug cortizone - unfortunately, it proves to be quite addictive, with tragic (and fucking hilarious) consequences...
Oh wow I saw that one, I didn't realise it was Nicholas Ray. That film is ferocious.