Touch of Evil
1958
Los Robles
Orson Welles
Crime Thriller Noir
What’s it all about: Janet Leigh has the worst honeymoon ever.
First Encounter: 1998 restoration at the theater
Death By: kitchen timer
Relics: beautiful cars, reefer madness, an open border with Mexico
Heartthrob: Mort Mills
LoFi Magic: dead eyeballs, beaded curtain mayhem, Charlton ripping his shirt open to spice things up
Makes me want to: cringe. Charlton Heston in brownface. Terrible acting from support cast. Audio dubbing that makes you feel like you’re watching the @megsstalter version. A sadly relevant take on bad-hombre Mexicans. Ridiculous plot. Orson Welles as Boss Hogg (and he’s only 43 here!) getting his tough-guy creds by crushing a pigeon egg (which brings to mind tough-guy Antony Quinn throwing the dog in the pool in “Revenge”).
Candotti take: “This is one of those movies where clearly everyone involved is dead.”
Worth a watch/rewatch: No (the famous opening sequence is on YouTube and that’s all you need)
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