Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

This short film is an early supernatural outing for Christopher Lee and Ferdy Mayne. It is surprisingly effective despite being only 19 minutes long and presumably made to a tight budget. Lee shows an intensity that foreshadowed his later film roles.There are some nice touches in the film, for example what could have been a throwaway shot as Cooper (Lee) leaves the office is lit so that a menacing shadow is cast on the wall.As Cooper rushes to meet his fateful seven o'clock appointment, he drives through Kensington, through the Prince of Wales gate into Hyde Park, past marble arch, out of London (presumably along the Edgeware road) and into countryside and villages. I was curious to know exactly where he drives but in the fifty-odd years since this film was made nearly everything has changed; perhaps someone who knows the area concerned rather better would be able to identify the locations. I picked up on one thing, which is that they go past 'The Fishery Inn', (Benskins). Benskins was a Hertfordshire brewery and there is still a pub of that name in Hemel Hempstead to this day. It may well be the same one.Worth watching this one if you are a Lee fan.

"Cross-Roads" wasn't Christopher Lee's first horror role (that was "The Mirror and Markheim" the previous year) but this is of major importance in that he's teamed with Ferdy Mayne. The story has its creepy moments as the two future horror stars confront each other but it's hard to take today. We're expected to believe that a ghost is sufficiently corporeal to drive a sports car and leave behind as a souvenir his cigarette case. Former actor John Fitchen presumably funded this short himself because it's unlikely anyone else would have let him direct. In the office scene, where Lee and Mayne face each other over a desk, he "crosses the line." In "Christopher Lee" (Reynolds & Hearn, 2001), Lee claims that Fitchen "soon afterwards committed suicide." Were it not for the Talking Pictures channel it seems unlikely that we ever would have had an opportunity to see the great interpreter of Dracula in one of his earliest sinister roles. Obviously Lee fans should not miss it.

CROSS-ROADS is a highly effective short ghost story that depends on mood and subtlety for effect. Nowadays it's particularly endearing to fans thanks to the presence of Christopher Lee in the leading role, in what was his first ever supernatural performance. Despite his youth, Lee still proves to be an excellent actor at this early stage of his career, delivering a warm and sympathetic performance despite his character's mystery and spookiness.The plot is a simple tale of revenge from beyond the grave, enlivened thanks to some strong direction from John Fitchen, who also co-wrote the piece with Richard Griffith. Neither of them ever had anything of a career in cinema, which is a shame as this short, 19-minute effort is a lot more effective than many bigger budgeted thrillers from the era. The set-up of the tale is more than a little reminiscent of the later Ian Hendry segment from 1972's TALES FROM THE CRYPT, and the story is enlivened by a second fine actor, Ferdy Mayne (THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS) in the role of the antagonist. Scenes of Lee racing through the streets in his soft-top car are particularly well-shot and exciting.