Saturday Scream Queen: Barbara Lass

Polish-born Barbara Lass' was on track to a career as a dancer when, at the age of 17 in 1957, she won a contest hosted by a movie magazine and was offered a film role as a result. By 1959, she left Poland for western Europe and an international film career that spanned three decades and 30 films. She also changed her last name from the very Polish Kwiatkowska to the very simple Lass.

Lass was seen mostly in comedies, as befitting her cute appearance, but she did manage to squeeze in a few horror roles, such as "Werewolf in a Girl's Dormitory", "Effie Breist" and "The Thorn in the Flesh."

Barbara Lass was once married to convicted child rapist Roman Polanski. She married him in 1959 when she was 19 and he was 26, but they divorced in 1961. It's easy to see what attracted Polanski to Lass, and even easier to imagine why she divorced him.

Lass died in 1995 at the age of 54 from a brain hemorrhage.

Did the ending get lost in 'The Ninth Gate'?

In a naked attempt to establish myself as a Serious Film Reviewer, I am posting a review of a Roman Polanski movie. I want to be part of the impromptu web-wide celebration that that the convicted child rapist will continue walk around free. (Click here if you haven't heard the news yet.

Yes, Virginia (and Woody and Whoopie) you CAN be a convicted rapist and still be treated like a celebrity AND as if YOU were the victim.

You can even get your movies reviewed at Terror Titans, because I'm a Serious Film Reviewer Who Respects Great Artists (even if they are child-raping cowards who can't man up when it is time to face justice).

The Ninth Gate (1999)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Emmanuel Seigner, Lena Olin, and Frank Langella
Director: Roman Polanski
Rating: Five of Ten Stars

Dean Corso (Depp), a rare book dealer with a shady reputation, is hired by the mysterious Boris Balkan (Langella) to authenticate a copy of a rate book supposedly co-authored by Satan himself. As Corso goes about about his assignment, he is drawn into a web of conspiracy and murder as he gradually uncovers a secret that's been hidden for centuries. Will Corso uncover the occult secret of the Ninth Gate, or will he die trying?


"The Ninth Gate" is a stylish supernatural mystery tale. It's a well-acted film populated by eccentric characters and possessed with a stylish look and a perfectly paced story. It's a film that has almost all the elements of a great thriller, but the pieces that are lacking ultimately doom it.

First of all, the film is predictable. There are virtually no surprises as the film unfolds. The one point where the film MIGHT have take an unexpected turn--with the mysterious girl (Seigner) who may be Corso's only ally or the greatest threat he faces--ultimately ends up in the trite and tired territory. And that's a shame, because the physical presentation of The Girl is unusual and nearly unique in cinema, and, frankly as I would expect a supernatural being walking unnoticed upon the Earth to appear. (It's not a spoiler to reveal here that The Girl is a supernatural being; the film itself makes that clear fairly early on. It's a shame the filmmakers don't ultimately do something more interesting with her than they do.)

Second, and most damning, is the completely botched ending. After two hours of build-up, we get nothing. And I mean that literally. The mystery of the ninth gate is solved, the bad guys get theirs in some very satisfying ways, but the story of Dean Corso and his dark journey of discovery just sort of peters out. The film ends with no resolution of its main story--and not in a cheesy "hey kids, look for the sequel!" way. There is no question that this is a take that's over... the audience just doesn't get to know the ending. More so than any other film that I enjoyed every minute of (except the last minute), "The Ninth Gate" had me saying, "That's it?!" as the credits rolled.

If there ever was a movie that's spoiled by its ending, it's "The Ninth Gate." Unfortunately, the film is such a finely crafted effort that I can't even advise turning off the movie at a certain point to salvage it. Basically, this is a movie that ultimately adds up to nothing. That was probably the director and screen writer's intention, but that doesn't make it any better.

A film Roman Polanski would love?

Tormented (1960)
Starring: Richard Carlson, Susan Gordon, Lugene Sanders, and Juli Reding
Director: Bert I. Gordon
Rating: Four of Ten Stars

Tom Stewart (Carlson), a third-rate ladies' man, lands himself a beautiful girl with more money than brains (Sanders) and is about to tie the knot> However, he first has to dispose of his former girlfriend, Vi (Jeding). Unfortunately for Tom, he failed to realize that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, whether she's alive or dead... and he soon finds himself haunted by Vi's floating head and other random detached body parts.


The "hero" of this film is perhaps the singularly most unlikable character I've ever been expected to feel sympathy for in a movie. Not only is Tom rotten to the core, but I get this child-molester vibe off him whenever he's around his fiance's little sister. (Of course, part of that is because he thinks she may know that he killed Vi and he's working hard to gain her trust, and eventually he tries to do the ultimate slimeball thing and kill the little kid, but there's still that vibe...)

The greatest problem with this film, and it's only partially because of its low budget, is the way things that are supposed to be scary--like when Vi's ghost manifests--are laughable. The overall flatness of the acting is also a crippling factor. Carlson does a good job as the ultimate scumbag, and little Susan Gordon gives a surprisingly good performance for a child actor... particularly when one considers that she probably got the part first and foremost by being the director's daughter.

The film does have some interesting visual flourishes, and there are several suspenseful scenes that take place in an old lighthouse. In fact, all the movies suspenseful scenes take place in the old lighthouse; whenever we get away from that location, things tend to drag a bit--except when Carlson is giving off "dirty old man" vibes around Gordon. The horror is strong at that point, whether the setting is the lighthouse or not.

The basic idea of this film--which crosses a film noir sort of attitude with a ghost story--is one that appeals to me. The execution here is sorely lacking, however.




Someone should ask Roman Polanski if he has seen this flick. I'm sure he'd have all kinds of sympathy for Tom if he did. He might even want to option a remake and relive the excitement of his youth by having Tom feed Sandy roofies and then rape her before deciding she knows too much and must die.