A Trio of Stooge Shorts

I'm a Monkey's Uncle:  

(Short # 110 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

The Stooges in the Stone Age, that’s the theme of this short. The first half is them living their lives; we get to see them catch & prepare food, shave, make butter, milk a cow, etc. Historically accurate, of course it’s not. That was determined when the cow was being milked… then solidified later when they started singing “She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain.”

The second half is Moe introducing his pals to his girlfriend’s two sisters; of course, Shemp gets “the ugly one,” although this only meant that the “ugly” girl had a few missing teeth. A stereotype is presented which of course has aged horribly: cavemen hitting cavewomen over the head with clubs to knock them out and drag them away. Then, rival cavemen show up…

Uncle reuses quite a few old gags from the past; they were mostly modified so the short did not feel that stale. Did it feel fragmented? Yes, that’s how Uncle came across. Be that as it may, I was still amused to see the new laughs concerning them in a prehistoric setting-and seeing that they use a fish’s skeleton as a comb, to list an example-so a pretty good time was had.

Mummy's Dummies 

(Short # 111 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

AKA the one featuring Jean Spangler. Those not familiar at all w/ the true crime genre, Ms. Spangler was a bit player who never had a breakout role and unfortunately is best known for vanishing at the age of 26 on October 7, 1949 and she’s never been seen since. Her disappearance is a rabbit hole to go down, as I’ll explain at the end.

Spangler also had a small role in Mummy’s Dummies; as the name suggests, the setting is ancient Egypt, where white guys cosplay as Egyptians w/ names like Tutamon, Rhadames and Pharaoh Rootentooten. The boys sell used chariots, which is a charming conceit. Note that these chariots have modern-looking rubber tires. Well, they sell jalopy chariots, which runs them into trouble with the Pharaoh. They are saved as despite their bungling, they still removed his bad tooth, allowing for a lavish like as the royal chamberlains. However, in the second half they run into villains which result in a chase among the nice period sets.

Some moments felt familiar but overall, this had the expected antics and was quite amusing, especially with a setting new to the Stooges. Spangler’s role was as… a slave girl. Thoughts of negative connotations will flood your mind—the only one shown here is that she and the other slave girls were required to fan and otherwise pamper the Stooges in their chamberlain era.

A reason why a few true crime podcasts have covered the disappearance of Jean Spangler: juicy details were present. She wrote a note to a “Kirk” and as she had just done a movie w/ Kirk Douglas… there’s also rumors that she passed away after a botched abortion, she allegedly knew underworld figures, that it was her ex-husband, and even that it was from the same person responsible for the Black Dahlia murder. The one podcast I listen to that did an episode was The Trail Went Cold, years ago. That’s for anyone interested in this sordid story.

Crime on Their Hands: 

(Short # 112 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

I only had time to see a short in the past 24 hours. Among other things, earlier today I finally upgraded my phone. Everyone knows what a long experience (a real rigmarole) that is, and it’s before you log into your apps, download new apps, update the phone itself, etc. Tomorrow my schedule will-knock on wood-return to normalcy.

The title made the premise & setting clear: the Stooges are back in the then-modern 1948, in a crime drama where everyone else played it straight-well, there IS a random gorilla but otherwise… and it’s only Howard, Fine & Howard that are comedic. Kenneth MacDonald was (as almost always) the villain, the appropriately-named Dapper Malone. He stole the Punjab Diamond, “the fourth-largest diamond in the world.” He backhands a goon who wants his money now. That results in a rare instance of blood. That goon then makes a phone call before he’s shown gunned down in the phone booth. Yes, this was serious.

The blue-collar job the Stooges had: janitors at the local newspaper. That guy phoned the office and as only the trio was in, they got to fulfill the dream of being reporters. They got to Squid McGuffey’s Café, a total noir dive bar sort of set. The trio go to the room of Dapper’s moll Christine McIntyre; because Shemp was a victim of circumstance, he swallows the diamond! Dapper doesn’t want to wait a few days for it to pass… 

Crime was great; between the hardboiled elements, an onslaught of puns, a Moe that is even more exasperated than usual w/ his pals, new routines, a gorilla that only made its presence known in the final few minutes yet the usage was choice… it’s easy for me to comprehend why many Stooge fans… go bananas for Crime on Their Hands.

 

Arsene Lupin

Arsene Lupin (1932)

Runtime: 84 minutes

Directed by: Jack Conway

Starring: John and Lionel Barrymore, Karen Morley, John Miljean, Tully Marshall

From: MGM

“Clearing my DVR” is the main reason why this film was selected. That recording was made in the middle of April off of Turner Classic Movies and while there are even older recordings on the DVR that need to be viewed eventually, deciding to see something of this vintage also made last night. I’ve never watched the recent Netflix show Lupin but for those that did and want to see more from the French literary character created by Maurice Leblanc… 

It was an amiable delight viewing brothers John and Lionel Barrymore in this Parisian-set caper/mystery as the title character is a gentleman thief who the audience discovers early on is the Duke of Charmerace. John is the Duke/Arsene, while Lionel is the detective after him. Meanwhile, Karen Morley was more than just a love interest for the Duke-the particulars as to why won’t be spoiled. Although, I will say that Arsene doesn’t always act gentlemanly… he is such a masterful thief, the idea of stealing the Mona Lisa is not so outlandish.
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Besides the brothers acting against each other in a game of cat and mouse, the highlight was the ravishing Morley and her chemistry with John. They were the source for most of the Pre-Code spiciness. A boss ending made Arsene Lupin the movie a pretty good time.

Till the End of Time

Till the End of Time (1946)

Runtime: 105 minutes

Directed by: Edward Dmytryk

Starring: Dorothy McGuire, Robert Mitchum, Guy Madison, Bill Williams, Tom Tully

From: RKO

For those that love 1946’s The Best Years of Our Lives… Till the End of Time is quite similar yet I did not know of this picture until it played on Turner Classic Movies several days ago. How ironic that the author of the book this was based on (Niven Busch) was married to Teresa Wright, who of course had a prominent role in Lives.

Both covered several members of the military returning home from World War II and the struggles they faced adjusting to a world that was both familiar and different-changes happened while they were away and the soldiers changed themselves during their time in service. While Lives featured more than one branch of the armed forces, Time was devoted to several Marines, although the focus was on Guy Madison’s Cliff Harper. Both featured issues that likely are relevant to members of the military in 2025. I’m not sure how many have metal plates in their heads (Robert Mitchum’s character did!) but there’s confusion over their future, attempting to find work, an amputee, and in the most memorable scene, someone was suffering from “the shakes”… what we know now as PTSD.

While The Best Years of Our Lives was a lavish MGM production that earned seven Oscars, Time was a modest RKO affair that is mostly forgotten today. It doesn’t mean that this movie isn’t worthwhile. It was a pretty good effort which was successful in expressing some problems that those in the military could face once returning to civilian life. Plenty of time is spent with Dorothy McGuire as a war widow who of course gets to know Cliff Harper; that was an interesting angle. It’s always nice seeing Mitchum and furthermore, the title song became a huge hit for Perry Como.

An unfortunate example of how the film is still relevant today; there’s a group devoted to war veterans; they call themselves “patriots.” Those not from the United States, the self-professed patriots here are like the ones we have in America now who use that label-meaning those prejudiced folks are villains to me and most Letterboxd members. The more things change…

The Whip and the Body

The Whip and the Body (La Frusta E Il Corpo) (1963)

Runtime: 87 minutes

Directed by: Mario Bava

Starring: Dailah Lavi, Christopher Lee, Tony Kendall, Ida Galli, Harriet Medin

From: A few different French and Italian companies

It was time for some more Gothic horror, along with more Mario Bava and Christopher Lee. This was recently added to Shudder’s streaming service; no, it wasn’t the provocative title nor the idea of a man whipping a woman which was the reason I selected the film for viewing! I imagine that some are into such things, which is fine; the whippings seen here are non-consensual, which is not alright w/ me.

Regardless, Christopher Lee-ostracized from his family-returns to their castle on the beach, where you almost CONSTANTLY hear the wind blowing. It is of course more complicated than that; the patriarch of the family is a cruel tyrant, Dailah Lavi was engaged to Lee but later married his brother, and other dysfunctional moments.

Mario Bava (billed as JOHN M. OLD) was the director; my saying that the movie looked gorgeous and the film featured a few different colors prominently isn’t much of a spoiler. Nor was his shot composition or how he played w/ light & shadow. One big spoiler is revealed in plot descriptions on other sites-although thankfully not Letterboxd and I won’t reveal that moment myself. From the reviews of mutuals, I understand that it was a blessing Shudder has the Italian language track as others omit the background noise-which is a shame as the howling wind is one of the components of the mood & atmosphere. In addition, Lee didn’t stick around to voice his character in the English dub—something he regretted due to his high opinion of the film.

If Lee’s endorsement of the movie isn’t enticing enough, The Whip and the Body is centered around sexuality, repression, and desire. Lee and Lavi were great in their roles-key for the movie’s plot. Barring those that are wary of the S&M overtones and what I just mentioned were the strongest plot points… those that have seen one or a few Bava films stand a decent chance of being enthralled w/ The Whip and the Body as well.

Mission: Impossible-Final Reckoning

Wow, did I not like this movie! This outcome could not have been predicted by The Entity, let alone me. Let's jump to the reasons why, right away: 

The haters said that this wasn't a good movie & they were correct. Honestly, great call from the haters!

I'm still flabbergasted this is my opinion of The Final Reckoning. The biggest movie letdown in years, at least in terms of theatrical releases I saw on the big screen. Ghost Protocol and Rogue Nation were very good, while Fallout and Dead Reckoning were awesome; yes, I still feel the same about Dead despite its performance at the box office and it receiving not as strong ratings as Fallout on Letterboxd. By the time this was viewed last night, I knew that unlike on Letterboxd, many elsewhere felt massively disappointed w/ the film; the reasons why were thankfully avoided.

In real life, I know that AI gives you wrong answers and in terms of art, it has a phony appearance where it can't display English words correctly, instead presenting something that looks like a failed attempt at Cyrillic letters. However, in Dead Reckoning I was on board with the AI villain The Entity; it was a fresh threat that was presented as unstoppable. I was also enraptured by the story and fascinated by what would happen in this, which was originally known as Dead Reckoning Part 2.

How bad the story was, that left me staggered. In hindsight, the opening minutes were a harbinger of things to come! It was not only full of exposition-which was a hint that the entire movie was full of exposition dumps-it was edited together in a confusing fashion. That was my biggest issue w/ the plot: I either sighed and rolled my eyes too often or I went “wait a minute... huh? What?” due to befuddlement. One example is that more than once, it felt like entire scenes were missing; this is in a movie almost 3 hours in length.

Since when was that supporting character sick? Dead Reckoning wasn't revisited before last night but I'd like to think such a plot detail wouldn't have been forgotten by me. Then, there was the utterly pointless small role that Hannah Waddingham had; all that character did was utterly perplex me and many others due to how superfluous their role was and how they were presented. I've heard explanations for both of the complaints in this paragraph; both were examples of bad storytelling. That's not even factoring in how too many of the characters felt like they contributed little to the plot. Furthermore, if you love the start of what you think are teases of things to come that don't come to fruition, then you'll love The Final Reckoning.

Even the two big action setpieces—they were conceptually impressive and were presented well... except for the problem that both were utterly preposterous, turning Hunt into a Marvel or DC superhero. In addition, when I was checked out of the movie and not enjoying the experience by that point... heck, The Entity as a villain was barely a presence aside from the world-ending threat it threatened. Come to think of it, its alleged unprecedented intelligence didn't seem quite as believable by the final act. THEN, there's an utterly stupid and ultimately meaningless reveal early on... should I go on? If you want to discuss spoilers, yes I could go on, but I won't.

I am still flummoxed that this alleged final entry in a franchise whose last 4 movies were rated highly by me and ticked many of the boxes in what I want from modern blockbusters—how did it go awry? Yeah, the (large, bloated) cast was typically fine, the score was pretty good and the long stretch without dialogue was nice. Otherwise—right now I can't think of much else in the terms of praise I can think to give to something that for almost 2 full years I was thinking would be awesome yet missed the mark so badly.

As I sometimes proclaim, good on Letterboxd in general for loving a modern movie more or much more than I did. If only my opinion was the same; the rest of the year, there isn't much left that comes to mind in terms of theatrical releases that are at least halfway-interesting. Sigh... at least Sinners was an unexpected gem.

3 Ninjas

3 Ninjas (1992)

Runtime: 95 minutes

Directed by: John Turteltaub

Starring: Victor Wong, Professor Toru Tanaka, and a bunch of random actors

From: Touchstone Pictures

Yes, this was a movie from my childhood. Me and my sisters (excuse me, my sisters and I) viewed this as kids. I don’t know about them but me, it hadn’t been viewed in probably 3 full decades. Randomly discovering its presence on Prime last night and it leaving the free for Prime members tier after Friday meant that there was general curiosity over how I’d think of this as an adult.

Technically, the movie isn’t that great in terms of acting, plot, characters, logic, etc. As neat as it is that Victor Wong was the lead, imagining a pudgy senior citizen as a ninja badass who trains his kid grandsons in that art strains credulity. There is an OBVIOUS body double used when Wong kicks ass. The plot is nonsense: the father of the boys is an FBI agent and their grandfather used to work for a villain “who loves being a bad guy,” (an actual line of dialogue) their dad is after… then there are a trio of surfer dudes who attempt to kidnap the boys, and there’s no shortage of dumb moments, not to mention some that have questionable implications.

3 Ninjas is dopey and made for children of the time; there were some chuckles and the action wasn’t bad. It’s just that there’s an extended setpiece blatantly aping Home Alone where the three Jeff Spicoli dudes get wrecked through the house via various props, including Ex-Lax. If you want to see little boys beat up stoners, white dudes as cosplay ninjas, and pro wrestler turned actor Professor Toru Tanaka… some of the acting was also suspect, to state it kindly. The lead heel is literally some random dude whose acting style was best described as “canned ham!”

Still, perhaps it is nostalgia but 3 Ninjas was not something I hated. The sequels were never viewed; my sisters saw the first sequel & hated it; that’s why I never bothered. Scuttlebutt says that the last entry (High Noon at Mega Mountain) is awesomely bad. There is a curiosity factor… Hulk Hogan w/ bad hairpiece, Jim Varney, and Loni Anderson… perhaps one day.

Are We There Yet?

Are We There Yet? (2005)

Runtime: 95 minutes

Directed by: Brian Levant

Starring: Ice Cube, Nia Long, Aleisha Allen, Phillip Bolden, Jay Mohr, M.C. Gainey

From: Columbia/Revolution

For those wondering why in the world I would watch this movie for the first time as a middle-aged adult-what an explanation I have. Like recently mentioned, the preceding few days for me were incredibly hectic; this includes lunchtime yesterday, when me and Dad ate at a restaurant w/ a relative. That relative is moving away so they won’t be seen again for awhile. At that hole-in-the-wall BBQ restaurant, one television played this movie. More on that at the end.

I never gave this movie a shot in the past; a movie rated PG from the former “crazy MF’er named Ice Cube” & viewing it as an adult seemed a waste. Yeah, it’s a movie where innocent men have to deal with monster children—because they hope that their mom Nia Long reunites with their father. Despite Cube hating kids (an opinion warranted by what happens in the film) he falls for Long, which is understandable. Ice is forced to transport the children from Portland, Oregon to Vancouver, Canada—they make his life a living hell.

It's not a movie I loathed, which was the expected outcome. The children act terribly at first but of course their behavior does improve. Still, before then they wreck his brand-new Lincoln Navigator (there is an explanation for that despite his current job of “co-owning a sports collectibles store”), among other heinous acts. Yet, the adults in the film do a fine job-including M.C. Gainey as a trucker-the child performers weren’t horrible actors, and there were some laughs & slapstick moments. No, I’m not interested in the sequel (which somehow is a remake of Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House!) but Yet was not a struggle to finish.

AWTY was a straightforward presentation, except for one bizarre element completely out of left field. Cube has a bobblehead of Satchel Paige, a legendary pitcher from the Negro Leagues way back when. This bobblehead TALKS to Ice Cube and they have conversations with each other! What in the blue blazes of tarnation was going on with that? Is the viewer supposed to think that his character is schizophrenic? The CG effect on his face also just looked wrong to my eye, making the experience far more unnerving.

As for my time at the restaurant yesterday, it was fun. Besides this random movie on TV, the audio we heard was from another television; it had on some sort of music station that was “Billy Joel Radio.” No, not his songs, but rather Boomer tunes from the 70’s and 80’s, meaning I liked all those tunes. What sad news then to come home and hear that Joel has fallen ill. The best to him; while I only know his most famous songs, I like listening to most of them.

Heavenly Daze

(Short # 109 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

This is more high concept than typical. Before I review the short, the fact that the past few days for me have been ridiculously busy and it’s impacted my schedule—that is why there’s been more shorts reviewed than feature-length pictures. However, that chaos has ended and while May in general has had some lousy days, the rest of the month should be swell. I’ll return to the cinema more than once, for starters. Now, back to Heavenly Daze…

The opening few minutes is in Heaven and Shemp is an angel talking to his uncle Mortimer, who was played by Moe wearing a beard. Mortimer tells him there was a clerical error and without using the word “Hell,” says that Shemp will spend eternity in Hades unless he can return to Earth to reform his lout buddies Moe & Larry, but without presenting himself in a corporeal form.

Some will furrow their brow at Shemp’s raging hormones over the attractive angels in Heaven, or how it resulted in a rather suggestive gag. The Heaven set does look like a set, no matter how much fog they use. Otherwise, this was amusing. The living can’t see nor hear Shemp but he can physically move objects and even strike people. After time spent w/ the attorney I. Fleecem, Moe & Larry attempt to swindle a rich couple w/ a fraudulent invention. Shemp attempts to stop this malarkey and reform his cousins.

It was a nice change of pace to see Shemp as the lead and troll people. This includes the Black butler that Moe & Larry hire for their scheme. He was portrayed by Sam McDaniel; yes, the brother of both Hattie and Etta McDaniel. This was different yet funny at the same time, featuring the same sort of slapstick that I adore.

There’s even two stunts bolder & more dangerous than usual. The most impressive of the two apparently went fine, but the other resulted in Larry getting a gash on his head. According to hearsay, Moe chased director Jules White in anger; the latter promised the gag would be safe.

Three More Shemp Shorts

Squareheads of the Round Table:  

(Short # 106 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

As hinted by the title, the setting is Merry Olde England of centuries ago, i.e. “In days of old, when knights were bold and suits were made of iron.” The trio are troubadours (yes, the viewer hears the trio sing, more than once) who meet Cedric the Blacksmith; The Black Prince wants him dead as he loves Cedric’s girl, Christine McIntyre’s Elaine, i.e. the daughter of Vernon Dent’s King. 

The reason why Round Table receives a prestigious rating: for starters, a stronger plot than usual is present-to say that “palace intrigue” is present is cliché, yet true in this case. In addition, there was an onslaught of puns throughout, most of them at least amusing. There are funny routines involving such accoutrements of the era like suits of armor that are performed on appropriate sets-Wiki tells me they were from the long-forgotten 1946 movie The Bandit of Sherwood Forest.

Not even a denouement that felt rushed could ruin my enjoyment of a hysterical period Stooge effort. After all-also from Wiki-the music heard includes everything from the Stephen Foster song Old Folks at Home to an Italian opera from Gaetano Donizetti, apparently well-known in that world.

Fiddlers Three:

(Short # 107 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

The second medieval Stooge short in a row; they usually didn’t do similar themes in a row like that. This time, they were in fact fiddlers who worked for… Old King Cole! After an extended laughing bit (as in, everyone in the room uproariously titters for like a minute straight) and a scene where some nursery rhymes are sung concurrently w/ the Stooges portraying those characters-such as Little Miss Muffet and Simple Simon-the king’s daughter is kidnapped, by Mergatroyd the Magician.

Some new gags are tried out, not all successful; Mergatroyd had an attractive lady assistant who all the men wolf-whistle at and follow around… that has aged like spoilt milk. Otherwise, this was an amusing short where new comedy was mined from them interacting both w/ a mule and hiding in the magician’s box. Mergatroyd stuck swords and saws in it, while the boys attempted to avoid being sawn or skewered.

It was simply a pretty good time, featuring plenty of series regulars, most notably Vernon Dent and Christine McIntyre.

The Hot Scots:

(Short # 108 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

The Stooges cause anarchy in the UK; while no location shooting is done, the effect is still believable (for the third time in a row, they used the sets from the long-forgotten movie The Bandit of Sherwood Forest) and it was an amusing entry which still entertained—some gags were familiar, but modified.

They visit Scotland Yard in reference to an ad asking for “yard men.” The trio proclaim they are great detectives-in actuality, they are tasked with picking up the trash in the yard of Scotland Yard. They were victims of circumstance in a good way as they come across a note asking for three detectives to investigate a case in Scotland proper, in a castle. Cue the kilts & bagpipe music; of course, those elements would be included.

There’s also a clandestine plot involving disguises (a white dude cosplaying as a sheik, along with a cloaked figure wearing a frightening mask) and robbing the castle. Furthermore, Christine McIntyre as a lass named… Lorna Doone! I don’t think anyone knows why tasty shortbread cookies were named after a random English novel from the past but regardless, this was a delight. There are puns, a trick bed that moves between two rooms, and the last appearance of Ted Lorch, who was in some Curly shorts. Fun, this was.

I Discuss a Short from 1909

My schedule this week has been hectic so no movies to discuss tonight. Rather, now will be a short from D.W. Griffith 12 minutes in length. A little later, THREE more Stooge shorts--but for now, The Lonely Villa:

“Cross-cutting” was the cinematic technique pioneered here. The proclamation can’t be made that this was the first instance of it. However, Villa (which I only discovered a few days ago after reading a mutual’s review) was another example of D.W. Griffith expanding the cinematic language during its nascent era, critical in morphing movies from shorts into the feature-length pictures we’ve had for over a century now. Shame then about Birth of a Nation and its plot… that deserves scorn but Griffith still played a key role in the development of modern pictures.

Villa has an uncomplicated plot which plays out during its 12 minutes: Robert Cullison is the patriarch of the house; thieves spy on him and wait until he leaves his high-priced digs before attempting to break in, while the ladies of the residence (including teen Mary Pickford in one of her first roles) are still present. Once the break-in occurs, they run and lock themselves in an interior room. They call their father but a hoodlum cuts the phone line (this was a thing even in 1909) so he rushes home. Griffith cross-cuts between the bandits attempting to break into the room, the females in the room, and the patriarch on the phone then rushing home.

By modern standards this is primitive, in general. That said, the drama from the editing was still effective 116 years later, making the overall effort pretty good. March of last year, I saw 1913’s Suspense.; that was an improvement of this movie’s main plot point. That’s not to put down Villa—that is more my praising the film from Lois Weber and Phillips Smalley. The Lonely Villa still told a story that built suspense and for 1909 audiences, it must have been wild to see the tension escalate through editing. No wonder that in more than one mutual’s review, they mentioned viewing this in film school.

Wake in Fright

Wake in Fright (1971)

Runtime: 109 minutes

Directed by: Ted Kotcheff (RIP)

Starring: Gary Bond, Donald Pleasence, Chips Rafferty, Sylvia Kay, Jack Thompson

From: NLT Productions

Tomorrow I'll catch but tonight I'll discuss what was viewed last night: 

A belated RIP to Ted Kotcheff. The Canadian director passed away more than a month ago yet I waited to pull the trigger on one of his most famous films, an Ozploitation classic. Most will of course know him best for First Blood but he made some other pictures in Hollywood along with movies in his native Canada, along with some TV work. What a career: everything from this and First Blood to Weekend at Bernie’s, North Dallas Forty, & Fun with Dick and Jane. As multiple people have compared this with the new Nicolas Cage picture The Surfer (that may be viewed in the future), might as well finally pull the trigger.

What an uncomfortable, sweltering picture this was. Schoolteacher John Grant is forced to work in the barren Outback of Australia; the opening credits and other opening scenes presented this unforgiving landscape perfectly. It is around the time of Christmas but of course in the Southern Hemisphere, that means it is around the start of summer. He is forced to stay in the town of Bundayabba for the night before flying to Sydney. However, plans go quite awry and Mr. Grant is forced to stay in a place full of eccentrics, alcohol, and an increasing envelopment of a sinister feeling. By the way, I learned via Wiki that the two-up game (involving two pennies) is still a legit thing in Australia.

Yes, I did know beforehand the most infamous scene; a kangaroo hunt occurs-a number of kangaroos are actually shot & killed, along with a pair of disturbing knife kills. For some that will be a deal-breaker. One character eats kangaroo meat; if people IRL ate that meat, I won’t feel as awkward about it. There are other uncomfortable moments in the film as Grant increasingly becomes a part of a world full of drunk, insane people. The character portrayed by Donald Pleasence was the most intriguing; like Grant he’s an educated man but unlike Grant, he stayed in this setting because he had unconventional opinions (including sexuality) and even he is a crazy drunk. Pleasence was the most memorable actor although Gary Bond impressed as the lead, and before last night I only saw his supporting role in 1964’s Zulu.

What a wild year 1971 was in cinema between films like this, A Clockwork Orange, The Devils, and probably a few others I haven’t viewed before. This was unsurprisingly not a box office success; due to circumstances, the only known print of the film was in lousy condition. Thankfully, in 2004 one much better was found in Pittsburgh and this allowed for a proper restoration. Unless you feel the most controversial aspect will be too much for you, Wake in Fright may be well worth viewing.

 

Return to Oz

Return to Oz (1985)

Runtime: 109 wild minutes

Directed by: Walter Murch

Starring: Fariuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, Matt Clark

From: Disney

You know, it could have been a good thing I did not see this as a kid. As a middle-aged man in the United States, the Wizard of Oz was a yearly tradition where CBS played the film; millions loved viewing this w/ family, me included. Return to Oz, the trailer was on an 80’s Disney VHS tape-I was left w/ the impression the movie was “scary” and “weird” so I never gave this 80's sequel a shot until last night. Indeed, Return is much darker and serious than the original movie, although apparently this is more in tune w/ the L. Frank Baum novels. 

The opening 15 or so minutes set the tone; 6 months after the big tornado, it is revealed that not only does Dorothy suffer from insomnia, she actually went to Oz. Dorothy is sent to a sanitarium; only divine intervention prevented electroshock therapy! Once back in Oz, instead of the shimmering magical land, this world is not decrepit and run-down; even the Yellow Brick Road is in shambles. Blame the Nome King for this.

The original Wizard of Oz was weird, between its flying monkeys, houses accidentally dropped on witches and sentient trees. Return, even the ragtag group of helpers for its leads were weird. It’s impossible to quickly explain Gump or why it’s an elk head so instead I’ll mention Dorothy’s chicken that suddenly can talk, Jack Pumpkinhead, and a mechanical man named… Tik-Tok! Was this where TikTok got its name from? I knew about the Wheelers but not the above-mentioned information, or a tree that bears—lunch pails (?!) or a witch that… RIPS HER HEAD OFF because she has a few dozen heads in her home! What in the world would I have thought of this as a child?

No telling; while Large Marge was a “yikes!” for me, that didn’t prevent me from finishing Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure or viewing it more than once, so who knows. Those readers that have children, who knows what their reaction would be. As a middle-aged dude in 2025, I can enjoy this dark tale which features glorious practical effects, including the Nome King and its henchman-both stop-motion animation delights-and the sometimes lush sets. Also, what a find that child actor Fairuza Balk was; a lesser performer and the movie would have undoubtedly suffered. Not a surprise that even audiences in the more carefree 80’s didn’t like Return to Oz; a shame that legendary editor Walter Murch only was able to direct on this one occasion.

As mentioned recently, a shame that Disney likely won’t be this adventurous again. Yes, Return flopped at the box office but I’m begging for a return of weird, original, and well-made pictures like this instead of the sludge we get now.

Enter the Ninja

Enter the Ninja (1981)

Runtime: 99 minutes

Directed by: Menahem Golan

Starring: Franco Nero, Christopher George, Alex Courtney, Susan George, Sho Kosugi

From: Cannon

This sure was a Golan-Globus production. For ages I’ve known of the trilogy of ninja movies that Cannon did in the 80’s, and how this first entry started a ninja craze in the United States for a time. While the movie is utter B-movie nonsense and you can unleash an onslaught of nitpicks if you’re so inclined, such as believing Franco Nero as a ninja master who lays waste to the enemies while he spends time in the Philippines (where this was set and filmed) w/ old war buddy Frank Landers and the buddy’s wife Susan George. The enemy is Christopher George, no relation to Susan. He was appropriately over-the-top as the heel.

I mostly won’t nitpick, although the fact that the hero’s friend engages in cockfighting is regrettable. Yes, I realize that sport has been around for ancient times and is still popular in the Philippines; it’s just be a lot less awkward for most American viewers, that’s all. Otherwise, while of course the action isn’t as stellar as what you’d find in the Pacific Rim region of Asia at the time, that is more my complimenting how great those choreographers were—what’s here was still fine.

Christopher George wants the land of Nero’s buddy as it contains oil; they refuse to sell and from there, the stakes escalated. The plot needn’t be more complicated than that when there were wacky characters present such as Hook, a small fat dude w/ a second-rate German accent who has a hook for a left hand. I was also amused by Dollars, the money-hungry business owner that assisted the heroes and was portrayed by Will Hare, best known for his brief appearance in Back to the Future and the old grandpa in Silent Night, Deadly Night. He was a real hoot and played a larger role than expected.

For those that want a competent B-movie w/ some money behind it which featured nice Filipino scenery, a rad percussive score featuring plenty of synth from W. Michael Lewis and Laurin Rinder, some bloody moments, and a general absurd quality—you may have fun like I did. While not the largest role, it’s always nice seeing Sho Kosugi.

The highlight was a moment completely out of nowhere: the war buddy tells Nero that his wife Susan wants sexual relations constantly, but he… well, would use Viagra if it existed in 1981! If that wasn’t enough humiliation, soon thereafter Nero and this poor sap’s wife have sex while he’s oblivious to it! No word on why Frank Landers was so emasculated.

Lilo and Stitch

Yes, I finally saw the 2002 animated movie: 

Will people be AGHAST that I hadn’t tackled Lilo & Stitch before? Probably so. The live-action version coming out next weekend is the reason why I finally pulled the trigger. No, I won’t be checking out the remake, as what’s the point? That goes for any studio who does this, not just Disney. Yes, I do know the irony that the directors of this then made How to Train Your Dragon, and both received this treatment. Allegedly, they will stop needlessly remaking animated pictures due to the colossal fiasco that was Snow White. 

Through cultural osmosis, of course I knew “O’hana means family,” along with most of the main characters, the Elvis songs & Stitch being Experiment 626. It escapes and lands in Hawaii, where Lilo adopts the critter. Yeah, there are silly moments and I couldn’t even begin to fathom why a key supporting human character is named COBRA BUBBLES. Be that as it may, I was still charmed by Lilo & Stitch.

The bedrock of the film was the relationship between misfit 6-year-old Lilo and her teenage sister/guardian Nani. Through the struggles of the latter attempting to not lose the former to foster care, they have an entirely believable sister relationship. Thankfully, there are plenty of laughs also, between them and especially all the alien antics. Entertaining action beats plus a gorgeous water color animation aesthetic made the film an enjoyable ride-which was over in less than 90 minutes.

Another key aspect that was appealing: Lio’s love of Elvis and the inclusion of several Presley songs. There were also subtle and not so subtle nods to Hawaii & its culture. While not spotlighted, I noticed that they gave love to Duke Kahanamoku, a multi-time Olympic medalist in swimming turned surfing legend, sheriff of Honolulu for almost 30 years, and many other accolades. My family and I went to Hawaii in 2000 for vacation; then, there were statues and restaurants named after him in the area.

I’ve heard good things about the sequels and TV shows that were spawned from the success of this picture; I likely won’t delve further in this universe yet it was a relief that I was charmed by a movie that had serious, heartfelt moments married to an amusing tale where I both was enchanted by Stitch and rooted for the sisters.

Two Amusing Shemp Shorts

Shivering Sherlocks:

(Short # 104 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

Two random facts about me: 

1) My people skills aren't that great, especially off-line. The stupidity of others is why I've wanted to attend the cinema at two different points in the preceding week but through no fault of my own this hasn't happened. Perhaps next week it'll happen... I am not a people person in general—however, I enjoy all my followers on Letterboxd. Not every opinion I agree with but I know the feeling can be mutual with my occasional unpopular opinions.
2) I wanted to see a film yesterday. No, it wasn't Hurry Up Tomorrow. The reception that's received is rather, well, lackluster to be charitable. Despite an intriguing trailer, I was never interested. Truth be told, if I've heard a Weeknd song besides I Can't Feel My Face, I couldn't tell you! “I don't ever listen to modern music.” is perhaps an even more shocking revelation.

The reason I shared all this? Yesterday was a rather crummy day, one best left forgotten. On days like these in 2025, it's been a blessing to view The Three Stooges-apologies for the cliché but sometimes laughter is the best medicine.

In this installment, the trio are accused of robbing an armored car; they didn't help their case by randomly hiding in a garbage can! Why they did this, that is a mystery. A 1940's lie detector is shown-at least presumably this was what one looked like back then. Shemp concocts a random alibi that they work at the Elite Cafe. Thankfully for them, proprietor Christine McIntyre covers for them and they start working at the establishment. This results in new and old gags, including Shemp making chicken soup by pouring hot water through a chicken carcass, and Moe eating clam chowder; it goes awry in a similar fashion to Curly eating oysters in Dutiful but Dumb. In 1954 Larry gets in on the act 

Wouldn't you know who won the pony... the people who are hiding out in the family estate owned by McIntyre are the actual armored car robbers. This includes a subhuman hunchbacked hulking brute named Angel! Yes, a lot happens in Shivering Sherlocks. Funny antics occur in the house to conclude the short.

The most noteworthy aspect to me: this was the last short that Del Lord directed in this universe. He was in that chair for many of the best featuring Curly: Three Little Beers, Hoi Polloi, We Want Our Mummy, A Plumbing We Will Go, No Census, No Feeling, An Ache in Every Stake, They Stooge to Conga, etc. There thankfully are other talented directors who will continue to do a swell job in that chair, who will be mentioned in later installments.

Pardon My Clutch:  

(Short # 105 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

Another nice benefit of going through these Three Stooges shorts this year: when my schedule is all out of whack as it’s been the past several days, at least something can be posted without skipping a day. I’d like to think that normalcy is already back for me—but the way May has gone, nothing is set in stone.

Shemp’s under the weather in this short. Their pal is an amateur doctor and after the trio bungled the directions on a bottle of pills (they were confused by “skip an hour”) it was discovered that Shemp had a bad tooth-I sympathize as several days ago, a trip was made to the dentist for a procedure. That wasn’t fun; however, my dentist is a French lady w/ an accent, but I doubt the reader cares to hear those details.

After the tooth extraction-no, that wasn’t the procedure that was done to me; I mean Shemp had his bad tooth extracted-it was recommended that the boys go into the woods for vacation. Their pal procured a vehicle—only it was a jalopy from the 1920’s, a real wreck. 

Even before some new laughs were mined from them loading the vehicle, they attempted to pitch a tent… er, I mean practice putting up a tent. It goes as awry as expected. In a surprising change of pace, Moe, Larry, and Shemp all had wives. They were all exasperated by the behavior of their husbands. Yes, the Stooges and their wives all live in the same house yet don't own a car. I guess public transportation was great in that part of So Cal.

As there are new laughs to be had just from them attempting to load the car-which blends well with the modified gags that felt fresh throughout, it was irrelevant that this “journey” they attempted to take never left their street. Mix in a wacky bit part from Emil Sitka and Pardon My Clutch was a pretty good time.

Logan's Run

Logan’s Run (1976)

Runtime: 118 confounding minutes

Directed by: Michael Anderson

Starring: Michael York, Jenny Agutter, Richard Jordan, Roscoe Lee Browne, Farrah Fawcett

From: MGM

If only the characters, plot and especially storytelling could have matched the audio and visual components. As someone in my mid-40’s, I have known of Logan’s Run for years, including the main plot point that there’s a utopian society in the 23rd century where everyone dies at the age of 30… unless they are “renewed” in a ceremony called “carrousel” (yes, that’s how they spell it). I DVR’ed it from a TCM showing yesterday. Finally, I saw the movie in full and… for a plot that wasn’t overly complex, the way the story was told was just too baffling and too confusing too often. I still have no idea why certain key moments occurred, except “just because.”

What a shame it is. Some of the visual effects do show their age half a century after the fact but otherwise the aesthetic is awesome. A few of the sets I did pause for a bit to admire; the same goes for many of the miniatures. I did laugh that not only was “underwear” apparently not a thing by 2273, but many areas in the domed city look like malls or hotels in the future, including atriums all over the place. No hate for that; the filmmakers tried to use actual buildings when possible and it did amuse me. Also, the costuming was unforgettable, especially Jenny Agutter’s outfits… and you should have seen/heard my reaction at when Roscoe Lee Browne first appeared!

Logan (Michael York) and Jessica (Agutter) are on the run, looking to escape the domed world and reach “sanctuary”… don’t play a drinking game where you quaff a drink whenever “sanctuary” is said—you won’t make it to the end of the film! The plot’s destination wasn’t much a surprise; this would not have been an issue if I did not have multiple complaints concerning said plot. Sigh… another benefit is a unique Jerry Goldsmith score that sometimes goes 70’s electronic, which is a compliment.

While it’s a movie I wish could be loved by me, no regrets in experiencing the visually pleasant aesthetic moments throughout. At times I was reminded of Rollerball, another flawed 70’s sci-fi movie that has issues with its plot. How the 2002 Rollerball remake turned out reminds me why a new version of Logan’s Run does give me pause. It’s always nice seeing Peter Ustinov and what was needed after a bad day yesterday was my howling w/ laughter at the character Roscoe Lee Browne portrayed. Nothing could have prepared me (or you either) for his appearance; I was dumbfounded.

 

The Great Silence

The Great Silence (Il Grande Silenzio) (1968)

Runtime: 105 minutes

Directed by: Sergio Corbucci

Starring: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Klaus Kinski, Frank Wolff, Luigi Pistilli, Vonetta McGee

From: A few different French and Italian companies

I’ve been neglecting this snowy Western for far too long. As sometimes occurs, a highly-regarded movie was discovered years ago yet despite the high praise, the trigger isn’t pulled. Its showing on Turner Classic Movies last night + having free time meant there was no excuse in this instance.

There is a smattering of Westerns set in a snowy climate instead of a desert but this Sergio Corbucci effort is one of the most famous. Jean-Louis Trintignant is Silence, a mute gunslinger who helps a band of outlaws against bounty hunters and a corrupt banker. The film has high aspirations; after all, Corbucci was inspired by the deaths of Che Guevara and Malcolm X; a revisionist Western, this was. This protagonist had an antagonist in equal measure: Loco, as portrayed by real-life villain Klaus Kinski. 

Just as an important character as Silence and Loco is the wintry, bitterly cold weather in the Utah territory-filmed in the Dolomite Mountains of Italy. The stunning locations and the snowy landscape affect all the characters; the blizzard has caused many to steal and allowed for the evil banker Pollicut to concoct a scheme to steal land. There are quality performances all around: the Italian setting, Jean-Louis-he didn’t need speech to express emotion or be a commanding presence-Kinski, Luigi Pistilli, Frank Wolff, Vonetta McGee in her debut, etc.

Another key component: the Morricone score. It was dynamic, encompassing everything from the electric guitar to the sitar. The Great Silence is as austere and stark as its setting. This is a great movie no matter which genre or genres you prefer the most. I only have viewed The Hateful Eight once but it has to pair with this like peanut butter & jelly. If you love atypical Westerns in particular, this picture (many say it’s Corbucci’s magnum opus) is a must. I missed out on not pulling the trigger years earlier.