Sky High

Sky High (1922)

Runtime: Only 59 minutes

Directed by: Lynn Reynolds

Starring: Tom Mix, Eva Novak, J. Farrell MacDonald, Sid Jordan, William Buckley

From: The company that would later become 20^th Century Fox

Now I can say I've seen one movie from the first Western star, Tom Mix. Of course, I did not see anything that would inspire me to try and track down a filmography I presume is mostly either lost or the prints available are of poor quality. At least I found a decent print of this on YouTube, which was a main reason why this was watched. Sure, unlike some of Mix's films he did not have his costar Tony the Wonder Horse but alas... at least I can give Mix props for doing many of his own stunts & becoming pals with legendary cowboy Wyatt Earp in real life during the twilight of the latter's life.

It's a simple plot where the protagonist Grant Newbury goes undercover to investigate the smuggling of Chinese immigrants into the United States via Mexico. Turns out, they are hiding them out in... the Grand Canyon! Most of this is filmed there so at least there's lovely scenery to look at. The “ward” of the main villain shows up-she doesn't know her guardian is a criminal SOB. Newbury and the young blonde lady meet up, his cover is blown, things happen, the hero wins, the end.

On the face of it, saying that the movie was average could have been what I determined the rating to be. However, I do appreciate how this has a Western flavor where many people still ride on horseback yet as it's set in 1922, there are Model T vehicles and even a biplane used. Said biplane was the apparatus behind the most impressive stunt in the picture. As this was only 59 minutes long it was an easy hour watch & even if the story wasn't revolutionary by any means, there are no regrets in finally seeing something from Tom Mix.

Quai Des Orfevres

Quai des Orfevres (1947)

Runtime: 106 minutes

Directed by: Henri-Georges Clouzot

Starring: Louis Jouvet, Suzy Delair, Bernard Blier, Simone Renant, Pierre Larquey

From: Majestic Films

At least this movie has an excuse for straying far from the source material: the people that adapted it only read it years beforehand and writing from hazy memories resulted in something only loosely connected to a novel (title translates in English to Self Defense) by Belgian author Stanislas-Andre Steeman. The differences are unknown to me but from scuttlebutt, the French-speaking Steeman was apparently a great mystery author who'd have many more English-speaking fans if more of his work was translated.

As I can discuss this movie, it's from Henri-Georges Clouzot, which is one of the reasons I had even heard of this (the initial time was years ago) and finally-via TCM-it was seen. As the movie was named after the French equivalent of Scotland Yard, it does follow a dour yet amusing detective named Antoine, although it concurrently covers the main suspects who are connected to the death of “an old geezer with influence”, i.e. a dirty old man who happens to be rich. A balding schlub of a middle-aged guy batted way out of his league and landed an attractive young budding singer as a wife. The old man promises to help out her career “for favors”, hubby gets jealous and due to circumstances on the night of his murder-not shown on camera-Antoine has several suspects. They try to establish alibis but Antoine is shown to be good at his job...

It was an interesting version of a police procedural-it was also very good. The main performers all delivered, including Suzy Delair as Jenny Lamour (her name was the title used for the American release; she was also Clouzot's “companion” at the time) and famed actor/theater star Louis Jouvet as Antoine. It has fascinating characters, acres of memorable dialogue, gorgeous B&W cinematography, and even some nice music from the various performers that also work at the variety show Jenny's involved with. To reveal much more would be a crime that Antoine should investigate...

The Asphalt Jungle

The Asphalt Jungle (1950)

Runtime: 112 minutes

Directed by: John Huston

Starring: Sterling Hayden, Louis Calhern, Sam Jaffe, James Whitmore, Jean Hagen

From: MGM

Yep, I've happened to see three films in a row from either MGM or United Artists; that's just how it turned out. That'll change w/ my next review...

One way or another, we all work for our vice. While film noirs and heist pictures aren't exactly my one movie vice they are things I tend to enjoy on average. Thus, it is a surprise then that I haven't given this a shot until just last night on the Criterion Channel. At least there's always classics still out there for me to experience for the first time as a mature film-watcher.

The movie is more about the personalities involved than the heist itself, but when those personalities are so fascinating and so full of life, that formula worked for me. It involves such shady characters as bookies, safecrackers, a corrupt lawyer and “hooligans” as a criminal mastermind just out of prison decides to steal a common target in in this genre: jewels. Things don't go exactly as planned and each character's downfall is shown in exacting detail. I don't want to spoil much of this journey so I'll just say a few words.

The dialogue, the situations, the gorgeous black and white cinematography, the cast, the music... all of it is of high quality so it was never a dull experience as I was always fascinated in the machinations of how this scheme was planned then the aftermath of there being some snafus in the scheme. The heist itself was at least interesting, not to mention presented rather well and a long tense scene in of itself. The tall striking Sterling Hayden was unforgettable as the thugish lead but all the other main players were also solid... even the molls of the main players were intriguing, including Marilyn Monroe in a role smaller than later advertising of the movie-or even the images used for Letterboxd-would lead you to believe. Still, it was an unforgettable small role and as the police commissioner (part of The Asphalt Jungle also focuses on law enforcement attempting to curb crime then later on catching the thieves) notes, it is rather gross that she's going out with someone old enough to be her grandfather. Of course, in modern parlance, perhaps it's just a Sugar Daddy relationship...

All that said, this is a movie which humanizes the crooks to the point that you know one wishes to return home to his old Kentucky farm and another is captivated by a random cute young lady dancing to swing music. If you dig film noir and/or heist films, Asphalt is a must-watch.

Wargames

Wargames (1983)

Runtime: 114 minutes

Directed by: John Badham... mostly. Martin Brest was the original director and a tiny bit of his work was still there

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy, John Wood, Dabney Coleman, Barry Corbin

From: United Artists

As someone about to turn 41 soon, I object to the lead characters stating that 41 year olds are “old”.

For reasons I'll explain at the end, this was selected for viewing last night as it was available for viewing on Prime. Despite being 40 right now, it was a movie I had only seen once before, back around '09 or so. It was a movie I enjoyed so why not see it a second time and this time be able to discuss it here? Admittedly, watching a movie about World War III almost happening is at least a tiny bit uncomfortable with the drama going on now concerning Russia possibly invading the Ukraine... but WWIII won't start because of that... right?

Anyway, this screams early 1980's... the clothing, the hair, the old technology, the paranoia over “new” tech”, a Galaga arcade machine, the fact that the modems of the time required coupling the receiver on the modem itself so the distinctive tone can be heard that way & that's how the connection is made-ahhh, the memories. Matthew Broderick is a computer nerd, more concerned w/ that than actually doing well in high school, and he has a budding romance w/ Ally Sheedy. He accidentally hacks NORAD & interacts w/ the hilariously named WOPR computer that handles the launch codes. Not hilariously, the title event happens & WOPR thinks it's legit. It's now a race against time...

Admittedly the movie is a little silly; how the movie resolves its big issue does have one aspect that is lol-worthy. Yet overall it was a pretty good time. For almost two hours it feels quick as the plot progresses. The protagonist is a typical teenager who has hacking skills (this was apparently the first Hollywood picture to show a computer hacker) yet does not want to use it for monetary gain... instead it's to play a computer game early or to change his grade in Science class. It's a movie that looks nice, has a pleasant score, a capable cast, and some actors that I associate w/ the 1980's: Dabney Coleman in a role that you suspect is a typical “A-hole boss” part that he typically played, James Tolkan, and Eddie Deezen... the latter playing what an early 80's computer nerd actually probably looked/sounded like; that includes an implied notion that he was “on the spectrum.”

Thankfully the movie still works today and does not feel embarrassingly outdated or naive.. not to mention, it is not childish despite having teens as protagonists. I won't criticize how blunt the message is concerning the futility & danger of nuclear war, as a worldwide apocalypse could very well have happened “in the real world” had tensions escalated high enough. At least I can laugh about what will close out this review. The main reason this was watched last night: noticing the genres that this was listed under on its Prime Video page-that goes for either online or the smart TV app. One of the genres this is listed under: EROTIC. What an amazing F-up... unless you are incredibly turned on by retro modems or enjoy the raw animal magnetism of Dabney Coleman...

The Good Earth

The Good Earth (1937)

Runtime: 138 minutes

Directed by: Sidney Franklin

Starring: Paul Muni, Luise Rainer, Walter Connolly, Tilly Losch, Charley Grapewin

From: MGM

When the yellowface isn't the aspect I object to the most... this was a random watch for me, viewing via a DVR recording a drama based off of a Pearl S. Buck novel about dirt-poor Chinese farmers. But, it won two Academy Awards and I've seen some contemporary praise so why not? Of course this has most of the actors as white people doing a yellowface routine but that's how things were then. Now, seeing obviously Caucasians trying to act/appear Chinese when they are sharing scenes w/ actual Chinese people like Keye Luke—it is laughable now. Of course I am white myself instead of Pacific Rim Asian... the author being Caucasian isn't as bad; Ms. Buck spent most of the first four decades of her life in China as the daughter of missionaries. The fact that she advocated for such things as womens' & Asian rights, and her humanitarian causes will likely be seen as appealing to many.

Personally, the story she wrote was not something I loved due to my early 2022 tastes. After all, it has Muni as poor farmer Wang Lung (everybody Wang Lung tonight!) who via arranged marriage has the greatly named O-Lan as a spouse. Unfortunately for me, not only are there some wet blanket supporting characters, eventually even Lung starts acting poorly to his subservient wife. That wasn't great when this was a downer story anyhow and the lead family experiences plenty of strife. As the past two years have been a real downer for me, my desire to see depressing tales full of misery has lessened-one day that'll change but that has not occurred yet.

That said, this wasn't a movie I hated and fairly, it can't receive a poor or even mediocre score. I can't fault the performers, especially leads Muni and Luise Rainer. In fact, Rainer won an Oscar for her performance, the second in a row she won. The reason why she did not have a long career? Problems with the company she was under contract to, MGM. She left Hollywood and her subsequent performances were mainly in the pioneer days of television back in the 50's. It also won an Academy Award for Karl Freund's cinematography-it does look rather pleasant. In addition, the natural disasters (a flood early, a swarm of locusts late) look rather swell for the mid-30's time period those effects were done in. Thus, a movie you might enjoy more than me as long as the yellowface thing isn't a deal-breaker for you.

 

All The Colors Of Giallo

Last night I saw a 2019 documentary about the giallo field: 

At least this will inspire me to make a Blu-ray purchase in the future... via Shudder I saw this documentary about a genre I enjoy and should watch more of. It was made by Severin as a few years ago they released a 2 disc and 1 CD set of the same name which has this, over 100 giallo trailers (which has to be an awesome experience), krimi trailers (those German thrillers that were an inspiration to this genre is something I've seen precious little of but that's something I need to do a deep dive on) and the CD is of tracks from various films. That should be a purchase worthwhile for me.

For now, I'll discuss how this was pretty good, yet something that was more for casual fans or those like me that know a few things about it, not hardcore genre buffs. The presentation was straightforward: various talking heads explain the details of giallo while some people involved in the production of same (actors, directors, and screenwriters) provide details either specific or in general. It doesn't go into granular details; instead the basics are mentioned... such as Mario Bava's The Girl Who Knew Too Much being the first giallo, or Argento's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage changing the genre. Just note that the documentary ends rather abruptly; someone tying a bow on it and delivering a logical conclusion would've been more ideal, but alas...

The highlight for me was hearing & seeing the different people interviewed. This includes Argento, Lamberto Bava, George Hilton, Edwige Fenech, Lenzi, Sergio Martino, Daria Nicolodi and an audio archival interview w/ Fulci; personally, I need to look into why Fulci and Argento did not get along w/ each other... the former trashed the latter. It was nice to hear the various stories new to me, at least, and in general it was nice for the important figures to be spotlighted. For those that are novices in the genre & wish to learn more, this would be a fine place to start even if-as the opening of this noted-some films had their plot spoiled. From hearsay I understand that there's never been a definite giallo documentary made. With any luck that will happen one day; for the sake of input from those that made them, hopefully such a project would start soon.

Breakout

Breakout (1975)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Tom Gries

Starring: Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Randy Quaid, Robert Duvall, John Huston

From: Columbia

If you ever wanted to see Randy Quaid in drag... I mention that to express the tone of this movie. Randy dressed as a woman is done in one scene as part of a failed scheme to break Robert Duvall out of prison; not only is the movie lighter in tone than the typical Charles Bronson picture, Bronson is jovial to the point that he smiles a few times. This is a movie I could have watched at any time over the past several years plus but it being available for free to me as a Prime member gave me that final push-as I pay for Prime each month and don't always order a package from Amazon each month...

It's a simple tale: John Huston (whose role is a glorified cameo) schemes to have his grandsom Duvall jailed as otherwise Duvall is a threat to expose his illegal acts. His wife Jill Ireland hires bush pilot Bronson to do the title act. Of course there are complications, such as our heroes not knowing Huston's role in the affair. There are some other familiar faces seen along the way, such as a young Quaid long before he lost his mind, Sheree North, Emilio Fernandez, and Alejandro Rey. A famous face not on camera was the score from Jerry Goldsmith, which wasn't one of his must-listens yet still was pleasant to hear & fit the setting.

Even with a few “hey, wait a minute” moments and a few bits that haven't aged too well (such as some racist terms I won't repeat here or what Duvall does in one scene to show his mental deterioration) overall this was a pretty good time and a fun way to spend 96 minutes. Much of the action is reserved for the final act but at least that delivered; there's even a shocking moment at the end which actually made me hit rewind to see it again. And would you believe this is loosely based on a true story? The story of Joel David Kaplan is one hell of a tale, something far too complex to explain in full here. He was an American businessman jailed in Mexico on alleged trumped-up charges and a helicopter was used for the breakout. No wonder someone had the idea to use the bare bones of that wild true life tale & modify it into a Hollywood production starring familiar faces.

Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal (1981)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Many people

Starring: Quite a few famous names, including some that were on SCTV at the time

From: Columbia

Maybe if I was a 14 year old boy in 1981...

This is one of a huge collection known as “Movies that Blair has known of for many years yet has never seen”. I am old enough to remember that there was hype when this finally came out on home video in the mid 90's because the music rights issues that prevented it were finally resolved. Maybe if I had watched it as a teenager in the late 90's my opinion would be higher but as between then and now I've seen only a tiny amount of anime but that's still enough... not to mention 70's adult animation like a few Ralph Bakshi pictures and things from Europe like Fantastic Planet and Son of the White Mare to be less than impressed by this “adult animation” picture.

I've never read anything of the Heavy Metal magazine that this was based on. It's an anthology thing centered around a talking green orb that humblebrags the impact it has had in various locations, where the substories are then told. Besides the framing device ending in a baffling way, the other tales are mostly juvenile efforts that seem mostly designed to revel in foul language, bloody violence, and (especially) sex & violence. There are many topless cartoon ladies the viewer gets to see-personally, in 2022 it is so easy to see boobs, whether real or drawn... just the aspect of this having boobs won't enthrall me. Heck, I am sure that anime and even, ahem, hentai, has more impressive sex scenes if you get your jollies from that.

The animation looking rough by modern standards is really the least of its problems. It's that I did not care about the majority of the stories present-the only two interesting ones were Den (even though it's one of the “horny stories”) and B-17 which is a World War II tale that has nothing to do with sex. I don't know why Ivan Reitman was involved with the production but that allowed for some famous SCTV people to provide their voices, such as Joe Flaherty, Eugene Levy, and John Candy... not to mention other well-known names like Richard Romanus, John Vernon, and August Schellenberg. Not even them nor the rock soundtrack could make me love Heavy Metal. It's not always their best tunes but it was still nice to hear the soundtrack—even if there's only a bit of heavy metal it's still rad to hear such acts like Ronnie James Dio era Black Sabbath, Cheap Trick, Stevie Nicks, Journey, Don Felder, Devo, Sammy Hagar, Nazareth, & Blue Oyster Cult, among others.

Many like this more than me so at least it has been easy to track down for a long while now. If nothing else, I have the inspiration to see more adult animated pictures later in '22.

A Streetcar Named Desire

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

Runtime: 122 minutes

Directed by: Elia Kazan

Starring: Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden, Rudy Bond

From: Warner Bros.

About time I saw a famous movie in full that I only knew for STELLAAA! This was a DVR recording I made off of TCM earlier this month, and last night was the night where I had the time/urge to check this out.

In case you are unfamiliar with the Tennessee Williams play this is based upon, I'll briefly mention that Blanche DuBois is a Southern belle who loses the family property and is forced to move into the ramshackle apartment in New Orleans owned by her sister Stella and her brother-in-law Stanley Kowalski. As Kowalski is usually described by movie fans as “a brute”, of course it's a clash of personalities. Much of the movie is examining how a quartet of characters interact w/ each other. You see, there's Mitch, a friend of Stanley who isn't a lout like the others.

While the stage origins are obvious, that is not a hindrance when it's such a captivating story, it has such a thick atmosphere full of heat & sweat, and there are great performances from Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Kim Hunter, & Karl Malden. The latter three won Oscars for their roles and in hindsight the fight that Brando was the one of the four who didn't win-that is not a great look. The fact that Brando's raw performance had an impact on how actors performed from the movie's release until today... unlike in the past, he was unrestrained yet was not 100% an animal and in fact at times displayed the qualities that made you understand why Stella is attracted to him despite some heinous actions you see him do throughout the runtime.

What a bold adult movie this is; there are some harsh implications and adult themes that are bubbling underneath the surface. It's not the easiest movie to watch-after all, it's about Blanche's deteriorating psychological state-and one way this is shown is that quite subtly, the dimensions of the apartment shrink the further in the story you go. Elia Kazan may not have been the most trustworthy of friends but he was one heck of a director. Another critical component is the jazz score from Alex North-one of the first of that genre to be used as such in a Hollywood movie. As it's not a feel-good motion picture who knows when or even if it will be watched again; that doesn't mean there are any regrets in finally discovering why this has had so much praise in the past 70 plus years.

The Sicilian Clan

The Sicilian Clan (1969)

Runtime: The version I saw was 119 minutes

Directed by: Henri Verneuil

Starring: Alain Delon, Jean Gabin, Lino Ventura, Irina Demick, Amedeo Nazzari

From: A few French/Italian companies

This was a quality podcast recommendation. In particular, it was the Pure Cinema Podcast and their Film Discoveries of 2021 (which featured Tarantino & Roger Avary) where someone brought it up and it was discussed for a few minutes. It is a heist/gangster movie and that intrigued. So did the cast of Alain Delon, Jean Gabin, and Lino Ventura.

The film starts off on a hot note-less than 10 minutes in, Delon (w/ assistance) escapes from a prison transport truck. The people that helped him escape, they execute a plan he has to steal a lot of jewels from a museum... only to discover that is an impossible task. Instead, there's the idea to steal them off of an airplane as they are transported to New York City. How can they possibly do it? Also, is it a mistake for Delon to start fooling around w/ the married daughter of the gang boss he's now associated with?

If you enjoy the old French crime movies like Rififi and Le Cercle Rouge... this isn't as great as those yet The Sicilian Clan is very good overall. I've also heard a comparison to Heat and again this isn't great as that... Besides the heist aspects, the intrigue with all the characters interacting w/ each other was always fascinating, along with the late 60's style and a pretty interesting Morricone score that at times as a Western sort of twang to it. The movie takes its time but at least for me it was never dull. Note that it was filmed in three different versions: English, French, and Italian. What I saw on Amazon was the English version... I'll presume the language is the only difference between the three.

Cocoon

Cocoon (1985)

Runtime: 117 minutes

Directed by: Ron Howard

Starring: Don Ameche, Hume Cronyn, Wilford Brimley, Steve Guttenberg, Brian Dennehy

From: 20^th Century Fox

A movie that is impossible to stream-at least legally-so thank goodness for the FXM Channel. As others have noted on Letterboxd and other sites, for at least the past several years it is quite difficult to track down this movie for viewing if you don't have a physical copy of it already. Allegedly, this scenario is related to music in the film... I presume it has nothing to do with the pleasant James Horner score and it's either the wacky Michael Sembello song or one of the 1940's tunes that are heard. It's weird as those hangups are typically for films from decades past which have plenty of songs that were Top 40 hits at the time. Regardless, it is an absurd scenario that a Ron Howard box office success & something which was the recipient of two Academy Awards is now so hard to track down. When I am the same age as the main characters in Cocoon let's hope there's not a nightmarish scenario where the popular films of now can't easily be viewed for whatever nonsense reasons.

Truth be told, this was never watched by me as a kid; as someone turning 41 in about a month, the movie has more of an impact on me now than if had been experienced in the 80's or 90's. Now, I have no grandparents left, my mom passed away, dad is 75, & the aunts/uncles are all in their 80's. I tried not to be melancholy while watching this in full for the first time-I saw parts of the film not that long ago during an earlier FXM showing & it made me want to see it all. Yet, some scenes were a real downer, although as it's a real life feeling everyone goes through so I can't be upset at it being manipulative. For certain, it does show that Hollywood just isn't as bold as it once was. After all, this is a story of aliens disguised as humans returning to Earth to collect rock-like pods of their kind that were left behind when Atlantis sank... and they used a swimming pool as a “life force” to hatch those cocoons, and when used by elderly human beings it makes them feel decades younger. Cocoon is pretty weird when the plot is plainly laid out for you.

Perhaps it is me dealing with family members at an elderly age but I was charmed by this movie; definitely, it was nice to see a movie centered around senior citizens—or in the case of Wilford Brimley, someone actually 49 who was playing a senior citizen-and the struggles they face in the last stages of their life. There are thankfully plenty of laughs-the biggest from me was the revelation that one of the properties of that charged swimming pool is that for a human being, there's an arousal effect better than Viagra! Along with the comedy are serious dramatic moments involving such topics as loss/grief, problems in communication between parents & children, and the idea of if you should try to cheat nature or not. It does have a quality cast of old hands; I dug Don Ameche, Hume Cronyn, Brimley, Brian Dennehy, Jessica Tandy, and Gwen Verdon the most.

Enjoying practically all of the elderly characters does help to make up for the subplot revolving around Steve Guttenberg not being as strong. Overall, part of my enjoyment of this might just be how 80's-riffic this is... including a scene involving breakdancing. It totally feels like a 1980's movie and that is a good thing for me; such motion pictures were the hallmark of my childhood. As for the sequel Cocoon: The Return... I understand that was a total cash-grab which was rather inferior & only had part of the original movie's simple yet sweet story, there's no rush on my part to check it out.

Burn, Witch, Burn!

Burn, Witch, Burn! (1962)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Sidney Hayers

Starring: Peter Wyngarde, Janet Blair, Margaret Johnston, Anthony Nicholls, Colin Gordon

From: Independent Artists

In the last horror movie I see for at least the next few days, this one in particular was chosen because I've known of it for awhile and someone a few months ago wanted me to watch the film... I apologize that it's taken me so long. This British film is a pretty good time; note that I saw the American version. The only differences were title (over here it is called Burn, Witch, Burn! The OG title relates to how there are frequent shots of a stone eagle on the college campus where the lead male character works) and there's a new scene at the beginning where Paul Frees casts a spell that protects the viewer. Besides it being an awesome gimmick, most will know his voice as the narrator on the Haunted Mansion ride at Disney theme parks.

No surprise to me that this came from two writers known for their works on Twilight Zone episodes: Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont. This is like an episode of the show stretched out to 90 minutes. It is masculine logic vs. feminine intuition as a professor that doesn't believe in magic/superstition is not happy when he discovers his wife has used witchcraft to both protect them and give them prosperity. He thinks she is “a hysterical woman” (which will get people riled up now) so all those charms are destroyed. Much to my amusement, immediately afterwards is when s*** goes bad for them. It was a nice twist to see "the dark arts" be used for both good and evil here, not to mention seeing the man eventually act hysterical himself.

The movie does take its time yet the plot was never-dull to my tastes. Peter Wyngarde was pretty good considering he wasn't the first choice-we could have had either Peter Cushing or Peter Finch if the cards had been right-and he mainly did this so he could afford a luxury car. However, it was Janet Blair as the witchy wife who was the real highlight with her performance. While more psychological than anything else, there are also more literal scares and some arresting images that are well-filmed, leading to a movie that is rather dark yet still had some amusing bits. Plus, it has a great macabre ending. I imagine this will pair well w/ either The City of the Dead (which I have seen) or Night of the Demon (i.e. Curse of the Demon; I haven't watched that but at the very latest that will be changed come October).

Scream (Yes, The New One)

Scream (2022)

75% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 210 reviews)

Runtime: 114 minutes

Directed by: Matt Bettinelli/Tyler Gillett

Starring: The original legacy series trio, plus faces like Melissa Barrera, Jack Quaid, Mikey Madison and Jenna Ortega

From: Paramount

While I don't love the franchise as strongly as some others, none of the entries have been bad, all have at least a few nice horror setpieces, and the original was desperately needed by the genre in terms of it being a huge box office hit & a reminder to Hollywood that the genre can still be worthwhile for wide release. It was quite entertaining watching the first two as a teenager before I even turned adult age; those first two were fun, the third was compromised, had a dumb gimmick and was more a comedy than anything else... then again the fourth was compromised in a different way, was ham-fisted and the original ending should have been used instead of what was on screen. This new one I was unsure of, mainly due to my personal fatigue of popular culture refusing to implement old ideas and instead rehashing familiar properties of the past... even I can't believe we've been dealing w/ this for so many years now. Yet I've watched all the others so begrudgingly I had to see the new one too—I realize I am part of the problem.

It is unsure whether the movie realizes it is part of the problem-it dunks on “requels” and what they contain... while being a requel that contains everything they were bitchin' about. What was it about having cake and eating it too... as the trailer was omnipresent in the cinemas the past few months-at least for me-I don't need to spend time explaining that the same old killings from a person or persons dressed as Ghostface are happening once again, and the three main characters from the history of the franchise are back once again. Now, I don't rate this as highly as many have done already on Letterboxd; that is alright with me. Besides not having high expectations to begin with, at least this did not get screwed up so badly that most of the fanbase caused a s***storm of Biblical proportions (I am looking at you, Ghostbusters 2016) or were so creatively bankrupt & lazy that some labeled it as anti-art or one person famously here wrote an epic treatise that noted how he had an existential crises over realizing that the world will probably end soon and no one is noticing as they blindly consume and gorge the worst offal presented to them... of course I am referring to the apparent abomination known as Space Jam: A New Legacy. At least the new Scream wasn't that.

Personally, I was more interested in the serious drama and the horror setpieces (which were nicely crafted & some of the performers did shine with the dramatic material) rather than some of the humor, the blunt discussion of requels or my “favorite” subgenre-elevated horror—as a mutual here noted in a popular brief review, it was like more than one character had to be a Letterboxd member. I suppose movie cliches are more recognized now than 25 years ago... then again, being meta was far more fresh back then too and that did not help this movie's cause either. Thankfully, it was nice to see the familiar faces, although they weren't the main focus; the new faces were hit or miss although at least I can note the performances of Melissa Barrera & Jenna Ortega as being the highlights for me. When the movie did not follow the expected tropes of its antecedents was when I felt it was the strongest. In addition, I know many will approve of the diversity in here—which includes LGBTQ+ representation.

I could note how the villain motivations were not 100% satisfying for me or how-in a series hallmark-there was at least one moment that strained credulity. Yet like I said this wasn't a disaster by any means... in fact it was the best since 2. Most importantly, at least a decent amount of the large crowd at my screening seemed to be fans. There were cheers & applause.. plus, one person not that far from me was perfect for a slasher movie viewing. Normally I'd rather not hear people remark while I'm watching a movie but for a slasher, hearing someone exclaim, “Oh, no!” or other similar remarks during the appropriate moments did add to the experience. Overall, even if I am not over the moon, at least this gave me enough blood, laughs and suspense to make me not make me want to stab myself. Plus, hopefully this was something that Wes Craven himself would have approved of.

Screams Of A Winter Night

Screams of a Winter Night (1979)

Runtime: 91 minutes

Directed by: James L. Wilson

Starring: Matt Borel, Gil Glasgow, Patrick Byers, Mary Agen Cox, Robin Bradley

From: Dimension Pictures

Despite what Shudder says, what they're streaming is not the theatrical cut but rather the two hour (!) Director's Cut. That was one of a few surprises I had when this was picked for viewing last night. Continuing the winter theme due to how frigid the United States still is at the moment was the chief reason... of course, it wasn't until I started watching this did I realize the setting was northern Louisiana which can get chilly yet wasn't a frigid snow-covered landscape of a Vermont or Idaho that I envisioned beforehand. Early on I had to hit pause, where I discovered that what Shudder was showing wasn't the 91 minute theatrical cut but rather the 118 minute cut that has another anthology segment-does the shorter version feel as tedious and was a cure for insomnia like what I experienced?

I hate to bag on a low-budget regional horror oddity that tried to do the anthology format but I don't want to BS anyone here either. A bunch of asstagonists in a SWEET 70's Chevy van travel to a cabin in the (swampy) woods, stopping at a podunk gas station first. Besides it riffing hard on Deliverance in that scene, a character you only see briefly in that scene is (no kidding) William Ragsdale, in his first acting credit. At the cabin, the leader of the gang tells others that the area has the local legend of “an Indian spirit” and that's as cliché as you'd expect. After a half hour (!!) the introductory framing story finally ends so we can get the anthology tales, which are literally around a fireplace.

I understand there's a tiny budget and they try to go the atmosphere route (although that occasionally goes awry... you often hear wind but it's barely seen in the background foliage... whoops) but not a lot happens in those stories & the wraparound saga is a bunch of dumb young adults acting rude to each other and/or like dumbasses. Now, this isn't entirely dire and worthless; like I said, they at least tried although such a lengthy wraparound story wasn't the best idea. There is the novelty of those in the framing story also appearing as different characters in the anthology stories. Not all of the acting comes across as incredibly amateurish. Be that as it may, I wish this could have charmed me more than it did; it does have its fans... when Code Red put out both cuts on Blu a few years ago the release was apparently financially beneficial for them.

One surprising moment: at the gas station, you get to see a green barrel by the front door. It said: MONSANTO. Insert your own comments if you wish.

Terror Train

Terror Train (1980)

Runtime: 97 minutes

Directed by: Roger Spottiswoode

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Ben Johnson, Hart Bochner, Sandee Currie, David Copperfield!

From: 20^th Century Fox

After a hectic past couple of days, my schedule should be back to normal now. As I plan on viewing the new Scream real soon, why not spend the following few days in the horror genre? Terror Train is a movie I've been meaning to see for awhile-as much of the United States is currently suffering a cold spell with large sections covered in snow, why not check out a piece of Canuxploitation presumably set in Illinois (more on that at the end) & the entire movie is in an Arctic-looking landscape?

Heavily indebted to the style of Halloween (it is much more about suspense/tension than gore—it's not as good as Carpenter's classic by any means) the opening scene shows a fraternity prank gone wrong. The rest of the film is three years after the fact, where a frat and a sorority pay the cash to have a bacchanal on an old train... one where by contrivance it does not carry a working radio. Most of the gang is drunker than Cooter Brown before they even board the passenger cars, which made me laugh although that did make many of the lead characters a bunch of fools. If the train setting is uncommon for a horror picture, the inclusion of magic and getting to see David Copperfield playing (get this) a magician is far more peculiar. In hindsight it is not a surprise he became popular-aside from his magician skills, he does have movie star looks. The tricks he did in the movie were impressive... although at least one as shown required movie magic to happen, unless he was Harry Potter and actually has magical powers.

As the fraternity prank did not kill a character named Kenny, is it him that's killing those college students during their drunken soiree? Terror Train does not entirely deliver on its potential of a slasher in that unique confined area; be that as it may, it was fine enough for my tastes. Director Roger Spottiswoode is the definition of “a journeyman director”-although he did direct a Bond film so I'm not hating-but in his debut he was mostly competent. What really aided Terror Train in its look and creating suspense: hiring the cinematographer of 2001, Barry Lyndon and The Shining to do the same for you. Due to John Alcott, the movie is at least nice to look at. Of course, the leads including Jamie Lee Curtis, Hart Bochner and Ben Johnson also helped.

Personally, several aspects amused me: how the killer was revealed (it'd be a massive spoiler to explain why), the guy who was Ellis in Die Hard playing another A-hole, the bash having people in costume allowing the villain to don various disguises/steal the outfits of those he butchered, a band only known as Crime providing some odd tunes, and a supporting character in the opening scene wearing a sweatshirt that says “Northern Illinois” on the front... as I grew up not that far away I know that is a shirt advertising Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, a campus I've been on more than a few times in my life. That part of rural Illinois does not exactly look like Quebec-where this was actually filmed-but alas... anyhow, tomorrow night my review will be posted a few hours later than usual, because reasons.

The Master

The Master (2012)

Runtime: 138 minutes

Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons, Rami Malek

From: The Weinstein Company... unfortunately

Watching a movie based on someone else's request is not a typical scenario for me but as it is a low pressure scenario (this person gave comments in a messageboard post that were hidden behind spoilers and as I don't want to leave him hanging for days on end... turns out, the person's comments were of a silly variety rather than high-level film discourse) and this was something I've thought about seeing since it was released late in 2012, about time to finally check out something from a director who has made a few movies that at worst are “very good”.

To be frank, a story set right after World War II where a veteran who fought in the war but was traumatized by those events falling under the spell of someone who seemed quite a bit like L. Ron Hubbard and his movement was suspiciously similar to Scientology... it wouldn't be light cheery entertainment so it was possible that no matter the acclaim, it could come up as a miserable turgid experience, one that even if I thought the movie was great, could still be emotionally draining. Now having finally experienced The Master, it was... very good w/ some stretches that felt too long and yet despite the positives, it was more uncomfortable rather than draining so while I am glad this was finally viewed, I don't know if this will ever be viewed a second time—there are PTA films I've seen more than once or do want to see again.

Credit will be given to how this is a thought-provoking film centered around two men that at the surface seem like polar opposites yet actually share some similarities. The titular Master proclaims that Freddie Quell shouldn't act like a base animal but at times his behavior belies that statement. Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman were both great in those complex roles, as was Amy Adams as Lancaster Dodd's wife who has an impact on both men. There were some familiar faces that I had no knowledge were in this-such as Laura Dern & Rami Malek. Of course this was well-made, had a quality score from Johnny Greenwood and the era following WWII was brought to life wonderfully. I was glad to receive a final push to watch something that I don't want to reveal too much of for those that want to check this out in the future... while not an easy watch it has excellent moments. In addition, the dangers of cults and a charismatic leader who is manipulative & does not have your best interests in mind... that is a real life horror that people should always be aware of. No real life examples (or at least my opinion of such) won't be addressed here, as nothing good can come from that!

One last thing: Freddie Quell has trouble w/ the two most base of desires: sex & violence. How horny he was at first was giggle-worthy... since this came out I did hear that the audience got to see Phoenix beating off into the ocean. Quickly, however, that turns from “funny” to “yikes”.

New York Ninja

New York Ninja (2021)

Runtime: 93 minutes

Directed by: John Liu... and Kurtis Spieler

Starring: Liu along with unknown random people, but features many familiar voices

From: Vinegar Syndrome Pictures!

If you love Miami Connection or Samurai Cop... before I talk about the quality of the movie (which I rate highly in the “so earnest in its poor quality that it is fun” the same that I do Miami Connection or Samurai Cop) its unique backstory has to be explained for those that don't know. In 1984, Taiwanese actor John Liu made his only American film in New York City, a silly effort revolving around a presumably Taiwanese man who has his pregnant wife killed by hooligans who are involved in a prostitution ring so he engages in the Japanese art of being a ninja... or rather, the cliches of that art that are far different from the covert spying or mercenary work that comprised the art of ninjutsu of a few hundred years ago.

Only, for reasons unknown to me, the movie was never finished. All the details that I know is that they filmed enough footage but none of the sound existed... there isn't even any record of who most of the cast & crew were so that's why most of those credits are an absolute mystery. Vinegar Syndrome (yes) found this footage so they went through the act of trying to figure out what everyone was saying-as who knows where the script is and they didn't work w/ Liu himself on figuring everything out-then had to hire actors to dub it-some of them famous, and more on that later-then include the appropriate sound effects, then finally a synthwave score that sounds modern instead of from the 80's yet that is OK as this can't possibly be taken seriously.

Thing is, Vinegar Syndrome played it straight, and they didn't need to add any humor or wackiness as even if this was finished in 1984 and was subsequently released on a VHS label like Media Home Entertainment, it'd be a bad low-budget 80's B-action movie with a screwy plot, questionable acting, a villain so bizarre he might as well come from a TROMA movie and other pratfalls of filmmaking so cheap. That said, at least the original movie also played it straight, actually presenting this nonsense w/ a straight face no matter how often it delves into material you suspect came out of a mind fueled by coke and amphetamines. I don't want to give away all the magic so here are just a few highlights:

* They hired some famous actors to voice the characters here. That includes Don “The Dragon” Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock, Linnea Quigley, Leon Isaac Kennedy, Ginger Lynn, and Michael Berryman. So yes, exactly the sort of people whose films are liked by the type that enjoy Vinegar Syndrome and its dozen or so sublabels/partner labels, and would happily watch a just-completed movie from the 80's called New York Ninja.

* Even if I described the villain, people would think me as speaking utter gibberish. He looks like Elton John (or Huey Lewis, as I saw one person say) and at times his behavior is meme-worthy. Thus, Berryman voicing him was perfect.

* Quickly, we hear that NYN becomes popular, although it's mainly shown via all the children marking out for him. Hell, more than once the kids actually help out the Ninja.

* Among the weapons NYN uses are... ninja stars w/ his name on them and what looks like hard-boiled eggs filled with powder?

* Vinegar Syndrome did have the freedom to name most of the characters. As the villain had a chauffeur whose most distinguishing feature was a rat tail, why not name him RATTAIL?

* NYN has one scene where he does martial arts while... riding around on rollerskates?!

* A highlight is the 80's hair and clothing; speaking of that, the hooligans wear the strangest mix of clothing and their “masks” include gauze wrapped around their faces in haphazard fashion. Imagine wearing a metal protector cup that some athletes wear around their “twig and berries” for protection, except that you sport it outside of your underwear and pants.

* Many times before I've mentioned “The Bad New York City of Old”, those days before the city sanitized Times Square and at least tried to fix the other seedy/run down areas. Boy, are there many scenes set in lousy areas, from Time Square itself (the hooligans walk past a grindhouse joint playing... Ninja III: Domination; that was perfect) to a subway utterly emblazoned w/ graffiti.

* Besides a villain who can be described as Not Elton John, there's a friend of the hero who I'll call Not Willie Aames.

This is solid gold for those that love so bad it's good efforts like Miami Connection or Samurai Cop. Sometime later in the year I'll finally check out Dangerous Men, another 1984 movie not released for decades and apparently far more incompetent/gonzo than even this. As is, this was a lot of fun & praise will be given to Vinegar Syndrome for discovering this then putting in all the time & effort to complete the film, despite big limitations.

The Bridges At Toko-Ri

The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)

Runtime: 102 minutes

Directed by: Mark Robson

Starring: William Holden, Fredric March, Mickey Rooney, Earl Holliman, Grace Kelly

From: Paramount

Yes, Licorice Pizza fans, this is a real movie. Those that haven't seen Licorice Pizza, I won't explain what the context is of Toko-Ri being brought up. Based on a James A. Michener novel, this follows a ship full of Navy men during the Korean War, and after the main players are introduced & time is spent in Japan on shore leave, an important bridge has to be blown up in an effort to stop those damn Commies.

I get why some find this “boring” for long stretches, or that there isn't enough of Grace Kelly. Personally, it was never dull for my tastes. Kelly's role is naturally small in a wartime movie where her purpose was to illuminate the issues her husband was having. It may sound thankless but besides doing a fine job, you see that Holden's character Harry Brubaker is not happy that he has to fight again after participating in World War II, is worried about returning home to his wife & two young daughters, and him crashing in the opening scene was more damaging to him psychologically than physically. There are some colorful characters, from a guy who is such a boozer that he's only referred to as BEER BARREL yet is great at directing the landing of aircraft on deck, or two rescue pilots that use a helicopter to help those that have crashed.

The cast had some other faces I recognized (Frederic March, Earl Holliman, Charles McGraw, Mickey Rooney) although the most amusing roles were played by Rooney and Holliman. They were the rescue pilots and among other things, because he's so Irish, Ol' Mickey always wears a bright green hat & matching scarf , Navy regulations be damned. The character is such a stereotype, he is a hotheaded Irishman ready to get in a brawl. A donnybrook he started which was said to be a huge Pier 6 kerfuffle in Tokyo (this is when the characters were on shore leave) which is sadly not shown... but a smaller scale fracas he starts is on screen. There aren't too many Korean War movies and this can't be the best one... yet it was better than expected for something I only watched for it being referenced in a new motion picture.

 

Licorice Pizza

Licorice Pizza (2021)

91% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 240 reviews)

Runtime: 134 minutes

Directed by: Paul Thomas Anderson

Starring: Alana Haim, Cooper Hoffman, many faces (whether famous or not) in small roles

From: MGM/Focus/BRON

Apparently, Jon Peters really WAS (is?) a terrible human being.

It took some time but finally I saw this movie last night; I haven't watched all of P.T. Anderson's motion pictures and not everyone I have seen I liked... one day I should revisit Magnolia as it's been 20 some odd years but at the time I thought of it as crap; will I feel the same now? I saw the trailer a few times-although it did not follow me around like the Scream trailer has, seemingly playing in front of the last 12 movies or so I've viewed theatrically-and it looked interesting with its early 70's So Cal setting. I'll admit surprise when hearing that Licorice Pizza was about a 15 year old boy's relationship w/ a 25 year old woman. Yet I did not soil myself in overreacting like many people in general did; I avoided hearing much about that nonsense from people who (to be frank) seemingly are waiting for something to be offended over. The “jokes” where someone acts quite inappropriately to an Asian character... to me that was SUPPOSED to make the character look like a dumb SOB-it wasn't to rip on

That relationship was (mostly) fine and not something to bring out the pitchforks and torches for; it's more touching than you might expect from when you initially pictured it in your mind. Gary is 15 yet an actor who has enough drive and confidence to attempt some businesses-which was the only reason why Alana even gave him the time of day then became a friend-yet he is still a typical immature 15 year old boy so he does some rather dumb things-even I wasn't immune to foolishness at that age. Meanwhile, she is rather listless in life so having a better than crummy job is worthwhile, but she's also fascinated with her new pal... even if he acts like a real dick at times. Much of the movie is “wacky s*** happening in early 70's So Cal/Hollywood” but as some of the characters-including Gary-are at least loosely based on real life people, I can't dismiss even the wildest moments. Their relationship grows as they both mature in their own ways, although even at the conclusion it is clear that both still have their faults and issues.

As an aside, it's hilarious to me that apparently Jon Peters gave approval for him to appear here as a character. Many people will know him infamously for his behavior in attempting to bring Superman back to screen in the late 90's; well, apparently he has been an awful human being for decades and I don't know how he fees about his portrayal in Licorice Pizza! This is pure conjecture but I did hear that Bradley Cooper does not like Peters as they had to work together on the A Star is Born remake. Cooper being able to play Peters as a raging A-hole has to be his way of giving Peters the finger.

Unlike a typical PTA joint, it is the female lead who is the focus instead of the male. The cast full of familiar faces is good overall but it is the two leads (also making their acting debuts) which stood out. It was not just a gimmick for this to be led by the son of the director's frequent collaborator and a rock star. Credit has to be given to Cooper Hoffman and especially Alana Haim for their real, naturalistic performances that help you buy this unusual laid-back tale that has some peculiar moments. It was also cute that Alana Kane's family was portrayed by... Alana Haim's real life family. Even with all the ups and downs it's a nice friendship you see play out in the San Fernando Valley, which is where PTA grew up IRL. It looked like quite the era which has some things I dig-like the groovy fashion-yet there's also the oil embargo crises which must have been a real drag.

As the title of this movie references a now-defunct record store chain in So Cal (you see, records look like black licorice and are pizza-shaped...), no surprise that this has a bangin' soundtrack, or that PTA would put together a bangin' soundtrack. Typically, it would be artists that I recognized but songs that I didn't. Everyone from Sonny & Cher and Taj Mahal to Suzi Quattro and The Doors—hell yeah. The movie not working for everyone in the general public is no surprise to me; it is possible that I'll rate this even higher upon revisit sometime in the (far?) future. For now, I do have inspiration to see some PTA that I've neglected over the years; that will come later in 2022.

 

Ms .45

Ms .45 (1981)

Runtime: 81 minutes

Directed by: Abel Ferrara

Starring: Zoe Lund, Albert Sinkys, Editta Sherman, Darlene Stuto, Helen McGara

From: Navaron Films

A movie I finally saw... because someone on a messageboard thought I lived in New York City. That admission was a surprise; it's a place I post at every day and multiple times in the past I've mentioned living in Florida. He actually realized I wasn't an NYC resident when I talked about the oddity of living in a city of less than 40,000 people that has two microbreweries (both of which made competent swill). It's no biggie that he made this error; one explanation is me mentioning on multiple occasions how I dig films set in the “bad” NYC before it was cleaned up in the 90's. Plus, this error finally inspired me to check out something that should have been watched long ago, considering I've checked out a decent number of similar motion pictures, especially the William Lustig Maniac. Heck, I've seen Abel Ferrara's Fear City, which is REALLY skuzzy.

While not as extreme as that, Ms .45 is still a sleazy, trashy gritty tale. A mute woman is sexually assaulted twice on the same day, and the first ten minutes of this film. She kills the second guy in self defense, snaps and uses his .45 caliber gun to kill all the awful men she encounters... not only is every guy an SOB who does multiple things that are now called “problematic” (leering comments, catcalls, groping/touching, and other gross moments), she starts actively hunting out these people as she is obviously haunted/damaged by the whole experience, never receiving a respite from those horrible memories.

It was a bold decision to have a lead character be a mute; as there is on internal monologue either, it requires nonverbal acting and how the other characters treat her to tell the story. Thankfully, Zoe Lund was so captivating and magnetic-not to mention sympathetic due to her handicap-that even though her behavior becomes more and more questionable, it helps carry the movie when the rest of the performances aren't always up to snuff. What a nightmarish world that NYC was portrayed here; it is an awful world-filled with her seamstress co-works that just don't understand, along w/ an annoying neighbor and even more annoying dog-where you can understand why our lead Thana snaps and does what I can only presume (as a cis heterosexual man myself) is behavior that many women WISH they could do.

Also, what a finale at a Halloween party. Besides being able to have some laughs during an otherwise serious motion picture, the costumes include someone as Mr. Met & there's a band playing a simplistic yet still catchy disco tune. Why the movie shows someone playing a trumpet when the sound you actually hear is that of a saxophone I don't quite get, but... it was an interesting soundtrack, at times haunting and others featuring atonal sounds that manage to be appropriate for an exploitation tale that is not as simple or basic as those tended to be. What a shame then that Ms. Lund (who was only 17 when this was filmed) had a BAD drug habit and her life ended in the late 90's due to her vices. She should have done far more in the film world than what we got. On that depressing note...

Witchfinder General

Witchfinder General (1968)

Runtime: 86 minutes

Directed by: Michael Reeves

Starring: Vincent Price, Robert Russell (no relation), Ian Ogilvy, Rupert Davies, Hilary Heath

From: Tigon British Film Productions/AIP

In my last 1968 review for at least a little while, I finally watch a famous example of folk horror, a story rather loosely based on a real life monster who was even worse in real life. There was a lawyer named Matthew Hopkins-assisted by his partner John Stearne-who proclaimed himself Witchfinder General during the English Civil War-the particulars of that war was not important to either the actual story or what was presented on screen-of the 1640's.

Because of greed, was able to earn much quid by either listening to accusations or doing the accusing themselves of innocents practicing witchcraft, put them through trials that were in essence torture, then executing those poor people. He was worse than the character brought to life excellently by a subdued Vincent Price. IRL he was never appointed to any position of hunting down witches by either Charles I or his opposition in the conflict, Parliament; the film implied that he had the authority to do so in a small area of England. While lasting only a few years and dying due to a fate different than what was shown on screen, what a brief yet brutal reign of terror he had killing an estimated few hundred people.

In the movie, Hopkins and Stearne roam around 1640's England listening to accusations of witchcraft, and after brutal treatment those poor souls are put to death. A soldier named Richard Marshall becomes pissed at the duo after they kill the uncle of his soon to be wife... and the uncle was actually a priest. The film does not shy away from showing the torture and executions, whether it be man or woman-but typically it was women.

Besides it showing real life horrors (one death is in particular unforgettable, it being so nasty) it was a very good yarn that was spun which brought 17th century England to life rather well. This is a role that Price apparently loved and he was great in a part where he wasn't over the top as he sometimes was asked to be. Stearne on screen-portrayed by Robert Russell, no relation-was actually the more vicious & psychotic of the two, which I am unsure was actually the case. It's a merciless motion picture which has a mean streak yet is still worthy of viewing if you dig the folk horror. A shame that director Michael Reeves passed away not that long after this was released-at the way too young age of 25-due to “misadventure”... due to his personal demons he liked booze & drugs so accidentally ingesting both in large quantities led to his death.

Farewell, Friend

Farewell, Friend (Adieu, L'ami) (1968)

Runtime: 115 minutes

Directed by: Jean Herman

Starring: Alain Delon, Charles Bronson, Olga Georges-Picot, Brigitte Fossey, Bernard Fresson

From: A few different French & Italian companies

Not as fun as I expected a Alain Delon/Charles Bronson heist picture to be. To be frank, I am only familiar w/ this because on a podcast, Tarantino put it over and noted how this was the movie that made Bronson a big star in Europe, at least for a few years. The premise sounded fine: the two leads know each other from serving in the French Foreign Legion, although they are more enemies than friends. Delon discovers that there's a safe of bearer bonds that he wants to rob as if he's Hans Gruber. Old Chuck also discovers this, so via circumstances they are locked together and both have to determine the full combination of the safe.

Personally, the movie was long, slow, and surprisingly baffling at times. No matter you agreeing with that opinion or not, everyone will be on board with the fact that there are some gross moments against women & that has aged terribly. Bronson AS A PIMP for a few minutes was rather jarring, not to mention unexpected. The ending also wasn't that satisfying, IMO. What saves this and made the entire experience “fine” was such aspects as the jazzy score, the mod late 60's style you sometimes see, the performances of the two leads, some moments of suspense, and the charisma of both Delon & Bronson. Then again plenty have gotten more out of this than me, so YMMV. At least I now know that the Kino Now app works as advertised on my TV.

5 Card Stud

5 Card Stud (1968)

Runtime: 104 minutes

Directed by: Henry Hathaway

Starring: Dean Martin, Robert Mitchum, Inger Stevens, Roddy McDowall, Katherine Justice

From: Paramount

A Western/mystery hybrid scored by Maurice Jarre? Sign me up.

This currently being streamed on the Criterion Channel plus a mutual here on Letterboxd putting this over real strong made me think this was worth a shot. The fact that this stars Dean Martin and Robert Mitchum was also of great interest. Turns out, Mitchum plays a preacher; while not the type that has “love” and “hate” tattooed on his knuckles, he still carries around a revolver, which is used quite well by himself.

5 card stud the poker game was popular during the latter half of the 19th century but has fallen out of favor in most places since then. How it's even played is irrelevant; just note that a random new guy in a game is caught cheating and the sociopath of the group decides that... he should be hung from the neck until dead! As this was not a big tournament-rather, it was a casual game played in a bar after hours-that was quite the overreaction. Well, those that were in the game (including Deano, who unsuccessfully tried to stop said hanging) start being hunted down, and killed via different methods of strangulation. Whether you call it an early slasher or a version of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None-which inspired the entire horror genre anyhow-it was different for a Western even if many Western cliches were still present.

Whether or not you can easily guess the culprit or perhaps even their reason why, 5 Card Stud was a pretty good time. There's mystery, vengeance, several shootouts-all those deaths have the small town on edge-some chuckles, the charisma of Martin & Mitchum, a nice Jarre score, and several supporting cast members that I am rather familiar with: Roddy McDowall, Denver Pyle, even the legendary Yaphet Kotto. While not a must-see genre example, it provided enough entertainment to me. After all, Deano romances two women-because of course-and there's even a whorehouse in disguise.

 

Voyage To The Planet Of Prehistoric Women

Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (1968)

Runtime: 80 minutes

Directed by: Pavel Klushantsev... and Curtis Harrington... and Peter Bogdanovich! (RIP)

Starring: A bunch of Soviet actors plus Mamie Van Doren plus Bogdanovich providing narration

From: AIP

About as “good” as you'd expect a movie with such a title. To address the elephant in the room, there are several movies from 1968 I'd like to see soon, so I decided to watch them all in a row. The only reasons why this was picked: it recently joined Prime & I had seen its previous iterations before. It's only a sad coincidence that I saw this and hours later its director (believe it or not, Peter Bogdanovich) passed away. Don't worry, later in the month I'll view a more dignified film in his honor.

To elaborate: there's the 1962 Soviet sci-fi picture Planeta Bur, i.e. Planet of Storms. It's a serious thoughtful tale of some comrades & their adventures on Venus that include a giant robot and all sorts of bizarre creatures. Roger Corman bought this footage so he could manipulate it to make some cheap drive-in fare. A few years ago I experience Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet, which really dumbed down the dialogue and it became a silly picture instead; that was directed by Curtis Harrington. A few years later, Corman wanted a new version that was basically Prehistoric Planet with some new scenes shot of attractive women for the lonely man audience... as Bogdanovich worked for him at the time he was given this task so that was his first-ever movie he directed. He also narrates the main character, which he is credited by name but the director credit is a pseudonym.

No wonder then that this is such a mess. The movie is even dumber than Prehistoric Planet; a character in Prehistoric was named Marcia and instead of just including another actress by that name, they had Mission Control be called Marcia! I don't get it either... but the nadir is that Venus now has several lovely ladies, led by Mamie Van Doren playing MOANA-yes, that's her character's name. These Venusians-dressed in silver pants and seashell bras-either lay around on rocks, stand around looking stoned, or demand the gods rain down punishment on the astronauts. Movies like Planeta Bur or Nebo Zovyot (which Coppola also purchased footage of) are good and I should see more Soviet sci-fi from decades past; movies like this are dreck and are only good for campy laughs. Not even a clever ending that made me chuckle is enough to ever make me recommend this to everyone unless you want to watch everything done by a famed director.

Don't worry, the other 1968 pictures will be better than this one.

The Detective

The Detective (1968)

Runtime: 114 minutes

Directed by: Gordon Douglas

Starring: Frank Sinatra, Lee Remick, Ralph Meeker, Jack Klugman, Lloyd Bochner

From: 20^th Century Fox

Yes, I watched this for the Die Hard connection. Author Roderick Thorp wrote the novel The Detective a few years before it was made to this movie. Years later came Nothing Lasts Forever, the sequel to the first book. That was adapted with quite a few changes into Die Hard. Due to contract reasons, Sinatra had to actually be offered the role of John McClane first, even though his answer would be obvious. No way would he crawl around in air ducts in a white tank top talking about TV dinners... the name of the detective was changed between this movie and Die Hard. Joe Leland and John McClane do have their differences although both at least are honest hard-working cops despite some faults and having struggles w/ romantic relationships. Heck, Leland is even socially conscious and thinks it BS that poor minorities are kept in the ghetto by The Man and law enforcement has to enforce The Man's policies.

The main plot has Ol' Blue Eyes as Leland, who investigates the death of a homosexual man. The movie was advertised as “An adult look at a police detective” and that it was. Shortly before this the Production Code was finally replaced by the MPAA rating system and Hollywood could be explicit. This results in a storyline revolving around homosexuality, which thankfully wasn't as tasteless as it could have been. Also, Sinatra could curse—I almost fell out of my seat when he mentioned SEMEN STAINS early on. But, later on Jacqueline Bisset enters the picture and asks Ol' Blue Eyes to investigate what she thinks is the suspicious “suicide” death of her husband.

It is a serious police drama, something that I dig-at least when it's films from the late 60's through the early 80's-even though there are many in recent years who have rather negative views of law enforcement. This does have dirty cops so that won't change their opinions... for a movie I recorded off of Fox Movie Channel recently due to hearing some discourse about it, The Detective was pretty good and thankfully better than expected. A key subplot is Leland's failed relationship w/ his wife Karen, played by Lee Remick. Note that there are two LONG flashback sequences which help illustrate that pairing. While it is always made clear what is a flashback, you may be surprised at first that each one has to be at least 10 minutes long. The cast as a whole is fine; note that it has an early role for Robert Duvall and for a few minutes, Tom Atkins is present in his first movie. Amusing to me is that Hart Bochner's dad Lloyd is in this in an important part.

The movie is not a cheery upbeat affair, but that was what I expected w/ this particular niche. Even if it's not as great as Serpico, Dirty Harry, or Bullitt, The Detective was still rather satisfying. Another idea for the future that may not be successfully implemented (also known as A Typical Idea For Future Movie Watching Made By Myself) is to see more movies from Frank Sinatra. His music is not a genre I usually listen to yet I can dig it along with what an iconic figure he was... and still is. His personal life I don't know that much about-and this may be for the best-but what an entertainer.