Cotton Comes To Harlem

Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Ossie Davis

Starring: Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques, Calvin Lockhart, Judy Pace, Redd Foxx

From: United Artists

Right before this movie left Prime, I decided to check it out & also return to the world of blaxploitation for the first time in way too long. I’ll try to see at least one more in the genre during the month of June but in the meantime here are my thoughts on this early effort… something that should have been watched by me much sooner if only because two of the main characters (who are pretty awesome, BTW) are named Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson.

Believe it or not, they are two Black New York City police officers who get involved with a Macguffin of a bale of cotton (!) and also involved in this tale is a self-professed Reverend known as O’Malley who is raising money for a Back to Africa movement but the duo believe he is a swindler, a phony ripping off poor communities. The fact that he rides around in a Rolls Royce and more than once is seen wearing a CAPE… yep that is enough reason for me to be wary. Jones and Johnson do their own thing, often ignoring their white superiors. Besides the action, political commentary and yes, the good old badass funky music that I dig, this also has plenty of laughs as the comedy typically succeeds.

This is a great look at a Harlem of the past; there is plenty of local flavor to go along with all the memorable characters--roles big or small. There are chuckles, some action scenes, intrigue, double-crosses, “the Syndicate”, a group of militant Blacks, Redd Foxx for a few scenes, and more. This was the first of a few movies that actor Ossie Davis directed in the 70’s before abandoning that line or work. Godfrey Cambridge and Raymond St. Jacques stood out as the awesome duo of Gravedigger and Coffin Ed, respectively-along with Calvin Lockhart as O’Malley. Now, the law enforcement duo did return in 1972’s Come Back, Charleston Blue; while Cambridge and St. Jacques reprised their roles, I hear the movie isn’t as good, perhaps because Davis was not the director of that. In any case Charleston Blue can only be watched online via VHS rip-maybe one day it will finally receive an HD release.

Cannibal Apocalypse

 Cannibal Apocalypse (Apocalypse Domani) (1980)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Antonio Margheriti

Starring: John Saxon, Elizabeth Turner, Giovanni Lombardo Radice, Cinzia De Carolis, Tony King

From: A few companies from Italy and Spain

A movie I saw for free after I did a short survey for Kino Now; earlier in the month I received an e-mail to do such a thing and that was the unexpected reward. As Kino Now rentals are 5 bucks and change after tax, it’s a resource I’ll only use once in awhile. This movie is otherwise not available to (legally) stream so that is why I selected this piece of trash last night-Cannibal Apocalypse is what the print I saw called the movie while here on Letterboxd it is Invasion of the Flesh Hunters and on IMDb it is Cannibals in the Streets.

No matter its title, the plot is not as outrageous as you would suspect. Instead, it is… an allegory about PTSD in Vietnam vets! The opening is John Saxon as the leader of a squad in Nam and two of his soldiers-one named, no kidding, CHARLES BUKOWSKI-engage in cannibalism. It is stated to be a (rather slow-acting) virus that comes and goes but when it isn’t so literal the movie actually does present the viewpoint that veterans of that war are ostracized by others at home, that they are haunted by their time in Southeast Asia and that they will inevitably get turned on by the underaged teen living next door… okay that likely won’t happen but it was an actual plot point here. That was for sure an “only in Italian movies” moment.

There wasn’t as many graphic moments as you’d expect although when it’s present it is effective. The presence of a funky score that has more than one disco-riffic moment: longtime readers of mine should not be surprised that this is something I would love. It was amusing to see this set and filmed in the Atlanta, Georgia area (visiting locations like a TV studio and huge indoor flea market) long before the state courted motion picture and television productions. The movie was more thoughtful than I expected yet had enough entertainment value I’d expect from an Antonio Margheriti production to make me glad I finally saw something I’ve known of for years now.

Flying Leathernecks

Flying Leathernecks (1951)

Runtime: 102 minutes

Directed by: Nicholas Ray

Starring: John Wayne, Robert Ryan, Don Taylor, Jay C. Flippen, William Harrigan

From: RKO

This seemed apt for Memorial Day Weekend, the holiday in the United States where every person in the military who gave their life while serving is celebrated. This was selected as it is part of a DVD collection I’ve had for ages and for some, the title will be baffling. However, its origin is simple: it is military slang for United States Marine Corps soldiers, the term allegedly due to the past practice of wearing a leather stock around their necks. Indeed, this covers a regiment that does battle in the air and the setting is the campaign of Guadalcanal. Only the basics of that need to be known: it takes place soon after the Battle of Midway and the campaign against Japan is in the Solomon Islands of the South Pacific, not far from Australia.

The plot: John Wayne is a Major and he is the leader of a regiment that is full of young men who have no experience in this. Naturally they are on the immature side and naturally he is stern with them, although to me not outrageously so. He’s not a total heel about it… he just needs them to be soldiers and he himself is not happy with the circumstances of putting those young men in battle and needing them to fight even if they are feeling ill. Second in command is Robert Ryan who worked previously with the regiment so he’s naturally defensive and there is a natural clash between the two.

It's a standard tale which at least was competently done, often using actual wartime footage to augment the action created for the movie. As expected Wayne and Ryan were the standouts performance-wise; as various people have noted in the past, they did not necessarily like that Wayne never served in the military during World War II so that caused friction. Ryan was actually a member of the Marine Corps, serving as a drill instructor during the last years of the war; a few other members of this cast also served in the early 40’s.

This does have some Japanese slurs which I won’t repeat and there are some lulls in the final act. Even then, this was an acceptable World War II picture where both heroics and death are present-the futility of war is a theme. It’s the sort of film I am sure both my parents would or would have enjoyed.

Smokin' Aces

Smokin' Aces (2006)

Runtime: 108 minutes

Directed by: Joe Carnahan

Starring: Quite the cast of familiar faces, including Ray Liotta (RIP)

From:  Universal/Studio Canal/Relativity Media

RIP Ray Liotta

Even if I’ve only seen a few of Ray’s movies in my lifetime, hearing of his passing still made me sad. Goodfellas has been one of my all-time favorites for a long while now and he as the lead was one of the reasons why. Smoking Aces is a film I saw theatrically and I subsequently revisited shortly thereafter but the last viewing was probably 15 years ago. Before last night it was only faintly remembered; getting to rent a 4K stream was a treat.

At the time I did think this but now it is even more obvious how this movie bit hard on Guy Ritchie, specifically early in his career. While this is no Snatch and Lord does it ever try hard, it was still fine overall. A Las Vegas act named Buddy “Aces” Israel (the character’s a real jerk so is it a surprise that he was played by Jeremy Piven?) is pals with the Mob but he’s going to spill the beans on them to the Feds so a hit is going to be placed on him and a cavalcade of wacky characters are looking to cash that paycheck.

What a cast this has: Liotta, Piven, Ryan Reynolds before he became a caricature, Andy Garcia, Common, Ben Affleck, pre-fame Chris Pine, Alicia Keys, Taraji P. Henson, Jason Bateman, Curtis Armstrong, Alex Rocco, Matthew Fox, Joel Edgerton… that did help elevate this material. At times the movie was grating (somehow I had forgotten how HORRIBLE the minor character of 12 year old boy Warren was. Suddenly the memories came flooding back and with a tiny amount of screentime that ADHD character left the worst kind of impression as it was over the top in a dumb way) but this dark comedy still was entertaining overall.

There was enough carnage, shootouts, funny comments, various twists, and sheer chutzpah for me to say that it was not a mistake to revisit this cartoony extravaganza.

Horror Express

Horror Express (Panico en el Transsiberia) (1972)

Runtime: 87 minutes

Directed by: Eugenio Martin

Starring: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Alberto de Mendoza, Silvia Tortosa, Telly Savalas

From: Several UK/Spanish companies

This was not my first choice for programming tonight but as this fit my schedule better (long story) and I hadn’t seen something on Shudder in far too long, I went with something I’ve known of for years so it was about damn time I got to this. The fact that Peter Cushing was born on May 26 and Christopher Lee on May 27 made the timing perfect.

The setting is 1906 and a long miserable train ride from China back to Europe; turns out, finding a frozen Neanderthal then transporting the corpse was a bad idea. In various ways the viewer (including me) will be reminded of The Thing-for good reason as both were based on the John W. Campbell story Who Goes There?-as rivals Lee & Cushing-Christopher’s character being the more haughty of the two-have to work together to deal with an ancient menace that among other things gives people glowing red eyes.

While admitting that this strains credulity at times, overall this was still a pretty good time. It chugs along at a pretty good pace and has several memorable setpieces, whether or not they are filled with blood and/or carnage. Of course the presence of Lee/Cushing is a huge asset (the bon mots delivered between the two were simply delightful) although the most memorable performance was Telly Savalas as a Cossack officer who devours the scenery as an OOT character. It was a more peculiar tale than I expected and even if it’s not The Thing in total awesomeness, no regrets on purchasing a ticket for this ride.

Ratatouille

Ratatouille (2007)

Runtime: 111 minutes

Directed by: Brad Bird/Jan Pinkava

Starring: Plenty of famous voices

From: Disney/Pixar

A review done by request. Specifically, my sister mentioned that I should see the film after I went on social media and discussed my visit to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, a 4D ride that opened in Epcot this past September. I know it has received a mixed reaction and it is another new Disney ride gimmicked up with screens, but it’s still impressive on a technical scale & fun even if you haven’t seen the movie. Now that I have, I watched a YouTube video of the ride and my appreciation has risen.

It's a wacky tale where a rat named Remy acts more like a human being than his own species, learns how to cook and the lead human character is named ALFREDO LINGUINI. Yet I was still charmed by the movie that I heard was more “adult” than the typical Pixar entry. It has such nice themes as “Pursue your passion no matter the doubters”, excels at presenting the great message of “anyone can cook” (I wish I was better in the culinary arts; at least I do it more often and at least once in a while try to experiment), has gorgeous CG animation that is presented and shot as if it is live-action, and has a stunning score from Michael Giacchino.

There are more DNA tests, slapstick and a key character as a figment of someone’s imagination than I was expecting. Overall, I was glad to have finally seen this, even if Alfredo admittedly does some boneheaded things. At least it was quite easy to root for Remy and his experiences with his mischief of rats (no really, that’s what a group of that species is called). An interesting story, memorable supporting characters-the pretentious food critic Anton Ego being a shining example-nice setpieces (some of which inspired moments in Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure) and the infusion of Parisian style throughout made this very good. Also, if you love the movie then you should enjoy the new section added to the France pavilion at Epcot; it’s more than just the ride. There’s also a restaurant which offers some tasty crepes-the ride and that section does not deserve the hate it’s gotten in some circles.

 

The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent

The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1957)

Runtime: 66 minutes

Directed by: Roger Corman

Starring: Abby Dalton, Susan Cabot, Bradford Jackson, June Kenney, Richard Devon

From: AIP

Yes, I watched this due to its title.

Things are now more back to normal for me. The preceding week had some bad times and it took quite the mental toll but I won’t dwell on this and instead just move on. Returning to a regular routine is rather rad for my mind. My schedule for what I’ll see the last week of May is completely screwed-up now yet that is OK. It seemed to be the right time to check out a motion picture best known for its absurdly long full title, and its appearance on MST3K.

Director/producer Roger Corman was pitched quite the spiel by special effects artists Irving Block and Jack Rabin; he fell for it and spent more money than usual to present this. Of course, the promised special effects were too ambitious so what we got instead was dumb hokum with bad acting and laughable moments such as pathetic-looking spear tosses where the titular “great” sea serpent only makes a few brief appearances.

Yet this was not unwatchable dreck—instead it’s just a product that has too many dull and forgettable stretches for something only 66 minutes long. To its credit there’s the real life aspect of Viking women actually holding much power in their society, and there’s also GIRL POWER for those that dig such things. The women do go on a journey to try and find their men, and find them help captive by barbarian jerks. Whether it was accidental or on purpose that the prince of the barbarians is played as a whiny petulant dunce, that did provide some much-needed laughter. That said, this is probably best seen on MST3K.

I Discuss A Fatty Arbuckle Short

It is 1913's Fatty Joins the Force, to be exact.

In what may be my only review for the next few days, why not ease my way back in with a simple silent short? I won't go into details but there have been some bad times for me as of late. I won't go into specifics (and I won't even after the nightmare is finally over with) but during my sabbatical I've had to focus on other things and I did not feel like watching motion pictures anyhow. A dark cloud is over me and hopefully soon it'll disappear. On that cheery note...

This played as one of several Fatty Arbuckle shorts on Turner Classic Movies late last night. It was mainly chosen as I had never seen anything from 1913 before. It's a simple tale where because Fatty saves a girl from drowning when she wanders off after a cop starts macking on her mom-no, really; you can say that this police officer in particular was a bastard-he is asked to become a police officer himself. He does but that goes awry as apparently some children believe in ACAB.

The short is only 13 minutes in length so there's only time for a few gags but this had enough chuckles where I say that while this isn't a must-see like many shorts from Keaton/Chaplin/Lloyd etc., there were enough pratfalls (and as a mutual noted, an easy comparison can be made to Chris Farley) where this provided some much-needed laughs and entertainment during a trying time.

I'll Be Taking A Short Sabbatical

So, I won't be watching movies for at least the next few days. Perhaps sometime in the future I'll shed a little more light on what I'm referring to but real life has reared its ugly head & there are other things for me to focus on for the time being rather than watching motion pictures then reviewing them. Of course I'll still be around to like reviews and whatnot—hopefully soon normalcy will return to my life but until then...

Extreme Prejudice

Extreme Prejudice (1987)

Runtime: 105 minutes

Directed by: Walter Hill

Starring: Nick Nolte, Powers Boothe, Michael Ironside, and many other quality actors I'll list below

From: Carolco

Fans of Extreme Prejudice, you need to purchase its (Region 1) Blu debut, stat! Note that tomorrow, I'll say a few words about why this review is being posted a few hours later than typical.

Of course this will be centered on the American experience as I can only speak as an American, but until yesterday the film had never been released past the VHS/laserdisc era. Sure, a digital purchase could be made but that was a VHS rip, no lie. Why this was the case and why it has been available in Blu via a Japanese release a few years ago: hell if I know. At the end I'll provide more details but thanks to Lionsgate and their Vestron Video Blu-ray line of vintage pictures, people now have the chance to see a quality Walter Hill production in its proper aspect ratio and clear picture for either the first time or the first time since '87.

In essence, the movie is a riff on The Wild Bunch, this time updated to feature several elements: Nick Nolte playing a Texas Ranger exactly as you'd expect Nick Nolte to: incredibly gruff... Powers Boothe as a friend of the Ranger who became a drug dealer in Mexico yet they still talk to each other only because they've been pals since childhood... and Michael Ironside as the leader of a clandestine band of ex military men who do various missions of sketchy at best legality. Oh, and there's also Maria Conchita Alonso as a lady who has gone out with both Nolte & Boothe.

The main takeaway is “holy crap what a lineup of talent present.” Besides the names already mentioned, there's: 

William Forsythe
Clancy Brown
Rip Torn
Tiny Lister, Jr.
A quality score from Jerry Goldsmith
A script done in part by John Milius

Noting the director and co-writer, not a shock then that this is incredibly masculine and macho. It is full of testosterone & sweat as Nick and Powers attempt to persuade their buddy to their lifestyle... also all the famous faces/character actors deliver acres of memorable dialogue to each other, whether or not it is “tough guy” lines. Besides an interesting story where it takes time to discover how Ironsides and his group will interact with everyone else, when there is action it does deliver. The finale should be more than satisfying for those that love 80's action movies. If you love some, most or all of the talent involved then you'll probably want to check this out. Those only familiar with a 1:33.1 experience, it's like watching Extreme Prejudice for the first time.

For a number of years now I've had a rather dim view of Lionsgate, what they release, and how they have treated some of the pictures they've released. Then again my opinion has softened as it's been over a decade since they last dumped a new horror release into the dollar cinemas. I am glad they created their own boutique label of sorts and for the past few years have put out the sort of titles you'd expect from a boutique Blu label: Chopping Mall, Class of 1999 and box sets of Warlock & Wishmaster are prime examples of previous titles. I haven't gone through any of the extras that this new release has but I appreciate there being an audio commentary and several new interviews. The sound was pretty good and while the picture is not a stunning 4K restoration such as 2001, it was good enough for me. It is clean without any blemishes so that should be enough for fans like me.