An Update

Throughout tomorrow I will be posting three different reviews; note that nothing was seen on Wednesday night and what you'll read on July 1 includes a classic Western and a lousy adventure movie just released...

I Discuss The Titan Submersible

This was done while revisiting the 2014 documentary Deepsea Challenge, where James Cameron dives to the bottom of the Mariana Trench: 

Yes, the Titan submersible brought me here. Actually, I was one of the few to see this in 3D theatrically back in 2014; honestly, most of this did not need to be in 3D so a 2D watch on YouTube (where currently it’s available for free) is sufficient. Since last Thursday when the “catastrophic implosion” of the Titan was announced, a rabbit hole of sorts was jumped in by me. As a scene here took place at the Titanic wreckage where Cameron used a remote-controlled device to enter the ship… 

At least in the United States this story was a BIG deal for a few days and once you really learn the details, this was quite the tale of hubris and arrogance. I understand wanting to be a pioneer in the field or the excitement of ocean exploration. However, a rich aerospace dude who is “against safety regulations as it stifles creativity” builds a sub in a non-traditional shape using unproven carbon fiber, several different materials combined together, off the shelf components including a Logitech controller, charging an obscene amount of money to the wealthy to explore the Titanic in an experimental craft that on purpose was not regulated… that and many other flagrant problems made it sort of a surprise that a tragedy did not happen sooner.

Thus, it is especially poignant now to see all the hard work and sacrifice that went into creating the Deepsea Challenger submersible—all the practice tests, the failures that occurred during testing, etc. The movie is more about the journey rather than what was seen in the ocean (which wasn’t much). If you understand & accept that, then you’ll appreciate this journey. It even humanizes Cameron-a person who was literally fascinated with exploration and the sea since a child, which also shines in some of his movies-although at times his “at times difficult to work with” style does shine through. 

That said, overall this was a great achievement and at least I can appreciate all the good things that James Cameron has done in the field of oceanography.

The Crime of the Century

The Crime of the Century (1933)

Runtime: 73 minutes

Directed by: William Beaudine

Starring: Jean Hersholt, Wynne Gibson, Stuart Erwin, Frances Dee, Gordon Westcott

From: Paramount

“Crime of the Century” is a little hyperbolic, but this was still fine. For awhile now I’ve known of this Pre-Code Paramount picture due to a unique gimmick it had. Just this past weekend the movie’s presence on YouTube was discovered by me; an account that also has up some more famous movies from the Golden Age of Hollywood era had it in 1080p. As you never know when a channel will get zapped for copyrighted content, no better time than the present to see the film which literally gave the viewer a minute to try and crack the case—more on that later.

To copy and paste the plot description found on Letterboxd and IMDb: A doctor who is also a “mentalist” confesses to a murder. The only problem is that the murder he’s confessed to hasn’t happened yet – although dead bodies are now starting to turn up all over the place. A reporter sets out to solve the “mystery.” Technically that is true; to be more specific, he tells some police officers he hypnotized someone to rob a bank and due to snooping the newspaper reporter is doing a solo investigation.

Other factors include cribbage (actually, that was just in one scene but I’ve never seen that game portrayed on celluloid before), a guy with a Vince McMahon mustache, a gold digger, family squabbles, sauerbraten, chloroform, and the movie taking a break for a minute to let the audience guess the villain (or is it villains?); the lineup of suspects and the clues are presented as a grandfather clock ticks away. It’s such a clever conceit to allow the audience the time to be Sherlock Holmes that it’s a shame I have no knowledge of such an idea being implemented in any other motion picture.

As for the case and the movie itself, it does not rise above “fine”; on the other hand, that is no slight as it kept my attention for all 73 minutes and I did not quite nail the end result. Overall, it’s an amusing tale where reporters put their grubby hands on evidence repeatedly, the lights go out in a room full of people more than once, & is for those familiar with Jean Hersholt, Wynne Gibson, and/or Gordon Westcott.

 

I Discuss Arnold

It is in fact the 3 hour documentary that just dropped days ago on Netflix: 

Yes, a three hour plus documentary on Arnold Schwarzenegger is something I would devour. Like many, I've enjoyed Arnold since I was a kid and have seen a decent amount of his films. I knew part of his life story but it was great to hear it all from the man himself.

Naturally divided into three different episodes based on era (his childhood and his bodybuilding life, his acting career, his turn towards politics then what he's done in the past decade), Arnold himself tells his life story and proved that his incredible determination, refusal to quit and his unquenchable desire to conquer new fields and climb new mountains was why he's had quite the amazing life at a worldwide celebrity for decades; this is augmented by stock footage and interviews w/ a wide variety of people... including DAVID CAMERON for a minute! That was unexpected.

Yet this doesn't shy away from Schwarzenegger's faults; this includes his infamous “girlie-men” comment, his bad behavior from the past that would get him canceled now, and even his cheating on Maria Shriver w/ their housekeeper, resulting in the birth of a son. Arnold does apologize and deeply regrets all those errors. It even addresses the rough life he had growing up in Austria due to his abusive father; this had plenty of candor. For those that at least like Arnold, this is well worth a 3 hour investment of your time.

Queen of Outer Space

Queen of Outer Space (1958)

Runtime: 80 minutes

Directed by: Edward Bernds

Starring: Zsa Zsa Gabor, Eric Fleming, Dave Willock, Laurie Mitchell, Lisa Davis

From: Allied Artists Pictures

This is exactly what I expected from a motion picture about a Venus ruled by a despotic Queen who hates men & wants to destroy Earth.

Via the DVR recording of a recent TCM broadcast (let’s not even discuss the current fears over that network due to Voldemort's actions) was a film I’ve known of for years; after all, it has Zsa Zsa Gabor in a leading role, but NOT as the titular queen. There are quaint special effects, mostly mediocre at best acting and various sets came from earlier films (the most notable being Forbidden Planet) but this does have its charms. As for why it was on TCM, it was during a night of campy movies that include Plan 9 from Outer Space and… THE APPLE. That will be discussed relatively soon!

In the far-flung future of 1985, a rocket ship carrying a quartet of chauvinistic men are attacked by a beam & crash-land on Venus, where… I explained above it is ruled by a despotic Queen and the planet is full of women; they have become exasperated at their ruler. Given how those men act (calling them “babes”, numerous comments about their appearances AND thinking that it’s impossible for them to even build a space laser, let alone use one), all those women on Venus should desire a catastrophic end to the Earth!

For those that like “the fairer sex”, the ones that are in the cast are of course all attractive and wear short, revealing outfits. Believe it or not, this low-budget production was filmed in Cinemascope with Color by Deluxe so it does look lovely, and Warner Archive restored this movie to HD quality long ago. The plot is incredibly silly yet this is watchable as long as you aren’t turned off by the rampant sexism. If you can believe it, the story (not the screenplay) was written by… BEN HECHT. Not what you’d expect from a two-time Oscar winner and legend of both stage & screen.

This technically is a pretty bad film, where most of the main players deliver poor performances (Gabor was actually the acting highlight!) but I was still charmed at times by the colorful sets and guffawed at all the outdated opinions.

 

The Flash

The Flash (2023)

Runtime: 144 minutes

Directed by: Andy Muschietti

Starring: Ezra Miller (unfortunately), Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, Ron Livingston, Michael Shannon

From: Warner Brothers/DC

Well, at least I got to see Batfleck for the first time… 

To reiterate what I said in my review of Man of Steel (only watched for the first time several weeks ago) a positive spoiler-filled review for The Flash was heard by me and enough was said for me to be enticed. I have no preference between Marvel and DC but Batman and Superman was experienced by me and well, moments known by many as “member berries” would be present. Turns out (IMO) that spoiler review overhyped the movie and even his warnings that “Ezra Miller in dual roles was a little much” did not prepare me for how putrid most of the “humor” was, how DC squandered their version of the multiverse, or how my declaration that “the CG in general looked so lousy” extremely undersells how awful it looked. It is even worse in a Dolby Cinema, believe me.

Ezra Miller as Barry Allen was an awkward dork who is (gasp!) a virgin; yet, at least I did feel bad that his dad was erroneously accused of murdering his mom, and Lord knows I understand the feeling of trying to bring back your mom. Thus, when he discovers he can go back in time… yes, it goes awry. Ezra Miller as Alternate Universe Bary Allen—now there is an irritating and insufferable character. There was someone I couldn’t stand, yet most of the movie is spent with him! It was neat seeing Keaton as Old Batman and Supergirl as a character was fine—however there should have been more time spent with her. As for Zod as a villain, the movie is predicated on you having seen Man of Steel before, so thank goodness I did. Hardly any time is spent with him.

The action (even w/ the CG) usually wasn’t bad and much to my amazement, a touching moment at the end between Barry and Mom got to me, due to what happened w/ me in 2020. Having “the feels” while watching THIS was astonishing; the movie is as much of a mess as I understand most DCEU pictures are. The highest compliment I can give is that this left me disappointed instead of enraged like I was with the appallingly bad Wonder Woman 1984. But Lord I wish that some “special appearances” would have been longer or have been more important (especially one years in the making that was made public by the director to attract fanboys, presumably), as that was one of the reasons I even went to the cinema.

For a movie where I had to implicitly support both Warner Brothers Discovery (a pair of middle fingers to an individual I’ll refer to as Voldemort) AND Ezra Miller… this did not need to be a theatrical experience for me. As stated before, the state of comic book movies and how they are now in their death throes-due to their own incompetence-I don’t feel bad in skipping most of those if it meant avoiding nonsensical plotting and “humor” that offends me. My feelings of nostalgia will likely lead me down another dark path soon---around this time next week I’ll be giving my thoughts on the new Indiana Jones!

Extraction 2

Extraction 2 (2023)

Runtime: 122 minutes

Directed by: Sam Hargrave

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Golshifteh Farahani, Adam Bessa, Tornike Gogrichiani, Tornike Bziaka

From: Netflix

Featuring a long scene well worth the price of a Netflix subscription.

Because of my schedule I wasn’t able to view this the day it dropped but last night I finally had the free time. As this was a big reason why I subscribed to Netflix again (I undoubtedly enjoyed the first adventure of Tyler Rake) I was like many others in having their anticipation levels high w/ the sequel.

It is a little silly that there even is a Part 2 considering the conclusion of the original; he does take months to recover so it’s not like Seagal springing to life right away after his seven year coma in Hard to Kill. Then again, there are admittedly even bigger absurdities present here. This time the climate is snow-covered as he must extract a family from a secure location in Georgia-the country, not the state-although of course there are complications. Due to recency, further details won’t be revealed as that could spoil it for many of my mutuals.

By this point I had heard some scuttlebutt about the film; not everyone was a fan. I heard about “an odious character” and how they did not like the non-action scenes. What I WILL reveal: there is a damn training montage early on, and while brief it was as amusing as described… also, as it looked like something straight out of Rocky IV there should have been an 80’s song over that clip. Now, I can admit the story’s flaws and how when there’s humor sometimes it lands with a thud—I’m looking at you, scene devoted to discussion of TikTok! There are reasons why most of what the Russo Brothers have written has been avoided by me.

That said, the plot is not the main reason for people to press “play” once they’re in Netflix. Those that want an entertaining story and action that delivers—you will be satisfied. The highlight is a LONG simulated one take scene which was breathtaking. No action beats afterwards deliver with the same ferocity or are a bravura tour de force; yet, all of it thrilled me, including all the Dudes Getting Wrecked ™ moments.

A villain that’s more than one dimensional goof, action that always delivered, a globetrotting adventure, more for Golshifteh Farahani to do (that will make some of my mutuals happy)… more from what I know than have experienced first-hand, the first two movies in what will undoubtedly be a franchise are a cut above most of the original action movies that Netflix offers-at least the ones that aren’t from places like Indonesia.

Drunken Master

Drunken Master (1978)

Runtime: 111 minutes

Directed by: Yuen Woo-Ping

Starring: Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu-Tien, Hwang Jang-Lee, Lam Kau, Linda Lin Ying

From: Golden Harvest

A great way to announce that I am back on my regular schedule. It was a nice time hanging out with my sister and her beau (including time at Walt Disney World yesterday) but today Dad drove them to the airport; as I thought I would have to do this time, free time was had today so this was seen last afternoon. For years I’ve praised Jackie Chan, so it was long overdue to discuss his breakout role that was pivotal into superstar status.

This also popularized the kung-fu comedy genre. Laughs are frequent and while this doesn’t have Chan use his silent movie era-influenced style, it was still funny as Chan plays a cocksure young man who sometimes is a jerk and sometimes beats up even worse jerks; always, his father is embarrassed by his behavior. As punishment, Chan must train with Beggar So, master of the Drunken Fist style.

The action delivers along with the comedy; there’s plenty of creativity from director/choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping. Thunderleg (yes, the subtitled version on Prime is the UK version; Chan’s character was known as Freddy Wong) made for quite the A-hole villain. As Beggar So was pretty awesome and this featured an unforgettable, rousing finale meant that this is a must for Chan fans.

 

Think Fast, Mr. Moto

Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937)

Runtime: 67 minutes

Directed by: Norman Foster

Starring: Peter Lorre, Virginia Field, Thomas Beck, Sig Rugman, Murray Kinnell

From: 20^th Century Fox

Why not watch Peter Lorre in yellowface beat people up and use judo throws?

Last night I was stumped as to what I should press “play” on; via a process I won’t elaborate on, this film on YouTube was the one selected. In the past a few Charlie Chan movies were experienced; they were fine amusing B-movies based on a literary character where a white actor donned yellowface as a stereotypical “Oriental” character who was a master detective. 

The same studio (20th Century Fox) struck oil on a well immediately adjacent to that as another Oriental literary character-this time a Japanese secret agent-was in a series of films, albeit one that had a far shorter run. The debut of the character on celluloid was only the natural choice. Yes it was regrettable that little Peter Lorre was in the role for each of the eight motion pictures as a Japanese man but besides always enjoying his work, it WAS quite the hoot to watch him (or his stunt double) beat up multiple people and use martial arts on them. I HOWLED at the preposterous image of him military press slamming someone off an ocean liner as if he was The Ultimate Warrior!

The film itself, it was not as charming as the Chan pictures yet was still an acceptable watch as Moto investigated a diamond smuggling operation that started in San Francisco and via the aforementioned ocean liner ended in Shanghai. He quickly becomes BFF’s with the young adult son of the ship’s owner and I won’t spoil the rest of the intrigue & even romance present. Lorre sporting what looked like a hell of a tan was an awkward sight but he definitely was the highlight.

Overall, this did satisfy my curiosity as to what this franchise was all about.

 

Kickboxer

Kickboxer (1989)

Runtime: 97 minutes

Directed by: Mark DiSalle/David Worth

Starring: JCVD, Dennis Chan, Michel Qissi, Haskell V. Anderson III, Dennis Alexio

From: Kings Road Entertainment

Featuring a five star scene.

Yes, I do have free time now as my sister and her beau are in Daytona Beach from now until tomorrow afternoon. Thus, expect reviews today and tomorrow. The explanation for my reviewing this cheesy late 80’s action classic… you guessed it, messageboard discussion. Someone recently noted that they found it amusing how much of a jerk Van Damme’s brother was in this.*

Yeah, he was a “swelled head” who was a cocky American and presumed that just because he held a kickboxing title it meant that he could whip the champion Muay Thai kickboxing champion (Tong Po) in Bangkok despite apparently not knowing much about the rules of Muay Thai. Then again, that was the key plot point; because JCVD trained with an eccentric master who lives out in the sticks and harshly yet effectively trained him, he could fare better against Tong Po in the finale.

Admittedly, I question if the whole “broken glass” thing was part of “the ancient way”, but ultimately this is a silly motion picture where among other things, it is less than 15 minutes before the Tong Po vs. JCVD’s brother bout happens and because Po’s manager is an evil SOB, the brother is crippled on purpose. So is the convenience of a wacky ex-Special Forces American who helps Van Damme.

To Kickboxer’s credit, plenty of time is spent on training so it was satisfying to view the character improve by working hard. All that duly noted, I was still as entertained by this schlock as I was when this was first viewed during my childhood. JCVD’s charisma certainly is an asset, as is the unique beauty which Thailand offers.

However, as it should come as no surprise, it was the astoundingly 80’s soundtrack (courtesy of Paul Hertzog) which was the highlight. It screamed “the decade of excess” so it was always an aural delight. As for the “five star scene”, of course I refer to Van Damme presenting his version of Drunken Fist as he also dances in an epic fashion with his trainer’s cute niece and another Thai lady as the Beau Williams song Feeling So Good Today is literally blaring on a jukebox.

Thus, it was a relief that despite its narrative flaws, I could still be amused by this film. Note that the amusement does apply to how the brother by all appearances got himself a Thai hooker as soon as he could but does NOT apply to the gross sexual assault that is shown. In fact, this was released by Golan/Globus, how could you tell?

* Played by real life kickboxer turned actor (for a brief time) Dennis Alexio, it took a Letterboxd mutual's comment for me to discover that he has been in prison for years due to... such crimes as bank fraud, wire fraud and money laundering!

The Tale of Zatoichi

The Tale of Zatoichi (Zatoichi Monogatari) (1962)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Kenji Misumi

Starring: Shintaro Katsu, Masayo Banri, Ryuzo Shimada, Hajime Mitamura, Shigeru Amachi

From: Daiei

Would you believe this is my first Zatoichi picture? Of course I’ve not only known of the character for years, long ago I saw 1989’s Blind Fury which was really an Americanized version of the tale AND I shook my head at Tarantino’s rather improbable name-drop of the character in Death Proof. Then again, the premise of “a blind, gambling masseur and master swordsman” is a little far-fetched; no offense to Japanese novelist Kan Shimozawa, who created the character.

The movie did a swell job in introducing the character. Him being a masseuse was looked down upon at the time so that was a further handicap against someone who everyone underestimates and attempts to take advantage of due to his condition. Yet he is wise, his other senses are heightened and you believe his ability to kick ass. It is important to note that at least in this initial entry, the focus was on the story and characters; there isn’t much in the way of action until the finale.

The story is a standard feud in feudal Japan; it was made interesting due to all the characters, not just Zatoichi. Interesting settings both indoors & out, nice sound design, a cool score from Akira Ifukube of Showa-Era Godzilla films… good times overall. That does not include the scene where a guy forces himself on a woman but that does include the badass final 10 or so minutes.

I won’t be going through the entire run of these films-after all, the original series had 26 movies! However, once in a blue moon...

An Update

This evening I'll be posting a pair of reviews; after then, I will be caught up. You see, I've been preoccupied the past several days with having a sister and her beau down here. It was preparing for their visit then their actual arrival yesterday. However, they are in Daytona Beach now until tomorrow afternoon so I have free time.

Tomorrow I'll Catch Up

There isn't that much catching up to do as the past few days have been hectic but an explanation as to why (and how I won't be around much until the middle of next week) will be provided.

Carry On Loving

Carry On Loving (1970)

Runtime: 86 minutes

Directed by: Gerald Thomas

Starring: Many of the usual Carry On crew

From: The Rank Organisation

I needed to have some laughs yesterday. My plans were screwed up; I had Tuesday afternoon free so I was going to view something then type up a review for posting that evening, then another film soon after that for today’s review. However, I received news that someone I knew casually (it was not in this universe of being a film fan) had unexpectedly passed away. He wasn’t much older than me and understandably I was bummed about that news. Thus, yesterday evening I instead made public a list I had private for a little bit; that was all about the made for TV movies I’ve seen in the past decade.

After the news broke of someone I knew passing away less than a day after the news of Treat Williams dying, a film to lighten the mood was needed. Henceforth, my first Carry On picture in months. To see this in the correct aspect ratio, I turned to… a Facebook video, of all things. The movie was exactly what you’d expect from the franchise and the premise of Sid James & Hattie Jacques as a couple running a dating agency. It really is a series of sketches loosely tied together which feature amazing 70’s clothing and décor; the latter had some interiors which almost seemed like they were straight from A Clockwork Orange. There’s also a hilariously fake-looking 1970 version of a “computer”, although there is a reason why.

By this point the franchise had become bawdier than before but otherwise there are few surprises. Yet, with this series if you laugh at the dirty jokes and enjoy the familiar faces playing the expected archetypal roles, then you should be satisfied with this entry. There’s misunderstandings, makeovers & more mayhem, culminating in a finale involving a trope that will never not be funny.

 

The Set-Up

The Set-Up (1949)

Runtime: 72 delightful minutes

Directed: Masterfully by Robert Wise

Starring: Robert Ryan, Audrey Totter, George Tobias, Alan Baxter, Wallace Ford, Percy Helton

From: RKO

Even if boxing isn’t my favorite sport, this is still a great motion picture. Despite my knowledge of all the praise this has attached to it for years, it took until a DVR viewing last night for me to discover this for myself. The plot was simple: in a story presented real-time, boxer Stoker Thompson (Robert Ryan) is such an old tomato can, his trainers don’t tell him that his fight against promising newcomer Tiger Nelson is fixed (in boxing? Say it ain’t so!) and Thompson is supposed to lose in the third round—they just presume he’s such a bum, Nelson can easily earn a victory in a cakewalk. Naturally, the people calling for the fix are in attendance at the Paradise City Athletic Club; you can take me down there each Friday night as that’s when they have pro wrestling…

Is it a spoiler to state that Stoker puts up more of a challenge against Tiger than expected? The performances are top-notch (whether it be Ryan, his long suffering girlfriend Audrey Totter who can’t even stand to see her man lose once again) or the various ancillary characters we see throughout. Also, the crisp direction from Robert Wise, the stunning cinematography from Milton R. Krasner, and the sharp editing from Roland Gross help make this an enthralling 72 minute experience.

All those ancillary characters help breathe life into this; that includes Thompson’s fellow boxers, who range from newcomers to those who are also in the tail end of their careers. Then there’s the fans in attendance; what a motley crew they were. From the overweight fellow always consuming food & drink to a pugilistic princess (meaning, a young lady fight fan), a young couple to a blind man who has his friend give him play by play… this was a key in making this a great motion picture.

Believe it or not, this was based on a long narrative poem written in the 20’s by Joseph Moncure March; I understand the poem was about a Black boxer but sadly, because it was the late 40’s that changed so a white star could be the lead. Even then, the movie is well worth seeing. BTW, March also wrote a more infamous poem, The Wild Party; I’ve never seen the 1975 film adaptation but I understand that was a disappointment, mainly due to it being an AIP production and their attempt at something with a bigger budget; not surprisingly, them working with a Merchant/Ivory production was a recipe for disaster.

 

Rush Hour 3

Rush Hour 3 (2007)

Runtime: 91 minutes

Directed by: Brett Ratner

Starring: Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Max von Sydow, Hiroyuki Sanada, Yvan Attal

From: New Line Cinema

Yep, this was as terrible as I remembered. The only time before Saturday night that this was watched was on the big screen back in 2007; even then, I found the story to be terribly disjointed with such an idiot plot (why exactly did they have Carter and Lee fight one of the world’s tallest people in Sun Ming Ming? There was no good reason for it), a totally unbearable Chris Tucker that was extremely sexist & racist, and the presence of a certain director in a small role that even then seemed like a bad idea.

Now, I was appalled at how stupid the fragmented plot was, Carter’s nonstop comments about a bald woman “being a man” is FAR worse now than it was then, the movie is far less funny than the first two, and then there’s Roman Polanski… his small role as a French police commissioner who loves body cavity searches is a gigantic YIKES in 2023. This is just an assumption but Brett Ratner must have wanted Polanski in the movie because he’s a fan and well, insert your own assumptions if you wish.

The ”story” as is revolves around catching some bad guys in Paris… it’s a lot of nonsense best not elaborated upon in detail. The action isn’t bad, except when it’s really dopey and/or features lousy CGI. The “comedy”—Tucker’s racism, sexism and even transphobia is the “highlight” there. That and everything else is clearly inferior to the first two in this crappy motion picture. Not even Chan’s charms and Max von Sydow could save this waste of time that I’ve already forgotten large chunks of since Saturday.

 

Rush Hour 2

Rush Hour 2 (2001)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Brett Ratner

Starring: Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, John Lone, Ziyi Zhang, Roslyn Sanchez

From: New Line Cinema

Boy, does a little bit of Chris Tucker go a long way. Last December I revisited the first Rush Hour and it was still enjoyable despite some moments & lines of dialogue that haven’t aged too well. Here, Tucker’s act was decidedly more off-color. He was more a buffoon, was an unrepentant horndog and made plenty of racially insensitive remarks. This movie is quite dated, in other words; that did not automatically ruin the experience but truth be told, Rush Hour 3 (only seen once by me) I recalled as the only film where I thought his character was OOT preposterous—I was mistaken.

This is set right after the first film, with Lee & Carter “on vacation” in Hong Kong. In actuality, Lee is still on the job and they are roped into investigating a smuggling ring. There are obvious similarities with the OG movie, in other words. Thank heavens then that the action still delivered. There are fun setpieces and as expected Chan still delivered at this time with the ass-kicking. There are still laughs to be had and I appreciated that the first act was set & filmed in Hong Kong; the final act is in a famous American city.

Even if this is reminiscent of the first Rush Hour and also some famous films from the past, at least I was still entertained by the action and the cameos I won’t spoil, along with familiar faces like Harris Yulin and John Lone. I’ll never like Brett Ratner but no matter if I find Rush Hour 3 to be as bad as I recall (that review is coming tomorrow) at least I can still like the first two in the series.

Prescription: Murder

Prescription: Murder (1968)

Runtime: 98 minutes

Directed by: Richard Irving

Starring: Peter Falk, Gene Barry, Katherine Justice, William Windom, Nina Foch

From: Universal Television

Would you believe this is my first experience w/ Columbo? Technically, I saw small fragments of the show when it was on in the early 90's when my Mom watched it, but a full episode was never seen until last night via Tubi. To clarify, this and another movie of similar length were pilots to a TV show that had a few episodes per year for most of the 70's. It and a few other shows of the same format were on NBC on a program known as The NBC Mystery Movie. Episodes were 90 minutes and they alternated between Columbo and a few other similar detective programs. That format is so alien now it had to be elaborated upon.

Anyhow, it was nice to see Peter Falk in his iconic role and while not everything about the character was dialed in at the time, in general the idea's the same. He looked & dressed shabby, was forgetful, disarmed people by actually being pretty intelligent, etc. The format of each Columbo episode itself was also different: instead of the viewer attempting to solve the crime along with the detective, we get to see the crime happen then our favorite Lieutenant attempting to crack the case despite the best efforts of the perpetrator or perpetrators.

Here, a brilliant psychiatrist murders his wife & is assisted in this scheme by his girlfriend. Despite all his planning, flaws are present and Columbo discovers them. Believe it or not, the character was based on a stage play, which this was adapted from. At times there are long stretches of dialogue between just two characters; that was fine with me as the main cast delivered & I was never not riveted. The fact that there was a groovy jazz score and a lead character I fell in love with... while I'm unable to review the episodes of the TV series here on Letterboxd that doesn't mean I won't watch & enjoy those as the entire show is on Tubi.

An Update

No movie for me on Tuesday night; however, last night I revisited the 1979 movie Death Car on the Freeway, from Hal Needham. I talked about it a decade ago and my opinion is little-changed: at times it SPINS ITS WHEELS but overall it is still a good time.

Hell in the Pacific

Hell in the Pacific (1968)

Runtime: 103 minutes

Directed by: John Boorman

Starring: Lee Marvin, Toshiro Mifune... and that's it

From: Cinerama Releasing Corporation

I am happy the version I saw had the “alternate ending.” I've heard conflicting stories as to which theatrical versions contained which conclusion, but the copy viewed on YouTube (most copies on the platform fit this category) is the original ending as filmed by John Boorman. What was demanded by one of the studios resulted in a denouement that many just did not like... that was seen by me and yeah, it's not as satisfying. You can argue that Boorman's vision wasn't great but the other definitely wasn't great.

All that said off the bat for a film most of you haven't experienced before, this is a very good motion picture where all the foreknowledge the viewer needed beforehand was Lee Marvin & Toshiro Mifune on a tropical island (one of the islands in the Oceanic country of Palau), Boorman directing with flair, and a sometimes classical/sometimes jazzy/always great Lalo Schifrin score. To be a little more specific, during World War II, Marvin and Mifune discover each other on an otherwise uninhabited island and neither knows the other's native tongue.

What a shame then that at least in the United States, YouTube is the only way to stream the picture. Kino Lorber did release Hell in the Pacific on Blu way back in 2017 but that appears to long be out of print. That (and the particular video I saw) had the option of giving subtitles to both actors; I didn't do that as it just wasn't right to know more about what Mifune's character was saying that Marvin's character understood. In any event, at least the film is available to everyone via multiple YouTube videos, in more than acceptable quality.

Marlowe (the new one, unfortunately)

Marlowe (2022)

25% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 104 reviews)

Runtime: 109 rather dreary minutes

Directed by: Neil Jordan

Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, Jessica Lange, Danny Huston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

From: Like a dozen different production companies, no joke

I have a messageboard user to “thank” for this experience. Earlier in the year-shortly after this left the cineplexes after a rather lackluster box office take-he asked if anyone had seen this before-he liked the Philip Marlowe character. I responded “no” due to the bad critical & viewer opinion. It's been available for a streaming rental for weeks, albeit at at steep $5.99 price. However, I still had money on iTunes from a gift card many years ago and as I could use that for rentals on Apple TV +... I declared there and now here that I took the bullet--most will be best served to skip the film.

Even if Liam Neeson was rather old for the part, at least he was doing something different from his Old Man Action roles; the cast and the director really should have created something better than this cure for insomnia. Right away the viewer is thrusted into some sort of nonsense tale over a scummy guy faking his death; there are plenty of other sleazy characters I could never give a damn about. Between the cinematography increasingly turning yellow for some reason, a dull story that's only made confusing due to the feeling that entire scenes are edited out that tie everything together, performers that mostly seem like they're sleepwalking through their roles... the fact that this isn't much of a detective story AND there is some pathetic attempts at hardboiled dialogue means this is best not in your queue, whether literal or figurative.

The Big Sleep was the only other time I had experienced Philip Marlowe as a character; there's a film much better than this one. So is Chinatown, which this unwisely decides to echo at times. Quite a few films from the past featured the Marlowe character and they all had to be at least more interesting than this drowsy picture. Ultimately, the lame script really lets this down and the end product isn't even bad enough to make the film a “you gotta see this!” disaster. Rather, the only detail I'll ever remember: this was my first time seeing Daniela Melchoir on celluloid. I've known this for awhile but she sure is a pretty gal... she had a small thankless role so you'll get more out of looking at her Instagram than renting this just to admire her.

 

A Simple Plan

A Simple Plan (1998)

Runtime: 121 minutes

Directed by: Sam Raimi

Starring: Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Bridget Fonda, Brent Briscoe, Chelcie Ross

From: A number of companies from a number of countries

On second thought, I’d rather not find 4.4 million dollars in a crashed plane out in the woods… I remember when this movie first came out yet I did not see it at the time and even after I experienced more noir and neo-noir pictures in the subsequent 25 years, it took until it played a few times on HDNet Movies for me to record a showing on the DVR and now I realized a dunce cap should be put on my head for not checking out a great film years beforehand.

In a rural Minnesota town, Bill Paxton being a college graduate gives him an advantage over others. That duly noted, he still is far from a rich man. Him being married to a pregnant Bridget Fonda of course will put a strain on him. Thus, when he, his “learning disabled” (to use Wikipedia’s term for the character) older brother Billy Bob Thornton and Thornton’s town drunk friend Brent Briscoe stumble upon a plane with over 4 million in greenbacks in a duffle bag, it seems to be Manna from heaven for them. In actuality, even with Paxton having the wise idea to store the money for awhile to avoid suspicion, they all seem cursed due to their greed taking over their civic duty to report the wreck.

The main reason A Simple Plan receives such high marks: it is a dark tale filled with three dimensional characters… even the person with a mental handicap has perceptive insights once in awhile. A snowy Minnesota winter was the perfect setting for this sad tale where greed & avarice results in more than one shocking event to occur and makes even those that seem like decent blue-collar people to reveal their most bitter side. 

Billy Bob’s performance was the one that I won’t ever forget but everyone in the main cast was solid. Even an actor I was less than familiar with (Brent Briscoe as Lou the town drunk) was impressive. Those that love the harshest of neo-noir movies and want to see a movie that caused me to loudly react a few times-a rare feat-then this is a must. Furthermore, this may be Raimi’s best picture.

 

Metro

Metro (1997)

Runtime: 117 minutes

Directed by: Thomas Carter

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Michael Wincott, Michael Rapaport, Carmen Ejogo, Art Evans

From: Touchstone/Caravan

Yet another example of “they don’t make ‘em like they used to.” As standard by now, this streaming rental was sparked by a messageboard discussion last month, where apropos out of nowhere, someone commented that they found this film to be underrated, and even better than either Beverly Hills Cop or 48 Hrs. sequel . Many will argue that it’s better than all three of those motion pictures yet I believe this is worthy of viewing for those that like those original films and Eddie Murphy as an action star in general.

Once again he’s a member of law enforcement; this time though he is a hostage negotiator in San Francisco. His new partner is SWAT member Michael Rapaport; as a person (especially on Twitter), no comment on Rapaport or his behavior. Is it a spoiler to say that Michael Wincott plays the villain, or that love interest Carmen Ejogo becomes involved? Wincott’s jewel thief is an intelligent criminal, and also a rather reprehensible one.

Thankfully this had some mild surprises. This includes hints of moments that don’t actually happen, and the refreshing idea that it doesn’t take too long for Murphy to accept Rapaport as a partner. Perhaps it’s my nostalgia for middle-budget R-rated action movies of the 90’s but I did enjoy this more than the majority. Murphy’s character had his struggles throughout yet both he and Rapaport were great at their jobs instead of goofballs or buffoons… Wincott played a bad guy easy to loathe, there were some good laughs-although action and drama is the main focus of Metro-explosions, and important to me, solid action beats.

The highlight setpiece involved one of San Francisco’s trademarks, used creatively. Personally, it was better and less preposterous than what we got in The Rock… that and this would make for quite the double-bill, I imagine. Regardless, even w/ at least one moment that strains credulity, overall Metro was a pleasant surprise.

Night World

Night World (1932)

Runtime: Only 58 minutes

Directed by: Hobart Henley

Starring: Lew Ayres, Mae Clarke, Boris Karloff, Dorothy Revier, Russell Hopton

From: Universal

An obscurity that I hope gets an HD release one day. As typical, it was a Letterboxd mutual whose review made me aware of this Universal film; unfortunately, that studio isn’t like MGM or Warner Brothers in having much of their back catalogue widely available in restored quality but that’s a topic for another occasion. To the relief of probably everyone, there is a copy on YouTube in an acceptable quality.

In a movie only 58 minutes long, the pace is lightning-quick as various characters are shown in a nightclub run by Boris Karloff; this includes an obvious Pre-Code reminder in a minor character that has “a fey-sounding voice”. That was interesting timing as Pride Month begins… eventually, there are two points of focus: Lew Ayres (his mom shot his dad; he hasn’t handled this well) developing a romance w/ dancer Mae Clarke & Karloff’s wife cheating on him. There is also a Black doorman who was endlessly charming despite concern over his wife’s hospital stay. 

There’s a dance number literally directed by Busby Berkeley, some jokes-you’ll love this if you think the town name Schenectady is hilarious-romance, plenty of snappy patter and even a few deaths. I’ve heard the term “curio” used to describe Night World and that is apropos. Those that dig these Pre-Code films, it is a short time commitment even if Night World doesn't enchant you.

 

Tokyo Drifter

Tokyo Drifter (Tokyo Nagaremono) (1966)

Runtime: 82 minutes

Directed by: Seijun Suzuki

Starring: Tetsuya Watari, Chieko Matsubara, Hideaki Nitani, Tamio Kawaji, Eiji Go

From: Nikkatsu

If I had my own theme song, I’d sing it too!

A few years ago I experienced a few early Seijun Suzuki films yet it took until last night for me to finally pull the trigger on this. Admittedly, it being so wild or bizarre it turned me off was a distinct possibility. Not every decision Suzuki made with this I fully understood (why was the black and white opening so washed out? Why did the secretary constantly laugh at a manga she was reading?) yet as a whole I was fascinated & entertained by this piece of pop art.

Ostensibly this is about old Yakuza boss Kurata retiring from the game but he and his loyal enforcer Tetsu are constantly hounded by old cohorts to assist them in dirty dealings. What we got was some of that, but also wild editing choices (some of it dictated by budget restrictions put on Suzuki by his studio Nikkatsu; they weren’t a fan of his increasingly prevalent free jazz style), scenes with bold color backdrops, peculiar moments, a jazz club backdrop, a jazz soundtrack, non-sequitor moments, a donnybrook brawl, and overall a movie which takes the piss out of the Yakuza & the genre in general.

Nikkatsu wasn’t a fan of the end product; that partnership ended soon after and that is an ugly story best not told here and instead read on Wikipedia. It is a shame that Suzuki was even blacklisted for a bit; his films once he returned may be too weird for me but I can vouch for this and his more traditional early work—one day I should create a list of what I’ve seen so far… Suzuki’s 100th birthday would have been last week so I am glad to have finally experienced Tokyo Drifter.

One last detail I’ll reveal as to why I call this movie “jazzy”: Tetsu has a lounge singer girlfriend; she not only sings the Tokyo Drifter theme song about her own man, he more than once sings about himself!