The Lodger

The Lodger (1944)

Runtime: 84 minutes

Directed by: John Brahm

Starring: Merle Oberon, Laird Cregar, George Sanders, Cedric Hardwicke, Sara Allgood

From: 20^th Century Fox

Some fans of Old Hollywood may be appalled that this is my first Merle Oberon movie. I’ve been missing out-what a lovely and talented woman. Several months ago I recorded this film when it played on the Fox Movie Channel—about time I actually tackled the film.

The plot sounds basic: a mysterious lodger rooms with an older couple in London as Jack the Ripper terrorizes London. He seems to loathe actresses, and their niece Oberon has just started performing in the city… the film is more complex than that. The main players all have doubt concerning their new lodger Laird Cregar, who was shot and lit to be even more imposing than he was, nevermind his creepy comments and his even creepier behavior. Meanwhile, Tom Con… er, I mean George Sanders from Scotland Yard attempts to crack the case.

This was simply a quality motion picture. The streets of London at night were covered w/ fog, setting the appropriate mood when matched with the cinematography and direction. Another testament to how strong those qualities were: Cregar was shot in a way to make the character even more large & imposing than the actor already was due to lighting and camera angles. The performances are all at least solid, with Oberon and Cregar the highlights.

I was enthralled the entire time between our heroes attempting to determine if the titular lodger is the Ripper and Merle starts forming a bond w/ the stranger. Between this film and Hangover Square, I now realize what a tragedy it was that Laird Cregar died at such a young age due to a heart attack induced by rapid weight loss. Besides the obvious, what bravura performances he delivered at the end of his life.
 

The film begins & concludes with a bang; the rest also entranced me. On my part, it would have been better to have tackled this movie around Spooky Season last fall but alas…

 

A Boy and His Dog

A Boy and His Dog (1975)

Runtime: 91 minutes

Directed by: L.Q. Jones

Starring: Don Johnson, Susanne Benton, Alvy Moore, Jason Robards, the voice of Tim McIntire

From: LQ/JAF

Yes, I saw this movie on YouTube because its setting is the far-flung future of… 2024. The fact that it starred Don Johnson, his cohort was a far more intelligent canine who communicates w/ him telepathically and the plot is based on a novella by Harlan Ellison-color me intrigued. I’ve never played the Fallout games but do know this was a heavy inspiration.

My overall reaction: what an odd movie this was. The setup is that this is a post-apocalyptic tale set in a 2024 desert due to World War IV happening in 2007 (they said that World War 3 lasted from 1960 to 1983… so yeah, the Cold War) where Johnson plays Vic, typically referred to as Albert by his mutt dog Blood; the reason why is incredibly arcane, so it’s easier for me to direct you to the film’s Wiki page rather than attempt an explanation. It needs to be said now that Vic is a typical teenager; in this world, it means that “to get laid”, it requires… sexual assault. That isn’t shown but that doesn’t mean there isn’t misogyny, as I’ll mention in a moment.

In hindsight, it shouldn’t be a surprise that in a world with a telepathic dog, there would be a bizarre sect underground who would want Johnson for, ahem, “propagating the species” reasons. Currently on Letterboxd, the film’s tagline is listed as “a rather kinky tale of survival.” Bluntly stated, the film is quite horny! It is a memorable world where I was fascinated by the shanty towns that would form in such a setting; the only films available for viewing being old stag ones—what a story choice. So is Blood finding women for Vic to assault. The cast is fine and I enjoyed the 70’s electronic score (done in part by Ray Manzarek of The Doors-who had his name misspelled in the credits); what a film produced by someone from the Green Acres TV show (Alvy Moore, who also has a supporting role) and directed by B-movie actor L.Q. Jones. What a feat it was roping Jason Robards into a bizarre sci-fi picture.

There are accusations of misogyny; for certain, by our 2024 standards, that is a charge I can’t deny. There is a lead girl that enters the picture-many won’t appreciate how she’s treated… nor the final line of the movie that is in reference to her. It is rather dark and morbid; that controversial moment wasn’t in Ellison’s work and he made it clear he was not a fan. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been surprised that an Ellison story would have challenging protagonists, or controversial moments. At least the dog delivered plenty of sarcastic barbs.

Rancho Notorious

Rancho Notorious (1952)

Runtime: 89 minutes

Directed by: Fritz Lang

Starring: Marlene Dietrich, Arthur Kennedy, Mel Ferrer, William Frawley, Lloyd Gouch

From: RKO

A Fritz Lang Western starring Marlene Dietrich was something I was happy was in the cards, as the director and genre I’m happy to see more of & the star I’ve viewed precious little of. Of course it’s me so it took right before it leaving the Criterion Channel at the end of the month to press “play.”

The basic description would lead you to think this is generic: Arthur Kennedy is looking for revenge after a bandit “outraged her”-yes, what you think it is-then killed her during a robbery. The details are not only more complicated, this take on a Western from a European is rather darker than the norm. It took Kennedy’s Vern months to track down the villain to Chuck-a-Luck (named after an old gambling game), a ranch that serves as a hideout for criminals run w/ an iron fist by… Dietrich w/ the hilarious name ALTAR KEANE. She has Mel Ferrer as her main beau—his name Frenchy Fairmont also elicited a chuckle from me.

The time spent at the ranch with that trio plus a gaggle of fascinating, colorful characters was a delight, but even before then, there was a long stretch in the first act where Vern is first on the hunt, then he learns about Keane-which results in flashbacks where we see her as a showgirl, meet up w/ Fairmont, then become matriarch of the ranch-he meets up with Frenchy then they travel to Chuck-a-Luck. A tremendous 10 minute interlude is spent with those two gentlemen in a town having an election that day to vote out the corrupt SOB’s in charge. That segment was wholly unique to the genre, at least from what I’ve viewed. Also unique was Marlene and other women riding men like horses in a competition!

Even w/ such scenes, Rancho Notorious was not an upbeat revenge-o-matic; instead, this is a minimalist, downbeat tale where Vern continues to pay the price during his quest for vengeance, where even a love triangle causes anguish. Unsurprisingly, the direction, the Technicolor cinematography, some stunning visuals, and score are all aces; the narrative ballads that are heard a few times throughout… they at least brought me mirth in an otherwise serious tale. So did the expected songs from Dietrich.

For certain, doing an even deeper dive into Lang’s filmography is needed; I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve seen and more from his silent era is also needed.

The Face of Fu Manchu

The Face of Fu Manchu (1965)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Don Sharp

Starring: Christopher Lee, Nigel Greene, Joachim Fuchsberger, Karin Dor, Tsai Chin

From: Hallam Productions/Constantin Films

It was the West German involvement in this production that made me DVR this film when it played on TCM this past Monday. As Constantin Films from that country were one of the producers, this is why Joachim Fuchsberger & Karin Dor-who I’ve seen in some German genre movies from that decade-went to the British Isles for the UK producers, including Harry Alan Towers-more on him at the end. It was also from a director I knew (Don Sharp) so color me intrigued.

It’s a matter of fact that the role of Fu Manchu in motion pictures has predominately been played by white dudes, despite the character’s Chinese origins. This is even regrettable when Christopher Lee is in the role, as he was here. The plot is hokum concerning an “ancient Tibetan flower” that can be used to kill every form of life in London; Fu kidnaps a scientist & forces him to create this formula. The setting is the UK a few decades beforehand, although it was filmed in Ireland. Something bad happens in the county of Essex; hopefully no one reading this is from there!

Dor had the mostly thankless role of the scientist’s daughter and Fuchsberger teamed up with Fu’s biggest enemy (Scotland Yard detective Greene) to stop him. Tsai Chin is another name I’ll bring up, mainly due to her currently still acting today and the memorable henchwoman trope she played here. It was largely what I expected: Manchu was a rather immoral villain, there is intrigue, action, the stereotypes of other white people in yellowface as the Pacific Rim Asians act in a devious manner, etc. I’m not condoning those stereotypes yet I was still entertained. The familiar faces did well with what they were given and “fun thriller” is the term I’ll use to describe this film. 

As for Harry Alan Towers, he was a producer who was in the business for 40 some odd years and made plenty of genre schlock yet was clearly successful to have had such a lengthy career. Many films w/ Christopher Lee, several directed by Jesus Franco, a relationship w/ Golan-Globus, The Mangler, and two of his final pictures co-starred Christoph Waltz years before Tarantino. What a legacy.

 

Eyes Wide Shut

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

Runtime: A long 159 minutes

Directed by: What a final movie for Stanley Kubrick

Starring: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, and a bunch of horny characters

From: Warner Bros.

BROKE: Die Hard is a Christmas movie

WOKE: Eyes Wide Shut is a Christmas movie

If I was the type of reviewer that only did two sentence reviews, I'd write no more and receive dozens of likes here on Letterboxd. Yet, I will never be that. Besides wanting to explain for everyone else wondering why I didn't rate the movie 5 stars like many have, it was a request by a mutual here to tackle Eyes Wide Shut. If I had known that there'd be so many Christmas lights present, a holiday viewing would have been a far more logical time. Alas... that has no bearing on my rating anyhow.

As most have tackled this already, a synopsis isn't needed. The couple played by Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman realized heartbreak doesn't feel good in a place like late 90's New York City (not always convincingly portrayed on an England sound stage, but that's a minor point) when their marriage has issues and Cruise discovers a bunch of weirdos dressed in cloaks and masks.

The performances are typically top-notch; that includes Kidman's detached acting. I am pretty sure why that was done, along with her frequent nudity. I don't need to dwell too much on the direction, cinematography, the obvious dream-like aesthetic or the excellent score from Jocelyn Pook & the classical music pieces selected. Some scenes I'll never forget, including various moments where I had a hearty laugh. The laughter stopped after the movie made its way to the mansion!

Regrettably, it's the truth that the movie ultimately made me feel detached from it, to the point that at conclusion, what exactly the point of it all was sort of lost on me. I have some sort of idea why there were multiple woman swooning over Cruise's character, and not just because he was played by Tom Cruise. However, why was one of them a “playing under 18” Leelee Sobieski? Why were there some other odd off-putting salacious details? Unlike most of his other movies, diving deep into the swimming pool in an attempt to reason what Kubrick was going for won't be occurring here.

It is unfortunate that I don't love the movie like the mutual who made this request; be that as it may, most agree w/ his high opinion anyhow. It was still a motion picture that I should have given a shot to long ago; it's the final film of a legendary director... I don't love his on-set behavior but most of what I've seen has been rated quite highly. This weird horny tale not fully connecting w/ me—that's alright, I still don't regret getting that request to discuss the movie here. Besides, I can always chortle at the incredibly vulgar (but most assuredly not true; that's the only reason for me to laugh) rumor as to why Harvey Keitel was replaced by Sydney Pollack.

I'm No Angel

I’m No Angel (1933)

Runtime: 87 minutes

Directed by: Wesley Ruggles

Starring: Mae West, Cary Grant, Gregory Ratoff, Edward Arnold, Ralf Harolde

From: Paramount

I won’t get to nor have the inclination to view everything I want to before the end of January & certain films leave certain streaming services. However, something from the bold, brassy Mae West during her Pre-Code heyday was a journey I had to take; the availability of the film once it leaves the Criterion Channel was another deciding factor.

West is Tira (pronounced Tyra) who is exactly the sort of character I expected her to play: plenty of snappy patter, one-liners, and is delighted to brag about all the expensive gifts men give her (to the point that there are photos of almost a dozen different dudes in her suitcase)… and is also happy to not let the small little detail of having a boyfriend cramp her style. She starts off in a small carnival doing a “sexy” act while singing a song. Due to circumstances, she is forced to do a lion tamer act in a big circus, where she then meets more than one rich man. Yeah, it was clear to me how they faked the effect of Mae in there with a pride of lions in a circular enclosure… that’s not an insult, considering that no one should trust a pride of lions in that scenario.

It was quite an amusing film between the scenarios, Tira’s one-liners, her enthusiasm as a “common girl” who experiences riches & luxury due to lunkhead men swooning over her, etc. Courtroom scenes in general I don’t always love due to bad cliches, improbable nonsense, etc. Yet, that long segment which served as the final act wasn’t a chore due to West & her star power. Cary Grant doesn’t even show up until the second half of the picture and that was irrelevant as it was proper for the story and Mae always entranced me… almost like I was one of the randy men in the opening scenes howling for her at the carnival.

The Hays Code neutering the entire Mae West act: a crying shame. Alas, there’s this film—which had her in some spectacular clothing-one piece can accurately be described as a spider dress-which had some catchy songs from her to boot. One day I should look at one of her Code movies out of sheer curiosity; more than 20 years ago, I saw her in Myra Breckenridge… that was HORRIBLE in an entirely fascinating way, yet I haven’t mustered up the courage to tackle what I know will be a movie which has elements even more appalling than my opinion of them in the early 2000’s.

 

The Fire Within: Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft

This is a 2022 documentary also about the famed volcanologists which has only received a fraction of the attention that Fire of Love did, despite Requiem having come from none other than Werner Herzog: 

While I know this wasn't the intent of Sara Dosa and Werner Herzog, this movie made for a swell companion piece to Fire of Love. Love has received far more attention despite the stature of who directed & narrated Requiem. There was genuine curiosity to compare & contrast, plus getting to see even more stunning footage of volcanoes was greatly appealing.

To echo what others have stated, while Love was naturally more romantic in presenting the relationship between Katia & Maurice Kraftt and their stature as volcanologists, Requiem was more focused on the footage that they shot during their expeditions & the metamorphosis of them from scientists to filmmakers who were performers in front of the camera-but Herzog did not proclaim this as an insult-for the purpose of education and later, warning the public and governments about the danger of what they study. Death is indeed a theme; besides seeing much more footage of them in Japan during the final days of their lives, the narration includes references to the how apocalyptic the eruptions were.

In different ways, it is probable that many people would think that the narration of Miranda July in Love and Werner's here fall solidly into the category of ASMR... to do some more contrasting, Love's score is full of dream-like ambient electronic music; there's literally a Brian Eno song present. Likewise, Requiem contains what may very well be music from Herzog's iPod, to steal a line. There's plenty of classical and operatic music, which by my stereotyping seems to fit. The Tejano song... heck, I have no trouble believing he'd listen to that genre either. Regardless, those soundtracks are appropriate for the respective films.

I believe both documentaries are worthy of viewing, not just for the treat of all the footage they shot, but also for what seemed like a more complete picture of Katia & Maurice Krafft as a couple, scientists, celebrities, and advocates. Next month via the Criterion Channel will be my first time viewing another Herzog documentary in more than 15 years; in addition, there likely are a few who would also be curious in my reviewing one of his narrative films, as that hasn't happened on Letterboxd as of yet.

Fire of Love

Yes, I'm referring to the 2022 documentary by Sara Dosa concerning the famed volcanologists Katia and Maurice Kraftt, who sadly although perhaps destined by fate to perish doing the task they both loved. That review is below: 

A film mainly watched to see all the stellar volcano footage, but there's a touching love story among all the lava flow. When this was released almost two years ago, all the rave reviews on Letterboxd were remembered by me. As I should actually use my Hulu account while subscribed, why not check out something so highly regarded while seeing what famed volcanologists Katia & Maurice Kraftt filmed during their lifetimes.

The format was standard: after an opening then the revelation that they both died in 1991-this was early on, so it's not a spoiler-their love story of how they met & both were obsessed were volcanoes was shown then aside from some fancy split screen shots and wacky graphics, much of this is Miranda July narration (more on her at the end; for now I'll say that what she speaks is NOT similar to the twee pretentious movies she directs) and due to their obsession with filming all their expeditions, a treasure trove of footage was available to show of all the active eruptions they filmed, often right next to the danger. Whether they were just kindred spirits or their love was more traditional (perhaps it was both), they had their differences yet worked well together... the work they did resulting in communities taking the threat of eruptions seriously, I did not think, “Oh, what foolish idiots they are! Why are you standing right next to lava shooting up in the air?”

As archival interviews are also used of the couple, a full picture could be painted of their relationship & how they stayed together while in such a field full of unpredictability & risk. The footage also fascinated me so there was no regrets in discovering why many film fans swooned hard for Fire of Love. A familiar song or two pops up on the soundtrack; otherwise, it was score composed by one of the two guys who are part of the French electronic act Air. This does reflect what kind of score you should expect if you're familiar with Air.

This was my initial exposure to Miranda July in anything; her narration was fine. I've noted in the past that “pretentious twaddle” is not for me and I know enough about her movies to give them a wide berth. After all, when you name the main character in your latest picture OLD DOLIO... life is too short and could end unexpectedly-as this documentary proved-so it would be best to skip something I am sure to loathe. This noted, I'll unfortunately think of a horrible post on a messageboard when I think of Ms. July. Someone saw Me and You and Everyone We Know and became irrationally angry. That's one thing; the details are fuzzy now as this was a long time ago but let's just say that “he threatened bodily harm towards her.” Even in those less sensitive days, this person was rightly vilified for his WTF comments.

Rollerball

Rollerball (1975)

Runtime: 125 minutes

Directed by: Norman Jewison (RIP)

Starring: James Caan, John Houseman, Maud Adams, John Beck, Moses Gunn

From: United Artists

RIP Norman Jewison

When this news broke yesterday that the legendary Canadian director had passed away on Saturday at the glorious old age of 97, one of his movies had to be seen that night. It was only then that I realized what a long, storied career he had—directing many popular feature films for four full decades. In the Heat of the Night was watched by me two years ago so what I chose was a cult favorite available to me for free as a Prime member. James Caan in a futuristic dystopian sci-fi movie about a version of roller derby w/ motorcycles where from all appearances it is the only sport left? Sure!

I do wish the film would have been more enjoyable in telling its tale of how in a world literally ran by corporations, they wish for its most famous & tenured player, “Jonathan E.” to retire… implicitly, it likely is due to those bigwigs wishing for new stars to rise as it’d be a better story. Then again, it may very well just be my cynical nature that wrote this part of the story in, as it was so open-ended an alternate explanation could have been, “They wish for this great warrior to retire on top rather than decline in skill then hang it up.” Regardless, he naturally is reluctant to do so. There isn’t much else to the film besides the standard “a totalitarian future totally sucks now, wouldn’t it?” sort of message.

The actual gameplay, rules, and machinations are irrelevant in this case as it’s more about characters like Jonathan E. and his hilarious friend-who has the even more hilarious name MOONPIE-standing up to tyranny, and blah blah blah. As others have dutifully noted, Caan probably should have just followed orders and retired as he has (except for those corporate types interfering w/ his love life) it all; wanting to be “a good teammate” will probably seen peculiar to many.

It's a shame the story to me had more than a few missteps and to reiterate, wasn’t as enjoyable as it should have been. It’s always nice seeing the likes of Caan, Maud Adams, Burt Kwouk, and Moses Gunn; however, what kept my attention was the astounding look at the 1970’s version of the future… by the way, I really should have watched this film in 2018, as that was the year of its setting! That retrofuturism was a real gas and never not entertained me. This included the giant televisions where three small TV’s were above it-perhaps because the aesthetic-and chairs designed to be as uncomfortable & awkward as possible. 

In the future, it will naturally occur that I’ll finally discuss more films from the late Norman Jewison; hopefully those will be ones I think are better on a critical level. As this may be in the back of people’s minds… no, the reviled remake from 2002 has been avoided on purpose and don’t expect that to change—unless one day I decide to be self-masochistic and harshly punish myself!

 

I.S.S.

I.S.S. (2023)

63% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 123 reviews)

Runtime: 95 minutes

Directed by: Gabriela Cowperthwaite

Starring: Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina, John Gallagher, Jr, Masha Mashkova, Costa Ronin, Pilou Asbaek

From: Bleecker Street

Truthfully, the film’s trailer entertained me more for its usage of Winds of Change from the Scorpions rather than what I saw. Still, the premise was interesting (I’m hoping that the idea of nuclear war breaking out between the United States and Russia is just a nightmare rather than a scenario that hits too close to home due to likelihood) and the idea of a sextet of characters in what appeared to be a single location throughout made me hope this would be fine despite general consensus and its status as a box office flop. Supporting a small studio like Bleecker Street is also a nice gesture on my part.

This was a single location film after the opening scene where two new characters joined the four already on the International Space Station. War does indeed break out & the Americans get the message to take control of the I.S.S. “by any means necessary.” What you’d think is a “paranoid thriller” and technically, that was what happened, although there was a decided lack of tension and suspense for my tastes. The final scene I’m unsure of; “abrupt” is an apt term to use. More confident is my opinion that the journey to get to the denouement was not always agreeable w/ me. In fact, it was kind of dumb at times. A shame, as the small cast is game, the effects are good for the budget and the Anne Nikitin score is serviceable for the setting.

From reviews, it’s not the most realistic depiction of the I.S.S., not that this was expected by me. Ultimately, the moments that weren’t dopey are destined to quickly be forgotten by me. Despite some nice visuals there’s no real need for the theatrical experience—not that there’s too much out which is of interest to me. What an interesting fictional feature film for its director, Gabriela Cowperthwaite. If you were like me up to a few days ago and didn’t know the name: that’s the person responsible for the 2013 “Sea World is evil” documentary Blackfish. There’s a movie you shouldn’t expect me to review; it’s probably best not to discuss what I presume is controversial material.

Cinderella

Cinderella (1950)

Runtime: 74 minutes

Directed by: Clyde Geronimi/Wilfred Jackson/Hamilton Luske

Starring: Some talented voice artists

From: Disney

This wasn’t my first selection for Saturday night viewing (what I chose on the Criterion Channel was allegedly in 1080p but was incredibly blurry; if I ever find a better copy elsewhere, I’ll say then what it was); deciding to use Disney+ to check out a film for the first time since childhood was a swell idea.

I can’t definitely state that everyone reading this will know the Cinderella story; however, that presumption will be made. It was likely a wise decision to include various animals in this tale where we see grotesque teenage girls and an even uglier stepmother abuse poor innocent “Cinderelly”; the levity of them being surprisingly good seamstresses and tormenting a buffoon cat known as LUCIFER (there’s one of many memories that become wisps in my mind long ago) does help. Their slang also tickled me pink. I did not recall how much screentime they had, but the balance just seemed right to me. When I mentioned “the Cinderella story” I was referring to sanitized versions like this rather than what I understand the original folk tale is—the main change I memorized from hearsay was that the two stepsisters attempt to mutilate their feet so it could fit the glass slipper!

This was simply a pleasant experience. What stunning animation that looks especially satisfying in a 4K/Dolby Vision stream where I’ve seen photographic evidence that it fixes a totally botched Blu-ray presentation from long ago. The music from Oliver Wallace and Paul Smith is perhaps even better; the strongest memories I had were of those songs. It was easy to root for the heroes and hiss as the villains; no surprise to me that this was a box office hit which saved Disney from financial trouble at the time. They could use one of those in 2024…

 

The Dark Crystal

The Dark Crystal (1983)

Runtime: 93 minutes

Directed by: Jim Henson/Frank Oz

Starring: Various voice artists and puppeteers

From: ITC

Some may be aghast that this hadn’t been seen before by me despite my status as a child of the 80’s and 90’s. While it wasn’t a box office smash, its release on video was standard so there were opportunities as a kid. It’s a dark adventure tale for families and despite its general weirdness, that likely wouldn’t have been an issue back then. Last month the film was on HDNet Movies, so just now I got around to the DVR recording I made.

After one hell of an info dump by a narrator, the story is presented; due to the target audience, it’s not War & Peace… but it was still compelling to view Jen-one of a race of humanoid elfin creatures known as the Gelflings-go on a hero’s journey to put back together a shard from the titular crystal (cracked a millennia ago) to prevent the evil vulture-like Skeksis from ruling FOREVER over the Gelflings and the kind Mystics… to steal a quote from the concept artist Brian Froud himself, think a cross between a dog and dinosaur.

These days, I have no clue how many modern adventure stories there are out there (for any age bracket) involving a prophecy, a quest, grotesque villains, weird creatures, alien lands, and all the rest… The Dark Crystal does scratch that itch. The story intrigues but it’s for certain the production design and the practical effects that are standouts. Whether it be the sets, the design of all the creatures, the puppetry, or the visual tricks done in the age before CG, it was always a visual delight; aurally, the Trevor Jones score was also a treat.

As previously mentioned, this is a dark fantasy; the intent was to be like a Brothers Grimm story, so it was supposed to be a bit frightening for children. At times, some may think it’s too frightening but I was glad to have finally gone on this quest. And yes, I do remember all the positive buzz that the Netflix prequel series (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance) got when it debuted several years ago.

Winnetou 1: Apache Gold

Winnetou 1: Apache Gold (Winnetou 1: Teil) (1963)

Runtime: 101 minutes

Directed by: Harald Reinl

Starring: Lex Barker, Pierre Brice, Mario Adorf, Marie Versini, Walter Barnes

From: A few companies in West Germany, Italy, & Yugoslavia

A film watched due to who followed me yesterday. Several did but one was a gentleman from Germany who recently saw some 60’s German genre films. He must have liked what I said about 1962’s Treasure of Silver Lake and 1964’s Winnetou: The Red Gentleman; both are West German westerns based on books by German author Karl May… OLD SHATTERHAND is a badass white guy who is bros with Winnetou, an Apache warrior. Treasure and Gentlemen are both fun westerns that feature resplendent Croatian scenery as a stand-in for the Wild West. As I now have multiple followers who enjoy 60’s German genre films-not to mention a few Deutsch followers-it seemed wise to discuss one that is easy to find.

Thus, a Prime rental was made. Note that the copy on Amazon is in great HD quality… it is dubbed, which normally would be OK with me. However, on more than a dozen occasions, the audio switches to German! Thankfully, I quickly turned on the subtitles to see what happened: turns out, both the English and German dialogue is subtitled in English. How about that? A goofy side character that only appears in a few scenes—his dialogue was never in English.

This is an origin film for how Shatterhand and Winnetou first develop their bromance. Mario Adorf (a personal favorite) is a vile heel who wants the titular Apache gold and that is proven through some awful actions. Our heroes-which also include Winnetou’s pretty sister and a wacky bearded guy who wears a wig as he was previously scalped-engage in various shootouts w/ Adorf & his band of merry men.

The Croatian scenery is still resplendent, the action beats were what you’d expect from the genre (they were done well), attention should be given to the quality score from Martin Bottcher-it was the best I’ve heard him do in the genre-and there was a rather absurd yet hilarious denouement to a stand-off in a saloon… the movie was a pretty good time.

 

The Spell

The Spell (1977)

Runtime: I saw the 73 minute version

Directed by: Lee Phillips

Starring: Lee Grant, Susan Myers, Helen Hunt (!), James Olson, Lelia Goldoni

From: This originally aired on NBC

How hadn’t I heard of this movie until last night? When it was stumbled upon while scrolling through Prime, it was noted as being a made for TV picture featuring a “fat teenage girl” (to use the harsh Prime synopsis) who “causes terrible accidents with her mind”… now what does this remind me of? Before pressing play, I only knew it starred Lee Grant; imagine my shock at seeing HELEN HUNT in the opening credits. Only afterwards did I realize this was a rare TV movie which was released on VHS; a few years ago Scream Factory put out the film on Blu, and it was a longer 86 minute cut. Prime had the original 73 minute version in SD, so it was like I was back in February, 1977 when this made its debut on NBC.

From hearsay, the screenplay for this film was written concurrently to when Stephen King wrote Carrie. Even if that’s true, the beginning & finale alone solidify that the De Palma movie was an inspiration. Thankfully, the rest wasn’t an Italian-style ripoff where little is changed. Rita is the “fat teenage girl,” although she was more chubby than obese. She wasn’t 300 pounds, let alone the size of Brendan Fraser in The Whale. That said, it’s not a surprise that 15 year olds would bully someone who is even a little different—I know the feeling. Life at home is a mess: only mom Lee Grant has a warm relationship w/ her. She detests both her father and 13 year old sister Hunt. When strange events start occurring… the title is a hint.

The movie is uneven and it is 70’s made for TV horror thrills, for better or for worse; only one death is rather gnarly. Plenty of this is drama, yet it still compelled me as it showed that both parents (especially the aloof dad) prefer the thinner, less eccentric Hunt. Perhaps it’s not a surprise that Rita can occasionally be a terror at the age of 15. Some other performers I did recognize, such as Lelia Goldoni & James Olson-one day I should track down the cult favorite The Mafu Cage, which stars Grant and Olson-although I do have to mention Susan Myers as Rita. For someone w/ a brief career, she did rather well.

I was amused by the more histrionic elements & did not lose my attention during the dramatic dialogue-heavy scenes; performances fine across the board, a score that’s hilariously of its time at times, a wild ending… again, it’s a mystery to me why I never heard or remember hearing about The Spell in the past.

High Road to China

High Road to China (1983)

Runtime: 101 minutes

Directed by: Brian G. Hutton, although he wasn’t the first choice

Starring: Tom Selleck, Bess Armstrong, Jack Weston, Wilford Brimley, Brian Blessed

From: Several production companies, including Golden Harvest

Son: Mom, I want you to rent or purchase Raiders of the Lost Ark!

Mom: But son, we have it at home!

(They have High Road to China at home)

It is not a perfect comparison but this is what Tom Selleck had to do when he wasn’t allowed to be Indiana Jones. By now, many probably know the tale of how Selleck was asked to star in Raiders of the Lost Ark, but wasn’t allowed to because it was such a long production and he had Magnum P.I. Well, later he did have time to star in what was obviously inspired by Raiders, even if I understand this was loosely based on a novel & was in gestation since the late 70’s. In fact, John Huston then Sidney J. Furie were originally to be the director, before leaving and Brian G. Hutton was the man in the chair for this film.

This could have been a real blast, a lot of fun as an adventure. In the 1920’s, rich flapper Bess Armstrong is forced to hire alcoholic ex-World War I ace fighter pilot Tom to find her missing father, else she lose the family fortune. They and Selleck’s pal Jack Weston travel in a pair of biplanes (Bess is a Girl Boss so she can fly like an expert herself) at first to Afghanistan, then several other locations before the final destination of China… note that most of High Road to China was filmed in what is now Croatia. Those two bicker—sadly, too often for my merriment. Their blathering dialogue was irritating instead of charming.

Regrettably, the picture has little in the way of momentum; that’s an issue when there is a time limit for daddy to be found. China just felt so flat and listless despite the expected hate then love of the two leads and the exotic places they visit on this quest. It was nice seeing Wilford Brimley in the final act as the father and Brian Blessed-him as a performer, not necessarily him portraying an Afghan warrior-and the aerial footage was well-realized.

Overall, the movie is “meh” even if not compared to Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was also one of the times that Golden Harvest (one of the producers) tried but failed to break into the United States market. It’s just lame (or even infuriating) too often and only the action beats, the charm of the leads-even if their chemistry isn’t sizzling-and the airplane stuff that earns this even an average rating. Too often it seemed like this was on… autopilot.

What I’ll remember the most: how I tracked down an HD copy of the movie. Sometimes I refer to visiting “the bowels of the Internet” to find a stream via less than ethical means. Via a search for another film, a new site was discovered; yeah, it’s one of those where you better have a good anti-virus program on your computer, but it has at least one obscurity that can’t be found anywhere else. That is where I saw this disappointment.