The Wages of Fear (A Netflix Remake?!)

The Wages of Fear (Le Salarie de la Peur) (2024)

Runtime: 104 excruciating minutes

Directed by: Julien Leclercq

Starring: A bunch of French people who are probably better off having me not mention them

From: Of course Netflix would release something this putrid

A movie so bad, I probably won’t renew my Netflix subscription! It expires tonight and given that their offerings still mostly aren’t for me, including how mediocre or worse most of their original films are…

To make an even more blasphemous statement, I’ll likely never see a version of this story I’ll love. The idea of transporting nitro across a barren landscape SHOULD cause me to swoon, but in the THREE movies before this, I’ve never loved the characters and/or the overall plot. This includes:

Sorcerer, where the leads are all A-holes I couldn’t give a damn about, even with a character I’ll always remember as “Bootleg Rutger Hauer.”

The original Wages of Fear, where the leads are all A-holes I couldn’t give a damn about and it takes almost an hour to literally get on the road.

The quite obscure 1958 Warner Brothers programmer Violent Road, which was an unauthorized remake starring Brian Keith. The OG Clouzot movie and Sorcerer were both fine due to some great suspenseful scenes while Violent Road is only OK overall.

That is why I did not react in horror when hearing about this French Netflix remake that debuted on Good Friday. Most people likely did not know there WAS a remake until recently; last year I read an article announcing this project.

This time, in an unnamed African country (filmed in Morocco) nitro is needed to prevent a huge explosion at a random village where some random French people live. Great optics, I know--regrettably, this also has rampant sexism and like in all the other versions of the story, A-holes I couldn’t give a damn about! What idiotic characters-not to mention cliches-they all were. Mix in nonsense involving this country’s military rule/random insurgents showing up, not to mention a surprising lack of suspense during the driving scenes.

Heck, this oddly had a lack of plot momentum even once the transportation began. As the CG didn’t look great, the action never rose above “OK” and there’s too much time spent not driving the shipment while they have their figurative hands on their Peters. I am sure those that do love the Clouzot original and Sorcerer will be righteously offended at how this turns out so they need to avoid as if the movie was nitroglycerine. 

Even worse, the movie gets stupider and stupider the further this film lurches to a pathetic ending. The fact that I groaned several times during the final act (including what was supposed to stir emotions in the audience), there is a huge factor in why I am giving this such a low grade. March as a whole had me not getting to some movies I said elsewhere I would—that will finally happen in April, along with more variety.

 

Toy Soldiers

Toy Soldiers (1991)

Runtime: 112 minutes

Directed by: Daniel Petrie, Jr.

Starring: Sean Astin, Wil Wheaton, Keith Coogan, Andrew Divoff, Louis Gossett, Jr. (RIP)

From: Tri-Star

RIP Louis Gossett, Jr.

I realize there are better and more well-renowned films that could have been watched in tribute to the late actor that passed away just yesterday. I’ve only watched some of his movies in my life, not all of which have been reviewed here by me. The reason why this was selected: back in the day, my two sisters liked this movie yet I had only seen a small part of it… yes, one of which was the rebellious teenagers that were our leads calling a phone sex line and listening until being caught by Dean Gossett at their prep school.

Think of this as “Die Hard starring teens.” Our protagonists go to a prep school known for housing kids that have been kicked out of other institutions. They have rich & powerful fathers, a reason why Andrew Divoff and gang hold the school hostage in a bid to get his father out of prison. The movie does seem a bit overlong for the plot told but eventually the youth decide to fight back as the pros on the outside (including R. Lee Ermey and a famous face uncredited so I won’t mention him) can’t do much.

My sisters probably liked the movie because it starred such handsome young men as Sean Astin and Wil Wheaton; who knows what they thought of all the violent, bloody moments the film had; the viewer sees the aftermath of a body thrown out the window and a close-up of someone shot in the forehead. Of course it’s far-fetched yet was fine as a Die Hard clone which at least had a decent gimmick of protagonists that weren’t quite adults, even if more than one was played by an actor of adult age.

It's a film where not all the established actors (Mason Adams, Denholm Elliott) get much to do. Be that as it may, it was a fine 90’s curio I was happy to finally experience in full.

 

Late Night with the Devil

Late Night with the Devil (2024)

96% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 142 reviews)

Runtime: 93 minutes

Directed by: Cameron Cairnes/Colin Cairnes

Starring: David Dastmalchian, Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, Ingrid Torelli, Rhys Auteri

From: An absurd amount of companies

Warning: this movie was like catnip for my particular tastes! Note that this will be a longer review than typical; a big reason is that the 800 pound demon in the room has to be addressed, and that is a trio of AI images that were used as interstitials during the faux program they presented. Now, I am NOT endorsing the filmmakers deciding to create those images when they otherwise had nice production design where human beings brought the 1970’s to life. At the same time… as far as I can see, this was only discovered when some random person on Film Twitter used a computer program (the irony) to determine that an image from the movie even was AI. 

From there, a massive overreaction happened, with too many-and not just on Twitter, admittedly-frothing at the mouth, calling for boycotts and bootlegging, as if the filmmakers had sacrificed a baby to Satan! I can comprehend that not everyone reading this will agree, but I am still baffled at all those people wanting to burn the print of the film just because of THREE images in a misguided effort on the filmmakers’ part.

If someone would discard my opinion on this topic, offense won’t be taken. It is a fact that the film interested me when info first appeared online last year. A faux broadcast of a late-nite talk show that competed w/ Johnny Carson which featured a possessed girl on Halloween, 1977… already you had me sold. Never did I think it’d be something I could witness on the big screen, let alone it receive wide theatrical release in the United States.

However, a key character as an obvious haughty, arrogant version of the late magician turned skeptic James Randi—the film was keyed in just for me. Some deep Randi lore was used also… I might be the only one who has ever heard of the Stanford Research Institute; no, they are not connected with Stanford University (I’m sure they were mortified at the implied association) but instead were a pseudoscience institute. It was like they injected this movie straight into my veins!

Heck, none other than Michael Ironside narrated the opening which explained the backstory of Jack Delroy, host of a network late talk show that competed with The Tonight Show and thus lost in the ratings battle. The rest of the film was found footage of a show from Halloween 1977 mixed with footage that wasn’t during the commercial breaks. The fuse slowly burned as the characters were presented, including the goofball band leader Gus, Not James Randi (i.e. Carmichael Haig), possessed teen Lilly and her handler June. Other hallmarks of the period appeared, including a Satanic cult.

The movie isn’t without nitpicks. After all, the digital effects sometimes looked unrealistic, and the movie takes a turn in the final 5 minutes which left me flummoxed until the purpose of that turn was revealed. I am still not 100% with that decision but as Late Night with the Devil looked the part, was paced like a 70’s film, escalated well, featured some hilarious-looking people who had a 1970’s appearance, and for those that like the WNUF Halloween Special but wish for more graphic moments…

The film will be on Shudder next month. I was happy for this unexpected theatrical experience. At home, I can determine the exact amount of production logos that appeared before the movie began. It was somewhere between eight and eleven! Independent movies by their nature will have a few different companies involved. However, I’d never seen a film with so many; some in the crowd laughed & I’ve heard others at different screenings felt the same way.

 

High Plains Drifter

High Plains Drifter (1973)

Runtime: 105 minutes

Directed by: Clint Eastwood

Starring: Eastwood, Verna Bloom, Marianna Hill, Mitchell Ryan, Jack Ging

From: Universal

Well, this was a grim Western… I know multiple people have used that term but it is apt. Before it leaves Netflix at the end of the month, I had to check this out, and that was a wise decision.

Clint Eastwood directed his second film and starred as Stranger, a cowboy who rolls into the corrupt mining town of Lago and besides his menacing presence, the town’s cowardly past has them afraid of strangers in general. An old town marshal was murdered, and think Kitty Genovese with the bystanders… no, really, that was the inspiration for this story. Stranger basically trolls these pathetic people after they hire him to protect them from those murderers returning to town.

Stranger is not a hero. Sure, he treats the town’s Hispanics, Native Americans and the subjugated dwarf well, but as for the women… sexual assault occurs, including the one decent white woman, to put it bluntly. That was regrettable but otherwise I can’t complain about this rather dark tale that possesses some even darker humor. Nihilistic, this was. Most of the characters are various degrees of loathsome, including the protagonist. That may be a turn-off with some; me, it (mostly) worked with this supernatural-flavored tale. How exactly this is supernatural—that won’t be spoiled for those that haven’t viewed High Plains Drifter yet, except that there are different interpretations as to the true nature of Stranger-that was deliberate on Eastwood’s part.

The film was lovingly shot by Bruce Surtees in rural California, right by Mono Lake. This and the haunting eerie score from Dee Barton buttressed the vibes and mood. I was gripped by the story—bad things happening to bad people can be great in a schadenfreude sort of way. For my tastes, High Plains Drifter not being unrelentingly grim to the point of being miserable was a big asset in my enjoyment. Out of all the Eastwood movies the Beastie Boys could have used to title that song on their seminal Paul’s Boutique album, they chose this…

To mention a more relevant detail, those that like the pitch-black Euro-westerns, Drifter is a must.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

44% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 241 reviews)

Runtime: 115 minutes

Directed by: Gil Kenan

Starring: The OG cast, the ones from Afterlife, plus people like Emily Alyn Lind & Kumail Nanjiani

From: Columbia

I probably shouldn't give this movie a passing grade, but... I'll explain why in a moment. The entire Ghostbusters franchise wasn't one I loved as a kid despite seeing the second theatrically. That said, II is fine, along with Afterlife. The 2016 reboot... between the cast full of women known for playing characters that repel me and what I've heard about “the humor”, it was designed to be my Kryptonite so I'll never even bother. We'll likely not get something very good like the OG Ghostbusters but in a world full of awful reboots/remakes/sequels, I'll be happy w/ something that is fine. Then again, I do wish the plot of Frozen Empire didn't have at least one giant plot hole...

The humor was also hit and miss with me; it may have been different had anyone else been at my screening. Yes, there was a location in downtown Orlando with a cineplex where tickets are discounted each Tuesday yet this big new movie had no other takers. Given the rather lackluster quality of their food and service, no wonder. Nevertheless, this is another one of those films where the threat is something supernatural and world-threatening. Albeit as someone who avoids most comic book movies, I'm aware enough to realize the trend is played out. The plot also was rather overstuffed in general.

Be that as it may, Afterlife leaned WAY hard into nostalgia for the first film and that was an issue. At least the threat in Frozen Empire was different and the movie wasn't full of “'member berries.” One asset in Afterlife was my finding the lead family to be both realistic and pleasant to be around; the same holds true here w/ Paul Rudd as the surrogate dad. Yeah, it's still dumb that there's a kid only known as PODCAST; yes, he returned for this along with the girl known as Lucky. There are a lot of characters here, including someone new who the viewers barely gets to know besides his accent. Then again, one minor character was only revealed to be the mayor of New York City at the end, and I'm baffled why that was never made clear until this point!

Moments like that made me wary of giving this a passing grade. Yet, I was glad this tried to have heart and wasn't stuffed w/ overplayed soundtrack tunes... although the bonkers variety of Afterlife (Willie Nelson, Buzzcocks, The Shirells, AND Funkadelic) was inspired even by my standards. Many modern special effects extravaganzas are simply avoided by me; this movie doesn't soften my stance on them by any means yet as long as you don't scrutinize the plot-like, at all-then this works as popcorn entertainment.

A First World Problem Update

So, my plans for Sunday were completely screwed up. Last night, my 4K TV died, and after only 3 years of what I would say was regular use. Today, I did go out and purchase a new one, but between the expensive expenditure, the drive there and back, setting it up, and all the other rigmarole... it may be a few days before I have a new review.

The Olsen Gang

The Olsen Gang (Olsen Banden) (1968)

Runtime: 80 minutes

Directed by: Erik Balling

Starring: Ove Sprogoe, Morten Grunwald, Poul Bundgaard, Peter Steen, Poul Reichhardt

From: Nordisk Film

I watch a comedic Danish heist film? Sure! Actually, Olsen-Banden is a famous franchise not only in Denmark, but all through Scandinavia and Germany; Norway and Sweden made their own versions of the films. None other than Wes Anderson is a fan; I won’t hold that against the franchise! Regrettably, finding any of the movies w/ English subtitles anywhere is nearly impossible. Even if I wanted to continue this journey of watching the entire franchise, that is a no-go. I thankfully found the OG Olsen Gang movie on the Internet Archive.

Egon, Benny and Kjeld are the titular gang; from what I understand, in all of them gang leader Egon is seen walking out of prison and picked up by his buddies. They conjure schemes in an attempt for riches. In the first few movies, Mortensen is the Detective enemy who always tries to stop them. The gang is the bumbling type, but Mortensen is analogous to Clouseau in terms of bumbling. The comedy reaches new heights after the heist.

Benny and Kjeld have families, which prove to be entanglements. I was not expecting a literal child to be part of the scheme. Then again, I also wasn’t expecting F bombs and topless women, but The Olsen Gang has both! Wiki also told me that this lessened through history as of course children would also like a series with pratfalls, characters constantly running away from trouble, & objects getting destroyed.

The movie is not the best of its type; that said, The Olsen Gang still was amusing & provided enough chuckles where I can state that it-complete w/ jaunty Dixieland jazz that sets a jovial mood-was fun. From hearsay I understand the series improved through the years. Even here, it was apparent why those characters and their camaraderie as anti-heroes would find fervor among the population.

 

Aguirre, the Wrath of God

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Aguirre, Der Zorn Gottes) (1972)

Runtime: 95 minutes

Directed by: Werner Herzog

Starring: Klaus Kinski, Ray Guerra, Helena Rojo, Del Negro, Peter Berling

From: Several different West German and Mexican companies

Perhaps I should start calling Klaus Kinski “an actual madman” instead of “probable real-life villain.” As I read more about him and the making of this film… there are multiple films where someone wanted to murder him for his behavior! He was such an obnoxious boor and volatile-not to mention the rumors of vile behavior w/ him & his kids-I try to separate art from artist yet it is hard to when he is said to have been incredibly enthusiastic to play the title character here—a madman in 1560’s Peru who leads a mutiny while on a search for El Dorado. As my first-ever Werner Herzog fictional film, this was a wise selection by myself.

The intent of the film was to present how increasingly absurd the quest was for white people (along with native slaves) in half-armor to traipse around the Amazon jungles based on unfounded rumors of a gold city in South America. The journey does not go well… the highlight performance was from Kinski; while theatrical, it did fit the material as the titular character descended further into psychosis. The trek includes journeys on rapids via wooden rafts; in fact, Coppola admitted this was a big influence on Apocalypse Now. In addition, the shoot was difficult as the cast & crew worked in such a harsh environment and had to travel on those rafts. In comparison to the Apocalypse Now shoot, on the other hand…

The film’s incredibly tenuous connection w/ reality in terms of the characters presented here that were based on actual figures was irrelevant when the movie looked stunning with how the breathtaking locations were filmed, the plot and the ethereal score from krautrock band Popol Vuh. The latter aspect was a key component in driving the film & keeping me enthralled, between the pan flute and the faux chorus that was created on analog synths.

Just days ago, it was announced that Herzog was returning to the fictional world with Dead Man’s Wire, a movie starring another Letterboxd favorite, Nicolas Cage. For certain, I’ll see some other Herzog fictional films in the future.

 

White Sands

White Sands (1992)

Runtime: 101 minutes

Directed by: Roger Donaldson

Starring: Willem Dafoe, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, M. Emmet Walsh (RIP)

From: Warner Bros./Morgan Creek

RIP M. Emmet Walsh. Like with many in the film community, this bit of news brought upon negative feelings, yet at the same time was a reminder of his villainous turns in pictures like Blood Simple & Straight Time, along with negative characters in movies like Ordinary People. I’ve already reviewed those movies and if I view any of them later in tribute, that won’t be posted about on Letterboxd. Instead, I went w/ a film I’ve heard of and thought in the past of checking out. This gave me the final push to do so, for free on Prime. After all, what a cast it has.

It is a neo-noir set in New Mexico, a desert landscape appropriate for many films in the genre. The movie’s finale was filmed at what is now White Sands National Park, where there are giant dunes not full of sandworms but white sand. Willem Dafoe is Ray (not Rachel) Dolezal, a deputy sheriff who gets roped into a situation after discovering a dead body out in the desert w/ half a million in greenbacks. For the sake of ID’ing the body, he poses as the victim in a phone call—what a mistake that was.

The famous faces you see here include Dafoe, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, & Walsh in a small role as a sardonic coroner who isn’t evil but has some sketchy morals as he suggests they should take $20,000 of the movie as no one would notice. There’s also James Rebhorn, Maura Tierney, some “that guy” actors like Miguel Sandoval, and even a few uncredited names (including Dolezal’s wife) that will not be spoiled here.

A shame then that the movie typically doesn’t rise above a simmer, the plot for all its twists (perhaps too many) isn’t really that byzantine, has a few logic holes and did not grab me like it probably should have. Yet I shouldn’t carp too loudly about a movie that’s still fine and watchable. Yes, I’d hope for something better giving the talent involved-I should also do a deeper dive on the filmography of director Roger Donaldson-but it had a decent score, nice cinematography from Peter Menzies, Jr. and the benefits of those famous actors.

M Emmet Walsh’s role in White Sands was only a few scenes in the first 15 minutes; even in a truncated role, it was still a delight to see him as it was always a delight to see him perform on screen. I was happy to see the outpouring on Twitter after his death was announced; many will miss him as much as I will. As for White Sands, it is passable entertainment—perhaps it belongs as the back-end of you creating your own drive-in double feature at home. Perhaps it would pair well w/ Blood Simple, No Country for Old Men, or perhaps even the recent genre example set in New Mexico, Love Lies Bleeding.

 

I Watched Quite the Silent from 1913

It was called Suspense. (with a period) and I describe this home invasion thriller (yes, that's right) below: 

It felt like the time to discuss a short truly ahead of its time, from a women filmmaker ahead of her time. Lois Weber is sadly someone who I knew precious little of before doing some online sleuthing last night; the fact that some of her work was on the Criterion Channel was also a revelation to me. She deserves plenty of accolades for her filmmaking techniques, the amount of work she directed through the silent years, and owning her own studio. She was most famous for her social realist dramas—Suspense. was not that.

Instead, this 10 minute short was a thriller where a wife (w/ infant) telephones her husband that a “tramp” (i.e. a hobo) was breaking into their house, necessitating his dash to the rescue. This was brought to life in stunning fashion, at least by 1913 standards. There’s a POV chase scene involving creative shots using the sideview mirror of a car, a triangle split-screen effect, and tropes we still see today in feature films devoted to home invasion thrillers.

Co-directed by her husband Phillips Smalley, Suspense-which also starred Weber-has made me eager to do a deeper dive of her filmography. If her social dramas feel as revolutionary in their field as Suspense. did in its field, it will be a fascinating journey.

Da 5 Bloods

Da 5 Bloods (2020)

Runtime: 156 minutes

This was a Spike Lee joint

Starring: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters, Norm Lewis, Isiah Whitlock, Jr., Chadwick Boseman

From: Netflix

The large role that Jonathan Majors has bears no impact on my rating. It was the first thing I’ve ever seen him in and acting-wise, no complaints. As a human being… most signs suggest he’s an abusive clod who also is afflicted w/ self-importance. He was not the main reason why I selected the film on Netflix. Feeling like I should see some more Spike Lee joints was more important for me. So was a Chadwick Boseman role that wasn’t in the MCU.

It was a long yet compelling journey as four veterans of the Vietnam War return to the country after decades to find the remains of their fallen comrade Boseman… and locate the gold they found back then; circumstances allowed them to finally find the loot again. I should try and track down interviews or at least quotes where Lee discusses the old movies or plays he is a fan of. After all, he adapted the Greek play Lysistrata into Chi-Raq (not one of his most popular films), remade Oldboy-most say it’s his worst movie-will put his spin on Kurosawa’s High and Low soon, & Bloods was his riff on The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

Of course the idea of avarice corrupting people was handled with the lens of how the Black characters were treated throughout their lives-they were flawed even before their return-one having PTSD and guilt that hasn’t lessened through the decades, Vietnam’s world changing so drastically, they have an Apocalypse Now bar, and the character’s decision on how to distribute-or not-the millions of dollars. I’ve only seen a small amount of his filmography but Spike’s unique, in your face style has been apparent since the beginning. Here, there are a few occasions where photos are shown in the middle of a scene, the aspect ratio changes a few times, a character delivers a soliloquy to the camera for what seemed like five minutes, the flashbacks are done in a unique yet effective manner, and Lee made his hatred of Trump readily apparent at least a few times.

There’s more than one misstep along the way… in fact, you could say the film stepped on a landmine. In totality, the film was still pretty good. It kept my interest through more than 2 ½ hours, after all. The cast as a whole was fine, although Delroy Lindo was the highlight for reasons I won’t reveal; as many have noted, he should have at least been nominated for awards w/ the performance. The soundtrack-full of Marvin Gaye songs-worked for me as it set the retro tone. It was also nice seeing Jean Reno in a GOOD Netflix original picture.

As a dumb white guy, the movie’s themes still had an impact due to presentation; it was also a reminder that I would be well-served to see more Spike Lee joints, many of which have higher ratings than Da 5 Bloods.

Terror in a Texas Town

Terror in a Texas Town (1958)

Runtime: 80 minutes

Directed by: Joseph H. Lewis

Starring: Sterling Hayden, Nedrick Young, Sebastian Cabot, Carol Kelly, Eugene Mazzola

From: United Artists

It is a bad sign when I don’t recall where or who gave me a film recommendation! It came either via a Letterboxd mutual or someone on a messageboard bringing up this movie once I mentioned another Western of its time. This is why from now on I need to jot down this information; it typically takes me months to fulfill these requests so it is a wise idea to keep such a record. Incidentally, it wasn’t the plan to watch this last night. However, it will be gone from Prime (the ability to see it for free for me as a Prime member, anyhow) and as I attempted to start watching a few movies but found them all to be dumb, poorly made or just plain irritating for a variety of reasons, I gave up on all of them… what they were, that is my secret.

Terror in a Texas Town is a 50’s black and white Western I know I’ve heard of before; after all, a Western w/ Sterling Hayden where he plays a Swedish whaler looking for revenge and he uses a HARPOON as a weapon… how could you forget such a premise? Lest you think I gave away some sort of surprise—literally before the opening credits, the viewer witnesses Hayden walking down the street with the harpoon for a showdown w/ an unseen heel, the spear as a substitute for a revolver. Hayden might as well have narrated to the viewer, “You’re probably wondering how I found myself in this situation” as most of the movie is an extended flashback.

The film is as simple as a rich A-hole (Sebastian Cabot) wants to control the land in Prairie City so he hires a gunslinger and uses intimidation tactics to try and drive them out. Hayden’s father is killed in that mess (oil is also involved) so he is looking for revenge. The gunslinger-Johnny Crale, a man who dresses in black like he’s Johnny Cash-is someone the viewer spends more time than expected with. Nedrick Young as Crale delivered the most memorable performance as a character whose profession is winding down and so is his bravado. Hayden attempts an accent, which is delivered with mixed results yet it was still nice to see him. His character riding into town as a bastion of hope against a town afraid of an oversized bully and his hired goons… he was easy to root for.

This was the final film of Joseph H. Lewis, a director who found fame after death with movies like Gun Crazy and The Big Combo. Those were the only other two I’ve seen-perhaps in the future I’ll do a deeper dive. Understandable comparisons have been made to High Noon; this is not a classic like the Gary Cooper movie by any means, but was still more than just “a Western with a harpoon as a weapon.” After all, a genre effort w/ noir elements written by Dalton Trumbo should be interesting.

 

Odd Man Out

Odd Man Out (1947)

Runtime: 116 minutes

Directed by: Carol Reed

Starring: James Mason, Kathleen Ryan, Robert Newton, Cyril Cusack, F.J. McCormick

From: Two Cities Films

What a movie to discuss on St. Patrick’s Day. It was viewed last night on the Criterion Channel after I noticed it was playing this morning on Turner Classic Movies… but it fit my schedule best to watch then type up the review on Saturday. Odd Man Out is set and filmed in Belfast, Northern Ireland, concerning James Mason (I’ve only seen a small amount of his work, but he’s still a good reason to give a flick a shot) as the leader of “The Organisation,” a group that wishes for independence. For obvious reasons, I will offer no comment on the concept of Irish unification!

He escaped from prison and was in hiding, but was part of a robbery for funds. As he wasn’t in peak physical or mental condition, it goes awry so he is wounded, on the run. As his friends look for him-not to mention law enforcement-he encounters a number of characters, some who are sympathetic to his cause. I’d rather not reveal much more, except that he has a girlfriend on the hunt for him, the movie is set in the span of a day, snow eventually falls on Belfast, & the further the movie progresses, the more special the movie becomes.

Stewart Granger famously turned down the lead role due to the main character’s laconic amount of dialogue. Turns out, Mason became a star despite a sparse amount of speech due to his acting, the presentation, and the reasons why I found the movie to be special. There was more philosophical speeches about such topics as religion and love than expected. As the plot unfurled, I was more engrossed in this world where the protagonist’s political beliefs mattered little… instead, it was a march towards the inevitable.

The film is full of English & Irish actors, only some of whom I was familiar with… like Cyril Cusack, Robert Newton and a just beginning his career Dan O’Herilhy. Perhaps Kathleen Ryan was the second-most impressive as our lead’s paramour. Several scenes were just tremendous, including an ending that blindsided me—which solidified the English origins of the movie as no way would it be seen in the Hollywood of that time. I wasn’t expecting to come across something great when this was selected at the last minute; what a pleasant surprise this proved to be, as downbeat as Odd Man Out proved to be.

 

Love Lies Bleeding

Love Lies Bleeding (2024)

92% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 153 reviews)

Runtime: 104 minutes

Directed by: Rose Glass

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, Ed Harris, Jena Malone, Dave Franco

From: A24/Film4

This movie ALMOST derailed at the end. Before I even attended this screening, it was possible that this would be a film I would think was overrated. I had not seen Rose Glass's first movie (Saint Maud) before but the trailer made it look like “the most A24 thing ever”, which was my opinion at the time. Plenty of A24 movies I simply avoid as they just aren't for me; Beau is Afraid, for example, would be among the worst 3 hours of my entire life, I am sure! Hearing that Love Lives Bleeding has some “weird moments” gave me great pause. Yet, I had nothing to do on Friday evening, so I went to an area I rarely visit to do some things then watch the film.

Indeed there are some weird moments; those seemed designed for those that are fans of certain fetishes. That is fine with me, although I don't share those fetishes. Even if you are, please don't be like that tool in Michigan who pleasured himself at a screening of this after drinking some Fireball, passed out w/ his tallywacker out, and then was arrested! My screening was far more sane. I did not love the most surreal moments as they did not seem necessary in this neo-noir crossed w/ a sapphic love story. That includes a rather befuddling conclusion where the movie takes a complete left turn into something else entirely. Thankfully there is a final scene—how that is presented makes it easy for me to rationalize the previous minute so I can excuse it... even if I wish the filmmakers had done something else entirely.

As is, my score for the movie was NOT affected by that controversial scene. It was a relief as a few may not have liked me dogging a dark movie directed and co-written by a woman featuring a relationship between a lesbian and a bi woman. It's a graphic film w/ some gruesome moments concerning a female bodybuilder passing through a small New Mexico town on the way to Las Vegas for a big competition. She and bored gym employee Kristen Stewart have the hots for each other. It is a volatile relationship in a world filled with ugliness; I mean, there's spousal abuse and a crime boss. What kept me compelled with this plot despite my realization that it wasn't complex: the relationship between Lou and Jackie. What performances from Kristen Stewart and Katy O'Brian, two performers who I've seen little of and both impressed. I don't see Jena Malone nearly enough, nor do I Ed Harris... who sported an incredible balding appearance. To steal a quote from Twitter, his look was “about to drop the hottest prog rock triple album of 1973.”

Credit should also go to Rose Glass, who created quite a few striking shots and appears to have a nice visual eye. Certain moments are bathed in red; the reason why won't be revealed here. This also has quite the retro score from Clint Mansell-that's right, the setting is a few decades in the past, which was a shock once I figured it out. The audience doesn't get to hear the Elton John song Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, but that's OK as it was only a wish on my part—that 11 minute epic song is a real banger. Being more open to A24 movies isn't really in the cards yet, but thankfully Love Lives Bleeding gets right to the precipice without falling off in terms of weirdness that turns me off.

The Laughing Policeman

The Laughing Policeman (1973)

Runtime: 112 minutes

Directed by: Stuart Rosenberg

Starring: Walter Matthau, Bruce Dern, Louis Gossett, Jr., Anthony Zerbe, Albert Paulsen

From: 20^th Century Fox

In this earlier than typical Friday posting, last night seemed like the right time to experience a Bruce Dern movie. A long while ago, on YouTube there briefly was a copy of this film; beforehand, its existence was unknown to me. I skimmed through it before the movie was deleted—I was amused not only by Dern w/ a gigantic porn 'stache but also Walter Matthau as the lead character, a rather gruff & somber San Francisco police officer. Its title is nonsensical in this context but it was originally a Swedish crime novel (of all things) that found some fame after it was translated into English. The movie adaptation is incredibly loose, judging via my reading of a Wikipedia article. In the novel, the title actually makes sense.

In the film, Matthau's attitude is understandable; there's a mass shooting via a submachine gun on a bus which is chilling in 2024 for obvious reasons but must have been stunning 50 years ago... for unknown reasons, his cop partner is on the bus when he shouldn't have been & was one of the victims. In a movie with a pacing methodical even by my standards, the viewer is required to pay attention to piece the clues together rather than having their hand held like we usually get now. It kept my interest throughout as time is spent showing the police department (including an early role for Louis Gossett, Jr.) working the case on the bus right after the massacre, tracking down dead ends, bad tips from informants, the procedural aspects of a police procedural, etc.

The Laughing Policeman won't be for all tastes due to the pacing, a frosty relationship between the two leads that barely thaws into a begrudging respect, the lack of humor and yep, some casual racism/sexism/homophobia. The latter point, other cop movies of the time have aged far worse in that respect but here you will still hear terms like “boy” and “fruiter.” Regardless, while this is a movie where only some will enjoy it even more than I did, many can appreciate the pleasant jazz music heard throughout and/or the wide variety of different San Francisco areas visited throughout.

All That Heaven Allows

All That Heaven Allows (1955)

Runtime: 89 minutes

Directed by: Douglas Sirk

Starring: Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Agnes Moorehead, Conrad Nagel, Virginia Grey

From: Universal

Thank goodness for Criterion flash sales and the discounts I receive once in the blue moon as a Criterion Channel subscriber. The latter can be used during the former so that is an even better deal. I’ve purchased discs that way before--not all of which have even been watched yet, because I am me. This was picked up during the last flash sale earlier in the year; among all the movies available, this was selected for a specific reason.

Much of Douglas Sirk’s filmography is tough to track down (at least legally) and waiting to catch this on TV would have been done by me already… except that the copy on TCM is in fullscreen. Now I know that for some reason it was shown in all sorts of aspect ratios but the 1.75:1 the Blu has works for me. With my physical media, sometimes they are played (volume at normal or on mute) as background entertainment. This will serve fine in that role, as the Technicolor image looked splendid, along with how this colorful world was presented.

The film successfully skewers the norms and expectations of 1950’s life, especially if you’re a member of the upper-class. Jane Wyman is a widow who leads a nice lifestyle and has two children-both in college-yet is unhappy. Her gardener is Rock Hudson, who unlike her stuck-up snooty gossiping hen friends, is down to Earth and a gentleman. His friends may like Thoreau and view his Walden as a credo but at least are a crowd I’d rather hang out with, as several scenes demonstrate. The children are against the pair falling in love; I get why he would never be their father so that is more reasonable than the rich D-bags at the country club “tsk tsking” the union as he’s not from their social strata. What’s wrong with Hudson also owning a tree nursery?

It is wacky that in real life Wyman was only 9 years older than Hudson. That is irrelevant as both were great talents and they brought to life those roles in this melodramatic film; admittedly, the final dramatic moment that allowed for the final scene made me scoff a bit due to contrivance. Otherwise, there are no complaints in this tale where the viewer will root for the leads to marry while grow increasingly frustrated at the kids and especially the society folk turning their noses down at them.

The setting is the Northeast in the fall then winter in a charming small town and surrounding rural area. The movie makes that world stunning in appearance, a wonderous place to live… as long as you hang out with Hudson and his buddies. The direction from Sirk, the cinematography from Russell Metty and the lush score from Frank Skinner helped make this a wise blind buy purchase. Yeah, I should have watched this when the Criterion Channel had it two years ago. At least it is nice to have as physical media.

Lift

Lift (2024)

Runtime: 107 minutes

Directed by: F. Gary Gray

Starring: Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ursula Corbero, Billy Magnussen

From: Netflix

You know, I now believe the rumor that Netflix creates movies for those that surf on their phone at the same time. That story’s been shared online for a little while now, and while such a thought makes me nauseous as a film fan, from all appearances I didn’t have trouble believing it, especially after viewing some bad to mediocre Netflix original pictures. Lift wasn’t the worst I’ve seen in the category—is it still frustrating how dumb and preposterous this was, without much fun in the process? Indeed, it was. THIS is a movie for those that want to fold their laundry at the same time.

Lift shouldn’t have been so lame. It had a respected director in F. Gary Gray, a multinational cast of different ethnicities, and a famous face as the lead in Kevin Hart. Would you believe this is my first Hart movie? Heck, I haven’t viewed any of his stand-up… I only saw him in that viral clip of him and Snoop Dogg commenting on footage at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, including “a horse crip-walking.” Modern “humor” mostly isn’t for me, which determines what I avoid. This movie was at a disadvantage right away for my grandpa sensibilities with an opening setpiece revolving around an NFT and a mysterious Banksy-like D-bag artist, who probably isn’t as insufferable as the actual Banksy.

The ”plot” is that a group of antiheroes led by Hart lift art in schemes, but that is apparently OK as they only steal from those who “don’t appreciate art.” Sure, Jan… they are asked by Interpol to steal a crapton of gold from an airplane as it would be used in a stock manipulation scheme by the evil Jean Reno that would cause destruction… don’t ask, as it’s preposterous how he wouldn’t be arrested by the authorities for what seem like obvious actions. The entire movie is full of absurd, intelligence-insulting moments, and it's not even the zany goofiness like you get in some Fast & Furious movies or the wackiest pictures from India. The majority of my laughs was from laughing AT the stupidity on screen.

Instead, Lift is just so slight yet so exhausting at the same time as it barrels through the “plot” with these paper-thin characters in a movie filled with unmemorable action scenes shot in a modern style (meaning, not to my preferences) with plenty of lousy CG. With all the talent involved, this should have been better; Reno as the villain phoned in his role… in the first two acts, literally doing so. This was an inauspicious way for me to have first seen Gugu Mbatha-Raw in anything and while I don’t have the time nor inclination for any television series in general, Money Heist has to be a much more worthwhile genre effort from the lovely Ursula Corbero… she at least seemed talented enough in this flimsy role.

I get why you wouldn’t want to get too distracted multi-tasking if you MUST have something on the television. There just has to be better entertainment while you’re doing the dishes.

The Guns of Navarone

The Guns of Navarone (1961)

Runtime: 156 minutes

Directed by: J. Lee Thompson

Starring: Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quayle, Stanley Baker

From: Columbia

I don’t know what’s more surprising: my having just watched this for the first time last night, or that Netflix was the platform I used to accomplish this task. I’ve seen my share of war movies in the past (including those set in World War II like Patton, The Longest Day, Tora Tora Tora, etc.) and am a big fan of most, so this was long overdue.

The premise of this men on a mission movie seemed simple: a random group of characters come together to destroy a pair of giant guns on the Greek island of Navarone-controlled by Nazi scum-lest they sink Allied ships tasked with rescuing 2,000 soldiers stuck on another Greek island. Appearances can be deceiving… of course all the characters are given distinct personalities so there’s occasional conflict and as it’s an extremely difficult task, the gang experience quite the ordeal just to reach the fortress that appears to be impregnable.

All the main players are given time to shine in this film; the over 2 ½ hour length never felt this way due to the numerous obstacles the team experienced along with some astounding scenes where tension is about to boil over due to scenarios I dare not spoil. When action is present, it does deliver. Much of the film is the characters interacting w/ each other during a mission that seems nigh impossible. That said, there are still plenty of Nazi deaths and literally award-winning effects; I was never bored.

What solid direction from J. Lee Thompson (what an odd career he had; concluding it with many Charles Bronson films was at least memorable for me), a cast that delivered-not just Gregory Peck, David Niven & Anthony Quinn-and a rousing score from Dimitri Tiomkin… what a gem The Guns of Navarone is.

Hard to Kill

Hard to Kill (1990)

Runtime: 95 minutes

Directed by: Bruce Malmuth

Starring: Steven Seagal, Kelly LeBrock, William Sadler, Frederick Coffin, Branscombe Richmond

From: Warner Bros.

Unlike Mason Storm, I wasn’t upset that I missed the Oscars. To clarify, yesterday was a day where a drive was made to spend time w/ family and eat at a restaurant fancy by my shabby standards. I did not arrive home until two hours after it began. Not watching a ceremony hosted by a brutally unfunny “comedian” and see awards handed out involving films I mainly did not see… nor am that interested in seeing. As always, they sometimes got it wrong; this is why instead I was happy to revisit this film, despite it starring a person who from all evidence is a rather bad human being. The same principle of separating the artist from the art will occur when one day (possibly far in the future) I’ll do new reviews for a few other Seagal movies during his prime era.

The film starts in 1983, April 11th to be exact; this was because Seagal’s Storm complained about missing the Oscars due to his participation in a stakeout; he missed out on Gandhi cleaning house that night. He filmed a mob meeting which involved a politician… and Storm’s fellow police officers. His family is soon then killed and he is in a coma for seven years. He suddenly awakes, perhaps after realizing his nurse was Kelly LeBrock. Via Chinese herbs and acupuncture, Mason soon raises a storm as he looks for revenge. OK, there is a training montage where he attempts to get back in fighting shape but it still strains credulity.

Then again, this is a film where a long stretch exists where Seagal isn’t breaking limbs and kicking ass; instead, he has to act with his then-wife and to be blunt, that’s like the blind leading the blind when it comes to thespian talent. That isn’t entirely fair for a silly B-movie like Hard to Kill; noting that I would have liked more of William Sadler as the slimeball villain is a fairer criticism.

Even so, I was still entertained by this silly plot, the bone-crunching action, and getting to see dudes gets wrecked to an amazingly of its time score… if you grew up watching films like these back in the day, it is possible to have a good time by taking this to the bank… the blood bank.