Deadlier Than the Male

Deadlier Than the Male (1967)

Runtime: 101 minutes

Directed by: Ralph Thomas

Starring: Richard Johnson, Elke Sommer (RIP), Sylva Koscina, Nigel Green, Steve Carlson

From: The Rank Organisation 

A belated RIP to Elke Sommer. I'd only seen the German actress in a few films but she was relatively popular in the 60's & 70's on film and on television, including appearances on Hollywood Squares. She passed just before turning the age of 86; viewing an Eurospy movie seemed an appropriate way to tip my cap, given I've generally enjoyed the ones I've seen from this grand time in 60's European cinema.

Richard Johnson was Bulldog Drummond; yes, the literary detective who was modified into the Eurospy world... not the only time this occurred. In London, he becomes involved with the mysterious deaths of those involved with oil companies looking to be purchased by a mysterious individual who proves to be a disruptor. Naturally, this person uses a pair of attractive women (Sommer & Sylva Koscina, who are a wacky duo that don't get along w/ each other) to dupe stupid horny men. Meanwhile, Drummond's young adult nephew-who is a real cad-decides to spend time at his uncle's swanky pad.

The vibes, décor, and music are as swingin' & groovy as I'd hope for a genre movie released in '67. One aspect I enjoy quite a bit w/ these films: the exotic locations they visit for filming. The first part is on location in London, but the back half is at a scenic seaside town in northern Italy.

Male (the title is taken from a Rudyard Kipling poem; the title song stresses how females are deadlier than males. This is sung by the cult favorite band The Walker Brothers) is not as OOT or wacky as other genre examples. Be that as it may, there are still elaborate deaths sometimes involving wacky gadgets, attractive women in bikinis, brawls, guns being fired, and bombs/explosions. Deadlier was a fun time where Elke was delightful as “the bad girl.” Nigel Green is the other famous name in the cast, although personally I enjoyed Virginia North (of The Abominable Dr. Phibes & On Her Majesty's Secret Service fame) appearing in a few scenes.

I haven't seen that much in the way of Eurospy flicks the past several years; the frequency going forward will hopefully be a little more often.

 

Top Hat

Top Hat (1935)

Runtime: 99 minutes

Directed by: Mark Sandrich

Starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton, Erik Rhodes, Eric Blore

From: RKO 

This is my first Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers. The classic film fans might think I'm a MILDEW DONKEY upon hearing this revelation, but 'tis true. Song and dance musicals aren't really my forte, although some have been seen in the past. As this duo is still well-known in some circles, it seemed right to finally watch one film featuring their act.

He's Jerry Travers, a tap dancer who spends time in London to star in Edward Everett Horton's production. As he spends time in Horton's bedroom, he tap dances and much to my amusement, Rogers is sleeping below but is awoken by the racket. She storms up to complain, he swoons over her... there's other characters and situations but that's the gist. Ginger isn't that interested at first but of course that changes. Also of course, there are misunderstandings-many misunderstandings.

To be frank, this is silly piffle which features someone that speaks with an EYE-talian accent (Erik Rhodes, who evidently made a career of this) and another character speaks in malapropisms. However, people would most care about such aspects as:

The art/set design
The dancing
The singing
The soundtrack

All those are quite swell. I enjoyed the art/set design, the Max Steiner soundtrack charmed me-as did the Irving Berlin songs-and golly gee, the dancing between the two leads was marvelous. Cheek to Cheek is the most famed number from the film-the movie itself has been referenced in everything from The Penguin miniseries and The Green Mile to La La Land. The romantic types might enjoy Top Hat even more than moi.

A steady diet of films like these is not in the cards for me; however, once in a blue moon as a change of pace will be a thing you can expect from me. Top Hat in particular made me laugh alongside the stars cutting the rug quite well. Perhaps years in the future I'll see more from Astaire/Rogers; I do know that another famous effort (Swing Time) features BLACKFACE, which Hat thankfully does not.

 

Seven Chances

Seven Chances (1925)

Runtime: 56 minutes

Directed by: Buster Keaton

Starring: Keaton, T. Roy Barnes, Snitz Edwards, Ruth Dwyer, Frances Raymond

From: Buster Keaton Productions

This is a famous Buster Keaton effort finally seen by me. Beforehand, I did know some moments were rather, ahem, “questionable”, especially a century later. The basic story I knew—this is based on a 1916 play and has been adapted a number of times—most famously to me by The Three Stooges in their classic Shemp short Brideless Groom.

Buster's a cad who's afraid to commit & marry Mary, despite their love for each other. He discovers his grandfather passed & bequeathed him 7 million dollars (more than 136 million dollars in today's money), only he has to be married by 7 PM... tonight. He fumbles the bag w/ Mary so he has to go on a quest w/ a lawyer and his brokerage partner to find any woman that would accept his hand in marriage.

To address the elephant in the room, there is a BLACKFACE character seen on several occasions. Of course, the white man cosplaying as a Black man is an idiot. Also, I've seen comments how Buster was walking the street and he rejected a woman one he saw that she was Black. That does look horrible... but in most areas of the United States, interracial marriages were illegal. Let's say that was the reason why he rejected her.

Anyhow, Buster's an awkward dork so he's rejected—until the news is placed in the late edition of the newspaper. Several hundred potential brides (including Jean Arthur, apparently) show up to the church! Yes, there's the “gold digger” stereotype not everyone will accept. Even so, “Buster Keaton running” is one of my favorite moments in all cinema-it's of course grand to see him run away from all those women.

While not the best Keaton I've ever viewed, this was still delightful, moments that aged poorly aside. The first half featured more subtle gags as it set the table for the outrageous back half. For a movie that Buster only did to settle a debt w/ producer Joseph Schneck & he did not care for much of it, Seven Chances was still a very good way for me to spend an hour last night.

Big Bad Mama

Big Bad Mama (1974)

Runtime: 85 minutes

Directed by: Steve Carver

Starring: Angie Dickinson, Susan Sennett, Robbie Lee, Tom Skerritt (RIP), William Shatner

From: New World Pictures

A belated RIP to Tom Skerritt. Several famous faces in recent times have passed away that I never got to tip my proverbial cap to. Skerritt's death naturally got plenty of attention as even in 2026, many people still know both Alien and Top Gun. I always liked seeing him in films and television, whether it be those aforementioned movies, The Devil's Rain, his one memorable scene in Up in Smoke, or the obscure vigilante movie Fighting Back. At least he lived a long life (the age of 93) and evidently was relatively healthy until shortly before his passing.

Big Bad Mama was chosen as it was an early Roger Corman New World Pictures production, had a wacky-sounding plot, and featured other names I recognized, especially lead Angie Dickinson and William Shatner. During the Great Depression, Dickinson and her two teen daughters are broke so they rob banks and engage in bootlegging. The film (which is a comedy) made me laugh often; the opening scene featured some crass language then a few minutes later, Royal Dano is exactly the sort of 1930's Texas reverend I wanted him to be. Skerritt's Fred is the one who gets them involved w/ the bank robbin' business; he makes the moves on Dickinson... and her daughters, but only after they initiated it because Angie “got to know” Shatner.

Yep, this sure was a Corman production.

Big Bad Mama was low-brow nonsense yet was quite entertaining as Dickinson was a bold, brash mama who had wild teen daughters and there are many sleazy moments. No surprise that there was plenty of “twangy” music on the soundtrack & both sexes fired off Tommy guns on multiple occasions. This is likely what you'd want from a film w/ such a plot produced by Corman in the 70's. There is a threesome at one point and also there's a THROUPLE between Angie & the two leading men, although we never seen the two men “do anything”... yes, we do get some prime Shatner Acting in this.

If you need even more motivation to give this a spin, Dick Miller has a nice supporting part. His behavior towards some people aside, I'll give props to Shatner and also Dickinson; both are alive at the age of 95 & I've never had a problem w/ them performance-wise. BTW, some people in this movie happened to be in The Devil's Rain, released the following year. Randomly, this movie had a 1987 sequel directed by... JIM WYNORSKI.

Skerritt's performance was one of the reasons why I had fun with Big Bad Mama.

One Night in Bangkok

One Night in Bangkok (2020)

Runtime: 105 minutes

Directed by: Wych Kaosayananda

Starring: Mark Dacascos, Vanida Golten, Prinya Intachai, Michael S. New, Sahajak Boonthanakit

From: Grindstone Entertainment Group/Kaos Productions

The world was not my oyster while watching this film.

Actually, that's too harsh a phrase to say; of course this won't be the only reference to the song that was for a random Broadway musical called Chess that would have been forgotten if not for the tune, from Murray Head, Tim Rice and the two dudes in a band my late mother enjoyed: ABBA. I've known of this movie for awhile now-my seeing it now is due to a recent cable box upgrade from my small regional cable company. Whether it's permanent or temporary, I now get the Showtime and Starz channels for free. Somehow, years ago w/ my old cable company, we accidentally got various premium channels for free for YEARS.

The plot: You can call it“Temu Collateral.” Personally, I don't love Collateral like everyone else does... but I'm still glad that Michael Mann is OK after he recently shot himself in the leg by accident. Specifically to Bangkok, Mark Dacascos is a hitman who visits the city not for the Somerset Maugham suite, any golden cloisters, or muddy rivers, but rather to perform various hits through the night as he uses a local lady w/ a rideshare Volvo SUV instead of a dude in a taxicab like in this film's inspiration.

It was nice to see Dacasos in the lead; he always deserved to be known for more than just The Chairman in Iron Chef America. He's a martial artist who should have done more in low-budget action cinema. This movie is more a thriller w/ plenty of dialogue as there's only a few action scenes; another key detail of this is the director: Wych Kaosayananda, i.e. the guy who gave us the infamous flop Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever... although that project was taken out of his hands unjustly so him going to Director's Jail for years wasn't entirely fair. Bangkok is at least better than that. This has various split-screen shots-while not De Palma, the attempt was still appreciated.

This film is incredibly low-key, more dialogue than action-driven. The movie is low-key even by my standards; at least Mark was fine as the lead and so was random lady Vanida Golten as the driver. There's plenty of monologues concerning fishing, religion, Thai cuisine... the plot isn't plausible by any regards but at least is watchable, not a grueling, painful experience. It's always nice seeing Dacascos and Kane Kosugi, although the latter doesn't appear until the finale.

The attempts at drama weren't always successful; at least “Honey, we have Collateral at home” was not a DVR recording I regretted making.

Sorry, Wrong Number

Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)

Runtime: 89 minutes

Directed by: Anatole Litvak

Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Ann Richards, Wendell Corey, Harold Vermilyea

From: Paramount

 
I return to the world of film noir for Norivember. Those have been watched by me for years now, not just exclusively to November; <a href="https://letterboxd.com/blairrussell/list/black-film-the-film-noir-ive-watched-since/">there's in fact a list made by me</a> for those that ever need any suggestions, especially those that are new to the genre. I'll check out at least one more genre example later this month.

This played last night on Turner Classic Movies; Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster are never bad reasons to see a motion picture. She is a bedridden woman who happens to be wealthy; there's no time wasted in getting the plot started. Babs is a bedridden woman alone in her bedroom who is unable to call her husband's office-we know that phone is off the hook. She attempts to have the operator assist her but by happenstance, she is spliced into a conversation w/ two men discussing a murder about to occur in a few hours. Her Leona Stevenson attempts to call that operator, the cops, etc. but the details are vague and plus it's 1940's sexism, so she isn't believed. Meanwhile, Burt is her husband.

Even if the viewer might be ahead of Mrs. Stevenson, Sorry, Wrong Number is quite the entertaining yarn. Evidently, this radio play was greatly expanded for the silver screen. There are flashbacks and even flashback within flashbacks—Stanwyck isn't always stuck in the bedroom and in fact used to be ambulatory until a bad heart ruined her health. We discover how the leads were an odd couple that fell in love; we also discover (to echo the thoughts of others on Letterboxd) Leona had some melodramatic moments irrelevant to her overhearing a murder plot, although she's that outside of the flashbacks as well. 

Sorry, Wrong Number was filmed well, w/ moments where the camera didn't remain static-its movements helping to explain the plot without the usage of speech. The quality supporting cast (Ann Richards, Wendell Corey, Ed Begley, Sr., Leif Erikson, etc.) were further assets. I was happy to have finally tackled this film noir; the hope is that by the end of the month, I'll view at least one more from the genre, and they likely will be famous examples that should have been viewed long before November, 2026.

Interceptor

Interceptor (2022)

Runtime: 99 miserable minutes

Directed by: Matthew Reilly

Starring: Elsa Pataky, Luke Bracey, Aaron Glenane, Mayen Mehta, Rhys Muldoon

From: Netflix

Yes, this is sure some Netflix gruel. I won't use the “S word” as it's overused, even more so when referring to AI. I'll keep Netflix for at least one more month (meaning, early December) and in the meantime, I'll view some films & documentaries on the platform. There's no real good explanation why I chose this random Netflix exclusive picture, aside from telling or reminding people that most fictional Netflix Original Movies are avoided by me as if they were a fentanyl pill. Under Siege, this isn't.

Yeah, Elsa Pataky is an attractive lady; I am hesitant to proclaim that in this context as a key plot point is the sexual harassment her character experienced while in the military. Note that even I was taken aback by how STUPID this was! This containing too much “humor” and it being unfunny wasn't unexpected. I also knew that a famous face had a small role; entertaining, that wasn't.

The sexual harassment subplot was crude & crass, but the motivations for villain Luke Bracey to take control of the interceptor missiles that prevent enemy missiles from reaching the United States... “condescending” and “insulting” are two appropriate words to use. “Manipulative” is another term I'll use; America is bashed often, whether valid or not.

The setting is a rig in the middle of the Pacific Ocean; that setting didn't really mean much when it came to the average action. The interceptor missile that sank this movie: the horrendous plot and even more horrendous dialogue. The villain used the word “paroxysm” at one point but the movie is stump-dumb! You don't want to scrutinize the plot even a minuscule amount. Interceptor isn't even worth having on in the background while you're folding your laundry or doing the dishes.

The desire is for me to avoid such drivel as this and instead concentrate on motion pictures more worthwhile. That said, I am glad to offer my opinion-how much stock you put into my opinion is up to you-that this is lame, felt incredibly cheap, has acres upon acres of dialogue, and not even the action is worthwhile. There is one absurd death that made me laugh; for this reason I can't give it my worst-possible rating or even a plain 1 star. Otherwise, Interceptor should be avoided; this is worse than even the typical Netflix Original Movie.

I had never even heard of Matthew Reilly; he's an Aussie author turned director-although this is his only credit. More than one mutual enjoys his writing, which naturally focuses on action plots such as this. As a director, he's no Michael Crichton or Alex Garland.

The Clones of Bruce Lee

The Clones of Bruce Lee (Shen Wei San Meng Long) (1980)

Runtime: 91 minutes

Directed by: Several different people; different sources tell me different things

Starring: Dragon Lee, Bruce Le, Bruce Lai, Bruce Thai, Jon T. Benn, Bolo Yeung

From: Filmline Enterprises/Filmark International Ltd.

It's a BRUCEPLOITATION movie... of course this was weird. So we're on the same page, for years after Bruce Lee's untimely death, there was an entire industry of films based on guys who resembled the late icon as the star of martial arts films, usually weird and sometimes bizarre like Clones was. That's a world I've barely scratched the surface of yet I know the genre's reputation.

We see Bruce (well, the body of someone who barely resembled him) wheeled into the hospital, where he “died of a heart attack” instead of the “swelling of the brain caused by an allergic reaction” that was his actual cause of death. Law enforcement in Hong Kong plus a professor create a trio of clones, cleverly named Bruce Lee 1, Bruce Lee 2, and Bruce Lee 3. They were “born” as adults; this is never adequately explained, nor are the “THOUGHTAL INJECTIONS” that the clones receive via what's best described as an upside-down salad bowl w/ wires attacked that's on their heads. BTW, the doctor that created the clones was Jon T. Benn of The Way of the Dragon fame & they train w/ Bolo Yeung of Enter the Dragon fame.

This is as ludicrous as you'd expect; I say that as a positive in this case. While none of the action was unforgettable by any means, at least there's a slew of martial arts throughout. One clone is in an adventure involving a gold-smuggling movie producer (he becomes an actor. Once the producer discovers Bruce Lee 1 is investigating him, he has the scheme to... have Bruce Lee 1 die via HAVING AN ON-SET “ACCIDENT” INVOLVING A GUN. No kidding) and the other two team up with the Thai version of Not Bruce Lee-appropriately known as BRUCE THAI-in Thailand to stop an evil scientist, known as Dr. Nye..no, not Bill. His scheme is straight out of a 30's serial.

This was fun nonsense featuring dubbed dialogue, stolen music (only some of which I recognized... there's Gonna Fly Now, the theme to The Spy Who Loved Me, and songs from The Warriors), way more full-frontal female flesh than I was anticipating, and nice scenery in both Hong Kong & Thailand. A movie as goofy as The Clones of Bruce Lee naturally won't appeal to all tastes; thankfully, I'm in the camp that can laugh at the thought process of having a film star multiple Lee impersonators.

County Hospital

This is a 1932 short (18 minutes in length) from Laurel & Hardy: 

My plans changed & I actually did not see anything cinematic Halloween night; my burnout with horror/spooky entertainment at the moment (plus realizing that the last film in this year's list belonging to the Halloween franchise seemed fitting. That list will be made public tonight) made me want to watch something short this afternoon then all through November I expect to watch a wide variety of films. The few dozen or so that have followed me in the past 2 ½ months, you'll see that I check out many different genres.

This includes me checking out Laurel & Hardy once in awhile. Whether shorts or feature-length, silent or sound, I've been happy to see their work through the years. County Hospital is a popular effort I hadn't viewed before. This had the simple premise of “Laurel visits his pal Hardy at the titular hospital; the latter has a broken leg,” which leads to the expected tomfoolery. As Laurel had a mishap w/ a drinking fountain, you can imagine the insanity of him eating hard boiled eggs in Hardy's room, or what happened w/ Hardy's ethnic doctor.

As typical, the sight gags, absurdities, and wordplay delighted me to no end. Naturally, Laurel was the agent of destruction while poor Hardy was injured. Pants, a syringe, and action outside the hospital factor into the equation. On days like this, I was happy to have a swell time and deliver an easy review after viewing something less than 20 minutes in length. In terms of November, I'm also glad to catch up and tip my cap to the actors that have passed away in the past few weeks.

Halloween II, Revisited

I'm referring to the 1981 movie; the 2009 Rob Zombie film has never been seen... & likely never will be.

A movie only revisited because... yesterday afternoon a small BMW SUV cut me off in traffic (almost side-swiping me), then a minute later I pass by them & noticed that the driver was wearing a Michael Myers mask?!

I swear, this occurred. A similar bizarre moment occurred a few days ago but more on that at the conclusion of this review. Technically, I should have revisited the original or the 5th film in the franchise as both featured Myers driving, but the former's been reviewed more than once here & the latter is not a good motion picture. Halloween II is flawed yet is still one of the better movies in the franchise.

The idea to have II take place immediately after the first and feature action in Haddonfield's hospital (even if it's like most hospitals in cinema in that it's far less busy and has far less people than a medical facility IRL... although allegedly, director Rick Rosenthal claimed he was once in a hospital that deserted) was a nice one; the big plot twist in the final act can certainly be debated-The Shape having that motivation perhaps wasn't necessary as the motivation in the OG movie was arguably more bone-chilling. There is a valid complaint concerning how Sheriff Brackett disappears early on instead of following what seemed like an obvious plot thread.

Of course this isn't legendary like the original yet the dimly-lit hospital was at least a memorable setting-the contributions of DP Dean Cundey plus the direction were great assets in setting this specific mood-featuring characters that were fine. Incredibly horny paramedic BUDD & his amazingly vulgar version of Amazing Grace is still a highlight. This film did have John Carpenter himself get involved to include nudity/sex & violence over the director's head as this because du jour after the first movie was released. He later regretted doing that to Rosenthal; I think he also regretted writing the script to this film via drinking a six-pack of beer each night.

There are other things I do laugh about besides Budd; the fate of Ben Tramer and the increased insanity of Dr. Loomis throughout the franchise will always tickle me pink. Also deserving credit are the awesome score from Carpenter/Alan Howarth and the unforgettable opening credits. Thus, I was glad to have revisited this for a review to post on Halloween.

The aforementioned “bizarre moment” I mentioned which occurred a few days ago I thought would be the strangest sight on the road until viewing Michael Myers in a BMW: some dude in a ratty old Volkswagen Jetta had in his passenger seat... a human skeleton! Well, I presume a plastic version, rather than him pulling an Ed Gein, driving around w/ an actual skeleton.

The Cycle

The Cycle (2026)

Runtime: 111 minutes

Directed by: Jordan Downey

Starring: Deborah Ann Woll, Jeffrey Donovan, Gretchen Corbett, Jack Doolan, Will Hochman

From: Shudder

This film has been the Belle of the Ball since it debuted on Shudder; this is why I'm viewing this instead of a long-ago requested movie of a similar nature (I should get to that in December; plus, I just watched Cure) as Spooky Season will end after I post a review on Sunday—I am aching to view all sorts of different genres next month. Meanwhile, back to this film that some have been over the moon for.

People on Letterboxd and a Discord server I'm a member of have raved about The Cycle, making me curious. At least one person viewed it solely because it starred Deborah Ann Woll. This blends horror w/ police procedural; Woll is a great forensic anthropologist who is asked to examine the corpse of her father, who she has been long-estranged from as he left her life decades ago. Hopefully no one reading this is estranged from any family members...

The Cycle is one of those films where it's best to go in blind, not knowing what it's about; I was a little surprised at the big reveal about halfway through, although in hindsight I shouldn't have been given the clues it dropped along the way. The first half took its time as the plot slowly unfurled and you got to know the lead characters. It shifts gears & becomes more exciting as the villain unleashes its fury; many of us will enjoy that the effects were practical, usually looking good.

Woll and Jeffrey Donovan (the other known name in the cast) did a swell job w/ their roles. A nitpick or two could be made-as others have said, they did not 100% stick the landing w/ the ending-but overall I had a pretty good time with this film & the family-based story it told. Its version of a <redacted> story was a nice, refreshing twist. The dreary overcast Oregon setting is an example of the film's tone.

In fact, I was glad to view a modern horror movie that's gotten some buzz... and it's something I at least liked. In this case, I liked The Cycle quite a bit. In hindsight, I should have seen this like a week ago for the purpose of recommending this to others, but... better late than never.

Cure

Cure (1997)

Runtime: 112 mesmerizing minutes

Directed by: Kiyoshi Kurosawa

Starring: Koji Yakusho, Masato Hagiwara, Tsuyoshi Ujiki, Anna Nakagawa, Yukijiro Hotaru

From: Daiei 

Not only had I never seen Cure before... this is my first Kiyoshi Kurosawa film! Some will take great umbrage at this admission but at least a request was made a little earlier in the year to check this out; I was happy to have fixed this grave error & finally viewed this mesmerizing picture.

Beforehand, I only knew the premise... random people have no memories of brutally murdering someone then carving an X into their upper torso. After that, it was all fresh for me. “The Devil made them do it” is offered as an explanation by the partner of our police detective lead Kenichi Takabe. That does seem like the best explanation early on... I'll try to be vague the rest of the way so I don't ruin Cure for anyone that wishes for their initial viewing to be a fresh experience. I can say that Takabe's wife Fumie experiences what we'll likely call “mental health struggles” now.

The movie does take its time in presenting the story, yet my attention never wavered. The beginning is a police procedural where the duo attempt to rationalize what seemed inexplicable. The story itself was engrossing, alongside the film-making craft on display, the score, the performances, the sound design during certain moments, the editing (which was especially key in a psychological horror like Cure), the finale... the movie had an uneasy, unnerving feeling from the opening minutes but this increased in intensity until it's a real pressure-cooker by the final act. Cure's the sort of movie that gets under your skin, one whose vibes will never be forgotten by me.

While not everything I hoped (or even announced) I will end up seeing this Spooky Season, Cure is one of a few films that's been in my virtual queue for years until the trigger was finally pulled. For certain, while it may be months before my next Kiyoshi Kurosawa, I'm certainly down for eventually checking out motion pictures like Pulse.

 

Jeepers Creepers (No, Not That One!)

Rather, this is a 1939 Looney Tunes cartoon: 

Why not view a spooky Looney Tunes cartoon in late October? In Spooky Seasons past, I've watched various Halloween-related cartoons from the likes of Disney and even a Betty Boop one year. However, Looney Tunes is new in the time I've been on Letterboxd... almost FOURTEEN years now!

Porky Pig is a cop—I know, some will want to make the obvious joke... go ahead if you wish! To steal a line, in this universe apparently it's against the law to be a ghost in an abandoned old house. No kidding, Porky's called to deal with said ghost, who sounds quite a bit like Goofy. The expected shenanigans occur where the ghost trolls his swine foe.

Note that this short ends with... a BLACKFACE gag. That bore no impact on my rating. I don't even know what the ghost said once its covered in soot. One YouTube video has the audio muted and another video (the one I watched due to it being in 1080p) abruptly ends right before you see it's a blackface gag. That sort of humor is an unfortunate relic of its time but as a dumb white guy, that did not ruin Jeepers Creepers for me when I don't even know what was said by the ghost while covered in soot.

While this is no The Skeleton Dance (or its unofficial color remake Skeleton Frolic) or Lonesome Ghosts or Swing You Swingers-in terms of Halloween flavor and entertainment-this was still fun, featuring various iconography of late October, & chuckles throughout. This is a cartoon, so “putting frogs in shoes” is the best gag.

The Devils, Revisited

Yes, I'm referring to the 1971 film: 

As always, not everything I was hoping to see during a particular Spooky Season will have actually be watched. Thankfully, I was able to see the uncut version of The Devils; who would have thought in the past that this cut would receive an official release in mainstream American cinemas? I never would have thought this, or that two films from Ken Russell (no relation) would be seen at an AMC Cinema this year-the other was Tommy, back in March-or that I could use the chain's A-List app to view them both without paying extra for either.

I did view The Devils almost a decade (!) ago & reviewed it on Letterboxd; that was an edited version on Shudder. Seeing it in full now-along w/ a decade of having seen more movies & the theatrical experience perhaps influencing me also-makes me rate the film even higher than I did beforehand. Loosely based on actual events, this was a searing, unflinching look at actual events—the downfall of the charismatic priest Urbain Grandier in 1630's France.

It's a wild tale of how horny hunchbacked nun Vanessa Redgrave-what a phrase to type-was part of hysteria where Grandier was accused of witchcraft but according to this film, he had the wrong enemies in the church. There's plenty to love in what's not always an easy movie to watch due to its frank sexuality & violence; the frequent female nudity wasn't titillating in context. The direction, the music, the great sets that brought this world to life, the plot—it was all engrossing. The cast all did a swell job.

However, it was the performances of Redgrave and Oliver Reed that anchored the film. It was easy to despise her Sister Jeanne des Anges and not just for her destroying a priest's life because she sinfully lusted after him. Meanwhile, Reed was naturally full of charisma and was a fascinating, flawed character whose flaws didn't look so bad once the viewer saw the worst in humanity in those who conspired against him.... “this may be cinema's most damning indictment of humankind,” to steal a phrase from film critic Tim Lucas.

The film also showed the worst in Christianity, how it could be perverted by evil people to persecute and destroy innocent lives. There were Inquisitions in more than just Spain during the era, and there were witchcraft trials in many places other than Salem, Massachusetts, to list two of many examples. The full cut's most shocking moments are still outrageous 55 years later; IMO, they did serve some sort of purpose in presenting the hysteria-among other things-of certain characters. They weren't shock scenes in an attempt to elevate a mediocre or worse film... or to gain attention because otherwise the film doesn't have any noteworthy merits.

It's no small feat that this is the most controversial movie of '71... even more so than A Clockwork Orange or Straw Dogs. I'm glad this special release did so well that they added an additional week-that's why I saw it this past Sunday evening rather than earlier. It's a blessing that there's been more releases of older films in mainstream chains as of late; I wouldn't mind it happening even more often, especially if it's movies as challenging, transgressive and/or hard to track down like The Devils.

As mentioned in my review of Tommy, I should seek out more movies from my non-relative.

Wildwood

I watched the new Laika movie, their magnum opus... and I don't love it like most others do!

Why did Laika have to commit those modern movie-making sins?

Yes, it's the return of Hot Take Blair, when I had no idea this wouldn't be a film I love, given its strong reception (at least on Letterboxd) so far. I saw no films on Saturday but Sunday was a double-header at the cinema; the other flick will be reviewed the next day.

Elsewhere, there's been negative chatter due to the plot not being as sophisticated or complex like a Miyazaki picture... that wasn't even my beef, as it was still a rousing flick which was more than just a girl (named PRUE; I really hope it's short for Prudence) looking for her missing toddler brother after he's kidnapped by crows. For some reason, the alleged “demonization” of crows also made some upset! That wasn't my beef either, nor how this is bizarre version of Oregon where everything outside of Portland is a fantasy forest world full of talking animals—although that last detail WAS rather jarring at first. Is this what the people of Portland think the rest of Oregon is?

Rather, I am a little mad at myself as there should have been more concern for the director of Wildwood given that this year's Masters of the Universe was one of the worst movies ever seen at the cinema! That said, I've seen Kubo and the Two Strings before and didn't recall it having any aggravating moments, so why should I have thought this would have-especially for a project evidently in development for a decade and a half:

a) Too much “humor”/”humor” that isn't necessary & ruins a scene

b) Idiot characters being “funny” by babbling nonsense/acting stupid

c) A bumbling buffoon male protagonist sidekick to the leading female character. I REALLY did not like Curtis for much of the film, in other words

Of course I've never read the book this is based on but this didn't seem to take a dump on the source material like Masters did... where they CONSTANTLY crapped on the property and turned it into a pathetic joke. At least Wildwood didn't do that.

There's no shortage of modern movie-making sins, as I am discussed in length on a frequent basis. However, I am massively disappointed that this studio fell into such a trap. There's still no complaints about giving my money to support such a studio—as you've heard already, the stop-motion is stunning. As you might have heard, the score was nice and while the long finale was rather bombastic, it at least had some nice action beats.

It took a long while but I finally did get invested in the story somewhat and started to support Prudence. I'm glad most others love this movie far more than me, who “liked” rather than “loved” what is Laika's magnum opus. The movie is every bit its PG-13 rating considering all the death & destruction; at the same time, it's nice for the older kids to see such a rousing tale based on classical ideas as they probably don't get enough of those ideas in modern entertainment. It was nice to see something made for both adults & children, plus the minimal amount of crass humor was welcomed by me.

While Wildwood ultimately did disappoint, it's far from the biggest disappointment at the cinema in 2026, which has been the worst year of film I can recall in my lifetime. While the other Laika I've seen I'd rather revisit than this (including Kubo and Coraline), thank heavens Wildwood is not in the “bad” category, despite itself.

The Pit and the Pendulum (The Roger Corman Version)

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

Runtime: 80 minutes

Directed by: Roger Corman

Starring: Vincent Price, John Kerr, Luana Anders, Antony Carbone, Barbara Steele

From: AIP 

Even more so than viewing an Edgar Allan Poe story in October, or a movie made by Roger Corman, or Barbara Steele's presence, Vincent Price is a must this time of year. I knew selecting this was the right choice in the opening minutes... this begins with multicolored gel on the screen, then a creepy score-Les Baxter, who I predominately know for his contributions to the awesome exotica musical genre-then an awesome matte painting as our lead Francis Barnard visits a castle, which of course features exactly the sort of Gothic interior you'd desire for such a chilling tale.

Many know how Mr. Barnard visits the castle upon news that his sister Elizabeth has passed away, or how this is set during the time of the Spanish Inquisition, which no one ever expects... there's ghosts, a torture chamber, cobwebs, and other details that permeated the walls of the castle, the “miasma of barbarity” that was the atmosphere. There's also flashbacks tinted various colors, which show the misfortune that befell on the life of Price's character, Nicholas. 

This isn't the initial time I've thought it a mistake that not all of Corman's Poe Cycle films have been viewed, but the thought has never been stronger in my mind than now. Of course, Price was awesome as the tragic figure yet the rest of the cast also delivered... Steele, John Kerr, Luana Anders, Antony Carbone. There's the great sets and the direction, but it's the Richard Matheson plot (which has little to do w/ the original Poe tale, aside from the titular pendulum) which made this a ghastly delight, the sort of atmospheric horror movie I wish was around today.

 

West of Zanzibar

West of Zanzibar (1928)

Runtime: 65 minutes

Directed by: Tod Browning

Starring: Lon Chaney, Sr., Mary Nolan, Warner Baxter, Lionel Barrymore, Tiny Ward

From: MGM

I was glad to have some silent horror to talk about this month, along w/ a film from Lon Chaney, Sr., directed by Tod Browning. This belongs in the category of late silents that featured a score alongside various sound effects (including laughter + applause) but there are still intertitles displaying all the dialogue. 

What an opening act this has. Chaney is a magician who is paralyzed from the waist-down after a dispute with the dude (Lionel Barrymore!) who steals his wife. They flee, but a year later she returns w/ baby... she dies in a church and father/daughter head on over to what is now the country of Tanzania; after a time-jump of 18 years, he rules the “superstitious natives” via his magic tricks.

This is all in the first 10 minutes. To address the elephant in the room, the depiction of Black people is as dated for a 98 year old film as you'd expect. Alas... Lionel Barrymore is now an ivory trader (wild if you only know him as the evil SOB Mr. Potter from It's a Wonderful Life. If you want a mind-trip, view Barrymore in Browning's The Devil-Doll. He spends long stretches dressed as an old woman!) while Warner Baxter is Chaney's personal doctor who loves the booze.

What a sordid tale this is, a heated story set in the jungles which involves revenge, prostitution, other taboos, and a tale where Chaney is the true villain of the piece with his behavior. I mean, he truly played the long game with his plan. This was remade a few years later as Kongo; now, that apparently was a really wild Pre-Code effort, with a lead character that was far more vile than what Lon, Sr. presented here.

I dare not reveal more except that a key moment involved a human skeleton. Apropos, given that just a few hours ago when I was on the road, I viewed a first... a random dude in an old Volkswagen Jetta had a human skeleton in his passenger seat! Was he doing it as an HOV scam?

Corpse Bride

Yes, I've finally watched this movie: 

Hopscotch!

This isn't the only request I've had to see a film this Spooky Season (hopefully I'll get to them all) but I chose this first. Everyone will be FLABBERGASTED I hadn't viewed this before... not just for it having over 2 million ratings on Letterboxd, but that I dig The Nightmare Before Christmas. Of course, Tim Burton moving on from just producing Christmas to co-directing Bride & including all his muses (Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Danny Elfman) meant that this was mainly what I was expecting—compliment.

A plot synopsis surely isn't needed; thus, I'll mention that having romance at the forefront was the most obvious change from Christmas. It was easy to feel sympathy for both Victor Van Dort (at the rest of offending some randos on Letterboxd, resembling Timothee Chalamet!) and Victoria Everglot; they were likable while both having awful parents in a monochromatic Victorian England who are forced to be in an arranged marriage. Emily the titular corpse bride is also a character you like. The colorful Land of the Dead is much more appealing, not just because it's literally more colorful. The undead are much livelier than the drab jerks “upstairs.”

As expected from Laika animation, the stop-motion was stunning; also unsurprising was the quality voice cast and catchy songs the audience sometimes hears. Like w/ Christmas, Bride is a ghoulish, macabre delight, featuring mild yet funnily morbid humor. Even the supporting characters were a hoot; my favorite was the maggot who was a homage to Peter Lorre. Thankfully, this charming romantic musical comedy film was a swell recommendation, although it was still something I should have watched many years ago.

 

The Deep Dark

The Deep Dark (Gueules Noires) (2023)

Runtime: 103 minutes

Directed by: Mathieu Turi

Starring: Samuel Le Bihan, Amir El Kacem, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Thomas Soliveres, Diego Martin

From: MANY different French companies

Why not watch a French creature feature set in 1956 at a mine? I noticed it on Prime awhile back but reading a positive review on a Discord server was enough a push for me to check this out.

A Moroccan named Amir is recruited in his home country to work at a mine in France... unbeknownst to him, the most dangerous mine in the country. If the profession, the prejudice, and a scientist's demands to dig dangerously deep weren't bad enough, they discover a creature. Parts of My Bloody Valentine are set in a mine-so is The Boogens-but it was a thrill for a horror pic where the crux of the action is set in subterranean areas featuring a crew of miners. As people presumably more knowledgeable than me about the topic have proclaimed, expect Lovecraftian horror.

After the prologue-set in 1856-it is a long while before any part of the creature is seen again. That was fine under these circumstances; time is spent getting to know Amir, establish the mining setting, meet his fellow miners, show the camaraderie with them, and show that the lead miner (Roland) is an authoritative but fair boss. Once the big bad is shown in full... it is an impressive, distinctive-looking creature, and the effects were practical instead of CG. This is when it becomes exciting, them running away or attempting to avoid detection. For those that enjoy gory, gross moments, this has a few of those.

As I always belly-ache about with the movies I don't like-especially those made in the 21st century-it's the plot and characters which make it or break it for me. Thank heavens that The Deep Dark had a fine story w/ characters I did care about... even the ending I felt was magnifique for the story they were telling. The movie is not a must-see but IMO it's better than the majority of the “modern popular horror” of recent years that just don't work for me.

I'll Post Multiple Reviews on Saturday

Before Sunday hits, I'll be caught up... promise.

Rude Awakening

It's been a few weeks but I'm reviewing an episode of an old British TV show... Hammer's House of Horrors, to be exact: 

I finally saw an episode of the 1980 British TV anthology show Hammer House of Horrors. I had a choice of 13 to choose from; this was selected as it seemed light in tone & I was curious about Denholm Elliott attempting to romance his much-younger secretary Lucy Gutteridge, i.e. the leading girl from Top Secret!

Note that Elliott is a dirty old man who is already married. His wife refuses to divorce him, so he's in a real pickle. This episode's gimmick is that Denholm is a real estate agent who has Gutteridge as a secretary, and he's in a surreal world where he-along w/ the viewer-isn't sure what's real and what's a dream as he is told about an old manor & he does disembodied voices, including one proclaiming, “You shouldn't have killed your wife!” British TV is different from its American counterpart; Elliott referred to his wife as a “bitch”... twice!

Also, the secretary Lolly looks completely different each time she appears; this adds to the surreal nature of the episode, along with such subtle details as camera angles/placement. Props to Peter Sasdy-director of such films as Taste the Blood of Dracula and The Stone Tape. This episode was fun, a macabre delight as Ol' Denholm is in a nightmare, bad things constantly happening to him. Elliott was magnetic as the lead, but I thought Gutteridge nailed it out of the park and was swell as Lolly, especially with the different personas she had in the dream(s).

Who knows when I'll see other episodes of the series (or even if I'll mention they were watched on Letterboxd) but I was happy to have seen something from Hammer House of Horrors.

Play Dead

Play Dead (1983)

Runtime: 88 minutes

Directed by: Peter Wittman

Starring: Yvonne de Carlo, Stephanie Dunnam, Glenn Kezer, David Cuillinane,  Ron Jackson

From: United Construction Company... yes, a construction company!

Watching a film released by TROMA seemed appropriate for this time of year, especially when you didn't know beforehand they originally put it out. I literally laugh out loud each time an unexpected Troma Team Release is encountered.

Not that long ago, part of the ending of this film was seen-which some animal lovers won't like, let me put it that way-on one of Eternal Family's 24/7 streaming channel. I was intrigued, so why not check out regional horror (Texas, in this case) or something in the Old Biddy genre? The older meddlesome lady here is the only name of note in the cast, Yvonne de Carlo. As a real little kid, The Munsters was watched by me so it was a gas to see her here.

Ms. de Carlo was Hester, an old rich lady who uses “black magic” to control her dog Greta, using her a conduit to either kill or frame her remaining family members. Hester gives Greta to her niece Audrey and this is when the deaths start... via such methods as scaring someone into a passing automobile, electrocuting a woman in a bathtub, and even more cockamamie deaths I dare not spoil! This is original, at least.

There could have been more de Carlo, sure, and I understand why some think the pace is way too methodical. However, for my tastes I was always amused by this oddity, made by a United Construction Company-yes, a construction company; that's a first. There's gratuitous T&A, Greta watching Audrey making out or having sex w/ her boyfriend, and a fun detective duo of older man Otis & younger man Richard investigating the deaths who provide various laughs from their rapport, their repartee.

And of course, Greta was a good girl... a very good girl.

Older movies like this that are slow-paced of course won't be for all tastes; it's in fact the sort of regional horror that was released via Vinegar Syndrome. However, I was charmed by this ludicrous plot, by the decent score, by the usage of several smooth jazz library music tracks, by Yvonne de Carlo's gravitas. That Vinegar Syndrome Blu is now out of print; there is a market for such obscurities.

Puppet Master

Puppet Master (1989)

Runtime: 88 minutes

Directed by: David Schmoller

Starring: Paul Le Mat, Irene Miracle, Jimmie F. Skaggs, Robin Frates, Matt Foe

From: Full Moon Entertainment

I had never seen any Puppet Master movie until last night! This admission likely won't shock or offend that many, if at all. At least one film from many different horror franchises have been viewed, but not Puppet Master until now. Will a deep-dive happen in the future? No, yet this first installment from Charles Band was fun in a low-budget fashion, featuring a nice old hotel setting and effective effects bringing the puppets to life, including stop-motion.

Master does have a wacky plot—William Hickley animates puppets via “an Egyptian rite” in the 1930's until Nazi scum are after him, so he “unalives himself” but the puppets are hidden in the hotel. A half-century, various psychics get together at this hotel but one's an evil SOB w/ an insidious plot and they use the puppets to start murdering their pals.

You PERHAPS don't want to scrutinize the plot too hard; be that as it may, there are still colorful characters present that make this fun (including Paul Le Mat, who looked remarkably like Val Kilmer in the last years of his life), a bizarre woman who brought along her taxidermist-stuffed dog, an overtly sexual couple-this had nudity & sleaze-and the dolls themselves are quite memorable, brought to life well by the effects. Which one you'll love of course is personal opinion. Learning that Blade was modeled after real-life villain Klaus Kinski... that was hysterical.

Puppet Master was fun B-horror; the criticisms that there should have been more puppet action is understandable (evidently this was fixed in the sequels, including the next installment)-so is the desire for Barbara Crampton's role to be more than just a cameo-but there's no regrets in finally watching a movie from this long-running franchise.

Pan's Labyrinth

Pan's Labyrinth (El Labertino del Fauno) (2006)

Runtime: 118 minutes

Directed by: Guillermo del Toro

Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu, Ariadna Gil, Doug Jones

From: Several different Mexican and Spanish companies 

I don't have to ask... everyone will be APPALLED that Pan's Labyrinth had never been watched by me until Thursday night. “Checking out a 20th anniversary screening theatrically (the 2D version instead of 3D)” was the best way to have that first experience, at least. Unlike what's happened on a few occasions in 2026, there won't be any uproar over my review—Pan's was a very good time.

Through cultural osmosis I knew the basic plot plus the faun and the Pale Man. The presumption is that most have seen this already so a plot synopsis won't be necessary. I was a little surprised that more time was spent in 1944 fascist Spain than in a fantasy world... but that's not a demerit when it worked for the plot and the true villains were led by the truly vile Capitain Vidal, undoubtedly one of the most terrifying bad guys I'll see this month.

It was easy to feel sympathy for 10-year-old Ofelia & her pregnant mom as they are forced to live with such a brute. No wonder she becomes enchanted upon hearing from a faun that she's a princess in a mythical world, a world waiting for her return. That faun and the Pale Man were unforgettable creatures-as always, masterfully brought to life by Doug Jones. It was easy to root for Ofelia due to the obstacles placed in front of her and the performance of child actor Ivana Baquero; it was incredibly easy to root for the revolutionaries, particularly (spoiler) Mercedes, the housekeeper.

The effects were swell, effectively bringing that fantasy world to life; furthermore, the rural mansion in the woods with a great stone labyrinth were an evocative setting. This world was one I was happy to have finally visited.

 

The Foreigner (Unfortunately, the Steven Seagal Movie!)

The Foreigner (2003)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Michael Oblowitz

Starring: Steven Seagal, Harry Van Gorkum, Jeffrey Pierce, Anna-Louise Plowman, Max Ryan

From: Tri-Star/Franchise Pictures

Why did Netflix add THIS to their platform?

Besides mentioning that no review was posted yesterday-I was busy, including a theatrical viewing of a movie that will be reviewed tomorrow afternoon-the reason why I am subscribed to Netflix again... technically, there was a two month pause. A few days ago, there was a “Oh yeah, the pause is over, the service better be used again by me.”

The Foreigner not only served as a respite for all the horror films viewed in October, there's been a desire for years to view a truly terrible Steven Seagal film from his DTV era, mainly out of morbid curiosity. Foreigner featured many (though not all; I didn't hear anyone attempting to dub his dialogue because Seagal couldn't be arsed to do ADR) of the hallmarks emblematic of this era: dreary European locations, a portly Seagal too lazy to show off his Aikido martial arts, and a convoluted plot. That last point was the Achilles heel of The Foreigner.

This is not like The Big Sleep in having a complex story, or the work of an auteur, a virtuoso presenting a detailed, layered story involving thought-provoking characters that result in film scholars admiring the picture as if they were a sommelier appreciating a stellar Cabernet Sauvignon.

Rather, the film does not present its tale in the most cogent fashion. The main plot throughline, the viewer can comprehend... Seagal's JONATHAN COLD is a badass who used to be “an operative” who now freelances, including delivering a package. He's more than a simple courier... the viewer eventually learns the contents of the package, and why many wish to have it for themselves. However, this is full of incident, of too many characters, of dialogue that's boilerplate to this sort of picture, of poor storytelling that makes this too much of a headache for most people.

The Foreigner at least filmed in luxurious mansions, featured a few hilarious early 2000's moments-including the period techno soundtrack-a helpful explanation to everyone what asphyxiation is (?!) and used real squibs. Otherwise, this nonsense stinks. Seagal-as typical-sports his typical “constipated” face, which also described his performance! Aside from some unintentionally hilarious moments, the film isn't even all that exciting. Most people shouldn't even bother w/ this crap. There's also a sequel (!!), 2005's Black Dawn; I won't be bothering w/ continuing the adventures of Jonathan Cold.

Climax

Climax (2018)

Runtime: 97 excruciating minutes

Directed by: Gaspar Noe

Starring: Sofia Boutella & a bunch of randos

From: An absurd number of different companies

My first Gaspar Noe film... and my last!

I know everyone will be APPALLED by this admission, but the only reason why I even gave this movie a chance... late Monday night, there was discussion between several people in the comments of my review for Resident Evil (the new one), of all things. It concerned the need for likable protagonists-it's not always necessary, of course-and this movie was specifically mentioned. There are reasons why I avoid certain antagonistic European directors, but more on that later. Irreversible alone was good enough to avoid—at the same time, perhaps people would prefer I at least give directors a shot instead of blindly rejecting them... had I had known this was full of edgelord material (including moments of self-harm. There's a word of warning for those that would be triggered), no way this would have been streamed whatsoever.

I knew there was trouble right away... no, not at seeing A24's logo! Rather, it was realizing that they were showing what seemed to be the film's ending them started playing the END credits in reverse... only to stop then show what felt like an hour where we get intros to the numerous characters, which are modern dancers that I soon learned do preposterous modern dances. Then, it was seeing the modern pretentious trend of the movie presenting chapter titles on screen. Then, we hear pretentious prattle about random things, and I couldn't have cared any less! Oh, and we get the opening credits 45 minutes in; how rebellious... rolls eyes incredibly hard.

You can imagine my thrill at seeing a whole slew of characters you either couldn't possibly care about or were utterly detestable (some just loved saying the most vulgar comments concerning women & sex) even before they drink sangria spiked with drugs act once they are high on drugs, but not before a dance segment that felt like it was 5 hours long! Note that the kid I'll call “French Jonathan Lipnicki” is exempt from this criticism! I didn't give a damn how most of this was improv or the long takes or the camera placement/angles (most of which were “try hard” anyhow) when the movie is full of repugnant behavior.

Heck, a pregnant woman is kicked in the stomach then she HITS HERSELF in the stomach, and evidently-judging by a mutual's review-this is a Gaspar Noe director trademark! If I wasn't worried about people really hating me, I'd proclaim how much I despise Gaspar Noe as a human being given this film, Irreversible, and things I've heard about his work. I was reminded why there are good reasons why I've avoided such things as movies from directors that force their actors to act all monotone, or directors like Noe, von Trier, and Haneke. The virulently strong negative reaction I had to Climax is why I was right w/ my instincts concerning Noe as a massive edgelord.

Letterboxd members won't like that certain directors now most assuredly won't be given a chance (even if they've been recommended in the past or in the future) but honestly, my logic is... I hope my life will be a long one, but you never know. There's still way too many movies likely to be rated as “good” or better in my eyes that haven't been viewed yet; sometimes it feels like a real waste of time checking out aggravating cinema such as Climax. Perhaps it's better that I don't give some a chance rather than giving them a chance and some getting mad that my negative opinion is an outlier.

God Bless everyone who is a fan of Gaspar Noe; no shame there. He's just one of many 21st century directors & films whose popularity utterly eludes me. Hopefully it's a long while before I violently reject a movie like this; my rating would have been the lowest possible if not for.... some great songs on the soundtrack, no lie.

 

The Brain That Wouldn't Die

The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)

Runtime: 82 minutes

Directed by: Joseph Green

Starring: Jason Evers, Virginia Leith, Anthony La Penna, Adele Lamont, Bonnie Sharrie

From: AIP

I've known of Virginia Leath's disembodied head on the table for years; about time I finally saw The Brain That Wouldn't Die.

We open with a pair of doctors arguing with each other over a patient dying on the operating table. A few minutes later, we discover they are father & son! The son (Bill) is possessed w/ the desire to reanimate the dead & keeping body parts alive. Wouldn't you know it, he is in a convertible with his fiancee Jan and a lethal crash occurs... well, he saves Jan's decapitated head and revives it on a table. Jan is NOT happy with this arrangement and wishes for her brain to die, but Bill refuses. That is utterly horrifying.

Despite the multiple voices of reason, Bill's quest to find a new body won't be reasoned with. If the viewer didn't already loathe Bill, he not only visits “seedy joints”-one of which has an amazing painting on the wall of clothed dogs sitting upright on chairs drinking beer!-and constantly leers at young ladies to find the right bod, Bill also has a “failed experiment” literally locked in a room, portrayed by giant actor Eddie Carmel.

Of course the movie's outlandish, but in this ghoulish tale, it does comment on the autonomy of a woman-going against his love's desire to die-and other creepy plot points that unfortunately are still relevant in 2026. It's mostly competent in a B-movie fashion while attempting to explain how the mad doctor could medically succeed, while uttering dialogue sometimes more thoughtful than expected, while a jazzy score plays throughout.

Leith was quite sympathetic, and delivered a pretty good performance while we mostly only saw her cranium. The Brain That Wouldn't Die was bloodier, more graphic, and yes, sleazier than expected. Don't let its MST3K status make you automatically think the movie's utter tripe.

 

Horror in the High Desert 4: Majesty

Horror in the High Desert 4: Majesty (2025)

Runtime: 77 minutes

Directed by: Dutch Marich

Starring: Suziey Block, David Morales, Laurie Felix Bass, the voice of John Davis Walker

From: Luminol Entertainment

I still enjoy these movies. 4 is still like 2 and 3 in only presenting more lore and only minimally advancing an explanation as to the origin or further details on those weirdos are that are living in the rural desert of Northeastern Nevada... implied to be supernatural in nature.

There's even fewer characters than typical; Gal Roberts & Bill Salerno return but otherwise, it's just an older woman named Dolly (introduced in the last installment) who discusses the contents of a box. It's like the TARDIS in the amount of items it holds... it's all the records compiled by her late father Beau concerning the spooky events on the family's ranch, known as Majesty. This was from decades past, meaning notes on a typewriter, faux film footage-which didn't quite look the part-along w/ VHS footage, which was filmed on a SWEET RCA camcorder, so that did look the part.

The presentation is slicker, more polished than in the first three; this and and increased focus on the found footage are the only major differences... along w/ Beau not appearing on camera, just the footage from his POV. Otherwise, the scares are the same. It's the anticipation of seeing or hearing something in the dark... something subtle suddenly moving far away, a twig snapping, steps on gravel. With the VHS footage and its naturally blurry nature, that only increases the anticipation-the viewer is unsure if it's just the low-quality footage or something is moving.

Those that have seen & liked the first three should hopefully like it too—I did. Evidently, there will be a 5th and final installment in the Horror in the High Desert franchise, titled Mantis-no, not after the Guardians of the Galaxy character but rather it's the name of a mining company shown to be nefarious. Other reviewers have expressed concern that not all the plot points from the first four will be resolved before this story is wrapped. Understandable, but I'll be optimistic that creator Dutch Marich won't let everyone down.

No matter the outcome, these simple stories made on a low budget centered on people in isolated locations far from humanity discovering there's something mysterious but it's probably otherworldly... those scares are effective. From hearsay & what I've viewed with my own eyes, many found footage horror pictures aren't nearly as effective in delivering such scares. The format won't be for everyone—thankfully it is for me. No word on when the 5th installment will be released.

Exorcist II: The Heretic, Revisited

“It was horrible... utterly horrible. And fascinating.”

- Father Lamont (Richard Burton) describing a sight he saw, not describing Exorcist II: The Heretic... although it also fits!

I've reviewed this film before, and have now willingly seen it a few times in my life. While this should be Exhibit A in the dangers (right or wrong) of making a sequel to a beloved film that is far different from the original, it's always a movie that I found weird & fascinating, full of bizarre 70's touches. Locusts are a key plot point, them directly tied to evil. Psychiatrist Louise Fletcher has an institute full of glass walls that can be made opaque via lighting... a “synchronizer” that links two minds together via tones and flashing lights... Regan tap dances for a stage show... there's talk of humanity reaching a stage of collective consciousness in the future... Regan now has supernatural healing powers & seemingly cures Dana Plato of autism by making her speak...

It's all so wacky; no wonder audiences that made the first film a gigantic hit were all “WTF?” when this released in June of 1977. The numerous production problems for what was an expensive (for the time) production did not help-Boorman and several others falling seriously ill, constant script changes, etc.-were issues but a movie that wasn't as frightening as the first & was far more metaphysical, of course even back then many would want “more of the same” instead. Hiring a director who didn't even like the original movie and admitted he wasn't that concerned with satisfying the audience-again, no wonder.

The Heretic is now a difficult movie for me to rate; the story is an absolute mess and you shouldn't scrutinize it too hard. Yet, I've always been bemused by how strange it is. Father Lamont's trip to Ethiopia to talk to Kokumo-someone that survived possession by Pazuzu-was a serious subplot yet the advice sort of seemed, “That's it?” It's a shame the plot is so scattershot and doesn't coalesce (IMO) as some ingredients make sense... Father Lamont is someone else struggling w/ his faith-and knew Father Merrin-Regan still has the demon inside him, her caretaker Sharon (Kitty Winn) is damaged from the experience, etc.

Plenty of talent is in front and behind the camera. Morricone-delivering a rather bold score that naturally will be polarizing-Dick Smith, Albert J. Whitlock, and steadicam inventor Garrett Brown were all involved-those contributions were appreciated by me. In this day and age, all the practical sets and matte paintings created were cool. The Heretic isn't as enjoyable as Zardoz nor is it as good as Exorcist III by any regard... yet it is FAR better than a bizarre boondoggle like Megalopolis and is also FAR better than The Exorcist: Believer. Believer's “original” ideas is to have TWO young girls become possessed & presenting awful militant Christians.

I also haven't viewed the trailer for The Exorcist: Martyrs; evidently, it looks like the first season of True Detective... I haven't viewed a second of ANY True Detective show! Regardless, I hope Martyrs isn't bad. Many aren't like me in having such peculiar tastes (including enjoying many things 1970's) so you might not enjoy this wacky film that even I can admit is tremendously flawed. At least The Exorcist III is a sequel that has a strong reputation & despite its own production woes, many do like or love the second sequel.

Boorman and the Devil

Yes, this is the 2025 documentary concerning director John Boorman and the rather disastrous production of Exorcist II: The Heretic: 

Turner Classic Movies played this new documentary last night before screening Exorcist II: The Heretic. As someone who's always been amused by The Heretic and how it's an ambitious failure, learning more about its disastrous production was of great interest. Tomorrow, I'll post a new review of Exorcist II.

It's a standard documentary (which did feature some goofy, silly illustrations to present some moments. At least they weren't made by generative AI, as the end credits proudly proclaimed) where the opening minutes explain the career of director John Boorman before he agreed to direct the sequel to one of the best horror films in history. From there, the production woes were explained... multiple people became quite ill during production (including Boorman himself), the script constantly changed, and it was a complex production requiring many effects that they rushed to meet a hard deadline.

As it dared to be far different from the all-timer of an original, that was a reason the reviews of the time were virulently negative, although its quality was also a factor. Modern commentary is provided by the likes of Joe Dante, Mike Flanagan, & Karyn Kusama. At the conclusion, it was striking that they and the others they interviewed were divided on whether Exorcist II was “good” or not.

A huge asset is that they interviewed Boorman himself, along with a number of others involved w/ the productions, from crew to Linda Blair and Louise Fletcher before she passed away in 2022. This helped paint a picture of what went wrong, although it also should help people appreciate such aspects as the Moricone score, the production design, sets, and a slew of different effects. The film recreating Ethiopia on giant sets is impressive in of itself.

For the nerdy sort that enjoy making-of stories (even of movies seen as flawed or flat-out bad), Boorman and the Devil is a fascinating watch, one I'm glad was seen by me. Sure, we do on rare occasions still get bizarre films that are in wide release-look at Digger out now. Many of those aren't of interest to me or they turn out like Megalopolis... shudders. I've willingly viewed Exorcist II a few times in my life; its weirdness and 70's moments are a draw, but there's also the matte paintings of the legendary Albert J. Whitlock, the steadicam of its inventor Garrett Brown, William A. Fraker's cinematography & Dick Smith returning to provide its makeup effects.

This documentary not only spotlights how Boorman's career wasn't ruined due to the film flopping (thank goodness he had Excalibur), but also the disappointment that the cast & crew had that the movie still has an infamous reputation-many tried their best yet making a movie that's at least good will always be an arduous task.

She Killed in Ecstasy

She Killed in Ecstasy (Sie Toete in Ekstase) (1971)

Runtime: 80 minutes

Directed by: Jesus Franco

Starring: Soledad Miranda, Fred Williams, Paul Muller, Ewa Stromberg, Howard Vernon

From: A few different Spanish & German companies 

A movie I was happy to have finally seen; thanks, Eternal Family. It's been in my mind to do so for years—problem was, a streaming copy unedited w/ English subtitles was nigh impossible to track down, even in the Bowels of the Internet-I'm not someone who torrents, before anyone asks. Thankfully, the esoteric platform Eternal Family added it to their collection, making a viewing a reality.

Concerning Jesus Franco, I know he has many fans but out of the five films I've seen from him, the best were 60's horror early in his career: The Diabolical Dr. Z and The Awful Dr. Orloff weren't nonsense like A Virgin Among the Living Dead and Nightmares Come at Night were. Ecstasy wasn't the most logical picture either-including the dumbest police detective in cinematic history-and the ending made me guffaw in a bad way as it for certain contained the worst depiction of a certain event in cinematic history. It was also quite the decision to have a main plot thread centered on a doctor being banished from the profession because his experiments on bettering humanity and eradicating diseases centered on... human embryos. No comment on that. I will comment that for those who know Franco often used his male muse Howard Vernon in his films—yes he does have a role in Ecstasy.

This Dr. Johnson “unalived himself.” Thankfully for the viewer, his wife Soledad Miranda decides to kill the quartet of doctors who rejected her late husband in revenge, psychosis, and yes ecstasy. She was a highlight, and no, not for her beauty or her frequent full-frontal nudity. Rather, it was the performance-and how she was in anguish due to her husband's death-which was compelling. What a tragic death she had-only a month after the filming of Ecstasy concluded, she perished in a car wreck at only the age of 27.

On a lighter note, I really dug the score, even if at least on one occasion it seemed at odds w/ the action on the screen. Nevermind that, the music from Bruno Nicolai, Manfred Hubler & Sigi Schwab was quite entertaining, featuring more sitar than what I was expecting. The sunny scenery in Spain was also delightful. While the constant zoom-ins and zoom-outs were amusing, it was Miranda & the score which did plenty of heavy lifting, making me like the movie despite all the demerits. I also have to give Franco credit for some interesting shots/shot compositions.

I shouldn't write him off entirely—he made almost 200 films, after all, and he did more than horror. It might be a hoot to check out his “less popular” movies. As for She Killed in Ecstasy, despite not being as entranced by it as many have been these past 55 years, it's a relief to have finally tackled it after all these years.

I'm Dangerous Tonight

I'm Dangerous Tonight (1990)

Runtime: 88 minutes

Directed by: Tobe Hooper

Starring: Madchen Amick, Corey Parker, Daisy Hall, Dee Wallace, Anthony Perkins

From: Several different companies 

This is exactly what I expected of “An ancient red Aztec cloak ends up at a California university, Madchen Amick stumbles on it, turns it into a dress, and anyone touching the material becomes corrupt.”

For years I've known of this made for television movie (basic cable, but it's not premium cable like HBO; rather, it was the USA Network) yet it wasn't until last night that I finally figuratively put on the red dress and gave it a shot. Besides Amick, there's also Dee Wallace in a refreshingly atypical role, a subdued R. Lee Ermey as a police detective, Mrs. Howell from Gillian's Island (Natalie Schafer) and college professor Anthony Perkins. The assumption is that plenty have viewed this already due to the director: Tobe Hooper.

Yes, Tonight is a silly movie where multiple women don the dress and they all behave badly. This even has Cinderella themes; Amick's Amy has deceased parents so she lives with her aunt, her daughter, & her grandmother—the aunt & daughter treat Amy poorly. Of course, she also has a love interest. This world is in a tableau where the constraints of basic cable meant there's no language or gore, the most gruesome moments told rather than shown.

Some may take issue w/ that; me, those constraints aren't a big deal in this case when I had fun w/ seeing people behaving badly & Amy attempting to deal with the ramifications of possessing such a dress. The film always remains fun with its escalation & scenarios. Amick made Amy a likable character, plus she did look great in the red dress... this is not top-tier Hooper by any regards nor is it as good as Salem's Lot. That said, if your expectations are in check & you aren't immediately turned off by period slut-shaming dialogue, you might enjoy this silly motion picture as well.

 

The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming!

The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming! (1966)

Runtime: 126 minutes

Directed by: Norman Jewison

Starring: Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint (RIP), Alan Arkin, Brian Keith, Jonathan Winters

From: The Mirisch Company

RIP Eva Marie Saint

In this special early Wednesday upload of a review, I mention how after hearing late yesterday afternoon that this Oscar winner had passed away at the age of 102 (!), it felt right to not even delay a day tipping my cap to who was one of the last surviving links to the Golden Age of Hollywood. I haven't watched too many of her films but her two most famous (North by Northwest & On the Waterfront, the latter her Oscar-winning role) have been viewed & reviewed on Letterboxd. Russians was selected due to... my knowing of the film for years, knowing several of the main cast, and the plot description making the movie sound wacky yet amusing, a comedy of errors.

A Soviet sub runs aground on a small Massachusetts island; this is an obvious problem, because the Cold War. 9 of the crew (led by Alan Arkin!) are tasked w/ finding a boat to dislodge them, but they stumble upon a family of Saint, Carl Reiner, and two small children. It's not long before the plan to sneak around clandestine & steal a boat goes awry and not only does most of the island know, great exaggerations occur and dozens are running around w/ firearms ready to start a war on their island.

Coming is rather funny as this absurd scenario escalates, different characters reacting to this differently, and plenty of conflict among the island's residents. There's puns, slapstick, foolish characters getting humiliated, etc. I enjoyed the Norman Jewison direction and the Johnny Mandel score. Now, this movie treated the Russian characters more fairly than you'd expect for a big Hollywood production; much of the Russian dialogue isn't translated, the crew aren't too terribly harsh to Reiner's family, and the conclusion was an unexpected & welcome twist.

While Saint was sidelined for long stretches of the film, she still did swell in a film that was one of those 60's ensemble comedies w/ a big runtime and even bigger cast. After all, it's always nice to see the likes of Brian Keith & Jonathan Winters. Russians is one of those loud, boisterous comedies which aren't always my thing but in this case the film was quite amusing & not a bad way for me to pay tribute. Note that the exterior of the cottage the leading family is residing in certainly looks like the cottage seen in 1941-the bucolic New England island was actually locations in the northern half of California... now there's a loud, boisterous comedy where the comedy often didn't land.