Dangerous Animals

Dangerous Animals (2025)

84% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 132 reviews)

Runtime: 93 minutes

Directed by: Sean Byrne

Starring: Hassie Harrison, Jai Courtney, Josh Hueston, Ella Newton, Rob Carlton

From: A number of different companies

“Jai Courtney was the best part of the film” was not on my 2025 Bingo card of phrases that would be said concerning cinema. I don't have much memory of him in either Honest Thief or Alita: Battle Angel-meaning that he must have been fine-but wow, was that alleged Die Hard film atrocious and nothing he did elevated the heinousness. In addition, this is my first Sean Byrne picture; one day The Loved Ones and/or The Devil's Candy will be tackled; the former has been described as “depraved” so that's a reason the trigger hasn't been pulled yet.

Dangerous Animals has some gross-out moments and the sight of Courtney in his briefs & robe dancing to classic Aussie rock... otherwise this is relatively mainstream, albeit with quite the wacky hook. Jai portrays Tucker, a serial killer—who films his victims w/ a VHS camcorder and murders them via feeding them to sharks! His luck changes when he kidnaps an American living The Van Life named... ZEPHYR. Chuckles were had as while not an impossible name to have, it's still quite rare.

There were some moments that were scoffed at as much of this was Zephyr's repeated attempts to escape captivity on the boat. The sharks thankfully weren't portrayed as evil incarnate and this did have several assets. Courtney was the highlight, although Hassie Harrison and Josh Hueston were both good as Zephyr and her friend Moses. There were tense scenes and the film overall had a decent score along w/ a soundtrack I dug. It was nice to hear old songs I knew and even a few that were unfamiliar to me, such as the aforementioned classic Aussie rock. Shout-out to the blues-rock era of Fleetwood Mac, CCR, and the tune Evie, from Stevie Wright.

It's a movie you might like once it appears on Shudder later in the year. I was happy to support independent cinema along w/ something that is great in the field of “modern shark movies.” I know most of those are direct to TV/streaming/disc atrocities best left avoided.

Hugs and Mugs

(Short # 121 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

Owners of storage units selling abandoned units did not star with the advent of Storage Wars. I knew that already, but this was proven in Hugs and Mugs. After a needed day off from posting any sort of review, it was nice to watch this short then a feature film yesterday.

Series regular Christine McIntyre, Nanette Bordeaux (the first of a few appearances she made) and Kathleen O’Malley (her only appearance in the Stooge world… although she acted for decades and was in everything from John Ford’s Wagon Master to the Chris Farley Black Sheep and many random television shows in between) are dames just released from prison whom hid a pearl necklace in a warehouse but Emil Sitka just sold it to the Stooges, whose blue-collar job this time was “upholsters.” 

They used their feminine charms to distract the boys as McIntyre attempted to find the necklace. Then, the hoodlums who they stole it from also discover its location… there’s some quality physical comedy, funny lines, and the amusement of the faux seduction. All three ladies excelled in their roles and the final few minutes were a hoot; a hot iron was used to great effect. Thus, this was… sew good.

Imitation of Life (The 1959 Version)

Imitation of Life (1959)

Runtime: 125 minutes

Directed by: Douglas Sirk

Starring: Lana Turner, Juanita Moore, John Gavin, Sandra Dee, Susan Kohner

From: Universal

It was time for me to see the last Douglas Sirk film. It was just the past few years that any of his work had been viewed; most were melodramatic but all were a swell time. TCM played this last night as co-host Brian Tyree Henry selected the film; would you believe that his older sisters introduced him to Life when he was like 6 years old? Surprising yet true. Also true: a relative of a Letterboxd mutual has a supporting role. I won’t give specifics-of course, that had no bearing on my review.

Note that the 1934 version starring Claudette Colbert hasn’t been tackled by me; henceforth, comparisons can’t be made. A statement that can be made: this was melodrama; no wonder it had that director. As Lana Turner becomes a Broadway star, her friendship with Black Juanita Moore is shown. Moore takes care of both her and Turner’s daughter, who are of similar ages. The drama is that Moore’s daughter is mixed-race but has skin of a shade that most believe she is white.

For a number of reasons, Sarah Jane does not want to be seen as Black. I am a dumb white guy so of course I can’t speak on this topic with any sort of authority… I have heard this topic is still pertinent in modern times. The subject is serious & deep-the film treats it as such; the first 50 or so minutes is when the girls were around the age of 7, and the rest is when they’re 18… as children, Sarah Jane pretends she’s white to avoid bullying at school—in the teenage era, prejudice is still present. There’s drama between the two moms and two daughters; the specifics won’t be spoiled.

It was a fascinating watch for the two hour plus runtime. The cast does a swell job; Turner and Moore are unforgettable, but so are John Gavin, Sandra Dee, Susan Kohner, Robert Alda, Dan O’Herilhy, etc. Kohner portrays the teenage Sarah Jane; while mixed race, she was IRL white and Hispanic. Not ideal, although at least she delivered a quality performance. The visual aesthetic was also great; the final act was a great culmination of the film as this was a nice culmination of Sirk’s career.

In addition, what a performance from gospel legend Mahalia Jackson in the finale; it was the final act and the emotions it stirred which is why it deserves such a high rating.

Friday the 13th (The Original, but Viewed Theatrically)

This is what I did this past Friday the 13th. I did not post anything on Letterboxd but I'm catching up here. In a few minutes, a review for the last motion picture I viewed. Now, the classic 1980 slasher: 

Like many, I was able to see the OG Friday the 13th last night in a theatrical setting; for one night only, Paramount brought the film to all the major cinema chains in the United States. As the movie is set on a Friday, June the 13th and Jason's canon birthday is June the 13th... it was a magnanimous move on Paramount's part in allowing people to see the film this way, and on this specific date.

Yes, I've reviewed the movie 9 years ago; I have many new thoughts since then. No, I won't go down the rabbit hole of mentioning all the legal reasons why there hasn't been a new Jason movie in 16 years, or the trepidation I have over A24 (!) and their involvement in an upcoming Friday the 13th TV show.

The mixed opinions on the entire franchise and why certain people like certain entries while not liking others... I can't get too upset over what people rate this initial installment. The nitpicks are valid—if it was supposed to be a “murder mystery,” then it doesn't work for obvious reasons. You may be bored or find this inert as you view these random characters doing random things. A snake is killed on camera; some in the large crowd made it known they did NOT like that death.

A mutual described this movie as “cozy;” understandable. While not the most memorable of characters even by franchise standards, at least they were mostly tolerable and amused me, whether they had sex, played Strip Monopoly, “smoked grass,” acted goofy around the officer named DORF, etc. There are giallo vibes-the rural New Jersey vibes do a swell job of establishing that this scenic area is isolated-there is a variety in the slayings.

Of course, the biggest assets for the film are the Harry Manfredini score (no matter how “inspired” by Psycho it was... many others were inspired by that Bernard Herrmann score in the past 65 years, and the violin-driven sounds are impelling), the Tom Savini gore effects, and having an experienced pro like Betsy Palmer as Mrs. Voorhees; she only appeared due to the desperate need of a paycheck to purchase a new automobile. Thankfully Palmer warmed up to a movie that she looked down on at the time. The presence of atmosphere throughout is also a nice asset which isn't always present in the sequels.

While I do prefer such franchise efforts as the third, fourth, and sixth, I was still happy to experience the originator on the silver screen, in front of a big crowd who wasn't too bad. Sure, there were random giggles at odd moments (I can't get too mad when it's done here. Sadly, I've heard tales of horrible young adults doing this at Lynch screenings and serious, mature pictures in the Criterion Collection) and laughing during the movie's biggest death left me a little puzzled. Otherwise, they were fine and could have been MUCH worse. The lack of people quoting every line was a relief; so was the lack of irritating behavior in general that has even turned off SCORSESE from visiting the cinema in 2025.

 

A Quartet of Stooge Shorts

Malice in the Palace: 

(Short # 117 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

The last public domain Stooge short—and also one that Curly filmed a scene for, but despite appearing in the one-sheet and lobby card, his scene (as a cook who had a giant fake handlebar mustache) was cut for reasons unknown to me except that a few different explanations were heard. His declining health likely played a factor. Regardless, Malice in the Palace is still a rollicking good time.

As standard for the era, white people are cosplaying as Arab people but as long as that’s not a deal-breaker for you… there’s also a darker than usual gag concerning Larry the chef chasing down a cat & dog then those animals making noises as he’s preparing rabbit & hog dogs, resulting in everyone else thinking that upsetting thought. If that isn’t too gruesome for you…

It’s still a silly effort where characters have names like Hassan Ben Sober, Emir of Shmow, and Ghinna Rumma. The boys are persuaded to look for the Rootin-Tootin Diamond; this is after they learn of it from Sober and Rumma. To be frank, only the last few minutes are spent w/ acquiring the diamond from Shmow’s palace and that isn’t as strong as the rest. Even so, that does not mean I wasn’t entertained nor laughed a decent amount of times.

There’s even the return of a map featuring many pun-filled names, a device they hadn’t used since 1941’s I’ll Never Heil Again, and a few seconds of stock footage as they reuse the idea of the trio dressed as Santa Claus in an Arabian palace, first used all the way back in 1938’s Wee Wee Monsieur.

Vagabond Loafers:

(Short # 118 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

A Shemp short that is a remake of one featuring Curly; it’s not just lifting a gag or routine. Vagabond Loafers is a remake of the legendary 1940 A Plumbing We Will Go, a favorite of me and many other Stooge fans. Routines, lines, and stock footage is taken from Plumbing. Now, the setup is different; instead of hijacking a plumbing truck to avoid arrest, the boys are novices in a plumbing business that is open 24 hours. A mansion springs a leak so they’re called even though a soiree is being thrown for a new $50,000 painting on display.

Moe struggles with stopping the leak so like in Plumbing, Larry goes to the yard to try and turn the water off while Shemp goes to the bathroom, where his bungling results in being surrounded by pipes. I do prefer Plumbing but that doesn’t mean laughs aren’t present. There are still funny one-liners and there’s the thrill of Kenneth MacDonald and Christine McIntyre attempting to steal the painting. This is notable as the last appearances of both Symona Boniface (a tremendous name, and a funny lady who was in quite a few shorts w/ the Stooges going back to some of their first in the mid 30’s) and Black actor Dudley Dickerson.

With Dickerson, they actually used both stock footage and new scenes for him as he reprised his role as the mansion’s cook. A recipe like this sounded like a stew of trouble; instead, without comparison to the original, I enjoy Vagabond Loafers for what it is. Although, I couldn’t tell you why this was called Vagabond Loafers-it references nothing in the short. I suppose it is a catchy title…

Dunked in the Deep: 

(Short # 119 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

A minimalist Stooge effort. That proclamation is made as there is exactly one other character shown on screen throughout and only a few sets are used. Gene Roth portrayed a foreign spy w/ a vaguely foreign accent. He was a background player in such films as the OG Nightmare Alley but had more prominent roles in the likes of Earth vs. the Spider, recently shown on The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs.

He hides microfilm of “government documents” in… watermelons. The Stooges are his neighbor; as they were victims of circumstances, they ended up stowaways on the same aquatic vessel, a shipping frigate, to be exact. Believe it or not, the watermelons conceit was a relevant reference. Those familiar w/ Alger Hiss (who worked for the American government but was accused of being a Soviet spy… the validity of those charges have never been proven or disproven), it’d take way too long to explain here but rolls of 35mm film were found in a hollowed-out pumpkin on his farm, purportedly to send to the Soviet Union.

That is the best gag present; the rest, plenty of bits used in previous efforts. That in of itself is not a demerit. While those OG efforts were typically better, none of them here were bad. Deep was still a good time and I was amused that something this small a scale could still be satisfying.

Punchy Cowpunchers: 

(Short # 120 in Nyuk Nyuk Nyuk: The Columbia Shorts of The Three Stooges)

This is a Western, as the title accurately suggests. The Stooges have dabbled in this genre on more than a few occasions. What made this stand out: there’s another protagonist who is even more inept than Moe, Larry, and Shemp. The Killer Dillon gang wish to steal the gold owned by the family of Christine McIntyre’s Nell; she dispatches her beau Elmer to get help from the U.S. Cavalry. The Stooges (horse groomers in that branch of the military) are tasked with stopping the Dillon men due to a superior they’re feuding with hoping they’ll be killed in the line of duty.

The trio are their typical blundering selves yet Elmer (portrayed by Jack Mahoney) dresses and acts like a singing cowboy—but Elmer is constantly clumsy and forgetful. He fell off his horse, hurts his knee more than once, can’t hit the broad side of a barn, and can’t even remember to load his revolvers. It’s a great parody of the singing cowboy stereotype; not only can Nell inadvertently dispatch of the foes, the Stooges are in fact portrayed as more competent than Elmer.

Punchy Cowpunchers was a swell time, between the appropriate sets, costumes, the music you’d hear in a traditional Columbia Western of the time, and the presence of all the familiar Stooge supporting players of the time (there’s also Vernon Dent, Emil Sitka and Kenneth MacDonald. Not all get equal screentime by any means) + the funny routines and one-liners I expect = a memorable effort from the boys.

K.G.F.: Chapter 1

K.G.F.: Chapter 1 (2018)

Runtime: 154 minutes

Directed by: Prashantha Neel

Starring: Yash, Srinidhi Shetty, Ramachandra Raju, Archana Jois, Anant Nag

From: A number of different Indian companies

As I have stated too often through the years, my apologies for not viewing as many movies from India as I should. Besides that universe containing a wide variety of different films from different regions in different languages, several Letterboxd mutuals only follow me due to previous reviews of their cinema. It’s hit or miss whether the unique flavors & the mix of different genres will work for me or not; in this case, I more liked this than loved it. A unique novelty for me was that this was in the Kannada language; that was a first for me.

After an opening in 2018, the rest of the film is a flashback to a young boy calling himself Rocky who became a hoodlum than worked then as an adult in the 70’s and 80’s, became involved with the “Gold Mafia” and was tasked with assassinating someone involved with a gold field in the country. Of course, it’s more complicated than that; the keystone detail for me to note is that Rocky is yet another unstoppable Indian hero who easily wrecks dozens upon dozens of dudes. The action beats are of the modern variety; I mean that pejoratively as in meaning “not always decipherable” and “quick editing.” 

Yes, there’s musical numbers-as always, at least they’re catchy tunes and well-choreographed-and like in some recent pictures from that part of the world, there are constant graphics that appear which tell the viewer that smoking and drinking is bad whenever a character is shown smoking and/or drinking. Then there’s the slow-motion… someone I know on a messageboard has fatigue when it comes to those modern cliches; I can’t even blame him.

All that said, I was still amused and bemused by this film which in fact has multiple chapters; the second came out in ’22 and the third is still forthcoming. As bombastic as KGF was, the film becomes a rousing underdog story as Rocky attempts to help impoverished people. It won’t be another six months before viewing another picture from India; heck, by the end of 2025 there are hopes to see at least one theatrically.

St. Ives

St. Ives (1976)

Runtime: 94 minutes

Directed by: J. Lee Thompson

Starring: Charles Bronson, Jacqueline Bisset, John Houseman, Maximilian Schell, Harris Yulin (RIP)

From: Warner Bros.

RIP Harris Yulin

Lost in the news cycle yesterday dominated by the death of the legendary Brian Wilson, Yulin had also passed away, at the age of 87. Never a leading man, he was happy to be a supporting player in a number of roles both on stage, television & the silver screen. Many will be like me and think “he was Bernstein in Scarface” when his face comes to mind. It was always nice see him pop up in everything from the underrated Stuart Saves his Family (where he played a toxic father) and Night Moves to 80’s trash like Fatal Beauty and another recognizable role, him as Judge Wexler in the opening act of Ghostbusters II.

St. Ives had never been viewed before; the selection was due to lead Charles Bronson, director J. Lee Thompson, a number of other familiar character actors besides Yulin, a score from Lalo Schifrin-which proved to be a sweet jazzy/funky affair-and yeah, lead girl Jacqueline Bisset. It had a rather intriguing premise: mystery writer Raymond St. Ives is hired by a burglar to retrieve plans for his next heist, which were ironically stolen from him in a burglary.

It is a film noir-flavored tale which isn’t as great as many of the famous names in the genre from the 40’s and 50’s yet was still a fun time. It certainly was as intricate as some noirs from the past. Even w/ its faults, for me, always nice seeing the leads plus character actors as varied as John Houseman, Maximilian Schell, Yulin, Elisha Cook, Jr., Dana Elcar, Michael Lerner, Dick O’Neil, George Memmoli… heck, for a few minutes St. Ives was accosted by a trio of hoodlums, two of whom were Robert Englund and Jeff Goldblum.

Other things amused me… a key moment occurring at a drive-in, what looked to be a Burberry briefcase, a kill that I thought was done first in the OG My Bloody Valentine but I was mistaken as it happened here. My affinity for movies like this plus the charm of Bronson and the score helped made this pretty good in my eyes. While Yulin was only in a few scenes, his performance was memorable-thus, a nice way to tip my cap to him.