Week of August 31 - September 6, 2019

To answer these trivia questions, please email me at scinema@earthlink.net.

Brain Teasers:

In what movie does Richard Harrison and Wilbert Bradley appear as Western villains?

COLPO MAESTRO AL SERVIZIO DI SUA MAESTA BRITANNICA, aka MASTER STROKE, aka THE GREAT DIAMOND ROBBERY.

What South Korean film did many confused fans think was directed by Umberto Lenzi?
No one has answered this question yet.

Which Italian actress, who appeared in sword & sandal films, charted a number one record in Italy?
No one has answered this one yet.

Which French actress, who co-starred with Steve Reeves, also had a successful singing career?
George Grimes knew that it was Valerie Lagrange.

Which French actress, who co-starred with Steve Reeves, had surgery as a teen to stop being cross-eyed?
George Grimes knew that it was Mylene Demongeot.

And now for some new brain teasers:

Which Italian Western originally had an happy ending, but the American distributor cut it off to end the film tragically?
Which Italian Western originally had a tragic ending, but the American distributor cut if off to give the film a seeming happy ending?
Which Italian sword & sandal film is an ancient Roman remake of THE GUNS OF NAVARONE?

Name the movies from which these images come.

Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's photo of Giuliano Gemma and brothers in ARRIVANO I TITANI, aka SONS OF THUNDER, aka MY SON THE HERO.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's frame grab of Giuliano Gemma and Stefania Sandrelli in DELITTO D'AMORE, aka CRIME OF LOVE.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's frame grab of Chun Shih in A TOUCH OF ZEN.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

**********************************************************************

I am interested in knowing what movies you have watched and what you enjoyed or not. So please send me an email at scinema@earthlink.net if you'd like to share. Here's what I watched last week:

Enjoyed:

7 UOMINI D'ORO, aka SEVEN GOLDEN MEN (1965) - With a magnificent music score by Armando Trovajoli, this heist comedy tops TOPKAPI as the pinnacle of this kind of film. Written, produced and directed by Marco Vicaro.


HALSTON (2019) - A CNN documentary.

Mildly enjoyed:

THE ROARING TWENTIES (1939)

IL GRANDE COLPO DEI 7 UOMINI D'ORO, aka SEVEN GOLDEN MEN STRIKE AGAIN (1966) - While the first film uses Spy movie gadgets to spice up a heist comedy, the sequel becomes a Spy movie spoof. This movie has too many twists for my enjoyment. Produced, written and directed by Marco Vicaro.

SETTE VOLTE SETTE, aka SEVEN TIMES SEVEN (1968) - Marco Vicaro only produced this film that isn't a sequel but is in a similar vein, except the characters are all new and there are no double-crosses. Michele Lupo directed.

NARROW MARGIN (1990) - Peter Hyams remade the 1952 movie playing with the expectations of those who've seen the earlier film. Most of his changes do not improve on the original, and many of them are rather silly.

The Pillars of the Earth (2010) - A marvelous cast and good production value do not overcome the rewrite of Ken Follett's novel.

Did not enjoy:

DER TURM DER VERBOTENEN LIEBE, aka TOWER OF SCREAMING VIRGINS (1968) - An incredibly tiresome swashbuckler supposedly based on a novel by Alexandre Dumas pere, this flick directed by Franz Antel was sold in the U.S. as an Horror flick. I suppose the distributor felt that alot of female nudity would distract viewers from the deception. Teri Todai starred as the Queen of France who invited young men to rendevous with her and her maids of honor in the "tower of sin". After a night of pleasure, the young men are murdered and thrown into the river. Jean Piat played a war hero who unmasked the evil plot with the help of Uschi Glas.

A WARTIME ROMANCE (1983) - The 1983 Soviet submission to the Academy Awards, this black&white film is well-made but not compelling.

***********************************************************

David Deal enjoyed:

BULLDOG DRUMMOND STRIKES BACK (34) - Ronald Coleman and Loretta Young in a highly entertaining example of the series.

HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (81) - I like this lively Russian version.

SHANGHAI COBRA (45)

Charles Gilbert watched:

STRAIT-JACKET (1964) B&W. Not as disturbing as the first viewing. A young Lee Majors is the first victim of the ax.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea television:

    'The Deadly Dolls' S04E02. Racconteur Vincent Price entertains the men of Seaview with his puppet show but quickly reveals a sinister side when the dolls become evil doubles for the crew.

   'Flaming Ice' SO4E22. Cryoaliens at the Arctic ice cap menace the crew. Michael Pate is the guest star in frosty blue makeup.

   'Abominable Snowman' SO4E18. One of the scientists picked up by the Seaview near Antarctica has mutated into a white furry creature.

Movin' On television:

   'Landslide' S01E16. Cameron Mitchell and John Ritter guest star as alcoholic father and medic son among a group of travellers detoured into back country where they encounter a landslide.

   'Fraud' S01E17. Barry Sullivan and daughter Jenny play father and daughter in a caper implicating Sonny and Will (Claude Akins and Frank Converse) for arson.

   'Ammo' S01E18. Loading at a meat plant the two truckers discover there's no ham in the cans but ammunition stolen from the U. S. Navy intended for a revolution.

**********************************************************************