Friday, November 26, 2021

 

Week of November 20 - 26, 2021

 

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

Brain Teasers:

By what name is Robert Black better known?
No one has answered this one yet.

Which actor has not played Robin Hood: Lex Barker, George Martin, Giuliano Gemma, Gordon Scott or Alan Steel?
George Grimes, Bertrand van Wonterghem and Angel Rivera knew that it was Gordon Scott.

Which Spanish actress has worked with directors Richard Lester, Ferdinando Baldi, Tonino Ricci, Vicente Aranda, Pierre Kast and Pedro Almodovar?
Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was Victoria Abril.

Which Italian directed Western has the first line of "Pussy!"?
George Grimes knew that it was LO STRANIERO DI SILENZIO, aka THE SILENT STRANGER. Bertrand van Wonterghem thought it might be UN UOMO UN CAVALLO UNA PISTOLA, aka THE STRANGER RETURNS in which Tony Anthony's first line is "Come here, Pussy. Come on over here. That's a good girl."

And now for some new brain teasers:

Which Spanish actor appeared in films directed by Sergio Leone, Jose Luis Saenz de Heredia, Vittorio Cottafavi, Nicholas Ray, Jesus Franco, Giovanni Grimaldi and Lucio Fulci?
Which Spanish director is credited as working with Linda Hayden, Anthony Steffen, Simon Andreu, Thomas Hunter, Agnes Laurent and John Saxon?
Which Spanish actor worked with directors Luis Bunuel, William Friedkin, Ferdinando Baldi, Umberto Lenzi, Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia and Florestano Vancini?

Name the movies from which these images came.


Bertrand van Wonterghem, George Grimes and Angel Rivera identified last week's photo of Tony Anthony in UN UOMO, UN CAVALLO, UNA PISTOLA, aka THE STRANGER RETURNS.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?


George Grimes, Bertrand van Wonterghem, Charles Gilbert and Angel Rivera identified last week's frame grab of Mimmo Palmara and Christine Kaufmann in GLI ULTIMI GIORNI DI POMPEI, aka THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?


George Grimes, Bertrand van Wonterghem and Angel Rivera identified last week's photo of Steve Reeves and Jacqueline Sassard in I PIRATI DELLA MALESIA, aka PIRATES OF MALAYA.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?


George Grimes identified last week's frame grab of Yuen Biao in RIGHTING WRONGS, aka ABOVE THE LAW.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?

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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:

Highly enjoyed:

The first four episodes of The Center Seat: 55 Years of Star Trek (2021)

Enjoyed: 

Dean Martin: King of Cool (2021)

THE EXCEPTION (2016) - Based on Alan Judd's novel THE KAISER'S LAST KISS (2003), this film allowed Christopher Plummer to continue his string of roles based on real people - Leo Tolstoy in THE LAST STATION (2009), John Barrymore in BARRYMORE (2011), King Herod in THE STAR (2017) and J. Paul Getty in ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD (2017). Here he was Kaiser Wilhelm II, in exile in The Netherlands after World War One. It also allowed Lily James to continue her association with Winston Churchill - from being his secretary in DARKEST HOUR to being a Secret Agent tasked with delivering a message to the Kaiser from Churchill. I knew just about nothing about this film when I started watching it, so I was surprised that it was a romantic spy thriller set during World War Two. This was the motion picture debut for respected theater director David Leveaux so the high level of acting performances was not surprising, but he also handled the camerawork very well. As usual, Lily James was luminous even as a brunette. Jai Courtney played her romantic interest, Janet McTeer was the Kaiser's wife, Ben Daniels was the Kaiser's adjutant and Eddie Marsan played Heinrich Himmler. 

Mildly enjoyed:

LA TETE D'UN HOMME (1933) - Obviously the title translates as A MAN'S HEAD, so why did TCM host Alicia Malone insist on calling the film A MAN'S NECK? I became interested in the Maigret stories when my French film school teacher insisted on my reading Georges Simenon. I read his memoir Quand j’étais vieux, aka When I Was Old, but really became interested in Maigret because of the TV series starring Bruno Cremer. Harry Baur in the role isn't the focus of director Julien Duvivier's film, which is a compelling police procedural for a fellow who thinks he's committed the perfect crime - murdering a stranger for another stranger and setting up a simpleton as a fall guy. Reportedly this novel was also the basis for the film THE MAN ON THE EIFFEL TOWER, so I'll need to rewatch that because nothing here awakened any memories of that film. Director Julien Duvivier used alot of unusual camera effects to keep the film visually interesting.

Did not enjoy:

ANNABELLE COMES HOME (2019) - Why do I feel compelled to watch these films since I've not liked any of installments of "THE CONJURING Universe"? For the same reason I watched all of the FRIDAY THE 13th flicks - I have a fondness for Fantasy and Horror movies and I'm always hoping to see something fun. Reportedly critics found COMES HOME "less frightening" than the previous entries. Really? They found some of these flicks "frightening"? This film does teach the lesson that if your parents are "paranormal investigators" with a room of supernatural evil artifacts, don't let a friend into your house while your parents are out of town. Also, if you wait long enough your classmates will get over feeling that you are creepy and come to your birthday party.

THE HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORROR, aka HORROR HOUSE (1969) - I saw this film when it first came out and only remembered the fate of the Frankie Avalon character. I remembered that the rest of the film wasn't very good, but I had forgotten how truly terrible it was. Reportedly, Michael Armstrong had something more interesting in his script, but nothing in the final film suggested that he would have been able to make something better. David Bowie had appeared in Armstrong's short film The Image, and was to be in this feature film, until American International insisted on Frankie Avalon being the star (in a different role). On top of all of the faults in the film, the continuity was a shambles. Just about no exterior shots match and the interior lighting was hit and miss. But for me, the biggest waste was Jill Haworth. How did an actress who was under contract to Otto Preminger for five years and originated the role of Sally Bowles in the original production of CABARET for over two years end up making this low-budget turkey?

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Charles Gilbert watched:

YELLOW RIVER FIGHTER (1988) A peasant man distinguishing himself with a sword gains acclaim among warring Chinese tribes in this period piece set along the frozen falls and waters of the Yellow River. When his daughter is killed in battle he takes to the bottle and becomes blind when henchmen slip him a laced drink. but is befriended by a garrulous market entertainer who pities him and becomes his reluctant avenging partner.

BURY THEM DEEP aka THE LAST DROPS OF BLOOD (1968) Army Captain Norton (Craig Hill) saves El Chaleco (Ettore Manni) from the noose to help him catch his bandit brother Billy Gunn (Ken Wood aka Giovanni Cianfriglia).  Jose Greci sporting raven tresses gets little screen time.

LE SETTE SFIDE (1961) Interesting action film with such attractive leads in Ed Fury and Elaine Stewart who had been an A list actress. Gabriele Antonini and Bella Cortez also handsome.. Dual love story amidst tribal conflict leads to a tragic end for one of the couples.  Ivan's lot evokes comparison to PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Filming conditions evident with breath vapors must have been quite frigid.  I used this for a book report in high school 1969 piquing the attention of my teacher. My favorite peplum.

Mayday South African Flight 295. Nivember 28  1987 A 747 Combi named "Helderberg" caught fire and disintegrated over the Indian ocean claiming 159 people. Wreckage was eventually found in waters deeper than ever explored.

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David Deal Enjoyed:

THE CYNIC, THE RAT, AND THE FIST (77)

PIRATES OF THE COAST (60)

THE SICILIAN CLAN (69)

ON THE ROCKS (20)

MYSTERY IN MEXICO (48)

THE SAINT'S DOUBLE TROUBLE (40)

Did not enjoy:

THE PROTEGE (21) - Maggie Q is a hit-woman who goes revenging for the murder of her mentor, Samuel L Jackson.  Michael Keaton is out to bang her in more ways than one.  Martin Campbell's (Casino Royale) crime story is derivative and generally unpleasant.

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Bertrand van Wonterghem Highly enjoyed: 

Gintama (anime) – episode 21

Enjoyed:

Hometown cha-cha-cha –season 1 – episodes 13 & 14

El vecino – season 2 – episodes 1 & 2

Cowboy be bop – season 1 – episodes 1 & 2

Mildly enjoyed:

Dai nemici, mi guardio io (1968, Mario Amendola)

The long haul (1957, Ken Hughes)

The wheel of time - season 1 – episodes 1 to 3

Il est passé par ici (tv movie) (1965, Jacques Pierre)

jiok / Hellbound – season 1

Did not enjoy:

The fearmakers (1958, Jacques Tourneur)

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Angel Rivera watched and enjoyed:

"A Mighty Wind" (2003) a comedy spoofing the folk music scene with original music in the of folk music style. 

"Dances with Wolves" (1990)  possibly one of the best Native American westerns ever made.

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