January 11 - 17, 2025

 

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

Brain Teasers:

Which Italian Western is credited as "un film di Robert Lover"?

No one has answered this question yet.

Can you name two Italian Westerns for which new title songs were added for U.S. release?

No one has answered this question yet.

From what expensive Epic Movie was Sergio Leone fired?

Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was SODOM AND GOMORRAH.

And now for some new brain teasers:

In which Italian Western does Ivan Rassimov and Rada Rassimov play brother and sister?

In which Italian Western does Rada Rassimov get knocked about by Lee Van Cleef?

In which Italian Western does everyone kill each other over a bag of gold, but we never get to see the contents of the bag?

Name the movies from which these images came.

George Grimes identified last week's photo of Nieves Navarro in EL ROJO.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes and Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's photo of Philippe Leroy and Rossana Podesta in SOLO CONTRO ROMA, aka ALONE AGAINST ROME.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes, Angel Rivera, Bertrand van Wonterghem and Charles Gilbert identified last week's photo of Lou Ferrigno in SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's frame grab from THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN, aka THE MASTER KILLER.

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:

Enjoyed:

82nd Golden Globes (2025) - Nice to see honors for Hacks and Shogun.

Mildly enjoyed:

 FREE GUY (2021) - I don't play video games, but this fantasy about a background character in a video game becoming a sentient A.I. person is fun - especially with Ryan Reynolds as the character. And Jodie Comer is quite fetching with a black wig. Shawn Levy directed this film which turned out to be a splendid "spot the star cameo" game with Taika Waititi, Utkarsh Ambudkar (who is now on CBS' Ghosts), Channing Tatum, Chris Evans and Alex Trebek. Reportedly inspired by SIMULACRON-3 by Daniel Francis Galouye, FREE GUY also reminds me of TRON and TRUMAN.

INKHEART (2008) - It is hard to figure out why this adaptation of German writer Cornelia Funke's TINTENHRZ, the first of what had been a trilogy and is now four books, feels a bit flat. Director Iain Softley has before done credible work, but not in the Young Adult fantasy realm. Perhaps the screenplay by David Lindsay-Abaire failed to give the material that special *zing* which would have made it more enjoyable. In any case, I can't fault the casting. Writer Funke said that the father character was inspired by Brendan Fraser, so it is hard to argue about his playing the role. I've enjoyed Paul Bettany in many movies, but his character is one of the problems I had enjoying this movie. While his character gets the plot moving, it is also a rather stupid and cowardly character that hinders the good guys as often as it helps. It is a nice bit to see Bettany's wife, Jennifer Connelly, doing a cameo as the wife Bettany is eager to get back to in the book from which he had been taken. Eliza Hope Bennett is wonderful as Fraser's daughter and proves to be quite a good singer with the end credits tune. I became a fan of Sienna Guillory after I saw the TV mini-series of Helen Of Troy (2003) and I wished that she had a larger role in this, but she certainly convinced me that Fraser would do anything to try and bring her back from being trapped in a book. Not surprising, Andy Serkis makes a credible villain, Jim Broadbent brings some warm humor as the author mystified to see his characters alive in the "real" world and it is always nice to see Helen Mirren. As I previously wrote, I wonder why this movie isn't more fun.

SILVER HAWK (2004) - Michelle Yeoh co-produced and stars in this Chinese female Batman film.that pre-dates BATMAN BEGINS with flashbacks to the hero(ine) taking martial arts training. I am surprised that this isn't based on a Japanese comic book because it has the same kind of juvenile sensibility found in manga. Because Silver Hawk is so effective at fighting crime, the Polaris City police force has a morale problem. Newly appointed Police Superintendent Richie Jen is tasked to arrest the vigilante, or, at least, stop the criminals before she does. They end up having to work together against Luke Goss, who wants to put a new A.I. microchip into new blue-tooth like headsets which will bend the wearer's brain to do Goss' bidding. Goss is like a villain in a James Bond movie, which reminds the viewer that Yeoh did one of those. He even has a self-destruct program in his gleaming metallic secret base. Jingle Ma, who was the cinematographer on previous Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh movies, is the director here. At the very least, SILVER HAWK is more fun than THE HEROIC TRIO and its sequel EXECUTIONERS.

Did not enjoy:

ALL NIGHT LONG  (1962) - Born Israel Shapiro from Russian Jewish immigrants, he became Paul Jarrico when he became an Hollywood screenwriter. After being blacklisted during the HUAC period, he eventually moved to Europe where he became Peter Achilles when he co-wrote, with Nel King, this modern day version of OTHELLO set in the London Jazz screne. Richard Attenborough runs an all-night jazz club in an old warehouse. Tonight he's throwing a one-year anniversary party for band leader Paul Harris and his wife, the former singer Marti Stevens. Harris' drummer, Patrick McGoohan, has ambitions to lead his own band and calculates that if he can get Stevens to come out of retirement to sing in his band, booking agent Bernard Braden will hire him. Stevens doesn't want to come out of retirement because that would cause strife in her marriage. McGoohan decides to manipulate the situation by getting Harris to believe that his wife is having an affair with alto sax player Keith Michell. While he comes close to killing Stevens, Harris pulls away in time, but then throws Michell over a balcony. Still alive, Michell fingers McGoohan as the villain and Stevens is able to prevent Harris from killing McGoohan. Everyone leaves the party down in the dumps and McGoohan refuses the love offered by his wife Betsy Blair. John Dankworth is one of the real jazz musicians who worked on this film, and its opening theme music sounds a bit like what Dankworth put on SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN years later. I'm not much of a jazz fan so the performances by Dave Brubeck and Charles Mingus, among others, did nothing for me. Interestingly, Betsy Blair was also blacklisted during the "Red Scare", so after her divorce from Gene Kelly, she too moved to Europe.

MONSTER MAN (2003) - After writing the three PREHYSTERIA films and writing/directing EIGHT DAYS A WEEK, 100 GIRLS and 100 WOMEN, Michael Davis decided to  try his hand at buddy road trip comedy that turns out to be an Horror film. The problem is that the buddies, Eric Jungmann and Justin Urich, aren't very likeable and not very funny. When they pick up a beautiful hitchhiker, Aimee Brooks, the question is - how much like HOSTEL will this be?, though that isn't fair as HOSTEL was made two years later. In any case, the three are menanced by a Monster Truck driven by a monster looking fellow Urich deems "fuck face". While Davis delivers some nasty gore, he fails to make the proceedings scary because we don't care for the heroes.

NON ASPETTARE DJANGO, SPARA, aka DON'T WAIT DJANGO... SHOOT! (1967) - Behind the name of Glenn Vincent Davis, actor Vincenzo Musolino has gotten the credit for writing six Italian Westerns, but he's only taken acting roles in three of those under the name Bill Jackson. The last two Westerns he directed under the Davis name. However, I don't believe that the makers of DON'T WAIT DJANGO... SHOOT! actually went into production with a completed script. The film plays like they had an idea for a story, and then started to make-up stuff to fill out the required 80 minute running time. It also seems to me that the title is being ironic, because everyone does a lot of waiting around in between mass shootings. On the road, Cesar Ojinaga leads a small army against Armando Guarnieri and his four men. Ojinaga says that he's come to take back the $10,000 in gold Don Gino Buzzanca paid Guarnieri for horses that weren't delivered. Guarnier won't give up the gold, so Ojinaga and his men massacre Guarnier and his men. Meanwhile, Don Buzzanca complains that Ojinaga has not returned with the gold and so sends Dino Strano and some men to find Ojinaga. Meanwhile Guarnieri's son, Django - played by Sean Todd, aka Ivan Rassimov, comes home to see his sister, Rada Rassimov, and his uncle, and learns that his father was murdered. The sister and uncle want to leave the area, but our hero convinces them to stay because "everything will be okay". Boy, does he prove to be wrong. Ojinaga and his men are hanging out at night, listening to a guitar player. Ojinaga then realizes that his son has gotten away with the gold. This upsets Ojinaga so much that he slaps the woman who tells him and then shoots dead one of his own men for questioning him. Ojinaga then sets off with some men to find the son. After he's left, Django arrives and shoots dead all of the men left behind. Ojinaga arrives in town to find his son dead and the gold missing. Ojinaga rounds up most of the men in town and threatens to kill everyone if someone doesn't confess to killing his son. He is only prevented from fulfilling his threat when Django appears and kills Ojinaga and all of his men. It seems that our hero has fulfilled his desire for revenge, when Pedro Sanchez, aka Ignazio Spalla, pops up and tells him that someone has stolen the $10,000 which had been stolen from his Dad. Sanchez thinks that Giovanni Sabbatini did it, but he convinces our hero to wait until Sabbadini leaves his hotel room before acting on his suspicions. Meanwhile Strano pushes around our hero's sister and uncle looking for Django. Eventually, Strano and his men arrive in town and find Django, who promptly kills them all. Having lost so many men, Don Buzzanca requests the services of Hondo - played by Bill Jackson, aka Vincenzo Musolino - and his men to get back the gold and kill our hero. (Just a note here that Buzzanca still says that Guarnieri cheated him, so maybe our hero's father was in the wrong.) Sabbatini decides to wait for the morning stagecoach on which girlfriend Marisa Traversi will leave with the gold, because he figures that no one will suspect her. So while our hero cleans his gun, Undertaker Franco Pesce complains that he won't be burying any more corpses on credit, Sanchez drinks from a bottle, the town listens to another guitar player while Sabbatini plays with a silver dollar. Finally, morning comes, Sanchez helps Traversi into the coach, but then grabs the satchel with the gold away from her. Sabbatini finally comes out of the hotel and has a showdown with Django, which, of course, he loses. Meanwhile, Hondo kill our hero's uncle and kidnaps Django's sister. A minion arrives in town to tell Django that  Don Buzzanca demands that he and the gold must come to the ranch in exchange for the release of the sister. Hondo asks Don Buzzanca to be paid in advance, and when he is told to wait for the return of the gold, Hondo kills the villain, while his men kill all of the Don's men. So, when Django shows up at the ranch for the "settling of accounts", Hondo only has enough men with which for our hero can deal. Felice Di Stefano delivers a tuneful music score which quickly become reapidative which doesn't save the movie from becoming sleep inducing. We should all be thankful, though, that no one decided to call this movie DJANGO VS. HONDO.

 

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David Deal Enjoyed:

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN (24)

8 1/2 (63) - The 4K looks great.

MEMOIR OF A SNAIL (24)

THERE GOES BARDER (55) - This Eddie Constantine adventure still has enough going for it.

BARRY LYNDON (75) - I appreciate this movie much more than I used to when I was young.

MURDER MOST FOWL (24) - AKA Wallace and Gromit in...

Mildly Enjoyed 

SON OF CLEOPATRA (64)

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Angel Rivera  Enjoyed:

"TARAWA BEACHHEAD" (1958)
Kerwin Mathews' first lead role. He works with the husband and wife team of Ray Danton and Julie Adams. During WWII, Kerwin is a sergeant under Danton who is only interested in glory, regardless of what it costs his unit. Every man is killed except for Mathews and another man. When the other man refuses to obey Danton's orders, Danton shoots him claiming he mistook him for the enemy, Kerwin keeps quiet. When Kerwin meets the man's widow (played by Julie Adams), they carry on an affair. When Kerwin is called back to duty, it is under the orders of Danton. Kerwin goes back to combat under the orders of Danton. A WWII tale interesting to watch. After this movie, Kerwin goes on to play Sinbad in "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" (1958).

"LONGTIME COMPANION" (1990)
At the beginning of the AIDS crisis, a group of gay friends try to care for each other.

"BAADASSSSSS CINEMA" (2002)
An interesting documentary about the so-called "blaxploitation films". Has interviews with Pam Grier, Fred Williamson, Melvin Van Peebles and others of the "blaxploitation" era.

"THE BRONZE SCREEN: 100 YEARS OF THE LATINO IMAGE IN HOLLYWOOD CINEMA" (2002)
A documentary about the different stereotypes used to represent Hispanic characters in Hollywood movies. For example: "the greaser"; "the Latin  lover', etc.

"KISSIN' COUSINS" (1964)
One of Elvis' most silliest roles as the relative of a hillbilly clan. He also plays a lookalike cousin with blond hair. (Elvis was born with sandy blond hair, but dyed it black to resemble his mother's. He also had a twin brother who died at birth.) The best thing about this movie is Yvonne Craig; especially when she is seen in a two piece bikini.

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Charles Gilbert watched:

NO DOWN PAYMENT (1957) B&W. The following neighborhood married couples get cozy in a modern California subdivision: 

Jeffrey Hunter and Patricia Owens

Pat Hingle and Barbara Rush

Cameron Mitchell and Joanne Woodward

Tony Randall and Sheree North

They share each others cigarettes, booze, problems, until one of the husbands gets drunk and rapes a neighbors wife. 

SMOOTH AS SILK (1946) B&W. Effervescent actress Paula Marlowe (Virginia Gregg) strings along three men in her aspiration to get the female lead in a play. One of the men (Kent Taylor) murders another (John Litel), and tries to pin the slaying on the third.

THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG (1939) B&W. Rogue scientist Dr. Savaard (Boris Karloff) experiments with a student who volunteers artificial death so his mentor can revive him, thus proving a revolutionary medical technique. But the nurse rats on him, leaving the student permanently deceased, and the doctor subject to capital punishment by the noose. But he is revived by the same mechanical heart technique courtesy his surviving lab assistant (Byron Foulger), focusing on revenge.

THE MAN WHO TURNED TO STONE (1957) B&W. Dr. Jess Rogers (William Hudson) is called in to investigate suicides at a womens prison. The staff there, headed by Dr. Murdock (Victor Jory) are suspected of conducting strange experinents on immortality.

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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed: 

Seven keys to Baldpate (1947, Lew Landers)

The seventh victim (1943, Mark Robson)

Gojira shingyura pointo / Godzilla singular point (2021, anime) episodes 11 to 13

Kekkon surutte, honto desu ka ? / 365 days to the wedding (anime) (2024, Hiroshi Ikehata) – episode 2

Oh naui gwishinnim / Oh my ghost (2015, Yu Je Won) – episodes 1 to 5

Mildly enjoyed:

Der kleine Schwarze mit dem roten Hut (1975, Franz Antel)

Krazy house (2023, Steffen Haars & Flip Van der KuiL)

Did not enjoy:

Arriva Django e Sartana... è la fine (1970, Demofilo Fidani)

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January 4 - 10, 2025

 

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

Brain Teasers:

During which American concert performance was the distinctive theme song for DJANGO played?

It was Jamie Foxx What Had Happened Was... on Netflix.

Which Italian director, born in 1918, made 14 short films before finally making a feature with Eleonora Rossi Drago, and then worked with actors Ettore Manni, Rita Gam, Ed Fury, Shirley Jones and Dana Andrews?

George Grimes, Charles Gilbert and Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was Vittorio Sala.

Which Italian actor, born in 1916, was given an award for helping to hide Jews at Cinecitta during World War 2, and made films with directors Riccardo Freda, Nunzio Malasomma, William Dieterle, Jean Negulesco and Mario Gariazzo?

George Grimes and Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was Rossano Brazzi.

What American actor worked with directors Siro Marcellini, Hugo Fregonese, Sergio Corbucci, Jose Briz Mendez and Sergio Garrone?

George Grimes and Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was Ty Hardin.

And now for some new brain teasers:

Which Italian Western is credited as "un film di Robert Lover"?

Can you name two Italian Westerns for which new title songs were added for U.S. release?

From what expensive Epic Movie was Sergio Leone fired?

Name the movies from which these images came.

Bertrand van Wonterghem and George Grimes identified last week's frame grab of Antonio Molino Rojo, Aldo Sambrell and Daniel Martin in UNA MINUTO PER PREGARE, UN INSTANTO PER MORIRE, aka A MINUTE TO PRAY, A SECOND TO DIE.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes and Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's frame grab of Anthony Steffen in AFRODITE, DEA DELL'AMORE, aka APHRODITE GODDESS OF LOVE.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes, Angel Rivera, Bertrand van Wonterghem and John Black identified last week's frame grab of Tony Musante in L'UCCELLO DALLE PIUME DI CRISTALLO, aka THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's frame grab from SNUFF BOTTLE CONNECTION.

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:

Enjoyed:

Gilmore Girls: A Year In the Life (2016) - This four part mini-series was made for Netflix, with each part being feature length. Most everyone who participated in the TV series made at least a cameo appearance and every bit was special. 

Mildly enjoyed:

 

DE LIFT, aka THE LIFT (1983) - What is causing the elevator in a multi-use building to act strangely? Was it because of a lightning storm? Was it because a maitence man was sabotaging it? Was it because the company providing microprocessors for the equipment was experimenting with protein based chips which can become sentient? Elevator repairman Huub Stapel wants to know, and reporter Willeke van Ammelrooy wants the story. Dutch filmmaker Dick Maas does a John Carpenter on this film, writing, directing and doing the music. The film is fairly effective, but the subplot involving Stapel's wife becoming convinced that our hero is cheating on her is rather annoying. Eight years later, Maas remade this film with an English language cast with the title DOWN, aka THE SHAFT.

L'OCCHIO NEL LABIRINTO, aka THE EYE IN THE LABYRINTH (1972) - I first saw Rosemary Dexter as Lee Van Cleef's sister in PER QUALCHE DOLLARI IN PIU, aka FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE, and I always wanted to see more of her. At the very least, director Mario Caiano allows you to see just about all of her in L'OCCHIO NEL LABIRINTO. So even if the movie is a rather poorly written thriller with camerawork failing to be artistically stylish, it is enjoyable just to be able to stare at Dexter. Caiano also provides a rather mild rape scene involving Sybil Danning, as well as an enjoyable cast of familiar faces including Adolfo Celi, Alida Valli (who looks terrific in a bikini), Horst Frank and Franco Ressel. As Dexter emerges from the sea without clothing, Valli (dubbed into English) says "A naked woman doesn't have to go into explanations.... especially if she is a young and beautiful as you." Huh?

MY CHAUFFEUR (1986) - After this film and VALLEY GIRL, the incredibly charming Deborah Foreman seemed set for The Big Time, but it didn't happen. Still, we have this entertaining little movie, which played like writer/director David Beaird couldn't come up with enough to make it feature length. So Penn & Teller show up to contribute about fifteen minutes of foolishness which was completely unrelated to the central plot. The main story was a romantic comedy about Foreman being given a job for a mysterious reason by wealthy E.G. Marshall as a chauffeur. One of her clients was Marshall's son, Sam Jones. Their love story was hardly convincing, but cute anyway. Sean McClory as Marshall's butler was another chamer, with Howard Hesseeman as the sort-of villain. Sam Jones had his chance at The Big Time six years earlier with FLASH GORDON, which didn't happen, but he found steady work on TV.

Did not enjoy:

BLOOD SORCERY (1986) - Like most Hong Kong Horror films, BLOOD SORCERY features a lot of disgusting eating followed by throwing up. As best an I can figure, the story is about a taxi driver who finds himself cursed by the ghost of a dead woman. The dead woman recruits an evil sorcerer to plague the driver, who finds that he can't achieve penetration into his wife. Finally a Taoist monk arrives to battle the evil sorcerer. A skeptical scientist witnesses the triumph of good over evil magic and decides that he will have to study more. Wen-Po Tu is the film's director.

CHALLENGE THE NINJA (1986) - Often incorrectly called CHALLENGE OF THE NINJA, this is another IDF effort taking an unreleased on video Asian flick, shooting new footage with a Caucasian performer wearing a silly outfit - here it's Bruce Baron, and calling it a "Ninja" movie. I find it hard to believe that these films have fans but the proof is on YouTube.

EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC (1977) - The summer of 1977 was promising to be a great time. A new film by director John Boorman. A new film by director William Friedkin. A new film by director George Lucas. I was in San Marcos, Texas when EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC opened, and I was there for the first showing that day. As with most people, I hated it. Right from the beginning of the film, it became apparent that this film was made by people who didn't understand, or like, THE EXORCIST. With THE EXORCIST, director William Friedkin strived to set the story in a realistic world. Even the opening scenes in Iraq seemed like a documentary. Everything in that film was relatable, even when it got into the supernatural. Boorman's film jumps right into the supernatural, and never gives the audience anything with which to identify. It even invents African mythology involving locusts and an hypnotic device which allows two people to be in mental sync. Boorman has a penchant to fragment his story-telling, so it is not surprising that most audiences couldn't figure out what was going on most of the time. And, they couldn't figure out how this related to THE EXORCIST, aside from appearances by Linda Blair, Max von Sydow and Kitty Winn. When this film flopped at the box office, many think piece articles appeared with opinions on why it didn't work for audiences. Some felt it was because it wasn't as shocking. These opinions completely misunderstood why THE EXORCIST was loved. Even star von Sydow misunderstood the appeal thinking that audiences were enjoying the spectacle of a young woman being abused. Everyone chose to ignore that the makers of THE EXORCIST said that the film portrayed an evil that convinced some of the existence of the Devil. If you can believe in the Devil, then how do you explain good except with the existence of God? Accepting that supernatural evil exists must result in the acceptance of supernatural good when some choose selfless sacrifice in the combat. Boorman injects a different idea; that some people are born into this world with the ability to fight supernatural evil. Instead of an innocent girl becoming possessed by a demon to cause a priest to lose his faith in God, Boorman would have it that the girl was born with such goodness that evil was attracted to her for combat. He also suggests that locusts are minions of evil. One thing that the makers of THE EXORCIST knew was that they must never mention the name of the demon Pazuzu because it would sound ridiculous to audiences. The makers of THE EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC threw out this idea and many characters insist on the demon being named out loud. I don't remember anyone laughing about Pazuzu in the small audience with which I first saw this film. What I remember laughing at was when the train conductor catches Blair taking out Richard Burton's wallet and Burton says "The sow is mine.".  I'm always looking for bargains on home videos, so I picked up a used copy of THE EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC figuring that after 40 years I'd give it another look-see. Recently, I discovered that I had picked up two VHS copies for cheap. When I checked to see which one was better, I was shocked to discover that they were two different versions of the film, even though the boxes they were in were identical. I figured that the one which ran 118 minutes would be the original film that I saw in the theater and I decided to watch it first. Most of it was the same mess that I remembered, but the line "The sow is mine" was gone. In its place was "She belongs to me." Is my memory faulty, or was this a change they made when they found that the line produced laughter in the audience? Anyway, I've now also watched the 103 minute version and it is different. In addition to having an opening narration which explains the idea that there are people being born all over the world with the ability to combat evil, and that the Max von Sydow character was being thought of as an heretic by the Catholic Church because of this belief, but they also changed the dialog with the train conductor again. Now, Burton doesn't even say "She belongs to me." At least this second version shows what happened to the taxi driver after his cab crashed through the gate in Georgetown. One of the more annoying aspects of this movie is the set design. Who thought that a clinic which deals with disturbed children should have glass walls and automatic doors? And who thought every set should have multiple reflective surfaces? Did anyone else notice that all of Linda Blair's costumes seemed designed to announce that she has grown to become a sexy young woman? I am now aware that Ennio Morricone provided an angelic piece of music every time Blair manifests her supernatural goodness. Martin Scorsese champions this movie because he felt that the concept of people being born with such goodness that evil must attack them to be interesting. The fact that the movie features a lead performance by Richard Burton which is so intense as to be laughable and an uncompelling storyline which is completely unconvincing may not bother him, but it bothers me. - For the record, the Friedkin film, SORCERER, also flopped while the Lucas film, STAR WARS was wildly popular. I spent the rest of the summer arguing that STAR WARS was more fun, but SORCERER was a better film.

FANTASY IN BLUE (1975) - With pornographic performers John Toland, John Leslie and Georgina Spelvin in the cast, I guess this is probably also available in an hardcore edition. The one I watched studiously avoided any footage of penises, though it had no problem with close-ups of cunnilingus or "fingering". Husband Toland is frustrated that his wife, Sharon Thorpe, only gets off using a electric massager. He goes to Splevin for advice, and she invites the couple to an orgy. Thorpe runs out of the orgy and the couple decide that what they really need is a vacation just for the two of them. However, Thorpe is grabbed and raped by two men and a woman, which she likes and secretly plans to return to Spelvin's orgy without her husband.

FATHOM (1967) - I saw this back when it came out in theaters, and I didn't like it. Since then, THE SORCERERS (1967) has become one of my favorite movies, and I was eager to see more of Elizabeth Ercy. Unfortunately, Ercy has a tiny role just like she has in the other 11 credits on IMDb aside from THE SORCERERS. Also in FATHOM is Tom Adams, whom I hoped would have been a bigger star after LICENSED TO KILL, aka THE 2nd BEST SECRET AGENT IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD. Even Clive Revill is disappointing in this flick from TV director Leslie H. Martinson.

TENEMENT (1985) - Possibly inspired by THE WARRIORS and ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13, credited writers Joel Bender and Rick Marx came up with a workable movie script - a gang of drug dealers want revenge on the residents of a tenement building after the residents snitch on them to the cops. Out on bail, the gang decides to kill everyone in the tenement building after cutting off the telephone lines leaving the residents with no way to contact the outside world. Unfortunately, producer Walter E. Sear decided to entrust the project to director Roberta Findlay, who also worked as the movie's director of photography. Just because she was a woman making exploitation films, Findlay should not be celebrated since she showed no talent for making good movies. The most remarkable thing about this movie was that no actor was listed in the opening credits. It was also remarkable that the final bad guy was killed by being stabbed with a broken TV antenna. Mina Bern would go on to work with directors Joan Micklin Silver, Barry Levinson, Andrew Bergman and Woody Allen before she died in 2010 at the age of 98. Rhetta Hughes had previously appeared in SWEET SWEETBACK'S BAADASSSSS SONG. Paul Calderon would amass over 100 credits on the IMDb, mostly on television.

 

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David Deal Enjoyed:

MASTER STROKE (66) - Please refer to The Eurospy Guide.

SMILE BEFORE DEATH (72) - Time to give up my crummy DVR.

THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX (09)

THE BLACK SCORPION (57) - The special effects here run the gamut from excellent to barely acceptable but this is still a fave 50's sci-fi classic.

SEVEN GOLDEN MEN (65) - A loveable Italian crime film.

PROJECT X (67) - I don't know what William Castle was smoking but the result is entertaining.

SUNSET BLVD (50) - Relentlessly modern noir. If you haven't seen it, treat yourself.

X THE UNKNOWN (56) - Would make a good double bill with Caltaiki.

EMILIA PEREZ (24)

TERROR BY NIGHT (46)

Mildly Enjoyed 

THE DEVIL'S HAND (62) - I like the modern, clean floor style of this low budget effort, and the cast doesn't hurt either, but it plays things pretty safe.

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Angel Rivera  Enjoyed:

"A NORMAL HEART" (2014)
Mark Ruffalo portrays Ned Weeks, a gay man and writer at the beginnings of the AIDS epidemic (1981-1984) when it was strictly believed to be  a "homosexual" disease. Some of the instances reminded me of the COVID epidemic when it was believed it only effected the elderly and those whose immune systems have been compromised by other conditions. The disease begins to take its toll among the gay communities but government and the rest of society doesn't seem to care. Powerful stuff.

"AND THE BAND PLAYED ON" (1993)
Matthew Modine plays Dr. Don Francis working for the CDC begins to study and advocate for research at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. When it appears that only gay men seem to contract the disease,  Dr. Francis and his colleagues at the CDC have their jobs cut out for them, when no one seems to care as long as the disease effects gay man. This film deals with the disease as an international phenomena as the disease is found outside of the USA. Interesting film as actions (it seems to me, at least) resemble what governments do when prejudice and economics seem to work against the populace.

'"A COMPLETE UNKNOWN" (2024)
Bio-pic about the early days of  Bob Dylan, from when he comes to New York City to when he "goes electric" at 1965 Newport Folk Festival. Some good musical performances.

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Charles Gilbert watched:

Super Shock Show hosted by Sicko-Psychotic (actor Jim Childs) in Las Vegas, features chapter lengths of the Japanese caped hero STAR MAN, and part 6 of MOLEMEN AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES. Interesting in that he includes information for the "Mighty Sons of Hercules" theme song citing credit for Leonard Whitcup, Ted Lehrman, and Peter Reiner (?). Song performed by the Herculons.

The full length Freaky Flick that follows, is Roger Vadim's BLOOD AND ROSES starring his wife Annette (Stroyberg) Vadim and Mel Ferrer. Another version of the Carmilla Karnstein vampire myth.

PHANTOM STAGECOACH (1957) B&W. William Bishop in a western programmer with Kathleen Crowley. Foe is Richard Webb. Rival operators feud over stage coach lines with one side building an ironclad juggernaut to get the upper hand.

ADVENTURES IN SILVERADO (1948) B&W. William Bishop with Gloria Henry (Dennis the Menace mom). He trades fists and barbs with Forest Tucker while searching for a highwayman that robs the stage coach lines. Doc Edgar Buchanan turns out to be the Robin Hood thief.

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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed:

Le comte de Monte Cristo (1954, Robert Vernay)

Le comte de Monte Cristo (1961, Claude Autant-Lara

Jomyeonggage / Light shop (2023, Kim Hee Won) – episode 8

Gojira shingyura pointo / Godzilla singular point (2021, anime) episodes 8 to 10

Kekkon surutte, honto desu ka ? / 365 days to the wedding (anime) (2024, Hiroshi Ikehata) – episode 1

Mildly enjoyed:

Le comte de Monte Cristo (2023, Matthieu Delaporte & Alexandre de la Patellière)

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