To answer these trivia questions, please email me at scinema@earthlink.net.
Brain Teasers:
Which Italian Western sets the ending of The Odyssey in the U.S./Mexico border?
Tom Betts, Angel Rivera and George Grimes knew that it was IL RITORNO DI RINGO, aka THE RETURN OF RINGO.
Which Italian Western offers a Western version of HAMLET?
Tom Betts, Angel Rivera, George Grimes and Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was QUELLA SPORCA STORIA NEL WEST, aka THAT DIRTY STORY OF THE WEST, aka JOHNNY HAMLET.
Which Italian Western offers a Western version of ROMEO & JULIET?
Tom Betts, Angel Rivera and George Grimes knew that it was DOVE SI SPARA DI PIU, aka FURY OF JOHNNY KIDD, aka ULTIMATE GUNFIGHTER, aka RIDE FOR A MASSACRE
And now for some new brain teasers:
Who gave Gordon Mitchell a place to stay when he first arrived in Rome?
Which Italian actress died on May 28, 2007 from pancreatic cancer?
By what name is Bruna Falchi better known?
Name the movies from which these images came.
Tom Betts, George Grimes and Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's frame grab of Andrea Giordana in QUELLA SPORCA STORIA NEL WEST, aka THAT DIRTY STORY OF THE WEST, aka JOHNNY HAMLET, aka THE WILD AND THE DIRTY.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
Charles Gilbert, Angel Rivera and George Grimes identified last week's frame grab of Gordon Scott and Leonora Ruffo in MACISTE CONTRO IL VAMPIRO, aka GOLIATH AND THE VAMPIRES aka THE VAMPIRES.
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 Louise Marleau in CONTAMINATION, aka ALIEN CONTAMINATION.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
No one has identified that above photo yet.
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:
Astrid season five episode 1 "You Only Die Once"
episode 2 "But That's Such A Long Time" - In a rare two part episode, our heroines get mixed up with both the French secret service and the C.I.A. Despite the serious plot, the makers of the show couldn't resist tossing in some humorous references to the James Bond movies.
Mildly enjoyed:
PER POCHI DOLLARI ANCORA, aka FORT YUMA GOLD (1966) - As with his first Western - UN DOLLARO BUCATO, aka ONE SILVER DOLLAR, director Calvin Jackson Padget, aka Giorgio Ferroni, sets his second Western just after the end of the U.S. Civil War - about 1865. And just as in the previous film, almost everyone uses a Colt .45 pistol, which didn't come out until 1873. This is a fairly common mistake, found in many U.S. made Westerns as well. Historically inaccurate pistols isn't the only complaint that I have about Italian Westerns that try to copy U.S. made Westerns. The portrayal of a Civil War P.O.W camp and the conduct of soldiers is also very unconvincing. Plot wise, the makers of PER POCHI seem to have been inspired by 1965's ARIZONA RAIDERS in which Audie Murphy is a former Quantrell's Raider who agrees to help stop the activities of Raiders who refuse to lay down their weapons. Here, Confederate P.O.W. Giuliano Gemma is respected enough by his Yankee jailers to be given the mission to help get a letter to Fort Yuma to warn them of a heist of a gold supply. The villains plan to entice the remaining Raiders to attack the Fort to cover the villain's plan to tunnel under the stockade and seize the gold a la SEVEN GOLDEN MEN. Gemma agrees to help in an effort to save his former comrades from what looks to be a suicide attack. Unfortunately, the three man mission is headed by Yankee Captain Angel del Pozo, who tips his hand that he is a baddie by ordering any captured prisoner to be immediately executed - for fear that they will give away the scheme. It is a pleasure to see Nello Pazzafini and Gemma playing buddies, and all of the familiar faces given supporting roles is fun. Included in this cast are Dan Vadis, Jose Calvo, Andrea Bosic, Benito Stefanelli, Antonio Molino Rojo, Jacques Sernas, Furio Meniconi, Riccardo Pizzuti and Guglielmo Spoletini. A new face in the cast is Sophie Daumier, who never made another Western. The credit for this movie is "Music by Ennio Morricone and Gianni Ferrio". Reportedly Morricone's contribution to the movie was some cues from MALAMONDO which the producers used without permission. Not surprisingly, Morricone sued and won the case in 1973. So the credit for the lovely opening theme music should go to Ferrio. I remember taking my father to see this movie when it was still in the theaters. He commented that the characters were often over dressed and that European horses moved differently from those seen in U.S. Westerns.
The Venture Bros. (2003 - ?) Many years ago, Gretchen Adams had a second house which she turned into a Half Way residence for addicts seeking recovery. One day, one of the residents saw that The Cartoon Network/Adult Swim was running a marathon of episodes of The Venture Bros. series and he asked me to record it for him on DVD+R. I was only able to get the last three hours. When I tried to give the disc to him, I found out that he had relapsed and was banished from the house. I held on to the disc, and after all of these years I decided to finally watch it for myself. This is a most unusual show and I think I only got 3/5ths of the jokes, but the last episode I saw was a two parter in which the fabled Sovereign is revealed to be none other than David Bowie - voiced by another actor. His minios are Iggy Pop and Klaus Nomi, who betray Bowie to the villian Phantom Limb. These episodes was the season two finale "Showdown At Cremation Creek".
The Morning Show season one (2019) - Inspired by Brian Stelter's 2013 book TOP OF THE MORNING, this Apple TV series features compelling characters in well produced settings. Unfortunately, the ending of season one devolves into the most cliched of melodramatic situations which spoils the previous nine hours.
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Angel Rivera Highly enjoyed:
"THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY" (1945)
Movie based on my favorite book. George Sanders is great as Lord Henry Wotton espousing the witticisms of Oscar Wilde while the main narrative goes on. Hurd Hatfield is worthy as the title character. A 20 year old Angela Lansbury is a revelation as the tragic Sybil Vane. For any one who loved the book.
"DORIAN GRAY" (aka "The Secret of Dorian Gray") (1970)
A modern take on the classic novel. Being that the film takes place in the seventies and with the then freedom of expression being shown in the late sixties/early seventies has the movie showing scenes only alluded to in the novel. So we can see the full degradation of Dorian's deeds. The ending is a little different than in the novel, but still carries a wallop.
"THE CREEPING UNKNOWN" (aka "The Quatermass Xperiment" (1955/6)
Great sci-fi/horror film adapted from British TV serial to one of the first films from Hammer Prod. Carries a lot of oomph for its money.
Mildly enjoyed:
"HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS" (1970)
Based on the first part of the "Dark Shadows" TV day time soap; the film is still interesting.
"NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS" (1971)
Kate Jackson made her debut in this film about ghosts, witches and evil spirits. Still interesting for fans of the TV serial.
"IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE" (1958)
The inspiration for "Alien" (1979) is still worth watching.
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David Deal Enjoyed:
RUSTY KNIFE (58) - From 2024: "Yujiro Ishihara (I Am Waiting) just wants a normal life after doing five years in the slammer for stabbing the guy he thought raped his girlfriend. The cops know that Yujiro and his friend Akira Kobayashi (Black Tight Killers) witnessed a murder but the two are reluctant to squeal on the mob bosses who committed the crime. These two plot lines merge in this seminal Nikkatsu noir that would catapult the two stars and director Toshio Masuda to stardom. Well worth a watch."
DEATH IN A RED JAGUAR (68) - Check the Eurospy Guide. I recommend it. :)
DUEL (71) - Check Television Fright Films of the 1970s. I recommend it.
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF FEAR (42)
THE SAINT IN LONDON (39)
LONE WOLF AND CUB BABY CART IN THE LAND OF DEMONS (73)
VIOLENT ROME (75) - Always a pleasure to watch cop Maurizio Merli kick ass.
THE LIVING SKELETON (68) - From 2018: "Bloodthirsty pirates who kill a young couple on their honeymoon reap hard justice. Stylish Japanese horror."
THE FEEDING (06) - Two rangers (Robert Pralgo and Dione J. Updike) are brought in to find and kill what's been decimating the local fauna (including two hunters). When the beast attacks a group of young campers, the rangers attempt to get them off the mountain to safety. Very few make it out alive. Effective, low-budget werewolf movie with better than average characters and special effects.
PASSWORD KILL AGENT GORDON (66) - Eurospy Guide again.
THE GORGON (64) - Another mid-cycle Hammer entry that some dismiss but I tend to favor.
Mildly enjoyed:
NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER (80) - Cliff Gorman kidnaps ex-cop James Brolin's young daughter thinking she was a rich man's kid. Now he's got Brolin chasing them down, and after much late-70s NYC grit and action sequences, he finds them. An unflattering portrait of the Big Apple above all, this does feature some excellent car chases and good performances.
THE TATTOOED STRANGER (50) - When a woman is found dead with her face obliterated by a shotgun blast, the cops start the search to find out who she was and who killed her. The first clue is an odd tattoo on the woman's wrist. No-name police procedural from RKO tries to be gritty and hard-boiled but doesn't have the gravitas to pull it off.
Did not enjoy:
DELINQUENT SCHOOLGIRLS (75) - Three escaped sex maniacs head to a girl's school to have some fun. Unfortunately, the viewer has less fun. A mostly annoying ride with an unleashed Michael Pataki being the focus of our discontent.
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Bertrand van Wonterghem Highly enjoyed:
Mon oncle (1958, Jacques Tati)
Enjoyed:
Le couteau sous la gorge (1955, Jacques Séverac)
Mildly enjoyed:
Black Dynamite (2009, Scott Sanders)
Did not enjoy:
Bons baisers... à lundi (1974, Michel Audiard)
L'assassin frappe à l'aube / Le champignon (1969, Marc Simenon)
La malédiction de Belphégor (1967, Georges Combret)
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