July 27 - August 2, 2024

 

 

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

Brain Teasers:

Which American actor complained that Joseph E. Levine offered him a contract just to ruin his relationship with producer Carlo Ponti?

It was Brad Harris, who was in talks with Carlo Ponti when Joseph E. Levine stepped in and convinced him to make THIS TIME I'LL MAKE YOU RICH with a new name, Robin McDavid, with which Levine was going to launch him into a whole new career. After Ponti went away, so did Levine.

Complete the lyric: "He came out out of nowhere, ___ __ ___ ______ ____".

Tom Betts and George Grimes knew that it was "with no one beside him", the theme song for ARIZONA COLT.

By what name is Nat Williams, Ted Carter and Robert Black better known?

Tom Betts, Angel Rivera and George Grimes knew that it was Giovanni "Nello" Pazzafini.

Which Italian stunt man/actor fought with Steve Reeves twice,  Kirk Morris three times and Giuliano Gemma five times?

Tom Betts knew that it was Giovanni "Nello" Pazzafini.

And now for some new brain teasers:

In which movie, based on a DC comic book, is the final gunfight from IL BUONO, IL BRUTTO, CATTIVO, aka THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY seen on a TV screen?

How many directors of Spaghetti Westerns were born in Argentina?

By what name is Manolita Barroso better known?

Name the movies from which these images came.

Tom Betts and George Grimes identified last week's photo of Tomas Milian in VAMOS A MATAR, COMPANEROS.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes and Angel Rivera identified last week's photo of Virna Lisi and Ornella Vanoni in ROMOLO E REMO, aka DUEL OF THE TITANS.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's photo of Jean Sorel, Nino Vingelli and Ilaria Occhini in L'UOMO CHE RIDE, aka THE MAN WHO LAUGHS.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes and Angel Rivera identified last week's frame grab of Bruce Lee in ENTER THE DRAGON.

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:

SON OF A GUNFIGHTER (1965) - Would I have enjoyed this film as much if it was a standard Hollywood Western not shot in Spain and filled with Spanish actors? I think I would but it does have Fernando Rey, Aldo Sambrell, Antonio Casas and Barta Barri. Screenwriter Clarke Reynolds wins points from me pretty quickly by having James Philbrook's gang using dynamite buried in the road to stop a stagecoach they want to rob rather than the usual chasing after a moving coach guns a-blazing. The film starts with a bit of mis-direction, with Sheriff Ralph Browne and deputy Kieron Moore guarding a Wells Fargo stage, so one would assume that the payload on the stage would be the focus of the plot. It isn't. Instead, the focus of the plot is on Russ Tamblyn, who flags down the stage in a scene that echoes John Wayne's entrance in STAGECOACH. But, this time the sheriff doesn't know who Tamblyn is, and he'll only give up "Johnny". Tamblyn vigorously joins Browne and Moore in fighting off the attacking robbers, particularly because he wants to kill Philbrook. Told that Philbrook holds up in some mountains in Mexico, Tamblyn sets off alone to try and hunt him down. Our hero later finds out that Moore is following him, hoping to cash-in on the $10,000 on Philbrook's head. Tamblyn comes upon Bandido Aldo Sambrell and his men trying to rustle Fernando Rey's cattle. He jumps into the fight thinking that it is Philbrook attacking, and is wounded. Rey is grateful for the help and insists on taking Tamblyn to his hacienda to recover. Reynolds' script get more points from me by showing that it takes time to heal from even a minor wound, but, of course, this gives Rey's daughter, Maria Granada, time to fall in love with our hero. The dialogue about "living for love or dying for hate" is a bit corny, but it doesn't knock this film's pace off the track. Moore allows Sambrell to catch him, and proposes that they join in an effort to secure Philbrook's reward. So, with a few of Rey's men, Tamblyn sets off to the mountain where Philbrook is hiding but has to cross the territory held by Sambrell's gang. Eventually, we learn the secret of why our hero wants Philbrook: it's there in the film's title. Tamblyn blames his father for the miserable life his mother had before she died. The film climaxes with a battle that is pretty well staged by director Paul Landres. Tamblyn and Moore are not very compelling in their roles, but Granada often comes off like Annette Funicello, which is a good thing. While the music by Robert Mellin and Frank Barber isn't up to Italian Western standards, it is nicely stirring. Reynolds also co-wrote GUNFIGHTERS OF CASA GRANDE, another American style Western shot in Spain with Aldo Sambrell leading a gang of bandidos and Maria Granada as the love interest. Later on, Reynolds worked on SHALAKO and THE DESPERADOS. Meanwhile, Landres went back to working on U.S. television. 

TITO AND ME (1992) - A low key comedy by writer and director Goran Marković, TITO AND ME depicts life during Marshal Tito's rule in Yugoslavia during the 1950s. Ten year old Dimitrije Vojnov lives in a cramped apartment in Belgrade with his mother and father, his aunt, uncle and their little girl, and his grandmother. A "round" little boy, Dimitrije has taken to eating bits of the apartment wall. In school, he learns about how Communist dictator Marshall Tito is the greatest man in the world and he has a crush on orphan girl Milena Vukosav with whom he walks home from school. Milena keeps Dimitrije at a distance because he is half her size and "round", but she accepts his grandmother's ring that he gives her out of love. When Milena tells Dimitrije that she will be going away on a special student camping trip celebrating Tito's march from Zagreb to his hometown during World War 2, he wonders how he can join the trip. It turns out that his class is invited to write a composition about how much they love Tito. Dimitrije writes a poem which wins the contest and the prize is that the gets to join the trip. Being short and "round", Dimitrije is ridiculed by the scout leader Lazar Ristovski, while Ristovski is terrified of the secret service men who are following them during the trip. Dimitrije imagines Tito appearing from time to time to help guide him, even when Ristovsky blames the boy for things not going to plan. In an effort to please Milena, Dimitrije has stopped eating his favorite, but fattening, foods. In the end, after feeling betrayed by the girl, Dimitrije turns away from a chance to meet Tito to instead enjoy the huge banquet that has been laid out to celebrate the young people's trip. TITO AND ME is the first film featuring the young Dimitrije Vojnov, but he went on to have not only a long career as an actor, but also as a writer - though not outside of Serbia. 

Mildly enjoyed:

BIG STONE GAP (2014) - Inspired by her Italian American heritage and her childhood in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, novelist Adriana Trigiani wrote the novel BIG STONE GAP in 2000 after a career as a writer for television. It became a best seller, so she's been putting out a novel a year ever since, including three follow-ups to BIG STONE GAP - BIG CHERRY HOLLER, MILK GLASS NOON and HOME TO STONE GAP. This is her debut feature as writer/director, and Trigiani made a very enjoyable romantic comedy. For a film set in a small town in Virginia, Trigiani did not cast the usual Southern types aside from Ashley Judd as the 40 year old town spinster. However, it turns out that Broadway star Patrick Wilson is from Virginia and makes a suitable love interest. Set in 1978, the film introduces us to Judd, who owns the town pharmacy in addition to being a member of the Emergency Response Team and directing the town's annual production of TRAIL OF THE LONESOME PINE. Judd's beau is John Benjamin Hickey, who turns out to be useless as a sex partner. Coal miner Wilson is the man with whom Judd feels a connection, but newly divorced Jane Krakowski seems intent on snaring him for herself. Judd's mother dies, and among her papers handled by lawyer Anthony LaPaglia, is a confession telling Judd that the man Judd knew as her father, was actually someone who took pity on a pregnant Italian immigrant newly arrived in the U.S. The chaos in Judd's life continues when Wilson proposes marriage, Hickey admits that he "likes men", her step-father's family demands the return of the business and home that Judd inherited, and Elizabeth Taylor is scheduled to visit town as part of her new husband John Warner's political campaign. Whoopi Goldberg plays Judd's best friend, Judith Ivey plays Wilson's mother, Jenna Elfman plays the town's mobile librarian, Erika Coleman plays a poor young woman to whom Judd gives a job, and Jasmine Guy plays Coleman's mother. Chris Sarandon makes a surprise appearance near the end. The film is very charming and moves at a nice pace, but the final scenes feel a bit rushed which spoils the believibility of most of the movie.

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE (2024) - I guess Columbia Pictures has decided to try and make GHOSTBUSTERS into an MCU style franchise with the creation of Ghostcorps. Having never been a real fan of Ghostbusters, I'm behind on the new ones with this being their third installment. Toward that end, Ghostcorps hired many cast members who are apart of the MCU: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace, Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt. For old-time fans, they get the original "busters" except for the actor who died. Basically this is a retread of the first GHOSTBUSTERS with William Atherton returning as the political "pain-in-the-butt". It is over long and over complicated and sounds like someone has been watching the FAST AND FURIOUS movies for all the talk about the importance of "family". Still, Annie Potts, Mckenna Grace and Emily Alyn Lind bring enough charm to keep my attention. Having co-written the previous "buster" movie, Gil Kenan is given the chore of directing this one. Why does Phoebe go into an empty park to set up a chess game by herself?

GHOSTBUSTERS AFTER LIFE (2021) - Now FROZEN EMPIRE makes more sense. This is the film which introduces Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace, Finn Wolfhard. Logan Kim and Celeste O'Connor to the series, and since Mckenna Grace gets most of the screen time, it is the better of the two films. Co-written and directed by Jason Reitman, the film is a direct sequel to the two films Jason's father Ivan made in the 1980s. It also serves as a touching memorial to dead cast member Harold Ramis, who helped to create this whole thing with Dan Aykroyd. There are a number of dud ideas - particularly creating an army of living marshmallows that look like the Minions from DESPICABLE ME and act like GREMLINS. However, bringing back Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts and Sigourney Weaver works well.

Did not enjoy:

BLACK ADAM (2022) - Marvel Studios does this sort-of thing so much better than DC even when DC does their darnedest to copy Marvel. I guess having learned from the Zach Snyder films, BLACK ADAM has some jokes tossed about, though having Dwayne Johnson not understanding sarcasm just reminds me of Dave Bautista of GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY not understanding irony. I guess Teth-Adam is related to SHAZAM, because they both use the same magic word, but there is no effort to connect the two in this movie. And where did the Justice Society come from in a "universe" where the Justice League already exists? I guess Amada Waller, played by Viola Davis, is the DC Extended Universe's version of Nick Fury, who was introduced in SUICIDE SQUAD, but she usually does more harm than good. Here she sends out Hawkman (Aldis Hodge of Leverage), Atom Smasher - who seems like DC's version of ANT-MAN, Cyclone - who seems like DC's version of Storm from the X-Men movies and Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan) - who seems like DC's version of Professor X and Doctor Strange. After Sarah Shahi accidentally unleashes the murderous Black Adam, the Justice Society - who aren't interested in Justice but in maintaining the status quo - shows up to put him in suspended animation. So, while we know that Adam is the good guy, the other good guys spend some 90 minutes fighting against him, until the real villain emerges and then Adam has to be unleashed again to ensure an happy ending. This is kind-of like BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN, but a different hero dies. While it is always nice to see Sarah Shahi of Life and The L Word, she doesn't alone make BLACK ADAM worth seeing. As with other movie franchises chasing the MCU's success, there is even a mid-end credits scene possibly pointing the way for a sequel. Who thought it was a good idea to include The Rolling Stones' song "Paint It Black" in this movie?

F9 THE FAST SAGA (2021) - Was John Cena cast as Vin Diesel's hithertoo unknown brother as a "slap in the face" to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson? I must qualify my "did not enjoy" designation because a few of the more ridiculous action bits did get a chuckle out of me. But I was unable to keep from fast-forwarding through all of the sentimental dialogue and character building flashbacks and seemingly endless car races and crashes which did not get a chuckle out of me. This film made AVENGERS: END GAME play like a "kitchen sink" domestic drama in which all of the "family" drama was actually effective. Obviously, FF had become Universal's answer to the MCU (and to James Bond) so that they'd included a mid-end credits scene pointing to the next installment. 

 

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David Deal Enjoyed:

LAND OF THE PHARAOHS (58)

THE HUNTER WILL GET YOU (76)

TO COMMIT A MURDER (67)

HAVE YOU GOT IT YET? (23) - The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd. Revealing documentary on the man and the band.

MURDER MY SWEET (45)

THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING (64)

NORTH BY NORTHWEST (59)

WITCHCRAFT (64)

Mildly enjoyed:

EMPIRE OF DRACULA (66) - A young maiden's blood is used to revive the corpse of Count Draculstein (!) in a manner similar to that used in Dracula, Prince of Darkness. So Drac is back and makes a feast of the locals. Mexican Gothic that hearkens back to earlier, better horror films from that country. This is supposedly the first color horror film from Mexico, but the version I watched was in black and white.

THE BLOODSTAINED BUTTERFLY (71)

MURDER ON THE CAMPUS (34)

GO GORILLA GO (75)

HOUR OF DECISION (56) - Gossip columnist Anthony Dawson is killed in the nightclub where he reigns supreme, gathering the scoops that make or break high society. Turns out that reporter Jeff Morrow's wife, Hazel Court, was in the club that night and was with Dawson just before he died. Morrow makes it his business to find out who really murdered Dawson before the cops figure out it could have been her. This British mystery is a procedural, unusual in that Morrow and the cops lead their own investigations that lead to the same place. Logical in the manner one would expect, and interesting on the level it does not pretend to exceed.

LADY IN THE IRON MASK (52) - D'Artagnan (Louis Hayward) and his fellow Musketeers are charged with retrieving the true heir to the French throne (Patricia Medina) who was whisked away years ago and kept prisoner in a dank dungeon. A fun adventure - which was Hayward's stock and trade - that features Alan Hale Jr. (of course) and an out-of-place Steve Brodie.

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Angel Rivera  Mildly enjoyed:

"HERCULES UNCHAINED" (1959/60)
After revisiting "Hercules" (1958/9) I thought I should revisit the sequel, "Hercules Unchained". Now "HU" was never my favorite. To me Sylvia Lopez somewhat resembled someone in drag, so I never found her attractive. But this time I could see she appeared a bit more glamorous, so I didn't find her so unattractive. This film has plenty of plots and Sylvia Lopez's part is only one of many. First Hercules/Reeves battles the former boxing heavyweight champion of the world, Primo Carnera as Antaeus, a powerful foe of Hercules. (Ten years earlier Carnera had a bit part in "Mighty Joe Young" (1949) as himself in a scene where he"boxes" with Joe.) The film also has a love theme for "Hercules". (If memory serves, strains of the theme can be heard whenever Iole appears on screen, especially when she is with Hercules.) In the film, Iole/Sylva Koscina sings the song to lull Hercules to sleep. In English, the title of the song is "Evening Star" and was dubbed by June Valli, a singer who turns out to have had a few minor hits in the fifties. (In Italian language prints, Koscina is dubbed by Marisa del Frate, a popular Italian singer of the day. In Italian, the title of the song is "Con te per L'eternita" ("With You for All Eternity") and was a hit for Ms. del Frate.)  The main part of the story deals with two warring royal brothers who are fighting over their father's kingdom. One of the brothers is portrayed by Mimmo Palmara, who played a doomed royal in the previous film. The other actor playing the other feuding brother nearly steals the show with his histrionics. The actor, is Sergio Fantoni, a well known actor who has appeared in many Italian genre films. The film obviously steals from many sources. So while still not my favorite it was worth a viewing. Now this film led me  to my other choice to watch from my collection which I hadn't seen in a while.

Highly enjoyed:

"JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS" (1963)
The Ray Harryhausen masterpiece. This was one of the first films I actually was old enough to see in theaters and along with "Jack, the Giant Killer" (1962) is one of my all time favorite fantasy films. Like "Hercules"(1958/9) it tells the tale of Hercules as he traveled with Jason and the Argonauts, but has a different take on the adventure. Its version of Hercules is portrayed in a more naturalistic manner by Nigel Green, known for playing the nemesis of Fu Manchu (in  "Face of Fu Manchu" (1965) opposite Christopher Lee as Fu Manchu) and the criminal mastermind in "Deadlier than the Male" (1967) and in the Matt Helm film, "The Wrecking Crew" (1968) and thus not by a body-builder. The Argonauts go up against a bronze giant named Talos; then the Harpies; then the Hydra (killed by Jason) and the skeleton "children" of the Hydra's teeth in search of the golden fleece. All great scenes brought to life by the magic of Harryhausen's effects. I learned later that the voices of the actors, Todd Armstrong who portrayed Jason and a very beautiful and sexy Nancy Kovac were dubbed by others. Not that it matters much as I didn't know how either actually sounded, but it is an interesting minor note. I could watch this film many times. (And obviously have.)

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July 20 - 26, 2024

 

 

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

Brain Teasers:

Which American actor complained that Joseph E. Levine offered him a contract just to ruin his relationship with producer Carlo Ponti?

No one has answered this question yet.

Which actress, born in Finland in 1948, made four films with the director of IL MAGNIFICO GLADIATORE?

George Grimes, Charles Gilbert, Bertrand van Wonterghem and Angel Rivera knew that it was Yanti Somer working for director Alfonso Brescia, aka Al Bradley.

Which actress, born in Venice in 1950, also made eleven films with the director of IL MAGNIFICO GLADIATORE?

George Grimes, Bertrand van Wonterghem and Charles Gilbert knew that it was Malisa Longo who worked with director Alfonso Brescia, aka Al Bradley.

Which American director, who made a film starring Bobby Vinton and Jackie DeShannon, shot a Western in Spain?

John Black, George Grimes, Charles Gilbert, Bertrand van Wonterghem and Angel Rivera knew that it was Maury Dexter who made OUTLAW OF RED RIVER, aka DJANGO THE CONDEMNED as well as SURF PARTY.

And now for some new brain teasers:

Complete the lyric: "He came out out of nowhere, ___ __ ___ ______ ____".

By what name is Nat Williams, Ted Carter and Robert Black better known?

Which Italian stunt man/actor fought with Steve Reeves twice,  Kirk Morris three times and Giuliano Gemma five times?

Name the movies from which these images came.

George Grimes and Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's frame grab of Giovanni (Nello) Pazzafini dying in ARIZONA COLT.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

 

John Black, George Grimes and Charles Gilbert identified last week's fame grab of Giuliano Gemma in a bit part in ERCOLE E LA REGINA DI LIDIA, aka HERCULES UNCHAINED.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

Bertrand van Wonterghem and George Grimes identified last week's photo of Evelyn Stewart, Giuliano Gemma and Venantino Venantini in IL GRANDE ATTACO, aka THE BIGGEST BATTLE.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's frame grab of Takashi Shimura and Shintaro Katsu in ZATOICHI AND THE FUGITIVES.

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:

ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953)

Enjoyed:

Hannah Berner "We Ride At Dawn" on Netflix (2024)

Taylor Tomlinson "Have It All" on Netflix (2024) 

Mildly enjoyed:

DRAGON BLADE (2015) - Seeing this on the SyFy Channel was probably not the best way to view this, but it still was an impressive spectacle. "This story is inspired by true events" said the film, but was there any historical accuracy in it? Was there such a group as the Silk Road Protection Squad? Was there a fortress called the Wild Geese Gate? Was there a Roman General named Tiberius who plotted with the Queen of the Parthian Empire to seize control over the Silk Road? Did the Roman Army ever amass such an huge cavalry that they would begin an assault on a fortified city on horseback? Was there any historical justification for the "Roman Anthem" that the soldiers sing, and, if so, how come no Italian movie ever used it? The opening titles state that this story was inspired by a Roman legion disappearing on the Silk Road in 50 BC., but the Roman Empire wasn't established until 27 BC with the crowning of Augustus Caesar. In any case, the film concerns Jackie Chan, who is the leader of the Silk Road Protection Squad. As two rival armies are about to come to blows, Chan jumps in the middle to plead for peace. A masked woman, Ping Lin, challenges him to combat. During the struggle, Chan accidently touchs her breasts and pulls off her mask. Later on, he discovers that this means that she is his wife. Back at home with Mika Wang, his real wife who is a teacher, Chan soon finds that he's been framed for gold smuggling. Chan and his men are sentenced to help rebuild the Wild Geese Gate, along with an assortment of prisoners from the various tribes around the Silk Road. Not long after, the Wild Geese Gate is about to be assaulted by Roman soldiers led by John Cusack. Chan assumes the command of the defense and goes out to meet Cusack man to man. Oddly, the Roman soldier fights in a very similar way to how the Chinese guy does. Seeing that Cusack's men are desperate for food and shelter, and there's a sand storm coming, Chan offers the Romans a temporary sactuary. When the order comes down that the rebuild must be completed in 15 days, Chan asks Cusack for help - which is handy as Roman soldiers are also skilled engineers. Under the slogan "Make Friends From Foes", Chan and Cusack unite all of the people of the Silk Road to make a city of peace. Cusack finally admits that he's on the run from Adrien Brody, who poisoned his little brother because his father made the boy his heir. Cusack must protect the boy, who still lives but is blinded. Having made an ally of Chan's former friend, Choi Siwon - who framed Chan for the smuggling charge, Brody plots to seize control of the Silk Road thanks to a treaty his father signed with the Parthian Empire. With the good Romans wearing red cloaks and the bad Romans wearing blue cloaks, everyone gets pulled into a series of huge battles. Obviously, the lessons of Computer Generated Images developed during THE LORD OF THE RINGS films were not lost on these Chinese filmmakers. Will Chan survive his many wounds to finally face off with Brody? Credit for writing and directing is given to Daniel Lee, aka Yan-Kong Lee, aka Rengang Li, but Jackie Chan is credited with all of the action scenes. While crossbows were known to be used in China at this time, seeing Roman soldiers using them is bewildering. But if that sort of thing matters to you, then it is probably better that you give this movie a pass. Reportedly with a budget of $65 million U.S., this is China's most expensive movie, and visually it is impressive. The message of we must fight to bring peace is a bit obvious, but not unwelcome.

PARDNERS (1956) - I was too young to have been around when Martin & Lewis were popular. When I was growing up, I only saw them as singles, so after reading DEAN AND ME by Jerry Lewis, I thought I should actually watch one of their movies. The one that presented itself was their last one as a team. Whatever magic they had live was not evident in this movie. Or perhaps what they had became so usual, that their stuff stopped being special. In any case, the only real fun in this movie was seeing Lee Van Cleef and Jeff Morrow among the bad guys. Lon Chaney Jr. was also there, but given nothing to do. Sidney Sheldon, who created the I Dream of Jennie TV series, co-wrote this film, which was directed by Norman Taurog, who went on direct two films starring Jerry Lewis, and seven starring Elvis Presley.

 

SCONTRI STELLARI OLTRE LA TERZA DIMENSIONE, aka STARFIGHTS BEYOND THE THIRD DIMENSION, aka STARCRASH (1978) - Oy, this is bad. I knew that it would be, but I thought it would be more fun than it is. Co-writer and director Luigi Cozzi, behind the name Lewis Coates, insists that his "science fantasy" was in development well before STAR WARS came out. That well may be, but there are a number of bits obviously taken from STAR WARS, like a light sabre, which seems to come out of nowhere. Also, a character dies and then disappears proclaiming that he will live on. In fact, the most fun to be had in the movie is in guessing from what other movies Cozzi took inspiration. There's a giant statue from JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS. Perhaps the planet of Amazons came from LE FATICHE DE ERCOLE. A visit to a mass machine inside a planet recalls FORBIDDEN PLANET. Co-writer and co-producer Nat Wachsberger has been in the film business since 1954, mostly in Italy and Spain - including two films directed by Antonio Isasi - ESTAMBUL 65 and LAS VEGAS 500 MILLIONES. Co-producer Patrick Wachsberger is Nat's son, and would go on to help make some very big films in the U.S. like VANILLA SKY, MR. & MRS. SMITH, DIVERGENT and THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1 & 2. Even outfitted in skimpy clothes, Caroline Munro doesn't make much of an impression here. The voice coming out of Joe Spinell doesn't sound like him, but the commentary on the Shout Films DVD assures us that it is his own voice. Fans of Boris Lugosi may enjoy Salvatore Baccaro's brief appearance among a band of neanderthals. There is also a quick shot of Benito Steffanelli getting killed near the beginning. John Barry contributed a tuneful music score which proved to be less memorable than what he did for THE BLACK HOLE or KING KONG. Was the line about "chauvinist robot" inspired by Jessica Lange calling KING KONG a "chauvinist pig ape"? I first saw this movie on a French DVD, which featured not only a French soundtrack, but also Italian and English tracks, running 93 minutes, so I guess that it was the uncut version. On the Shout DVD, there is a bonus section showing all of the trims Roger Corman's New World made to the film, which were all included in the French DVD print. One revelation was the Italian language disco song for the end credits, which was not on the French DVD. Stephen Romano contributed two commentary tracks for the Shout DVD which were among the few commentary tracks which didn't have me shouting in boredom at the TV. Not only are the tracks interesting regarding the behind-the-scenes on the making of the movie, but it also helped me to understand why this film has gained a "cult" following. I had never heard ot fans calling themselves "Crashers".

Yellowjackets season two (2013) - This is starting to remind me of Lost and I hate Lost.

Did not enjoy:

COFFY (1973) - I knew this wasn't going to be good when it first came out when I was in high school. Fifty-some years later, I decided to give it a look-see, and it's worse than I thought. The way this film was sold was that Pam Grier played a woman with power. The only power Coffy had was to seduce men into lowering their guard before she figured out a way to kill them. This also allowed the filmmakers to let the audience get a good look at Grier's body before the violence. Rarely did Grier take command of a situation until after she had been knocked-about some. Because drug dealers had ruined her little sister's life, emergency room nurse Grier got revenge on some drug dealers. But she wanted to get the big men behind the scenes. Uncorrupted police officer William Elliot tried to warn Grier about her politician boyfriend Booker Bradshaw. But she was unable to prevent two thugs with baseball bats from crippling Elliot and knocking her out. As an example of filmmaker Jack Hill's artistic sensibility, he had one of the two thugs rip open Grier's top to fondle her breasts before they made their getaway. Eventually, Grier got herself into pimp Robert DoQui's stable, and came to mobster Allan Arbus' attention when she won a "cat-fight" with the other whores. It seemed obvious that Linda Haynes was hired as a actress, as she was the only whore in the fight to not have her breasts exposed. Taken to Arbus' villa, Grier pulled a gun, but was prevented from murder by henchman Sig Haig. Figuring that DoQui was behind Grier's attack, Arbus had Haig put a noose around the pimp's neck and "drag lynch" him behind a cadillac. When Bradshaw was brought to Arbus' villa to explain his relationship with Grier, the politician advises the bad guys to kill her. Naturally, Grier was able to seduce Haig into thinking he could "get some" before killing her, but she killed him instead. After returning to Arbus' villa and killing all of the mobsters, she went to Bradshaw's beach house to talk with him. He seemed about to successfully talk her down, until the white woman came out of his bedroom. So, Grier blew his nuts off with a shotgun before taking a melancholy stroll on the beach at sunrise (on the West Coast?). 

MYSTERY ISLAND (2023) - I hadn't seen Elizabeth Henstridge since the cancellation of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., so when I noticed her name on a listing for this film on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel, I decided to give it a look see. Writer John Christian Plummer and director Nicholas Humphries delivered a light and breezy who-dun-it that's really a romantic comedy. It's all fairly predictable and the costume department didn't go a good job in presenting Henstridge at her best. The production does work as a advertisement for the Villa Bonita resort in Panama.

 

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David Deal Enjoyed:

THE COME-ON (56) - Anne Baxter and Sterling Hayden are immediately attracted to each other when they meet on the beach. But after they part, she meets her husband John Hoyt at a restaurant, and he turns out to be a lout who smacks her around. Except he's not really her husband, and there's much more going on here than meets the eye. The twists and turns of this small noir will have you guessing until the end. A good cast (Hoyt is especially nasty), fun patter, and unusual locations make this worth your time.

LA DOLCE VITA (60)

THE BOSS (73)

SATAN'S BLOOD (77)

ISLAND OF TERROR (66)

DEAD MAN'S EVIDENCE (62) - MI7 spy Conrad Phillips is assigned to get the scoop on a dead frogman washed up on a beach in Ireland. The organization believes the dead man was a double agent who once worked with Phillips. A small, twisty British espionage tale that keeps the viewers on their toes and tops off with a logical surprise ending.

RIDE CLEAR OF DIABLO (54)

THE DARJEELING LIMITED (07)

DEEP RED (76)

ARSENE LUPIN (32) - The Duke of Charmerace (John Barrymore) is actually master thief Arsene Lupin, and detective Guerchard (Lionel Barrymore) is just the cop to catch him. Or so he thinks. Very fun and funny pre-code crime comedy with several laugh-out-loud moments. Recommended.

NO QUESTIONS ASKED (51) - Insurance lawyer Barry Sullivan figures out that if he can arrange the theft of big money items, he can also arrange for their return, and the company will pay to get them back, no questions asked. Barry's star rises until it doesn't anymore. Top notch noir with excellent patter and performances. Arlene Dahl (Slightly Scarlet) is the femme fatale and Jean Hagen (Sterling Hayden's girlfriend in The Asphalt Jungle) is the nice girl who loves the louse.

THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS (72)

BLUE, WHITE AND PERFECT (42)

FROZEN ALIVE (64)

PASSWORD: KILL AGENT GORDON (66) - See The Eurospy Guide for a complete review of this Roger Browne entry.

UNFORGIVEN (92)

THE VAMPIRE'S NIGHT ORGY (72)

Mildly Enjoyed

THE CHOOPER (71) - AKA Blood Shack. A woman inherits a shack out in the middle of the Nevada desert that is supposedly haunted by a legendary killer called the Chooper. Heck ensues. Ray Dennis Steckler's no-budget desert horror film does occasionally achieve a modest, unintentional lyricism, but to attempt to breath some competency into the film via faint praise beyond that would be exaggerating.

GARRINGO (69) - AKA The Dead are Countless. Unorthodox Army officer Anthony Steffen is released from the stockade and assigned to track down ruthless killer Peter Lee Lawrence. Many deaths occur before the final resolution. Rafael Romero Marchent's western looks good and the soundtrack is sometimes odd but serviceable in the long run. Enjoyable but unexceptional.

THE LORELEY'S GRASP (72)

THE CORPSE PACKS HIS BAGS (72) - Unsurprisingly, Jess Franco's version of Brian Edgar Wallace's Secret of the Black Trunk is lackluster at best. The previous version was released in Germany in 1962 and starred Senta Berger. Even that second rate adaptation outshines this one.

AN IDEAL PLACE TO KILL (71)

SHOWDOWN AT BOOT HILL (58)

THE BABYSITTER (69)

DINOSAUR ISLAND - Five military men are stranded on an island populated by beautiful women and crudely-created dinosaurs. Hijinks ensue. Co-directors Fred Olen Ray and Jim Wynorski deliver low budget but not unlikeable hokum. But no more.

THE DEVIL'S LOVER (72) - Rosalba Neri and two of her friends visit a castle that is supposedly owned by the Devil himself. They are determined to stay there and debunk the myth. However, the Devil (in the person of Edmund Purdom) does live there and he takes a shining to the lovely visitors. Paolo Lombardo's sad little late cycle Gothic cash-in did one thing right; they hired Rosalba. She's really the only reason to watch this occasionally-mediocre effort.

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Angel Rivera  Highly enjoyed:

"TARZAN'S GREATEST ADVENTURE" (1959)
I was feeling kind of down in the dumps, so I thought I would pull out a favorite film from my collection to lift my spirits. Came up with this Gordon Scott "Tarzan", considered the best Tarzan film ever made; if not one of the best! Not only does it star one of the best actors to play "Tarzan" Gordon Scott, but it has some of the most celebrated actors to appear as the villains.  The story features Tarzan going after four men (and a woman) who have committed robbery and murder. Especially since the gang have murdered a doctor friend of Tarzan's. And he knows the leader well as he has history with this fellow. The leader of the gang is portrayed by Anthony Quayle, before he became known for his roles in "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962) and "The Guns of Navarone" (1961). As his main henchmen is a pre-Bond Sean Connery, who plays a sort of a murderous "hooligan". Also on hand are two very attractive actresses; Sara Shane as Tarzan's "love interest" (Sara playing a version of "Jane" (who is not by name in the picture.) gives Scott,/Tarzan a great sexy kiss. (Cut from the actual released prints, but seen in the trailer.) The other actress is one whom most fellas on this blog should know well; Scilla Gabel (listed in the credits as,"introducing")
The film lifted my spirits so much that I felt I should watch the follow-up picture to this film.


"TARZAN THE MAGNIFICENT" (1960)
After "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure"(1959), Scott did this film. While he has no love interest in this one, there is a well known beauty in this one in the form of Betta St. John; in this, her second Tarzan film. (She was in the first color Tarzan film, "Tarzan and the Lost Safari" (1957) also with Gordon Scott.) The main villains in this one are played by one time Western star and stuntman Jock Mahoney and as his father, veteran character actor, John Carradine.  Here, Ms. St. John plays a cheating wife who helps the villain, Mahoney escape, (after Tarzan had such a hard capture of Mahoney) and for her troubles is abandoned by Mahoney and then gets eaten by a hungry lion. (off-screen, but we do see the lion jump her stunt double. At least I think it's her stunt double.) Also in the film as the cuckold husband,is well known British character actor, Lionel Jeffries,  Mahoney and Scott have a great final battle. Almost to rival the one Scott has with Quayle in the previous "Tarzan". Not as good as "TGA", but still a good viewing. That led to my final choice,  this time with Steve Reeves.

"HERCULES" (1958/9)
After Seeing some Gordon Scott films I decided to see a Steve Reeves film. But not just any Reeves film, but the one released in the US,  about the same time Scott, was in US theaters with his best Tarzan. But instead of the letter-boxed version, I picked a pan and scan version which has the voice actor who dubbed Reeves originally for its initial release. Just to see how well I remembered it from the first time I saw the movie. So I had not seen the film in a long time. Still great for seeing Reeves; and leading lady Sylva Koscina. Still fun after all these years. Feeling much better now.

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Charles Gilbert watched four iterations of the John Buchan novel:

THE 39 STEPS (1935) B&W. The first version of the British spy film was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Robert Donat plays Richard Hannay, a hapless chap who gets caught up in a chase across England and Scotland with national security at stake. The police hunt him for murder. German operatives are on his tail to gain secret information for an invasion.

THE 39 STEPS (1959) Kenneth More plays a riant version of the character with a little more humor in the script. Worth watching to see Taina Elg and James Hayter (CRIMS0N PIRATE).

THE 39 STEPS (1978) Another remake with different time setting and storyline. The clue turns out to be description of a flight of stairs leading up to Big Ben's giant movement where explosives are placed by the enemy in the finale. Robert Powell appears with Karen Dotrice, and Edward De Souza.

THE 39 STEPS (2008) Rupert Penry-Jones and Lydia Leonard. This television version includes a German U boat near the finale that surfaces in a Scottish loch.

He also watched:

THE SCARLET WEB (1954) B&W. Independent British film features Hazel Court as a life insurance investigator vetting a fraudulant case of spousal death.

THE DAY THE SKY EXPLODED (1958) B&W. French-Italian production with pre-peplum actors well represented. Paul Haubschmid (BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS) plays the first astronaut to be launched on a mission circling the moon. The flight causes a disturbance with asteroids that cluster and threaten the earth en masse. After much international travail the responsible scientists decide to launch a barrage of missiles around the world directed at the menace with nuclear weaponry for payload. Ivo Garrani and Giancomi Rossi Stuart occupy the launch site. Livio Lorenzon and brother Gianni Solaro play Russian officers in uniform.

DJANGO THE CONDEMNED (1965) George Montgomery seems out of place as O'Brien in this tepid story set across the border. Familiar faces include Marie Montez, Frank Bana, and Raf Baldassare.

WANTED: SABATA (1970) Viscious bounty killer Jim Sparrow (Vassilli Karis) murders his own brother, and pins the killing on Sabata (Brad Harris). Italian dialogue, English subtitled.

A NAME THAT CRIED REVENGE (1968) Civil War soldier Davey Flanagan (Anthony Steffen) is back from conflict, but suffers amnesia from fighting, and finds himself wanted for desertion. His purported friend Sam Kellogg (William Berger) offers to help, by first telling him his wife (Ida Galli) remarried, and to make himself scarce. But Kellogg harbors a sinister  secret. Cast includes Robert Hundar and a clean shaven Mario Brega.

FIVE SAVAGE MEN (1970) Henry Silva is a reticent Apache brave who rescues a school teacher (Michele Carey) from five saddle tramps that robbed the stagecoach she was riding, and abducted her for their prurient interests. Intro credits don't appear until 12 minutes into the film. Keenan Wynn is leader of the cutthroats.

FLAME OF STAMBOUL (1951) B&W. Spy thriller set in Istanbul and Cairo starring Richard Denning as an American government agent  and George Zucco (wearing a fez again) as the "Voice".

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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed:

Les chèvres (2023, Fred Cavayé)

Mildly enjoyed: 

Kingdom of the planet of the apes (2023, Wes Ball)

Boneyard (2033, Asif Akbar)

The time tunnel – episode “Devil's island” (1966, Jerry Hopper)

La famille et le potager (2023, TV play)

I eat your skin (1971, Del Tenney)

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