Week of Feburary 27 to March 5, 2021

 

 

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

Brain Teasers:

Which American actor who became a star in Italian Westerns played MacBeth at UCLA?

No one has answered this question yet.

By what name is Sergio Ciani better known?

Tom Betts, Bertrand Van Wonterghem, Rick Garibaldi, Charles Gilbert and George Grimes knew that it is Alan Steel.

By what name is Joseph Marvin better known?

Tom Betts and Bertrand Van Wonterghem knew that it is Jose Luis Merino.

By what name is Stelvio Rosi better known?

Tom Betts, Bertrand Van Wonterghem, Charles Gilbert and George Grimes knew that it is Stan Cooper.

And now for some new brain teasers:

Charles Gilbert asks, "Which Saturday morning television show marked Lee Van Cleef's TV debut?"

Charles Gilbert asks, "By what name is William Hawkins better known?"

Which Italian director was born November 23, 1901 in Rome and died in the city of his birth in 1966?

Name the movies from which these images came.

Tom Betts, Bertrand Van Wonterghem, Charles Gilbert, Rick Garibaldi and George Grimes identified last week's photo of Gisella Hahn, Elena Pedemonte, Terence Hill and the Monte Gelato waterfalls in LO CHIAMAVANO TRINITA, aka THEY CALL ME TRINITY.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

Charles Gilbert identified last week's frame grab of Luciana Gilli in URSUS NELLA TERRA DI FUOCO, aka URSUS IN THE LAND OF FIRE, aka SONS OF HERCULES IN THE LAND OF FIRE.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

Angel Rivera, Bertrand Van Wonterghem, Charles Gilbert and George Grimes identified last week's photo of Joe Spinell, David Hasselhoff, Marjoe Gortner and Caroline Munro in STARCRASH.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

Angel Rivera and George Grimes identified last week's photo of Chow Yun Fat, Ti Lung and Dean Shek in A BETTER TOMORROW 2.

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:

A SOLDIER'S DAUGHTER DOESN'T CRY (1998) - Kaylie Jones, the daughter of FROM HERE TO ETERNITY author James Jones, wrote this semi-autobiographical novel. Director James Ivory adapted the novel to the screen with Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Naturally, the film was produced by Ismail Merchant. A pregnant Virginie Ledoyen begins to write a diary. Later, American writer Kris Kristofferson living in 1960s Paris with wife Barbara Hershey and daughter Luisa Conlon wants to adopt Ledoyen's son, Samuel Gruen, out of the orphanage in which he lives. Nanny Dominique Blanc likes to think of Conlon as her own little girl, and sides with her in a dislike for the new child. Eventually, the children become close, and the film begins to focus more on the story of the girl's coming-of-age. As usual, Ivory brings a detached perspective to the proceedings, but as with his best films, the slow pacing results in a complex and colorful portrait. The kids becomes teenage Leelee Sobieski and Jesse Bradford whose difficult growing up is made more difficult when Kristofferson feels that his heart problems requires the family to move to the United States. The film never becomes melodramatic and achieves a gentle strength. Also in the film are Jane Birkin, Macha Méril and Catriona MacColl. At one point we see STAGECOACH on TV dubbed in French. At another point we see Pauline Kael on TV talking to Woody Allen about what she likes about his movies.

I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW (2018) - There is alot that goes unexplained in this movie, and I can't really sum up what it's about, but it worked for me. I was held and interested from the beginning and felt satisfied by the ending, even if it seemed to leave alot unexplained. I didn't know much about this movie when I started it, and I don't want to give away anything that might prevent someone from having the viewing experience that I had. Peter Dinklage is compelling as a man who thinks he might be the only human alive. He lives in a small town and is methodically cleaning up every house and burying every body. One morning he finds a car crashed in town and takes it upon himself to treat Elle Fanning's injuries while she is unconscious. When she awakens, he hopes that she will leave soon, but, eventually, decides to experiment with having a neighbor. Director and cinematographer Reed Morano won a Primetime Emmy and a Director Guild's award for her work on The Handmaid's Tale. Mike Makowsky wrote the script for this film.

Justified season one (2010)

Justified season two (2011)

Justified season three (2012)

Did not enjoy:

ASHER (2018) - Michael Caton-Jones directed this dull hitman fantasy which should have been called THE LONELY HITMAN. Getting his assignments from a man running a Jewish dry cleaning business, Ron Perlman shines his shoes, in extreme close up, before doing a job. His usual modus operandi is to buy a new umbrella and pack of cigarettes before blowing enough smoke to set off the sprinkler system and fire alarm. When the mark exits their room, he shoots them. Things get complicated on a job when the elevator is out of order and he has to walk up many flights of stairs. When he tries to blow smoke, he passes out and falls into the apartment of Famke Janssen (who doesn't look good with all of the wrinkles in her face gone). Quickly he decides to try and date her, but she holds off, until after a visit with her demented mother, Jacqueline Bisset, which makes her so depressed that she stops on by his apartment. It gets awkward, because Perlman's prostitute friend, and sometimes partner-in-crime, Marta Milans is visiting to help celebrate Perlman's birthday. However, Perlman and Janssen have a nice dinner. Perlman likes to work alone, so when he's contracted by Richard Dreyfuss to work with his former student, Peter Facinelli, he's not happy. When visiting Facinelli, he tells him that he doesn't think its a good idea for him to be setting up a home with a pregnant woman, played by Blake Perlman (Ron's real life daughter). After the job. everyone connected to it are being killed, including Facinelli and his pregnant woman. Of course, it is Dreyfuss, who is convinced that Facinelli was plotting against him. When Perlman attacks Dreyfuss, he gains access to the garage underneath Dreyfuss' home and shoots the bodyguards up through the ceiling of the garage and the floor of the home with an Uzi. Perlman wants not to kill Dreyfuss, but the villain makes it impossible. Figuring that all of the bad guys are dead, Perlman goes to Janssen offering a future together. The movie has a false ending in which Janssen says no and walks away. As the end credits don't start rolling, we know she will change her mind and show up later at his cabin in the woods. The film ends showing that even in sleep, Perlman is still hyper alert to possible danger. 

THE GRACE OF JAKE (2015) - Singer Jake La Botz stars as a fellow traveling to Palestine, Arkansas. Why? Slowly we come to understand that his mother got kicked out of town by daddy Michael Beck. After a stint in prison, La Botz has come to kill the father he never met - blaming him for all of the problems in his life. However, he finds acceptance from the people in this small town so that when he finally meets Beck. he doesn't have the hatred in his heart that he once had. Written and directed by Christopher Hicky. The film is attuned to the rhythms of small town life and gentle towards the characters therein. If you have the patience for its simple truths, you might enjoy this.

KART RACER (2003) - A Canadian-German co-production, this film directed by Stuart Gillard tells the heart-warming tale of son Will Rothhaar bonding with widowed father Randy Quaid as they build a go-kart to enter a big racing competition. Nicholas DiBella wrote the screenplay with gives the filmmakers plenty of time to show off the NASCAR Racing 2002 Season arcade game.

THE LITTLE MERMAID (2018) - Writer and co-director Blake Harris and co-director to Chris Bouchard obviously felt the world needed another version of the Hans Christian Andersen tale, but they quickly told the original version in an animated title sequence. Then the film seems to be a remake of THE PRINCESS BRIDE with grandma Shirley MacLaine relating a new meremaid tale to granddaughters Lexy Kolker and Claire Crosby, but without the satirical humor. Uncle William Moseley is trying to raise his orphaned niece Loreto Peralta who believes her breathing problem might be related to being part mermaid. When a carnival featuring a mermaid shows up, Peralta wants to go and Moseley agrees. It turns out that Poppy Drayton is a real mermaid who gets to have legs when the tide is low - just long enough for her and Moseley to fall in love. Unfortunately, Drayton and other magical people are under the control of the evil Armando Gutierrez. With the help of mystic Shanna Collins, Moseley gets Drayton's soul from Gutierrez, and they return Drayton to the sea. There she teaches Peralta that a swim will cure her breathing problems. Not surprisingly, after MacLaine finishes her story, the granddaughters don't go to bed, but catch MacLaine turning into a meremaid and swimming in the sea. Gina Gershon also shows up in a small role.

MENACE II SOCIETY (1993) - I can't speak to the authenticity of the milieu portrayed, but the film itself plays like the most obvious of "message" movies. From the get-go, we see horrible people doing horrible things. In the end, horrible things happen to horrible people who fail to heed good advice. At least the little boy isn't killed. This debut feature by Allen and Albert Hughes is notable for resulting in Tupac Shakur being convicted of assault and battery on Allen Hughes after he was fired from the role finally played by Vonte Sweet. Star Tyrin Turner is mostly known now as a comedy writer for Jamie Foxx and Affion Crockett. This is the feature film debuts of Jada Pinkett and Larentz Tate. Also in the film are Samuel L. Jackson, Bill Duke and Charles S. Dutton.

NORMAN: THE MODERATE RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF A NEW YORK FIXER (2016) - American born Israeli filmmaker Joseph Cedar got an Oscar nomination for his third feature film in 2007 and his fourth in 2011. NORMAN is an American-Israeli coproduction starring Richard Gere as a small-time Wall Street fellow who works at arranging contacts between important people for a fee. When his friendship with Lior Ashkenazi blossoms after Ashkenazi become the Prime Minister of Israel, Gere blabs about his connections to Charlotte Gainsbourg; a pretty woman he meets on a commuter train. It turns out that Gainsbourg works for the Justice Department at the Israeli Embassy and uses Gere's information to begin a corruption investigation into Ashkenazi. Meanwhile, Gere hopes that his contact with Dan Stevens will lead to Harris Yulin donating money to save Rabbi Steve Buscemi's Temple from being demolished. Lawyer Michael Sheen tries to advise Gere how to protect himself, but Gere successfully pulls off the deals he set in place while ensuring that he can not be compelled to testify against Ashkenazi by eating a bag of peanuts, of which he is allergic. Cedar has a reputation for making films that "touch delicate issues of Israeli society". Perhaps I just don't know enough about the milieu of this picture, but I find it hard to watch the story of a nervous guy on the make after the title gives away that he's going to have a "tragic fall". Hank Azaria shows up late in the picture as another guy on the make hoping to connect with Gere while he faces destruction.

Prime Suspect 5 Errors of Judgement (1996) - As usual, Helen Mirren begins a sexual relationship with the wrong guy. That's one error of judgement. Another error judgement is that since they could find no evidence to confirm that Joseph Jacobs killed Chris Bisson they let him out of custody. Out of custody, Jacobs gets nabbed by Steven Mackintosh who forces Ray Emmet Brown to shoot Jacobs to death. However, the biggest error of judgement is that John McArdle thinks that making a deal to keep Mackintosh out of jail in return for his giving information to the police about other criminals is good. Guy Andrews wrote this for Phil Davis to direct. Also in the cast are David O'Hara, Julia Lane and Marsha Thomason.

Prime Suspect The Last Witness, aka Prime Suspect 6: The Last Witness (2003) - Now that we're in the new millennium, our heroes aren't looking for Nazi war criminals given sanctuary by Western democracies. Our heroes are looking for Serbian war criminals. Actually, Helen Mirren starts out to just find the murderer of a young female Bosnian refugee who has been tortured and strangled. When she finds out that the victim has identical torture signs that are ten years old on top of the recent torture signs, an investigation into her past becomes important. This time the interference isn't because she is a woman. This time the interference is from the British government who is using the murderer to ferret out other war criminals. Director Tom Hooper went on from this to many high profile Hollywood projects including THE KING'S SPEECH and the musical version of LES MISERABLES. Here he shows a love of wide angle lenses. Peter Berry is credited with the writing. Mirren is surrounded by a rather sterling cast including Liam Cunningham, Ben Miles, Robert Pugh, Mark Strong, Rupert Frazer, Clare Holman, Frank Finlay and Phoebe Nicholls. 

THE ROVER (2014) - At one time, if filmmakers wanted to make a depressing existential chase drama played out against an harsh environment, they'd make a Western. Australian filmmakers seem to prefer setting it in the Outback at a future time when civilization has fallen. Aside from giving Robert Pattinson a chance to shed his "pretty boy" appearance, this movie is pointless. Given to long silences punctuated by seemingly unmotivated sudden gun violence, the movie is very dull. Guy Pearce gets out of his car long enough for a gang to crash their truck, steal his car and head off down the road. Pearce gets the truck working and chases after them. Things get complicated when Pattinson, whom the gang left for dead, turns out to just be wounded and ends up joining Pearce in the search for his gang. After about an hour Pearce gets captured by some military types, and we start to get an explanation, but not really. At one point, our hero stops at a shop to buy more bullets, but at no time does anyone put more gasoline in their vehicles. In the end, after just about everyone is dead, we find out that Pearce wanted his car back because his dead dog was in the trunk and he wanted to bury him. David Michôd wrote and directed the film.

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Charles Gilbert watched:

INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS (1940) The special effects near the end when he dons the scarecrow clothes and ambles into town is quite inferior. The crowd is staring far ahead of his presence, and he appears ghostly.

EL DORADO (1966) I tuned in to see Michele Carey and discovered Charlene Holt. Robert (the sheriff) and brother John Mitchum (bartender) shared scenes in the saloon.

A NAME THAT CRIED REVENGE (1968) "When Johnny comes marching home again..." begins the show as youngsters taunt Davy Flanagan (Anthony Steffen). Turns out he's wanted for army desertion, and a bounty killer tries to haul him to the judge. Davy overtakes him and then seeks to clear his name. Sam Kellogg (William Berger) offers to help legally but proves unreliable. While serving in the army his wife Liza (Evelyn Stewart / Ida Galli) married scoundrel gang leader Clay Hackett (Robert Hundar). He gets her back for the finale.

Highway Patrol:

     'Female Hitchhiker' S02E24 Keith Richards (not that one) and Angela Stevens play bandits who artfully plan road holdups using her charm to lure men with substantial cash on them. Mathews tracks them by the scent of perfume left behind by the beautiful blond.

     'Human Bomb' S01E22 A disgruntled electrical engineer rigs his car with dynamite and heads for the chemical plant that fired him nine months earlier.

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David Deal enjoyed:

THE VALLEY OF DEATH (68) - Winnetou and Old Shatterhand help to solve the mystery of a missing gold shipment and its military escort.  The final pairing of Pierre Brice and Lex Barker in this great western series.  All are recommended.

SANTO IN THE TREASURE OF DRACULA (68) - Santo uses his newly-invented time machine (!) to travel back to Dracula's day in an attempt to grab his treasure.  More fabulous Santo nonsense, this time featuring nudity in the sexo version released by VCI.

THE LION OF THEBES (64)

THE DARJEELING LIMITED (07)

Mildly enjoyed:

BLOOD OF NOSTRADAMUS (59) - The fourth and final installment of the Nostradamus series (see Curse of Nostradamus). I might watch these back-to-back next time to get the serial feel.

CAIN'S CUTTHROATS (70) - Scott Brady and John Carradine team up to go revengin' for the slaughter of Brady's family by his old Confederate army buddies.  Brady and Carradine are really good together, and Brady gets to stretch more than he normally does.  The down side is the rest of the movie is pretty terrible.

THE MAN WHO FINALLY DIED (63) - Stanley Baker gets a call from his long-thought dead father in Bavaria, so he travels there to investigate.  Adequate Cold War mystery with a solid cast.  The tensions are thin but fans of the small Brit thrillers of the period will be entertained enough.

THE BURNING COURT (62) - A group of heirs gathers at a spooky old house to talk a lot about a family curse and the imminent death of the patriarch.  Horror mystery looks great but doesn't hang together.

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Bertrand Van Wonterghem Highly enjoyed:

Black books – season 3 – episode 1

Allo, allo ! – episode « the british are coming » (1982, David Croft)

Enjoyed:

Swedish dicks – season 2 – episodes 6 to 8

WandaVision – season 1 – episode 6

The watch –season 1 – episodes 5 to 7

Kill me three times (2014, Kriv Stenders)

The young offenders (2016, Peter Foott)

Aunty donna’s big ol’house of fun – season 1 (2020) – episodes 1 to 5

Les grands détectives – episode « Inspecteur Wens - six hommes morts » (1974, Jacques Nahum)

Sorceress (1982, Brian Stuart)

Voyage to the bottom of the sea – episode « Leviathan » (1965, Harry Harris)

The time tunnel – episode « The last patrol » (1966, Sobey Martin)

Mildly enjoyed:

Spenser confidential (2019, Peter Berg)

Trade (2006, Marco Kreutzpaintner)

La fabrique de l’ignorance (doc) (2020, Pascal  Vasselin & Franck Cuveillier)

Did not enjoy:

Popsy Pop (1970, Jean Herman)

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Angel Rivera recently watched:

"The Sword and the Dragon" on YouTube; a movie I haven't seen since the sixties and only in black and white by way of my old Emerson black and white TV and was pleasantly surprised. I only remembered scenes with the "wind demon". The rest of the movie seemed almost like a new movie to me as I remembered little from past viewings. While the movie as a whole seemed a little old fashioned in its presentation, it was still interesting to watch. (Yes I know it was originally a Russian fantasy film about a Russian folk hero, Ilya Muromets, but a lot of the film seemed somewhat like peplum, but with a lot more clothing.) 

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Week of February 20 - 26, 2012

 

 

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

Brain Teasers:

Which American actor who made 6 Italian Westerns reportedly turned down an offer to appear in MACKENNA'S GOLD?

Tony Anthony was offered the role of the Indian by co-producer Dimitri Tiomkin, with whom Anthony made WITHOUT EACH OTHER.

Which American actor who became a star in Italian Westerns began his career making a short film narrated by Tallulah Bankhead?

Bertrand Van Wonterghem and George Grimes knew that it was Tony Anthony.

Which American actor who became a star in Italian Westerns played MacBeth at UCLA?

No one has answered this question yet.

Which Italian actress who made both Sword & Sandal movies and Italian Westerns made her first Western appearance in an American TV show?

Bertrand Van Wonterghem and George Grimes knew that it was Luciana Paluzzi who appeared on Bonanza.

And now for some new brain teasers:

By what name is Sergio Ciani better known?

By what name is Joseph Marvin better known?

By what name is Stelvio Rosi better known?

Name the movies from which these images came.

Bertrand Van Wonterghem, Charles Gilbert and George Grimes identified last week's photo of Francesco Brana, Gilberto Balimberti, Alan Steel and Fernando Bilbao in MI CHIAMVANO "REQUIESCAT"... MA AVEVANO SBAGLIATO, aka FAST HAND IS STILL MY NAME.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

Bertrand Van Wonterghem and Charles Gilbert identified last week's frame grab of Alan Steel in ERODE IL GRANDE, aka HEROD THE GREAT.

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 Nello Pazzafini and Andrea Aureli in SANSONE CONTRO IL CORSARO NERO, aka HERCULES AND THE BLACK PIRATE.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's photo of Jackie Chan in BLEEDING STEEL.

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:

Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. "The Shirts on Their Backs w/Tony Shalhoub and Christopher Meloni" (2021)

Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. "Write My Name In the Book of Life w/Pharrell Williams and Kasi Lemmons (2021)

DAVID CROSBY: REMEMBER MY NAME (2019) - There's no mention of his sperm donation to Melissa Etheridge's then partner Julie Cypher, nor the death of Crosby's brother Ethan.

QT8: QUENTIN TARANTINO THE FIRST EIGHT (2019)

HIS KIND OF WOMAN (1951) - Producer Howard Hughes seems to have thought of this film as a vehicle for his star Jane Russell, with an alluring title and photography that makes her sparkle even in night scenes. One probably wouldn't guess that this was an overlong crime melodrama that suddenly springs to life in the last half as sort-of a spoof of Hollywood actors like Errol Flynn. One probably also wouldn't guess that it featured some of the most sadistic violence allowed in 1951. In 1950, director John Farrow thought he had finished the film, but producer Howard Hughes wanted revisions. B-movie director Richard Fleischer had just finished a film called THE NARROW MARGIN which everyone at the studio thought was great and Fleischer thought would finally get him out of the B-picture unit. Hughes hired Fleischer to revise HIS KIND OF WOMAN and threatened to not release THE NARROW MARGIN unless he followed instructions. What originally had been thought to be 10 days of reshoots turned into almost a year. Originally the villain was played by Lee Van Cleef, but Hughes had him replaced by Robert J. Wilke. Later, Hughes saw Raymond Burr, and had him replace Robert J. Wilke. How much of Farrow's original film remains is unknown to me, but he gets sole directing credit. While Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell are the stars of the crime melodrama, the film only comes alive when film star Vincent Price decides that he's tired of only playing the hero and uses his extensive gun collection to save the day. Western star Tim Holt has a small role, and the star of THE NARROW MARGIN, Charles McGraw, is also featured. Also in the cast are Jim Backus, Anthony Caruso and Paul Frees.

Mildly enjoyed:

A RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK (2019) - A gentle romantic comedy taking many of the usual Woody Allen story elements and trying to reconfigure them with younger performers, RAINY DAY is a pleasant movie that became a victim of the revived Allen/Farrow scandal. Amazon Studios pulled out of the deal made with Allen, but eventually MPI Media Group released the film. This action simplified the opening credits with only Gravier and Perdido Productions credited. In order to continue to make the nostalgic references with which Allen peppers his romantic comedies, just about everyone in this film expresses an interest in old movies and music. Timothée Chalamet opens the film with a voice over that pegs him as an Allen surrogate; successful at gambling and worried about getting ticks. Chalamet doesn't sound like Allen, plays a character named Gatsby Welles, and doesn't get the usual one-liners, but his stated sense of the romance of walking in the rain in New York City is pointed. Elle Fanning is his girlfriend, but it becomes apparent when they set off for a "madcap Manhattan weekend" that their relationship is doomed. Journalism student Fanning is to spend an hour interviewing film director Liev Schreiber (of FADING GIGOLO) and then rejoining Chalamet for lunch, but plans change with Schreiber invites Fanninng to see his new movie. Schreiber leaves before the screening is over, and Fanning joins writer Jude Law in trying to find the director. Law gets distracted by discovering that his wife, Rebecca Hall (of VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA), is having an affair, so he sends Fanning off, alone in a taxi, to the Kauffman Studios in Queens. She doesn't find Schreiber, but runs into movie star Diego Luna, who sweeps her off her feet after saying that he's broken up with his girlfriend Suki Waterhouse. Meanwhile, Chalamet runs into some old high school friends, and agrees to be in a shot for an NYU student film Griffin Newman is making that requires kissing Selena Gomez, the younger sister of an old girlfriend. The fact that Chalamet and Gomez immediately start bickering foreshadows where their story is going. This is solidified when Chalamet sits at a piano and sings "Everything Happens To Me", which is a 1940s hit song by Frank Sinatra. Many more incidents happen to the characters, with a particularly good scene between Chalamet and his mother Cherry Jones. Chalamet also visits his brother Will Rogers, who is thinking of calling off his wedding to Annaleigh Ashford (who is now on B Positive) because her laugh makes him impotent. Vittorio Storaro returns as the cinematographer, and while his lighting is again rather unrealistic, at least it doesn't noticeably change in the middle of scenes. Despite reported financial difficulties, Allen is still able to assemble incredible casts, now with the help of Patricia DiCerto, which also includes Ted Neustadt (in his 4th Allen film), Gary Wilmes (of IRRATIONAL MAN), Pat Kiernan (of the MCU), Kelly Rohrbach (of CAFE SOCIETY), Edward James Hyland (of CAFE SOCIETY), Geoff Schuppert (of IRRATIONAL MAN), Kathryn Leigh Scott (whom I didn't see in the gala party scene), Kenneth Edelson (in his 20th Allen film), Jacob Berger (of WONDER WHEEL), and Mary Boyer (of Crisis In Six Scenes). Pianist Conal Fowkes contributed to the soundtrack; his fifth for an Allen film.

THE LAST PARTY (1993) - In 1992, Robert Downey Jr. decided it was time to become politically aware, so he joined directors Mark Benjamin and Marc Levin in attending both the Democratic and Republican conventions. When he met someone who accused him of not being aware of what life was like here or there, he went with the accusers to here and there to see about what they were talking. Almost 30 years later, this film is a time capsule of the major concerns in America when Bill Clinton ran to become president against George H.W. Bush. Sadly, not much as changed, though you don't hear the term "feminazi" as much any more. After this project, Downey's career hit the skids because of drug abuse, but recovered in 2003. It is a shame that his marriage to Deborah Falconer didn't survive as she comes off very well in this movie. The scenes of Downey with his father are quite moving. In 2003, co-writer Donovan Leitch made a similar film called THE PARTY'S OVER, aka THE LAST PARTY 2, with Philip Seymour Hoffman, co-directed by Rebecca Chalkin. In 2011, Mark Benjamin and Marc Levin returned to help Donovan Leitch make THE AFTER PARTY: THE LAST PARTY 3 which dealt with director Michael Schiller being arrested while covering the 2004 Republican National Convention.

THE ECLIPSE (2009) - As wonderful as the story of a widower, Ciarán Hinds, becoming friendly with a writer of ghost stories, Iben Hjejle, while she is fending off the attentions of a married writer, Aidan Quinn, at a weekend literary festival in a small town in Ireland is, the ghost story elements are an unwelcome intrusion. That the widower's father-in-law, Jim Norton, is so unhappy about having to live in an old folks' home that his angry spirit haunts the widower while the father-in-law is still alive doesn't work for me, though it provides a few effective shocks. Writer/Director Conor McPherson handles his cast well and presents the most attractive picture of life in Ireland I've seen. With wonderfully atmospheric music by the director's wife, Fionnuala Ní Chiosáin, and effective photography by Ivan McCullough, the film is so enjoyable to watch that one wishes that its elements meshed.

Did not enjoy:

BARAKA (1992) - After he operated the camera on director Godfrey Reggio's KOYAANISQATSI, Ron Fricke decided to do something similar. I'm guessing that wonderful images with a drone like music score was supposed to induce a trance-like meditative state. I fell asleep.

BLACKJACK KETCHUM, DESPERADO (1956) - Based on the novel KILKENNY by Louis L'Amour, and ignoring the real life history of Ted Ketchum, this Sam Katzman production was directed by Earl Bellamy. Did they really feel that changing L'Amour's hero Kilkenny into a fictionalized Ketchum was a good idea? As the movie begins with Angela Stevens arriving in town by stagecoach, one would expect her to have a more important role in the story than she does. She's just there to witness our hero, Howard Duff, ride into town, stop George E. Mather from tormenting Martin Garralaga, and then killing Mather when he tries to shoot Duff in the back. Later, she inadvertently identifies our hero as the man who killed villain Victory Jory's brother. After killing Mather, Duff and Garralaga head to a green and peaceful valley where a peaceful life can be lived. And Duff gets a year of peace building a ranch and fending off the romantic advances of Maggie Mahoney, aka Margaret Field the mother of Sally Field. Cattle baron Jory comes to town intent on acquiring all the grassland and water he needs to care for his mammoth herd. When he learns Duff's identity, he also wants revenge. Duff goes about thwarting Jory's plans more intelligently than usually seen in movies, and ends up deciding to stop fending off Mahoney's romantic advances.

DAWN AT SOCORRO (1954) - After a bullshit opening fictionalizing the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, October 26, 1881 in Tombstone, Arizona, into "The Shooting at Keane's Stockyards", June 12, 1871 in Lordsburg, New Mexico - narrated by Doc Roy Roberts, the film goes into a flashback, which the Doc doesn't narrate because he left the film after about 30 minutes of screentime. Piper Laurie arrives in Lordsburg after being disowned by her father, who accuses her of being a "Jezebel". Saloon owner from Socorro David Brian hears "Jezebel" and offers Laurie a job at his Big Casino. Meanwhile, at dawn at Lordsburg, gambler with a cough Rory Calhoun joins Marshal James Millican and Deputy Scott Lee in a showdown with Old Man Stanley Andrews and his sons Richard Garland and Lee Van Cleef. This is because Millican had to kill drunken son Skip Homeier. Andrews was counting on buddy Alex Nicol to join, but he's too drunk to get out of bed. Laurie watches Calhoun kill Andrews and Garland, while Van Cleef gets away. Doc Roberts treats Calhoun's arm wound and then checks our hero's lungs. For his health, Calhoun is told to go to Colorado Springs. Deciding to start a new life, Calhoun takes off his guns and boards the stagecoach. Joining him on the trip is Nicol, who is eager for an excuse to kill our hero, and Laurie who has resigned herself to work as a saloon girl. Calhoun has to go to Socorro inorder to catch the train to Colorado Springs, and the film settles into long dialogue stretches between Calhoun and Laurie during which our hero decides he must save the naive girl from the "glamorous life". To enliven the trip, Van Cleef tries to bushwack Calhoun at a coach stop, and Calhoun borrows Nicol's gun to reunite Van Cleef with his departed kin. At Socorro, Sheriff Edgar Buchanan wants peace so he personally puts Calhoun on the train going out of town. However, Calhoun hasn't given up trying to save Laurie and gets off on the other side. Brian doesn't like our hero trying to thwart his plans for the young woman and challenges Calhoun to a card game. If Calhoun wins, he gets the Big Casino and Laurie. If Brian wins, Calhoun leaves town without Laurie. Calhoun loses, but makes one last attempt to talk some sense into the woman. Brian objects, and Calhoun beats him up. Calhoun awaits the train to take him out of town, but Brian wants revenge and sends Nicol to shoot it out. Nicol insists that it be a fair fight, so Calhoun gets a gun and holster. Naturally, Calhoun kills Nicol and is then suddenly attacked by Brian and two of his employees. After killing all the bad guys, Calhoun returns the weapon to Buchanan. As the train pulls out of Socorro, Laurie sits beside Calhoun and a fade out suggests they "lived happily ever after". George Sherman directs a script by George Zuckerman.

KILLER ELITE (2011) - Ostensibly, this was inspired by novel THE FEATHER MEN by Sir. Ranulph Fiennes, but the filmmakers turned it into a rather standard thriller with most of the action captured by "shakey-cam". Scenes that don't remind you of THE BOURNE IDENTITY will remind you of the new CASINO ROYALE. Retired mercenary Jason Statham is forced to do a new job after mentor Robert De Niro is kidnapped by an oil sheik. Clive Owen is the former S.A.S. man trying to stop him. On the plus side, Statham's girlfriend is played by the beautiful Yvonne Strahovski, Dominic Purcell has never been more likable and the plot doesn't trip itself with multiple double-crosses. On the minus side it has an unresolved ending as if the filmmakers hoped for a sequel. Director Gary McKendry is from Northern Ireland and this was his first feature film. Despite a similar title, this has nothing to do with THE KILLER ELITE directed by Sam Peckinpah which featured ninjas.

PATIENT ZERO (2018) - Reportedly, the screenplay by Mike Le launched a bidding war in 2014 which was won by Screen Gems. The film was made in 2015, but never released by Screen Gems. Instead, three years later it was released by Vertical Entertainment and Destination Films. It would seem that someone thought that this kind-of remake of director George A. Romero's DAY OF THE DEAD with infected people seemingly inspired by 28 DAYS LATER would be good box office, but then saw the result and decided to cut their losses. The new wrinkle here is that some of the infected are able to strategize and philosophize. The infected speak their own language, and scientist Matt Smith has been infected, but hasn't "turned", so he can communicate with the ones that the military have captured. With scientist Natalie Dormer, Smith is trying to find the original infected - the "Patient Zero" from whom they hope to develop a vaccine to cure the rampant virus. When Smith finally interrogates infected Stanley Tucci, he discovers that while the humans are trying to find the original infected, the infected are trying to find Smith because they fear that whatever it is in his blood that keeps him from turning makes him the "Patient Zero" to combat them. Stefan Ruzowitzky directs.

RIVER RUNS RED (2018) - Taye Diggs is a criminal judge, but when his son is killed by two cops who plant a gun to justify the killing, he finds that his position in the justice system does not grant him any more justice then an average black father whose son is murdered by cops. To top it all off, the son's mother, Jennifer Tao, is also a cop. It takes over an hour of screen time before Diggs decides to take justice into his own hands, with the help of another father, George Lopez, whose son was also killed by the same cops. The fathers prove inept at murder, though they kill the cops only to be killed by other cops. Writer/director Wes Miller plays this melodrama like it has an important message. John Cusack and Luke Hemsworth were also pulled into this.

SEMINOLE (1953) - Can a film about an incident in 1835 Florida be called a Western even if it is about the U.S. Army vs. Native Americans? Based on the scandal in which General Thomas Jesup arrested Seminole Chief Osceloa while he was under a flag of truce, the filmmakers had to change the name of the asshole played by Richard Carlson to Degan inorder to prevent lawsuits by Jesup's descendants. The story is told mostly in flashback as Rock Hudson faces a military courtmartial, accused of having killed Chief Anthony Quinn and the sentry on guard. Luckily childhood friend Barbara Hale informs the actual killer of the sentry, Hugh O'Brian with a "mohawk" hair style, so the indians rescue Hudson from a firing squad and clear his name. Reportedly, this film is considered to be historically accurate, though the six shooter pistols look suspicious. Also in the cast are Lee Marvin and James Best. Budd Boetticher directed the screenplay by Charles K. Peck Jr. Russell Metty was the director of photography. Oddly, these Indians whoop and fight just like Indians in standard Westerns.

TWO-GUN MAN FROM HARLEM (1938) - If mainstream Westerns wouldn't feature any Black characters, it seems fitting that Westerns for Black audiences wouldn't feature any White characters. Like a Gene Autry flick, this movie starts with star Herbert Jeffrey singing, though his music has more swing to it. While her husband is away, Mae Turner makes a play for Jeffrey, but he is in love with the beautiful Margaret Whitten, who has a little boy, Stymie Beard. When husband Tom Southern comes home, he finds Turner with another man - a man who shoots him dead. We don't see who the other man is, but we see that he drops his pistol. When Jeffrey responds to the gunshot, Turner swaps out the murder weapon for Jeffrey's gun and then tells Sheriff Jesse Lee Brooks that Jeffrey killed the husband. Jeffrey goes on the run, but rather than Mexico, he hightails it to Harlem for more musical performances. In Harlem, he discovers that he resembles the notorious gangster called The Deacon. After The Deacon is killed, Jeffrey assumes his identity and returns to the West to join a gang of outlaws to prove his innocence. It turns out that the murderer is Clarence Brooks who has decided that he doesn't want to marry Turner. Brooks hires Spencer Williams Jr. to murder Turner, but Williams decides to kidnap her instead. He won't murder her until Books pays up. Jeffrey convinces Williams to not murder Turner, but say he did. This way he can get the money for the killing, and then blackmail Brooks. Eventually, after Turner learns that Brooks paid to have her murdered, she confesses that Jeffrey is innocent. All of the bad guys are arrested and Beard gives Jeffrey permission to kiss Whitten. Not surprisingly, the filmmaking here is rather crude, though the fistfights achieve a greater sense of brutality with extreme close ups and fast cutting. Mantan Moreland plays Jeffrey's brother, but his role is not very different for those he got in Hollywood features.

HARLEM RIDES THE RANGE (1939) - You know Herbert Jeffrey is the hero because he wears a white hat and rides a white horse. He's a stalwart fellow in the traditional sense, and he's got a comic sidekick named Dusty, played by Lucius Brooks. What is surprising about the Black Westerns that I've seen is that the comedy relief is pretty much the same as the Black characters in White movies; Lucius Brooks is just as broad as Stepin Fetchit - though he never turns white when he thinks he sees a ghost. Villainous Clarence Brooks threatens to take over Leonard Christmas' homestead if Christmas doesn't give him an half share in the Uranium mine he's got. Clarence Brooks and Christmas get into a scuffle, and Tom Southern clobbers Christmas over the head. Thinking that Christmas is dead, they hide the body just as Jeffrey and Lucius Brooks ride up hoping to get fed. Seeing canned goods, Lucius Brooks invites himself into the home as the villains gallop away. While Lucius Brooks eyeballs the canned goods, Jeffrey sees a photo on the mantle of Artie Young. After finding some blood on the table, our heroes decide to leave, but not before Jeffrey steals the photo and Lucius Brooks steals a can. Later, Jeffrey sings "Prairie Flower" to the photo with vocal support by The Four Tones. Jeffrey and Lucius Brooks get hired as cowboys by screenwriter Spencer Williams Jr., and meet cook F.E. Miller, who competes with Lucius Brooks over who is the more outrageous comic actor. Another cowboy, John Thomas, is concerned about finding a man shot in the back, while we in the audience are concerned that we don't get to see any of the violence about which we keep hearing. Naturally, Jeffrey loses one of his gloves, which Clarence Brooks plants near another unseen murder, so our heroes get arrested by sheriff Wade Dumas. After overhearing that Young is arriving in town and that the bad guys plan to get her, Jeffrey takes the rope that holds up Lucius Brooks' pants, makes a lasso and secures a pistol inorder to escape from jail. Jeffrey grabs Young and rides off into the hills with the bad guys in pursuit. Finding cover, everyone engages in a fierce gun battle during which no one gets killed. Just as Jeffrey has only one bullet left, the sheriff and a posse arrived to save them. Thomas found the evidence proving Jeffrey's innocence, and it is suggested that Thomas kills the escaping Clarence Brooks. Taking Young to her father's home, our heroes are surprised that Christmas isn't dead, but has been hiding beneath the trap door in the floor that leads to the Uranium mine. Young catches Jeffrey trying to put her photo back on the mantle, but tells him that he can keep it, if he wants it.

THE BRONZE BUCKAROO (1939) - Galloping across the desert, Herbert Jeffrey doesn't think about the letter he received until it falls out of his pocket and is picked up by sidekick Lucius Brooks. Jeffrey comments that the letter is from a friend he knew back in Texas but now they are living in Arizona. Since his friend, Rollie Hardin, only lives about a mile away, Jeffrey decides that he and the four guys traveling with him should pay him a visit. At the ranch, F.E. Miller is practicing ventriloquism and convinces Lucius Brooks to buy his talking mule. Meanwhile, Jeffrey meets Hardin's sister Artie Young and discovers that Hardin has been missing for three weeks. Since the letter is post marked within that time, Young is relieved that there is evidence her brother hasn't been murdered, as their father had been. Jeffrey sets out to find Hardin, and walks into saloon where all of the patrons participate in singing "Almost Time For Roundup". Also in the saloon, Spencer Williams shoots and kills a man cheating at cards. Unlike HARLEM RIDES THE RANGE, this movie has onscreen killings. Eventually, it comes out that villain Clarence Brooks wants the kidnapped Hardin to sign his deed over to him because there is gold on his property. Williams wants to just kill Hardin, like they did his father, and then force Young to sign over the deed. Meanwhile, Lucius Brooks finds F.E. Miller's book on ventriloquism and bets Miller that he can teach the mule to recite poetry. Clarence Brooks captures Young and when branding Hardin with an hot iron doesn't get him to sign over the deed, he threatens to brand Young. Jeffrey and his men arrive in time to stop the torture, but are captured. The bad guys are just about to execute the good guys, when Miller uses ventriloquism to make the bad guys think that the posse has arrived. A gun battle ensues, and you actually get to see the bad guys get killed. The posse does arrive, but it is Lucius Brooks who finally kills Clarence Brooks. Director Richard C. Kahn gets sole writing credit on this one.

VIOLENT SATURDAY (1955) - Based on a novel by William L. Heath, this is more like PEYTON PLACE than ASPHALT JUNGLE. The bank robbery doesn't happen until after an hour of setting up the small town melodrama which includes peeping tom bank manager Tommy Noonan, unfailthful wife Margaret Hayes of son of the mining company president Richard Egan, sexy nurse Virginia Leith who tempts the son of the mining company president and the peeping tom bank manager, librarian Sylvia Sidney who steals a purse to pay off a debt to the bank and little boy Billy Chapin who punches out his best friend because his best friend's daddy got a medal from the battle of Iwo Jima and the little boy's father, Victor Mature, only got a certificate for service at home during the war. That last plot element signals that it will be Mature who will thwart bank robbers Stephen McNally, Lee Marvin and J. Carrol Naish so that the little boy will see his father as a true hero. Mature, of course, couldn't have won if Amish farmer Ernest Borgnine hadn't gone against his principles of non violence - kind of like in HIGH NOON. This is the film 20th Century Fox gave Richard Fleischer after he got back from a loan-out to Disney to make 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. 

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Charles Gilbert watched:

THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933) James Whale directs Claude Rains' first role with cameo appearances by Walter Brennan, John Carradine, and Dwight Frye.

The American West of John Ford. Documentary hosted in three parts by John Wayne, James Stewart, and Henry Fonda respectively. Patch-eyed Jack  'Pappy'  Ford was fond of the diegetic music in his films as much as he was the action. His favorite 'on location' was Monument Valley. I saw this on Circle-tv, a country western themed station that also airs reruns of Hee Haw.

THE MUMMY AND THE CURSE OF THE JACKAL (1969). This bush league flick is the topic of much ridicule but I thought it was decent. Archeologist David Barrie (Anthony Eisley) has had two mummies Aknana and Sirahk (read that backwards) shipped to an old house in California, and has through incantation evoked their resurrection. Only thing is, he pays the price with a curse for his officious interest by changing into a 'jackalman' at full moon. The attack on two cops by this hirsute menace brings in the law while David, in the day time,  modernizes the princess; while still bandaged Kharis, I mean Sirahk goes looking for her. He grunts his way along with his bulging eye, right arm resting on his big belly, ambling about a la Lon Chaney, Jr.  Weaving through city streets his presence doesn't seem to raise an eyebrow. He tracks down his ancient love where the jackalman has arrive and of course there is a battle of the monsters that culminates seaside as the princess decays to rest. John Carradine's venerable appearance as Professor Cummings lends some credibilty to production.

INGLOURIOUS BASTARDS or QUEL MALEDETTO TRENO BLINDATO (1978) Lackluster WW2 yarn produced by Italian cinema starring Bo Svenson and Fred Williamson. Misfit G.I.'s in France escape from a detail and head for Switzerland. Lieutenant Robert Yeager (Svenson) assumes command of the undisciplined convicts as they encounter enemy 'kraut' and friendly French partisans, including ten gals skinny dipping in the river, along the way. Disguised in German uniforms they mistakenly slaughter other Americans also similarly disguised who were poised to carry out a mission targeting a train carrying the V2 rocket and concommitant technical gear. The American colonel parachuting in to take charge of that mission must now urge the ne'er-do-wells to take the place of the original trained unit. Director Enzo G. Castellari has a small role. Heydey for stuntmen including Roberto Messina whose glory is captured extensively in slo mo. More explosions than a Rambo movie.

THEY CAME FROM BEYOND SPACE (1967) British schlock directed by Freddie Francis becomes progressively convoluted. Dr. Curtis Temple (Robert Hutton) is eager to investigate a meteor that has crashed in formation into farmland but because of a health issue his doctor forbids his involvement. So his pretty assistant (Jennifer Jayne) and other techs are sent. Jagged meteoric pieces they find there begin emanating energy that possess their personalities. Almost overnight an industrial complex appears on sight, accompanied by an apparent 'plague' in town that "kills" residents. Temple persists in breaching the security of the compound soon realizing he is immune to control because of a metal plate in his head from an accident he suffered years ago. As it turns out the alleged deceased are rocketed to the moon where awaits elders (Michael Gough is Master of the Moon) of an abandoned planet. They mean no harm but need workers to help them get back home to die in peace. Sheesh.

FRANKIE AND JOHNNY (1966) Elvis and Donna Douglas light up the screen with Nancy Kovak and Anthony Eisly in support. The title number used twice incorporates the same footage, it appears. His 20th film of 31. You can still detect that 'Elly Mae' accent in her voice.

Highway Patrol 

'Killer on the Run'. S04E29 A falling out among counterfeiters results in a couple murders.  A police chase ensues involving two women (Fiona Hale and Sarah Taft) who graciously offer the suspect a ride believing he's a nice man.

'Motorcycles B'. S02E26 Robbers (Charles Maxwell and Dennis Moore) use motorcycles for quick getaway and subsequently conceal them in a truck along the highway.

'Lady Bandits'. S03E20 Emaline Henry and Dayle Rodney play figuresome robbers that add murder to the charges when they target check cashing businesses.

'Phony Cop' S03E32. Married couple modus operandi for robbery is to create a diversion for Mathews (Broderick Crawford) then the man poses as a uniformed patrolman to gain easy access to business safes containing cash.

Sky King 'Formula For Fear' S01E14. Kirby Grant as rancher Schyler King investigates his niece's suspicion that a 'doctor' (Hayden Rourke) is imprisoning an old man who turns out to be a scientist with a formula of international implication. Lee Van Cleef appears.

1992 World Bodybuilding Federation Show in Los Angeles. World Wrestling magnate Vince McMahon, impressario of hype, attempted to challenge the Weider organization by melding posing with WWE style burlesque. Distasteful presentation was more about ham than conformation of physique. Judges included Dave Draper and Pete Grymkowski. Began 1990, it was soon disbanded, when TBN took its place.

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David Deal enjoyed:

BLACK PATCH (57) - Leo Gordon, an old pal of one-eyed sheriff George Montgomery, shows up in town with wife Lynn Cartwright, who happens to be Monty's old flame. Turns out Gordon is on the lam after robbing a bank.  Conflicts of interest arise.  Noir western from TV specialist Allen H Miner is from a script by Gordon that is a bit muddy on character motivation.  But shadowy photography by Edward Coleman, who worked on many of Disney's 1960s classics (!), and interesting plotting coupled with a strong, sometimes surprising cast makes for a different and enjoyable ride.

Mildly enjoyed:

ARABESQUE (66)

MURDER BY TWO (60) - Upper class Jose Ferrer is unhappily married to Danielle Darrieux and having an affair with her twin sister!  Meanwhile niece Catherine Deneuve (17 at the time) is implicated in the murder of Pierre Brice.  French soap opera is interesting as a time capsule but doesn't really heat up until the last act, and even then it's lukewarm.

GENIE OF DARKNESS (59) - The third of the four-film series on the vampire Nostradamus.  These are improving or my standards are dropping (see Curse of Nostradamus).

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Bertrand Van Wonterghem enjoyed:

Swedish dicks – season 2 – episodes 4 & 5

Beowul & Grendel (2005, Sturla Gunnarsson)

Doom patrol – season 2 – episode 9

WandaVision – season 1 – episode 5

Bruiser (1999, George A. Romero)

Week-end à Zuydcoote (1964, Henri Verneuil)

L’arme à gauche (1964, Claude Sautet)

Cidade invisivel / Invisible city – season 1 –episodes 1 & 2

Mildly enjoyed:

Family business – season 1 – episode 6 / season 2 – episodes 1 to 6

Ildan Ddeugeobge Chungsohara / Clean with passion for now – episodes 14 to 16

Gentleman Jo… uccidi (1967, Giorgio Stegani)

The last sunset (1961, Robert Aldrich)

Did not enjoy:

Diabolik (1967, Mario Bava)

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