Week of August 21 - 27, 2021

 

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

Brain Teasers:

Can you name two movies featuring Liana Orfei and Bella Cortez?

George Grimes, Angel Rivera, Charles Gilbert and Bertrand van Wonterghem knew about I TARTARI, aka THE TARTARS and IL GIGANTE DI METROPOLIS, aka THE GIANT OF METROPOLIS. 

In what film does George Hilton play a character in love with Klaus Kinski?

George Grimes, Rick Garibaldi and Bertrand van Wonterghem knew it was OGNUNO PER SE, aka THE RUTHLESS FOUR.

In what two films did Gordon Mitchell and Kirk Morris both appear?

George Grimes and Charles Gilbert knew it was 2+5: MISSIONE HYDRA, aka STAR PILOT, and SAPEVANO SOLO UCCIDERE, aka i'LL DIE FOR VENGEANCE Bertrand van Wonterghem added a third title - LITTLE RITA NEL WEST, aka LITTLE RITA OF THE WEST.

And now for some new brain teasers:

Charles Gilbert asks, "Which composer of Italian cinema married a starlet who had previously dated James Dean?"

Charles Gilbert asks, "Which Italian film composer worked on Sword and Sandal movies and Westerns as well as a British giant monster movie?"

Which Italian film composer worked on every kind of movie including three for Hammer Films of Great Britain?

Name the movies from which these images came.

George Grimes, Rick Garibaldi and Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's photo of Alberto dell'Acqua (Cole Kitosch) and Franco Nero in TEXAS ADIOS.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

Bertrand van Wonterghem, Charles Gilbert and Angel Rivera identified last week's photo of Alan Steel in ERCOLE CONTRO ROMA, aka HERCULES AGAINST ROME.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes, Angel Rivera and Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's photo of Angelo Infanti and Laura Gemser in EMANUELLE NERA, aka BLACK EMANUELLE.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes and Angel Rivera identified last week's photo of Chow Yun-Fat, Ti Lung and Leslie Cheung in A BETTER TOMORROW.

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 Discovery of Witches season two (2021)

Marvel's What If...? episode two (2021)

Mildly enjoyed:

FOREIGN LETTERS (2011) - "This film is dedicated to whoever funds my next film." Israeli writer/director Ela Thier plays her own mother in this memoir of a movie which convincingly captures the turmoil of adolescence. Noa Rotstein plays the 12-year old girl whose family moves to the U.S. from Israel in 1982. The most enjoyable part of the movie is in the first part where-in Rotstein informs her "best friend in the entire universe times infinity" back in Israel by mail about how different life is in Connecticut. Rotstein doesn't know English, but she goes to school with locals her own age and is given special lessons, so she learns. She becomes fascinated by the only Asian girl in her class, who tends to keep to herself, but speaks English well. Dalena Thuy-Anh Le and her family immigrated from Vietnam years earlier. It takes Rotstein a bit of time before Le responds to her efforts at friendship because she is ashamed of being poor. The weakest parts of the movie are when Rotstein and Le need to act the script, but in some of the scenes that appear improvised they are quite charming. The film is concerned with the meaning of friendship as Rotstein begins to neglect her friend in Israel as she becomes closer to Le. When Le doesn't respond to Rotstein as she wants, Rotstein throws a fit and breaks up with Le. Eventually, a balance is achieved and the film ends showing Thier as herself visiting not only with her Vietnamese friend, but also with the friend known only from the letters to Israel. This project originated as a 16 minute short film called A Summer Rain in 2009, and Thier was able to keep the same cast for the feature length version. 

Icon: Music Through the Lens (2020) - Six one-hour episodes about the photographers who take pictures of music entertainers.

INTRIGO: DEATH OF AN AUTHOR (2018) - Taken from INTRIGO, a collection of novellas by Swedish writer Hakan Nesser - best known for the Inspector Van Veeteren novels, this film tells a very complicated story and it is to Swedish director Daniel Alfredson's credit that my attention never flagged. The film starts with author Benno Furmann arriving on the private island where author Ben Kingsley lives in seclusion. Furmann says that he's visiting to get Kinglsey's opinion on a book he's writing, but it soon becomes apparent that nothing is as it seems to be. To a degree this is reminiscent of SLEUTH, but much of what the men are talking about is shown as either flashbacks or imaginative narratives. Pawel Edelman delivers some beautiful images.

Did not enjoy:

COUNTDOWN (2016) - To me, Katharine Isabelle is not ideal casting as a cop, but she looks terrific and brings some acting chops to this WW Studios action flick. Dolph Ziggler (aka Nicholas Theodore Nemeth) gets suspended from the force just as mail sent to him alerts everyone that a little boy has had a bomb on a timer strapped to him and Ziggler is to deliver a ransom of $2,000,112.35 to a WWE stadium show. As everyone is closing on the villain, he's about to use his phone to detonate the bomb, so Ziggler kills him. The bomber is dead, so Ziggler and Isabelle have 6 hours and 42 minutes to find the boy. John Stockwell has proven to be a good director with past films like crazy/beautiful and BLUE CRUSH, so it is disappointing to see him saddled with a mediocre action script, but he handles it petty well and is able to make the predictable ending suspenseful 

EVIDENCE (2012) - Some credit must be given to writer John Swetnam and director Olatunde Osunsanmi for coming up with a novel use of "found footage". Unfortunately, the resolution of this "who-dun-it" mystery is dumb. Several dead people are found at a disused truck repair shop in Kidwell, Nevada. Detective Radha Mitchell is on the case and isn't happy that Stephen Moyer muscles his way into the investigation of the "found footage". There are two video cameras and at least two cellphone cameras to view. The film features a number of attractive ladies, such as Torrey DeVitto (of Pretty Little Liars), Caitlin Stasey (of Reign) and Svetlana Metkina as well as strong supporting actors like Harry Lennix (of Dollhouse) and Dale Dickey (of Justified), but none of them are probably going to use footage from this flick in their actor's reels.

TREASURE OF THE AMAZON (1985) - Writer/director Rene Cardona Jr. obviously decided that graphic gore was needed to make this standard jungle adventure movie interesting. While the film starts with the legend that it is based on fact, it quickly follows that with the statement that the country depicted is not based on any actual South American country. I guess they didn't want some country to take offense at the depiction of murderous head hunters. Three groups are seeking some diamonds lost in the jungle. Stuart Whitman leads one group that includes Jorge Luke and Pedro Armendariz (He dropped the Jr. for this film credit.). Donald Pleasence, who seems to be a Nazi hiding out in the jungle, leads another. Bradford Dillman, Clark Jarrett and Ann Sidney make up the third. All of them have to deal with deadly natives as well as local boss Emilio Fernandez. Hugo Stiglitz has a small role as a riverboat pilot and John Ireland plays a priest.

UNDER THE SILVER LAKE (2018) - Who labeled this a "postmodern noir comedy-drama"? Was it the same guy who called it a "neo-noir black comedy thriller"? It wasn't very funny, so I wouldn't call it a "comedy". (Well, Andrew Garfield waking up with his hand stuck to an issue of The Amazing Spider-Man is cute.) It certainly wasn't thrilling. At first it seemed reminiscent of director Brian DePalma's BODY DOUBLE - which resembled Alfred Hitchcock's REAR WIDOW, the poster to which can be seen in this flick, as well as an headstone at Hollywood Forever cemetery marked "Hitchcock"; which is a phony. Eventually it seemed like it was inspired by David Lynch. If you've wanted to see Riki Lindhome of Garfunkel and Oates naked, this was the movie for you. Andrew Garfield is about to be thrown out of his apartment in the Silver Lake district because he can't pay his rent. He becomes attracted to neighbor Riley Keough, and is distraught when, in the morning, he finds that she and her two female roommates have moved out. Meanwhile, a rich man seems to have been found dead. Events lead Garfield on an Alice In Wonderland-like adventure which makes the Los Angeles Weird of most mystery movies seem reasonable. Eventually Homeless King David Yow shows Garfield the tunnels under Los Angeles, and Garfield discovers that men who are wealthy enough remove themselves to underground bunkers with three women and the supplies to last six months, after which they are to ascend to a better existence. There are a lot of attractive women in this movie and it is disturbing that all of the female characters are wanna be actresses who are willing to do anything in the hope of getting ahead. And the men pretty much take their availability for granted. If you like your movies filled with plot elements that go nowhere, this is the movie for you. Reportedly this movie has a cult following among those who search for "meta-clues" and "Copiale ciphers". Good luck finding the secret meaning in this flick.

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David Deal enjoyed:

BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES (69)

HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (39)

ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES (71)

CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (72)

I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE (43)

BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (73)

ISLAND OF TERROR (66)

TEXAS ADDIO (66)

NIGHT OF THE DEMON (57)

Mildly Enjoyed

AGAIN THE RINGER (65)

THE SEDUCERS (69)

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Charles Gilbert watched:

NAKED GUN 33 1/3. At time marker 53:00 four successive stills from DUEL OF THE TITANS can be seen in the back drop when the 'Academy Awards' scene begins.

SIREN OF ATLANTIS (1949) B&W. A pair of legionaires (Jean Pierre Aumont and Dennis O'Keefe) search for lost comrades in the Sahara desert and become captives of the hidden city ruled by ruthless seductress Queen Antinea. Maria Montez was married to Jean Pierre Aumont from 1943 until her bathtub drowning in 1951.

The Saint S01E05 'The Loaded Tourist' B&W. Barbara Bates guest stars. Her last role before she died of carbon monoxide asphyxiation.

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Angel Rivera wrote:

THE TARTARS was an interesting film which I only saw once when it aired on TCM awhile ago. It's history of the rivalry between Welles and Mature is another factor in what makes it most interesting, as well as the treatment of Liana Orfei's character in the story line. I also remember her from her role of Delilah  in HERCULES, SAMSON AND ULYSSES.

The picture of Chow Yun Fat and friends I believe is from A BETTER TOMORROW. Seeing that photo brought back some fond memories as I remember coming across the Hong Kong action films in the nineties on a Chinese cable channel I was able to get without subscribing to it early in the morning like around 3:00am when I had trouble sleeping. (My favorite Chow Yun Fat film is THE KILLER.)

The photo of Laura Gemser and friend I believe is from BLACK EMANUELLE which also brought back memories of when I came across her films on late night premium cable channels in the nineties.

As to what I have been watching and enjoying, I have watched:
"Stargirl; "Superman and Lois"; "Titans" "Miracle Workers: Oregan Trail"; "Love Life" which features Anna Kendrick; "Younger" and "Brooklyn 99".
As well episodes of "F Troop" (Episodes which featured Cliff Arquette and "Patrice Wymore, Errol Flynn's widow.) Also an episode of the show "That Girl" which featured a young Richard Dreyfuss as an actor friend of Marlo Thomas' character. Also an episode of "Bonanza" which featured Dawn Wells as a Native American. Her character was married to what some of the other characters called "a Squaw Man" as the episode dealt with prejudice.

I also caught HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER (1958) which featured a make up man who turns some actors into real life versions of the "Teenage Werewolf" and "Teenage Frankenstein" using "special makeup" which makes the actors think they are actually the monsters they portray and sends them out to kill the studio executives who were ruining his life by not making any more "monster" movies. Interestingly the studio within the film he worked for was "American International" which also put out the movie. The film also featured Gary Conway who starred in the film I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN as the actor who is turned into "a Teenage Frankenstein".

HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER was one of a  handful of movies released in 1958 that were made in black and white, but ended with a scene in full technicolor. Some of the others were: I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN and WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST (the sequel to THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN).

Cinema Retro magazine had an article on how Elvis Presley's chances for a more serious acting career were ruined by the failure at the box office of two films he had made which the author of the article said were sabotaged from making any profit by Colonel Parker and the studios as he wanted Elvis to make more musicals where the box office was great and the films yielded soundtrack albums which also were profitable and made money for the Colonel and the studios which released them. The two films which were meant to showcase Elvis's acting chops were FLAMING STAR (1960) and WILD IN THE COUNTRY (1961), both of which had minimal songs in them. (The songs placed in them were put in at the behest of the Colonel.) With that in my mind I pulled out my copy of WILD IN THE COUNTRY which I had recorded on VHS back when it aired on the Fox movie channel as it is rarely aired today.
Elvis's performance was good and with a script by Clifford Odets, the film had some fascinating dialogue. Unfortunately the film got little backing from the studio and because no album could be released to exploit the few songs Elvis is made to sing was considered a failure and he became locked into making only musicals from then on. Although I am a big Elvis fan and enjoyed his musicals, my favorite Elvis film is FLAMING STAR which turns up a lot on cable and which I own a DVD copy.

I also rewatched PLANETS AGAINST US (1962) as I am now fascinated by the party scene in the film which mimics scenes from LA DOLCE VITA and the actress Jany Clair who is a more interesting actress to watch then the lead actress Maria Pia Luzi. The death scene of Jany Clair's character in the film is almost considered classic as the film is not mentioned without mention of that scene. (Also the voice of the actress dubbing Ms. Clair is also perfect as she matches her lusting for Michel Lemoine's "Bronco" which brings her demise.)

I also watched and enjoyed DRUMS ACROSS THE RIVER an Audie Murphy western from 1954 which also featured: Lisa Gaye,  Mara Corday, Hugh O'Brian, Bob Steele, Lyle Bettger, Jay Silverheels and Walter Brennan.

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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed: 

Fear street : part 1 – 1994 (2020, Leigh Janiak)

Fear street : part 1 – 1978 (2020, Leigh Janiak)

Fear street : part 1 – 1666 (2020, Leigh Janiak)

Laissez tirer les tireurs (1964, Guy Lefranc)

Homonculus (2020, Takashi Shimiza)

Tower of evil (1972, Jim O’Connolly)

The phantom of the opera (1943, Arthur Lubin)

Mildly enjoyed:

The satan bug (1964, John Sturges)

The hard way (1974, Gordon Parks Jr)

La dernière bourrée à Paris (1973, Raoul André)

The man from Del Rio (1956, Harry Horner)

Did not enjoyed:

Uncut gems (2019, Josh Safdie & Benny Safdie)

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