To answer these trivia questions, please email me at scinema@earthlink.net.
Brain Teasers:
Which script by Franco Solinas was originally intended to be a modern day story but the producer turned it into a Western?
John Nudge knew that it was LA RESA DEI CONTI, aka THE BIG GUNDOWN.
In which movie does Gordon Scott fight Gordon Scott?
Bertrand van Wonterghem, Charles Gilbert, Angel Rivera and John Black knew that it was MACISTE CONTRO IL VAMPIRO, aka GOLIATH AND THE VAMPIRES.
In which movie does Joseph Cotton play Gordon Scott's father?
Bertrand van Wonterghem, John Black, Rick Garibaldi, Charles Gilbert, Angel Rivera, John Nudge and George Grimes knew that it was GLI UOMINI DAL PASSO PESANTE, aka THE TRAMPLERS.
In which movie does Jim Mitchum play Gordon Scott's brother?
Bertrand van Wonterghem, Rick Garibaldi, John Black, Charles Gilbert, Angel Rivera, John Nudge and George Grimes knew that it was GLI UOMINI DAL PASSO PESANTE, aka THE TRAMPLERS.
And now for some new brain teasers:
Which Italian actor worked for directors Sergio Corbucci, Francis Ford Coppola, Bernardo Bertolucci and Andrea Barzini?
Which Swiss born actor worked with directors Sergio Corbucci, Sam Peckinpah, Seth Holt, Harald Reinl and Mickail K. Kalatozov?
Which Spanish actress worked with directors Ferdinando Baldi, Richard Lester, Tonino Ricci, Jean-Jacques Beineix and Pedro Almodovar?
Name the movies from which these images came.
George Grimes identified last week's frame grab from GLI SPECIALISTI, aka THE SPECIALIST.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
Bertrand van Wonterghem, John Black, Charles Gilbert and George Grimes identified last week's frame grab of Jany Clair in MACISTE E LA REGINA DI SAMAR, aka HERCULES AND THE MOON MEN.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's photo of Alan Steel in STORIA DI ARCIERI, PUGNI E OCCHI NERI, aka ROBIN HOOD: ARROWS, BEANS & KARATE.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
Bertrand van Wonterghem, George Grimes, John Black and Angel Rivera identified last week's photo of Toshiro Mifune and Machiko Kyo in RASHOMON.
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:
Rescue Me season one (2004) - It was a thrill to discover that Michael Zegen of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel was on this show.
Mildly enjoyed:
Midsomer Murders "Drawing Dead" (2019) - I'd never seen Bill Bailey before playing it straight, which makes this episode stand out.
MORNING GLORY (2010) - I've been a fan of Rachel McAdams since I saw her on the Canadian TV series Slings & Arrows, but she's rarely made a movie that I didn't feel I could put in a box and watch sometime in the future. Reportedly, she worked at McDonald's during the summer of her school years. Is that why McDonald's signage is so visible in this movie, or did the fast food company pay the big bucks for product placement? MORNING GLORY is kind of a reworking of story elements seen in BROADCAST NEWS without the serious underpinning and message of that film. It is fun and McAdams is luminous.
THE SONG OF NAMES (2019) - Much to wife Catherine McCormack's displeasure, Tim Roth is still obsessed with a Jewish boy his family in England took in from W.W.2 Poland. The boy, Misha Handley, is understandably worried about his parents under Nazi occupation, but Roth's younger self, Luke Doyle, comes to think of him as a brother. Doyle's father, Stanley Townsend, sees talent in Handley's playing of the violin, and so nurtures him until he becomes the older Jonah Hauer-King and is ready to give a concert. Doyle becomes Gerran Howell and is jealous of the attention given to the refugee. After a rehearsal, Hauer-King disappears and the concert is cancelled. Roth is determined to find the missing violinist, which takes him around the world. Eventually, he finds him living in a New York Orthodox Jewish community with a wife and child and grown to be Clive Owen. Informing Owen that the failure of the concert financially ruined his father, who died soon afterward, Roth demands that Owen play the concert - even if it is 35 years late. Owen tells Roth that he accidentally found a community of survivors of the death camp at Treblinka before the concert 35 years ago and asked them if they knew what happened to his family. The survivors take him to a Rabbi who compiled a "Song of Names". The Rabbis in the death camp swore to remember everyone who died, and being unable to write down the names, they memorized them - and the easiest way to memorize them was to put them in a song. Owen was too moved hearing this to do anything but dedicate himself to the community and to the song. Thus he missed the concert. Over the years, he transposed the "song" to the violin, and anonymously performed it for people in need and at Treblinka for those who died there. Feeling that he owed a debt to Roth, Owen performs the concert and then disappears again. He leaves a note telling that the community to which he belongs demands the renunciation of the "self", which he would need to be a performer. So he rejects that life and asks that Roth to consider him dead. One wonders why the filmmakers thought that Norman Lebrecht's novel would make a good movie. Perhaps it would, but not in the hands of screenwriter Jeffrey Caine and director Francois Girard. Telling this story as a mystery, doesn't lead to a satisfying conclusion - one just feels that the character of the violinist is a jerk and Owen is rather unconvincing in the role.
Unsung "P.M. Dawn" (2022)
Uncnsd "Salli Richardson-Whitfield" (2022)
Did not enjoy:
ESCORT WEST (1959) - It's three months after the U.S. Civil War and Confederate veteran Victor Mature is riding to Oregon with his ten year old daughter Reba Waters. In Nevada, they cross the path of sisters Elaine Stewart and Faith Domergue, who are also heading to Oregon with a troop of Union soldiers. Stewart is hoping to join up with her Union officer fiancee William Ching, but doesn't know that he, and his troop, are being pinned down in a canyon by a band of Modoc Indians led by X Brands. Mature and Waters find that the two sisters have survived an Indian ambush along with the one Black man in the movie, Rex Ingram, who was wounded. Naturally, Mature does his best to keep Ingram alive, but the noble Black man chooses to sacrifice himself so that our hero and the three females might make it. Eventually, Mature and the women reach the canyon where Ching and his soldiers are, but a crazed Domergue decides to make a needed distraction and gets herself killed. Ching realizes that Stewart has fallen in love with Mature, just before Mature sets off on a solo mission to kill the leader of the Modocs. Steven Hayes came up with the story which was turned into a screenplay by actor Leo Gordon and Fred Hartsook. This was the 15th film produced by John Wayne's company Batjac, this time in association with Romina Productions. Originally, director Francis D. Lyon had intended to make this film for own his company Leo Productions, but that didn't work out. ESCORT WEST evidences some rather choppy editing, which looks as if editor Otto Ludwig tried to save it in the cutting room. Nothing can save the miserable make-up jobs done to Mature, Stewart and Domergue. Someone knew enough to pack the supporting cast with splendid actors like Noah Berry Jr., Harry Carey Jr., Slim Pickens, Ken Curtis and Leo Gordon, but nothing they could do would elevate this material.
GUNSMOKE (1953) - After evading a troops of horse soldiers, gunmen Audie Murphy and Charles Drake decide to split up to look for new jobs. Murphy's horse is killed by a bushwacker on the trail. Hitching a ride on a passing stagecoach, Murphy discovers that his potential employer, Donald Randolph, has spread his name all over town, so that Paul Kelly and his daughter Susan Cabot are convinced that Murphy will try to kill Kelly. Kelly confronts Murphy in the town's main street, but Murphy shoots the gun out of Kelly's hand. When Murphy meets with Randolph, he turns down the job and eventually joins Kelly's efforts to keep the ranch out of Randolph's hands. Kelly needs to sell his cattle in order to make good on a marker that Randolph holds. Kelly will give his ranch to Murphy if Murphy can get the cattle to the railroad workers that will buy them. Not surprisingly, Randolph sends for Drake to stop Murphy. It turns out that Jack Kelly, Paul Kelly's foreman, was the bushwacker and potential husband for Cabot. When it looks like Murphy will not only get the ranch but also Cabot, he throws in with Randolph, too. It comes to a climax when Drake leads Randolph's men in a night attack on Murphy's camp, but Murphy set up a trap and Drake is one of the few bad guys to escape alive. After selling the cattle, Murphy heads to town to settle with Drake and Randolph, even with a broken gunhand courtesy of a beating from Drake. Based on the novel "Roughshod" by Norman A. Fox, GUNSMOKE is a routine Universal Western directed by Nathan Juran, produced by Aaron Rosenberg and scripted by D.D. Beauchamp.
Snowpiercer season two (2022)
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David Deal Enjoyed:
ERIK THE CONQUEROR (61)
THE FOURTH VICTIM (71) - Three of Michael Craig's wives have died under "accidental" circumstances. Carroll Baker shows up wanting to be the fourth. Eugenio Martin (Horror Express) does a good job here with the rich and famous Hitchcockian mystery angle. If this had a stronger cast (other than Carroll Baker who is quite good here), it would be a much more highly-regarded thriller. Good Umiliami score too.
DELTA SPACE MISSION (84) - In the far future, reporter Alma joins the Delta Space Mission to explore the galaxy. Soon she is distracted exploring alien worlds and requires rescue. Nevermind the plot, this is a Romanian animated trip suited for midnight showings at the local art house. Fans of Star Trek the Animated Series and Fantastic Planet will have their itch scratched. Dug it.
DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS (65)
THE VAMPIRES (61) AKA Goliath and the Vampires
LE SAMOURAI (67)
THE GORGON (64)
Mildly Enjoyed
THE BODY SNATCHER (57) - A mad scientist is using wrestlers for his mind swapping experiments. This Mexican horror sci-fi number has some sophisticated and interesting photography to compliment its general wackiness.
SECRET OF THE WHISTLER (46) - Untalented artist Richard Dix is married to a rich woman about to die. He falls for an opportunistic model when, suddenly, his wife recovers, so he plots to kill her. It doesn't end well. One of the better entries in the Whistler series. Mysterious in motives and results.
THE COBRA STRIKES (48) - A scientist is shot and his mysterious invention is used to kill off a group of jewel smugglers. Over-plotted mystery with science fiction overtones features the usual damsel in distress and the reporter who is smarter than the cops. It also has mondo footage of a cobra/mongoose fight and Richard Loo as a servant and Philip Ahn as an East Indian.
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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed:
The reformer and the redhead (1950, Melvin Frank & Norman Panama)
L’ennemi sans visage (1946, Maurice Cannage)
Cry danger (1950, Robert Parrish)
The tall target (1951, Anthony Mann)
Absolutely anything (2015, Terry Jones)
The walking dead (1936, Michael Curtiz)
Mildly enjoyed:
Colleen (1936, Alfred E. Green)
Dnevnoy dozor / Daywatch (2006, Timur Bekmambetov)
Night passage (1957, James Neilson)
British intelligence (1940, Terry Morse)
Rashomon (1950, Akira Kurosawa)
Death on the Nile (2020, Kenneth Branagh)
Cult of the cobra (1955, Francis D. Lyon)
Did not enjoy:
Shipmates forever (1935, Frank Borzage)
The Spiderwick chronicles (2007, Mark Waters)
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Charles Gilbert watched:
SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VOICE OF TERROR (1942) B&W. Rathbone, with a curious mussed hair style, quips his way through a campaign to aid in the war effort with a tentative council of high ranking officials by investigating the Nazi radio threats terrorizing the Brits. I counted four of the cast ftom GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN from the same year.
THE SPIDER WOMAN (1943) B&W. The renowned sleuth believes suicides of prominent men are actually murders committed by a woman. Poisonous spiders are being planted in the bedrooms of victims succumbing to bites with resultant suicide inducing agony.
SNOW CREATURE (1954) B&W. Paul Langton plays a botanist who recruits a band of sherpas in Shekar at the base of the Himalayas. Subra the chief sherpa is convinced a Yeti has abducted his wife, and commences to commandeer the expedition to find her. They capture the abominable snowman and take him back to Los Angeles. He escapes at the airport, ambles downtown taking refuge in the storm drains. Police lieutenant Dunbar (William Phipps), whose wife is in the hospital giving birth, takes on the task of capture.
TAKE THE HIGH GROUND (1953) Two drill instructors, Richard Widmark and Karl Malden, clash over Korean War widow Elaine Stewart while training fresh recruits for infantry. The boots include Russ Tamblyn, Carleton Carpenter, Jerome Courtland, and Steve Forrest. Far too much hair left on their heads to be realistic for boot camp.
The Odyssey Miniseries (1968) Part 1. English subtitles over French dialogue marks this production casting Scilla Gabel as Helen, and Barbara Bach as the nubile Nausicaa. Completely void of any action.
Outer LimitsB&W
The Man Who Was Never Born S01E06 Martin Landau plays a mutant that travels back in time to deter a dystopian future.
Second Chance S01E26 Simon Oakland plays an alien that abducts visitors to an amusement park replete with a space ship.
My Three Sons S01E01 B&W. Chip the youngest is having girl problems when the little pony tailed neighbor persists in friendship. Mr. Douglas (Fred MacMurray) experiences the like when Pam (Patricia Barry) begins to trap the famous widower.
Anne Helm radio interview 1997 KTRS. She talks her career mostly around her role and relationship with Elvis.
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Angel Rivera watched:
The Oscars; the Grammies;
"The Flight Attendant" episodes 1-4;
"The Secrets of Playboy" all episodes;
On YouTube watched what are called "Gerry Anderson primers"! Theses are little documentaries about all of the shows he produced. I watched the primers which told all the background information on all of his Marionette series, beginning with a show called "Adventures of Twizzle" & "Torchy, the Battery Boy" and a series called "Four Feather Falls" patterned after TV Westerns of the late fifties aimed at children [Many consider it the first "Supermarionation" series (even though technically it was not a true "Supermarionation"series.) They then went into the background of the true "Supermarionation"series, meaning those that were actually labeled in their credits as "Filmed in Supermarionation!" These are: "Supercar"; "Fireball XL5" and "Stingray"! (They went on to include "Thunderbirds" "Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons"; "Joe 90" & something called "The Secret Service")
What I found interesting was that almost all the lead characters of the different shows were voiced by Canadian actors. [For ex. Mike Mercury of "Supercar" was voiced by Canadian actor Graydon Gould; Steve Zodiac of "Fireball XL5 was voiced by Canadian actor, Paul Maxwell and Troy Tempest of "Stingray" was voiced by Canadian actor, Don Mason. All the other voice actors were British with one actor being Australian.
Since the first three series were broadcast in the US when I was a kid (I had my own model of "Fireball XL5" which included miniature toy characters to fit into the Xl5 model.) I was most interested in those programs and their background information.
I also watched an episode of "The Night Stalker", which featured "Jack, the Ripper" committing murders in modern day San Francisco.
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