Tony Anthony in ALLEN KLEIN by Fred Goodman

 

If you, like me, are mostly interested in Allen Klein because of his association with Tony Anthony, then Fred Goodman's biography can be a bit disappointing. Here's every mention of Anthony in the book:

page 31: "In 1961, when Klein took a job for a few weeks as the accountant on a low-budget independent film being shot in Miami, FORCE OF IMPULSE, he'd already digested the lessons of independent production espoused by Kamber: If you make the product yourself, all you need is a distributor - and you didn't bargain away any rights beyond that! It seemed a straightforward formula, and Allen was eager to try his hand at it.

    "With FORCE OF IMPULSE, Klein believed he'd found a team that could make the product for him. Directed by Saul Swimmer, the film was coproduced by Peter Gayle, whose financing came from a family business in New York's garment district, and Tony Anthony, one of the film's stars. The following year, Klein produced his first film. Originally shot in Florida as PITY ME NOT but released as WITHOUT EACH OTHER, it starred Anthony and was directed by Swimmer. Despite Allen's best efforts - he took the film to Cannes, screened it at his own expense and then placed an ad in Variety claiming it had been selected as the Best American Film at Cannes, a nonexistent honor - the movie never found a distributor and was a nearly total loss. But the relationships it led to proved lifelong, with Allen producing several films, from romantic comedies to Spaghetti Westerns, that starred Anthony, and Swimmer getting the nod to direct both the forgettable MRS. BROWN YOU'VE GOT A LOVELY DAUGHTER starring Herman's Hermits and the historic documentary film for THE CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH.

   "The failure of WITHOUT EACH OTHER didn't dampen Allen's belief in Hecht-Hill-Lancaster's independent model; it simply brought home the fact that to make money, you had to sell something worth buying. He would shortly take the lessons he'd learned from the movies and apply them to the music business in ways no one else had."

p.125: (Stock broker Abbey) "Butler liked Klein and loved his business, and the two were soon spending a lot of time together traveling to London and Italy, where Klein was pursuing film projects. Allen began thinking out loud about finding a public company to buy and use as a vehicle himself. The basic idea was that he would get control of a publicly traded company, fold his own Allen Klein and Company into it, raise the profile and price, and then use the stock to finance other acquisitions and deals. The question was, what company made the most sense to acquire?

    "Klein was going to be making several movies. Allen had remained friendly with Tony Anthony, the actor he'd partnered with on his first picture, and he'd agreed to coproduce a spaghetti Western that Anthony was starring in, A STRANGER IN TOWN. He'd also convinced MGM Records to advance money against Herman's Hermits' future royalties in order to produce a film with them, MRS. BROWN YOU'VE GOT A LOVELY DAUGHTER, while the Rolling Stones had purchased the film rights to a British novel, ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE, that Oldham wanted to develop into a vehicle for them and for which Klein had cajoled a million dollars in seed money from London Records. With all those projects on the board, Allen believed an existing entertainment company would be the best fit. He asked Butler to take a look at MGM and see whether buying up its stock made sense."

(Klein's effort to acquire MGM failed.)

p. 203 "Klein had lost the Rolling Stones, but he was eager to impress and take care of the three former Beatles who were still taking to him. John had long been his focus; now he sought to improve the fortunes of Ringo and George as well.

    "For Ringo, who wanted to expand his acting career, there was a feature role in BLINDMAN, the first of three spaghetti Westerns Klein produced with his friend and long time associate actor Tony Anthony. In the movie, filmed in Spain, Klein made a tongue-in-cheek cameo as a gruff-looking outlaw dynamited into oblivion in the production's opening sequence."

(Klein would hire FORCE OF IMPULSE director Saul Swimmer to capture THE CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH on film.)

(Allen Klein jokes around with Ringo Starr on the set of BLINDMAN. Klein plays one of the men found in bed with "Skunk" and a woman in the opening scene of the movie. BLINDMAN was not the "first of three Spaghetti Westerns Klein produced with Anthony" - it was the fourth and last. His last credit on a Tony Anthony movie was on the prohibition era film PETE, PEARL AND THE POLE - which Anthony thought had never been finished but appeared on home video as 1931: ONCE UPON A TIME IN NEW YORK.)

January 28 - February 3, 2023

 

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

Brain Teasers:

Which Italian actor, born in 1936, was killed in movies by Tony Anthony, Gordon Mitchell, Anthony Steffen and George Hilton?

Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was Aldo Berti.

Which Italian born film director began his career in 1938 and ended it directing Klaus Kinski in a Western?

Bertrand van Wonterghem knew it was Mario Costa.

By what name is J.W. Fordson better known?

Bertrand van Wonterghem knew it was Mario Costa.

Which Italian actress worked with directors Damiano Damiani, Bernardo Bertolucci, Mario Monicelli, Sergio Bergonzelli, Luciano Salce, Florestano Vancini, Claude Lelouch and Peter Wood?

Bertrand van Wonterghem and Angel Rivera knew that it was Gabriella Giorgelli.

And now for some new brain teasers:

Which London born actress who appeared in an Italian film about ancient Rome and a Western shot in Spain died on January 27, 2023?

Which film director, born in New Jersey, worked with Nina Foch, Anita Louise, Barbara Britton, Christopher Lee, Yvonne Furneaux, Pat Boone, Noelle Adam, Mario Girotti, Michele Mercier and  Nicholetta Machiavelli?

Complete the lyric: "I have looked in the faces __ __ ___ _______."

Name the movies from which these images came.

Bertrand van Wonterghem and Rick Garibaldi identified last week's frame grab of Rosalba Neri in JOHNNY YUMA.

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 Michael Lane in ULISSE CONTRO ERCOLE, aka ULYSSES AGAINST THE SON OF HERCULES .

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

Bertrand van Wonterghem, Angel Rivera and George Grimes identified last week's photo of John Richardson and Barbara Steele in LA MASCHERA DEL DEMONIO, aka BLACK SUNDAY.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

No one identified the above photo yet.

Can you name from what movie it came?

**********************************************************************

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:

COUNT YORGA VAMPIRE (1970) - Yeah, I know it's a low-budget flick that seems dated now, but this is still my favorite vampires-in-modern-day movie.

Mildly enjoyed:

THE SAFECRACKER (1958) - This was the third feature film directed by Ray Milland and he showed no particular flair for the job.The film opened with the Deputy Director of Military Intelligence after World War II declassifying the Colley Dawson file. Milland starred as Dawson, who was a locksmith who grew tired of opening safes for rich snobs that horded pretty things. When art dealer Barry Jones was approached by Ferdy Mayne to acquire a priceless gem locked away in a rich man's safe, Jones knew just who to tempt into becoming a crook. The first half of the movie detailed Milland's crime career, adopting a false identity in order to spend his ill-gotten gains on the weekend - including dating movie star Melissa Stribling (who made HORROR OF DRACULA in the same year). Scotland Yard eventually caught Milland and sent him to prison. World War II broke out and Major Ernest Clark was informed by the Belgium underground that a list of Nazi spies in England was in a safe in a Belgian chateau. Of course, Milland was recruited and under goes paratrooper training before going on the mission. Not too surprising, Milland meets charming Belgian fighter Jeanette Sterke and seemed on the verge of not completing the mission. The main entertainment found in the film was watching family British actors like Victor Maddern (who made BLOOD OF THE VAMPIRE in the same year), Percy Herbert (who made QUATERMASS 2 the previous year) and future Monty Python's Flying Circus director Ian MacNaughton. Future novelist Jackie Collins had a small role as a buxom secretary who was so appealing that I wished she had a bigger part. Lt. Col. Rhys Davies (Military Intelligence World War II) and Bruce Thomas were credited with coming up with the film's story - turned into a screenplay by Paul Monash, but there was no indication that the story was real. Richard Rodney Bennett composed the music, which was conducted by Muir Mathieson.

Did not enjoy:

CAPTIVE (2015) - While this movie is based on the true life story UNLIKELY ANGEL by Ashley Smith with Stacy Mattingly, and ends with Ashley Smith's appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, it plays like a 97 minute commercial for THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE by Pastor Rick Warren. Kate Mara plays Smith, who addiction to crystal meth has resulted in her losing custody of her little daughter to her Aunt Mimi Rogers. David Oyelowo plays Brian Nichols, who escapes from holding at the Fulton County courthouse in Atlanta on March 11, 2005. During his escape, Nichols causes severe brain injury to a deputy and murders the presiding judge, the court reporter and a police sergeant. Later on, he murders a Custom's agent who is working on repairing his home. Eventually, he seeks shelter in a stranger's house, which just happens to be where Smith is trying to clean up her act in order to spend time with her child. Knowing that Nichols has taken a police radio, Detectives Michael K. Williams and Leonor Varela try to talk Nichols into surrendering, knowing that he wants to see his newborn son. Being held as an hostage by someone identified on TV as a murderer, Smith tries to calm the situation by reading aloud THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE, a book given to her to help her with her drug addiction. Eventually, Smith gets Nichols' trust, so that she can leave his side to see her daughter at a fashion show. Perhaps knowing that Smith will call the cops, Nichols gives up the SIM card for Smith's cell phone.  After the police surround her apartment, Smith helps to convince Nichols to peacefully surrender. Also in the cast is Jessica Oyelowo - David's real life wife. Obviously, the intention of the filmmakers is to make a "Christian" movie based on a real life event, but despite being well made, it isn't compelling and is rather flat footed in its execution. This is the last known credit for director Jerry Jameson, who has mostly worked in television after AIRPORT 77 and RAISE THE TITANIC.

X (2022) - I've not liked anything made by director Ti West and this film did not ruin that record. I am guessing that people who love this movie do so because they have a nostalgic fondness for 1970s slasher movies. I don't - so my hope to see something fresh was quickly dashed. The film starts off with police officials arriving at a grisly crime scene at a house in the country. They are appalled by something they find in the cellar, so the audience is expected to be curious to see what they found as the film jumps back a day and the main story begins. It is 1979, and a group leaves a strip joint in Texas to go to a rented house where they plan to make a pornographic movie. Filmed in New Zealand, these movie makers do a good job of duplicating the look of TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE to suggest Texas, though that film avoided graphic gore. The obvious set-up is the mystery of who killed whom. Is it the old man who rented the guest house on his farm to the young people? Is it the man's old wife, who quickly becomes jealous of the sexual vitality of the strangers? Is it the rather prudish girlfriend of the director who is operating the sound boom? Is it the quiet young woman having sex with the producer, who he thinks is "special" and who feels she deserves to be a star? Is it the director who is convinced that it is possible to make a good porno movie? Ti West seems to take his cue from BOOGIE NIGHTS on how to make a porno film - which means he seems to think that it is just someone capturing two people having sex on film. There is no concern about "money shots" or staging the act in order to see penetration. It isn't until halfway through the film that the violence starts, and from then the film becomes a rather standard walk around in the dark night until someone is suddenly killed. Perhaps the creepiest scene in the movie is when the old woman gets into bed with the sleeping "special" woman to caress her. The scene is all the more striking when you find out in the closing credits, that both roles are played by Mia Goth - who wears special prosthetic make-up from Weta Workshop to play the old woman. Unfortunately, this film turns out to be the middle film of a trilogy. PEARL is a prequel, while MAXXXINE will be a sequel.

PEARL (2022) - This is the first film for which I saw the credit for "Intimacy Coordinator". I was curious what Ti West and Mia Goth had in mind for a prequel to X, and West's record for making movies I hate remains solid. While the plot mechanics aren't like anything else I've seen, the cinematic style, meant to evoke Douglas Sirk movies, didn't work for a slasher movie. It comes off like an elaborate joke. At times the almost wall-to-wall music by Tyler Bates and Tim Williams sounds similar to something that Bernard Herrmann would write, but isn't particularly effective. The story of how the movie ended up getting made in New Zealand during the Covid epidemic, and the attempt to make a parallel to the Spanish Influenza of 1919 is more interesting that this tale of a serial killing young woman who longs to be the biggest star in the world.

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Charles Gilbert watched:

KISS OF THE VAMPIRE (1963) When Gerald took a swing at the cult leader I had to laugh at Dr. Ravna's remark: "Marquis of Queensbury won't do you any good here.". Was also smitten by the purple velvet gown worn by Jacquie Wallis. And Jennifer Daniel fetching in red. With Isobel Black.

The Fall of J. D. Hall. (2022) Christian critic Jason Chavez of YouTube title Servus Christi exposes renowned Reformed category pastor Jordan Hall (pen name Gideon Knox for emagazines Pulpit and Pen, and Protestia) who shepherded Fellowship Baptist Church in remote Sidney, Montana until being defrocked. DUI and domestic violence charges were levied against him, plus a link to teen Braxton Caner's suicide while pastoral counceling, His traffic arrest was due to impairment from Xanax addiction, all leading to his dismissal by a reluctant elder board at FBC. Over three hours presentation with witness interviews.

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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed:

The blue dahlia (1946, George Marshall)

The pale blue eye (2022, Scott Cooper)

Inside n° 9 – season 6 – episode 1

Terror on the prairie (2022, Michael Polish)

Mildly enjoyed:

Young Sheldon – season 6 – episodes 9 & 10

Ilya Muromets / The sword and the dragon (1956, Alexander Ptouchko)

Did not enjoy:

Il merlo maschio (1971, Pasquale Festa Campanile)

Camille redouble (2012, Noémie Lvovsky)

The eye creatures (1967, Larry Buchanan)

***************************************************

David Deal Enjoyed:

END OF THE LINE (57)

LEGIONS OF THE NILE (59) - Linda Cristal is Cleopatra and she falls for centurion Ettore Manni, who was sent by Caesar to find out what Marc Antony (Georges Marchal) is up to in Egypt. Pretty well-mounted version of the tale from director Vittorio Cottafavi. 20th Century Fox bought it and shelved it so it wouldn't complete with their Taylor/Burton version.

MY NAME IS PECOS (66)

SINATRA IN PALM SPRINGS (18) - Documentary on Sinatra and his compound in Palm Springs where he lived for decades. Thumbs up.

TORSO (73)

THE LOVE WAR (70) - Representatives of three alien races take human form on Earth to fight it out for ownership of the planet. Lloyd Bridges is one of the aliens who meets up with Angie Dickinson during this intimate battle, and she predictably complicates things. Small-scale TV movie plays it smart, gets out of LA, and becomes more dreamlike as it unfolds. Enjoyable but not top tier for this fruitful time for the genre and the medium.

SCORE A FILM MUSIC DOCUMENTARY (17)

PORTRAIT IN TERROR (62)

THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT (55)

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN (22)

THE POWER (67)

Mildly enjoyed:

THE LEGACY (78) - Katherine Ross and Sam Elliot are offered a mysterious job in England. After they arrive at a fabulous country house, they slowly realize they have been lured by a Satanic cult, and other guests begin dying in horrific ways. Okay time killer but not terribly satisfying. Features Charles Gray and Roger Daltry!

THE RINGER (52)

LONDON BY NIGHT (37) - Intrepid reporter George Murphy becomes involved in solving the "Umbrella Man" murder spree with pal and Scotland Yard man George Zucco. Adequate entertainment from MGM - quite the foggy milieu - but nothing to write home about.

LOGAN'S RUN (76)

THE LONE WOLF KEEPS A DATE (40) - Warren William (the Lone Wolf) becomes embroiled in a mystery involving $100,000 bail money, a fake kidnapping, and a missing stamp collection, all in the 65 minute running time. One of a string of Lone Wolf programmers trying to capture the magic of the Saint or Falcon franchises but generally failing to do so. Eric Blore is always a highlight.

THE LONE WOLF STRIKES (40) - Warren William (LW himself) is brought in to help when a valuable necklace is swapped and the owner is killed trying to retrieve it. LW has to outwit the original owner's girlfriend and the boyfriend of the owner's daughter, who both want the real necklace. It's complicated. Moves at a good pace and Eric Blore is a treat, but this Columbia series never had the panache of those of other gentlemen thieves.

***************************************************

Angel Rivera Enjoyed:

Various episodes of the sitcom, "The Facts of Life" The girls are fun to watch and their comic timing is impeccable. The episodes with Emmy and Oscar winner Cloris Leachman, are interesting as well.

Episode of TattleTales game show from 1983 which features as one of the celebrity couples; Michael J. Fox and then girlfriend, Nancy McKeon. Interesting in watching Nancy McKeon slightly squirm as she answers questions of an intimate nature.(According to bio-sources McKeon was only 17 at the time. Michael J. Fox was 22.)

***************************************************

January 21 - 27, 2023

 

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

Brain Teasers:

Which Italian actor, born in 1936, was killed in movies by Tony Anthony, Gordon Mitchell, Anthony Steffen and George Hilton?

No one has answered this question yet.

Which actor, born in Guyana in 1931, appeared in three Italian sword & sandal films and three Italian Westerns?

Tom Betts, Angel Rivera and George Grimes knew that it was Harry Baird.

Which actor who starred in director Melvin Van Peebles first movie went on to make three Italian Westerns?

Tom Betts, Bertrand van Wonterghem, Angel Rivera and George Grimes knew that it was Harry Baird.

Complete the lyric: "Woman you're not a friend. Everytime I come to you _ ____ ____ _____ _______  ___ ____>"

Tom Betts knew that it is: "I find that you're changin' your mind."

And now for some new brain teasers:

Which Italian born film director began his career in 1938 and ended it directing Klaus Kinski in a Western?

By what name is J.W. Fordson better known?

Which Italian actress worked with directors Damiano Damiani, Bernardo Bertolucci, Mario Monicelli, Sergio Bergonzelli, Luciano Salce, Florestano Vancini, Claude Lelouch and Peter Wood?

Name the movies from which these images came.

Tom Betts, George Grimes, Angel Rivera, Charles Gilbert and Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's photo of Gordon Scott in BUFFALO BILL L'EROE DEL FAR WEST, aka BUFFALO BILL HERO OF THE FAR WEST.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

Charles Gilbert identified last week's frame grab of Olympic wrestler Pietro Marascalchi and Alessandra Panara in ERCOLE CONTRO MOLOCH, aka CONQUEST OF MYCENAE .

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's photo of Gordon Mitchell in FRANKENSTEIN '80.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

**********************************************************************

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:

80th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2023)

28th Annual Critics Choice Awards (2023)

Astrid, aka Astrid et Raphaelle: Puzzle (2019) - This 90 minute TV movie acted as a pilot for the French series which recently completed it's third season. Possibly inspired by the theory that Sherlock Holmes was autistic, Alexandre de Seguins and Laurent Burtin created this show around an autistic young woman who was raised by a single police father who came out of her isolation by studying the files he brought home from work. After the father's death, she began to work in the police archives, so when Police Commander Raphaelle Coste came to see some old files, Astrid Nielsen had to include a file not requested because she knew it was similar to what Coste requested. Eventually, they became a team. Coste was sort-of Watson as a single mother with a badge while their interaction helped Astrid to become more socialized. Sara Mortensen is Astrid while Lola Dewaere is Raphaelle and the actors work well together.

Astrid season one episode one "Hantise 1" (2020)

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER (2023) - Writer/director James Cameron does a remarkable job of sustaining excitement and interest in this three hour plus Science Fiction sequel to DANCES WITH WOLVES which seems obviously a set-up for more sequels.

Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr. "Carol Burnett and Niecy Nash" (2023)

Mildly enjoyed:

AIR PATROL (1962) - This CinemaScope B-movie has production values that are too low-budget for a 21st Century TV cop show - with studio bound dialog heavy scenes. However, back in the early 1960s, low budget movies often shot on the streets of Hollywood, and the fun of this movie is seeing what the town looked like back then. The novelty of this flick is that an art thief makes his getaway by helicopter, which the narrator tells us has never before been done at night. So, Air Patrol Sgt. Robert Dix is called in by Lt. Willard Parker to assist because of his knowledge of helicopters. This film gives the impression that the idea of surveilling a suspect in a car from a police helicopter is a new one, which gives the filmmakers a reason for extensive overhead shots of the Hollywood Bowl, the Hollywood Freeway, the Valley storm drain basin and the Sepulveda Dam. An element which definitely dates this movie is that our hero cop has no qualm about shooting an unarmed suspect who is trying to get away. Merry Anders looks terrific as the "cop hating" secretary who eventually falls in love with Dix. Jack Younger looks too old to be playing a "Paper Boy", and when does a paper boy peddle his wares inside a police station? His comedy relief isn't necessary as little tension has been created and his scenes aren't very funny. If you get nostalgic for shots of the old Parker Center, this is the movie for you. Albert Glasser's bombastic music score would seem more appropriate for an Horror movie, which was the kind of movie he was mostly scoring around this time. This was the fifth film directed by Maury Dexter who would venture to Spain in 1965 to make a Western with George Montgomery called OUTLAW OF RED RIVER, but the IMDb insists on calling it DJANGO THE HONORABLE KILLER.

THE WHITE BALOON (1995) - A kid friendly film from Iran seems like such a novelty that I figure that is why it achieved critical acclaim in the West. It received many awards at festivals including the Prix de la Camera d'Or at Cannes. Interestingly, its portrait of an Iranian family isn't very positive, with a demanding father that we never see because he is taking a shower and yelling out orders to his wife and son. Our heroine is a seven-year-old girl who spends most of the movie pouting, wanting only to buy a prettier gold fish from the store than the goldfish that the family already has in its pond. The goldfish seems to be a traditional way to celebrate the Solar New Year or Persian New Year. Even though he finds his sister annoying, the brother finally convinces the mother to give the girl the money for the fish. The movie then relates the adventure of the little girl going just a few blocks away from her home to get the fish encountering the variety of people in the neighborhood. The film is successful in illustrating the humanity of the people around the girl, but is hardly compelling. Acclaimed Iranian film director Abbas Kiarostami wrote this screenplay which was directed by Jafar Panahi, who is currently banned from making films in Iran..

Did not enjoy:

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM (2018) - Reportedly, the makers of this movie were excited by the idea of the last part being like an "haunted house" movie, reminiscent of Spanish director J.A. Bayona's first film EL ORFANATO, aka THE ORPHANAGE. While the setting here is more gothic, the whole "run away and hide" from vicious dinosaurs had already been done in JURASSIC PARK, so it all seemed rather dull to me. And the creation of a new, more vicious, dinosaur had already been done in JURASSIC WORLD, so yawn. Ending with Jeff Goldblum warning us that the human race is doomed seemed a throwback to 1950s sci-fi movies and a bit overdone considering the silliness which proceeded it. Obviously, this film was intended to be the middle film of a new trilogy, but it is no EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. The one element I appreciated was Bayona bringing back Geraldine Chaplin from THE ORPHANAGE. I just wish they had given her more to do. Young Isabella Sermon seemed very promising in this film, until she had to scream and run away during the last part. Honestly, who thought it was a good idea to have her run back to her room to hide under her bed covers?

KEEP WATCHING (2017) - Another murder spree live on the internet movie, KEEP WATCHING had a director, Sean Carter, who thought that fast cutting between many different cameras - pretending to be the many mini-cameras spread around the house of the victims - was a good idea. If you want to see Bella Thorne running and hiding in just about every corner of a dark house and screaming "Why are you doing this to us?", then you may enjoy some of this dull and predictable annoyance.

THE UNHOLY (2021) - British novelist James Herbert published SHRINE in 1983. In 2021, Greek screenwriter Evan Spiliotopoulos was hired by Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert of Ghost House Pictures to make his directorial debut with an adaptation of the book. In keeping with all such movies since THE EXORCIST, it was all about Roman Catholicism. The story started in 1845 in Banfield, Massachusetts with the execution of a witch by a town led by a Catholic priest. I wouldn't have thought that in 1845 Massachusetts, Catholics were anything but barely tolerated. The priest held up a "kern" doll, into which he hoped to trap the witch's spirit so she can do no more evil. Unlike most "kern" dolls, which were made from corn or wheat stalks, this one seemed to be made from porcelain, and what was a Catholic priest doing using it as if he was a voodoo practitioner? Aside from the doll, this opening was very reminiscent of director Mario Bava's LA MASCHERA DEL DEMONIO, aka BLACK SUNDAY, except the camera took the witch's point-of-view when the mask was hammered in place. In modern times, reporter Jeffrey Dean Morgan worked for a tabloid and was sent to Banfield to cover a "cow mutilation" story. That story proved a bust, but voices drew him to the old tree from which the witch had been hung. He found the doll and decided to fabricate a story about a farmer finding the doll, and Morgan smashed it with his foot to make a better picture. Of course, he released the evil spirit which duped young deaf/mute Cricket Brown, living with her uncle Father William Sadler in the nearby Catholic church, into thinking that she was seeing visions of the Virgin Mary. When Brown started to see and hear, Chuch officials Bishop Cary Elwes and Monsignor Diogo Morgado arrived to investigate a possible miracle. Morgan stuck around to milk the story, but with the help of Dr. Katie Aselton, Morgan learned that Brown was a descendant of the witch. The witch can only seek revenge through a blood relative and it grew stronger every time someone professed faith in Brown's healing ability. If the resurrected witch killed Brown as she tried to save Morgan, didn't Morgan asking God to bring Brown back to life going to mean that the witch can now come back too? The dialog and music seemed to indicate that we were supposed to see the ending as an example of a real miracle, making this a film for a "faith-based" audience. 

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Charles Gilbert watched:

CANNONBALL RUN 2 Star-studded flop employing their genre cliches.

ADIOS SABATA (1970) Hadn't realized Yul Brynner was as short as Sal Borgese Gianfranco Parolini screenplay with film by Frank Kramer (Same guy)

RETURN OF SABATA (1971) Lee Van Cleef accompanied by return of actors from the first film Gianni Rizzo, Ignazio Spalla. Karis Vassilli (name reversed in the opening credits) romps with acrobatic Nick Jordan.

WOMEN OF DEVIL'S ISLAND (1962) Guy Madispn plays pirate Henry Vallierre who needs gold for the revolution. There is plenty of it on Devil's Island where Parisian women are incarcerated and spend all day under duress panning for the aurium. Michele Mercer, Roldano Lupi, and Paul Muller costar.

A-Team 'The Duke of Whispering Pines' S4E18 Jack Starrett guest stars. 

"Break Away" Unusual 1969 Pontiac automobile advertisement with 5 notable actors playing chain gang cons working on the railroad when a train car loaded with the new Pontiacs passes. : Mike Mazurki, Elisha Cooke, Jr. Lon Chaney, Jr., Robert Strauss, and Leo Gorcey. Broderick Crawford is the guard monitoring over them when they escape riding the convertible still on the train.

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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed:

Carmen di trastevere (1962, Carmine Gallone)

Ovni(s) – season 2 (12 episodes)

Hoshi no samidare / Lucifer and the biscuit hammer (anime) – season 1 – episodes 6 & 7

Tupyo /Into the ring (2020) – season 1 – episode 5

Paris police 1905 – season 1 – episodes 5 & 6

Un asunto privado –season 1 – episodes 5 to 8

Yankee fakir (1947, W. Lee Wilder)

Kentucky moonshine (1938, David Butler)

Mildly enjoyed:

Enter the fat dragon (2019, Wong Jing & Kenji Tanigaki)

Cet homme est dangereux (1953, Jean Sacha)

Did not enjoy:

The demon (1979, Percival Rubens)

***************************************************

David Deal Enjoyed:

LADY OF VENGEANCE (56) - Dennis O'Keefe is out for revenge for the suicide of his ward. He enlists the talents of Anton Diffring in devising an elaborate demise for the man who caused her death. Cleverly plotted Brit mystery is interesting for its misdirection, curious redemption, and ultimate denouement.

THE KILLER INSIDE ME (76) - Stacy Keach is a deputy sheriff in a small Montana mining town. He also suffered trauma growing up which has affected his mind, and eventually he goes over the edge never to return. This is based on Jim Thompson's novel of the same name and it is a devastating portrait of a (law) man who uses privilege to achieve his desired ends. Keach is really good in this slow burn psycho story that features a good cast.

JFK REVISITED: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (21) - Oliver Stone revisits his film in light of the release of classified documents of the assassination. Fascinating.

ESPIONAGE IN LISBON (65)

MARTA (72)

THE CRAWLING EYE (58)

MY GENERATION (18)

A SHOT IN THE DARK (35)

SANTO VS THE VAMPIRE WOMEN (62)

THE KNIGHTS OF TERROR (63) - Masked riders terrorize a town in a plot to sow chaos and capture the crown. Tony Russel leads the opposition to restore law and order. Scilla Gabel is the princess in love with him. Action-packed and reportedly gorgeous to look at (the youtube version sucks), Mario Costa's adventure is a cut above the usual costume epic, although a stronger villain would have made it even better.

KLUTE (71)

TALES FROM THE CRYPT (72)

Mildly enjoyed:

ROOM 43 (58)

THE KINDRED (87) - Dr. David Allen Brooks' mom (Kim Hunter) comes out of a coma and tells him to destroy any records at her old house related to Anthony, a brother Brooks did not know he had. Turns out mom, also a doctor, had been experimenting on the kid and it all went horribly wrong. Mad doctor Rod Steiger is also plotting to get his hands on those records. Anthony, a monstrous creation just wants to kill! Fun and gooey monster movie that also features Amanda Pays (Max Headroom).

THE GATE (87)

BLACK CANDLES (80)

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Angel Rivera Mildly enjoyed:

"Price of Glee" a 2022 documentary series about the TV show "Glee" and the tragedy of the deaths of three of its young cast.

"Una Donna per Ringo" and "Dos Pistolas Gemelas"(1966) - Now you might say that the above are the same film and you would be mostly correct; except YouTube has both the Spanish and the Italian prints. So I watched both just to see the difference.

First "Una Donna per Ringo"! The main difference is that UDpR opens with a man being tortured and then shot to death. This is before the credits roll.

The film then follows the same path as "DPG" except the first musical number which appears in "DPG" is missing. And Sean Flynn, the male lead is actually called "Ringo" in the Italian Print; not Jimmy Slattery as he is called in the Spanish print. The film as a whole is only mildly entertaining

Clerks III (2022) I was fan of the first one. This one is okay and is mildly above "Clerks 2". As a fan of Barbara Carrera, I watched her first two movie roles.

"The Master Gunfighter"(1975) which is listed as Carrera's first full screen role. The film is a western written and produced by and starring Tom Laughlin of "Billy Jack" fame. The film also features Ron O'Neal of "Super Fly" fame. It is loosely adapted from the Japanese film, "Goyokin"(1969)

Did not enjoy:

"Puzzle of a Downfall Child"(1970) is listed as her first film, but she basically has what could be called a walk-on as she is only screen for one brief scene. The rest of the film deals with the ups and downs in the life of a top model played by Faye Dunaway. Boring.Yawn!

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