To answer these trivia questions, please email me at scinema@earthlink.net.
Brain Teasers:
Complete the lyric: "I have looked in the faces __ __ ___ _______."
Tom Betts knew it was "of my old friends" - the theme song to IL RITORNO DI RINGO.
What actor, born in Portland, Oregon, who made many movies in Italy, stopped working in 1967 but finally died in 2007?
Tom Betts, Bertrand, Angel Rivera van Wonterghem and George Grimes knew that it was Gordon Scott.
What actor, born in Santa Ana, California, wrote a novel about American actors working in Italy?
Tom Betts, Angel Rivera and George Grimes knew that it was Brett Halsey.
What actor, born in Lubeck, Germany, worked with directors Marvin J. Chomsky, Rainer Erier, Jurgen Goslar, Ferdinando Baldi, Giancarlo Santi, Mario Caiano, Dario Argento, Jess Franco and Michel Drach?
Tom Betts, Bertrand van Wonterghem and George Grimes knew that it was Horst Frank.
And now for some new brain teasers:
On what movie did Robert Woods and George Hamilton work together?
Which American actor who appeared in Italian costume action films became a producer for Walt Disney Productions?
Who didn't play Klaus Kinski's brother: Giuliano Gemma, Jean Louis Trintignant or Antonio Sabato?
Name the movies from which these images came.
George Grimes identified last week's frame grab of Horst Frank in THE MOMENT TO KILL.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
George Grimes and Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's photo of Pascale Petit in UNA REGINA PER CESARE, aka A QUEEN FOR CAESAR.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
George Grimes and Angel Rivera identified last week's photo of Gordon Scott in ZORRO E I TRE MOSCHETTIERI, aka ZORRO AND THE THREE MUSKETEERS.
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?
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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:
Mystery of the 364th (2001) - In 1998, Carroll Case of McComb, Mississippi wrote a self-published book called THE SLAUGHTER: AN AMERICAN ATROCITY based on a rumor he heard about the killing of U.S. Army Black soldiers by other members of the U.S. Army at Camp Van Dorn in 1942 Mississippi. Hearing the story, Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and Kwesi Mifume of the NAACP requested that the U.S. Army investigate the allegation in 1999. In 2001, the History Channel aired this documentary which reported that the Army found no evidence to support the story, while some cry "cover-up".
Mildly enjoyed:
Finding Your Roots With Henry Louis Gates, Jr. "Joe Manganiello and Tony Gonzalez" (2023)
THE UNDEAD (1957) - Producer/director Roger Corman delivered a poorly paced, extremely low budget picture that no amount of fake fog can hide the poor production value, but the script by Charles B. Griffith and Mark Hanna - intended to beat Paramount's film of THE SEARCH FOR BIRDEY MURPHY into release - is so unique that I couldn't fast-forward through it. Based on the idea of "past life regression" by hypnosis, the script tosses in the idea of a practitioner joining in the past life unfolding in the subject's mind to time travel using a machine to put the two brains in sync. All of this absurdity is jolted by the idea that Satan, played by Richard Devon, is actually behind it all. Having returned from Nepal, Val Dufour hires street prostitute Pamela Duncan to be the subject of demonstration with which he plans to impress his former teacher Maurice Manson. The past life to which Dufour sends Duncan involves a medieval woman awaiting execution for being a witch. The consciousness of the modern woman informs the past woman on how to escape her prison, potentially changing history. The film then spends a lot of time with the past woman's paramour, Richard Garland, trying to set her free - if he can find her. The witch who framed the past woman, Allison Hayes, plots to get Garland for herself and to get him to sign Satan's book on the sabbath. Old hag Dorothy Neumann is a witch who figured out how to outsmart Satan in the past, and she tries to save Duncan and Garland. Gravedigger Mel Welles, whose madness was reportedly caused by Duncan's enchantment, decides to help Neumann while singing various old nursery rhymes with new macabre lyrics. Hayes, and her imp, Billy Barty, often change into bats or other creatures as part of the plot to steal Garland's love and soul. Eventually, Dufour sends himself into Duncan's past to inform her that if she evades her execution, all of her future incarnations will never be. Dufour and Satan/Devon wager on what decision Duncan will make. Other Corman regulars Dick Miller, Paul Blaisdell and Bruno VeSota appear in supporting roles.
Did not enjoy:
THE GHOST OF SIERRA DE COBRE (1964) - This looks like the pilot for a TV series, which it turned out to be when I checked Wikipedia. The idea was for CBS to have a show called The Haunted starring Martin Landau. It didn't get picked up so it became a made for TV movie - which might explain why the film feels like it was padded to feature length. Writer/producer Joseph Stefano, best known as the script writer for director Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO and the creator of The Outer Limits TV series, decided to try directing this time and showed no particular skill at the job. He made a good decision to hire Conrad Hall as his Director of Photography. Interestingly, his camera operator was William A. Fraker, who would become a celebrated D.P. as well. Diane Baker is always nice to look at, but Stefano gets all of the cast, including Dame Judith Anderson, to over-act.
SOLOMON KING (1974) - I understand the desire to preserve Independent Black Cinema, but was this really worth the effort of UCLA and Deaf Crocodile Films to make a 2022 restoration? As with SWEET SWEETBACK, the story about the making of this movie sounds a lot more interesting than the movie itself. Sal Watts was an Oakland, California businessman who raised financing from the community to make a movie in response to the "blaxploitation" flicks. Using flamboyant costumes from his own clothing business, Watts set about producing, co-directing and starring as an ex-Green Baret, ex-CIA agent turned successful businessman who becomes involved in a coup d'eta in an oil rich Middle Eastern country. Prince Richard Scarso (who is particularly unconvincing as Middle Eastern) has taken control and wants Princess Claudia Russo dead. She has fled to Oakland and boyfriend Watts, along with Watts' hefty brother "Little Jamie" Watts. Watts' former boss, Louis Zito, asks our hero to look into the matter, and Watts quickly decides that someone in the CIA is backing Scarso. Russo is assassinated and Watts vows revenge, but that doesn't stop him from going to bed with two other women in the course of events. Eventually, Watts gathers his old Green Beret buddies who get rid of Scarso in a commando raid. One of the howlers in the film is an exterior shot of Scarso's Middle Eastern castle using stock footage of the Alcazar of Segovia, Spain. If you have an aversion to our hero being referred to as "a smart nigger", then avoid this movie. Reportedly, this film originally ran 110 minutes, but then was shortened to 88 minutes. The current version is 85 minutes. The action is poor, the nudity only suggested and the music is fairly standard - even with live performances at, what I would guess to be, a night club owned by Watts. While Watts didn't produce another movie, he was cast in a small role, along with his brother "Little Jamie", in a Smokey Robinson executive produced film in 1977 called BIG TIME
WHO KILLED COOPER DUNN? (2022) - In 2018, this movie was called STILLWATER, but the film starring Matt Damon got a release before this did, so a title change was necessary. Here's another movie warning of the dangers of overnight camping in the wilderness. If you woke up after a night of taking drugs and found one of your friends apparently dead, what would you do? I know I wouldn't do any of the things the characters in this movie do. Co-writer, co-producer, actor and director Nino Aldi proves that he can deliver a good looking movie, but he's no M. Night Shyamalan when it comes to selling a twist ending. Nor can he keep an audiences' attention for something that is feature length.
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Charles Gilbert watched:
SIEGE OF THE SAXONS (1963) Modestly mounted British spectacle from the team of Charles H. Schneer and Nathan Juran ((7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD). The fortress of Camelot is threatened by Saxons from without, but more insidiously from within by the throne ambitious Edmund of Cornwall (Ronald Howard). He wants to marry King Arthur's daughter Katherine (Janette Scott) to "grease the skids". The good king enlists the aid of vassal Robert (Ronald Lewis) who warns of the conspiracy. An ambush by the conspirators results in the death of Arthur, and Kate is on the run with Robert in search of the redoubtable "healer" Merlin. He possesses the secret of the excaliber that will preserve the throne for its' rightful heir.
Highway Patrol S1E27 'Motorcycle A' Clint Eastwood plays an innocent biker gang member, the target of a bitter diner proprietor whose wife uses a cane for a injury suffered at the hands of a previous malicious gang that had terrorized the town a year ago.
Mayday Air Disaster: Eastern Airlines Flight 401. 1972 crash in the Florida Everglades kills 99 of 178 aboard.
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Bertrand van Wonterghem Highly enjoyed:
Le testament d’Orphée (1959, Jean Cocteau)
Enjoyed:
The files of young Kindaichi – season 1 – episode 2
Blood orange (1955, Terence Fisher)
Planet terror (2007, Robert Rodriguez)
Gator (1976, Burt Reynolds)
Mildly enjoyed:
Suburban mayhem (2006, Paul Goldman)
Did not enjoy:
American warships (2012, Thunder Levin)
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David Deal Enjoyed:
PLANETS AGAINST US (61)
BLACK SABBATH (63)
GUNMEN OF RIO GRANDE (64) - The saloon owner in a lawless mining town on the Mexican border (Madaleine Lebeau) calls Wyatt Earp (Guy Madison) for help. Massimo Serrato is the drunkard sheriff who won't do anything against villain Gerard Tichy. Agreeable actioner from Tulio Demicheli (Espionage in Lisbon).
THE MAD DOCTOR (41) - Serial murderer Basil Rathbone and his butler/henchman Martin Koslak knock off Basil's wives and take the money and run. Unfortunately for him, his next intended victim (Ellen Drew) is also being pursued - for more honorable intentions - by newspaperman John Howard who doesn't trust Basil as far as he can throw him. Fun psychodrama shows Rathbone in fine hysterical form.
DEGUELLO (66) - Giacomo Rossi-Stuart goes revenging for the death of his father which involves rescuing dad's old colonel held captive by local bandido Ramon (Dan Vadis) and discovering the hidden gold this whole thing is about. Giuseppe Vari's (War of the Zombies AKA Rome vs Rome) spaghetti has fun plotting, including a core mystery and the assorted chameleon characters and motives that add spice.
AN ACCIDENTAL STUDIO (19) - Interesting documentary on George Harrison's Handmade Films.
IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE (53)
RIDING SHOTGUN (54)
THE MAGIC VOYAGE OF SINBAD (52)
THE BLACK ROOM (35)
Mildly enjoyed:
MACABRE LEGENDS OF THE COLONY (73) - Mexican masked wrestlers Mil Mascaras and Tinieblas are transported back to the 16th century by a cursed painting where witch Lorena Velazquez is revengin' against all white men for the death of her mother who is now a walking mummy. Atmospheric on occasion and silly all the time, this is worth a watch for the constant incongruities and humorous English translations. It is what it is.
PSYCHOPATH (65)
THE MAD EMPRESS (39) - Carlotta (Medea de Novara) is the wife of Maximilian (Conrad Nagel), who is sent by Napoleon to rule over Mexico in his name. Mexico has other ideas. Carlotta returns to bolster support for Max but fails and goes mad. Max is executed in Mexico. Independently-made historical drama is well mounted and not uninteresting. The version I saw didn't make much of the Empress's madness. For Lionel Atwill completionists. He plays an officer of Napoleon's court who accompanies Max to Mexico.
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Angel Rivera Highly enjoyed:
"Serenity"(2005) - The film adaptation/sequel to the Sci-fi TV series, "Firefly"(2002) Has it all! Should have been a bigger hit than it was.
"Zorro and the 3 Musketeers"(1963) - The dubbing was well done. The voices matched the characters on screen very well; especially the voice actor dubbing the King of Spain. Gordon Scott, I believe, the only actor to play not only Zorro, but Hercules and Tarzan as well, acquits himself admirably as Zorro; especially in the fencing scenes.
"Captain Blood"(1935) - TCM was showcasing pirate-themed films and I caught this one. I haven't seen it in a while, but it still holds up for this type of film. There is undeniable chemistry between Flynn and De Havilland Lots of action, drama and humor to satisfy.
Mildly enjoyed:
"Not Dead Yet"(2023 TV series) - I never watched "Jane, the Virgin", but its star Gina Rodriguez has an undeniable star quality showcased in her new series. The show has similarities to "The Sixth Sense"(1999) and "Topper"(!937) and Rodriguez is interesting to watch. Also as a costar is "New Girl" alumnus Hannah Simone, another actress great to watch and Josh Bandey, who is probably best known for his appearance in "The Big Bang Theory" as the guy at the sci-fi convention who would not believe Leonard was Penny's husband.
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