Friday, May 19, 2023

May 20 - 26, 2023

 

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

Brain Teasers:

In which Western does Terence Hill pretend to hand over his pistol only to fire it upside down?
It is in PREPARATI LA BARA!, aka VIVA DJANGO!

Which Italian Western has the last line in the English version: "Hey, Mister. A couple of eggs would go good on the trail."?
Tom Betts and George Grimes knew that it was in MANNAJA, aka A MAN CALLED BLADE.

Which Italian Western has the last line in the English version: "Exactly!"?
No one has answered this one.

Which Sergio Leone directed Western had an actor commit suicide during production?
Tom Betts. Bertrand van Wonterghem, Angel Rivera and George Grimes knew it was C'ERA UNA VOLTA IL WEST, aka ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST. The actor was Al Mulock.

And now for some new brain teasers:

Who did Richard Harrison say actually directed I SETTE GLADIATORI, which was credited to Pedro Lazaga?
Who did Richard Harrison say actually directed REVERENDO COLT, which was credited to Leon Klimovsky?
In which Italian Western did Richard Harrison play a clergy man?

Name the movies from which these images came.


Bertrand van Wonderghem identified last week's frame grab of Gordon Mitchell in ARRIVANO DJANGO E SARTANA... E LA FINE, aka DJANGO AND SARTANA... SHOWDOWN IN THE WEST.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?


Bertrand van Wonderghem and Charles Gilbert identified last week's photo of Antonio Molino Rojo and Loredana Nusciak in I SETTE GLADIATORI, aka GLADIATORS SEVEN.
Can you name from what movie it came?


George Grimes and Bertrand van Wonderghem identified last week's photo of Maria Luisa Rispoli and Glenn Saxson in KRIMINAL.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?


Bertrand van Wonderghem and Angel Rivera identified last week's frame grab of Bruce Lee in FIST OF FURY, aka THE CHINESE CONNECTION.
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:

Highly enjoyed:

Black Sabbath The Last Supper (1999) - Sometimes a concert film looks like a "Girls Gone Wild" video.

MAKING APES The Artists Who Changed Film (2019) - Thomas R. Burman began his film career under John Chambers in the make-up department for 1968's PLANET OF THE APES, a film which had a tremendous effect on the motion picture industry. With director William Conlin, Burman put together this documentary partly on the history of special make-up effects, but mostly on the impact Chambers' work had. There are many film folk interviewed here, but oddly while both Rick Baker and John Landis talk, neither of them mention SCHLOCK, though I guess that had more to do with TROG than PLANET OF THE APES.

Enjoyed:

Classic Albums: "Black Sabbath Paranoid"

Classic Albums: "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Damn the Torpedoes"

Ghosts season two (2023)

Young Sheldon season six (2023)

Great Performances Celebrates 50 Years of Broadway's Best (2023) - I had already become a fan of Sutton Foster since I saw her on the Great Performances airing of ANYTHING GOES. The surprise of this show was that I was captivated by one of the ensemble dancers - Lauren Blackman. Luckily, I can find her on YouTube in various cabaret performances.

Mildly enjoyed:

CODE 7... VICTIM 5 (1964) - Originally called VICTIM 5, this film got a retitle to make it sound like a James Bond style flick. It is more of a tourist advertisement for South Africa than a thriller, with a series of scenic locations only vaguely justified by the plot. As usual with a Harry Alan Towers production, there are a bevy of attractive females on view, but this was before he started to put Maria Rohm into most of his films. Danish actress Ann Smymer is the female lead opposite Lex Barker, who finds a lot of time for romantic concerns instead of concentrating on solving a one murder and preventing another. German producer Wolf C. Hartwig's French wife Veronique Vendell gets the second important female role. The most entertaining role is given to Ronald Fraser as the police inspector who finds the oogling beautiful women enhances police work. This was Harry Alan Towers' second production made in South Africa during the time of apartheid, but there is no mention of racial segregation in the film, nor are there many Black Africans on view. 

RECORDING IN PROGRESS (2020) - Will the ability to record your music at home destroy the recording studio business? Will the ability to make your music available to the public without physical media kill the music industry? Director Justin L. Fisher's documentary gathers clips of various people to talk about these issues.

Did not enjoy:

POOR PRETTY EDDIE (1975) - Here's a film that makes TWO THOUSAND MANIACS! look like a work of art. Reportedly made by pornography producer Michael Thevis as a way to launder Mafia money, stars Leslie Uggams, Shelley Winters, Ted Cassidy, Dub Taylor and Slim Pickens were paid in unreported cash to appear. Would that be reason enough to go to Athens, Georgia to shoot this? Was the idea that this was inspired by Jean Genet's play "The Balcony" an inducement? Pornographic director Richard Robinson reportedly thought this would be a step into mainstream moviemaking, but this ended his career. Producer Thevis was soon sent to prison for life. Director of photography David Worth went on to a successful career as a producer and director including a Jean-Claude Van Damme flick and two starring Cynthia Rothrock. The good news is that Leslie Uggams will soon be seen in DEADPOOL 3. If you want to see an effort by the makers of pornographic movies to go mainstream then check out the original version of THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, which was inspired by an Ingmar Bergman movie.

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

Charles Gilbert Watched:

HOUSE OF FEAR (1945) B&W. Sherlock Holmes and colleague Watson investigate sequential deaths of a group of men known as Good Comrades occuring in an old house. 

FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE (1965) Grit-tv presented Man With No Name Week.

Walker Texas Ranger "The Day of Cleansing" S08E17 Sammo Hung guest stars on loan from his own show Martial Law.

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

David Deal Enjoyed:

VISIONS OF LIGHT (92)

TINTORETTO (17) - Interesting documentary on the controversial but incredibly talented Venetian artist.

A PLACE CALLED GLORY (65)

THE SPIDER (45) - New Orleans PI Richard Conte is on the case of a missing sister when his partner (Ann Savage) is killed for the solution to the mystery. Conte, who is suspected of the murder, spends the running time trying to clear his name and expose the true murderer. A fun - if not completely sensical - mystery programmer. Conte is one of the great unsung slicksters and he's just right here, bantering better than everyone. Mantan Moreland plays Conte's valet.

SPLIT SECOND (53) - Stephen McNally escapes prison with a friend and picks up people along the way as he journeys to a ghost town in the desert to eventually get his hidden money. Problem is the town sits in the middle of an upcoming A bomb test. Good ensemble cast in this tension-filled noir directed by Dick Powell. Features Jan Sterling, Alexis Smith, Keith Andes, Richard Egan, Arthur Hunnicutt, and Frank deKova in a speechless role.

JACK MCCALL DESPERADO (53) - Jack McCall (George Montgomery) takes the stand at his trial and tells the tale of why he killed Wild Bill Hickok. You see, Hickok arranged for McCall to be branded a traitor and killed his father, all this out of spite, so McCall was out for revenge. Entertaining western that doesn't tell the true story of course, but that isn't the intent. Features Angela Stevens as a whip-smart con gal who helps McCall.

DRAGONS FOREVER (88)

FIRST SPACESHIP ON VENUS (62)

THE LONG, LONG TRAILER (54)

DATE FOR A MURDER (66)

Mildly enjoyed:

SOME LAPSE OF TIME (65) - Ronald Lewis is a doctor who's been having nightmares about some primitive ritual. When a bum collapses in front of his house, Ronald begins to suspect the man came from his dreams. A segment of the British TV series Out of the Unknown. The idea is interesting but I found the execution to be generally annoying.

WELCOME HOME (71) - A doctor comes home to his wife who doesn't recognize him, and what's more, she's married to a doctor with his name! Is he going crazy? Another episode of Out of the Unknown, and another one with an interesting premise that ultimately doesn't satisfy. The shocking ending is almost worth the price of admission tho.

THE STEWARDESSES (69)

SEX AND FURY (73)

STORMY CROSSING (57) - John Ireland is in Dover training his brother for a Channel-crossing event. When a female competitor dies under mysterious circumstances, the brothers begin to suspect murder. British thriller has the interesting backdrop of a major swimming event and some recognizable faces amongst the cast.

Did not enjoy:

THE SPECTRE OF EDGAR ALLAN POE (74) - EAP's (Robert Walker Jr) wife Lenore appears to die, but she awakens with white hair at her funeral. He takes her to an asylum where Cesar Romero is the mad doctor. A slow and amateurish low-budget, regional production. Carol Ohmart plays Cesar's wife in her last film.

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

Angel Rivera Enjoyed:

"The Killer" (1989) the John Woo and Chow Yun-fat classic.

"Young Sheldon" season six finale

"Superman and Lois" season 3, episode 6

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

Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed:

Silo – season 1 – episodes 1 to 3

The English – season 1 – episodes 3 & 4

Kaamelott – season 4

Mildly enjoyed

Young Sheldon – season 6 – episodes 17 to 19

Dragon, le o kau / Dragon goes house hunting (anime) – season 1 – episodes 1 & 2

Mark colpisce ancora (1976, Stelvio Massi)

Did not enjoy:

Beauty and the beast (2010, David Lister)

Narcos (1992, Giuseppe Ferrara)

Striker (1988, Enzo G. Castellari)

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

No comments:

Post a Comment