August 12 - 18, 2023

 

 

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

Brain Teasers:

Which American actor who appeared in Italian Westerns made his last film appearance in a superhero movie?

It was Wayde Preston in the 1990 CAPTAIN AMERICA.

Which Italian actor made two Westerns in which his character was killed right near the beginning of the film, leading to plot complications for the heroes?

No one answered this question yet.

In which Italian Western does one of our anti-heroes attempt to rape the leading lady until he is stopped by the other anti-hero?

No one answered this question yet.

In what movie starring Robert Downey Jr. can some of Ennio Morricone's music for TWO MULES FOR SISTER SARA be heard?

No one has answered this question yet.

In what Italian movie do Kirk Morris, Mario Novelli and Gordon Mitchell appear with none of them taking off their shirts?

Bertrand van Wonterghem, Angel Rivera and Charles Gilbert knew that it was 2+5: MISSIONE HYDRA, aka STAR PILOT.

Which Italian actress played Hercules' wife to Mark Forest and Reg Park?

Charles Gilbert and Angel Rivera knew that it was Leonora Ruffo.

And now for some new brain teasers:

Which Italian actor played the son of Kirk Morris, Elizabeth Taylor, Thomas Hunter and Alberto Lupo?

Which Italian actress played sexy with James Bond, Napoleon Solo and Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath?

Which Englsh actress co-starred with Reg Lewis, Kirk Morris, Marcello Mastroianni, Jean Gabin, Mike Connors, Ray Danton and Richard Harrison?

Name the movies from which these images came.

Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's frame grab from DJANGO.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

Bertrand van Wonterghem and Angel Rivera identified last week's frame grab of Giuliano Gemma in ARRIVANO I TITANI, aka SONS OF THUNDER, aka MY SON THE HERO.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

 Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's photo of John Drew Barrymore and Edmund Purdom in I COSACCHI, aka THE COSSACKS.

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?

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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:

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season two (2014-2015)

Mildly enjoyed:

MILTON'S SECRET (2016) - I'll watch just about anything featuring Mia Kirshner, and so I watched this well-meaning, but rather dull inspirational drama in which she plays the mother of eleven year old William Ainscough, who feels he lives on "Planet Fear". Because he hears his mother and father, David Sutcliffe, worry about money, Ainscough, with his best friend Hays Wellford, experiments with alchemy - trying to make gold from base elements. Adding to his problems, is abused school bully Percy Hynes White. Ainscough's tormented world is altered by a visit by his unconventional grandfather Donald Sutherland. While he hadn't been an attentive parent to Kirshner when he was younger, Sutherland, after his war experiences, has come to understand how to become more mindful - a variation on Zen thinking. MILTON'S SECRET gets points from me for resolving the bullying issue without our hero having to resort to reactive violence. Eckhart Tolle became a celebrated spiritual theacher after his fourth book,  2003's A NEW EARTH, was selected for Oprah Winfrey's book club. Many prevailed upon him to write a book for children, which Tolle said he couldn't write because he wasn't a parent. His publisher teamed him up with Robert S. Friedman and together they wrote MILTON'S SECRET: AN ADVENTURE OF DISCOVERY THROUGH THEN, WHEN, AND THE POWER OF NOW. Obviously the message of the book allowed the producers to assemble a stellar cast, including Michelle Rodriguez - between action movies, as the teacher who assigns her class to prepare speeches to be given on "Parent's Day", which give the film its climax. This was only the second film directed by co-writer Barnet Bain, who had previously worked as an executive producer on two splendid TV movies: THE LINDA MCCARTNEY STORY and HOMELESS TO HARVARD: THE LIZ MURRAY STORY.

Did not enjoy:

THE BRAVOS (1972) - Universal Television hired Norman Lloyd to produce this TV movie which may have been intended as a pilot for a series. Director Ted Post may have had a big hit with BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES, but he was soon back in television, and even though he brought composer Leonard Rosenman along, they could not generate much excitement for this fairly standard tale of a small, undermanned, Western Fort facing growing trouble from the local Navajo. Major George Peppard commands the Fort and he soon forces ex-scout L.Q. Jones to "volunteer" to try and find out what is going on with the natives. Meanwhile, overconfident Pernell Roberts is attempting to lead a wagon train to Oregon without sufficient provisions and personnel. Roberts sets a deadly trap for three young natives, which sets renegade chief Joaquin Martinez on the vengeance trail. Ex-soldier, and now a wanted man, Bo Svenson alerts the Fort of the wagon train's troubles, so the train is brought into the Fort, bringing with it a pile of melodramatic subplots. To add to Peppard's problems, delinquent son Vincent Van Patten arrives just in time to be kidnapped by Martinez's men. Peppard, Jones and Svenson then have to scale a cliff face in order to rescue Van Patten for the action filled climax. Location work was mostly done near Sedona, Arizona, so there is some spectacular scenery. Future Clint Eastwood collaborator James Fargo was an assistant director on this production.

NEITHER THE SEA NOR THE SAND, aka THE EXORCISM OF HUGH (1972) - Now I understand why I've never before heard of this movie - it is a very well photographed nothing. Susan Hampshire is vacationing on the Channel Island of Jersey when she meets Michael Petrovitch, standing around brooding, when she goes to look at a lighthouse which is only accessible during low tide. He starts to follow her as she walks away, so she strikes up a conversation. Eventually she decides not to go back to her husband, and agrees to spend the night with Petrovitch at the house he shares with brother Frank Finlay, who does not approve of her. Petrovitch decides that he wants to make love to Hampshire in Scotland, so they hop a plane and move into a small bed and breakfast place near the shore. They make love in a conventional early 1970s way - mostly by dissolves with "naughty" bits courtesy of a female body double, and show they are in love by chasing each other on the beach. Suddenly, she sees that he's collapsed and shortly, thereafter, a doctor pronounces him dead. The movie is almost half over when we understand that Hampshire's love for Petrovitch won't let him go, so, zombie-like, he goes with her back to Jersey. She tries to get him to speak, which he can't, but she hears his voice in her head. When Finlay sees his zombified brother, he accuses Hampshire of being a witch who has possessed Petrovitch. He wants to drive his brother to see the local priest, who will exorcise Petrovitch so that his soul can finally rest. On the winding road, Petrovitch causes Finlay to lose control of his vehicle before jumping out to safety. It is ambiguous whether Hampshire willed Petrovitch to kill his brother, or if Petrovitch did it on his own. In any case, after returning to Hampshire, Petrovitch starts an effort to kill her. Petrovitch's old friend Michael Craze comes to visit the now single Hampshire, to offer help, but she doesn't want it. After begging Petrovitch to stop loving her and saying that she doesn't want to join him in death, Hampshire finally decides to join him in drowning themselves at high tide. The love story that is the basis of this movie doesn't work because the handsome Michael Petrovitch exhibits no charisma and no chemistry with Hampshire. Splendid actors like Hampshire and Finlay are stuck in dull roles, but Director of Photography David Muir ensures that they are beautifully captured on film. Nachum Heiman provides an atmospheric music score, but it does little to energize Fred Burnley's dull direction. After this, Burnley went back to working on television. I don't understand what made these producers think that Gordon Honeycombe's novel would make a good movie. Honeycombe is credited with the screenplay, with dialogue by Rosemary Davies, so I'm guessing that it is a pretty close adaptation. I am a fan of Susan Hampshire, but THE THREE LIVES OF THOMASINA is more of an Horror film than NEITHER THE SEA NOR THE SAND.

                                                        

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Charles Gilbert Watched:

THE PRESIDENT'S MAN (2002) Chuck Norris seeks a replacement for his position as the POTUS singular special agent. Ralph Waite plays the President.

Walker, Texas Ranger Pilot Episode 'One Riot, One Ranger. Parts 1 & 2. Marshall Teague guests stars as ex CIA turned bank heist criminal. The first C. D. Parker was played by Gailard (Hee Haw) Sartain.

SOUTH PACIFIC (1958) Tom Laughlin and Ken Clark (singing) have secondary speaking roles. But you'll also see a mum Richard Harrison as copilot at about 2:00:00 hours into the film. Ed Fury is allegedly in there as a seabee. 

Producer Garth Bacon at PBS Broadcasting in New Hampshire interviews Tom "Billy Jack" Laughlin when he ran for POTUS in 1992. One hour 19 minutes.

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Angel Rivera Enjoyed:

"DUEL of the TITANS" (1961/63) The more times I see this film and I saw it first on the big screen in a theater; I notice new things. This time I noticed how much better an actor Gordon Scott is compared to Steve Reeves. At least in my opinion. Although great performances by them both.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: THE FLASHPOINT PARADOX" (2013) The JL aid the Flash when he causes a time paradox. Interesting animation based on the DC graphic novel.

JLA ADVENTURES: TRAPPED IN TIME" (2014) Another DC animated film. The JLA fight Lex Luthor and the Legion of Doom when Luthor unleashes and controls the power of the Time Trapper. Dawnstar and Karate Kid of the LSH guest star.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS" (2010) DC original animated video. The JL fight the Crime Syndicate. Also based on a graphic novel

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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed:

Fric-frac (1939, Maurice Lehmann)

Johnny English strikes again (2018, David Kerr)

Vidocq (1967, Marcel Bluwal) – episodes 1 & 2

Sledge Hammer ! - episodes 1 & 2

Mildly enjoyed:

15 forche per un assassino (1967, Nunzio Malasomma)

Creator (1985, William Malone)

Naechuerol siti / Natural city (2003, Min Byeong-cheon)

2047, sights of death (2014, Alessandro Capone)

San taam / Mad detective (2007, Johnnie To & Wai Ka-fai)

Sakuya : yôkaiden / Sakuya – the slayer of demons (2000, Tomoo Haraguchi)

Did not enjoy:

Insidious – the red door (2022, Patrick Wilson)

Du jaio he / One-foot-crane (1978, Min-hsiung Wu)

Heugsuseon / The last witness (2001, Bae Chang-ho)

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