October 21 - 27, 2023

 

 

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

Brain Teasers:

Which Italian actress made at least two Italian sword and sandal movies, but her one Western was for an British producer?

Tom Betts knew that it was Rosanna Schiaffino.

Which actor, born in Northern Ireland, made five Westerns in Spain, but only one for an Italian director?

No one has answered this question yet.

Which Italian began his film career as a Production Designer before becoming a director who frequently cast his daughter in Westerns?

Tom Betts, Rick Garibaldi and Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was Demofilo Fidani, aka Miles Deem.

By what name is Simonetta Vitelli better known?

Tom Betts, Bertrand van Wonterghem, Rick Garibaldi, Angel Rivera and George Grimes knew that it was Simone Blondell, the daughter of Demofilo Fidani.

Complete the lyric: "The _____ ___ ringing. What do they say?"

No one has completed this yet.

And now for some new brain teasers:

Which fictional character created by Johnston McCulley in 1919 has been portrayed in at least 21 Italian films?

Which Italian actor, born in 1941 Rome, made his screen debut in an uncredited role in ESTHER AND THE KING before making over 70 movies?

Which Italian actor, born in 1916 Oderzo, would end up with 178 credits on the IMDb before passing away in 1989?

Name the movies from which these images came.

Tom Betts, Rick Garibaldi and George Grimes identified last week's frame grab of Lee Van Cleef in DA UOMO A UOMO, aka DEATH RIDES A HORSE.

Above is a new photo.

Can you identify from what movie it came?

Bertrand van Wonterghem and Charles Gilbert identified last week's frame grab of Ugo Sasson, an unidentified actress, and Loris Loddi in MACISTE, L'EROE PIU GRANDE DEL MONDO, aka GOLIATH AND THE SINS OF BABYLON.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes, Charles Gilbert and Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's photo of Cork Hubbert, Yehunda Efroni, Al Yamanouchi, Lou Ferrigno, Roland Wybenga and Ennio Girolami in SINBAD, aka SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's photo of Wang Lung Wei in THE MASTER.

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:

Highly enjoyed:

WOLFMAN'S GOT NARDS (2018) - In 1987, 15 year old Andre Gower played a role in THE MONSTER SQUAD, which was such a box office flop that it just about killed the career of director Fred Dekker. No one involved in the movie knew that when SQUAD hit HBO in the 1990s that it birthed a dedicated fan base until the Alamo Draft House contacted the actors and directors asking them to appear at a reunion screening in 2006. Inspired by the fans he met, Gower decided to make a documentary about the phenomenon that is surprisingly moving. I still haven't watched THE MONSTER SQUAD, but perhaps I should.

Enjoyed: 

SHATTERED GLASS (2003) - In the May 18, 1998 issue of The New Republic, writer Stephen Glass' article "Hack Heaven" appeared. Forbes on-line reporter Adam Penenberg was asked by his editor why he hadn't broken this story, so Penenberg began to investigate why he had never heard of it. Eventually it came out that Glass had fabricated the story, but since he had corroborating notes the editors at The New Republic thought it was real. In 1998, H.G. (Buzz) Bissinger wrote the article "Shattered Glass" for Vanity Fair, which was optioned by producer Craig Baumgarten to become an HBO movie. HBO ended up not making the film, but Cruise/Wagner Productions took on the project with screenwriter Billy Ray making his directorial debut. The film begins with Glass talking to the journalism class at his old high school and being lauded by his old teacher. As Hayden Christensen as Glass tells the young people about the importance of journalism, especially if you're working at The New Republic, the film begins to intercut with scenes of Christensen at work under editor Michel Kelly, played by Hank Azaria. Kelly often butted heads with publisher Marty Peretz, played by director Ted Kotcheff, so he was fired and replaced with Charles Lane, played by Peter Sarsgaard. It was while Lane was the editor that "Hack Heaven" was published. Once questions were raised by Forbes reporter Penenberg, played by Steve Zahn, Sarsgaard began to investigate Christensen and the movie juxtaposed Christensen's high school lecture with his fabrications unraveling. Ray made a compelling movie with a marvelous cast including Chloe Sevigny, Rosario Dawson and Melanie Lynskey. Also in the cast was Luke Kirby who would go on to play Lenny Bruce on the series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

Mildly enjoyed:

THE DESERT FOX: THE STORY OF ROMMEL (1951) - This film was made in 1951, when a major studio release could be made almost completely studio bound with copious amounts of stock footage from World War II combat cinematographers to illustrate battles. The frame story of the film involved Lt. Col. Desmond Young (who played himself but was voiced by Michael Rennie). He was captured by the Nazis in North Africa and ordered by his captors to try and convince the British to stop shelling the German positions. Young refused because the rules of war forbade such coercion of a P.O.W. Luckily, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel heard of the situation and supported Young's position. After the war was over, Young made it a point to investigate the official Nazi story of Rommel's death - that he died of wounds inflicted in combat. Interviewing Rommel's surviving widow and son, as well as many others who knew the man, Young published the book ROMMEL: THE DESERT FOX. Even before the book came out, writer/producer Nunnally Johnson went after the movie rights. Director Henry Hathaway was assigned to direct the film, and he was able to achieve a vigorous pace to the storytelling, which sometimes seems a bit skimpy as it provides a "Reader's Digest" look at Rommel's last years. James Mason gave a compelling performance as "Hitler's favorite general" who began to realize that the Fuhrer, having taken personal command of his forces, was making irrational decisions based on the advice of his astrologer. Allowing a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler to exist, while not fully participating, Rommel was denounced by others under torture when the plot failed. Finally, he was faced with the choice of a quiet suicide in order to safeguard the future of his family, or their destruction if he didn't, Rommel was shown to make a noble exit. There have been suggestions that Young's book and this movie were overtly designed to perpetuate the "Rommel Myth" that he fought a "clean war" and was a "Good German", as opposed to a Nazi, though no one disputes that he was an early supporter of Hitler and Nazism. Some feel this was part of a post-war campaign to welcome Germany, or at least West Germany, back to Western civilization against the new enemy of Soviet Communism. In any case, this was a well-made studio film, with a fine supporting cast including Jessica Tandy as Rommel's wife, Luther Adler as Hitler, Cedric Hardwicke, Everett Sloane, Leo G. Carroll, George Macready, Eduard Franz, John Hoyt and a very young Richard Boone as Rommel's adjutant. 

THE GUYS (2002) - On December 4, 2001, Anne Nelson's play about the after effects of the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center opened at the Flea Theater in New York City. The original production starred Sigourney Weaver and Bill Murray, under the direction of Jim Simpson - who is Weaver's husband. Not too long after that, a film version was made with Sigourney Weaver and Anthony LaPaglia, also directed by Simpson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Nelson. Obviously made as a tribute to the fire fighters who were killed in the Trade Center collapse, the play imagines a fire house captain seeking help from a woman writer to compose eulogies for a number of upcoming funerals. The film tries to make the show more of a cinematic experience by changing the on-stage monologues into voice over thoughts and by adding more physical details about the two meeting. However, the show is still about two people talking in a room. They make an emotional connection in an attempt to honor the fallen, and I wonder if the filmmakers intended to suggest that the two characters might become romantically involved. They don't, but having two characters becoming so empathetic in a movie usually leads to romance. With two compelling performances and intelligent writing, THE GUYS is a moving experience - but I think it probably worked even better on stage.

ROSSA DALLA PELLE CHE SCOTA, aka OBLIGATORY PINK SHADE OF SKIN, aka SEXY SPIRITS, aka RED HEADED CORPSE, aka THE SENSUOUS DOLL (1972) - The synopsis on the IMDb reports that this film takes place in Istanbul, but in the film a character says that he went to Istanbul on a trip. And the film ends with an arial shot of Istanbul and an acknowledgement to the authorities in Istanbul for allowing the film to shoot there. In any case, that doesn't really matter for the movie is a psychological drama that could take place anywhere Erika Blanc is. Farley Granger is a artist trying to make a living with his paintings. At night, a mysterious man sneaks into Granger's house and steals a photograph from a bureau drawer. During the day, Granger comes across a bunch of hippies, one of whom gives him a female mannequin saying that she is the perfect woman who will never talk back and will always be faithful. Later, in a cafe, Granger is hit on by Krista Nell. She seems to be a prostitute, but shortly after she says she wants to sleep with Granger for free. However, the room to which they go belongs to a girlfriend of her's, who throws them out because her boyfriend is coming. Back at his studio, Granger notices that the mannequin has no face, so he sets about painting one on her. Mysteriously, she turns into Nell, but she's mute. So, it seems that this movie is doing an  updated version of Pygmalion and Galatea - the statue that comes to life. However, after a bit, Nell turns into Erika Blanc who can talk and demands that Granger do paintings of her nude, which would sell, giving them the money for him to buy stuff for her. While Granger is out trying to sell his paintings, Blanc comes across Venantino Venantini, who is hunting nearby. She allows him to have sex with her, all the while saying "Don't". Granger sells a nude painting of Blanc to a businessman, who wants another one. However, while Granger is attempting to deliver the new painting to the businessman, he shows up at Granger's studio to have sex with Blanc. She complies, saying "Don't" all the while, after first servicing Venatini in the woods outside. So, when is Granger going to turn Blanc into the "Red Headed Corpse"? It seems that he does after she tells him that she is leaving him for Venatini. But when the police show up with Venatini, they find that he's buried the mannequin, not Blanc. Venatini shows the policeman the plane ticket for Blanc as proof of her existence, but the cop seems to think that maybe she was just a figment of Granger's insanity. When the film suddenly shows an arial shot of Istanbul, I was expecting a coda in which we see Blanc still alive with some other poor sucker, but the film didn't have that coda. So why have the arial shot of the city? This was the last film written and directed by Renzo Russo, who made a number of documentaries about "sexy" stuff in the early 1960s. His one fictional feature is a puzzeling experience. If you don't enjoy seeing Erika Blanc in various states of undress, then you won't find much else of interest here. 

Did not enjoy:

BREAK UP (1998) - This film begins with Bridget Fonda having sex with Hart Bochner which gets abruptly interrupted again and again by the opening credits printed over a black background. Afterwards, while Bochner takes a shower, Fonda steals some money from his wallet and hides it in a can in the kitchen. Later, she deposits the money into her savings account at the bank. It becomes obvious later that Fonda is an abused wife, and still later we are informed that she suffered severe hearing loss due to a beating. While visiting her sister Leslie Stefanson, Fonda is told to pick up Bochner at a bar. When she gets there, he is gone, but Penelope Ann Miller is there to tell her to give a message to Bochner with her phone number. On her way home, Fonda's neighbor Michael Hagerty threatens to call the police on her husband. Inside her home, Bochner proceeds to pick a fight which ends with Fonda being pushed over the second story rail. Awakening in the hospital, Fonda begins to understand that police officers Kiefer Sutherland and Steven Weber believe that she's responsible for the burned up body found in her husband's crashed car. Finding her savings account passbook, Fonda sneaks out of the hospital and goes to stay with her sister. Waking up on her sister's couch, Fonda can't find her sister, nor can she find her passbook. Sutherland and Weber show up to take her into custody - which sets off a series of capture and escape episodes between our heroine and the cops. Fonda knows that Bochner is alive and that she is being set up to look guilty - which doesn't stop her from continuing to act guilty, though Sutherland doesn't quite believe it. Going back to her sister's, Fonda doesn't find the missing passbook, but does find not only her sister dead, but a pile of polaroid pictures that shows that Bochner had been screwing her, too. When Fonda gets to the bank, she finds out that her account is almost completely empty. Running home to mother Tippi Hedren, Fonda finds out that Bochner had come by to get a car from her. So, did Bochner conspire with Miller to fake his death and steal Fonda's savings? Whose body is in the burnt out car? Why can't anyone in this movie behave in a rational manner? Anne Amanda Opotowsky used to work for ABC News before she wrote this screenplay, which did not lead to more film work. Mostly credited with taking over the sequels to the Prime Suspect TV mini-series, Paul Marcus tried his hand at directing in the U.S. only to return to the U.K. for more TV work. 

THE DISASTER ARTIST (2017) - In 2003, writer, producer, director and star Tommy Wiseau released THE ROOM, a drama that was so badly made that word of mouth spread about how laughable it was. It became an hit at weekend midnight screenings at the AMC Sunset Five. In 2013, ROOM co-star Greg Sestero wrote THE DISASTER ARTIST: MY LIVE INSIDE THE ROOM, THE GREATEST BAD MOVIE EVER MADE with Tom Bissell. This came to the attention of Seth Rogen, who decided to make a movie based on it to be directed by James Franco with brother Dave Franco as Sestero. In interviews, Tommy Wiseau comes off as an extremely eccentric character, and that's how James Franco comes off impersonating him. I don't enjoy seeing people make fools of themselves, so I've never enjoyed The Office TV show and I didn't enjoy watching this movie. I've not watched THE ROOM itself, so the revelation that it was actually made with a professional crew that used green screen is a surprise. I've not read Sestero's book, but from what I have read of it, Franco's movie, with a screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, diverges quite a bit from it. In any case, the idea of a $10 million dollar movie released by Warner Bros and A24 about a bad $5 million dollar movie is about as much fun as seeing Johnny Depp turn Edward D. Wood Jr. into a goof ball. Rogen and Franco were able to get a number of notable people to appear in this film including Alison Brie, Megan Mullally, Sharon Stone, Melanie Griffith, Zac Efron, Bob Odenkirk, Judd Apatow, Kristen Bell, Kevin Smith, Lizzy Caplan. J.J. Abrams, Angelyne and Bryan Cranston. The scary part is that Tommy Wiseau is still trying to have a film and TV career.

ECHO PARK (1985) - Here's another movie that the deal behind making it is probably more entertaining that the movie itself. How did former L.A. Weekly writer Michael Ventura, who also wrote the screenplay for ROADIE, hook up with Walter Shenson, the producer of THE MOUSE THAT ROARED and A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, to make a film "produced with a grant from the Austrian Film Fund and ORF"? And how did Romanian filmmaker Robert Dornheim, known for THE CHILDREN OF THEATRE STREET and SHE DANCES ALONE, get involved? Dornheim previously made DIGITAL DREAMS with Bill Wyman, so that's how Wyman became involved as a musical consultant on ECHO PARK. Austrian bodybuilder Michael Bowen awakes from a nightmare in which his Austrian father, Heinrich Schweiger, shows up in Los Angeles' Echo Park and seems to want to show his skill at butchering cows on a female bodybuilder working out by the lake. Bowen starts exercising, which awakens his neighbor in the same building, Susan Dey, and her little boy Christopher Walker. An aspiring actress, Dey decides to sublet her bedroom to cover the bills. Pizza delivery guy Tom Hulce (the year after AMADEUS) spots Dey and quickly signs up to take the room. Bowen wants to be the next Arnold Schwarzenegger, but, meanwhile, he works at Cheech Marin's gym where Cassandra Peterson is the secretary. Dey sleeps with Bowen, much to Hulce's dismay, and then she finds a job as a stripper delivering "Happy Birthday" greetings, much to her own dismay. Hulce bonds with Walker, sharing baby sitting duties with Shirley Jo Finney. When Bowen gets a TV commercial, he thinks he's on his way to becoming a star, but Marin disappoints him by backing out of financing a business deal - which leads to Bowen getting arrested. Delivering pizzas to a gig where Dey is stripping, Hulce rescues his love from a client who gets "handsy", and they join together to find Walker, who witnessed it and has run away. After getting Bowen out of jail, everyone gathers back at Dey's home when Bowen's father shows up and slaps his son. The film ends with a non-sequiter as Bowen, Dey and Hulce, wearing the same clothes they wear in the last scene, are cavorting on top of a mountain in the Alps. Timothy Carey fans should note that he has a small role playing Hulce's boss.

ONLY THE LONELY (1991) - John Candy does dead body pick-up for the Chicago Police Dept. and hasn't been with a woman in years, mostly because of his demanding mother Maureen O'Hara. Candy sees cosmetologist Ally Sheedy at a funeral and is immediately interested. Since she has a problem interacting with people, she finds Candy appealing. Of course, O'Hara doesn't want to lose control of her son and doesn't approve. O'Hara also keeps spurning the advances of florist Anthony Quinn, and wants to move to Florida. Eventually the two couple get together with Quinn going to Florida with O'Hara and Candy deciding to move to New York City when Sheedy gets a new job opportunity. This is another of those films Chris Columbus wrote and directed that is not to my taste. I have a similar reaction to other films produced by John Hughes.

                                                        

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David Deal Enjoyed:

THE FALCON'S BROTHER (42)

THE FALCON STRIKES BACK (43)

BEAUTIFUL STRANGER (54) - Ginger Rogers lives in Cannes, kept by her married lover Stanley Baker. Baker has lied to her about getting a divorce and he runs a sideline in a gold sovereign racket. Not a good guy. Rogers falls for Jacques Bergerac (her husband at the time), thus finding herself in a quandary. There are many twists and turns in this British crime thriller, with the acting honors going to Herbert Lom as the catalyst in the death and destruction that awaits most of the players. Fun stuff, if a bit of a romantic melodrama.

THE VENETIAN AFFAIR (66)

I VAMPIRI (57)

STAND BY ME (86)

JAWS (75)

THE CAT CREATURE (73) - Check out the Television Fright Films of the 1970's book on amazon.

YPOTRON (68) Check out The Eurospy Guide book on amazon.

THE WITCH (66) - The new Blu-ray looks great.

THE BAT WOMAN (68) - The Bat Woman is the masked kick-ass, wrestling, crime-fighting alter ego of beautiful socialite Maura Monti. She has been brought to Acapulco to investigate a series of killings where all the victims were athletes. Turns out a mad doctor has been trying to make monsters using the bodies, and now he's succeeded. A fun and groovy comic book fantasy from Mexico with some rockin' tunes and a gill man! Quality entertainment.

THE POSSE FROM HELL (61) - When his lawman pal is killed by psycho Vic Morrow and his gang, Audie Murphy dons the badge and puts together a ragtag posse to hunt them down. Sort of a buddy western with dude John Saxon evolving into a brave, trustworthy man working with Audie. Lee Van Cleef is a gang member, Royal Dano is the uncle of Zohra Lampert who was kidnapped and "spoiled" by the gang. Recommended.

SUSPIRIA (77) The 4K Blu-ray looks great.

CALTIKI THE IMMORTAL MONSTER (59)

Mildly enjoyed:

SECRET FURY (50) - Claudette Colbert and Robert Ryan are about to be wed when someone stops the wedding saying she's already married and he can prove it. Trouble is, Claudette doesn't remember it. Is she going mad? Silly psychological thriller that goes way beyond the realm of possibility.

HELL NIGHT (81) - Linda Blair and Vince Van Patten are amongst the college pledges who must spend the night is a haunted house with the other kids doing scary things to them. But there's a real killer in the mix out to spill blood. Somewhat amusing teen body count flick that cranks things up in the last couple of reels.

BLOOD OF THE VIRGINS (67)

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Angel Rivera Mildly enjoyed:

"THE OUTER LIMITS" (1995) Episode: "I, ROBOT" After purchasing the Dark Horse reprints of the Adam Link stories I pulled out my copy of the 1995 remake of the Outer Limits episode, "I, Robot". This version was in color and featured Leonard Nimoy as the lawyer who defends Adam Link in hie murder trial. (Now this version has Adam accidentally killing his creator.) The episode was also directed by Nimoy's son, Adam Nimoy. The episode is updated to have sensibilities peculiar to the 1990s. So it doesn't play as well as the 1960s original. Still worth a look see.

"MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM" (1933) The original take on the Vincent Price feature, "House of Wax" (1953). This one has Lionel Atwill as the deranged and secretly disfigured wax sculptor who murders people who resembled the wax figures in his destroyed wax museum (He had owned a wax museum which went up in flames) by encasing them in wax and then displaying the encased human wax figures in his new wax museum. The film was made in a two-tone technicolor process which makes it interesting to watch.

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Charles Gilbert watched: 

CRYPT OF THE VAMPIRE (1964) B&W. Christopher Lee plays Count Karnstein who summons a young doctor (Jose Campos) to care for his ill daughter haunted by wispy dreams at their mysterious castle. Peplum alumn include Ursula Davis and Carla Calo.

THE KLANSMAN (1974) British director Terence Young was brought in to direct this cringeworthy drama laced with profanity and epithet about racial upheaval in Alabama. Cast includes Lee Marvin playing a mild-mannered sheriff striving for small town peace amidst interracial conflict highlighted by rape, castration, and shot gun killings. All along wealthy land owner Breck Stancill (Richard Burton) is doing his best to appease both sides. With Cameron Mitchell, Luciana Paluzzi (voice dubbed by Joanna Moore, who should have just gotten the role)) Linda Evans, Lola Falona, Vic Perrin, and O. J. Simpson.

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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed:

Star Trek – episode “errand of mercy” (1966, John Newland)

Behind your touch (2023, Kim Yoon-seok) – episodes 15 & 16

Un-myeong-cheol-eom neol sa-rang-hae / Fated to love (2014) - episodes 1 to 4

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