June 29 - July 5, 2024

 

 

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

Brain Teasers:

Which Italian Western begins with Gordon Mitchell in bed with a woman?

Tom Betts knew that it was NATO PER UCCIDERE, aka BORN TO KILL.

Which Italian Western has Maurizio Merli buried up to his neck in dirt with his eye lids forced open?

Tom Betts and George Grimes knew that it was MANNAJA, aka A MAN CALLED BLADE.

Which actor did not appear in a movie buried up to his neck in dirt: Franco Nero, John Phillip Law, Lee Van Cleef, or Gianni Garko?

Tom Betts, Angel Rivera and George Grimes knew that it was Lee Van Cleef.

And now for some new brain teasers:

Which American actor, who made Italian Westerns, is credited as the co-director of two American films in the 1950s?

Which Italian stuntman frequently doubled for Lee Van Cleef?

Which Italian director began his career with a Western starring Gianni Garko and Ivan Rassimov?

Name the movies from which these images came.

Tom Betts, Bertrand van Wonterghem and George Grimes identified last week's photo of Mimmo Palmara playing an Indian in BLACK JACK.

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?

No one identified the above photo.

It shows Alberto Dell'Acqua  and Diana Polakov in QUEL POMERIGGIO MALEDETTO, aka THE PERFECT KILLER.

George Grimes identified last week's frame grab from MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE.

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:

DIE HOLLE VON MANITOBA, aka UN LUGAR LLAMDO GLORY, aka A PLACE CALLED GLORY (1965) - By 1965 there were so many Westerns being shot in Spain that even German producers Central Cinema Company, aka CCC, decided to stop working in Yugoslavia and take the stars of the Winnetou films to the Balcazar Studios in Barcelona. Author Jerold Hayden Boyd penned the story which became A PLACE CALLED GLORY, but I was unable to find any information on Boyd's career until after he took the name F.X. Toole, wrote a collection of stories called ROPE BURNS: STORIES FROM THE CORNER, which inspired the film MILLION DOLLAR BABY. How Boyd became associated with Edward Di Lorenzo, who had already co-written L'UOMO DELLA VALLE MALEDETTA, aka MAN OF THE CURSED VALLEY starring Ty Hardin, is unknown, but Argentine born actor Fernando Lamas must have been connected to this project for him to get one third of the writing credit. Another mystery is how Sheldon Reynolds took a break from directing American TV to make three feature films in Europe; A PLACE CALLED GLORY being the first after the TV special Sophia Loren In Rome. And why do some prints of this movie hide his credit behind the name Ralph Gideon? German actress Marianne Koch had already made two Westerns in Spain - DER LETZTE RITT NACH SANTA CRUZ, aka THE LAST RIDE TO SANTA CRUZ in the Canary Islands, and PER UN PUGNO DI  DOLLARI, aka A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS in Almeria - before GLORY, and would make three more after. On October 4th, Glory City - the fastest growing city in the West - celebrates Founder's Day by hosting a duel between two famous gunslingers. Posters around town tout that the showdown will be between Brenner and Deakes. Pierre Brice rides into town to inform the sponsors of the show that he killed Deakes two days ago. That night, Brice rides upon Lex Barker's campsite and asks to bed down there. Does he know that Barker is Brenner and does he intend to kill him before the scheduled gunfight? That is just one of the mysteries surrounding Brice's character. In any case, Barker and Brice end up spending the days before the gunfight in another town, which is split between land owner Jorge Rigaud, who is allowing settlers to live on his land, and saloon owner Gerard Tichy, who doesn't approve. Rigaud's daughter, Koch, agrees to be Tichy's girl inorder to prevent her father's murder. Barker and Koch were an item eight years previously, but he refuses to get involved in the local conflict. However, the misbehavior of Tichy's men - including Aldo Sanbrell and Antonio Molino Rojo, inspire Barker and Brice to step in occasionally. Everyone knows that Rigaud is good with a gun, but he has stopped wearing one. Finally, the tension builds to Rigaud putting on his gun again and calling Tichy out for a confrontation on the street. Obviously, Tichy plans to cheat, but will Barker and Brice prevent that? And will Barker and Brice make it to the October 4th celebration to face off in Glory City? Not surprisingly, this film is much more like an American Western than other films shot at the Balcazar Studios, and no other production made there featured more extras as townspeople. Though obviously re-voiced for the English soundtrack, the film has mostly intelligent dialogue and the dramatic scenes play well. Action is kept to a minimum for most of the running time and a generous amount of suspense is created before the expected erruprtions. The climaxes feature unexpected surprises that are satisfying. The Wild East DVD release is nearly perfect. Why does the German title translate as THE HELL OF MANITOBA?There is nothing in the English language version to suggest that the film takes place in Canada.

Icons Unearthed: James Bond (2023) - With only six episodes this series seems a bit skimpy to cover 27 movies and about 50 years, but it does a good job covering the business aspects of the franchise. As usual there is no mention of David Warbeck, and George Lazenby still comes off as an asshole.

Did not enjoy:

NERDLAND (2016) - Reportedly screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker was a big fan of the cartoons produced for Adult Swim by Chris Prynoski and Titmouse, Inc. so when they accepted his script he was really excited. The moviemakers assembled an impressive cast to voice their animated feature, including Paul Rudd, Patton Oswalt, Riki Lindhome and Kate Micucci - but I mostly enjoy these guys when I can see their actual faces, not the ugly drawings provided here. The idea of two wannabees in Hollywood determined to become famous no matter what seemed to be fertile ground for a comedy, but nothing here was the least bit enjoyable. But, then again, I'm not a fan of what's on Adult Swim, so maybe I'm just not the right audience for this.

 

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David Deal Enjoyed:

JOURNEY TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE SUN (69)

HERCULES AGAINST THE MOON MEN (64)

SECRET AGENT FIREBALL (66) - See The Eurospy Guide for a complete review of this Richard Harrison entry.

OPERATION COUNTERSPY (65) - See above for this superior genre example with George Ardisson.

GARGOYLES (72) - See the Television Fright Films of the 1970s book for a complete review of this Emmy-winning entry.

DEVILS OF DARKNESS (64) - From 2006 "A low-key Brit-French vampire movie with William (Gorgo) Sylvester as the hero and Hubert Noel as zee vampire. Colorful and satisfying in the manner of the logical Brit horror flix of the time."

CRYPT OF THE VAMPIRE (64) From 2007 "Better-than-average example of the Italian/Spanish gothics of the period.  Christopher Lee has a good guy role as the dad of the reincarnation of the Karnstein witch.  Good stuff."

Mildly Enjoyed 

THE FOUR SKULLS OF JONATHAN DRAKE (59) - From 2017 "A voodoo curse reaches through the centuries.  Good old-fashioned 50's shocker that would have been a classic had William Castle directed it instead of Ed Cahn. As it is, FSJD has that studio-bound "clean floor" style and an aging Henry Daniell going for it, but a dull script working against it."

VOODOO ISLAND (57)

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Angel Rivera  Enjoyed:

"MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN" (2023 to second season 2024)

A new animated series with a new take on the Superman mythos. The characters are drawn to look younger and the series has a darker take on the Man of Steel's history. Interesting take, but I don't like Jimmy Olsen changing from a red-head like in the comics to a brown skin. I am all for diversity, but I wish they had created a new character instead of changing an established character. The story lines will be familiar to Superman fans. Supergirl is included but with a major difference.

"LEGALLY BLONDE" (2001)

It's always a pleasure to see Reese Witherspoon, especially in her most iconic role. She is a "princess" trying to win her "Prince Charming" back by joining him at Harvard Law School: only to find what a dick he is. She becomes a law student "savant" and defends a celebrity murder suspect who also happens to be a sorority sister and wins her case. Cute and Reese looks great.

Did not enjoy:

"PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE" 2024

The press stated; one debater delivered what are considered "rambling answers". The other "countered with falsehoods." Scary state of affairs for the country, I think.

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June 22 - 28, 2024

 

 

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

Brain Teasers:

Which movie, usually considered an Italian Western, does the director insist is not a Western?

Director Damiano Damiani believed that Westerns were about the people of North America expanding their boundaries Westward. QUIEN SABE?, aka A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL, was about the Mexican Revolution, and so was not a Western.

Which Italian actor was born on July 25, 1928 in Sardinia and died on June 10, 2016 in Rome?

Tom Betts, Angel Rivera, George Grimes and Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was Mimmo Palmara, aka Dick Palmer in Westerns.

Which American actor played Walter Barnes' brother on a TV series, made three movies in Italy before becoming a producer in Hollywood and  hiring Barnes for three American productions?

Tom Betts, George Grimes and Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was Jerome Courtland.

In which Italian Western did Franco Nero wear a long leather coat and carried his gun belt outside of the coat?

Tom Betts knew that it was TEXAS ADDIO. The artist who did the poster art for TEXAS ADDIO also did the poster art for DJANGO at about the same time, so the image of Franco Nero in TEXAS ADDIO frequently was used on posters for DJANGO.

And now for some new brain teasers:

Which Italian Western begins with Gordon Mitchell in bed with a woman?

Which Italian Western has Maurizio Merli buried up to his neck in dirt with his eye lids forced open?

Which actor did not appear in a movie buried up to his neck in dirt: Franco Nero, John Phillip Law, Lee Van Cleef, or Gianni Garko?

Name the movies from which these images came.

Tom Betts, Bertrand van Wonterghem and George Grimes identified last week's photo of Mimmo Palmara playing an Indian in BLACK JACK.

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?

No one identified the above photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's frame grab from MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE.

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:

Mildly enjoyed:

INESCAPABLE (2012) - Canadian director Ruba Nadda was born, in Toronto, to a father from Syria and a mother from Palestine. She wanted to make this film about a daughter, who was investigating the untold story about her father's past in Syria only to be disappeared, in Jordan, but the Jordanian authorities told her it was too dangerous for her to work near the border with Syria. So, she made it in a co-production with South Africa. The film stars Alexander Siddig, who is the son of a father from Sudan and an English mother, as a Syrian exile in Canada, who believes that this eldest daughter, a professional photographer, is working in Greece. He is shocked to discover that she made a side trip to Syria in the hope of uncovering his past, and why he never talks about it. She is missing, so Siddig contacts his former fiance, Marisa Tomei, and asks her help in secretly returning to his former home. Imagine a more complicated TAKEN where few situations are resolved with action. Nadda's screenplay is perhaps too twisty to sustain credibility, but it provides her cast with good material which she handles well. Canadian actor Joshua Jackson is the shady official at the Canadian Embassy and Israeli actor Oded Fehr adds another role to his gallery of shady Middle Eastern characters.

Did not enjoy:

BENJI (2018) - I avoided all of the Joe Camp BENJI productions - beginning in 1974, and only saw this recent reboot by Camp's son Brandon because the grandkids were watching it while I was over at their house for dinner. This was a change of pace for production company Blumhouse, but it didn't change my score of never liking anything that they've done. Street dog Benji is befriended by brother Gabriel Bateman and sister Darby Camp (no relation to Joe or Brandon), but their single mother, Kiele Sanchez won't let them have a pet dog. Later, during a failed robbery, Will Rothhaar and Angus Sampson kidnap the kids because they saw the robbers' faces. Benji witnesses the crime and gives chase to the getaway van. The dog tries to alert Sanchez and officer Jerod Haynes, but the adults don't believe the animal. Enlisting the aid of a bloodhound, Benji finds where the kids are being held and eventually saves them from being taken away on a getaway boat. The plotting is all very predictable and relies upon generating tension by having the adults not believe our hero. Of course it all works out in the end, but not before the filmmakers give us an "E.T." like resurrection from the dead. There is a bit of a surprise in the end when it turns out that the bloodhound is female, and a love song is played as Benji seems to be courting her. Darby Camp's mother, Lucy, appears in a small part.

CHARLIE'S GHOST The Secret of Coronado, aka CHARLIE'S GHOST STORY (1995) - With his assistant Daphne Zuniga, archeologist Anthony Edwards finally finds the last resting place of the Spanish explorer Francisco Vazquez de Coronado. After displaying Coronado's bones in a museum, Edwards ignores his son, Trenton Knight, who tells him that Coronado's ghost, Cheech Marin, wants his bones respectfully buried. Edwards hires housekeeper Linda Fiorentino to look after his son, while he spends most of his time at the museum. Marin spends most of his time with Knight, replacing his absent but living father. After getting help from Marin in dealing with the bullies bothering him, Knight steals the bones from the museum. Edwards gives chase and when he finds his son buring the bones in a cemetery, the ghost of Coronado appears to him and says that while the past is important, there is nothing more important than to see his son become a man. Was this a direct-to-video production or a TV movie? I saw it on cable TV. Anthony Edwards also directed this unexceptional film. He would go on to direct 4 episodes of his TV show E.R. and then the movie MY DEAD BOYFRIEND.

LAS VIBORAS CAMBIAN DE PIEL, aka VIPERS CHANGE THEIR SKIN, aka GUNS AND GUTS (1974) - Rogelio Guerra escapes a posse to beat up just about every man he sees trying to find... who? After a bit, he meets Pedro Armendariz Jr. who thinks that Guerra is looking for the same man as he, so they team up. Later on, the two meet Jorge Rivero in a saloon where Rivero has six women hanging onto him. Guerra wants one of the women, but Rivero says no until they slug it out to a draw. When the battered Guerra gets the woman upstairs, and she gets naked, he falls asleep from exhaustion. Rivero is an hired gun who agrees to join up with the men to kill Sheriff Quintin Bulnes, who lives in an hacienda with about ten guards and three gatling guns. Along the way, Rivero reconnects with prostitute Zulma Faiad and he promises to take her away after the job is over. Some like to compare this to THE WILD BUNCH, but it more reminded me of BRING ME THE HEAD OF ALFREDO GARCIA. In any case, Mexican director Rene Cardona Jr. is not nearly as talented as Sam Peckinpah, especially working from a script by Fernando Galiana and Sidney T. Bruckner. I don't think any Western made anywhere in the world has more scenes featuring our "heroes" pissing against a wall or against a boulder. Or a scene in which four saloon girls are mostly naked during a game of strip poker before Rivero needs to drop his pants.

THE PAY DAY (2022) - A romantic comedy disguised as a heist flick, THE PAY DAY is written and co-produced by actors Sam Benjamin and Kyla Frye. They are attractive, but director Sam Bradford doesn't tell the story in any way to enliven the predictable material. Criminal Simon Callow convinces underpaid bank employee Frye to steal some information from the company's computer. Suddenly, Benjamin shows up and they fight and flirt over the flashdrive with the material she downloaded. I lost count of the double crosses and twists in the plot. Reportedly this was inspired by the movie OUT OF SIGHT (1998). 

PRINCE VALIANT (1997) - I didn't follow the comic strip by Hal Foster nor have I seen the 1954 movie, so I don't know how different this German/British/Irish production is, but the only fun to found in it is seeing Katherine Heigl as a feisty Princess who isn't content to be helpless. The failure of the film can be blamed on producer Bernd Eichinger, who reportedly recut the film without director Anthony Hickox's knowledge, or on director Hickox, whom Warwick Davis blamed for "partying all night long". Using comic book panels and a narrator to explain the plot, the film showed its low budget with poor visual effects and dull action scenes. If I want to watch a low budget movie using the legend of King Arthur, I'd pick SIEGE OF THE SAXONS, with Janette Scott as the feisty Princess. While Stephen Moyer was unimpressive as the title hero, Edward Fox, Udo Kier, Joanna Lumley, Ron Perlman and Warwick Davis in the supporting cast suggested what should have been. Perhaps as a nod toward his feature film debut WAXWORK, director Hickox cast Zach Galligan in a minor role as one of the Knights of the Round Table.

 

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David Deal Enjoyed:

THE LION OF THEBES (64) - From 2015 "Aesthetically pleasing historical peplum with Mark Forest, Yvonne Furneaux, Rosalba Neri, Massimo Serato, and Alberto Lupo."

DEATH IN A RED JAGUAR (68) - See The Eurospy Guide for a complete review of this Jerry Cotton entry.

INFERNO (80)

THE MAN FROM PLANET X (51) - From 2007 "Still an effective, moody piece of paranoid sci-fi from the no budget master, Edgar J. Ulmer."

THE SINISTER MONK (65)

MURDER OBSESSION (81) - From 2020 "Riccardo Freda's finale is a Gothic giallo that is not without interest.  Sometimes sloppy and obvious, sometimes sensitive and artistic, it is nonetheless a fitting coda for an artist at odds with his talent.  I recommend Roberto Curti's biography from McFarland."

THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE (71)

FORT WORTH (51)

Mildly Enjoyed 

BEHIND THE MASK (32)

FLAME OF ARABY (51)

TRAITOR'S GATE (64)

THE MAD DOCTOR OF MARKET STREET (41

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Angel Rivera  Enjoyed:

"SUPERMAN, THE MOVIE" (1978)
TCM highlighted this film as they pay tribute to honored composers. "Superman, the Movie's" composer, John Williams was honored with this showing of "Superman". In my opinion one of the top "superhero action" films of all time.

Mildly enjoyed:

"BRATS" (2024)
Andrew McCarthy of "St.Elmo's Fire" and "Weekend at Bernie's" fame makes a documentary about being labeled as part of "the Brat Pack" with his costars from :"SEF". Seeing the stars now is interesting, but never is discussed that each "bratter" (although the article exaggerated  the closeness of the "pack") had different levels of success. Still interesting to see these actresses still look good: especially Demi Moore.

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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed:

100.000 dollari per Lassiter (1966, Joaquin Romero Marchent)

Mildly enjoyed:

Dove si spara di piu (1967, Gianni Puccini)

Did not enjoy:

Doctor Who – episode “Boom” (2023, Julie Anne Robinson)

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Charles Gilbert watched: 

Wagon Train:

 "The Jarbo Pierce Story" S8E26 Rory Calhoun in the title role as a trade store proprietor attempts to reform his younger brother whose lack of scruples emerge in a business transaction to make humble Indians into indentured servants. Victoria Vetri (Angela Dorian) appears as a native American.

"The Willy Moran Story" S1E01 Ernest Borgnine plays a drunk who wants to ride the train.

"The Emily Rossiter Story" S1E07 Mercedes McCambridge has remarried an abusive man (John Dehner) that masquerades at night as an indian stealing from the wagon train. Daughter Susan Oliver is enamoured with Clint (Robert Horton) when he comes to investigate.

"The Charles Avery Story" S1E09 Farley Granger plays the lieutenant escorting an indian squaw (Susan Kohner) back to her tribe with a treaty. Chuck Connors plays a rakish private with lustful eyes for her, but gets killed off early. 

 "The Mary Halstead Story" Agnes Morehead plays a widow in search of a son she abandoned in Philadelphia who favored his father. In the West she learns he became the outlaw Laramie Kid (Tom Laughlin) and was gunned down by a young man (Tom Pittman, who died similarly to James Dean) she befriended on the wagon train.

Twilight Zone S1E36 'A World of His Own' 

Writer Keenan Wynn can make his characters come to life. He does so with wife and mistress. Phyllis Kirk and Mary LaRoche.

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