January 11 - 17, 2025

 

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

Brain Teasers:

Which Italian Western is credited as "un film di Robert Lover"?

No one has answered this question yet.

Can you name two Italian Westerns for which new title songs were added for U.S. release?

No one has answered this question yet.

From what expensive Epic Movie was Sergio Leone fired?

Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was SODOM AND GOMORRAH.

And now for some new brain teasers:

In which Italian Western does Ivan Rassimov and Rada Rassimov play brother and sister?

In which Italian Western does Rada Rassimov get knocked about by Lee Van Cleef?

In which Italian Western does everyone kill each other over a bag of gold, but we never get to see the contents of the bag?

Name the movies from which these images came.

George Grimes identified last week's photo of Nieves Navarro in EL ROJO.

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 Philippe Leroy and Rossana Podesta in SOLO CONTRO ROMA, aka ALONE AGAINST ROME.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes, Angel Rivera, Bertrand van Wonterghem and Charles Gilbert identified last week's photo of Lou Ferrigno in SINBAD OF THE SEVEN SEAS.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's frame grab from THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN, aka THE MASTER KILLER.

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:

82nd Golden Globes (2025) - Nice to see honors for Hacks and Shogun.

Mildly enjoyed:

 FREE GUY (2021) - I don't play video games, but this fantasy about a background character in a video game becoming a sentient A.I. person is fun - especially with Ryan Reynolds as the character. And Jodie Comer is quite fetching with a black wig. Shawn Levy directed this film which turned out to be a splendid "spot the star cameo" game with Taika Waititi, Utkarsh Ambudkar (who is now on CBS' Ghosts), Channing Tatum, Chris Evans and Alex Trebek. Reportedly inspired by SIMULACRON-3 by Daniel Francis Galouye, FREE GUY also reminds me of TRON and TRUMAN.

INKHEART (2008) - It is hard to figure out why this adaptation of German writer Cornelia Funke's TINTENHRZ, the first of what had been a trilogy and is now four books, feels a bit flat. Director Iain Softley has before done credible work, but not in the Young Adult fantasy realm. Perhaps the screenplay by David Lindsay-Abaire failed to give the material that special *zing* which would have made it more enjoyable. In any case, I can't fault the casting. Writer Funke said that the father character was inspired by Brendan Fraser, so it is hard to argue about his playing the role. I've enjoyed Paul Bettany in many movies, but his character is one of the problems I had enjoying this movie. While his character gets the plot moving, it is also a rather stupid and cowardly character that hinders the good guys as often as it helps. It is a nice bit to see Bettany's wife, Jennifer Connelly, doing a cameo as the wife Bettany is eager to get back to in the book from which he had been taken. Eliza Hope Bennett is wonderful as Fraser's daughter and proves to be quite a good singer with the end credits tune. I became a fan of Sienna Guillory after I saw the TV mini-series of Helen Of Troy (2003) and I wished that she had a larger role in this, but she certainly convinced me that Fraser would do anything to try and bring her back from being trapped in a book. Not surprising, Andy Serkis makes a credible villain, Jim Broadbent brings some warm humor as the author mystified to see his characters alive in the "real" world and it is always nice to see Helen Mirren. As I previously wrote, I wonder why this movie isn't more fun.

SILVER HAWK (2004) - Michelle Yeoh co-produced and stars in this Chinese female Batman film.that pre-dates BATMAN BEGINS with flashbacks to the hero(ine) taking martial arts training. I am surprised that this isn't based on a Japanese comic book because it has the same kind of juvenile sensibility found in manga. Because Silver Hawk is so effective at fighting crime, the Polaris City police force has a morale problem. Newly appointed Police Superintendent Richie Jen is tasked to arrest the vigilante, or, at least, stop the criminals before she does. They end up having to work together against Luke Goss, who wants to put a new A.I. microchip into new blue-tooth like headsets which will bend the wearer's brain to do Goss' bidding. Goss is like a villain in a James Bond movie, which reminds the viewer that Yeoh did one of those. He even has a self-destruct program in his gleaming metallic secret base. Jingle Ma, who was the cinematographer on previous Jackie Chan and Michelle Yeoh movies, is the director here. At the very least, SILVER HAWK is more fun than THE HEROIC TRIO and its sequel EXECUTIONERS.

Did not enjoy:

ALL NIGHT LONG  (1962) - Born Israel Shapiro from Russian Jewish immigrants, he became Paul Jarrico when he became an Hollywood screenwriter. After being blacklisted during the HUAC period, he eventually moved to Europe where he became Peter Achilles when he co-wrote, with Nel King, this modern day version of OTHELLO set in the London Jazz screne. Richard Attenborough runs an all-night jazz club in an old warehouse. Tonight he's throwing a one-year anniversary party for band leader Paul Harris and his wife, the former singer Marti Stevens. Harris' drummer, Patrick McGoohan, has ambitions to lead his own band and calculates that if he can get Stevens to come out of retirement to sing in his band, booking agent Bernard Braden will hire him. Stevens doesn't want to come out of retirement because that would cause strife in her marriage. McGoohan decides to manipulate the situation by getting Harris to believe that his wife is having an affair with alto sax player Keith Michell. While he comes close to killing Stevens, Harris pulls away in time, but then throws Michell over a balcony. Still alive, Michell fingers McGoohan as the villain and Stevens is able to prevent Harris from killing McGoohan. Everyone leaves the party down in the dumps and McGoohan refuses the love offered by his wife Betsy Blair. John Dankworth is one of the real jazz musicians who worked on this film, and its opening theme music sounds a bit like what Dankworth put on SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN years later. I'm not much of a jazz fan so the performances by Dave Brubeck and Charles Mingus, among others, did nothing for me. Interestingly, Betsy Blair was also blacklisted during the "Red Scare", so after her divorce from Gene Kelly, she too moved to Europe.

MONSTER MAN (2003) - After writing the three PREHYSTERIA films and writing/directing EIGHT DAYS A WEEK, 100 GIRLS and 100 WOMEN, Michael Davis decided to  try his hand at buddy road trip comedy that turns out to be an Horror film. The problem is that the buddies, Eric Jungmann and Justin Urich, aren't very likeable and not very funny. When they pick up a beautiful hitchhiker, Aimee Brooks, the question is - how much like HOSTEL will this be?, though that isn't fair as HOSTEL was made two years later. In any case, the three are menanced by a Monster Truck driven by a monster looking fellow Urich deems "fuck face". While Davis delivers some nasty gore, he fails to make the proceedings scary because we don't care for the heroes.

NON ASPETTARE DJANGO, SPARA, aka DON'T WAIT DJANGO... SHOOT! (1967) - Behind the name of Glenn Vincent Davis, actor Vincenzo Musolino has gotten the credit for writing six Italian Westerns, but he's only taken acting roles in three of those under the name Bill Jackson. The last two Westerns he directed under the Davis name. However, I don't believe that the makers of DON'T WAIT DJANGO... SHOOT! actually went into production with a completed script. The film plays like they had an idea for a story, and then started to make-up stuff to fill out the required 80 minute running time. It also seems to me that the title is being ironic, because everyone does a lot of waiting around in between mass shootings. On the road, Cesar Ojinaga leads a small army against Armando Guarnieri and his four men. Ojinaga says that he's come to take back the $10,000 in gold Don Gino Buzzanca paid Guarnieri for horses that weren't delivered. Guarnier won't give up the gold, so Ojinaga and his men massacre Guarnier and his men. Meanwhile, Don Buzzanca complains that Ojinaga has not returned with the gold and so sends Dino Strano and some men to find Ojinaga. Meanwhile Guarnieri's son, Django - played by Sean Todd, aka Ivan Rassimov, comes home to see his sister, Rada Rassimov, and his uncle, and learns that his father was murdered. The sister and uncle want to leave the area, but our hero convinces them to stay because "everything will be okay". Boy, does he prove to be wrong. Ojinaga and his men are hanging out at night, listening to a guitar player. Ojinaga then realizes that his son has gotten away with the gold. This upsets Ojinaga so much that he slaps the woman who tells him and then shoots dead one of his own men for questioning him. Ojinaga then sets off with some men to find the son. After he's left, Django arrives and shoots dead all of the men left behind. Ojinaga arrives in town to find his son dead and the gold missing. Ojinaga rounds up most of the men in town and threatens to kill everyone if someone doesn't confess to killing his son. He is only prevented from fulfilling his threat when Django appears and kills Ojinaga and all of his men. It seems that our hero has fulfilled his desire for revenge, when Pedro Sanchez, aka Ignazio Spalla, pops up and tells him that someone has stolen the $10,000 which had been stolen from his Dad. Sanchez thinks that Giovanni Sabbatini did it, but he convinces our hero to wait until Sabbadini leaves his hotel room before acting on his suspicions. Meanwhile Strano pushes around our hero's sister and uncle looking for Django. Eventually, Strano and his men arrive in town and find Django, who promptly kills them all. Having lost so many men, Don Buzzanca requests the services of Hondo - played by Bill Jackson, aka Vincenzo Musolino - and his men to get back the gold and kill our hero. (Just a note here that Buzzanca still says that Guarnieri cheated him, so maybe our hero's father was in the wrong.) Sabbatini decides to wait for the morning stagecoach on which girlfriend Marisa Traversi will leave with the gold, because he figures that no one will suspect her. So while our hero cleans his gun, Undertaker Franco Pesce complains that he won't be burying any more corpses on credit, Sanchez drinks from a bottle, the town listens to another guitar player while Sabbatini plays with a silver dollar. Finally, morning comes, Sanchez helps Traversi into the coach, but then grabs the satchel with the gold away from her. Sabbatini finally comes out of the hotel and has a showdown with Django, which, of course, he loses. Meanwhile, Hondo kill our hero's uncle and kidnaps Django's sister. A minion arrives in town to tell Django that  Don Buzzanca demands that he and the gold must come to the ranch in exchange for the release of the sister. Hondo asks Don Buzzanca to be paid in advance, and when he is told to wait for the return of the gold, Hondo kills the villain, while his men kill all of the Don's men. So, when Django shows up at the ranch for the "settling of accounts", Hondo only has enough men with which for our hero can deal. Felice Di Stefano delivers a tuneful music score which quickly become reapidative which doesn't save the movie from becoming sleep inducing. We should all be thankful, though, that no one decided to call this movie DJANGO VS. HONDO.

 

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David Deal Enjoyed:

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN (24)

8 1/2 (63) - The 4K looks great.

MEMOIR OF A SNAIL (24)

THERE GOES BARDER (55) - This Eddie Constantine adventure still has enough going for it.

BARRY LYNDON (75) - I appreciate this movie much more than I used to when I was young.

MURDER MOST FOWL (24) - AKA Wallace and Gromit in...

Mildly Enjoyed 

SON OF CLEOPATRA (64)

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Angel Rivera  Enjoyed:

"TARAWA BEACHHEAD" (1958)
Kerwin Mathews' first lead role. He works with the husband and wife team of Ray Danton and Julie Adams. During WWII, Kerwin is a sergeant under Danton who is only interested in glory, regardless of what it costs his unit. Every man is killed except for Mathews and another man. When the other man refuses to obey Danton's orders, Danton shoots him claiming he mistook him for the enemy, Kerwin keeps quiet. When Kerwin meets the man's widow (played by Julie Adams), they carry on an affair. When Kerwin is called back to duty, it is under the orders of Danton. Kerwin goes back to combat under the orders of Danton. A WWII tale interesting to watch. After this movie, Kerwin goes on to play Sinbad in "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad" (1958).

"LONGTIME COMPANION" (1990)
At the beginning of the AIDS crisis, a group of gay friends try to care for each other.

"BAADASSSSSS CINEMA" (2002)
An interesting documentary about the so-called "blaxploitation films". Has interviews with Pam Grier, Fred Williamson, Melvin Van Peebles and others of the "blaxploitation" era.

"THE BRONZE SCREEN: 100 YEARS OF THE LATINO IMAGE IN HOLLYWOOD CINEMA" (2002)
A documentary about the different stereotypes used to represent Hispanic characters in Hollywood movies. For example: "the greaser"; "the Latin  lover', etc.

"KISSIN' COUSINS" (1964)
One of Elvis' most silliest roles as the relative of a hillbilly clan. He also plays a lookalike cousin with blond hair. (Elvis was born with sandy blond hair, but dyed it black to resemble his mother's. He also had a twin brother who died at birth.) The best thing about this movie is Yvonne Craig; especially when she is seen in a two piece bikini.

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Charles Gilbert watched:

NO DOWN PAYMENT (1957) B&W. The following neighborhood married couples get cozy in a modern California subdivision: 

Jeffrey Hunter and Patricia Owens

Pat Hingle and Barbara Rush

Cameron Mitchell and Joanne Woodward

Tony Randall and Sheree North

They share each others cigarettes, booze, problems, until one of the husbands gets drunk and rapes a neighbors wife. 

SMOOTH AS SILK (1946) B&W. Effervescent actress Paula Marlowe (Virginia Gregg) strings along three men in her aspiration to get the female lead in a play. One of the men (Kent Taylor) murders another (John Litel), and tries to pin the slaying on the third.

THE MAN THEY COULD NOT HANG (1939) B&W. Rogue scientist Dr. Savaard (Boris Karloff) experiments with a student who volunteers artificial death so his mentor can revive him, thus proving a revolutionary medical technique. But the nurse rats on him, leaving the student permanently deceased, and the doctor subject to capital punishment by the noose. But he is revived by the same mechanical heart technique courtesy his surviving lab assistant (Byron Foulger), focusing on revenge.

THE MAN WHO TURNED TO STONE (1957) B&W. Dr. Jess Rogers (William Hudson) is called in to investigate suicides at a womens prison. The staff there, headed by Dr. Murdock (Victor Jory) are suspected of conducting strange experinents on immortality.

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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed: 

Seven keys to Baldpate (1947, Lew Landers)

The seventh victim (1943, Mark Robson)

Gojira shingyura pointo / Godzilla singular point (2021, anime) episodes 11 to 13

Kekkon surutte, honto desu ka ? / 365 days to the wedding (anime) (2024, Hiroshi Ikehata) – episode 2

Oh naui gwishinnim / Oh my ghost (2015, Yu Je Won) – episodes 1 to 5

Mildly enjoyed:

Der kleine Schwarze mit dem roten Hut (1975, Franz Antel)

Krazy house (2023, Steffen Haars & Flip Van der KuiL)

Did not enjoy:

Arriva Django e Sartana... è la fine (1970, Demofilo Fidani)

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