To answer these trivia questions, please email me at scinema@earthlink.net.
Brain Teasers:
Which Italian film director worked with Boris Karloff, Ugo Tognazzi, Jerome Courtland, Horst Frank, Yoko Tani, Richard Harrison, George Martin and Brad Harris?
Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was Roberto Bianchi Montero.
Which actor, born in Venezuela in 1925, appeared in at least 20 Italian Westerns?
Bertrand van Wonterghem, George Grimes, Tom Betts and Angel Rivera knew that it was Jose Torres.
Which Italian actor reportedly attended the Actors Studio in New York before returning to Italy to make his first movie in 1953?
Tom Betts knew that it was Giacomo Rossi Stuart.
And now for some new brain teasers:
With how many Italian born film directors did Yvonne De Carlo work?
Which American body builder, who played Hercules in Italy, also appeared in a "Beach Party" movie?
On how many Italian productions did Alan Ladd work?
Name the movies from which these images came.
George Grimes and Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's photo of Alex Cord in UN MINUTO PER PREGARE, UN ISTANTE PER MORIRE, aka A MINUTE TO PRAY, A SECOND TO DIE.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
No one identified the above photo.
It shows Yvonne De Carlo and Jorge Mistral in LA SPADA E LA CROCE, aka THE SWORD AND THE CROSS, aka MARY MAGDALENE.
George Grimes identified last week's photo of Adriana Ambesi and Cesar Benet in MALENKA, aka FANGS OF THE LIVING DEAD.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
George Grimes identified last week's photo of Raizo Ichikawa in SATAN'S SWORD.
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:
AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Francis Ford Coppola (2025)
Leanne Morgan "I'm Every Woman" (2023)
EDVARD MUNCH (1974) - In 1968, English writer/director Peter Watkins visited the Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo, Norway, and was inspired to make a biographical film about the artist in Watkins' own unique style. Beginning with Culloden in 1964 for BBC-TV, Watkins explored historical events as if a modern TV crew was documenting it with spot interviews with participants. Watkins also chose to use non-professional actors. Reportedly, it took three years for Watkins to convince Norweigen Broadcasting Corporation to fund the project, and that only happened because Swedish Public Broadcasting - Sveriges Television AB, agreed to co-produce. This resulted in a two-part TV movie, filmed mostly in Oslo, where most of the non-professional cast spoke Norweigen which was subtitled for the English speaking audience. Watkins provided the narration, and edited the production into a non-linear narrative suggesting that immense impact of the many deaths Munch witnessed in his childhood and the scars of an bad affair with a married woman, had on him throughout his adult life. With access to Munch's original art, thanks to the Munch Museum, Watkins carefully detailed the creation of many works, using quotations from Munch's diaries to suggest the artist's state of mind. The narration also set Munch into the important events in the world of his time, while there was a convincing recreation of where and with whom he moved. At 211 minutes, the show had a lot of content, but Watkins' editing always kept the viewer's attention.
THE TOUCHABLES (1968) - In 1970, I saw SCREAM AND SCREAM AGAIN about five times and wanted to see more of Judy Huxtable. At the library, I pour over their copies of SCREEN WORLD, edited by John Willis, and the only other credit I could find for her was THE TOUCHABLES. Publicity for that film showed up in the Japanese movie magazine SCREEN, but the movie never played on Okinawa. About 20 years later, the film played on FXM - Movies from Fox (another cable channel that I miss terribly like the old American Movie Classics which didn't run commercials) and I videotaped it. For some reason, I put off watching it for almost 30 years - probably because I was afraid that a movie I had wanted to see for so long would be one that I didn't like. Now at the age of 69, I figured I should see it before I suddenly die. Well, I did enjoy it - though there wasn't as much of Judy Huxtable in it as I wanted. Now, thanks to the IMDb, I know of other roles she's had that I can watch - and I could try to find her autobiography LOVING PETER: MY LIFE WITH PETER COOK AND DUDLEY MOORE, written under her married name of Judy Cook. In any case, Judy never got a role which really focused on her. Here she was part of a gang of young women - probably all from wealthy families though there was no backstory given - who spend their time coming up with pointless pranks. The film began with a close up of a dummy (wax work) made to look like Alfred Hitchcock. The young women decided to steal the dummy that looked like Michael Caine, but Judy took off with the dummy leaving the others behind. One of the group, Esther Anderson, was dating prancing wrestling star Ricky Starr, so David Anthony was spotted in the audience. Starr's opponent in the ring was gangster Harry Baird, who wore a mask. He also spotted Anthony and with his associate James Villiers decided to extort Anthony's agent for protection. However, the four young women kidnapped Anthony and whisked him away to a giant bubble in the country, They tied him to a four posted bed to "have their way with him", but he didn't seem to mind and soon had the run of the place - except that he couldn't leave. When Anthony was a no-show for his professional engagements, his manager tells Baird that he won't pay protection money if no one can find Anthony. Eventually, everyone ended up at the giant bubble which deflated while everyone was having a big punch-up. Reportedly, the story came from director Robert Freeman, who had been the official photographer for The Beatles from 1963 until 1966. Brothers David and Donald Cammell came aboard to write the script, which was probably why it didn't make much sense. Professional writer Ian La Frenais was credited with the screenplay, without his usual collaborator Dick Clement, whom might have asked "What's it supposed to be about?" For a comedy made in 1968, it was amazing that it didn't end with a long and dull final chase, but I'm thankful no character ended up dead. Anthony getting shot in the head while trying to make an escape came to nothing and seemed as pointless as most everything else in this movie. I recognized a snippet from Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive" during one scene, while someone on the IMDb recognized a song by a 1960's British band called Nirvana. At one point, Anderson did a sexy dance infront of a flashing movie screen while Aretha Franklin's version of "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" played.
Mildly enjoyed:
ALIEN ROMULUS (2024) - After two irritating prequels, the owners of the ALIEN franchise seem to understand that the audience wanted something more like the original films, so they took elements from 1-4 and blended them together into something like a remake of the first film. A fellow on YouTube pointed out elements taken from the Alien video games, as well as elements from the The Last Of Us video game.
The Punisher season two (2019) - In season one of this show, I likened Frank Castle's ability to withstand incredible brutality to the character of Painkiller Jane. In season two, Billy Russo and John Pilgrim join the Painkiller Jane corps, though, eventually one of the dies. This incredible ability becomes even more apparent because most of the many minor characters perish after only one bullet hit. As with the first season, there is no dramatic justification for this story to be spread over 13 episodes. If you shorten the yammering dialog, it might make an enjoyable two hour movie, but it would not get a rating from the MPA because of the extreme bloodletting.
Your Friend, Nate Bargatze (2024)
Peacemaker season one (2022) - I guess it is time to consider James Gunn as an auteur, as there is something obviously his in everything he does. I prefer his stuff when it isn't as vulgar as he can make it. So I like the Guardians of the Galaxy movies and SUPERMAN more than TROMEO AND JULIET, THE SUICIDE SQUAD and the Peacemaker series.
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Angel Rivera Highly enjoyed:
"STINGRAY" S1, E25: Stand by for Action" (1965)
Of the "Supermarionation" shows, "Stingray" is my favorite. This particular episode is more for adults than for children. It is a satire of the entertainment industry. The plot revolves around a film crew that is making a movie about Stingray and its crew and their actions. Unbeknownst to the crew, the making of the movie is really part pf a plot to kill Captain Troy Tempest, skipper of the Stingray. The funny part comes when it is decided that Troy can't play himself in the movie. An actor named Johnny Swoonara is hired to play Stingray's captain. (Part of the joke here is that every time his name is mentioned the girl characters faint or "swoon".) The best part of the episode is when Stingray is in trouble, with Johnny at the helm. He falls apart. "I don't have to put up with this", he exclaims! "It's not in my contract!" he cries. Troy comes to the rescue and all the girls swoon when his name is mentioned. The puppets created for this series are based on real people. Troy's features were patterned after James Garner. The villain Titan is based on Sir Laurence Olivier. The female puppet, Marina is based on Brigitte Bardot. The Johnny Swoonara puppet is actually a redressed "Steve Zodiac" puppet from "Fireball XL5", another one of the other "Supermarionation" shows. Great fun.
"THE WOLF MAN" (1941)
Because I had to use a cane for awhile, it got me thinking of the cane Larry Talbot has in the original Universal Pictures 1941 film, "The Wolf Man". I hadn't seen the film in a long time so I was surprised at how well it was made and with a great supporting cast. Lon Chaney, Jr. plays his character as confident of his attraction around women as he tries to romance a local village girl, played by Evelyn Ankers.[Talbot almost steals a kiss from Ankers when before he gets the kiss, he feels his transformation happening. and he runs off and starts to change into a wolf man.] Prior to that scene Ankers is shown as a little weary of Lon's advances as she is engaged to Patric Knowles, the groundskeeper for the Talbot estate. Bela Lugosi is the gypsy who is a werewolf and who attacks Chaney who kills Bela, but not before the werewolf has bitten him. Maria Ouspenskaya is Bela's mother, the gypsy woman Maleeva. Ralph Bellamy plays the chief of police and Claude Rains is Lon's father. Chaney gives a great performance as the man bitten by a werewolf and survives, only to become a beast himself. The film moves at a great pace and has a great ending. Glad I watched it again, after all this time,
"THE INVISIBLE MAN" (1933)
My favorite of all the "Universal' monsters. Claude Rains plays a man who has experimented with what man should leave alone. Great music.( Later reused for the "Flash Gordon" serials.) Rains performance is fantastic as he presents Jack Griffin, the invisible man as he goes mad due to using some ingredient in his invisible making formula. A great film classic.
Of the "Supermarionation" shows, "Stingray" is my favorite. This particular episode is more for adults than for children. It is a satire of the entertainment industry. The plot revolves around a film crew that is making a movie about Stingray and its crew and their actions. Unbeknownst to the crew, the making of the movie is really part pf a plot to kill Captain Troy Tempest, skipper of the Stingray. The funny part comes when it is decided that Troy can't play himself in the movie. An actor named Johnny Swoonara is hired to play Stingray's captain. (Part of the joke here is that every time his name is mentioned the girl characters faint or "swoon".) The best part of the episode is when Stingray is in trouble, with Johnny at the helm. He falls apart. "I don't have to put up with this", he exclaims! "It's not in my contract!" he cries. Troy comes to the rescue and all the girls swoon when his name is mentioned. The puppets created for this series are based on real people. Troy's features were patterned after James Garner. The villain Titan is based on Sir Laurence Olivier. The female puppet, Marina is based on Brigitte Bardot. The Johnny Swoonara puppet is actually a redressed "Steve Zodiac" puppet from "Fireball XL5", another one of the other "Supermarionation" shows. Great fun.
"THE WOLF MAN" (1941)
Because I had to use a cane for awhile, it got me thinking of the cane Larry Talbot has in the original Universal Pictures 1941 film, "The Wolf Man". I hadn't seen the film in a long time so I was surprised at how well it was made and with a great supporting cast. Lon Chaney, Jr. plays his character as confident of his attraction around women as he tries to romance a local village girl, played by Evelyn Ankers.[Talbot almost steals a kiss from Ankers when before he gets the kiss, he feels his transformation happening. and he runs off and starts to change into a wolf man.] Prior to that scene Ankers is shown as a little weary of Lon's advances as she is engaged to Patric Knowles, the groundskeeper for the Talbot estate. Bela Lugosi is the gypsy who is a werewolf and who attacks Chaney who kills Bela, but not before the werewolf has bitten him. Maria Ouspenskaya is Bela's mother, the gypsy woman Maleeva. Ralph Bellamy plays the chief of police and Claude Rains is Lon's father. Chaney gives a great performance as the man bitten by a werewolf and survives, only to become a beast himself. The film moves at a great pace and has a great ending. Glad I watched it again, after all this time,
"THE INVISIBLE MAN" (1933)
My favorite of all the "Universal' monsters. Claude Rains plays a man who has experimented with what man should leave alone. Great music.( Later reused for the "Flash Gordon" serials.) Rains performance is fantastic as he presents Jack Griffin, the invisible man as he goes mad due to using some ingredient in his invisible making formula. A great film classic.
Enjoyed:
"PRETTY MAIDS ALL IN A ROW" (1971)
I saw a video on YouTube which called this film an unsung gem. Rock Hudson stars as a football coach who doubles as a guidance counselor who is sleeping with his female students. Since this movie was made in the seventies there is an ample amount of nudity. When some of the girls wound dead police detective Telly Savalas is on the case. Angie Dickinson is also featured as a teacher who at Hudson's behest helps cure a male student of his ED performance problems. While it has some merits I don't agree that the film is an unsung gem. Still has some interesting moments to watch.
I saw a video on YouTube which called this film an unsung gem. Rock Hudson stars as a football coach who doubles as a guidance counselor who is sleeping with his female students. Since this movie was made in the seventies there is an ample amount of nudity. When some of the girls wound dead police detective Telly Savalas is on the case. Angie Dickinson is also featured as a teacher who at Hudson's behest helps cure a male student of his ED performance problems. While it has some merits I don't agree that the film is an unsung gem. Still has some interesting moments to watch.
Mildly enjoyed:
"FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN" (1943)
A direct sequel to "The Wolf Man", it also has a rather unique distinction of being a sequel to another film, "The Ghost of Frankenstein". The Monster this time is Bela Lugosi behind the Monster's makeup. and the two creatures do physically fight each other.
"THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN" (1942)
A sequel to 1939 "Son of Frankenstein" The other son of Frankenstein played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke who takes over his family's business when he puts a new brain in the Monster's body. Unbeknownst to Sir Cedric Hardwicke.his collaborator played by Lionel Atwill has replaced the brain he was going to use. He has placed the brain of Ygor the gypsie into the Monster's head. But because Ygor and the Monster do not have the same blood type Lugosi/Monster goes blind. The local peasantry then storm the castle with the usual result. The monster is thought to be killed and believed to be dead. (of course until he returns in the next sequel.)
"FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN" (1943)
A direct sequel to "The Wolf Man", it also has a rather unique distinction of being a sequel to another film, "The Ghost of Frankenstein". The Monster this time is Bela Lugosi behind the Monster's makeup. and the two creatures do physically fight each other.
"THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN" (1942)
A sequel to 1939 "Son of Frankenstein" The other son of Frankenstein played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke who takes over his family's business when he puts a new brain in the Monster's body. Unbeknownst to Sir Cedric Hardwicke.his collaborator played by Lionel Atwill has replaced the brain he was going to use. He has placed the brain of Ygor the gypsie into the Monster's head. But because Ygor and the Monster do not have the same blood type Lugosi/Monster goes blind. The local peasantry then storm the castle with the usual result. The monster is thought to be killed and believed to be dead. (of course until he returns in the next sequel.)
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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed:
Western union (1941, Fritz Lang)
Above suspicion (1945, Richard Thorpe)
Uchu kara no messeji: Ginga taisen / San Ku Kaï (1979) – episodes 22 to 26
Mildly Enjoyed
La rentrée des sketches (tv show) (2006, Frédéric Playoust)
Young Billy Young (1969, Burt Kenned)
Blue steel (1989, Kathryn Bigelow)
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David Deal Enjoyed:
CAESAR THE CONQUEROR (63)
GOLDFINGER (64)
IKARIE XB 1 (63) - From 2010: "Very cool Czech sci-fi based on a Stanislaw Lem story has long term community of astronauts encountering ancient, abandoned spacecraft, and fending off mass hypnosis and other socio-political themes. Great sets and noir-ish photography. Recommended for those with a taste for this stuff."
RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY (62)
ALIAS NICK BEAL (49) - Ray Milland is slick Nick Beal alias Lucifer, who uses subtle means to bargain for the soul of ambitious politician Thomas Mitchell. Audrey Totter is the floozy Beal recruits to further corrupt the man. A supernatural story told in a film noir style. Milland and Totter are excellent.
AND GOD SAID TO CAIN (70)
WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO YOUR DAUGHTERS (74) - From 2006: "Fair riff on SOLANGE by Massimo Dallamano features Claudio Cassinelli as the cop after a schoolgirl prostitution ring. Also features the ever-lovable Farley Granger as an out-of-touch father and Mario Adorf in a small but excellent role as another cop with a daughter involved in the shenanigans."
THE BRIDES OF DRACULA (60)
THE H-MAN (59)
SO DARLING, SO DEADLY (66)
THE MAGNETIC MONSTER (53)
SECRET OF THE RED ORCHID (61)
WHO SAW HER DIE? (72) - From 2018: "My opinion of this Aldo Lado giallo has changed over the years. Yes, it was made to echo the style of Argento but it is quality entertainment in its own right. Worth another look."
THE VAMPIRE'S COFFIN (58)
MISS O'DELL (25) - Interesting documentary on a woman who worked for the Beatles, Stones, etc. in the heyday of the 1960's and 1970's.
TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI (54)
WAR OF THE PLANETS (65)
MAESTRA (23) - Compelling documentary about the female conductor competition in Paris. Recommended.
THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (57)
Mildly enjoyed:
LA CASA DE LAS PALOMAS (72) - AKA The House of the Pigeons. Lucia Bose cheats on husband Luis Davila with young hunk Glen Lee. When she breaks it off with Glen, he takes up with her daughter Ornella Muti. As you can imagine, relations sour with all affected. This dark romantic psychodrama was primarily a Spanish production directed by the ill-fated Claudio Guerin (Bell from Hell).
NIGHT OF THE DAMNED (71)
ALPHAVILLE (65)
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