To answer these trivia questions, please email me at scinema@earthlink.net.
Brain Teasers:
Which actress, born in France, appeared in movies with Klaus Kinski, Guy Madison, Ann-Margaret, Mike Marshall, Ivan Rassimov and Kirk Morris?
George Grimes, Angel Rivera and Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was Helene Chanel.
Which actor, born in Hungary, appeared in movies with Gordon Mitchell, Rita Calderoni, Joseph Cotten, Ivan Rassimov and Tony Randall?
George Grimes, Angel Rivera and Bertrand van Wonterghem knew that it was Mickey Hargitay.
Which actress, born in France, worked with directors Duccio Tessari, Mario Bava, Peter Hammond, Giorgio Capitani and Terence Young?
George Grimes and Angel Rivera knew that it was Claudine Auger.
And now for some new brain teasers:
Which French actor worked with directors Sergio Corbucci, Luis Bunuel, Fred Zinnemann, Sergio Martino and Lucio Fulci?
Which actor, born in Italy but raised in the U.K., worked with directors Michael Roesch, Peter Scheerer, Sergio Martino, Tom Dey and Damiano Damiani?
Which Italian director worked with Terence Hill, Gian Maria Volonte, Tomas Milian, Keith Carradine and Burt Young?
Name the movies from which these images came.
Bertrand van Wonterghem and George Grimes identified last week's frame grab of Tatsuya Nakadai and Jeff Cameron in OGGI A ME... DOMANI A TE, aka TODAY TO ME... TOMORROW TO YOU, aka TODAY WE KILL TOMORROW WE DIE.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
Angel Rivera and Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's photo of Rod Flash Illush and Bella Cortez in VULCANO, FIGLIO DI GIOVE, aka VULCAN, SON OF ZEUS, aka VULCAN, SON OF JUPITER.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
George Grimes identified last week's frame grab of Charlotte Rampling in IL PORTIERE DI NOTTE, aka THE NIGHT PORTER.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
George Grimes identified last week's frame grab from LONE WOLF AND CUB: BABY CART TO HADES.
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:
Charles Grodin: Rebel with a Cause (2025) - Director James L. Freedman's documentary portrait of this actor not only tells of his showbiz career, it also spotlights his activism, particularly regarding social injustice issues. There is a long line of talking head interviews that attest to his impact on those who knew him. Unfortunately, there is no mention of the movie he wrote, MOVERS & SHAKERS.
Enjoyed:
Hacks seaon five (2026)
Leanne season two on Netflix (2026) - Netflix makes it very hard to see producer Chuck Lorre's vanity card.
MY MOM, JAYNE (2025) - Mariska Hargitay's documentary exploration of her mother, Jayne Mansfield, surprisingly becomes an investigation into family secrets. However, there is no mention of GLI AMORI DI ERCOLE, aka THE LOVES OF HERCULES, aka HERCULES VS. THE HYDRA, nor of L'AMORE PRIMITIVO, aka PRIMITIVE LOVE. No one has any nice things to say about Matt Cimber.
Rachel Bloom "Death, Let Me Do My Special" (2024) - This is not a stand-up comedy special. At first it pretends to be, but soon David Hull, as Death, heckles Bloom from the audience and brow beats her into talking about how the Covid epidemic and the birth of her daughter forced her to confront the idea of dying. When a number of other people she knew also died around the same time, it became quite an emotional experience for her - even getting her to ignore her atheist beliefs and praying that if a miracle could happen, she would considered become agnostic. With more original songs.
Stuart Fails To Save The Universe season one (2026) - Here's hoping for a season two. HBO Max makes if very hard to see producer Chuck Lorre's vanity card.
Taylor Tomlinson "Prodigal Daughter" on Netflix (2026)
Mildly enjoyed:
What Happened, Brittany Murphy? (2021) - If I had known that this two part series on HBO Max was produced by Blumhouse, I would have approached it with more caution. I was a fan of this actress and enjoyed looking at montages of her throughout the years, but the hateful conspiracy minded internet ghouls were a real irritant. Still, the program presented some unknown and interesting information so I'm glad I watched it. Like Debbie Reynolds, she should have walked away from a man claiming to be a billionaire who wanted to marry her when they first met.
MaryLand (2023) - Estranged U.K. sisters, Suranne Jones and Eve Best, are informed that their mother died on the Isle of Man. This is a bit of a shock as that is not where she said she was. Of course, the two siblings get together to discover that their mother had a secret life. Jones and Best are so good in the first hour of this three part mini-series that one hopes that the next two hours will be as interesting. Unfortunately, things become rather predictable, though the performances retain their quality. With writer Anne-Marie O'Connor, Jones created this show, which is directed by Susan Tully. Also appearing on this show is Stockard Channing as a friend of the deceased woman. Oddly, while the show gives a very charming portrait of life on the Isle of Man, it was reportedly filmed in Ireland.
Did not enjoy:
THE SARACEN BLADE (1954) - I spent much of my youth dealing with American film critics complaining about the Italian epic films that I loved as being cheap. Well, none of them looked as cheap and sported the ugly production design of this Sam Katzman production for Columbia Pictures. Frank Yerby's 1952 novel had too much plot for a 77 minute b-movie, and the script byDeVallon Scott and George Worthing Yates gave the actors little room for characterizations. However, Ricardo Montalban and Betta St. John had a pleasant screen presence and Michael Ansara was an effective villain. Having only really seen Rick Jason on the Combat! TV series, it was a surprise to see him play Ansara's son, but he showed nothing to suggest that he should have done better in features.It seemed odd to see Carolyn Jones as a blond.This flim did not change my perception that William Castle never directed a film that I liked. There was some good looking battle footage lifted from the 1949 black and white film PRINCE OF FOXES which did not blend well at all with the new footage of Montalban in bright colorful sunlight watching at a distance.
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Angel Rivera Highly enjoyed:
"THE BIG COUNTRY" (1958)
Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll baker, Charlton Heston, Chuck Connors, Burl Ives and Alfonso Bedoya. Brilliant cast. Brilliant script and direction. And a great score. Enjoyable every time I see it. If you have never seen it, I highly recommend it.
Enjoyed:
"THE FLINTSTONES: I YABBA-DABBA, DO!" (1993)
"The Flintstones" is one of my all-time favorite shows. It was even better once I got to see the episodes in color. Here I may have seen this when it originally aired, but I don't remember. Any way this special was made with Bam-Bam and Pebbles reaching an age where they can get married. Of course nothing runs smoothly, but in the end you get to say "Yabba-Dabba Do!"
"LANTERNS" S1, E6 (2026)
If you accept how they are rewriting the origins of Hal Jordan/Green Lantern and John Stewart/Green Lantern with a little shot to the origin of Guy Gardner/Green Lantern, then the series may be of interest. As we approach the end of the series in two more episodes, one just wants to see how it turns out.
"AGAINST ALL FLAGS" (1952)
Fun later pirate film from Errol Flynn; finally teams up with Maureen O'Hara (who also made a pirate film with Tyrone Power, "The Black Swan" (1942) Anthony Quinn is in there too. Later remade as "The King's Pirate" (1967) with Doug McClure in the Flynn role.
"THE CRIMSON PIRATE" (1952)
A smiling Burt Lancaster and his acrobatic partner Nick Cravat sailing the high seas for adventure and plunder. Lancaster stops to help Eva Bartok in her struggles and she adds to the action. If you like old style pirate films, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one.
"SEVEN GUNS FOR TIMOTHY" (1966)
Sean Flynn, son of Errol Flynn in a "spaghetti western" which takes its cue from "The Magnificent Seven" (1960) with more comedic specialties other than a fast draw with a gun. Has the beautiful Ida Galli (aka Evelyn Stewart) in it. It also features a fun villainous turn from Fernando Sancho.
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David Deal Enjoyed:
THE PEARL OF DEATH (44)
COLT IS MY PASSPORT (67) - The decade of Japanese crime noir that began in the late 50's is comparable to the French cycle of the same time; nihilistic yet formal in approach.
AMUCK (72)
IMPROMPTU (91) - Highly enjoyable telling of the genesis of the affair between George Sand (Judy Davis) and Frederic Chopin (Hugh Grant). Quite the cast too.
HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (59)
THE FALCON'S ALIBI (46)
THE SAINT TAKES OVER (40)
Mildly enjoyed:
THE WALKING DEAD (36)
LA GATTA IN CALORE (72) - Silvano Tranquilli returns home from a business trip and finds the dead body of his neighbor in his yard. Next, he finds his wife (Eva Czemerys) in shock with their gun in her hand. What the hell happened? We find out in flashbacks. Unpleasant Hitchcockian mystery that provides little interest, frankly.
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Bertrand van Wonterghem Highly enjoyed:
Patrouille sans espoir (1956, Claude Bernard-Aubert)
Enjoyed:
La madone des sleepings (1955, Henri Diamant-Berger)
Les salauds vont en enfer (1955, Robert Hossein & Georges Lampin)
Ce soir les jupons volent (1956, Dimitri Kirsanoff)
Le septième commandement (1956, Raymond Bernard)
Les truands (1956, Carlo Rim)
L'escadron blanc (1948, René Chanas)
The guest (2018, Kim Hong-seon) – episodes 5 & 6
Naeildo chulgeun / See you at work tomorrow ! (2025, Jo Eun-sol) – episode 7
Mildly enjoyed:
Le rendez-vous des quais (1955, Paul Carpita)
56, rue Pigalle (1949, Willy Rozier)
L'invité du mardi (1949, Jacques Deval)
Ceux du ciel (1941, Yvan Noé)
La femme que j'ai le plus aimée (1942, Yves Mirande)
Rue de l'estrapade (1953, Jacques Becker)
Did not enjoy:
Les révoltés de Lomanach (1953, Richard Pottier)
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