October 3 - 9, 2026

 

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

Brain Teasers:

Which French actor worked with directors Sergio Corbucci, Luis Bunuel, Fred Zinnemann, Sergio Martino and Lucio Fulci?

Bertrand van Wonterghem and Angl Rivera knew that it was Jean Sorel.

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?

Bertrand van Wonterghem, George Grimes and Angel Rivera knew that it was Jason Connery.

Which Italian director worked with Terence Hill, Gian Maria Volonte, Tomas Milian, Keith Carradine and Burt Young?

Bertrand van Wonterghem, George Grimes and Angel Rivera knew that it was Damiano Damiani.

And now for some new brain teasers:

In which Italian Western is a character called Trinity because he is from Trinidad?

In which Italian Western is Wayde Preston determined to send our hero to Hell?

Complete the lyric, "You'll come ___ ___ some day. You'll come ___ ___ some day."

Name the movies from which these images came.

Bertrand van Wonterghem and George Grimes identified last week's frame grab of Lars Bloch, Robert Widmark (aka Alberto dell'Acqua) and Harry Baird in TRINITA E SARTANA, FIGLI DI..., aka TRINITY AND SARTANA SONS OF..., aka TRINTY AND SARTANA ARE COMING.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

Bertrand van Wonterghem identified last week's photo of Alberto dell'Acqua (not yet Robert Widmark) in I GIGANTI DI ROMA, aka GIANTS OF ROME.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

Bertrand van Wonterghem and George Grimes identified last week's frame grab of Jean Sorel in UNA RAGAZZA PIUTTOSTO COMPLICATA, aka A RATHER COMPLICATED GIRL.

Above is a new photo.

Can you name from what movie it came?

George Grimes identified last week's frame grab from DRAGON INN.

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:

Mildly enjoyed:

THE BLOODY TATTOO (THE LOOT) (1980) - An amusing kung fu comedy directed by Eric Tsang, aka Tsang Chi-wai, this is part buddy comedy and part murder mystery. Who is The Spider and why does it want to kill the family of Kwan Young Moon? Kwan hires bounty hunter David Chiang for protection, while rival bounty hunter, and sometimes thief, Norman Hsu, aka Norman Chui Siu-keung keeps butting in. What is the secret that Kwan doesn't want revealed? What is the connection Hsu has to the 20 year old jewelry store robbery? Who will prevail in the three way romantic rivarly for Lily Li's affection? Why is this film also called THE BLOODY TATTO? With Phillip Ko Fei, this talented team of physical performers pulls off some impressive work. When our heroes are trying to get information from a man who is dying from being tortured, they pound the man's chest with kung fu chest compressions until his heart starts beating again. When he dies again, they pound his chest again until the heart beats again and he is able to give them some more information. After four of five of these efforts, they finally admit that the man is dead. The credits for THE LOOT are pretty much identical to what appeared in Eric Tsang's directorial debut THE CHALLENGER.

THE CHALLENGER, aka DEADLY CHALLENGER (1979) - Siu Keung Tsui, aka Norman Chui Siu-keung, is seeking a villain, and his only clue is that the villain is opening a new martial arts school. According to this film, each time a school opens, a candle is lit and as long as that candle burns, the master must accept any challenge made. So Tsui is going from new school to new school and fighting to see if the master is the villain he seeks. Meanwhile, scoundrel David Chiang beats up a card dealer at a restaurant run by Lily Li, aka Lilly Lee, inorder to convince him that he won the deal he clearly lost. Li's boyfriend, Phillip Ko Fei, knows that Tsui is looking for him, so he gets Li to offer Chaing thousands of dollars to kill Tsui at the next new school opening. Eventually, Chiang and Tsui realize that they need to team up in order to defeat Ko-Fei. Tsui can counter Ko's Eagle Fist, but is unable to deal with the villain's Snake Fist. Chiang can beat the Snake, but is unable to counter Eagle Fist. When Tsui explains that he wants revenge because his wife died in childbirth having Ko-Fei's baby, Chiang sees it as a sped-up silent film in which Tsui invites Ko-Fei to get his wife pregnant because he's impotent. Tsui then explains, retelling the flashback with a series of still frame moments, showing that the villain raped his wife, and despite Tsui's best efforts, his wife never recovered her strength to have the baby. While THE CHALLENGER has its comedic moments, it is overall an intense revenge drama with impressive fighting. The comedy comes in when Chiang keeps telling Tsui that he can't kill Ko-Fei until they get the villain to tell where he's hidden his treasure. Director Eric Tsang, in his feature film debut, keeps putting in quirky moments that keeps the proceedings interesting.

TOY STORY 4 (2019) - I know that the makers of BABE wanted the audience to stop eating meat. Did the makers of TOY STORY 4 want the audience to be nicer to their toys? Or did they want everyone to lose their toys so that the toys can run off and join the carnival?

Did not enjoy:

CHAMPION OPERATION (1986) - This film opens with an Hong Kong version of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, in which a gang, disguised as cops, bust a smuggling operation, line up all of the workers against a wall, and then machine gun them to death. Cop Yu Kai Hai, aka Ho-Kwong Tang is assigned to the case, but gets distracted by a variety of other massacres and the allure of a beautiful dancer who is planning to emigrate to the U.K. The dancer is the daughter of gang boss Hse Hsiao Chiang, aka Norman Chu, who is thinking that he should go with his daughter to the U.K. and escape the violence and bloodshed of H.K. All of the violence seems to be caused by a rival gang from Mainland China. As bodies pile up everywhere, one of Chu's men decides to carve up the face of the sister of one of the Mainland gang. After much action, seemed designed to outdo what Jackie Chan accomplished in POLICE STORY (chasing after escaping crooks by grabbing onto the back fender of a car), the Mainland gangster and former cop Yu assault Chu's villa. As my father used to say, "a good Japanese movie - everybody dies", except that this is a Chinese flick. Executive produced by Lo Wei. Action director Lee Kin Seng, aka Chris Kin-Sang Li, certainly gave his stunt team an exhausting workout, while director Lai Hung Shuen, aka Hung-Chuen Lau, mostly kept the cast from crying all of the time. Lau mostly seemed to go back to being a director of photography after this. There is a music cue here taken from John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN.

THE REBELLIOUS REIGN (1980) - Having finished his instruction under master Chan Hui-lou, Jimmy Lee, aka Lung Fong, sets off hoping to aid the campaign to overthrow the Mongolian Emperor and reestablish the Ming Dynasty. After many minor skirmishes on the way, he eventually meets 4th Prince Norman Hsu, aka Chui Siu-keung, who convinces him to join in a plot to alter the dying Emperor's will to make him the heir to the throne. As a reward for his part in the conspiracy, Lee is given an high ranking government position. Naturally, Hsu figures out that Lee isn't loyal to him, so the murderous Emperor sends out soldiers to murder Lee and all of his friends. All of the martial arts play like Peking Opera acrobatics, but with some enjoyable bursts of bloody carnage - which almost approaches what director Chang Cheh might do. However, director Fong Chiung, aka Hsiang Fang, fails to make the characters or the story compelling, and the action quickly becomes repetitious. Bits of John Barry's music score from THE BLACK HOLE does liven up a few scenes engaging the viewer in a game of "Name That Tune".

THE SUBSTANCE (2024) - So how much of the nudity for Demi Moore's character and Margaret Qualley's character was actually accomplished by the actors and how much by their doubles? I saw 2026's BACKROOMS before I saw this, and I was surprised at how much this reminded me of that. Plus this film reminded me of director David Cronenberg's THE FLY and then director Don Sharp's THE CURSE OF THE FLY. How much did these filmmakers pay to use a music cue from Bernard Herrmann's score for VERTIGO? How did these guys get critics to take this movie seriously? Was it because it had a pseudo feminist premise? Was it because director Coralie Fargeat was a French female director who got final cut? Would I have liked this movie more if someone had killed the Dennis Quaid's character? What network were these people on? Aerobicize did air on U.S. TV, but no U.S. TV network would air a New Year's Eve Special with topless female Las Vegas showgirls. The film was shot in France, but it seemed to be taking place in the U.S. or did I get that wrong? Wouldn't someone on the TV production team have stopped the "Monstro Elisasue" before it got on stage, even with a photo of Demi Moore glued to her face? I suppose calling this a "satire" was supposed to absolve it any faults in logic or believability.

THE UNSINKABLE MOLLY BROWN (1964) - I remember seeing this multiple times when I was a kid - around the age of eight, so I must have either liked it or didn't find it particularly annoying. Now, I find it insufferable. I remember that I used to sing "I Ain't Down Yet" - "I'm gonna learn to read and write, I"m gonna see what there is to see", and I think I knew all of the words.  Seeing it again, I am shocked that it was the only memorable tune in the whole show. Perhaps this was a result of the movie people using only five of the original shows' 17 musical numbers. For many years, I thought that the song "They Call the Wind Maria" was from UNSINKABLE because it was sung by Harve Presnell, who not only co-starred in the Broadway production of UNSINKABLE for its 532 performance run in addition to the movie. However, he also appeared in the movie version of PAINT YOUR WAGON, which was where I heard "Maria" so I mixed up the two shows. From my childhood I only remember star Debbie Reynolds' exuberant performance and the sinking of the Titanic. I was shocked to discover that the Titanic sinking footage was taken from the Black and White movie A NIGHT TO REMEMBER of 1958, which doesn't match the widescreen color movie surrounding it. In her memoir, Reynolds recounts how she saw the original Broadway show and began to lobby for the role when it became known that MGM was going to do a movie version. The movie producers wanted Shirley MacLaine for the role and turned Reynolds down. However, MacLaine was under contract to Universal and they would not loan her out to MGM, so Reynolds finally got the part. It was hard to imagine MacLaine in the role, and MacLaine resented Reynolds for many years feeling that she stole the role from her. However, when MacLaine played the mother in POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE, which was obviously based on author Carrie Fisher's real mother - Reynolds - director Mike Nichols told Reynolds that she was wrong for the part. This turn of events seemed to resolve any ill-feelings between MacLaine and Reynolds. In any case, UNSINKABLE was the kind of corny musical which helped to end MGM's successful run of such shows. I wonder if some vague memory of having seeing it as a kid was why I found the film so predictable, or if it was just how Helen Deutsch's screenplay of the Meredith Willson & Richard Morris play worked. Harvey Lembeck fans may enjoy seeing him not play a motorcycle guy, while Martita Hunt fans, who only know her from BRIDES OF DRACULA, may enjoy seeing her in a different context.

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Angel Rivera Enjoyed:

"TALES OF TOMORROW": "Frankenstein" (1952)

I had heard about this episode, but this was the first time I was actually seeing it. This episode was an adaptation of "Frankenstein" with Lon Chaney, Jr. (Here billed as "Lon Chaney") playing Frankenstein's Monster and John Newland (of "One Step Beyond" fame) playing Victor Frankenstein. Primitive early TV production interesting as a showcase for Chaney to replay the Monster which he played once before in "The Ghost of Frankenstein" (1942) Also interesting watching Newland perform and not just playing host. 

 

"THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD" (1951)

Hadn't seen this in awhile, so I decided to give it another watch. Still entertaining, even now, with what I know about the making of this film.

 

"THE MARK OF ZORRO" (1920)

TCM's Swashbucklers Tuesday in October showcases the film that started a genre. Fairbanks' acrobatics and leaps and bounds are still entertaining. 

 

"THE THREE SWORDS OF ZORRO" (1963)

Had always wanted to see this, so I felt I got lucky when I came across it on YouTube in what was advertised as a Spanish language print that turned out to be the English dub. One of those "unauthorized" European made Zorro movies from 1963, it starred Guy Stockwell, brother of Dean Stockwell of "Quantom Leap" fame and featured not one, but three Zorros. "Juan Ortiz" is thought to be the real Zorro fighting a corrupt Governor who then imprisons our Zorro, who is led to believe his own son has been killed by the governor. Years pass and a young boy named Diego, who witnessed the arrest of Zorro has grown into Guy Stockwell who acts effete, but is still arrested as the new Zorro. In prison he meets the old Zorro and eventually he will find out that he is Zorro's son. But also while the little boy was growing up, he also had a "sister" of sorts. Stockwell's sister is played by the Spanish actress and singer, Mikaela Wood, known internationally as "Mikaela". (In the film she sings a version of "Cielito Lindo" a famous Spanish folksong.) So papa Zorro (Ortiz) goes up against the evil governor joined by son, Stockwell and a sword-wielding  Mikaela. Thus the three swords of Zorro. Stockwell manages to save a beautiful young girl who was being forced to marry the governor in order to save her family's land. They fall in love and the film ends with their wedding. An interesting twist on the old Zorro legend.  

  

"ARABIAN NIGHTS" (1942)

I had read and heard about this technicolor fantasy, but had never seen it. First the main star of this epic was Dominican born Maria Montez. While she is comely, she also gives a bravura performance as an ambitious dancing girl vying to be a queen. The film also features as leads, Jon Hall and Sabu. Also in this film is Shemp Howard as a forgetful Sinbad who keeps boring everyone with tales of his voyages when he was a sailor. The film also has  John Qualen, best known as one of the stock players in John Ford movies, playing an aged Aladdin who lost his magic lamp when he was a boy and now runs though out the rest of the film looking for his lost lamp as a running gag. The main villain (a victim of his own libido) is Leif Erickson (of "High Chapparal" TV show fame) This movie is real matinee stuff and entertaining as a good old fashioned "Hollywood" adventure film.

 

"DOC SAVAGE: THE MAN OF BRONZE" (1975)

I loved the Doc Savage novels, and this film though flawed has a great lead in Ron Ely as the "man of bronze". The rest of the cast is very good and features the screen debut of Pamela Hensley, probably best known as Princess Ardala from the old Buck Rogers TV series of the 1980s and from the "Matt Houston" TV series also from the 1980s. Has some good moments. (Not for everyone!)

 

Mildly enjoyed:

"THE TRAIN ROBBERS" (1973)

While watching this film, I thought to myself, "While Ann-Margret gets to do a Western with John Wayne; Shirley MacLaine, another bombshell of the era, plays in a Western opposite Clint Eastwood." As I watched I thought at least the roles were different. Then at the end, I find out the roles have a common thread. If you have seen both films, you'll will know what I mean.  

 

"FIREFLY" (2003) S1, E12: "The Message"

One of the lesser episodes in my opinion. Mal and Zoe receive a very large "parcel" from an old "war" buddy and are duty bound to carry out  his last request. But things don't always seem as they appear. Still entertaining.

 

"GREEN LANTERN: BEWARE MY POWER" (2002)

A DC animated feature showcasing Green Lantern/John Stewart. Has some good moments, but I have objections to some of the elements of the film.(Story wise, but that's just me!)

Saw "Una Donna per Ringo" on YouTube before it was removed. Had a prologue where I think the assistant to the railroad engineer is tortured and then killed. I know the girls are supposed to be traveling with their uncle, instead of their grandfather like in the Spanish dub. The rest of the film, I believe is the same as the Spanish language dub, but with one of the musical numbers missing.

  

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David Deal Enjoyed:

CAROLINA CAROLINE (25) - Con man Kyle Gallner picks up young Carolina (Samara Weaving) in Texas, and they cut a wide patch of cons and crime across the south on the way to her mother in South Carolina. Winning road movie that manages to invoke the spirit of the 70s without pandering. Recommended.

HIGH CRIME (73) - For the uninitiated, this Franco Nero flick is credited with kicking off the violent Italian cop movies of the 70's.

MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (64) - I saw this at the Fox Chris-Town theater in Phoenix AZ in the mid-60s. It was maybe a bit strong for this 10-year-old (or so), but I never forgot it.

SCREAM OF FEAR (61) - A fun Hammer psychodrama.

RAW DEAL (48) - One of the great film noirs (or is it films noir?).

LA DOLCE VITA (60) - Maybe you've heard of it.

Mildly enjoyed:

SONG OF SUMMER (68) - Ken Russell's telling of the last months of composer Frederick Delius' life from the point of view of his amanuensis Eric Fenby. While I found this interesting, it was somewhat challenging for a non-musician like me.

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Bertrand van Wonterghem Enjoyed:

Boléro (1942, Jean Boyer)
Le baron fantôme (1942, Serge de Poligny)
La tentation de Barbizon (1946, Jean Stelli)
Espion, lève-toi (1982, Yves Boisset)

Mildly enjoyed:

Raumpatrouille – episode 'Planet ausser Kurs' (1966, Theo Mezger)
Les prédateurs de la nuit (1988, Jesus Franco)
L'empereur de Paris (2018, Jean-François Richet)
Alias Smith and Jones – episode 'Stagecoach seven' (1971, Richard Benedict)
Hoodlum (1997, Bill Duke)
La septième cible (1984, Claude Pinoteau)

Did not enjoy:

Les morsures de l'aube (2000, Antoine de Caunes)

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