To answer these trivia questions, please email me at scinema@earthlink.net.
Brain Teasers:
Which Italian went from editing Italian Westerns to directing Italian Westerns?
It was Maurizio Lucidi, who cut UN DOLLARO TRA I DENTI before helming 2 ONCE DI PIOMBO.
Can you name an Italian actress whose only Western was one shot in Spain by an American company?
No one has answered this question yet.
Which British born actor worked with directors Tulio Demichelli, Wray Davis, Calvin Jackson Padget, Sergio Corbucci, and Antonio Margheriti?
George Grimes knew that it was Michael Rennie.
Which Greek born actor worked with directors Sergio Corbucci, Ignazio Dolce, Bruno Mattei, Nestore Ungaro, Al Bradley and Pietro Francisci?
George Grimes knew that it was Vasilli Karis.
Which Iranian born actor worked with directors Shapur Yasami, Emimmo Salvi, Pietro Francisci, Roberto Mauri, and Mario Pinzauti?
George Grimes knew that it was Iloosh Khoshabe, aka Rod Flash, aka Richard Lloyd.
Which Italian film editor, who co-wrote a Western, taught director Michelangelo Antonioni the possibilities of film editing?
No one has answered this question yet.
Which Italian born "James Bond girl" starred in both an American and an Italian Western?
No one has answered this question yet.
Which American actor worked for directors Franco Rossi, Ferdinando Baldi, E.B. Clucher, Ramon Fernandez and Aldo Lado?
No one has answered this question yet.
And now for some new brain teasers:
By what name is James Newman better known?
By what name is Gigi Montefiori better known?
Which German actor appeared in Italian films alongside Robert Woods, Klaus Kinski, Van Heflin and Cameron Mitchell?
Name the movies from which these images came.
Rick Garibaldi identified last week's photo of Willy Colombini and Rosalba Neri in WANTED JOHNNY TEXAS.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
David Deal and George Grimes identified last week's photo of Rosalba Neri in IL PLENILUNIO DELLE VERGINI, aka THE DEVIL'S WEDDING NIGHT.
Above is a new photo.
Can you name from what movie it came?
No one has identified the above photo yet.
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:
THE HITMAN'S BODYGUARD (2017) - "When life gives you shit, make Kool-Aid." The concept seemed to be to mix the Jason Bourne flicks with the Deadpool flicks, and while the banter between Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson gets excessive, the whole is fun.
PARIS IS BURNING (1990) - Venus Xtravaganza was an heartbreaker.
THE BRANDON TEENA STORY (1998)
Mildly enjoyed:
Unsung "Betty Wright" (2020)
Frankie Drake Mysteries "No Friends Like Old Friends" (2019) - With Honeysuckle Weeks as Agatha Christie, this episode was fun.
SAN ANDREAS (2015) - Plot wise, this isn't much better than a Syfy Channel flick, but the production values are superior. And Carla Gugino co-stars. Plus Alexandra Daddario exhibits a fine figure.
Did not enjoy:
OUTLAW'S SON (1957) - Dane Clark plays an man wanted in Arizona who shows up to visit the son he left with his sister-in-law 12 years ago. Fearing the father will take away the boy, the sister-in-law frames Clark for a bank robbery and murder, but the boy slips the father a gun and the man gets away. Ten years later, the boy grows up to be Ben Cooper, who becomes a rather pitiless deputy marshal. After a dying outlaw confesses that Clark had nothing to do with the robbery and murder, Cooper is so incensed at the injustice that he vows to become an outlaw. Clark returns to try and straighten him out, but Cooper only learns his lesson after Clark is fatally wounded. Having moved on from the Hopalong Cassidy Westerns, director Lesley Selander has no problem showing guys getting shot to death.
DEAD STILL (2014) - Not only does the old time camera steal people's souls and causes them to die horrible deaths, it is also haunted by the evil spirit of your dead great granddad.
KILLER HIGH (2018) - I'll need to seek out more appearances by Kacey Rohl.
KARMA (2018) - Some one has a beef with process servers.
LOCUSTS: THE 8TH PLAGUE (2005) - Julie Benz looks terrific in this commercial for organic pesticides.
THE IMMORTAL VOYAGE OF CAPTAIN DRAKE (2009) - There is so little of this that isn't bad CGI, I kinda wish they had just made this a cheap animated feature.
INVASION ROSWELL (2013) - I guess they put in enough differences so that the makers of ID4 wouldn't sue for plagiarism, but why would they want to?
MEGALODON (2018) - Knowing that a big budget movie featuring a present day awakening of the prehistoric monster shark was coming out under the title THE MEG, The Asylum took the bait and made a quickie feature to cash-in. Since the movie had a shark in it, Syfy Channel jumped at the chance to add it to their roster. A gigantic shark that can bite into a submarine isn't the real enemy here, it is Russians on a secret mission. It appears Michael Madsen agreed to appear in this as a Navy Admiral, but wouldn't agree to get a haircut, so he wears a hat for most of the flick.
MONSTER ARK (2008) - For a movie that ends with the scientist being converted to a faith in God, it is odd that the film commits a number of blasphemies - like claiming that there is an older
version of Genesis that tells of Noah being tasked with building an ark to deal with a monster. This mix of RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and THE DAVINCI CODE isn't helped by the usual cheesy CGI that is found on most Syfy product.
THE NANNY (2018) - Is the nanny an evil supernatural creature or is she a good fairy showing the two children their true nature?
NIGHTMARE SHARK (2018) - What if Freddie Kreuger was a shark?
THE NIGHT BEFORE HALLOWEEN (2016)
NO ESCAPE ROOM (2018)
PATH OF DESTRUCTION (2005) - Chris Pratt showed his charisma in this - six years before Parks and Recreation, and nine years before GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY.
PEGASUS VS. CHIMERA (2012) - For everyone who thought the Italian sword & sandal flicks of the 1960 were cheaply made, this recent Syfy offering proves just how well made they were.
PIRANHACONDA (2012) - Tossing in a "Beware the Blob" type tune - "Look out, piranhanconda" - is cute. So is Shandi Finnessey.
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David Deal enjoyed:
WAR BETWEEN THE PLANETS (65)
DEATH IS NIMBLE, DEATH IS QUICK (66) - See The Eurospy Guide for a complete review.
THE LONE WOLF MEETS A LADY (40) - Warren William and his valet Eric Blore become embroiled in a murder mystery that includes a stolen diamond necklace. Another breezy Lone Wolf mystery that benefits from the addition of Blore as the long-suffering sidekick. Victor Jory and Roger Pryor lend support.
THE NYLON NOOSE (63) - From 2015: "German Edgar Wallace knock-off succeeds in aping the official films in all departments accept casting, which is adequate but not as compelling as its brethren. A keeper nonetheless."
THE VENETIAN AFFAIR (66) - From 2011: "Robert Vaughn breaks away from the camp Man From UNCLE mystic. Or tries to anyway. The spy vogue, as the 60s began to wain, was to present espionage as a jaded escapade, entirely cynical to the politics driving the machinations. Vaughn is the tired spy getting by on coffee and booze who is required to give up his soul to deliver a meaningless enemy to "justice." Confusing spy nonsense of the highest order. Just enough Venice location work to keep us convinced, a cast who shortcuts the audience identification, and viola! chic spy shenanigans. BUT Boris Karloff has a great cameo turn. Recommended for the milieu, the cast, and the chutzpa."
THE INSATIABLES (69) - From 2006: "Murder mystery set in the high-powered, decadent and corrupt business world. Great tunes, lots of nudity, good cast (Robert Hoffman, Dorthy Malone, John Ireland, etc.), and plenty of ambience with LA exteriors and Italian interiors."
FRONTIER MARSHAL (39) - Randolph Scott is Wyatt Earp in this fanciful, entertaining version of the Tombstone story. Cesar Romero is Doc Halliday and supporters include John Carradine, Ward Bond, Lon Chaney, and Joe Sawyer.
PAVAROTTI (19) - Ron Howard's documentary on the great tenor is quite good.
Mildly enjoyed:
DEATH BY INVITATION (71) - Shelby Leverington (The Long Riders) is a reincarnated witch out for revenge against the family that had her executed. Odd little no-budget indy with an interesting sense of horror and a wall-to-wall trippy soundtrack. Leverington makes a good impression in her first film.
THE KILLER RESERVED NINE SEATS (74) - A small group of friends, trapped inside an old theater, suffer from the attentions of a masked killer. Second-tier giallo from Giuseppe Bennati has its merits, like Rosanna Schiaffino and Janet Agren, and the interesting location looks good. Cinematographer Giuseppe Aquari also shot old fave Something Creeping in the Dark.
THE TIME TRAVELERS (64) - University scientists create a time portal and end up going into a dystopian future. Ib Melchior's low-budget sci-fi is charming and clever.
MANHATTAN NIGHT OF MURDER (65) - See The Eurospy Guide for a complete review.
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Charles Gilbert watched:
SEVEN (1979) Seven counter terrorist specialists are recruited to take out a crime syndicate in Hawaii. William Smith heads a small time cast that includes Barbara Leigh and karateka Ed Parker.
NOSFERATU (1922) B&W. Arch-vampire Count Orlock spreads a contagion mistaken for the plague. Impressive impressionist cinematography but excessively long for a silent film at 90 minutes.
CHERRY 2000 (1987) A principaled young man on a quest to find a replacement for his robotic female, whose circuitry expired on him, finds himself in a hostile dystopian desert culture inhabited by anomic characters. He's aided along the way by intrepid and self-reliant tracker Melanie Griffith sporting a flaming red bob. Old timers Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Jr. are also there to help.
Dubai Road Express. Hour long feature from Scania Trucks of Norway about the road delivery across continents from Norway to Dubai.
Twilight Zone Episode: 'Thirty Fathom Grave' . A U.S. Navy destroyer picks up mysterious sounds from a sunken sub that went down during WW2. With Simon Oakland, Bill Bixby, Mike Kellin.
Air Crash Investigation S02E03 "The Killing Machine". Terrorists hi jack Air France 8969 in Algeria December 4, 1994.
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