A few reviews . . (film or TV) — Page 132

The Blue Lamp - 1950 - 6/10

Police procedural extols the day to day humdrum.
Twin tales of observing the police go about daily business, while young thieves plot.
Leisurely, yes. Definitely not staccato paced.
London is still recovering from the Blitz and there is plenty of evident damage.
Style hews closer to Realism, as opposed to Noir.
Much of what is now “vanished London” is onscreen, making this a must for cultural historians.
Early breakout role for Dirk Borgarde who is electrifying in is.

Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush - 1968 - 6/10

Young Jamie arrives in a new town and decides his virginity has to go.
Thus, he sallies forth with a variety of birds, most of whom decline the prestigious honor.
By turns, funny, serious and a tad dated.
One point is fairly accurate: the Swinging Sixties didn’t swing for most.
Although the Spencer Davis Group contributed much of the music (even made a cameo), the songs were not the top.
Not necessarily a good film, but a pleasant time capsule.

If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium - 1969 - 6/10

Americans climb aboard the bus for a package tour of Europe.
Nine countries, eighteen days. Did I mention bus? Shoot me now.
The tourists are an odd assortment, easier to tag them, I guess.
The core is a romance between the jaded, womanizing tour operator (Ian McShane) and a fetching American tourist (Suzanne Pleshette).
The plot plays like stitched sitcoms, but the photography is remarkably good.
Proverbial “picture postcard” likely played well to armchair wannabee travelers, or aging WWII vets who always wanted to go back and visit.
Along with the gags (the good and the awful), there is an innocent charm about this.

Night Shift - 2022 - 6/10

Closing time, Brittany cleans up the empty Eagle Theater movie house.
Or is it so empty?
Short horror thriller packed with suspenseful music, jump scares, in-jokes.
Nice use of 1959’s House On Haunted Hill as film within a film.
Atmospheric homage to a specific sub-genre (no spoiling).
Subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/night-shift-2022/english/3152896

Yesterday - 2019 - 5/10

This garbage was foisted upon us during a visit.
Hack musician Jack awakes one morning to find no one on the planet remembers, or has heard of, The Beatles.
He does, however, so he begins singing their songs as if they were his own.
Becoming a massive global phenomenon!
Charming fantasy for some viewers, artistic appropriation for others.
His first ten years, I enjoyed director Danny Boyle’s work, the last twenty, not so much.

Last Orders - 2001 - 7/10

When one of their mates dies, the surviving men convene.
The dead man’s last request was for his ashes to be spread in the sea.
What follows is the road trip to Margate, as the men recollect, share stories, live with grudges.
Common people recalling small moments, mistakes, turning points.
Terrific male cast includes Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay, David Hemming, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren.
The farther along the path you are, the deeper this will resonate.

The Tattered Dress - 1957 - 6/10

Blonde bait, Charleen, is having a fling with the hamlet’s ex-football star.
After a night of rough play, she and her husband screech into town and shoot the man down.
Middle of the street, witnesses, cold blood.
They are rich enough to afford an expensive, hotshot New York defense counselor.
Who takes the case, does well, but underestimates the town hicks.
Solid desert Noir has the makings of a classic.
Except it spends waaaaay too much time in the courtroom.
Philip Reed and Elaine Stewart (the rich swells) underutilized.
Two conflicting narratives, and the courtroom won out. Too bad.
My copy had a dull commentary by a pedantic academic.

The Human Tornado - 1976 - 6/10

Dolemite returns in wild Blaxploitation adventures.
Queen Bee’s nightclub is threatened by the Mafia, who also want the girls as merchandise.
Funnier, and more professional than the first outing, with even a few face name actors.
Bed exercises are a surprise highlight. The rats are especially memorable.
As usual, Rudy Ray Moore’s charisma carries the film.
His kung fu is … You know, I wonder if Jackie Chan or Donnie Yen have viewed his style.
Sorry, sidelined. I’ve seen most of Moore’s films, this is probably the best one.
Still, see Dolemite first!

Pink String And Sealing Wax - 1945 - 6/10

Mr. Sutton has his hands full at home.
One daughter wants to be a professional singer, another is a small time animals rights activist.
Then there is his son who has become infatuated with a married woman.
Worse, the wrong sort of woman.

In a word, Mr. Sutton, a chemist, is a prig, who excels in making his family miserable.
Despite all, the children are resourceful.
As for the tempting hussy (the curvalicious Googie Withers), there’s a woman who knows how to charm.
Slow going initially, but turns into a wonderful late Victorian drama.

The Wild Bunch - 1969 - 7/10

“If they move, kill ’em.” With that opening line, the theater erupted.
This was one of those rare occasions when film and audience were perfectly matched. When we arrived, the theater parking lot was packed with 300-500 motorcycles. Half the audience were bikers.
End of an era finds the once Wild West setting into the sunset.
The gang’s last big haul is a fiasco, and the survivors hightail it to Mexico.
There, they make a deal with a brutal generalissimo.
Extremely violent Western, elegiac in tone, poignant moments broken with splatter.

Revolver - 1973 - 6/10

Choppy, ofttimes bewildering Italian poliziottesco.
Prison official Vito’s wife has been kidnapped.
The ransom, break out inmate Ruiz.
Ruiz is a foreigner, he has no friends, no contacts. Who wants him sprung? And why?
Vito, a bleary eyed Oliver Reed, attempts to find out for himself.
Then Ruiz, an over-earnest Fabio Testi, grows curious and begins to help.
Chases, shootouts, nudity, amidst a prevalent air of corruption and cynicism.

Interiors - 1978 - 7/10

Allen’s first pure “serious” film no longer comes as such a shock as it did originally.
The estranged family gathers for a dinner. Some clutch grudges and rivalries, others hope for reconciliation.
The latter hope is crushed when the father arrives with a new girlfriend in tow.
Tension is thick throughout, with no truly satisfying release.
Conversation predominates, with no plot push or resolution – sorta like all family dinners.
This strikes me as an homage to Bergman and Chekov, and would work better onstage.
As an experiment, a break from comedy, this succeeds.

The Ghost Goes Gear - 1965 - 5/10

The pop group (Spencer Davis Group) takes up residence in their manager’s rural estate.
Soon to discover the manor is haunted.
Friendly ghosts, sinister ghosts? How about singing ghosts?
Too much of the ghosts, not enough of SDG (not their best tunes, either).
Acker Bilk, the Three Bells, and lesser talents sing, in this very bad movie,
Martin Lewis provides a hilarious commentary, seldom pertinent to the film itself.

The Lesson - 2022 - 7/10
AKA - Zero Hour // שעת אפס

The classroom discussion erupts into anger, and a civics teacher is embroiled in a struggle with an unpopular student.
Politically, one is liberal, the other conservative.
The teacher may have authority in the classroom, but once the female student posts on social media, support shifts.
Bitter series brings up numerous unpleasant topics and inflames passions.
Especially after reporters sniff “news” and politicians try for easy points.
Cautionary tale for any college student considering teaching.

Once Around - 1991 - 6/10

Renata is part of a tight knit family. Very tight.
Into her world arrives Sam, rich, successful, boorish, and older.
Across the line, the family immediately takes a dislike, which intensifies the harder Sam tries.
Aside from their perception of him, the fact is they resent their adult daughter spending more of her time with him, rather than them – them – them.
Uncomfortable comedy plays far better now than it did upon release. At least to my eyes, Boomers and their offspring are much closer than the actual family units Boomers grew up in.
“The heart wants what it wants - or else it does not care” Dickinson.

Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell - 1999 - 8/10

No, he was not unwell, he was simply hung-over or too sloshed to submit his column to The Spectator.
Peter O’Toole stars in the revival of the acclaimed play, with a handful of players providing support.
Based on a real Jeffrey Bernard, our character is an unrepentant drinker and gambler.
When the horse track is closed, he will bet on dogs. When that is closed, well, his mates find new runners.
As with 99.9% of men, he has women problems. Four wives. He makes them sick.
A glass of vodka in one hand, cigarette in the other, Jeffrey observes Life, himself, fellow characters.
Characters, meaning individuals whom he finds memorable.
Exhilarating theatre.

Donovan’s Reef - 1963 - 6/10

Brawny John Wayne comedy set in the South Pacific.
After WWII, a handful of Americans stay on a small island.
One is a Boston doctor, with a trust that he uses to care for islanders.
A female scion arrives, purposely to disinherit the doctor.
Film is a cascade of hijinks, fights, monsoons, romance, songs.
The tone is light and breezy throughout; Wayne apparently did most of the directing after John Ford fell ill.
Island scenery and Pacific waves probably made this a hit with nostalgic veterans.

Queen Of Blood - 1966 - 5/10

Aliens from outer space reach out and say, “Hey, Earth. We’re dropping by to visit.”
Only their spaceship crashes on Mars, so we send a rescue party.
The lone survivor, ambassador if you like, does not eat Earth food, though she likes blood.
Right quick, the plot veers from SciFi to another one bites the dust.
Inventive little film, incorporating scenes from a Soviet SciFi, decent sets, and an excellent cast.
Basil Rathbone (barely), Dennis Hopper, John Saxon, and the exotic Florence Marly as the alien.
One of Roger Corman’s best looking films. Credit director Curtis Harrington.

Queen Margot - 1994 - 6/10
AKA - La Reine Margot (original extended version)

Princess Margot becomes pawn in the bloody struggle between Catholics and Protestants.
Betrothed to the King of Navarre, whom she does not love, Margot has a torrid affair with a soldier.
Both men are Huguenots. If you know French history, this will inform the proceedings.
Margot’s affair with the soldier shades the court intrigue which is more important.
The truncated version for North America, edited this into a muddled bodice ripper.
Isabelle Adjani is radiant as Margot, Vincent Perez is unsatisfying as her love interest.
The result is a bloody melodrama, making me curious about the original (now gone) version.

Faster Than Fear - 2022 - 6/10
AKA - Schneller als die Angst

André Haffner, serial killer who enjoys torturing his victims, escapes from prison.
After Marcus bungles the initial dragnet, Sunny is put in charge.
Fellow officers think Sunny is unstable. Truth is, she has been traumatized but won’t confide.
Perceived as damaged goods means no promotions, no lead roles…
To my mind, the actress playing Sunny is over the top. A melodrama queen.
Most charismatic role is, natch, the footloose serial killer. Doing what he does best.

Unlucky Day - 2017 - 6/10

Wrong place, wrong time, sweetheart.
Millie witnesses the start of a whack job and is kidnapped.
Once she wakes up, the goons ridicule her bad luck, and rotten love life.
Noir pastiche muddles along, photography lacks contrast and crispness.

Subtitles = https://subscene.com/subtitles/unlucky-day/english/3156582

Murder In The Canal du Midi - 2020 - 6/10
AKA - Le Canal Des Secrets

Turistas find a dead woman floating in the canal.
Suicide? No, homicide. Suspects include her husband, the judge.
As well as her lover, soon enough located, chained in the canal. Dead.
Typical of generic French mysteries, an inspector and prosecutor team up, male and female.
Rather than succumbing to mating impulses, this pair compensates for each others’ deficiencies.
A few red herrings, as well as twists and overlooked clues, will please genre fans.
Mildly better than most of these not-quite Hallmark films.

They Call Me Trinity - 1970 - 6/10
AKA - Lo Chiamavano Trinità…

Half brothers, Trinity and Bambino, set aside their differences to help a powerful landowner.
The rancher wants to chase away Mormon settlers from his land.
The brothers, layabouts and chiselers, eye the owner’s unbranded horses.
Action mixes with chuckles and romance.
Gunfights and stunts are better than expected, although one watches this for comedy.
This spoofs traditional Westerns with jokes and slapstick, and some purists begrudge that.
My younger brother was addicted to these Italian Westerns, his favorites being the Trinity films.
Most I recall as stupid, yet this is a rare good one. The sequel, if I recall, even better.

Oktoberfest: Beer And Blood - 2020 - 7/10

Beer drinkers, raise your steins high!
Circa 1900, rich brewer Prank from Nuremberg arrives in Munich.
His vision is to revamp, modernize, the annual beer-fest.
A mega-tent, instead of seven allotments.
Entrenched rivals regard him as an upstart, an outsider, and crass.
Per the title, expect blood, along with murders, beatings, and carnal relations.
The side story of Prank’s daughter wandered, yet tied in by the end.
I will say, this grew on me as threads coalesced.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation - 1967 - 6/10

Jack answers a vague classifieds ad and is soon whisked to Europe.
In Paris, he encounters Nikki; then in Monte Carlo, her highly competitive father.
Nikki and family are affluent. So he stays on the case, keeps playing the games.
Confusing thriller as Jack is unsure of his mission.
Soon, however, he realizes the assignment has put him in grave danger.
Early made-for-TV movie is near Hollywood standards, with jazzy Lalo Schifrin score.
Excellent casting of Robert Wagner and Peter Lawford, with Jill St. John.
“Such a needless expenditure of time and energy, like your life itself.”