A few reviews . . (film or TV) — Page 139

Holiday Affair - 1949 - 6/10

WWII vet Steve works at a big department store.
Connie is an early “industrial spy”, meaning she buys goods, gets the price and returns items.
(Why she can’t just look at shelf tags or prices on the box is beyond me.)
Anyway, he tags her, then cuts some slack which gets him fired.
What should he do? How about, let’s go on a date?
Forced RomCom, guilty pleasure for many (me included) have major limitations.
Janet Leigh and Robert Mitchum display no chemistry (Mitchum has more with child actor Gordon Gebert).
Leigh is, as ever, comes across as brittle, on edge, never relaxed. Simmering anxiety. Mind you, this film came after Mitchum’s notorious reefer bust, and most actors were afraid to be seen with him.
Mitchum fans, yeah, he’s coasting. OK Christmas fare when you want an alternative.

Your Christmas Or Mine - 2022 - 6/10

“There’s lots of things you don’t know about me, James Hughes.”
So says Haylay inside Marylebone Station as she and James head off to their respective family homes.
Then, in an O. Henry twist, they board the wrong trains and wind up at the other’s home.
Whereupon they swiftly discover they did not “know” that person they were in love with, at all,
Feel-good holiday romcom leans on a formula, but it is energetic and good natured.
As far as the “new ones” go, you could do a lot worse. Enjoyable, if slight.

Saint - 2010 - 6/10
AKA - Sint

Every time December 5th occurs during a full moon, Saint Nicholas reemerges.
Not the jovial bearer of gifts, but the malevolent plunderer. Of children and adults.
Even though this is Amsterdam, snow laden streets and quays seem deserted.
Expect brutal dismemberments, along with splittings, yet little blood.
Scare factor is quite low, as is the humor.
Entertaining while watching, but little more.
Another lump of coal for your Holiday Horror mix.

Solaris - 1972 - 6/10

My first exposure to Tarkovsky, watched in 1977 was a cure for insomnia.
(Unfortunately, along with a plethora of SciFi’s at the Nuart, trying to cash in on the Star Wars phenomena.)
In between yawning and checking the theater clock, I sat there bewildered.
The crew of the station orbiting Solaris are exhibiting signs of madness.
A psychologist is dispatched, and he soon suffers hallucinations.
Most intriguingly, the planet is an organic being. An over-mind, or unisoul.
The plot is maddeningly vague, however, with nonexistent pacing.
I appreciate Tarkovsky more now, but even this recent rewatch, I cannot get into this one.

Red Snow - 2021 - 5/10

Mid-Winter, a bat crashes into a windowpane, falls into the snow, bleeding.
I don’t know about you, but I would summon one of my cats and say, “Hey, snacks.”
Olivia, however, rescues the mite infested, rabies carrying varmint, and soon discovers it’s a vampire!
Slow boil horror flirts with Twilight territory, although the tone stays light and amused.
Respect to the crew for a smart, sharp film on a minuscule budget.
Ending is poorly thought out.
Despite holiday tropes, this is not the Yule beast you were hoping for.

Christmas Carole - 2022 - 6/10

Sour holiday bon-bon starts with a flourish, adds extras throughout, ends in treacle.
Carole, president of her company, sells Christmas tat. Junk.
Overpriced festive twaddle, guaranteed to break and need replacing.
Yuletide profits, you dreamers.
Her merchandise is disposable, as are her employees.
Owing to numerous references, this is for Brits and Anglophiles.
(Test: Are you familiar with Morecambe and Wise?)
First two-thirds are pure gold, final act is the equivalent of penalty kicks.
English subtitles = https://subscene.com/subtitles/christmas-carole/english/3245914

The Scarlet Claw -1944 - 7/10

Non-canon, but this late cycle Rathbone & Bruce adventure of Sherlock is one of the finest.
A series of deaths occur in a small Canadian village.
The beast appears to be a deranged beast, and superstitious villages feed the fears.
Holmes, eminently logical, begins to investigate.
Photography is outstanding in this, a fusion of Gothic and Noir.
The plot is a retooling of “The Hound Of The Baskervilles”, yet no lazy copycat.
Old-fashioned mystery, superbly done.

Kill Baby … Kill! - 1966 - 6/10
AKA - Operazione Paura

Points for brooding atmosphere, set design, Gothic photography.
Following yet another death, a doctor arrives in a remote village to autopsy the corpse.
A police inspector has already arrived and is being stone-walled by villagers.
Were the deaths murders or suicides?
One busy night, and a forced visit to Villa de Graps, yields an answer.
Stylish Mario Bava film rambles throughout, and the script has more gristle than meat.
Goofy US title, although my German print was Die toten Augen des Dr. Dracula.
This would benefit from being tightened, or trimmed here and there.

A Haunting In Venice - 2023 - 6/10

Detective Hercule Poirot has retired to Venice.
He is not accepting new cases, absolutely not!
Nevertheless, he is intrigued by an upcoming séance. On Halloween night!
What follows is a locked-room mystery, with good elements and weak ones.
Nice assortment of characters with motives – and yes, there are deaths.
The set design is extraordinarily done; the house feels massive, gloomy, decaying.
Direction, at times, is heavy handed. Jump scares, ridiculously loud noises.
Expected of a horror B-movie, not Kenneth Branagh.

Call Her Savage - 1932 - 7/10

Wild child Nasa (an incredibly sexy Clara Bow) leaves Texas for Chicago.
Has a fling with, and marries a cad. After he dumps her, well, no birth control in the 1930’s.
A hot Pre-Code flick breaks numerous taboos:
A gay bar, girl fights, half-breed allusions, excess alcohol, unwanted pregnancy.
Bow was near the end of her career by this point, with weight problems and national scandals.
Plus, like other Silent stars, she had an absolute phobia of the microphone.
Tawdry throughout, although her next and final film, Hoopla is another good Clara vehicle.

Angels Without Wings - 2006 - 6/10
AKA - Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi // 翼の折れた天使たち

Late night J-dorama follows four different girls (one per episode) who have gotten lost in Tokyo.
One works as an escort so she can buy expensive fashions. Another makes adult films.
One works a phone sex line, another is lucky with gambling, unlucky in love.
Each receive unexpected assistance, guidance, and there is something of a closing moral.
I imagine most of the females are idols, trying to break into film.
Watchable, neither cloying nor preachy. Good stories for those about to fledge.
English subtitles = https://subscene.com/subtitles/tsubasa-no-oreta-tenshitachi-angels-with-broken-wings/english/3225492

The Old Oak - 2023 - 7/10

Sullen regulars watch in disgust as Syrian refugees come and go in their pub. THEIR pub!
Strikes or no strikes, the best days of the town were over by the 1990’s.
Now, do-gooders and government flunkies shuttle in busloads of Syrians.
More and more of them, into cheap (or free) accommodations and free perks.
“No charity for the homefolk?” one complains. Another notes, “I don’t see you moving them to Westminster or Chelsea.”
Ken Loach film is unflinching in showing both sides.
Grievances and desperation.

The Weavers: Wasn’t That A Time - 1982 - 7/10

Essential documentary of the highly influential group.
The Weavers bridged the gap between the Depression folk singers and the later protest songs of the 1960’s.
Much of this is set in Lee Hays’ farm, where an informal picnic leads to a final performance at Carnegie Hall.
Throughout, there is their history, the McCarthy era, and the defiant, sold-out concert at Carnegie in 1955 during the height of their blacklisting.
Something of a wistful turn here, realizing the folkie movement pretty much collapsed in the 1970’s, and has never again regained prominence.

The Hobbit The Legendary Edit a fanedit by Wraith

The Legendary Edit indeed! I like what KeithBlk said. “Do we need another Hobbit edit?” If that refers to this edit, then yes!

I have watched so very many Hobbit edits. I went through various stages of thought. Each time one was released that I liked, I thought that it was the best. Each for a different reason. The first to really catch my attention was Spence’s edit. Cutting three movies down to an action packed thrill ride was quite a feat. Then there was the other legendary edits by Kerr, L8wrtr, Adam Dens, Dustin Lee and M4. Each had their own merits for consideration of being the best Hobbit edit. Wraith even mentored the editor of the Battle of The Five Edits and plated a huge part in its success. It is excellent and fits a niche. Q2 and TM2YC both released their three part edits. Both were incredible. I finally settled on M4’s edit being subjectively the best Hobbit edit for my preferences.

I viewed Wraith’s previous Hobbit edits and was acutely aware of just how much work he had put into them. Especially, the one that this edit was derived from. It was very close to being what this edit has become.

This edit is the perfect Hobbit edit. I know that is subjective. I’m serious. It is the perfect first movie to The Lord of The Rings. It’s darker. It’s more serious. It’s less stupid. It’s less bloated. I’ve watched it fifteen times now in it’s various workprints and will continue to watch as the obsessive compulsive legend continues to tweak it. There are so many microcuts to improve the narrative that it boggles my mind. I know the movies so well that I catch all of them.

It’s literally unlike any other Hobbit edit and it will become most Middle Earth fans’ favorite Hobbit edit. I only hope that I am here to see it.

Wraith you have outdone yourself! This is what fanediting is all about. The transformative power of skilled editing is on full display here.

I highly recommend this edit and thank you for creating this perfect Hobbit edit for us.

Divided We Stand - 2022 - 6/10
AKA - ZERV

After the wall comes down, Germany reunifies in the 1990’s.
Relaxed freedoms, and – Hey! What about all those East German weapons?
A tiny agency is formed to dispose of them, and ensure they don’t wind up in the wrong hands.
Thing is, major weapons are financially lucrative.
Politicians never seem to have enough money, while arms brokers have cash to splash.
Squabbling team members are East and West, cursed with assumptions and misunderstandings.
Based, not surprisingly, on actual events. Series bears dark humor throughout.

The Musketeers Of Pig Alley - 1912 - 7/10

Every rewatch of this Griffith gem is a potent reminder of how rapid his craft was developing at this stage.
The young couple struggle in a cheap apartment in the new York slum.
In a few minutes, the story packs in the dance hall, the rival gangs, the alley showdown.
While the audience is supposed to identify with and root for the newlyweds, the camera is irresistibly drawn to the flamboyant Snapper Kid. (Elmer Booth, who would be killed in 1915.)
D. W. Griffith stodgy? No, this is an exciting outing.

The World Of Suzie Wong - 1960 - 6/10

American executive, suffering, I suppose, a mid-life crisis, heads to Hong Kong to become a painter.
On limited means, he cannot afford respectable neighborhoods, so he rooms in a cheap hotel.
Only to realize it is actually a brothel – where he falls in love with the most popular girl working there.
The photography shines throughout, exotic and colorful.
William Holden is too old in some ways, other times he is just right. (It hurt that I read the bestselling novel and knew his character was much younger.
Nancy Kwan is spectacular in what should have been a career making role.
This was momentous viewing for a younger me, heightened after reading the novel.
I vowed to move to California, attend college there, then emigrate to Hong Kong.
My childhood plans proved difficult, though eventually doable.
Hong Kong, however, took me decades.

Wild Guitar - 1962 - 5/10

Country boy motorcycles into Los Angeles with a guitar and a suitcase full of songs.
Lucky breaks hits straightaway when a local TV performer is ill, so he steps before the camera.
No time flat, he is a smasharoo, babe.
Along comes the crooked manager, cynical studio musicians, fake publicity.
Sort of a cross between “A Star Is Born” with “So You Wanna Be A Rock N Roll Star”.
Arch Hall Jr. is winning in this, although I don’t “get” this guy in the doggone least.
Arch Hall Sr. steals the film as the wily promoter / agent.
Superb restoration by Nicolas Winding Refn on his website, though the audio mix is super low.

Oasis Of Fear - 1971 - 6/10
AKA - Un Posto Ideale per Uccidere

A pair of free spirits (not hippies) make their way from London to Italy.
Main income comes from peddling pornography.
Smutty photos, a no-no in Italy (?!!?), gets them kicked out.
Except, enroute to the south, they break into a house to swipe gasoline.
The owner is headcase, change-her-mind-on-a-dime, female.
Sexual games, mysteries, locked rooms, lies, excuses, absurd explanations.
The young couple, to be clear, a shady pair, are completely out of their depth.
How producers talked Irene Papas into this steamy Giallo is beyond me.
She dominates every scene, although the couple, young nude skin and plenty of it, are easy on the eyes.

A Girl In Every Port - 1928 - 5/10

Once ashore, first mate Spike studies his black book for addresses of every waiting females.
Most have not been waiting. Or they’ve been “tagged” by a rival seaman.
Of course, he will meet his competition – Bill – and after slugging it out, they become fast friends.
The innuendo and implications are steamy throughout, but the pace feels slow.
Victor McLaglen’s Spike is effervescent, larger-than-life, and buoyantly optimistic.
Most view this to see Louise Brooks, who arrives quite late.
She is given barely anything to do, aside from look attractive and tempt males, but oh, how she does both.

La Belle Époque - 2019 - 7/10

The satirical cartoonist, out of work since newspapers collapsed, receives an odd gift card.
A time trip. Where many might choose the era of Napoleon or the 1920’s, he chooses 1974.
The year he first met his wife, before their marriage soured.
Being an artist, he sketches the small cafe, interior and exterior, as well as fashions.
The recreation of a personal memory means errors may be spotted.
(I certainly noticed the music, and commented that “I’m A Believer” by the Monkees was circa 1966.)
This half of the film is magical, and so is the “other” half.
The behind-the-scenes, the actors playing parts, negotiating their own reactions and impulses.
A must for French film fans, and I am surprised Hollywood has not made a sugary pooh version.

Earth Spirit - 1923 - 5/10
AKA - Erdgeist

Lulu proves hard to handle for her husband, Dr. Schoen.
Admirers flock in, including the doctor’s son, Lulu’s elderly pimp, and a strongman.
Why this is not coupled with every version of Pandora’s Box (1928) is beyond me.
In this version, Lulu is as innocent as syphilis.
The acting is theatrical, melodramatic, with broad gestures and heavy makeup.
Almost to a soul, every player over emotes with facial contortions.
Definitely merits a watch – once – then go back to the masterpiece by Pabst.
English subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/earth-spirit/english/3242706

The Tough Ones - 1976 - 6/10
AKA - Roma a Mano Armata

The head of Rome’s police crime division is no fan of laws being used to coddle criminals.
Early Euro-Crime poliziottesco blisters with high octane excitement.
Car chases, rooftop fistfights, bank robberies, nudity, rape, not to mention brutal police interrogations.
Maurizio Merli is seething fury throughout, boiling over into violent reactions.
Music is terrific, as well, a pulsing backbeat even during rare lulls.
For fans of these (c’mon Giallo fans, check out Euro-Crime), this one is pounding hammer time.

It’s True, It’s True, It’s True - 2018 - 7/10

Painter Artemisia accuses fellow painter Agostino for forcibly raping her.
He counters that she chased him, she forced herself onto him.
Artemisia says she had been a virgin. Agostino says she slept with half the neighborhood.
Accusations ring the courtroom in a trial that lasted months.
Based on court documents from the 1612 trial in Rome.
She said – he said. The more things change …

Wednesday - 2022 - 7/10

Living under a cultural rock, I was unaware of this until someone I respected posted a favorable review.
Anticipation turned to disappointment once I saw Tim Burton’s name in the credits.
For me, Burton’s forte is of odd weirdness, with storytelling at the toddler level.
I was on guard the entire season, bracing for Burton’s mannerisms.
Not to worry. This is reverent, faithful, packed with in-jokes, and Wednesday is a jaundiced gem.
After being booted from one too many schools, she is exiled to Nevermore Academy.
Where her curiosity is drawn to dark doings and a rising malevolence.
Jenna Ortega is ideal as the pigtailed scorpion.
Commitment avoiders, this sarcastic series reaches a satisfying conclusion with S01.