A few reviews . . (film or TV) — Page 187

El Inquisidor - 1975 - 5/10

The females are shameless. Exposing their bodies, casually chasing after men.
And buying, flying all over, dancing, skimpy swimsuits.
They are wicked. No, they must be witches!
And a modern inquisition panel kidnaps them, and puts them to the question.
Then again, they are wealthy heiresses. And there is money involved.
Scattered narrative, a bit of sleaze, good locations of an older Peru.
Sequences set in the underground Catacombs a highlight.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3366207

Woman Of Stone - 2024 - 6/10

“Modernized” adaptation of Edith Nesbit’s “Man-Sized In Marble”.
Newlyweds, creative types, take a cottage in the village.
The artist husband constantly refers to his bride as wifey, sure to irk female viewers.
The doctor, another transplant, shows them the unfrequented church.
A curse with a sinister legend, also connected to the home of the couple.
Excellent cast, particularly Celia Imrie as Nesbit.
Plot tweaks are unnecessary, as are visible reveals.
Pandering to distracted L.C.D. viewers.

The film BraveHeart is a masterpiece, a testament to the ability of Mel Gibson! A must see! A rousing action, adventure and comedy film! This is what a biopic should be! This is the gold standard for historical movies!

Gambling Ship - 1933 - 6/10

After dodging a murder rap, Ace Corbin leaves Chicago, California bound.
On the train, he chances upon a pretty innocent, Eleanor, and they contemplate a future together.
Once in California, however, the old ways call, and Ace is soon managing an offshore casino.
And Eleanor proves not to be quite the virtuous virgin.
Pre-Code cannot make up its mind between romance and crime.
Watch for Cary and other pros. Otherwise, this is tired goods.

Million Yen Women - 2017 - 7/10
AKA - 1,000,000 Yen no Onnatachi // 100万円の女たち

Five females appear at Shin’s doorstep, each paying 1M monthly to live there.
There are rules: No questions, no familiarity, no physical contact.
Shin is a writer. Not a bestseller, but admired by a few.
Females prove a mixed bunch. From innocent to hardened, creative to repressed.
Overall narrative is one of who invited them, and why?
And why does it become so deadly dangerous?
Quirky, imaginative, unexpected, only the Japanese do shows like these.
Koreans would go over-the-top, Americans wallow in clichés.
Oh, and there is a kitten, romping freely!

A Vitagraph Romance - 1909 - 6/10

Love blossoms between a young writer and daughter of a senator.
Defying her father, they elope, only to discover Love does not pay the bills.
Glamor enters, and they begin working for Vitagraph Studios, making films.
Charming short showcases the three main owners of Vitagraph, as well as their leading lady, Florence Turner.
Also, for buffs, a stroll though the Brooklyn studio backlots.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3366203

The film You Are So Not Invited To My Bar Mitzvah is an underrated film! Great acting and great depiction of the Jewish experience. A must see!

Noroi - 2005 - 6/10
AKA - The Curse // ノロイ

Hearing rumors of odd deaths involving a strange women and her mute son, a researcher begins to investigate.
Which leads him into a maze of modern Tokyo, secluded villages, and events 200 years ago.
Clues include demon Kagutaba, the gathering of sorcerers, the rising waters of the dam.
A strong plot aids this one. One must pay attention as incidents tend to reecho in proceedings.
The camera work is atrocious. Yes, this is a “found footage” doc, but this is excessive.
In many ways, better than Occult (2009), save for the over-the-top shaky cam and damage.
One Cut Of The Dead (2017) is also worth seeking out and much more fun.
Noroi memorable, depending on your tolerance for cinéma vérité and aluminum foil.

Be Natural: Untold Story Of Alice Guy-Blaché - 2018 - 7/10

Outstanding documentary / detective work of Alice Guy, pioneer filmmaker for Gaumont.
Producers belabor the notion that Guy has been unfairly forgotten.
Hardly. Silent era fans know of her and of her few surviving works.
That is the part of the problem for modern audiences. So much has dissolved, burned, or vanished.
Plus, the earliest films were shorts, and modern viewers favor features.
However, and this is a fair point, after the Silent era women were flat out booted from director chairs.
This delves deep into her productive years, and will be essential for Silent fans.
Looks like the last Hugh Hefner documentary of the Silent era.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3366204

Yellow Face - 2025 - 7/10

Meaning, the practice of having Caucasian actors portray Asians in film and theatre.
Similar to blackface, now considered racist and taboo.
Playwright Daniel Dae Kim protests the casting of Jonathan Pryce in “Miss Saigon”.
Unfortunately, he later casts a “white” actor in his next work “Face Value”.
Didn’t know, thought he was part Asian, oh, the explanations
Theatre comedy skewing race, casting, critics, audiences, government agents.
As funny as this is, I suspect righteous posturing will grow ever more imperious over time.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3366205

Bad Girl - 1931 - 5/10

Kitchen sink schmaltz of two working class stiffs with zero communication skills.
First meeting is hardly meet-cute, and the progression into marriage seems madness.
Over and over, they miss cues and generally misunderstand the other.
Understandable if there was a torrid romance before the menfolk shipped off to war.
The aftermath of those marriages turned into Noir murders.
Anyway, Dorothy is “bad” with Eddie for one night, which is enough to get knocked up.
Eddie, wildly acclaimed on release, grated on me throughout.

Love Actually - 2003 - 7/10

Zelda and I first watched this during its initial theatrical run.
Surprisingly, there were only two other couples in an otherwise empty theater.
Time has proven kind to this holiday bonbon, now is a staple in many homes.
Stories interweave. Comical, romantic, poignant, frustrated, thwarted.
Looking past the credits, one might guess what relationships will founder, what might succeed.
Tremendous casting a major asset. Film is overlong, but never feels that way.

The Sawmill - 1922 - 6/10

The Boss is having a hard time keeping Dumb-Bell in line.
Matters worsen when the Owner arrives with his daughter.
Chases, fisticuffs, and chaotic mayhem ensue – for no real reason.
With a plot thinner than tissue paper, this is all stunts and gags.
The gags are slapstick, while the stunts must have been jaw-dropping a hundred years ago.
Wild short, set in the woods, spotlights forgotten clown Larry Semon and nemesis, Oliver Hardy.

The Granny - 1995 - 5/10

Only she ain’t dying fast enough for her greedy relatives.
They keep trying various methods to hasten her demise, but granddaughter Kelly protects.
Till Granny gets an eternal life potion, which gets tainted, which she fails to follow instructions and drinks.
Horror comedy manages to parody Slashers and Erotic Thrillers.
Jokes are sarcastic barbs, gore is cartoony, kills manage to be gloriously fake.
One watches to see Stella Stevens having a blast, and Shannon Whirry as a rare good-girl.
Nudity, innuendo, silliness, poor makeup, dismal FX. Know your tastes, friends.

The Woman In Cabin 10 - 2025 - 6/10

Just cause everyone says you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they are not out to get you.
Investigative journalist Laura is invited to a very, very posh cruise with the ultra rich.
Late night, she hears a splash in the water. Nothing here, so say the crew and privileged guests.
Being a reporter, Laura starts digging, and is soon in over her head.
Decent thriller, which I sorted within forty minutes, goes offtrack in the final acts.
I am not great with mysteries. If I can figure these out, then it is formula or predictable.
This is a bit of both. Drink before watching, fog your brain.

The Dreaming - 1988 - 7/10

While the native girl struggles for life, the doctor on duty enters the dreamworld.
Previously, an archeological team unearths a hitherto unknown burial site.
Graves are disturbed, items taken and relocated to the white man’s museum.
While the dreams, visions of past atrocities, mount in frequency.
Eventually, the doctor takes to road to the Isle Of The Dead via an ill-named hamlet.

Standout photography elevate this slow-burn outing (not precisely Horror).
The cinematographer has an artistic eye, and almost every scene is interesting or compelling.
Polarizing film deserves a wider audience, a restoration, perhaps commentary.

Secrets Of The London Underground - 2021 - 6/10

Disused, forgotten stations. Historic signage. Modern retrofits sheltering the surprise underneath.
Two engaging hosts prowl the subterranean depths.
Enjoyable for all familiar with “mind the gap”.
Subsequent seasons will be unseen by me.
One season probably says it all.

A Question Of Attribution - 1991 - 7/10

Three had been unearthed and chased from the nation.
For Blunt, exposure had hung like a sword for over a decade.
Government ministers were certain he was a Soviet spy.
Yet, his position, his eminence, made cornering him exceedingly tricky.
Nuanced teleplay focuses on the verbal cat and mouse.
A highlight is Blunt discussing art with Queen Elizabeth, who proves to be sharper and deeper than he assumes.
Electric drama, better if you know SOMETHING of the Cambridge Five.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3366594

Man’s Castle - 1933 - 6/10

Waif Trina, hopeless and starving, is befriended by the gruff Bill.
Gives her a meal, finds her a place to live in Shantytown, off Park Avenue.
Despite the grim Depression, Trina’s head soon fills with hopes and dreams.
She has a roof over her head. As well as someone to hold onto.
Bill, however, hears the siren song of the train whistle, watches birds flying overhead.
He dreams of the place I have always referred to as “Elsewhere”.
Loretta Young glowing as the besotted Trina, Tracy’s Bill seems a tad too old.

The Monster - 2025 - 7/10
AKA - Il Monstro

Couples park in wooded seclusion for torrid backseat bouncing.
Unaware of the man outside with gun and knife.
Who kills and carves, then flees without a trace.
This plays like the making of countless Giallos, except it was true.
Gripping, if confusing yarn of a serial killer, active for a few decades.
This does “best guess” as to the perpetrator, but the installments can be maddening.
There are lies, fabricated stories, botched arrests, nothing solved.

Pride And Prejudice - 1940 - 6/10

Worth a watch for fans of lavish, old Hollywood adaptations.
Two rich gentleman arrive in the countryside, eligible bachelors both.
Did I mention rich?
In no time, Mrs Bennet maneuvers to land a son-in-law for her daughter.
At barely two hours, this version has been cut to the bone, and hurries along.
Greer Garson, in her mid-thirties, looks too old, and resembles Miss Muffet.
Olivier, however, is ideal. Reserved, aloof, coldly elegant.
One wonders if David Rintoul studied his Darcy for the 1980 series.

Weapons - 2025 - 6/10

17 children go missing from the classroom, cameras show them running into the night.
Who gets the blame? The new teacher.
What was she teaching them? Parents demand.
We follow the teacher, who is pretty, who has trouble with alcohol, who picks up men.
Think of a Van Halen song set in the classroom.
Then, point of view shifts to a parent, then a cop, then a junkie.
Everyone interacts, and everyone is affected by a presence.
Paranormal thriller / mystery / horror (kinda) will hold your attention most of the way.
Superbly constructed, although it veers off the rails at the end.
Perhaps deserving another point.

The Case Of The Howling Dog - 1934 - 6/10

Perry Mason receives an impetuous client, who hands him $10,000 to draw up a will and deal with a dog.
Then the rich client disappears. The owner of the dog? Murdered. Dog, too!
Main suspect, the attractive woman with the gun.
Fast moving film plays fair clues and twists.
William Warren adroit as slick, cool professional.
Perhaps a bit unethical, too, as one will see.

Boundless, Actually - 2025 - 6/10
AKA - W Zasadzie Bez Granic

The female arrives at the detective’s office.
She has a complaint, a grievance against her husband.
Details, however, are jarring.
Moody Noir short, an amusing reveal, although opens and closes ominously.
Set in September of 1939, which would be a catastrophic time for Poland.

Nightsiren - 2022 - 6/10
AKA - Svetlonoc

Sarlota returns to her childhood village in expectation of an inheritance.
Only there is no such thing. The home itself burned down years earlier.
Despite cellphones and computers, the village is a backwater.
Inhabitants are extremely superstitious, and Sarlota, the outsider, is soon perceived as a witch.
Meaning, she receives the blame for every misfortune.
Women as scapegoats. Men with guns and fists.

Following a fete, there is an amazing sequence of a full moon sabbat.
Drug induced? Actual, yet hidden? There are ever depths to females.