A few reviews . . (film or TV) — Page 190

The Prestige - 2006 - 8/10

A pair of London magicians continuously raise the stakes to outdo each other.
Rivalry escalates into theft and sabotage, bitterness and winner-take-all mentality.
Styles are showmanship versus technical savvy.
Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale inspired casting at the feuding pair.
David Bowie unforgettable in surprise role.
Film rewards numerous watches, revealing more themes, subtexts, symbolism.
Pledge, turn, prestige – wonderfully done.

Moon - 2009 - 6/10

Sam has been on the dark side of the Moon almost three years.
That is how long his contract runs, and he is ready to return to Earth.
Unfortunately, network problems have surfaced is that live communication is impossible.
Plus, Sam is beginning to have delusions, indicating possible larger health issues.
Small film works wonders despite budget limitations.
Mixes SciFi, slow burn Thriller, paranoia and conspiracy.
Highly praised by science community for accuracy and quality.

Centerfold Girls - 1974 - 5/10

Our lad here has a problem with nudity. Female nudity.
The kind one finds inside magazines, the kind of magazines men like.
He starts targeting centerfold girls, going month by month.
The only characters dumber than the cops here (pattern, clues?) are the victims.
#1, despite knowing she has a stalker, parks her convertible all day with the top down.
She picks up a tramp, then with intruders in the house, sleeps nude.
#2, occurs on an island during an adult photo shoot with plenty of meals – er, models.
#3, in her Firebird muscle car cannot escape a junky Falcon station wagon.
Fragrant mid-70’s throughout, this is the SoCal I staggered across, so fondly enjoyed.

Agatha Christie Seven Dials - 2026 - 6/10

Fiancée Gerry dies just after hinting he plans to propose.
Eileen does not buy the suicide angle for a second.
Investigating, he spies a shadowy man, then unearths a secret organization.
The Seven Dials.
A few more deaths, and a pile of suspects and possible friends.
Series looks great, acting is passable though the tone dances into Tommy & Tuppence territory.

Poisoned Paradise - 1924 - 6/10

Margot loses all her money in Monte Carlo.
A slickster befriends her, though his motives seem to steer her into the oldest profession.
Instead, a struggling painter offers her a job as housekeeper.
Margot has a pure heart, yet painter Hugh is drawn to flashy frauds.
Early Clara Bow is tomboyish with hair to match. Her acting lacks the sparkle she would later exhibit.
Narrative a bit disjointed, yet the cinematography by Karl Struss looks great.

When Evil Lurks - 2023 - 7/10
AKA - Cuando Acecha la Maldad

“Evil likes children, and children like evil.”
Two brothers investigate and find a dismembered corpse, weird instruments nearby.
A fellow farmer blames a family of squatters, who have brought “the rotten” with them.
Indeed, the male inside is extraordinarily ill, yet he refuses to die.
Killing him would be a calamity, it must be done a special way, with weird instruments.
After simmering for thirty minutes, this Argentinian horror takes off.
So much is elaborated on: have outsiders brought the disease, or the government?
Voices and arguments constantly jumble together, making it difficult for lead characters to focus.
Finally, the narrative hones in on the one who is unreliable, undependable, hot-headed, distracted.
Modern horror mirrors modern times, where fear impairs judgment.

Good Boy - 2025 - 7/10

Todd is released from the hospital, maybe better, possibly not.
To recuperate, he heads to grandfather’s cottage deep in the woods.
Taking Indy with him. Indy, his best friend, the retriever.
Straight off, Indy senses the environment is off-kilter. Dangerous.
Throughout, the dog is on full alert. Watching, listening, observing.
Very imaginative film, told completely from the canine point of view.
For anyone who has ever watched their dog or cat intently studying what only seems invisible to us.

Bride’s Revenge - 1985 - 6/10
AKA - Bahía Blanca

Sleazy banalities in a backwater town.
Alida has already murdered one man who had attempted to rape her sister.
Sheriff Carlos and rich patron Ruiz covered it up.
Alida is a prostitute over on the island, lantern hanging when business is open.
Slow film, often stagnant, undercurrents of corruption and withered dreams.
One client too many, a rival woman consumed with jealousy.
A mood of Noir under the hot sun.

A Tupperware Of Ashes - 2025 - 7/10

Mom does speak her mind, unleashing volleys on her offspring.
I leaned to Zelda, “Universal mother type, be they Italian, Jewish, Southern, Hindu…”
Only thing is, Queenie has become forgetful, slightly confused, befuddled.
A few tests confirm early onset Alzheimer’s.
Increasingly, she exists in a fog of delusions, memories and rage, as moments of clarity diminish.
The adult children try to cope, yet are unprepared.
Powerful theatre that will disturb too many, I fear.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3368644

Gasland - 2010 - 7/10

Lopsided documentary of the gas fracking business.
So what if the ground water will be undrinkable for 10,000 years?
Landowners are paid a pittance? Crybabies.
Elected officials hang their heads and say “I don’t know” yet pocket “considerations”.
The EPA holds public hearings – which lead to nothing.
The game is rigged, my friend. Plus, humans trust lies, we always do.
Nowadays, behold oil pipelines, data centers, artificial intelligence. Jobs for all!
A sucker is born every minute.

If Only You Could Cook - 1935 - 6/10

Automobile tycoon Jim cannot convince the board to accept sweeping new designs.
Deco, snowdrop vehicles.
He huffs out. On a park bench, he meets the unemployed Joan.
She persuades him to accompany her for a twofer job: butler and cook.
Of course they are hired … by gangsters.
Amusing Depression era RomCom is farfetched entertainment.
Working girl, millionaire, good-natured criminals, tight ensemble.

Yellow Submarine - 1968 - 7/10

Pepperland had been overrun and enslaved by the Blue Meanies.
Are you bluish? You don’t look bluish?
Young Fred barely escapes in the above vessel, then implores the Fab Four to rescue the inhabitants.
Enroute, they navigate various, ofttimes perilous, seas.
Eye-popping animation, memorable songs, imaginative story.
Surprise hit with kids, acidheads, critics, Beatles fans.
This generated much good will toward the band, and remains a great watch.

The film Project Hail Mary is a fantastic movie! There’s comedy, Sci Fi, heart and stunning visuals! I highly highly recommend it! One of the best movies of 2026 so far!

Murder In The Auvergne Mountains - 2016 - 6/10
AKA - Sources Assassines

The doctor dies, and several dozen are poisoned at the outdoor, costumed fete.
The cause, arsenic. The suspect, another doctor, not a rival, but an ex-flame.
Tangled mystery with threads leading in several directions.
A blend of science, quack cures, and speculators – oh, real estate.
Implausible on and off, and lacking the scenery usually associated with French mysteries.
Ending was tidy and fantasized. Most soured relationships stay that way, until death.

Red-Headed Woman - 1932 - 7/10

Lil chases after boss Bill, who is young, handsome, rich.
Oh, and married, too.
No matter, Lil cooks the sausage … a couple of times … and Bill is soon hers.
Does Bill ever wise up? Even when Lil targets his even wealthier friends?
Heavy cutting notwithstanding, this steamy Pre-Code reeks of sex, adultery, innuendo.
For teens who think they invented sex, your grandma, your great-grandma was way ahead of you.

The Enchanted Cottage - 1924 - 6/10

Disfigured and crippled in the Great War, Richard broods in the family manor.
After his fiancé leaves him for another, he decamps to a remote cottage.
Where he meets Laura, unattractive yet possessing a warm heart.
Their’s becomes a marriage of convenience.
Ghosts and specters of the past haunt the cottage, however, and influence the couple.
Fantasy love story is schmaltz, must have struck a chord with the post-war audiences.

Vixen! - 1968 - 6/10

Russ runs a small lodge in the Canadian woodlands.
As a pilot, he flies guests into the area.
Oh yes, he also has a steamy wife, Vixen, a female with hearty appetites.
Russ, guests male and female, relatives … close relatives.
Faithless, sharp-tongued, racist, Vixen is a piece of work.
Russ Meyer gave Erica Gavin a long leash in this, then let her loose.
She overpowers the entire film, and it is mystifying why she never had a better career.
For a satirical comedy, this wields a mean and ugly edge.

The 10th Victim - 1965 - 6/10
AKA - La Decima Vittima

To provide an outlet for violence and murderous tendencies, society permits “The Big Hunt”.
One hunter, one victim, with guidelines. After a few successes, endorsements arrive.
Caroline is an alluring predator, nearing the apex of her craft.

Her latest assignment is Marcello, who lacks her finances and support crew.
Instead, he relies on guile and knowledge of the Italian laws.

Overly talky at times, this is, nevertheless, a sexy slice of 60’s cinema.
With a shout out to Lee Falk, this drips Guido Crepax and Italian Pop Art.
Arresting visuals, attractive leads cannot quite salvage a meandering, repetitive plot.

Bring Her Back - 2025 - 7/10

After their father dies, Andy and Piper are placed in a foster home.
Piper is visually impaired, while Andy, abused in childhood, suffers a history of anger.
Both pale next to new foster mom Laura, who is insane with grief.
Her daughter, her beloved daughter, well, Laura would do anything to bring her back.
Unsettling story blends suspense and Horror with a trope I loath, child in danger.
Sally Hawkins as Laura is remarkable. Lord, she burrows under your skin and crawls.
And the young boy as Oliver is full bore intense.
Most of the time I disliked this film, yet it was exceptionally well done.

Rafureshia - 1995 - 6/10
AKA - Sukebe Zume: Otto no rusu ni // すけべ妻 夫の留守に

Alisa and her father live on an isolated island.
Weary of being father’s after dinner sexual dessert, she jumps into the sea and swims several miles to the city.
Where, by good luck or misfortune, she is put to work in a brothel.

And soon realizes the chainsaw is mightier than her nethers.
Another story follows a frustrated wife, her indifferent husband, duplicitous mother-in-law.
Satire of pinku eiga is fairly surreal, stuffed with slapstick.

The Shark Is Broken - 2025 - 7/10

Three men in a boat, afloat with booze, boredom, motion-sickness, insecurities.
What do they have in common? The shark, the damned mechanical shark.
Dreyfuss, Shaw and Scheider while away the downtime talking, drinking, arguing, reassuring.
Shaw is convinced the film is rubbish, and will consequently be a hit.
Dreyfuss, younger, is all boasts, claims, and fears, assuming his is the biggest part.
Scheider, calm, taciturn, charts a middle course.
Chamber play ought to be a bonus on physical releases of Jaws.

No Return - 2022 - 6/10
AKA - Aller Simple

Who could refuse? Invite to a billionaire’s private retreat for a weekend?
There are six of them, plus one guest and the helicopter pilot.
Everyone survives a forced landing, then find a lavish, well-stocked compound.
Wait, then there are only five invitees … then four!
No credit given to Christie, yet clearly patterned after And Then There Were None.

Troll - 1986 - 5/10

The Harry Potter family (no, not that one) move into a San Francisco apartment.
One gathers rents were more reasonable in ‘86.
Young Wendy is soon possessed by a troll, who sets about converting building and denizens into magic land.
I was sorta OK with that, except there comes a “friendly witch”, potty mouthed June Lockhart.
Not to be confused with the second film, which is atrocious, this is decent family fare save for June Lockhart.
The sound mix was one of the first that jumped out at me in the era of HiFi VHS.
Quite funny, actually, if one is not predisposed to hate it.

The Hungry Grass - 1981 - 6/10

The overgrown churchyard was the last remaining evidence of the village.
Decimated during the great famine.
The American descendant, visiting, sees his name of a tombstone.
He lingers too long, and the land begins to reclaim.
Irish legend or lore. Explore the Wild Wood safely, friends.

The Town That Dreaded Sundown - 1973 - 5/10

Odd mix of docu-drama and slasher.
The initial attack, victims were bludgeoned, yet survived.
Next, both were killed. Law enforcement took note, and Texas Rangers send a specialist.
So what? Two more. The serial killer was now dubbed The Phantom.
Based on a true – unsolved – spree in Texarkana in 1946.
Tension lowered by narration, and the comic relief is witless.
Lot of good here, if one can overlook the shortcomings.