Vultural

Two Of Us - 2019 - 7/10
AKA - Deux

Plans accelerate.
Once Madeleine sells her apartment, she and neighbor Nina can move to Roma.
Trouble is, Madeleine has family. Two adult children and a grandson.
Nina doesn’t have family. Nor is she selling her apartment.
Madeleine’s flat is richly furnished with antiques, Nina’s is bare.
Madeleine is a “have,” Nina a “have not.”
That informed my view. One is passive money, the other the pushy digger.
Ostensibly a forbidden love story, the undercurrent of avarice was hard to shake.
Desires stream throughout. For romance, for possessions, for security.

10 Cloverfield Lane - 2016 - 6/10

Female, post-breakup, driving late night answers pleading boyfriend on cellphone.
She hangs up, he recalls, she reaches and – screech, wallop! Yes, car-phone crash.
Next scene, she is shackled to a hospital bed, IV drip in vein.
She is “guest” of survivalist (John Goodman), convinced the Apocalypse has occurred.
There is no radio, no outside news, only his saccharine 60’s pap music collection.
Over time, she adjusts to her situation, though there is growing uneasiness.
Goodman’s character (a version of Big Lebowski’s Walter) might be unstable.
A slow burn of a film, yet definitely a fork off Cloverfield.

Suspect X - 2008 - 6/10
AKA - Yôgisha X no Kenshin // 容疑者Xの献身

Movie tie-in for the popular J-dorama, Galileo.
Once again, there is a mysterious murder, with crucial evidence missing or tainted.
The Professor is consulted.
This outing, however, we see the crime. We know who did it and why.
Moreover, this individual is suspect number 1.
Unlike the series, there is no science, no physics.
Earlier chemistry between physicist Yukawa and detective Kaoru is missing.
Big disappointment. See the series, not this,

The She-Creature - 1956 - 5/10

A wealthy entrepreneur opts to promote a huckster to fame and wealth.
If corpses start to litter the beach, well, more publicity!
The story blends hypnotism, regression and reincarnation.
(Actually something I have witnessed.)
Chester Morris is excellent as the soured charlatan.
Broadway actor, Silent star, later Boston Blackie, Morris was never anything less than professional.
Even in this bad, if goofy, horror film.
Other cast members are wooden, bored, or inept.
Fans of 50’s creature films should laugh away.

The Night House - 2020 - 6/10

After 14 years of marriage, you ought to know someone, you think?
I mean, so why did he commit suicide in the lake? And that note, what did that mean?
So Beth confides to best-friend Claire, both still in shock.
Well paced, atmospheric mystery, thriller, haunting film.
Uncanny reveals of convoluted geometry, arcane books, disturbing statues.
All the makings of an exceptional horror outing.
Pity, then, that the ending was badly, stupidly, fumbled. Apparently aimed at 3 year olds.
Same director who bungled Adam Nevill’s superb The Ritual.

Black Line - 1960 - 6/10
AKA - Kurosen Chitai // 奇想活劇傑作選 石井輝男 黒線地帯

Terrific little Noir from Japan.
Reporter is investigating underworld prostitution ring (the Black Line), and he is royally set-up.
One minute he is drinking with a pimp, next minute he wakes next to a strangled hooker, his tie around her throat.
From there, the pace shifts into high gear, as he tries to solve the mystery and elude police.
It’s great how so much gets packed into 80 minutes.
Murders, go-go dancers, drug smuggling, a rival journalist, near captures.
A procession of lovely, malicious, female distractions try to slow him down whenever possible.
Memorable fight inside either a mannequin warehouse or adult inflatable “female companion” warehouse.
Raucous, bluesy jazz score heightens the vibe.

Murder By Contract - 1958 - 6/10

Claude applies for the position of “contractor.”
No experience, yet highly ambitious.
Once underway, he turns out to be creative and efficient.
And as colleagues remark, he’s smart. Too smart.
California Noir spends a lot of time plotting, observing, slowly building tension.
Claude’s handlers aren’t so much comic relief, as frustration expressed.
Unusual guitar score by Perry Botkin.

Burnt Grass - 2014 - 6/10

Somewhat a riff on Multiplicity and The Prestige.
The young couple discovers a patch of backyard grass can duplicate matter.
Not money, not diamonds, but organic matter. Life. Plants, pets.
Or … for the curious girlfriend …

This story could proceed a dozen different ways.
Being a short, it half attempts two or three, then shuffles to an inconclusive stop.

The Wicked Lady - 1945 - 6/10

Dated, though still entertaining tale of treachery amongst the gentry.
Guileless Caroline invites best friend / cousin Barbara to be her maid of honour.
Before you can warn, Barb not only swipes the groom but marries him.
Baby-making? Ha ha. Separate bedrooms, hers with a secret passage.
Soon she beds gallant swains and loads her pistols.
Oh, for a life of crime.
Margaret Lockwood became a star with her despicable Barbara.
Ideal for the dreary afternoon.

Streets Of Fire - 1984 - 6/10

A full throttle rock concert is crashed by a gang of bikers.
Large, bruising specimens, dressed in 50’s attire.
They clobber down resistance, then kidnap the female singer.
Then they disappear … as does the high octane energy of the film.
Oh yeah, sure, an ex-boyfriend is hired to locate and rescue the damsel.
Philip Marlowe, he ain’t. Plus, the comic touches; some liked those, most did not.
Outstanding soundtrack runs like a flood.
The finale had me going, “Really? That’s the best you could come up with?”

Dark Places - 2015 - 6/10

Tightly wound, adult thriller with Charlize Theron playing troubled survivor.
When she was 8, her family was mass murdered. For thirty years, she lived on charity, royalties from a ghost written memoir, envelopes with cash or cheques from accident onlookers. Now the money has dried, and she still has no job skills, no employment history.
A conspiracy club offers money if she tries to discover what truly happened.
And down the grim, trashy rabbit hole she goes.
Adapted from an earlier book by Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl), this has less fireworks and is less over the top.
Theron’s character is haunted and bruised, with no super abilities or genius IQ.
Story is more believable than Gone Girl, and the feel is more realistic.
Note - Not necessary, but older viewers might remember the mass hysteria over Satan worship, with possession and sacrifices, that was a cultural feature of the 1980’s.

Murders In Porquerolles - 2021 - 6/10
AKA - Meurtres à Porquerolles

Popular children’s author / illustrator is murdered in the scenic French island of Porquerolles.
The prosecutor, in this case judge, and police commander are dispatched.

Gallery of suspects, all with somewhat weak motives, are probed and examined.
The deceased, turns out, had been sexually promiscuous, and using those skills to manipulate.
This angle (via flashbacks) could have and should have been exploited.
As it is, this is a routine mystery, boasting lush coastal scenery.
Note: First film I have heard Covid referenced.

X-Files: S04 - 1996 - 6/10

Initially, sheer joy. Behind the shelves, I spied a still shrink wrapped S04 box that I had purchased in 2005.
Opener was with Roy Thinnes. Great, great, great.
Turns out, this is not nearly as enjoyable as S02 and S03, at least for me.
Most of the one-offs, the monsters of the week, were decent.
The mythology arc, however, seemed to have run out of steam.
Revelations were incremental, no longer the eye popping leaps.
As the season advanced, a depressed, gloomy tone saturated characters and narratives.
I have my own theories about what happened. Key departures, film version distraction.
For me, this was where X-Files lost its appeal.
Note - For those who only want a few seasons, S04 does feature a conclusion of sorts you can end on.

The Harder They Come - 1972 - 7/10

Yeah, ganja boy, dreams might still come true, no matter how much you toke.
Ivan, hoping to be a hit singer, hits the brick wall of “The Man.”
The music business, rigged, corrupt, indifferent to talent.
Once Ivan reinvents himself as a serious gangsta, though, his star ascends.
Bad boys sell records, chart action means money.
Ivan just has to keep ahead of the cops.
Highly entertaining film, irresistible music, infectious throughout.

The Seagull - 2016 - 6/10

Theatre junkies, your forbearance please.
The mother, the diva actress, in her forties, though feigning that she is in her thirties.
Except for the existence of a twenty-five year old son, who longs to be artistic himself.
A playwright, perhaps. And like most young artists, he is poor, prospects dim.
Classic Chekov satire on the “creative class” and the questionable allotment of honors.
Meaning, popular often trumps higher quality.
Idealistic souls who fail to grasp this will suffer.
2016 stage production suffers miking problems, as well as indifferent lighting.

What Have You Done To Solange? - 1972 - 7/10
AKA - Cosa Avete Fatto a Solange?

The first murder occurs near the banks of the Thames. An especially ugly one, with a long knife.
There was a witness, however. Maybe. See, she was distracted, her boyfriend was on top of her.
Police investigate, and start to dig into the Catholic girls school.
What a slippery nest that is. Secrets, suspects, misdeeds.
Absolutely stunning Giallo! At first I thought I was seeing an earlier version of Red Rings Of Fear.
No. The plotting in this is outstanding, the direction restrained, stacking mysteries, building tension.
Recommended to anyone curious about this genre, easily a top ten Giallo.

Werewolves Within - 2021 - 7/10

Ranger Finn shows up at his new assignment. Beaverfield.
The postal carrier introduces him around to quarreling, angry residents.
An oil pipeline wants right of way, the community is divided.
Almost to a soul, the locals are box of rocks nuts.
Snowfall thickens and then … reference the title, and expect the dying to start.
Very funny film. Folks are often impulsive, but stay within character.
Their enemy am themselves. Gracious me.

The Wrecking Crew! - 2008/2015 - 7/10

Documentary of famed studio musicians who played on countless hits from mid 60’s to mid 70’s.
These were the go-to guys for Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, Sinatra, John Philips, many, many others.
Denny Tedesco (son of guitarist Ted Tedesco) started filming in the 90’s and it took almost 20 years to finish.
Tons of still photographs, tunes, and talking heads. Faces included Dick Clark and Frank Zappa, both RIP.
Apparently much of the delay involved music clearances.

Must watch for Boomers and rock snobs.
Couple of serious quibbles cannot be overlooked.
One, little mention of troubles, drugs, other difficulties The feel-good sheen is suffocating at times.
Two, chronology bounced. Story opened with Brian Wilson and classic Beach Boys recordings.
Aloud, I’m saying, “Where’s Phil Spector? They worked for him first. Brian was barely in the Wrecking Crew.”
Spector was covered, but he came later in the doc. The early history of the group itself came after that.
Three - and this comes from Wikipedia:
The “Wrecking Crew” name is strongly disputed by Carol Kaye, who has stated in interviews, “We were never known as that. Sometimes we were called the Clique, but that’s a Hal Blaine invented name for his own self promotion in 1990, and most of us are really, really angry about that film, too.” Research by Songfacts concurs, noting "We couldn’t find any references to “The Wrecking Crew” in any publications from the era.
I enjoyed this, though I enjoyed it with a wary eye.

One Shocking Moment - 1965 - 7/10

A subversive film, transgressive even, that came out while Ozzie And Harriet ruled the airwaves, along with Bonanza, Donna Reed, Bewitched, My Three Sons. Whitebread saturation.
The young couple, Cliff and Mindy, leave Grand Rapids for Los Angeles.
A major career move for Cliff, compensated with countless potential female conquests.
And while he leers, gropes, pokes, he fails to see others have taken an interest in his bride Mindy.

A story of innocence, corruption, decadence. The wide-eyed hurled into the cesspool of cynicism.
The acting is abysmal throughout, unless it is a deliberate parody of wholesome America.
A rather fun curio today, this must have been a heady experience in 1965, if one could view it.
“Do you want a good time, or oblivion?”

English subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/one-shocking-moment/english/2724946

Daughter Of Darkness - 1993 - 6/10
AKA - Mit Moon Cham on: Yit Saat // 滅門慘案之孽殺

Vile, Category III flick proves a real chore for thirty minutes, then roars into Sleazeville.
A young woman hurries into the station to report her family has been killed.
Arriving on the scene, officers joke, make inappropriate poses, ask the girl all sorts of sexual questions.

This feels interminable, though we eventually leave Anthony Wong and move to Lily Chung’s character.
From here on, the flesh is on display. Rompings, abuse, peeping.
Erupting into splatter.

Lucky Them - 2013 - 6/10

Character study of aging music critic (Toni Collette) ordered to do article on vanished icon.*
Tracking the missing is just the device. The story is about standing in place, unable to move forward.
She still prowls small clubs, has one night stands with increasingly younger musicians. (Collette, 40, resembles 50.)
Worse, the music magazine she contributes to advises her that her readership is down. She is irrelevant.
The movie becomes a road film, and an old admirer offers assistance if he can film her journey.
Thomas Hayden Church steals every single scene as ultra rich, socially clueless companion.
Funny throughout, filled with tunes you might enjoy in clubs, but never actually give your money for.

• The reclusive artist trope is an oft used one, but it is invariably a myth.
  Most artists run out of things to say, grow old and out of step, or their option is not renewed.
  They don’t vanish - they are merely discarded, then forgotten.
  Stepping away while you are still potent and disappearing for decades is no small trick.
  J. D. Salinger - Syd Barrett - Garbo - Bobbie Gentry - belong to a small group.

Borgman - 2013 - 6/10

No, not 7 of 9, nor Locutus. Arthouse - horror - message film from the Netherlands.
This is either an adult fairy tale or modern day allegory or disturbing parable or . . .
Wait. According to the booklet, the director declares he deliberately kept the script open-ended, open to audience interpretation. The result is at once unsettling and infuriating.
Unwashed, on-the-run homeless man knocks doors in exclusive neighborhood, asking to take a bath.
One husband refuses and kicks him out, then the wife permits him in later.
Hot bath with a tray of food and glass of wine.
More transients arrive and occupy the outdoor guest house. Soon the killings begin.
One of the darkest themes is dream invasion and manipulation, so characters turn against each other.
Is this a xenophobic metaphor for illegal immigrants displacing W Europeans?
Is the wife a sleeper agent? Is this a riff on Invasion Of Body Snatchers?
Pied Piper update?
Cold - sometimes creepy - more often irritating.
Who knows? As noted, the lack of resolution will strike many as a sputtering mess.

Manhattan - 1979 - 8/10

The progression from Love And Death to Annie Hall to Manhattan is astonishing.
A mature, insightful film that delivers more layers with each viewing.
From Gordon Willis’ gorgeous black and white cinematography to the Gershwin score.
Allen’s barbed, scathing at times, social satire swirls through the mannered intelligentsia.
At core, participants cannot – revealed though their relationships – cannot escape their baser roots.
Funny, insightful, and disturbing, especially the way Allen’s character casually dismisses his underage girlfriend.
(Mariel Hemingway, in an emotionally powerful role, nominated for a Best Supporting Oscar.)

Conspiracy In The Court - 2007 - 5/10
AKA - Hanseongbyeolgok // 한성별곡

Costume K-drama set in 17th century Joseon.
New king wants to relocate the palace capital to new area where there will be more food for citizens.
Most courtiers and power brokers do not want to move.
Labyrinthian maze of scheming, poisoning, assassinations, financial chicanery.
Plot is confusing, though not impossible if you persevere.
More intrigue than action, with dozens of villains.

Biggest drawback gainsaying recommendation art the Elizabethan subtitles.
Verily, the sole subs hailst from the now-moribund Written In The Heavens sub chamber.
Dialogue be heavy over-subbed, configuring archaic words and syntax.
“Liar!” might get subbed “Thou liest, foul knave.”
Gentle viewers wouldst squander precious time reading and pondering obsolete verbosity.
Yea, methinks WITH aimed for historic veracity, yet hold steady!
Yon play is enhanced with modern pop songs (which were not subtitled).
Be thou warned, varlets and slatterns.

Bukowski, Charles - Notes Of A Dirty Old Man

Rollicking collection of Bukowski essays from Open City and Los Angeles Free Press.
Women, crazy, drunken women, as well as stable types he is clearly unsuited for.
Politics of the day. What holds for 1968, holds today. Our choices are akin to eating cold shit or eating warm shit. To a soul, horrible, self-serving hallroom monitors.
Different locations: New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Texas. Doesn’t matter. People are the same, jobs are the same, outcomes are the same. It’s pointless. Los Angeles is preferred.
(Why you ask? My wife used to work for “social agencies” in Los Angeles back in the day. A common explanation for mass migration to the City Of Angels ran along the lines of, “Better to be hungry or homeless in a warm environment rather than a cold one.”)
Now and then, he’ll get lucky. With horses, with a girlfriend, with an apartment. Nothing lasts.
His humor, and to be honest, his humanity, tend to soften the edge off a bleak, despairing outlook.
Bukowski is the voice of the battered observer, still striving amidst a preordained fate.