Vultural

Jiu: Special Investigation Team - 2011 - 5/10
AKA - Jiu: Keishichou Tokushuhan Sousakei // ジウ　警視庁特殊犯捜査係

Small children are kidnapped for high ransoms.
The loot is not squandered, however. Something “big” is planned.
Cop J-dorama follows two female officers.
Izaki is the hardass, physically combative type, Kadokura is quieter and idealistic.
Not a buddy movie, though, as one female transfers to SIT, the other to SAT.
Both investigate the blonde serial killer, Jiu, as corpses stack high.
Corny, clichéd, shallow, juvenile. NWO plotline.
Style flares in the final two episodes. if you stay around long enough.

Happy Ever Afters - 2009 - 5/10

Forced Irish comedy of two wedding receptions colliding at one venue.
Each couple suffers reasons for marriage.
Groom A and Bride B meet cute and gallop down predictable lane.
Nice enough romantic comedy if your station is not broadcasting a bowling tournament.
Tired formula, caricatures rather than characters, stale goods.

Hitler’s Hollywood - 2017 - 8/10

Continuation of 2014’s From Caligari To Hitler, this is an exploration of the Reichsfilme.
Entertainment for the masses: historicals, musicals, thrillers, action, romance, comedy.
All, overtly or subtly, propaganda, overseen by Joseph Goebbels.
This shows the absorption of Ufa, the compromises by actors and directors - or willingness.
Clips shown are in excellent condition, with very good subs.
Note: finding these films is often challenging, and subtitles can be particularly difficult.
The English version of this is narrated by Udo Kier, who provides shade and nuance with his purring voice.
Outstanding documentary.

T2 Trainspotting - 2017 - 6/10

Twenty year follow-up to the groundbreaking original.
Sick Boy, Spud, Rent Boy, Begbie, and a few others.
Renton returns to the betrayals he left behind, and plans a shizzle with Simon.
Begbie thirsts for vengeance, Spud writes redemption.
Flashbacks remind one of relevant points in the original.
I enjoyed this more than I thought, possibly because my expectations were low.

Let’s Spend The Night Together - 2010 - 5/10

Documentary about the ladies who put the sex in Sex - Drugs - Rock n Roll.
The groupies.
Whitebread, feel-good pic showcasing American squad notables.
Pamela Des Barres, Sweet Sweet Connie, Cassandra Peterson (Mistress Elvira), Tura Satana (huh?) …
Some are pathetic, confessing the current crop of rockers they are bangin’ are younger than their grandsons. Makes you wonder what those gents were thinking.
A few souls are completely delusional, arguing the case they were artistic muse rather than joy holes.
Also events were way back when, before AIDS, before the Lennon murder and subsequent beefed up security and bodyguards.
Female topless photos were digitally blurred, while infamous Plaster Casters totems were displayed in full glory.
Mildly fun, though shallow and glossy.

Le Corbeau - 1943 - 7/10
AKA - The Raven

Inhabitants of French village start receiving poison pen letters.
Stylized calligraphy signed by le Corbeau.
Malicious gossip, innuendo, facts mixed with falsehoods.
Some shrug it off, others laugh, some worry, most try to guess the culprit.
Venomous movie is packed with jaded, angry, spiteful souls.
Excels at casting suspicion on almost everyone.
From the date, I imagine this was shot during the Occupation. You wouldn’t know, the standards are high.

The Big Switch - 1968 - 4/10

Swinger John Carter enters a hectic period.
He swipes another guy’s smoldering blonde at the disco, drives her to her pad.
There, she gets iced and he gets framed.
Goes home, where thugs drink his booze, play strip poker, and slap him around.
At work, he’s fired. Lone job prospect is with a conniving gangster.
Despite enough material for five cheap paperbacks, this movie is slower than a tortoise finding love.
Producers must have realized this because every seven minutes there is nudity.

Strippers, go-go girls, pinup models, working girls, female wrestlers, dopeheads.
Just when you start to nod off, girls disrobe and bounce the rack.
The plot is crap. The music - dude - the composer uses a thinly disguised Bond theme!
Not only that, in the last twenty minutes an Aston Martin appears.
Wanted to like this trashy sleaze, but it’s too pokey.

Angel - 2007 - 6/10

Cracker factory tour.
Director François Ozon’s previous English movie, The Swimming Pool, was a razor honed drama about a cynical mystery writer in the vein of PD James or Ruth Rendell.
Angel swings about and follows an Edwardian scribbler of melodramatic, romantic kitsch (based on Victorian powerhouse author, Marie Corelli, now forgotten).
Romola Garai portrays the narcissistic, delusional, borderline insane writer, Angel Deverell.
Garai commits 100% to this role and is wonderful. You detest her, laugh at her misconceptions, and feel sorry for her. Her literary success proves there has always been an audience for junk, though the herd will, eventually, shift toward different junque.
For travel sequences, Ozon uses obviously fake rear projection, to show Angel’s addled perceptions. The house where she lives, Paradise, is spectacular.
Charlotte Rampling, Sam Neill, and Michael Fassbender, top a strong cast.
I enjoyed this a lot, but others around me held a lower opinion, annoyed by the satire and florid production values. All roundly disliked Angel.
Bad movie fans, rate this much higher.

Pulp Empire (The Empire Strikes Back) - NJVC

Ever wonder, what if Tarantino had dabbled with a galaxy far away?
Complete deconstruction and reworking of The Empire Strikes Back.
Linear narrative is tossed in favor of flashbacks and foreshadowing.
John Williams score removed in favor of funky blaxsploitation cues.
Bits of New Hope, Return Jedi, Sith, Clones Wars, pitched in the cut, and running time trimmed almost thirty minutes.
Pulp Empire quite the grindhouse gem, with Darth Vader a badass mack daddy.
There are hundreds of Star Wars edits out there. Most are lite, a tweak here or there.
This is a full bore rearrangement, and a must-see!
Would that other editors possessed the vision and skills that NJVC showcases here.

Trailer

http://vimeo.com/62322967

Overlord - 2018 - 6/10

Three movies here.
The first, a World War II mission to knock out a radio tower prior to D-Day.
Second, within that tower the Germans are engaged in experimentation. Such as?
Third, over the top fights n explosions by “super-heroes.”
Solid production values, questionable casting (explained satisfactorily in the narrative), and good concepts.
Detour into Shock Waves territory needs a better backstory, better execution, and less predictability.
Starts well, ends up hackneyed. Abrams continues his transition into Emmerich.

London Town - 2016 - 6/10

80’s coming of age story in Thatcher England.
15 year old Shay watches over his young sister, Alice, while Dad works two jobs.
Mom, pursuing her own dreams, sends him mix-tapes and writes about glamorous London.
Shay meets the more worldly Vivian and she opens him to the popular culture.
Fairytale elements surface at times. Encounters with fame, unlikely plot turns.
Clash singer Joe Strummer glides in and about the boy’s life as a benevolent wise man and mentor.
Warm hearted, hopeful fantasy, with very minor edginess.

Cairo Time - 2009 - 7/10

Ravishing looking film for adults of a certain age, who realize Life’s opportunities are beginning to close around them.
For most, this begins around age 40.
Magazine publisher (Clarkson) flies to Cairo to meet with husband, who is delayed in Gaza because of “situations.”
One gets the impression she has become adrift, children gone, husband away on UN business. Detached ennui.
She relaxes, explores the area, connects with her husband’s ex colleague, succumbs to the charm of the city.
Beautiful views of the Nile, White Desert, pyramids, mosques, the medina, as well as the seedier side.
Lyrical film, recommended to the arthouse crowd, anyone with patience for adult themes.

Berlin Syndrome - 2017 - 5/10

Wide-eyed Australian turista arrives in Berlin.
Instead of seeing sights, she makes easy friends and chats.
Talks a bit too much, to be blunt, which tailspins into her ordeal.
Lazy script, based on a predictable novel, of a truly ignorant soul.
Has this girl never viewed Horror flicks or stalker films?
Has she never dated? Learned to deflect probing questions?
How about, letting people know where she is?
Later on, how come she waits until late in the afternoon?
I could go on and on. Producers may well assume their audience is gullible, too.

The Favourite - 2018 - 6/10

Glossy drama of the power behind the throne.
In this case, Lady Marlborough behind Queen Anne.
First half drips style. Indeed, this may remind seasoned viewers of Orlando or Plunkett & Macleane.
Staccato paced, acid drenched dialogue, blast furnace humor, make this irresistible arthouse.
Unfortunately, the second half is an utter reversal.
The narrative plods, colors are leached out, and proceedings are glum and serious.
Yes, the director is making a point - and following history - but the enjoyment swoons off the cliff.

Weekend - 2011 - 6/10

Two gents meet at a noisy club, leave together, spin a fling.
Talking predominates, sharing childhoods, experiences, no different from straight couples.
One suffers commitment anxiety, the other wants to explore the possibility of “what if.”
Per title, this occurs during a long weekend.
Hopeful reviewers have dropped the love word, assuming a blissful relationship can be formed in a weekend.
Casual viewers, some sex scenes might put you off.

The Flesh And Blood Show - 1972 - 5/10

Too early to fall into the Slasher genre, this is the timeless concept of knocking off characters one by one.
Cat And The Canary (1927) and And The There Were None (1945) are examples.
Assorted actors answer the audition call at a long shuttered Brighten playhouse.
Soon enough, they realize something is amiss.
Almost a decent thriller this. The location is underutilized, however, and the characters are sketches.
As with the earlier The Big Switch (1968) producers load up the skin to spark lulls.

This is a better film than that one. Acting, photography, script invention.
As with the earlier film, the tempo drags, though flashback and whodunit angle were slick.

Studio 54 - 2018 - 7/10

Surprisingly entertaining documentary of the influential, of polarizing, New York nightclub.
Story proceeds chronologically, with perhaps faithful recollections by survivors.
Best friends Rubell and Schrager acquire a discarded CBS studio, renovate, issue invites.
Within months, the club was a must, as rich, famous and celebrities alike partied inside to extravagant sets.

Lined queued and admittance for the rabble incited a torrent of dark passions.
The doc mentions this resentment and envy, as well as the anti Disco sentiment at the time.
Producers either underplay the hatred of the time (for disco, for gays, for blacks, for liberated females), or they flat out simply never comprehended expressions outside the Manhattan glitterati.
No shirking from the downfall, however, and narrators seem honest - and likeable.
One aspect I truly appreciated was the unbreakable bond between Rubell and Schrager.

The Whistleblower - 2010 - 6/10

Recently divorced mother (Rachel Weisz), loses custody of daughter, and promises to relocate across the country to be near her.
To earn a lot of money, as quick as possible, she hires on with contract firm as UN peacekeeper in Bosnia.
She stumbles into the world of sex trafficking and slavery, and gradually discovers the scope and coverup. Part and parcel of the latter are the procurers and chief clientele.
Unpleasant film, with beatings and torture, based, sadly, on true events.
The actual contractor was Texas based, DynCorp.

Love Education - 2006 - 5/10
AKA - 禁室培慾之愛的俘虜

Swinging Hong Kong photographer is catnip to the ladies.
“Take my picture, please!” “Ooh, I love nudity, yes, please touch me!”
Then one evening, he spies a moody female, dark eyed Yumi, drinking in a smoky bar.
What’s the phrase? One moment of passion, a lifetime of regret.

Turns out she is possessive to the nth degree. From blindfolds to handcuffs to steel manacles.
She encourages obedience. Yumi’s helpers include fire rods, kitchen knives, garden tools.
“Those last pictures of me are no good. Make me look beautiful, or else!”
Oh, yeah, she drains that wick of his daily – if you catch my drift.
Glossy, Cat 3 sopping with blood, flashing plenty of hot skin.

Let It Rain - 2008 - 4/10
AKA - Parlez-Moi de la Pluie

French pap.
Wayward trio attempts to film pretentious documentary, focusing on the female’s political ambitions.
The two males can barely find a lens cap, let alone the start button.
Orbiting around are needy siblings, insecure types, who bore viewers into slumberland
Attractive looking film. A fine cast is sadly wasted in a story plodding nowhere.

Apocalypse: World War I - 2014 - 6/10
AKA - Apocalypse la 1ère Guerre Mondiale

Five part French documentary, colorized throughout.
Certainly not as essential as other WWI docs, this should appeal to wars buffs, despite some caveats.
There are no talking heads or historians. Old film and newsreels predominate.
Sound effects have been added (explosions, gunfire, marching feet, etc …) and those serve to enhance.
As mentioned, this is colorized - heavily. So much so that the sharpness and contrast suffers,
Images are noticeably flattened or blurry.
Original narration was in French. The English dubbed speaker has a snooze inducing monotone.
More carnage and brutality in this documentary. Starvation in Berlin, atrocities in Armenia.
Surprisingly, a lengthy reveal of prostitution and military brothels.

Colette - 2018 - 6/10

Keira Knightley, acceptable for once, in a costume drama.
Though unlikely to win awards or acclaim, Knightley plugs along and does not appear lost in a sea of finery.
Story follows Colette’s early years (long pigtale notwithstanding, there is no way the actor resembles a 14 year old).
Husband Willy enlists young bride into his writing stable. Her creation, “Claudine” proves a runaway bestseller.
Willy takes credit, society suspects the truth, Colette finds solace in affairs.
I imagine outraged audiences decry such exploitation. I wonder how they feel inside the museum, admiring large installations by the modern “artist” who maintain a crew – a factory – to do the actual creating.
Movie covers a lot of territory, has a glossy surface, and feels shallow.
Decent companion to 1972 French film, La Naissance du Jour, which shows the writer’s later years.

Break Of Day - 1980 - 6/10
AKA - La Naissance du Jour

Summer 1927. Writer Colette is at her St Tropez beach cottage, with one servant, one dog, two cats, and a slow parade of visitors.
She is working on “Break Of Day,” recalling her mother through their correspondence, analyzing her own life, studying friends, dissecting their motives, mimicking overheard phrases, writing drafts, tearing them up.
Organizing the myriad influences, some useful for her novel, others shelved for later.
The color scheme is vibrant, in contrast with the story, which is internal in nature.
Movies about creative sorts (painters, sculptors, writers) are invariably dull because of the incremental nature of creating. Most juice things up with dramatics or substance abuse.
La Naissance du Jour does not fall prey to those tropes, and is the better for it, though it is languid.

Pride & Prejudice: Having A Ball - 2013 - 7/10

Irresistible documentary for hardcore Janeites and casual Austen fans alike.
This focuses on that key element of the Regency world for the young, the ball.
Dance steps were actually fiendishly complicated, and physically demanding.
Status could be seen in choice of candles, desserts served, as well as clothes.
Speaking of clothes, female knickers were crotchless. Male clothing was very form fitting, to display . . . mmm . . . simply to display.
Casually mentioned was how increasingly modern, and wrong-headed, modern adaptations of P&P have become.
If you have reread Austen numerous times, if you have multiple film versions of P&P, S&S, as well as Emma, Mansfield Park, and Persuasion, not to mention Lost In Austen (w/ Downtown intact), then this documentary is for you.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν. If you are a Janeite, rate this much higher.

Altes Geld - 2015 - 8/10
AKA - Old Money

Gleeful, diabolical entertainment here!
A delicious Udo Kier plays the wealthy patriarch, dying of liver disease. He makes a proposal.
Whoever delivers a healthy organ will inherit the family “business.”
Relatives, advisors, employees, wolves in suits, sharks in gowns, rip into each other.
Treachery, incest, kidnapping, backstabbing, more incest, murder, blackmail, torture.
Moreover, despite my comments about German comedy, this is laugh out loud funny.
Mean spirited, midnight humor aimed for cynical adults. Eight parts, Austria.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν