Vultural

Game Night - 2018 - 7/10

C’mon, do people still play charades at home? Pictionary?
So if you say, “Well, maybe. I dunno.” you could buy into this.
Friends gather monthly to play said games, eat snacks, shun creepy neighbor.
Until one of the role playing dramas takes an unexpected dark turn.
And it becomes a high octane race to solve.
Once this thriller builds up momentum, it is like an express.
Better, this is packed with jokes. Situations, one-liners, characters.
Believe most of the ratings and avoid reading spoilers, this is a fun film!

World’s End - 2013 - 6/10

Yet another quasi apocalyptic comedy from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.
High school mates reunite to try and finish hometown pub crawl they attempted and failed 20 years earlier.
Pegg’s character annoying at first, but struck me better as the tone and tempo of the plot intensified.
As with all this duo’s films, the last act loaded stale action and a lazy finale.
Good premise, wish these guys could finish as well as they start.
(Hmm, sounds like a common female dating lament.)

The Queen Of Black Magic - 1981 - 6/10
AKA - Ratu Ilmu Hitam

Goodness, wishes still come true!
Murni, watching her love marry the village head’s beautiful daughter, goes home to cry.
Thereby missing the wedding collapse into chaos.
Superstitious villagers accuse her of being a witch and do their best to kill her.
Fortunately for all concerned, a wicked shaman rescues Murni and trains her in the deadly arts of vengeance.
Yes, there will be retribution, oh yes. Menfolk, piss off women at your peril.
The deaths in this are imaginative and wildly over the top.
Moreover, this feels like a picture meant for a national audience, not crafted with one eye toward global profit.
Corny at times, ridiculously gory, hammy, truly wonderful!

California Dreamin’: Songs Of The Mamas & The Papas - 2005 - 6/10

Fun, if shallow, overview capturing the 60’s pop group during their peak.
Packed with clips of the quartet lip syncing on a variety of TV programs.
Interviews were positive. In-group infidelities were referenced, though not Michelle’s temporary dismissal.
Watching Cass dancing in her white go-go boots, Denny with his head tossed back, both soaring like the free spirits they were.
The moment was brief, though. The group, like the hippies themselves, evaporated in the late sun.
Easy stroll down nostalgia lane, and Phillips’ songs remain buoyant, irresistibly catchy.

Lady MacBeth - 2017 - 7/10

I thought this would be an inversion of Shakespeare, and there are elements of the play, especially guilt.
This is based on a short story by Nikolai Leskov, however, adapted into rural England.
Family sire buys a small parcel of land. With it, a 17 year old wife for his 30ish son.
Like the land, she is “property” and is repeatedly reminded of that.
Chattel, like horses, are best dealt with harshly until their spirit is broken.
Only Katherine does not break easily; in fact, there is a furnace inside her, waiting to be stoked.
Slow burn costume drama that manages to be repulsive, sexy, violent, exquisite.
Austere manners and photography barely mask primal undercurrents.

Ten Little Indians - 1965 - 6/10

Sturdy warhorse holds up fairly well.
Ten complete strangers find themselves isolated in a remote Alpine manor.
Their host, one U N Owen, accuses them of capital crimes.
Soon, one little Indian after another, our guests are eliminated.
Those who have viewed any other version of this know what to expect.
This has good Noirish camera work, a nice cast of English and American (Fabian alert).
Music is a bit jazzy and incongruous at times, but the fabulous set design compensates.

Female Agents - 2008 - 6/10
AKA - Les Femmes de l’ombre

Squad of females dropped into German controlled France.
Part hit / part heist, just prior to the D-Day invasion.
Lot of familiar French faces in this one.
Germans were not clueless adversaries. Each encounter leaves the Resistance bruised.
Decent action film with political intrigue. Rare to see a WWII movie with females using carbines.
Based on actual persons. Recap and vintage photos during closing credits.

Upgrade - 2018 - 6/10

Auto accident leaves man injured. Sadistic vulture types leave him paralyzed.
Set in the near future, robots and machines care for him and abort suicide attempts.
A life of misery stretches ahead - until - a reclusive computer genius offers to test his implant in the man.
“… Better than he was before. Better… stronger… faster …”
Readers old enough to recognize the quote will know the premise, which is coupled with a quest for truth plot.
In his journey, our protagonist forms a relationship with his implant, a cross between HAL and KITT.
Most of the fights resemble bouts from the Mortal Kombat arcade game.
Story may not feel like leftovers to under 40 viewers.
The ending made it for me, though others may be unsettled by the reveal.

Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life - 2010 - 7/10
AKA - Gainsbourg (Vie Héroïque)

Challenging French film about artist, singer songwriter, personality, Serge Gainsbourg.
No time dates, names, or other signposts as viewer is dumped into Vichy France where Serge still goes by Lucien Ginsberg. Young Gainsbourg very precocious and very annoying. Accurate? Maybe.
Great masked alter-ego trails throughout film.
Parade of female performers and conquests follow, including Juliette Greco, France Gall, Jane Birken.
Some steamy scenes with Bardot, probably the most recognizable person to the uninitiated.

Solid period soundtrack, running from the 40’s to the 70’s, though not enough Gainsbourg tunes.
Two hours later, and I still didn’t have a feel for the guy.

The New Girlfriend - 2014 - 5/10
AKA - Une Nouvelle Amie

I will generally watch any film by François Ozon; I consider him a wayward nephew of Douglas Sirk.
This one covers unrequited love, identity, and deception.
The blurb in IMDB is uselessly vague -
“… young woman makes surprising discovery about the husband of her late best friend.”
The source material is Ruth Rendell, so I expected a dark psychological mystery / thriller.
Mmm … no.
The plot, steeped in individual fashion choice, despite being straight-faced throughout, is already dated.
The story, SPOILER about cross-dressing, is regurgitated and sleep inducing.

The Missing Sun - 2017 - 6/10

Early on, Alma has what appears to be a conversation with herself, saying she is not ready to die yet.
Everyone else, however, seems to have shuffled off. Her husband is there. Sleeping, comatose, dead.
The sparse area is pretty deserted, though, and those who remain don’t seem to “see” Alma.
That had me wondering, is she dead? Is she a restless spirit?
Her home has quartz crystals, tapes on astral projection.
There is a cult-like church with a tiny flock, where the shepherd goes on and on about this life, that life.
The photography is extraordinarily sharp, the narrative quite opaque.
I was never sure what the writer / director was trying to say, in a film that moves at a glacial pace.

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library - 2017 - 6/10

Lengthy documentary on the central location and the branches.
Free form structure. Five minutes of an author interview, five minutes in the childrens section, five minutes with the board, five minutes with a poet, or a rapper. Book club. Senior time! More board meetings. E-books. Funding.
Repeat - repeat.
The homeless problem barely touched upon. (My bride toils in the stacks, and believe me, street types, especially those with mental issues, affect patron traffic.)
Time runs three and a half hours. I broke this up into two nights.
The first half seemed mind numbingly slow. Every vignette went on three beats too long.
The second half was edited quicker and had a better flow.

Frances Ha - 2012 - 5/10

Say what?
Critical darling about deluded late 20’s girl who comes off as a failure on every level.
Doesn’t really have a job, mooches apartment space, fails with relationships.
Yeah, join the club, princess.
How does she pay New York rent? Eat out? Airfares?
Oh - it’s a movie. And not a New York film ala Woody Allen or Edward Burns. This was fantasy island.
Frances strikes one as shallow, self centered, untalented, yet resolute in the belief of her innate specialness.
Could be a metaphor for every Me Generation.
After muddled speeches, foolish decisions, squandering of funds, the film rushes a tacked on, happy finale that was as satisfying as a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich.

The Quiet Season - 2013 - 5/10

The old man arrives at the B&B for a rest, a holiday.
Though he is just a “nobody” the owner’s daughter recognizes him.
He is Professor Redhook from Miskatonic University, problem solver of the paranormal and supernatural.
Yes, there is something wrong inside her family’s lovely home.
Perhaps the professor is not simply on holiday.
The chief problem is an insubstantial plot, though the sound design lets music overwhelm dialogue.

Bell, Peter - The Light Inaccessible

For the right audience, this collection of short essays is nothing short of magical.
Most of us might visit the Hebrides once, if we are lucky, and pray for passable weather.
Mr. Bell has apparently been there numerous times, and explored near and far.
His essays capture the legends and superstitions. Memorable inhabitants, bitter history (such as the Clearances).
As always, there is a spectacular, if harsh environment. Miserable weather followed by perfection.

Human signposts disappearing into the sands, homes collapsing into the earth, meanwhile reclaimed by wilder animals.
And the light. No one who has ever visited can forget the constant shadings of light and color.
A gorgeous Zagava book, Jonas has also provided stark black and white photographs.

Naked Alibi - 1954 - 6/10

Decent Noir with Sterling Hayden as no-nonsense police chief.
Drunk n disorderly baker brought in for questioning, provokes cops, gets smacked around.
Within days, three cops murdered and gruff chief suspects the family man, police brutality victim, the baker.
Plenty of false trails to keep viewer guessing.
Noir fatale, Gloria Grahame, plays cheap singer in low life Mexican cantina.

Shakespeare & Hathaway: S01 - 2018 - 6/10

Daytime detective series, set in Stratford-upon-Avon, with male/female partners.
Stories are one-offs. Robberies, sabotage, a bit of murder.
Police are involved, but TV detectives are always smarter than TV authorities.
Cheerful throughout, with wisecracks and light humor.
On par with the Agatha Raisin series, lacks the polish of Miss Fisher, superior to any Hallmark drivel.
S02-03 have come and gone, and been viewed. I have been informed if there is a S04 I will be watching it.
Resistance is futile.

An Unpopular Woman - 2013 - 6/10
AKA - Eine Unbeliebte Frau

The “unpopular” woman, Isabel, races through a cornfield, then makes a mistake, emerging into an open field.
Police soon arrive, as well as the forensic team.
Isabel was pretty much disliked by all. She was mercenary, and slept with numerous males, most married.
Don’t start second-guessing the detectives, as another murder occurs, and a child kidnapping!
Based on a Nele Neuhaus novel, there is also, supposedly, a Cinderella undercurrent.
Confusing muddle of narratives and relationships, set in the equestrian sphere.
Better than “reality” TV, though.

The Serpent & The Rainbow - 1988 - 5/10

Bill Pullman, field worker / anthropologist for Big Pharma, digs around in voodoo Haiti for cures.
Instructions are to find the “zombie drug” which supposedly will suspend life for a month.
Yeah, boss, wait till Marketing tries to overcome - “I ain’t gonna be no zombie” - consumer resistance.
Of course, he never gets that far. Instead he gets embroiled with the Bébé Doc Duvalier police state and growing insurrection.
Some curious dream sequences fueled by voodoo herbal cocktails, but the film mostly staggers around.
Directed by Wes Craven, this looks ten years out of date, circa 1975.
Pullman’s hair stays fluffy the whole movie.
Wasted opportunity.

Medusa - 1973 - 3/10
AKA - To Kynigi Tis Medousas

My fault for not even glancing at the synopsis.
Dilettante playboy works cheap hustles and capers with strong arm casino owner.
Meanwhile, the playboy’s sister tries to score Greek tycoon for husband.
Police sniff around, but seem more inclined to watch giggling arguments.
This film really blows. The first ten minutes is taken up with dancing!
English spoken in most scenes, Greek in the others. Not subtitled.
The plot feels improvised. George Hamilton admitted he did this for a free vacation with his new wife, Alana.
I only loaded Medusa because it was in my box of 50 Crappy Horror flicks.
This ain’t horror. Only horror is brain cells being destroyed. Rubbish from beginning to end.

Tehran - 2020 - 6/10

Mossad agent Tamar’s first mission goes wrong, badly wrong.
She is now running through the Iranian capital, intelligence teams in pursuit.
Iranian Intelligence wants her caught, while the Israelis want her rescued. Maybe. If not, perhaps silenced.
Tamar is resourceful enough to use and exploit others.
This series is a good cat and mouse thriller, tautly written, with neat twists.
And, not to be forgotten, that original mission, with or without Tamar, continues to spin.

McCammon, Robert - The Providence Rider

Recent installment of novels following Matthew Corbett, and direct sequel to Mister Slaughter.
This time out, “problem solver” Corbett was kidnapped by arch nemesis Professor Fell.
Settings shift from New York in Winter, to the high seas of the Atlantic, into Bermuda. Time - 1703 - 1704.
Cutthroats, smugglers, blackmailers, arms peddlers, and the embrace of the octopus, hem Corbett from all sides in Fell’s palace of traps.
As always with McCammon, the book was well crafted, with a wonderful eye for 1704. Queen Anne sat on the English throne, New York was still a colony, recently taken from the Dutch. Slaves and servants were commonplace.
Nice entertaining read, and no, one does not have to read the previous books, of which there are several.

My Cousin Rachel - 2017 - 6/10

Somber adaptation of Daphne du Maurier novel.
Young orphan is taken in by his older, single, male cousin.
After the youth comes of age, the cousin meets and marries an exotic English / Italian hybrid.
Just before he mysteriously dies.
Opinions and judgments of the widow, as seen through key characters, surge, ebb, and shift.
Despite several dramatic outbursts, film is coldly reserved.
Watchable, especially for costume drama buffs, but not particularly engaging.

Footnote - 2011 - 6/10
AKA - הערת שולים

Israeli story of two scholars. The popular professor and the dour iconoclast.
Both nominated for the top Israel prize for Talmudic studies.
Oh, yeah, they are father and son, with all the rivalry that implies.
Bitter complications arise after the winner is announced.
Film very frustrating on multiple levels. The way characters interact with each other.
Family members are introduced, troubles displayed, then nothing.
Females seem afterthoughts.
Well done, but I did not enjoy this at all. Despite ads, it was not funny, either.

Red Wedding - 1973 - 6/10
AKA - Les Noces Rouges

The deputy mayor, the wife of the mayor.
Both are married, locked in loveless matches.
Their attraction is immediate, and they soon lash and clutch like animals in heat.
While there are traditional routes of separation, divorce, a fresh connection, they chose a darker route.
Both characters seem poorly developed, surprising for a Chabrol film, and the tone is aloof.
They are not the most sympathetic nor the most rational.
A keen, if corrosive observation of soiled passions.