Vultural

The Sheik And I - 2012 - 7/10

Infuriating documentary (¿fictional?) of small (very small) American indie filmmaker invited to make film for biennial celebration for the Kingdom of Sharjah. Where? Tiny kingdom is one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates.
Without writing a script, the film maker decides to do the one thing he was told not to do, mock the ruler of the country, the Sheik.
Several of his scenes involve having extras don burqas and wave guns. (“Isn’t this the typical stereotype of Arabs?” one asked the director.)
He tries to recruit locals to impersonate the Sheik, and is warned of repercussions. He shrugs.
Is reminded, he goes back to America when finished. Meanwhile, his hired locals must stay and face consequences.
The director also tries to coerce women to dance in burqas, which is expressly forbidden.
Director, Caveh Zahedi, of Iranian descent, is every inch the entitled American, I-can-do-anything-I-want artiste.
Zero respect for the country, their social orders.
Film was quickly banned for blasphemy and director Zahedi threatened with a fatwa.
Cringe inducing film drove me up the wall, and everyone in the room screamed at the screen at various moments.
Yet I believe such was exactly the reaction he aimed for, so I’m giving it high marks for punching those buttons.

The Beatles, Hippies And Hells Angels - 2017 - 7/10

Scoring this a 7 for Beatles fans. Casual onlookers, give a 6.
Labour of love overview of Apple Corps. Wide eyed, trusting souls, launch a “new business model.”
Behind the scenes histories as told by the office girls, a few hangers on, and the accountant.
Especially, the accountant. The Beatles, at the height of their success had tax liabilities to choke royalty.
“Set up your own company." They did, and this doc shows where a flood of the money went.
Packed with photos, many I had never seen before, as well as fresh voices.
Funny, engaging, bittersweet. From gear to groovy to bummer. Must for moptop fans.

Generation Wealth - 2018 - 5/10

Indirect followup to 2012‘s Queen Of Versailles charts the recent obsession with greed.
No longer keeping up with the neighbors, the mob attempts to keep pace with the affluent.
The first half is incisive, with penetrating analysis, historical overview, and smug interviews.
Our age of decadence. Perhaps, even, the end of a cycle.
Midway, however, wanders off topic, muddles into naval gazing, and totally loses the thread.
Pornography is explored, professional women commodifying their beauty.
Finally, our filmmaker wonders if she is a good mother.
From interviews with her own ever-smiling mother, we realize both women chose careers over parenting.
She had three + documentaries here, but by cramming so much in, the result is a mess.

Nobody Else But You - 2011 - 6/10
AKA - Poupoupidou

Crime novelist, suffering writer’s block, reads about apparent suicide of Marilyn Monroe lookalike.
Off he drives, to one of the coldest, snowiest regions of France.
Where he chats with locals, reads the dead girl’s diaries, and begins to smell a cover-up.
Good little mystery about very minor, local actress (she was the model for a cheese line) who treads out of her depth.
Sharp touches of comedy and irony.

The Limehouse Golem - 2017 - 6/10

1880 London. A serial killer is loose and authorities at a loss.
Historical note: Jack the Ripper was 1888.
A marginalized detective is given the case, purpose being if he fails, he will be the scapegoat.
The inspector’s attention turns to an unrelated domestic murder, instead.
Suspects include Dan Leno, George Gissing, Karl Marx.
Methodical pace allows various imagined scenarios to unroll in gaslit Victoria England.
Aside from the illuminated British Library, this is set in dirty alleys and the hazy confines of the music hall.
Soiled look will appeal to fans of Ripper Street, Mr Holmes, Sergeant Cribb …
Bill Nighy fine in role originally meant for Alan Rickman.
Steer clear of spoiler reviews. Devilish corkscrew ending.

Something Real And Good - 2013 - 4/10

Two sadsacks meet cute in an airport terminal. Their destination, Chicago, is snowed in and they are diverted to Denver.
The blizzard prone, mile high city had rain soaked streets and flowing fountains. Mmmm … SoCal …
Very much an indie flick, that felt like a small, two act (two actor) play.
Leads are mismatched, and pout and mug throughout.
There were no reviews whatsoever for this one when I saw, so I took a chance.
Avoid unless you are an investor or relative.

The Ghosts Of Kasane Swamp - 1957 - 6/10
AKA - The Depths // Kaidan Kasane-ga-Fuchi // 怪談累が渕

Late at night, thick snow falling, the blind moneylender decides to collect.
The client? An impoverished, though arrogantly proud, samurai.
Who cannot, or will not, pay! Who uses the sword to terminate discussion.

Years later, the orphaned children are grown and getting into love triangles.
Yet the ghosts, and stains on respective families, infect their lives.
Dark film, crammed with weak souls, manipulators and betrayals.

Alexander Nevsky - 1938 - 8/10
AKA - Aleksandr Nevski

An invading army of Teutonic knights cut their way through 13th century Russia.
Prince Alexander Nevsky rallies the populace to halt the murderous foes.
Propaganda film with glorious battle sequences.
Evocative Prokofiev score aids immensely.
To you history buffs, this was meant as a warning to later Teutonic knights, the Third Reich.

Several years ago, the university in my hamlet decided to screen this.
With the university symphony! And a massed chorus of three church choirs.
Dazzling!

Maya - 1949 - 6/10

After the ship docks, crewmen hurry into the red light district in search of company.
The most acclaimed prostitute goes by many names, but most call her Maya.
Ennui fills her. Whereas the other girls force bright smiles and laughs, she is resigned.
One seaman falls for her, and falls hard. He starts imagining an “us,” though she dissuades him.
The lighting and set design are remarkable, an offshoot of Expressionism.
Narrative itself is drama, replete with meaning-heavy dialogue.
Could’ve and might’ve been a play. Felt stagey despite attempts to open it up.

Catch Us If You Can - 1965 - 5/10
AKA - Having A Wild Weekend

I first saw this … hell … 50 years ago. Brit Invasion film, dimly remembered.
I recalled this being a funny comedy featuring the DC5, who during this period, were real rivals to the Beatles.
Instead, this is lightweight satire.
The band play stuntmen for a Beef For Go! commercial.
The movie is 90% dour faced Dave Clark and Barbara Ferris. Other band members casual tokens.
No real plot. Nonsense scenes, chases, dull dialogue.
A Hard Days Night, this ain’t, though it clearly wants to be.
I fought sleep watching this.
Early John Boorman directorial effort.

Full Contact - 1992 - 7/10
AKA - Xia dao Gao Fei // 俠盜高飛

One of the dark jewels of Hong Kong cinema, in an time when the community was on creative fire.
Gou Fei and Sam Sei (Chow Yun-Fat and Anthony Wong) get embroiled in a bank heist.
Leading the heist is Judge (Simon Yam as flamboyantly gay) and his sidekicks Psycho and Virgin.
When things sour, when thieves fall out, boy do they ever.
This is a gritty actioner, lacking the slo-mo stylistics of John Woo.
Nevertheless, the fight sequences in this are extraordinary.
Some of the bullet scenes will have Matrix fans going, “Wait a minute.”
Full Contact is irresistible. A must watch.

Subway - 1985 - 6/10

Christopher Lambert goes blonde! Isabelle Adjani longs for love! Jean Reno hits the drums!
Petty thieves, musicians, police and bodybuilders slum and slam in the Paris subway.
Early Luc Besson film is flashy, empty headed, filled with attractive, soulless characters.
Henchmen chase an impulsive opportunist who hides himself in the underground of the underground.
Metro police are more concerned about a roller skating purse snatcher.
Love tries to flourish – as does a pop concert!
Mindless fun, and a preview of bigger things to come.

California Solo - 2012 - 6/10

Character study of washed out Scots musician, now working for California farm.
His green card is 20 years old, and he has forgotten about a very old marijuana possession charge.
Until he gets pulled over for DWI (driving while intoxicated).
Low key story shows his attempts to avoid deportation, and interactions with friends and estranged family.
Robert Carlyle plays the burnout guitarist. He looks too old for the role, as written.
His bygone band, the Cranks, hailed from the Madchester Scene, which was time specific to 1988-1993 or thereabouts. Carlyle would have been 30, though his character says he and his brother were “just kids” in Manchester then.
Otherwise, nice film, quiet.

Various (Editor: Ghetu, Dan) - A Vigil Of Black Stars

I had trouble with this initially.
A wide assortment of essays, stories, poetry - a lot of poetry, and artwork - a tremendous amount of illustrations.

Then I decided to regard this not as an anthology, but something more singular. An art installation. And that really clicked for me.
The book is an artistic endeavor, a mood piece, not to be rushed or ploughed through.
This, being an homage to the black metal band, Paysage d’Hiver, begs for musical accompaniment, but I found most of their output too demanding,
I could not concentrate on reading and made a loop of the “quieter” sections from “Schnee” and “Im Traum,” which best complemented the book for me.
I do not wish to delve into too many stories and spoil the discovery for others. Nevertheless, comment must be made of “My Father-Tower,” an imaginative and astonishing tale by Roope Sillanpää. A dutiful son takes his dying (maturing) father deep into the woodland where he can fulfill the family destiny. The whole piece is inventive, drawing deep from myth.

Plodding along, I plan to view S04E07 tonight.
I had forgotten about it, but the proto-molecule is being mentioned again.
Every time that term is mentioned, I wish the writers had concocted another name.
One: I think of “protomatter” from the Trek universe.
Two: More than that, I recall the not dissimilar “protoculture”.
More a distraction really, causing me to wonder where Rick Hunter is.
https://robotech.fandom.com/wiki/Protoculture

Sisters Of Death - 1976 - 5/10

During initiation rites into the “Sisters,” events go horribly wrong and one of the acolytes is killed!
A few years later, the now disbanded “sisters” are invited to a reunion, way, way out in forlorn desert.
Too late, they realize they are targets in a murderous killing lair!
Third rate telling of “Ten Little Indians” has its moments (attractive females and a twist finale).
Otherwise, it is slow, over talky, the murders are dull, the rehashed plot is stale.
But wait! How about those attractive females?
Though a cheap 70’s flick, this is not exploitation. Unbuttoning of clothing is as far as those things go.
Teasecake, rather than cheesecake.
If compelled, watch the first 25 minutes, skip to the last 25 minutes.

Panique - 1947 - 6/10

Some never catch a break.
Take Monsieur Hire. He keeps to himself, pays bills promptly and in full, does not gossip, is nice to children.
And yet – he is a bit of a social outcast, even though he has lived in the village three years.
When an elderly spinster is murdered in an empty lot, citizens start looking for the killer in their midst.
A mysterious woman arrives, and Monsieur Hire casts his lonely gaze her way.
This is a film of surface appearances, simmering with suspicion and mob fury.
I suspect Panique resonated strongly when released in post WWII France.
Occupation, collaboration and the Vichy government were fresh in memories.

Namastey London - 2007 - 6/10

Bollywood film.
Hindu father decides his daughter is becoming too Westernized and takes her home to find suitable Indian husband.
Of course he neglects to inform her until they are in India.
She is, after all, a mere female.
Obligatory musical numbers are catchy, in settings completely removed from the ordinary.
Unfortunately, the British are mostly portrayed as xenophobic racists.
Unpleasant caricatures struck me as an ugly cheat, and lessened my enjoyment.

Your Vice Is A Locked Room And Only I Have the Key - 1972 - 6/10
AKA - Il Tuo Vizio è Una Stanza Chiusa e Solo io ne ho la Chiave

Kinky, sleazy, degenerate, incestuous, oft times confusing, but what the hey?
An entertaining Giallo with plenty of twists and slashings to please cult fans.
Washed up, philandering alcoholic writer holes up in his inherited manor house.
He entertains homeless hippies, humiliates his downbeat wife, and chases tail when not suffering whisky dick.
When some of his paramours are split open with a hook knife, locale polizia zero in on him.
Out of the blue, his niece (the succulent Edwige Fenech) arrives and shares the velvet spasm with eager comers.
There are like five plots going on, but you will be transfixed by the nudity, rompings, gore, dirt bike races, and a contrary black cat named Satan who knows more than his human counterparts.

The Gleaners - 2000 - 7/10

Neutral documentary on the ancient, yet still surviving, practice of gleaning.
Picking through leftover crops after harvest.
Sifting through grocery store discards.
Scavenging curbside trash.
Director Agnes Vargas shows some of the problems involved, without judging.
Homeless who empty trash cans into the alley when searching.
Gleaners who plunder too close to oyster beds, or pick too young specimens.
Not addressed are when camps swell adjacent to farms or vineyards.
Commented on is what was once a communal event is now mostly solitary.

The Secret Of Crickley Hall - 2012 - 5/10

Inclined to be harsh with this.
Haunted house film / miniseries based on James Herbert novel.
Dual plots about abducted child of today, and mistreated WWII orphans.
Children being kidnapped - punished - tortured. Many graves.
Sinister looking house, starkly furnished.
Main villain, an unbalanced religious type, is choice casting.
Modern day parents weak and whiny.
Someone with less qualms than I might rank this higher.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

Run All Night - 2015 - 5/10

Non-demanding action buffs, score this higher, though long time viewers of Liam Neeson might shake their heads.
Sad sack, ex-mob enforcer learns family is targeted for deadly retribution.
What to do? Mob family or blood family?
Do his old skills kick in? How will he fare against thugs bigger, younger, quicker?
Clichéd, derivative script borrows heavily from The Road To Perdition.
Run - fight - chase - fight - hide - fight - run - fight …
Actor Common memorable as cool headed professional hitman, everyone else coasts.
Better than Taken 2, better than Walk Among Tombstones, but still …
Why does Neeson appear to be following the path of Nicolas Cage?

The Joy Of The Single - 2012 - UK
When Albums Ruled The World - 2013 - UK
Sound City - 2013 - USA

Three music-biz documentaries.
First focuses on the single, typically the wax 45.
Mostly white geezers and burnouts warble their memories, display collections and jukeboxes.
Gradually 7 inchers lost influence as LPs gained prominence.
Second doc is about albums, specifically concept albums.
Dylan, Pepper, Yes, Floyd - you know the terrain.
Third doc covers Sound City Studio, famed recording venue of the 70’s and 90’s.
Analogue studio. Gone now, replaced by digital, Pro Tools, etc …

All docs were enjoyable.
Third one wandered near the end, slipping from the heyday of the 70’s to Dave Grohl’s attempt to recreate the era.

Graduate First … - 1978 - 6/10
AKA - Passe Ton Bac d’abord…

The young and their plans. Big talk, big aspirations.
Less so, here.
Late teens face their bac exams (never shown, by the way), and start trudging toward adulthood.
Casual relationships, narrowing futures, family life, vacations.
There are too many characters to keep track of, and none are memorable.
More confusing, a few resemble each other, and fewer have strong personalities.
Not a bad film, though the experience is that of eavesdropping on average individuals.

Suntan - 2016 - 6/10

The inversion of “coming of age” story.
During Christmas, Kostis arrives on small Greek island as the new doctor.
The village is sleepy, with 800 residents and he is mostly to himself.
With summer, the population explodes with sun loving turistas.
Kostis treats an injured young girl, and gradually becomes obsessed with her.
His overweight, extremely pale self shows at the beach where she and her friends loll nude.
He splashes into pool parties, dances at the raves, drinks, neglects the medical clinic.
Sadly, not an implausible tale, and older viewers can predict how Kostis will fare.
Full frontal nudity throughout.

The old guy at the club is a common, annoying presence.
In my clubbin’ days, I saw 40ish guys, shirts deeply unbuttoned, exposing a thick patch of gray or silver chest hair.
When I was older, I worked with similar aged souls (male and female) who continued to chase and flirt with twenty year olds. We mocked them, but they always saw themselves in the looking glass, forever young.