Vultural

Dead Nature - 2018 - 6/10
AKA - Natureza Morta

It’s almost embarrassing, the way females throw themselves at him.
Then again, Tim is a high end fashion photographer.
Too bad those gorgeous specimens don’t know he is a murderous sociopath.
Blame a troubled childhood, deep in the swamps, tangled like rusty barbed wire.
Tim’s camera eye, captures again and again, the juxtaposition of beauty amidst death and decay.
Secondary story follows Pitbull, a scruffy detective with a pitbull’s IQ.
The look of this Brazilian series is flat and cheap, like a telenovela.

Amour - 2012 - 7/10

Long term marriage impacted after the wife suffers small stroke.
Then another. Before you know it, she is almost helpless.
Unflinching movie, best appreciated by those of a certain age:
Meaning, you have more days behind you than in front of you.
Not sentimental, but you could see how vital and important the couple had been, once upon a time.
Everyone gets forgotten, however.
Extremely well done.
An uncomfortable watch, as I know my own support network is ghost webbing.

Ha ha. I just scrolled upward and noticed the OT “reader” of the book series has been banned. Hopefully, a temp ban, though I don’t wander the forum much.
Wikipedia indicates “The Expanse” consists of eight novels (with a final ninth planned), as well as novellas and short stories. I have no intention of reading any of those.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expanse_(novel_series)
So what I am wondering - if there is another reader of the series - will S06 offer closure somewhat as did S03?

Battle (Duel) - maniac

Duel, along with an episode in the original pilot for Night Gallery, launched Spielberg’s career. Ostensibly a TV movie, it has the feel and look of a theatrical release, specifically a roaring drive-in classic. The original length was around 70“ minutes, enough to fit the hour and a half Movie Of The Week slot. Later, it was padded out to 90“ with mostly needless scenes. Fan-editor maniac shaves this to 47“. There is next to no dialogue, all subplots and unnecessary characters jettisoned. The result is a hard driving bullet.

Two channel stereo improves over the original mono. Dialogue (Weaver‘s character mumbling to himself) is easily understood. Little in the way of music score, aside from talk radio and radio static. Like Bullitt, the growl of engines is ample soundtrack.

The narrative is cohesive and satisfying for a one-trick show. Neither the wife stuff nor the diner scenes, ever added to the story or made the character sympathetic (I’ll get to that). This edit boils down to a runt red car irritating, then provoking a rusty behemoth.

Enjoyment - Oh, God, yes! I caught the original when it originally aired and it was leaner and superior to the padded, extended version. This, even shorter than the original, is the best of all.
After this first aired, friends and I discussed this film at school. We loved that battered Peterbilt, belching exhaust, sporting license plates like trophies (though most semis had lots of plates back then). The scene where two beasts, the Peterbilt and the freight train, swap horn blasts was a capper.

Weaver’s character, Mann, was a wuss in our eyes. C’mon, he drove a Plymouth Valiant, for Pete’s sake, the same car my grandmother drove. A Valiant was just barely better than a Corvair. Could It go 80 or 100 mph? No! It would have rattled to pieces long before. It was a cheap, crappy, economy car. No muscle, and no air-conditioning.
Even worse, Mann was a godawful driver. Forever rubber-necking instead of using his mirrors, sliding into curves instead of downshifting, accelerating midway through. He could barely control that punk car most of the time, and we all wondered if he was that way with family, friends, his job. Careful viewers will note scratches on his car BEFORE bush swipes and wrecks. Even in the suburbs, Mann was a lousy, probably distracted, driver. Weaver was great in this role, by the way.

Recommendation? Definitely - definitely - check this out.

Klone (Solaris - 2002) - Elbarto1

I watched the Tarkovsky original at a revival house in the 1970’s and exited annoyed with myself for failing to understand the film, and annoyed at the director for being so opaque.
Soderbergh’s remake of Solaris was equally disappointing.
With Elbarto1’s version, straight off I perceived Clooney’s character as a troubleshooter, not necessarily a psychiatrist.
I particularly appreciate how the flow is worked, specifically the use of music which beautifully links scenes together.
Midway, however, I lost the thread.
When Kelvin wakes next to his wife, the pace races to conclude. I wish that had been handled somewhat better.
Cliff Martinez’s score through headphones is hauntingly evocative.
I wish Elbarto1 had done more edits. He seemed attracted to off route territory. He was also a nice soul, greeting all new members. His was a touch of grace we see less of nowadays.

Friday the 13th Part X Jason In Space - Reaper18783x

One of the fans’ least favorite of the Friday The 13th series, and one low on my personal list for rewatching.
Reaper18783x cut humor (most of which was atrocious), pointless dialogue, as well as several draggy sequences. A bit of comic relief abides, yet the result is a lean, grindhouse actioner without the usual grindhouse print damage.

Solid two channel stereo. Music volume during several action sequences had been lowered to highlight sound effects. Great decision. Reading the cutlist, I knew dialogue had been trimmed, but I caught no clipped sentences.

The sets were always cheesy, reminding me of leftovers from an MTV video shoot. For a ship with a detail of combat marines, most were as lethal as SW stormtroopers. The majority of personnel were in their early 20’s. Yes, believability jettisoned in mind of the target audience. The mesh of slasher Horror and techie SciFi failed in the original, little better here. That said, because the pace barrels along in Reaper’s edit, those inconsistencies weren’t as much a distraction.

Enjoyment - Friday 13th ain’t high on my go-to Horror list. Could be I’ve outgrown slasher bloodlust. This is a fine edit, especially for a first edit, and I can easily recommend this.
Hardcore fans of the series will enjoy this, especially those who disliked the original. This is definitely several steps toward redemption.

Flower Of Evil - 2020 - 7/10
AKA - Agui Kkot // 악의 꽃

After their father, exposed as a sadistic serial killer, commits suicide, villagers hound the children.
The son, in particular, is beaten as rumors spread that he carries his father’s DNA.
What does he do? Changes his name, marries a female cop, lives quietly for several years.
Until scandal media decide to revisit and unearth the forgotten story.
Gripping thriller is expertly plotted with taut cliffhangers, opening flashbacks, hairpin twists.
Throughout, narrative track is laid out, an impressive amount of new material.
Alas, as with too many K-dramas, the ending stumbles. The furious pace slacks, the fire is quenched.

Take Joy! The Magical World Of Tasha Tudor - 1996 - 5/10

Documentary about the acclaimed children’s illustrator.
I recognized her from an article in the old Victoria magazine, and I must confess I recalled many of the illustrations from childhood books.
Some, such as those for Secret Garden, famous and unforgettable.

The film was saccharine sweet, cloying, more perfect than Martha Stewart’s shake and bake fantasies.
Mrs. Tudor not only dressed, but determinedly lived in the 1830’s.
After awhile, I smelled a rat and checked online to see just how perfect her life had been.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7293954/Children-fight-over-illustrator-Tasha-Tudors-estate.html

Cure For Wellness, A - 6/10 - 2017

Tempted to score this higher for escalating preposterous nonsense of this folly.
Corporate masterminds send dodgy underling to exclusive Swiss spa to fetch missing CEO.
Within two ticks, anyone who has ever screened a movie or read a book would go, “Hey, this fenced up, nestled in oblivion castle is strange.” Or - “Are all these white clad patients drugged?”
Anyway, the young man stays longer than planned and keeps drinking the mineral water.
Meanwhile, he wanders all over the place, deep into underground chambers, locked rooms, laboratories.
How come the staff simply does not drug his curious ass?
Beautiful photography! But - it serves to mask the lack of cohesive plot.
I thought the story ended five times. Nope. Director thought of something else cool looking to add.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this.
Afterward, however, we were all going, “What happened with – Why did they – How come --”

CSchmidlapp left instructions in the opening post, and repeated those instructions 2017 11 22.
Send him a PM.
He is less active now, but he does swing by from time to time.
If you cannot wait a few months, try at Fanres where he is more active.

After pausing on the fence for a few years, I finally decided to watch the next trilogy.
Meaning, I began watching S04.
You guys who have read the books: Will the series conclude with S06?

Zero Focus - 2009 - 6/10
AKA - Zero no Shôten //ゼロの焦点

After their honeymoon, Kenichi heads off on a business trip and tells his wife he will return on the 8th.
His farewell proves to be the last time wife Teiko will ever see him.
After failed investigations, she boards a train northwards, to where her husband was last seen.
She soon realizes, she knows nothing about her husband, or of his past.
Superb mystery is permeated with atmosphere, and is reminiscent of Rampo (1995).
Gorgeous camera work, and a Romantic score suffused with Wagner and Herrmann help.
Roughly three-quarters in, the film makes a discernible turn from mystery to melodrama.
Like Hitchcock dropped the reins at that point and Douglas Sirk finished.
The change of tone puzzled me and left me somewhat chagrined.

Albert Nobbs - 2012 - 6/10

Men cross dress as women: Tootsie, Mrs Doubtfire, Some Like It Hot, Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert . . .
Funny. Comedy.
Women cross dress as men: Yentl, Boys Don’t Cry, M Butterfly, not so funny.
Yes, I’m being selective.
So too, Albert Nobbs. Stuffy costumer, where Glenn Close passes for a butler. Probably to earn better wages.
Whole movie was a murky cipher. Nobbs has increasing fantasies about what he/she will spend savings on.
There was no there to the character.
Nice looking, but at the end, I shoulda watched a good Noir.

Queen Of Mystery - 2017 - 5/10
AKA - Chooriui Yeowang // 추리의 여왕

Housewife is drawn to crime solving, much to the annoyance of roughhouse detective.
Odd couple pairing has been used countless times, this is an inferior version.
Straight off, early episodes are 40% comedy, juvenile, bathroom jokes.
Actors mug and make silly faces throughout. Writing is lazy, direction poor.
Aside from an arc (unfinished), there are 4 two part storylines. All are “women at risk.”
This is where my feelings derail. The victims’ paths are often poignant, depressing.
Writers put thought into these, acting and directing is restrained and compassionate.
Police and the lady mull around, sad and thoughtful, then the jaunty music fires up.
Ooh, another mystery to solve! And into “dumb” they go again.

Guilty Hands - 1931 - 6/10

Wealthy rake summons his lawyer to his Atlantic island.
Money needs to be thrown at ruined female conquests, including a 16 year old who “committed suicide.”
That clears the path so he can marry a young beauty … his attorney’s daughter.
The lawyer vows murder! Also on the island is the daughter’s old flame, and the millionaire’s mistress.
5¢ if you can guess who will die.
A “locked room” mystery with numerous suspects, although viewers know the culprit.
The cynicism of this is pure Pre-Code, as we watch exactly how the guilty escape.
Early talkie is creaky, but not static. Audio is good, too.
Brief film, wait for the nasty surprise ending.

The Iron Crown - 1972 - 6/10
AKA - Kanawa // 鉄の王冠

Offbeat mix of traditional Noh drama with modern retelling.
Unfaithful husband abandons wife for young tramp. Wife refuses divorce, but decides to deliver hell.
The Noh is slower and more stylized, yet has more powerful images.
Highlight being the wife pounding nails into the groin area of straw fetishes.
Nudity and comingling throughout, tasteful compositions, spare music.
At the far end of arthouse, and definitely an acquired taste.

The Queen Of Versailles - 2012 - 6/10

Billionaire time-share mogul, David Siegel, begins construction on a gargantuan manor house during the height of the financial housing bubble.
In 2008, the bubble burst and banks everywhere looked to fail. No loans for nobody. Work on the dream house stopped.
Now, it’s up for sale. Unfinished. Asking a reasonable $75 mil. 90,000 square feet. Fixxer-upper.
Highly entertaining documentary follows trophy wife Jackie, herding eight kids, navigating their spiraling circumstances.
The American Dream with big cars, big homes, big swank, crumbling to monumental failures.
Despite setbacks, Jackie remains likeable, and stays positive.

The Bridge - 2006 - 8/10

Documentary about San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
Focusing on the pedestrians. Specifically, the ones who climb over the guardrail and step into the next world.
Worldwide, Golden Gate Bridge is the most popular destination for suicides.
Lonely people, forgotten souls, neighbors and coworkers who have lost their self esteem and fallen into despair.
Excellent long range photography. haunting score.
Mostly interviews with friends and family, trying to explain why someone chose to jump.
Many scenes are of the long view of the bridge . . . and the quiet splash.
Several individuals are only seen for seconds, yet they linger in your memory for weeks.
I seem to re-watch this every year, and have gradually raised my original score.

After The Wedding - 2006 - 6/10
AKA - Efter Brylluppet

Social worker Jacob, seeking more funding to keep the orphanage going, goes to Denmark.
Indeed, that is part of the potential donation, so this is a summons to ask in person.
Once there, he is invited to a wedding, and he spies an old flame.
From then on, revelations surface at a steady pace.
The story is heavy on character development, motivations, and well meaning intentions.
Camerawork includes many extreme closeups, capturing expressions and gestures.
Note: Hollywood offered an attempt in 2019, casting attractive actors.

My Hot Property - 2016 - 5/10

Sleek, sexy corporate spy quaffs drugs by the crate and plays squitzy with fried brain boyfriend.
Then she falls behind in the rent in uber pricey London and buyers circle.
Movie follows her combative campaigns to hold onto her accommodations.
Meant to be a comedy, perhaps an edgy satire, this is low on laughs, high on stupid.
Asinine situations, moronic characters, as enticing as soggy pizza with mushy noodles.

I was finishing Green Book #10, an all Dunsany issue.
Though the focus of this issue was Lord Dunsany’s fantasy œuvre, my favorite article was a reminiscence by Katharine Tynan, and that informed my decision regarding what to read next.

Tynan, Katharine - The Death Spancel

*

Traditional, wonderful ghost stories, with vivid descriptions and rich word use.
The second wife is already taking command of the home, and has borne two children to her husband. “The First Wife,” cold and long buried, still abides, sensed by a faithful family pet.
Faithful love of another sort is ensnared by a binding spell in “The Death Spancel.”
“A Bride From The Dead” and “The Body Snatching” both delve into the unpleasant business of graverobbing.
Possession, another version, occupies “The Ghost,” as the spirit of a bankrupt family, forced to sell their ancestral manor, troubles a male guest.
“The Dream House” presents a delightful variant on a haunting.
For fans of pure horror, “A Night In The Cathedral” delivers the goods. Love and adventure, blood and steel.
Peter Bell provides a lengthy and thoughtful introduction. Throughout, scattered poems act as interludes.
This is a great book from Swan River, and an essential edition to titles in the “Mistresses Of The Macabre” sphere. Rest easy, Richard Dalby, this latest entry is a worthy addition.

• “The Ghost” from Illustrated Sporting And Dramatic News (Dec 1905)
  Illustrated by F.H. Townsend

Martin’s Close - 2019 - 5/10

Idle gentry wastrel, George Martin, stands accused of murdering a simpleton, Ann Clark.
The story plays out in courtroom testimony and flashback.
Written and directed with a slight camp style, which I don’t think works.
Brief, slight, and I had heard enough mutterings to assume it would disappoint.
At 30 minutes, this goes down like a half empty packet of stale crisps, and is unsatisfying.

Magic Mike - 2012 - 6/10

Energetic remake of 1981’s Ladies Man, with a dose of Tony Manero and The Village People.
One does not expect plot here, and there was little. Little sleaze as well.
The gents were very buff, the dance routines little more than M Jackson’s crotch grab.
Not much effort there, I’m afraid.
For a better, more fun, film about male strippers, track down the guys calling themselves Hot Metal.
The Full Monty.

The Beauty’s Evil Roses - 1992 - 5/10
AKA - Se Jiang II Zhi Xie Mei Gui // 色降II之血玫瑰

Wildly insane Hong Kong Cat III film of kidnapped girls, magic spells, lesbian action, penis snakes, machine guns, motorcycle gangs, kung fu, nudity, spawning, handcuff lovin’, sleazy music …
Girls are indoctrinated into an evil queen’s entourage.
Disobedience or failure is punished by whippings, spanking and spell magic.
Hard to tell what the motivations are of anyone, aside from police and a brother searching for his sister.
The editing is jarring and haphazard. Music is not even faded between scenes. Chop chop chop.
Conflicts (gunfire - incantations - slappings) are intercut with long stretches of nudity and mattress action.
Legendary film that I somehow never saw in the 90’s when I was so obsessive over HK films.
I think was expecting more, or at least better cutting.

Sputnik - 2020 - 6/10

Two weeks in orbit, and two cosmonauts are returning to earth.
During the descent, however, some “thing” climbs onto their capsule … then inside.
Back on earth, the now-lone surviving cosmonaut is placed under military quarantine / detention.
Dark SciFi thriller borrows from other movies, but it does proceed in unexpected directions.
The Hollywood formula is avoided, thus much of the narrative is unpredictable.
That said, security at the isolated base is terribly lax at times, to the point where I’m asking “where are the guards?”
Owing to references to Yuri Andropov, I’d guess this was set in the early 1980’s.