Vultural

Swamp Shark - 2011 - 4/10

I wonder if this was where recent shark spoofs began.
Big ole shark is dumped into Louisiana swamp and proceeds to munch on gators and humans.
Not enough of either, I’m afraid. Language, violence and nudity is PG.
With the Gator Festival in full swing, irate owners of the Gator Shed Restaurant sail off to deep six their fishy freeloader.
Pace is backwater slow. Most in the cast were big in the 80’s, working for a paycheck nowadays.
Neither fun nor over the top, straight across the board.
Formula crap.

The Hollies: Look Through Any Window - 2011 - 6/10

Breezy, labor of love biopic of one of the best British Invasion bands.
Interviews Graham, Allan, Tony, and Bobby. (Neither bassist)
Focus is squarely on the Invasion era (that lets out Terry), though the 70’s hits are covered.
Hits - heck yeah. Live footage, Abbey Road rehearsals, TV appearances (no US lip syncing).
Accuracy? Well, conflicts and unpleasantness are completely avoided.
Still nice to hear everyone reminisce and catch footage of the Hollies during their prime.

Happy End - 2017 - 6/10

Isabelle Huppert, I’m in! Ditto any film directed by Haneke.
Together? Outstanding!
Unfortunately, this is disappointing, especially for a Haneke film.
Various members of family deal with setbacks and their troubled lives.
Aside from Huppert’s character, each is unhappy, passive aggressive, dissatisfied.
Haneke uses long shots frequently, so one cannot exactly grasp what is going on.
Likewise muffled or unheard dialogue.
Those techniques of silence were used to memorable effect in 2005’s Caché or 2000’s Code Inconnu.
Both of those also bore mystery elements, perhaps sinister.
Happy End seems more melodrama, with characters who are banal, lack bite.

Assassination - 2015 - 7/10
AKA - Amsal // 암살

High voltage S Korean escapism with sumptuous production values.
Circa 1933, a Korean hit team is assigned to take out a fatcat appeaser and occupied Seoul’s Japanese military commander.
Rival Korean factions squabble with each other and informers are omnipresent.
Similar in look and feel to The Good, The Bad, The Weird (1998), though more grounded in reality.
Like the K-drama Bridal Mask, these are non-historical characters (though Korean resistance to occupation was real, especially in the north).
Excellent cat and mouse thriller with superb action sequences.

In A Day - 2006 - 6/10

The cafe is closed for emergency so the boss gives Ashley the day off.
Waiting for the bus, she is approached by a suit who propositions her, insults her, hurls coffee on her.
Two minutes later she meets one of the cafe regulars who goes all out being nice to her.
Breakfast - clothes shopping - posh lunch, each time with a “tiny little confession.”
Her chick radar is wailing full bore. Who is this guy and how does he know so much?
Most peculiar meet-cute type of film, with strange turns and odd tangents.
Indie romance, possibly acceptable date fare – if you can chase it down.

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story - 2017 - 6/10

Near sighted documentary beckons like a siren, delivers strays.
An MGM player, renowned for her beauty, like Clara Bow her face is more remembered than her films.
Her filmography is barely sketched, likewise her six marriages.
A Wikipedia search will yield more substance on the woman herself.
Lamarr, the inventor, is the chief thrust of this documentary, other aspects are shortchanged.
Few of her inventions are actually shown, the main declaration is that she invented encrypted radio.
In essence, Wifi.
Her patent expired and she lacked the wherewithal to get research funding.
Happens. There are untold thousands whose idea or invention got picked up and/or credited to others.
A good percentage of those were probably women. Forgotten. Then again, they were not film stars.
The writer-editor-director-producer (one in the same) delivers a one trick pony.
Disappointing,

I Married A Shadow - 1983 - 6/10
AKA - J’ai épousé une Ombre

Low life boyfriend kicks his pregnant Hélène out of the car and speeds into the horizon.
Dumped, dejected, she boards a train going elsewhere, anywhere.
In the dining car, another female, a pregnant bride, befriends her and allows her to sleep in her cabin while she and new husband have dinner.
After a catastrophe, Hélène is mistaken for the bride by the grieving family.
Part mystery, part character study, as personal ethics conflict with wanting what will be best for the new infant.
The wine growing family, is wealthy, by the way.
I recognized William Irish in the opening credits as a pseudonym for an old mystery writer (Cornell Woolrich).
15 minutes into the film, I recalled the story from a vintage Suspense (OTR) episode, “They Call Me Patrice.”

The Village - 1976 - 7/10
AKA - Harakara // ハラカラ

Theater rep arrives in small rural village, and asks local youth group if they would like her theatrical troupe to put on a play.
The show will not be free. The villagers must pay costs involved. The show will be expensive.
Many other villages have done this. Most eeked a profit (ticket sales) or broke even. A few wound up in debt.
Refreshingly lo-key film. No over the top characters. “Can we afford to do this?” vs “We have to strive. If not now, when?”
Two hours. Gorgeous photography. Small people making quiet journeys.

Passport To Pimlico - 1949 - 6/10

Work crews cordon off a crater with an unexploded Luftwaffe bomb.
They underestimate local boys, who accidentally detonate it – with no fatalities.
And yet, this unearths documents that reveal Pimlico is actually part of Brittany.
Ration starved locals are soon at odds with Whitehall.
White-gloved war ensues, with feigned resentment and light hearted conflicts.
Amusing, though this feels dated.
The Blitz generation, who would have identified with shortages and rationing are gone.
Younger viewers might recognize want, but they may lack the older group’s grace and humor.

Rouge - 1994 - 8/10
AKA - Red

Fashion model accidentally runs down a dog.
She locates the owner to return the injured pet.
He is not remotely interested, he is too busy illegally eavesdropping on phone calls all around him.
Superb film of fraternity and disassociation.
The model is fully engaged in Life, the older man is not.
Even the secondary, tertiary narratives explore rejection, betrayal and loneliness.
Rich colors and arranged visuals enhance the moods and themes.
Arthouse, to be sure, yet ultimately this is a story of redemption, and it is never boring.
Final film in Kieslowski’s trilogy and his penultimate film before his early death.

Blanc - 1994 - 7/10
AKA - White

The “equality” part of Kieslowski’s Trois Couleurs triptych.
In this instance, an unhappy and unequal marriage, as seen in opening divorce proceedings.
After several years, the French bride has had enough.
Or rather, has not had enough, as their union has not been consummated.
The husband, a Polish hairdresser, is outmaneuvered legally and is soon destitute.
Film tracks the ex husband and his struggle to rebuild his life and perhaps regain his wife.
A dour comedy, fatalistic throughout, stands on its own (you don’t have to see Bleu or Rouge).
While I prefer the other films, all three ought to be viewed fairly close together.
The trilogy is exceptional filmmaking.

Bleu - 1993 - 8/10
AKA - Blue

After her husband and daughter die in a car accident. the surviving wife shuts down.
She cuts off all emotional channels, begins to discard reminders.
Juliette Binoche amazing as the soul who bottles, sidesteps, and destroys.
An extremely cold film with well thought out set design and photography.
Second of Kieslowski’s “Couleurs” trilogy is perhaps the hardest to take.
Penetrating look at grief and loss.

John Cleese: The Alimony Tour - 2011 - 8/10

Aged 71, John Cleese hits the road after being mauled in an ugly and expensive divorce.
Lucky for us, his one man show is sidesplitting funny.
With brief clips from Monty Python, A Fish Called Wanda, The Frost Report, At Last The 1948 Show, Flowery Twats (Hey! That was how it was spelled in episode 11), and Monty Python & The Holy Grail.
Cleese skewers his recent divorce, talks about growing up in boring Weston-super-Mare, and the extraordinary luck that fell his way throughout his early career.
Entertaining as anything, live at the Theatre Royal in Bath.

Burning - 2018 - 6/10
AKA - Beoning // 버닝

Slow burn mystery / thriller has been getting Hitchcock comparisons.
Do not be misled. Hitchcock understood propulsive narration. This lags.
Village youth works as courier in the city.
He meets a girl from his village who asks if he could watch her cat while she goes on holiday.
She returns with new friend, Ben, wealthy, bit of a decadent wastrel.
Ben “adopts” her like a pet. When she disappears, he shrugs.
The village boy, who nursed a crush for her, wonders. Suspects.
Problem is, it is impossible to tell if his suspicions are well founded, or paranoia.
Again, this is very slow going. A character study, more than a clue laden mystery.

The Hard Way - 1979 - 7/10

Terrific, underrated, and I suspect, little seen crime film.
Patrick McGoohan plays an Irish assassin who does a final job before telling the go-between he is finished.
Quitting is not so easy, however. His main employer, Lee Van Cleef, needs him for a more difficult job.
After clear refusals, leverage is brought to bear upon the marksman.

Moody film that advances slowly, with a brilliant sense of quiet.
Dialogue is spare, a couple characters hardly talk at all. Tight closeups of gun work.
Emphasis is placed on hunting, tracking, and stalking in three distinct sequences.
Stealth, by its nature, can be a silent and patient enterprise.
One also sees the organized hierarchy. McGoohan works under Cleef, who accepts assignments from another, who in turn is merely another go-between. Contractors, sub-contractors.
McGoohan’s estranged wife acts as a chorus, sketching in details of the man.
Hyperkinetic action fans, not for you. Those who enjoyed The Mechanic (Bronson), find this.

Z-108 - 2012 - 6/10
AKA - Zombie 108 or Qi cheng

Every time I worry Asian films have become slick, mainstream, middle-of-the-road bores, along comes a demented throwback to previous times.
Escaped virus turns Taipei into Deadsville.
SWAT team joins gangsters against hordes of lurching, running zombies.
Meanwhile, most of the strippers are captured by sex psychopath and his pet octopus.
Drug use, rampant nudity, chaotic plot, carnage, gore, silliness.
Great scene where obnoxious reporter questions girl,
“Your whole family has been murdered! Tell our viewers how you feel. How sad are you? Oh, were you bitten? Aaarrrgggh!!!”

Nelly & Monsieur Arnaud - 1995 - 6/10

Nelly’s marriage is at an impasse. Her husband has not worked in a few years.
Reads newspapers, magazines, complains of no recognition of his talent.
Lunching with her sister, she is introduced to Mr Arnaud, retired and wealthy.
And, he has been trying to write his memoirs … if he could only find a typist.
Opening ten minutes provide the template for the entire film.
Quiet character studies, layered conversations, small revelations.
Fine acting, excellent dialogue. French buffs, certainly. Others? Possibly.

The Last Of Sheila - 1973 - 5/10

Old fashioned Hollywood lineup assembles in timeworn yarn of multiple suspects in a mysterious killing.
Mogul (James Coburn) “invites” has-beens and hopefuls to his Mediterranean yacht for a week of games.
Mix of Clue and Treasure Hunt with revealing cards and exposed secrets.
Ian McShane, Raquel Welch, James Mason, Dyan Cannon, Richard Benjamin are in the cast.
Written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins, actual puzzle fanatics and game players.
First third has fabulous location shooting and propulsive drive.
Then it all bogs down into sluggish chamber drama
Very talky, exposition becomes paramount. “Show, don’t say” rule is discarded.

Doghouse - 2009 - 5/10

A dining alternative.
Handful of London blokes decide to take recently divorced mate for an outing to Moodley.
Once there, they realize every male in the hamlet is dead.
Murdered by women who have all become ravenous, cannibal zombies.
Mayhem ensues. Misogynistic and funny. Lot of lad humor.
Designed more for laughs than gore.

Cleopatra: Mother, Mistress, Murderer, Queen - 2016 - 6/10

Thoughtfully constructed and produced documentary of the fabled queen.
Presented chronologically, interspersed with talking heads and actors.
The experts clarify historical misassumptions, add textures to her story.
Actors more reenact events (no speaking) and are much above the usual doc players.
Money had been spent of this, and it shows.
Actium, wisely, not attempted.
Bettany Hughes, one of the contributors, also presented Helen Of Troy a few years ago.
Also worth a look, though lavish production values for Cleopatra give it the nod.

Dancer - 2016 - 7/10

Critics declare Sergie Polunin is greatest dancer of his generation.
Profile shows his early youth, where his talent is clearly recognized.
Also the sacrifices made by his family to underwrite his training and education.
The pressure becomes a heavy burden and the doc is unflinching about showing the strain he is under.
And how humans often stumble and falter.
Rewarding film for dancers, very young dancers, especially parents of aspiring dancers.

Isle Of The Snake People - 1971 - 4/10
AKA - La Muerte Viviente

Inept voodoo film set, from the opening map, in the Pacific.
Dismiss that. From the drums, rituals, plantations, zombies, this is clearly meant to be Haiti.
A new police captain arrives, along with the niece of the island’s largest landowner.
The official plans to squash sacrificial slayings, while the niece is a Temperance do-gooder.
The movie plods. Scenes linger past their welcome, even sensuous gyrations with snakes.
One of Boris Karloff’s last appearances, and he looks frail.
An interesting sequence occurs when the niece, under a spell, splits into two souls, good and evil, who are erotically drawn to each other. Alas, that is not maximized.
I have watched worse – – and will see worse in the future.

After Porn Ends - 2012 - 6/10

Find your faves here.
Thoughts and recollections from a smattering of ex porn stars.
Readjusting to the normal world poses more challenges than expected.
Interesting, funny, bitter, depending on experiences.
Primarily talking heads, though given the subject matter there is nudity (but no XXX).

After Porn Ends 2 - 2017 - 5/10

Glossy, easy sequel to the original. Different actors, different chapters.
A bit more upbeat, with a sunnier sheen.
Feel good tone, if you could call it that.
Does feature more current performers.

The English Teacher - 2013 - 6/10

Former star pupil returns to the small town, after flaming out as Broadway’s next big playwright.
His family doesn’t understand him, but his old English teacher does! Even better, she helps get his drama produced for the annual school play.
Julianne Moore plays the mid-forties, unmarried high school English teacher. This is very much her story as she steps out of her comfort zone.
Plot dragged a bit past the midway point, but gracefully avoided the predictable.
Nathan Lane as drama teacher would seem a cliché, but he radiates fun and energy.
For English majors everywhere!

Thank you for your comments, Rodney. I will stick with it.
With the first trilogy, I found the first third alright, with stellar effects.
S02 was better in almost every way, and S03 was a superb capper.

With S04, the series seemed to backstep, rebuilding as it were.
I realize the show is character driven, but characters on the new colony and their conflicts bored me.
Fortunately, the producers are working from “published” works, so I am hoping to avoid the disappointment that was GoT.

Thanks again for your insights; I appreciate them.