Vultural

Note: Until Halloween, all my postings will be Horror related.

^ Simon Marsden ^

Enemy’s Enemy - 1990 - 7/10
AKA - Fiendens Fiende

Excellent adaptation of Jan Guillou’s Carl Hamilton series.
Commander Hamilton, operative for Swedish military intelligence, is accused of being a double agent.
Rivalries between hostile police and protective military are heightened as the foreign service sends Hamilton abroad.
There are a series of small stories within the overall arc. Location filming includes the Mid-East and Moscow.
Plenty of action, espionage, tentative alliances, and ethical lapses.
This is a spy thriller for adults.
Jan Guillou introduces each episode with a synopsis and insights.
(Guillou, should you look him up, has led an extremely interesting life.)

The Bank Job - 2008 - 6/10

Solid caper / heist flick starring Jason Statham.
Tucked in the cast were David Suchet and Mick Jagger (!! I had to go back and look for him).
Government types use a group of motley crooks to retrieve incriminating photos.
Double crosses, S & M, crooked cops, all make for a fast paced actioner.
Statham is good in this, not merely some running prop for explosives.

The Student - 2016 - 7/10
AKA - (M)uchenik

Russian male student refuses to participate in high school swimming class.
Hauled before school administrators, he declares the bikini clad females are an affront to Biblical teaching.
What teaching? His mother beside him wonders. She works three jobs, they do not attend church.
No matter. He carries the day and is exempt from swim class and girls are ordered to wear one piece suits.
Next, he escalates confrontations with teachers, his mother, priests, any who might buckle.
Unpleasant, uncompromising story of someone claiming moral authority to seize control.
Stage roots show after a bit, but acting is uniformly excellent.
I detested most characters: the disrupter, the obsessed, the weaklings.

The Story Of Temple Drake - 1933 - 7/10

Southern belle, Temple, is the gorgeous granddaughter of the local judge
She is pampered, spoiled, and a wild thing. Both her parents are dead.
Temple dates, parties, runs free. To men, she is cocktease. For everyone else, endless gossip.
Dashing from a drunken party, she’s in a car crash out in the boondocks.
Rescue comes from bootleggers and gangsters.
Hard men, who know how to pluck a ripe flower.

Adaptation of Faulkner’s - one might think unfilmable - “Sanctuary,” still packs a jolt.
Audiences in the 30’s must have been floored by this lurid, tawdry affair.
For yes, Temple’s assault is only the beginning of her descent into the ways of the world.
The cinematography by Karl Struss, replete with dark shadows and slashed lighting, is stunning.

Schow, David - Eye

Caustic assortment of venomous bonbons from the reliably ill-tempered Schow.
Ethan pores through a box of memories in “Unhasped.” Memories of ex-girlfriends. Good – bad, here and in the hereafter.
“Quebradora” will be familiar territory for fans of Schow’s later novel, Gun Work (2011). An inside look at the secretive world of lucha libre.
Paul wakes in the middle of the night, and listens to his wife, examines his wife. It doesn’t sound like her, smell like her, look like her. “Entr’acte” reminds readers, no matter how much we know someone, we really don’t know much about them.
“Calendar Girl” is a dark love paeon to anyone whose youthful “admiration” for a particular pinup endured well into adulthood. Be it Marilyn, Bettie, Anna Nicole, Donna Michelle …
The collection also provides an afterword. Insights, story roots, obstacles, details that may offer aspiring writers sympathetic encouragement. Especially since Comp 101 and those pricey boot camps make the path from keyboard to Stephen King fame sound oh so easy,

Cloverfield Paradox - 2018 - 4/10

I suspected I would not like this, and fifteen minutes in I was rolling my eyes.
To be blunt, I don’t care for Mr. Abrams. To me, he is the Michael Bay of this generation, pandering to the LCD.
Anyway …
Planet Earth has almost run out of energy. Solar, wind, geothermal, nuclear, never panned out, I guess.
Science types construct a big ole generator up in space to power humanity.
Once tests begin, things go haywire.
The crew immediately holler, point and explode emotionally. Sorry, no rational types aboard. (sorta like airline cockpits where pilots point and scream, “What’s that light? We’re gonna die!! Mommy!! Mommy!!”)
Crew members also run all over the station. Hey, ain’t space supposed to be weightless? Reference Gravity or Interstellar or The Expanse. Nonetheless, the producer obviously thinks running is cool.
The plot involves alternate dimensions and the “cloverfield” connection is garbage.
Reviews have been dismal. Believe them. I wanted something spacey … and got space poop.

Hermann Goering: Nazi Number One - 2006 - 7/10

In depth biography of Reichsmarschall Goering, head of the Luftwaffe.
Childhood, member of Von Richthofen’s Flying Circus during World War I, eventually the smiling, genial face of the Nazi party, the one the common folk could relate to.
Loaded with details: his first marriage, his foot dragging regarding European war, morphine addiction, his retreat into dreams once the war soured.
A more ordinary soul, dishonest with sympathetic points, in the midst of clinical architects of the new order.
A wealth of his home movies were unearthed for this doc, which should pique the interest of history buffs.

Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains - 1982 / 2008 - 5/10

Obscure, punk flick that played in a few theaters, then disappeared until 2008.
Young Diane Lane leads the Stains, a punk girl group, with Laura Dern.
The group begins ragged (not exactly the Runaways), improves as they lose credence, wind up glossy MTV icons.
A fading, headlining 60’s group features Fee Waybill (The Tubes).
A rival opening act has Paul Cook & Steve Jones (Sex Pistols), and Paul Simonon (Clash).
Not a bad movie, though the background story of the film itself is far more compelling.
(http://nightflight.com/ladies-and-gentlemen-the-fabulous-stains-a-neglected-punk-satire-saved-by-night-flight/)

The Phantom - 2009 - 4/10

On the shelf, this film, which I just heard about, looked godawful.
Of course I grabbed it.
Turned out to be a two part mini series. Busted pilot that never got picked up.
Lots of mistakes for an action film. The action being mostly chases. Running, running, more running.
The main character was an irritating clone of Hayden Christensen’s version of Anakin Skywalker.
The new uniform made him look more like a visitor from planet Womble.
Billy Zane tried to reboot this ancient strip back in 1996. His version was 70 minutes shorter than this runfest.
The Phantom, The Shadow, Flash Gordon, icons from the 1930’s, have resisted modern updating.
OK sets. Zzzzzzzz

Midnight In Paris - 2011 - 8/10

Quietly dazzling film, where banality glides into fantasy.
Owen Wilson plays man out of step with his time, and of no value to his future in-laws.
When his fiancée’s old flame surfaces, Wilson prowls a bygone lane.
And finds himself stumbling into an inventive slip stream.
Literary in-jokes abound. and the MacGuffin conveyance is a wonderful touch.
Allen has done this before, notably The Purple Rose Of Cairo.
Slightly less accessible, perhaps, if you are weak on literary references.
More accessible, however, if 30’s homages from The Purple Rose Of Cairo perplex you.
Photography of Paris is ravishing.

The Mountain Between Us - 2017 - 6/10

All flights are canceled due to bad weather and approaching storm.
Undeterred, two very insistent travelers charter a prop plane because they are in a hurry.
Before one can say, “Hey, look at those black clouds,” there is a malfunction and down they go.
Had the pilot filed a flight plan? Had either passenger phoned home? Ha ha.
Survival story of a man, a woman, and a dog, set amidst breathtaking Rockies.
The strangers are personality opposites, and yet there is a cliché about opposites.
Wait a minute! You mean this is a romance story?
Do characters pluck along? Find burnable wood? Know how to make a fire? Find shelter?
Acceptable premise, marred by ludicrous love story. Unless L-O-V-E is your thing.

^ The Dog

Yeah, how about that canine?
The females I watched this with were distracted during the film.
“What’s going to happen with that dog?” “They better not kill that dog!” “Omigod, the dog ran off!”
Me - “Look, two humans are half dead from starvation and hunger. Not Fido, though, bounding all over the snow like that white stuff is cocaine.”
Mr Dog, obviously not a method actor.
^

Mega Python Vs Gatoroid - 2011 - 3/10

Cautionary tale of interfering with Nature, co-starring and co-produced by those acclaimed thespians
Debbie Gibson and Tiffany.
Quite awful CGI alligators and pythons, both the size of buildings, chomp it out.
Speaking of size, Tiffany put on a couple of pounds, most in the cleavage midfield.
When she appears, the camera seems drawn in by gravity.
Ex Monkee Mickey Dolenz shows up as ex Monkee Mickey Dolenz.
Viewers should also be forewarned of a couple of songs by our leads.

Note - At the counter, I excitedly waved this winner at the staff.
No one had heard of either Debbie or Tiffany.
Another “you’re getting old” moment.

Festival! - 1967 - 7/10

Document offers a nice sampler of the Folkie era at Newport from 1962 - 1966.
Almost all the major artists, and many less known, are given a song – or part of a song.
This is not a history of the movement, but performance clips.
No pop music, though Joan Baez gives an impromptu “From Me To You” while signing autographs.
Dylan is acoustic, then electric with The Butterfield Blues Band, foreshadowing Monterey Pop.
Worthwhile, though dated and the lack of historical context is limiting.

This edit is full throttle!
Watch it as 15MaF crafted and crank your speakers.
Vanishing Point: The Molecule Of Speed - 15MaF

Vanishing Point: The Molecule Of Speed - 15MaF

A film I have watched numerous times. Indeed, I first saw this the way it was meant to be viewed, at a drive-in, in the early 1970‘s. This carried a heady, late 60’s vibe of freedom vs control.
For me. 15MaF’s version is something between an edit and a preservation. Minor tweaks and restoration.

Filesize = 4.9 GB. Video = 1920 X 832. Audio = 5000 kbps, 5.1 AAC (my mixdown reads stereo, plays mono). No subs.

Straight off, this is HEVC h265, which neither my BluRay nor my main computer could handle. I downgraded this to h264, and that is the version I watched. If at all possible, watch as 15MaF crafted!
As indicated, the editor has cropped this for a greater widescreen experience. This is hit n miss for me. I live in a region under what could be defined as big sky. That is missing in this, though it is a wider experience for the eye.
The sound mix is robust! Everything seems dialed to 11, which the way to experience those supercharged v8’s. Although no subtitles, dialogue is clear.
The Charlotte Rampling sequence is included, edited in nicely. Her dialogue is stilted, acceptable for a chimera, and a quiet breath before the final rush.
Extras include an alternative, alternative ending.
Gearheads, get this! Pedal to the floor.

Vanishing Point: The Molecule Of Speed - 15MaF

Midnight Slaughter Train (The Midnight Meat Train) - ranger613

One of the better Clive Barker adaptations. An ambitious, artsy shutterbug trails a possible homicidal killer (Exceptional use of Vinnie Jones, by the way.). Ranger’s edit removes occult references and conspiracy elements, thrusting us into splatter spree.

Video - Excellent editing, as expected from this editor. New opening credits, well chosen and well done. Story spends considerable time in subway trains, drenched in darkness and flickering light. Blacks solid throughout.

Audio - Dynamic 2.0 sound mix. Dialogue generally clear, bit murky at noisy junctions. No subtitles. Quite a bit was removed for this version, but no audio giveaways. Nice job.

Narrative - Some odd things persist. The butcher is still cutting “chest scabs” during one scene. No explanation. In Ranger’s version, the butcher is an inexplicable force, compelled to murder, patient enough to wait for the lonely opportunity. The randomness of the attacks is particularly chilling.

Enjoyment - Take the A-Train, baby. I enjoyed this slasher ride a lot. In the original, and I know others will regard this as blasphemy, I considered the demonic angle distracting, if not silly. Here, the butcher is a twisted soul. Because we cannot tell what formed him or what compels him, he becomes a rogue cancer cell in the community.

As much as the butcher is a slave to his impulses, the photographer is equally troubled. His narrative is one of obsession becoming compulsion. He is increasingly drawn to darkness, forsaking the light.

Despite the gore and violence (squeamish souls, take note), this film is bleak, cold, despairing at times. Perfect, nonetheless, for urban dwellers who walk the half-lit 2:00 AM streets and try not to glance over their shoulders.

The Haunted World Of Katie Featherston (Paranormal Activity) - Frantic Canadian

The original Paranormal Activity is marred by the godawful “found footage” crutch, unsympathetic, foolish characters, and a decrepit, snail like pace. Frantic Canadian trims 12 minutes of unnecessary footage, quickening the tempo and boosting scare ratio.

Video - Quite a bit of cuts in this. Edits well chosen, and because of the fade to black structure of the original there is nothing noticeable. I calculate half the film are semi-lit, nighttime shots, and the blacks stay solid throughout.

Audio - Nice 5.1 sound that responds during some of the quietest scenes. Mumbled - garbled dialogue often difficult to understand, probably by design. Subtitles could help - though most of the talk is everyday prattle and unimportant.

Narrative - This is a light edit, so the story holds together. Good result here, and a better experience than the original.

Enjoyment - Tough to call. I do not like “found footage” movies. They strike me as lazy, self indulgent, and bucket level cheap.
The characters are introduced as likeable goofs who grow dangerously stupid.

• SPOILER - Midway through, I’m telling them to phone the demonologist specialist. Of course they do not. - END SPOILER -
  Why do they stay in that house / apartment night after night? Come on, go to a motel! Go to Mom’s! But get out of there! Fools. Very hard to enjoy a film with characters you cannot empathize with because they have less sense than a tennis ball.

Appreciate would be a more appropriate term for this. Frantic Canadian offers an excellent edit of a film that will not appeal to everyone.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν.

Les Petits Meurtres d’Agatha Christie - 2009 - 6/10

French adaptation of Christie’s Hercule Poirot’s yarns.
No fussy little Belgium in these, however. His character is rewritten as Inspector Larosière.
Larosière is a ladies man, gourmand, elegant dresser, at ease with royals and commoners.
The stories, of course, are nasty pieces of murder, and everyone has motives.
For whatever reason, I never cared for Mr Poirot, finding him overly weird and mannered.
Larosière, for me, was more relatable. There is also a Gallic charm in all of these.
These French versions are a fizzy counterpoint to more faithful, English productions.

Past Malice: Emma Fielding - 2018 - 5/10

Famed archaeologist, Emma Fielding, is persuaded to double check a dig at New England castle.
She finds ongoing robberies, the family curse, nasty murders, and a handsome FBI agent!
In fact, everyone is pleasant looking, in a waxed fruit manner.
Another of those never ending movies, spinoffs, in the “Murder, She Wrote” mode.
Bland, predictable, almost smarmy. Read a book instead. Or send someone a Hallmark card.
Oh wait! If you do that, you’ll help fund another one of these Hallmark movies!

Made In Dagenham - 2010 - 7/10

The ladies of the Machinists Union go one strike against Ford in 1968.
Simple enough reason - pay inequality.
Lively goings on across the picket line and within several cash strapped households.
Strong cast (although most were young and attractive, even Barbara Castle), with sharp dialogue.
Worth remembering that women were perceived as second tier a scant 40 years ago.
Fortunately that has been rectified across the globe.

One Missed Call 2 - 2005 - 4/10
AKA - Chakushin Ari 2 // 着信アリ2

I bought One Missed Call 1 when it first came out. It was OK, at best.
This was during the peak of dead wet girl films.
Part 2 offered less meals (victims), and the deaths lacked creativity.
There were a couple of rambling threads regarding the villain that went nowhere.
Predictable - formula - waste of time.

Warning - There is yet another sequel - 03, which is just as bad.
Even worse is the US remake which makes these look like masterpieces.
Avoid. More for fools who have a taste for crap. Guilty.

Sløborn - 2020 - 7/10

Apocalypse fans!
A deadly contagion hits an isolated island in the North Sea.
Actually, the virus (which is incurable) is rampaging planetwide.
When a drifting boat is sighted, locals hurry to investigate.
Teens, a burnt out writer (my fave!), young offenders, several clandestine affairs, investors, conspiracy types.
Seriously, there must be a dozen stories, yet one should be able to keep track of them.
Remember: more characters = more meals!
The ending suffers logical loopholes, and character arcs are given short shrift.
Who cares! It’s the end of the world!

The Secret Life Of Mrs Beeton - 2006 - 7/10

During Victoria’s reign, Isabella Beeton created “The Book of Household Management,” cookbook and overall go-to Bible for generations.
Her life was not all plummy, however. She suffered several miscarriages, was in debt most of her married life, and died at age 28.
In fact, the film opens with her cheekily observing her own funeral.
Anna Madeley makes a very beguiling and saucy Mrs Beeton, though one of the film’s major revelations is perhaps speculation.
Breezy bio, do not expect focused social criticism.

The Beeton book, by the way, is available at amzn-co-uk and currently darned cheap … 50p USED! Or .00 if Kindle!

Sarah’s Key - 2010 - 7/10

Twin narratives of modern day journalist (Kristen Scott Thomas) digging out story of imprisoned Jews in WWII occupied France, and young girl’s escape and desperate journey to reach her brother.
Stories dovetail, then tighten uncomfortably.
Great looking film, well acted all around.
Lived up to my expectations of being depressing.