Vultural

Murders At The Zoo - 1933 - 6/10

Pre-Code nasty misses greatness because it pulls its punches.
Lionel Atwill plays Gorman, a sportsman (meaning he shoots piles of animals), who ships a big collection to the zoo.
Early on, however, we witness how he deals with a rival for his wife’s affection.
Binding the man and stitching up his mouth before abandoning him to the hungry jungle.
Other particularly cruel offings follow.
Unfortunately, Paramount defused this throughout with comic humor, which undercuts the tone.
Better, since the wife had a wayward eye, would have been to juice the sexual angles.
Directed by Eddie Sutherland, who I’ve always regarded as loose change,
Coulda, shoulda been terrific.

L’ecole de la Chair - 1998 - 6/10
AKA - The School Of Flesh

Bored rich female initiates an affair with surly rent boy.
Beforehand, she had been warned by several of his ex-lovers / victims.
Challenge or self destruction?
Following the initial docking maneuver, they play games and test each others boundaries.
The plot, or what masquerades as a plot, are cobbled together set pieces.
Likewise the assembly of supporting characters, though some are more memorable.
Despite the occasional twist, interlude in the bazaar, and raw emotions, from the very beginning, one realizes this is not the happy ending love story.
French, not too talky, though there is quite a bit of dialogue.

Wagon Tracks - 1919 - 6/10

Stodgy, William S Hart western, though Hart vehicles typically carry the dust of Victorian theatre boards.
Hart goes to meet his younger brother, a recently graduated doctor, arriving on a paddle-wheeler.
While card playing, however, the young man has been gunned down.
Hart, leading the wagon trail to Santa Fe, ponders how the cull the guilty out of the herd.
The print I saw was wonderful, the tinting outstanding.
Even small details such as inter-titles, feature imaginative touches.

At barely an hour, the pace is unhurried, and effectively evokes the Old West.
Hart knew and was friends with Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson, and he strived for authenticity in his Westerns.
A first class production.

Bamboo House Of Dolls - 1973 - 6/10
AKA - Nu ji Zhong Ying // 女集中營

Wonderful exploitation sleaze from the Shaw Brothers.
Japanese troops attack a hospital, murder most of the patients, drag all the attractive nurses, kicking and screaming, to an internment camp.
Viewers familiar with the WiP genre can predict the following:
Rapes, beatings, tortures, a lesbian commandant, prison catfights, stoolies, and wardrobe limitations.
Indeed, all prisoners wear flimsy blue tops and skimpy blue panties.
Those outfits are shredded or ripped off every five minutes, exposing huge swathes of gratuitous nudity.
Subplots involve hidden gold and spies.
Compared with other WiP fare, this is on a par with the Ilsa series.

French Cancan - 1955 - 6/10

After Henri’s establishment closes, he regroups and decides to launch another.
This time, he will revive a bygone, notorious dance number, the cancan.
Love affairs, misunderstandings, arguments and pitfalls.
Will he be ever able to open his cabaret, the Moulin Rouge?
^

Afterward, I knew this was going to cost me.
“You never said this was a musical.”
“C’mon, Jean Gabin stars, Jean Renoir directs, in color!”
“It was like an MGM musical. Bloated nonsense. I don’t see how you like these things.”
“Big screen, too! Old fashioned magic.”
“When the Miss Fisher movie comes out, we’re seeing it. You owe me.”
“Aww, man …”
“And I renewed the subscription to the Hallmark Channel.”
“Oh, bummer, dude!”
“Dudette.”
^

Kampf um Norwegen: Feldzug 1940 - 1940 - 6/10
AKA - Battle For Norway: 1940 campaign

Nazi propaganda overwhelms with details, grows tiresome.
Documentary shows invasion and conquest of Norway in 1940.
Animated campaign maps are helpful, also a wealth of images.
Every skirmish is mentioned with scant fighting footage.
As propaganda, this is not vitriolic hatred, but more the morale booster.
Why German is in the war with Norway (it’s the fault of the English).
The presentation struck me as dull until the last section, the conflicts around Narvik, where the Allies were giving the Kriegsmarine and Gebirgsjägers a hard time of it.
Goebbels, supposedly dissatisfied, mothballed this and it was considered lost until found in 2006.

Chi-Raq - 2015 - 5/10

Spike Lee somehow reworks Aristophanes’ hysterically funny “Lysistrata” into a preachy tirade.
Fable of women withholding sex until rival gangs make peace (no peace, no piece) blended with with gun violence, diatribes against the NRA, posters of victims, whatnot.
Essentially, there are two films: one a broad comedy, the other, if handled correctly, a savage indictment of how US gun owners value guns more than life.
The message is heavy handed, and, to be honest, embarrassing to see Lee present a film so awkward.
Fully, half the scenes are carried on a couple beats too long, dragging the pace.
Apologists defend this film saying it is not a comedy, but rather a satire.
Sorry, satire generally uses a razor honed knife. Lee swings Fred Flintstone’s club.
On the plus side, much of the dialogue is rhyming couplets, and the “Lysistrata" business is funny as hell.
The cinematography is terrific, with several lush looking set designs.
Moreover, one of the best characters is Samuel Jackson’s chorus, Dolmedes.
Once he utters the phrase, “signifying monkey,” you immediately recognize Dolemite!
Otherwise, a fine cast wasted and wicked concept bungled. A shame.

Budapest Noir - 2017 - 6/10

Fine Neo-Noir set in 1936 Budapest, as nearby Fascism and Nazism unmoor Hungary’s stability.
A journalist unexpectedly ends up paying for an attractive woman’s meal.
Two beats later, he is assigned to a nearby murder of a prostitute, who turns out to be the female earlier.
The reporter’s itch sends him to the morgue, where the body has disappeared.
Then the hunt. Why the cover-up? Why was she murdered? Most of all, who was she?
No new ground here, though for Noir buffs any new, good film is a quiet celebration.
Though shot in Budapest, the usual turista locations are absent.

Have Sword, Will Travel - 1969 - 6/10
AKA - Bao Biao // 保鏢

The yearly shipment of gold is due to be shipped to the emperor.
Alas, the leader in charge of protecting the wealth has aged and lost his kung fu.
He summons help from a young couple, while a powerful outlaw clan strategizes.
Into the midst arrives a stranger, with astounding swordplay prowess.
This character gets compared to Eastwood’s Leone gunslinger, though my take is Shane.
Leisurely paced action film is a bit over complicated romance wise, but the final sequence is a dazzler.
With the ensuing bloodshed, I imagine John Woo must have viewed this.

Faneditors, take note!

Count Dracula - 1970 - 6/10
AKA - Les Nuits de Dracula

Faithful retelling of Stoker’s novel, up to a point.
Christopher Lee as the elderly count who grows more youthful as the film progresses (years before Coppola’s take).
Excellent Barcelona locations, effective music, solid acting, are all undercut by indifferent direction.
Aside from his usual money problems, one gets the feeling Jess Franco simply lost interest.
No nudity, certainly no hard core pornography that mark many of his films.

The print I saw was outstanding, and boasted a fine commentary by historian David Del Valle and actor Maria Rohm.
Rohm is sharp and her answers insightful. Glad she participated, otherwise hers would be lost history.

Cuadecuc, Vampir - 1971 - 6/10

Christopher Lee filmed Count Dracula for Jess Franco in 1970, with a powerhouse cast.
While the narrative was faithful to Stoker, the budget was meager and it showed.
Nevertheless - during filming, director Pere Portabella lensed this strange dish.
Black n white, silent film, consisting of outtakes, over-exposures, and oddities.
Such as, you’ll see the clapperboard from time to time, also cameras, actors hanging around, laughing.
The music is a mix of ambiant, musique concrète, lounge, and empty silence.
Sets are atmospheric, the pace is lethargic.
Some have slotted this into arthouse territory, but it strikes me as an art installation.
Meaning something you might see in a museum or gallery, watch it for 10-20 minutes, then drift away.
Definitely a curio.

The Ice House - 1978 - 6/10

Opaque ghost story is confusing, unresolved, yet worthwhile for the patient.
Brother-sister cultivate a spa for affluent souls, left bereaved, embittered, adrift.
Paul, bruised from a divorce, receives extra attention from the sibling caretakers.
In nearby woods, a mysterious icehouse holds a strange allure for him.
That, and the fragrant night flowers that twine the exterior.
Heavy on atmosphere, short on explanations, this may exasperate those who desire stitched endings.
I enjoyed this, perhaps one should not hunt for meaning.

Ankerich, Michael - Dangerous Curves Atop Hollywood Heels

Entertaining volume of fourteen biographs on Silent film actresses.
Straight off, author Ankerich said he was going offtrack. He was not covering Pickford, Clara, sisters Gish and Talmadge, Theda. He was heading into forgotten territory.
I am a slight cinema buff, and that includes the Silent era, but I was only familiar with Barbara La Marr and Marie Prevost.
Most of these girls (and most were girls, enjoying success in their early twenties) were worked to death, and found solace in booze, philandering men, and double edged notoriety.
For the majority, their ends were pretty squalid.
Packed with photos, this makes essential, if perhaps specialized, reading.
Aside from typos and the usual “lack of editor” errors, the lure has to do with filmographies.
Yes, there are complete listings of anywhere from 30 - 120, depending on how busy the girl had been, but no marking of what was still available. Since roughly 70% of Silents are lost, it would be nice to know what I have a reasonable chance of finding.

Crawl - 2019 - 6/10

“There’s a gator in the bushes, he’s calling my name …” (courtesy M Hatchet)
Gator country! Wail, baby!
In the middle of a Force 5 hurricane, the estranged daughter decides to check on dear ole pa.
She finds him, under the house, in a HUGE crawl space, where he’s busted up.
Meanwhile, the basement fills with water. Jeopardy!
Hold on, boss. There’s an alligator down there. Double jeopardy!!
Make that two gators!!! Outside, in the flooded streets, there are even more. Chomping down.
Fairly serious Nature killing film (not Sharknado crap) has great saurians, though too much family time.
Hurricane effects look good, and there are meals aplenty!

Tracks - 2013 - 6/10

Based on the true story, and I gather this was more or less accurate as two of the original participants appear in the Bonus section, along with numerous photos.
27 year old female decides to hike 1600+ miles across the Australian outback to the Indian Ocean.
With her are four camels and her faithful black dog.
A photographer acquaintance helps her get National Geographic sponsorship, but Tracks is a lonely trip.
Existential, metaphysical journey, though difficult to tell if she actually “changes.”
We don’t really grasp Robyn’s before and after. The physical journey is the movie.
At the end, I was like, “Is that it?” “Why did she …?’
Self discovery - perhaps best understood by oneself.

Des Femmes Disparaissent - 1958 - 6/10
AKA - Women Disappear

Pierre argues with his girlfriend, Beatrice.
He orders her to stay home, she replies we’re not married.
“It’s girls night out,” she exclaims, and off she goes, along with her friends.

Yes, she lied. The girls are going to a party put on by successful men. Suitable men.
Those men, fashion designers, shipping magnates, doctors, are likewise liars.
They peddle skin to exotic Mediterranean locales.
White slave trade, older than Rome.
Fast moving, busy French film with a memorable assortment of villains.

Victorian Sensations - 2019 - 6/10

Three part documentary set in the late 1890’s, when starchy Victorians hurtled into the Modern world.
Scientific advancements, decadent literature, and interest in the paranormal.
Each topic is hosted by a different presenter, like a docent guide through the era of change.
Writers most mentioned include Wells (in each episode), as well as Wilde, Symons, and Stoker.
Beardsley devotees, fear not, there is a titillating side path into several of his illustrations.
There are omissions, to be sure, in this jaunt, but what is here should hold your interest throughout.

The Guest - 2018 - 6/10
AKA - The Hand // 손

A hot-headed cop, an exorcist priest, and a psychic from a shaman family meet in a bar.
In between bottles of soju, they strategize how to combat Park Il Do.
Park Il Do, or Sohn, is a powerful demon who possesses humans and forces them to murder.
Such is the arc of this K-drama.
Individual stories play out, two episodes at a time, as the trio get drawn into a lopsided struggle.

The contrast of Catholicism and shamanism is a curious one, and I wish that had been explored deeper.
The series finale is excessive and wordy, but many of the episodes are pretty creepy.
Gruesome, too.

Dawson City: Frozen Time - 2016 - 7/10

Documentary manages to mingle the Klondike gold rush, with the history of a boom town, with a celebration of resurrected silent cinema.
In 1976, during a construction dig, 500+ reels of nitrate film were excavated and eventually shipped to curators.
The story relates the rise and demise of boom town, Dawson City, with newsreels and old photos.
For film buffs, there is plenty of name dropping of those who passed through and later became giants.
The most eye-opening was the owner of the brothel, whose descendants peddled different real estate, and rose in prominence.
The rescued reels themselves, as presented, seem in poor to atrocious quality.
I enjoyed the history parts, town and gold fever, but the found film stock, literally the reason Dawson City got back on the cultural map, to be meager and of abysmal quality
With the credits, I was going, “That’s it?”

Blinded By The Light - 2019 - 6/10

Late 80’s England. Javed is buffeted by skinheads, a domineering father, and the thought of being lost.
Then he is turned on to the music, rather lyrics, of Bruce Springsteen.
The Boss is considered passé in the New Wave 80’s, but his words still resonate with the disenfranchised.
Midway, I turned to the person who picked this and said, “This reminds me of Bend It Like Beckham."
Terse answer. “Same writer, same director, same producer.”
Feel good material, and a bit recooked.
Springsteen fans (I am not one) should enjoy.

Gone Girl - 2014 - 6/10

I got stuck watching this, but I knew it would be coming so I never read a single review, comment, blurb.
Only knew it was about a wife who vanishes from a troubled marriage.
That encapsulates the plot, and the less you read or know, the better you may enjoy.
The problems regarding habeas corpus absentia are glossed over.
Unless I missed an update to Law 101, no body = no crime.
Not that that curtails media sharks and the resultant street circus.
Ben Affleck fine as out of his depth, slippery husband, though the film is awash with repellent creatures.
Nasty little time, more or less recommended.

A Bay Of Blood - 1971 - 7/10
AKA - Reazione a catena

An elderly lady is noosed from her wheelchair and left dangling.
The assassin emerges from shadows and is himself slain.
Next, greedy and murderous heirs begin to migrate to the bay manor.
And blood flows and flows.
This ain’t high art but it is an excellent Giallo by Bava.
Film is packed with killings and attractive females.
If you anticipate swim sequences and couplings, so did Bava.
Often hard to keep track of who is killing who - I mean that as a plus.

Be sure to check out insightful audio commentary by Bava biographer Tim Lucas.

La Fille Inconnue - 2016 - 6/10
AKA - The Unknown Girl

After a long day, female doctor and intern prepare to close the office for the night.
They ignore the door buzzer of a much-too-late caller.
Next day, police arrive, examine surveillance footage, then tell the doctor the young girl - who had perhaps been seeking refuge - had been murdered after fleeing from the clinic door.
Guilt then drives the doctor. To find out who the dead girl was, why she was running, from what.
Thriller suffers from detached presentation.
My (admittedly) limited empathy never engaged and I never cared about a single character.

Agatha Christie And The Truth Of Murder - 2018 - 6/10

I wonder if this will be an ongoing holiday series? Like the iffy ghost stories?
Agatha Christie famously disappeared for eleven days in 1926.
In this mystery, she responds to a plea to solve a murder.
Set in a country manor, Christie lures suspects with the ruse of an inheritance.
Nicely photographed, with recognizable faces in the cast.
Decent story, and certainly miles ahead of any Hallmark mystery (of which I get to view plenty).

The Great Battle - 2018 - 6/10
AKA - Ansisung // 안시성

Do you still have an appetite for epic siege warfare?
Along the line of Helm’s Deep and Minias Tirith?
This is, at least, is based on a historical event, circa 650.
Chinese Emperor Taizong invades Goguryeo (Korea) with 200,000 battle tested warriors.
Armies and forts collapse before him, until he faces the relatively small fort of Ansi.
This features some amazing set pieces mixed with slo-mo sequences that seem derivative of 300.
The series of move-counter move strategies are inventive.
Although over two hours, lulls are sparing are serve to aid character development, which is lacking in this.

The Mask Of Dimitrios - 1944 - 7/10

Old Warners Brothers chestnut pairing Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet.
A writer of mysteries learns of the death of a career criminal in Istanbul.
Curious, and seeking inspiration for the next book, he follows the trail of crime across Eastern Europe.
Along the way, an old henchman for the villain enters and offers to pool information.
Film filled with flashbacks, betrayals, lies, and increasing danger.
The look is straight up Film Noir, hard shadows and fog, and while locations bounce from Istanbul to Athens to Budapest, the reality is 100% back lot. (Europe was a bit unstable in 1944.)
This is a terrific rainy night film, with Greenstreet and Lorre superb. Numerous low angle shots of Greenstreet make him seem enormous and imposing.
Supporting characters memorable, as well, as you find yourself believing their stories, only to wonder afterward how much is deception, how much self deception.
How little kindness there is in the world today.