Vultural

The Sister Of Ursula - 1978 - 6/10
AKA - La Sorella di Ursula

The sister, Dagmar, has her hands full with Ursula.
Ursula is still in agony over the death of their father.
Worse, she is high strung, has premonitions, usually of death.
And the off-season hotel where they are staying (in stunning Amalfi) has a serial killer.
While the hotel keeps trying to gloss over and cover-up the deaths (bad for business), Dagmar hooks up with a junkie.
Speaking of hooking up, wow! is there a lot of sex and full frontal nudity in this one.
In essence, this is a Slasher, with a lot of attractive scenery.

Parker, Rosalie - Through The Storm

PS has put together a very plummy collection. A generous assortment ranging from unsettling, poignant, and downright mystifying.

“The Moors” was Simone’s true element, where she could spend hours, perhaps her life. She loved that it was so desolate, forsaken even. Except when she encounters the others.

The Robinsons were newcomers to “Village Life”. Younger, too, energetic with a dash that diminished the oldsters. They also appeared to have an appetite for dirt and whispers.

“Dear John”, often perceived as a kiss-off, yet this is stranger by far. The correspondence between lonely hearts, drawn together, forming a tentative attachment, along with an odious presence.

Leonie is working with the big name actress. Cinema star, cast in a rural role, where she requires coaching with dialect. accent, cadence. Exposed to the bustle and sweep, Leonie is touched with a case of city fever. Her place, however, is in “Cow City” where she is unaware of the chains.

There was a disagreement, an argument, outside “The Cinema”, where Anne and Callum got separated. Anne, disoriented – and cold – soon wanders into unfamiliar neighborhoods. As darkness rises, masked smiles offer assistance. The treachery of good cheer. Wisely, she senses the teeth, begs off, only to flee deeper into confusion.

Just a sampling of the stories, most of which are solid, and have conclusions.
A modern tendency is to leave readers suspended. This collection offers very little of that.

Zvenigora - 1928 - 7/10
AKA - Звeнигopа

Sweeping tale of the old man who guards the Ukraine treasure.
Time from around 900 to 1900, after the Bolshevik Revolution.
The treasure, one gathers, lies in the soil itself. The identity of Ukraine.
At one point, during the modern era, a performance occurs for a live audience.
The presenter has pledged to shoot himself after explaining the conflict between Ukraine and Bolshevikism.
A crowd of rich Europeans, maddened with bloodlust, disinterested in the East.
Film of inventive visuals and thorny ideas.

The Devil’s Throat - 2019 - 6/10
AKA - Djavolskoto Garlo

The first mutilated corpse had his eyes replaced with sheep eyes.
Followed by another tortured body. There are clues this may be Islamic terror.
And the small town is already struggling with a refugee center.
The capital dispatches a lead investigator to take charge, a high strung female.
Long -winded Bulgarian series about a serial killer and buried secrets.
The meat of this 12-parter is the first two episodes and the last two.
The middle eight should have been condensed down to six, possibly four.
Those are misdirection and attempted relationships.
Lead duo are hammy actors, supporting cast is excellent.

Suburra - 2015 - 7/10

Explosive, high voltage crime drama sprawling across a week in gaudy, glitzy Roma.
The opening 30-40 minutes is a tour de force of gorgeous visuals and minimal dialogue.
Characters and situations are propelled across the screen, in one instance literally.
Afterward, the tempo settles - to a degree - as a powerful intermediary tries to broker temporary peace between several layers of combatants.
A big deal is imminent, huge for leading families, but timing is delicate.
No matter. Tempers fiery hot and colder than ice demand red stained honor.
Superb cinematography, detailed interlocking narratives, make for a great adult flick.
Sex - nudity - language - streams of blood. γνῶθι σεαυτόν

The Erl King - 2020 - 6/10

Following an auto accident that leaves Alfie injured and his father dead, the woodland god takes an interest.
Mother Julia has trouble reconnecting with her son, who holds on to the belief his father is alive.
Two souls, neither of whom can let go.
Quiet woodland short.

Perfect Days - 2023 - 7/10

Hirayama works for Tokyo Toilets and cleans public restrooms in parks.
His life is extraordinarily structured. Dawn, drive to work, park lunch, bathhouse, supper.
He buys (and reads) books from a small shop, also visits a small bar occasionally.
By contrast, his young colleague’s life is a mess: short of money, a girlfriend he cannot afford.
Hirayama’s is an ordinary life, gentle, not boastful.
For many, he is invisible, which is typical of how most view retail or service workers.
He takes pleasures in small things: saving plants, listening to music, photography, observing.
A backstory of a troubled upbringing is implied in the merest of exchanges.
Wim Wenders film.

A Page Of Madness - 1926 - 6/10
AKA - Kurutta Ichipeiji // 狂った一頁

Manic, delusional, catatonic.
Various states of residents in a mental institution.
Viewed through the eyes of the custodian / janitor.
His wife is a patient, in a near-vegetative state.
Their daughter visits, yet her terror usually overcomes her.
One can only deduce the proceedings, as there are no inter-titles.
A difficult watch at times.
Highlights include a frenzied dancer who believes she is onstage, and a facility riot she causes.

Bra Boys - 2006 - 6/10

Written, directed and produced by Sunny Abberton, one of three brothers profiled in this documentary.
Filmed around Maroubra Beach, part of Sydney, but not the desirable neighborhood.
Story pleads the case that the Boys aren’t gang members, but a community tribe.
Gorgeous surf sequences interspersed with courtroom appearances and street violence.
Predates the Biarritz Surf Gang (2017) which likewise profiled waves and mayhem.
Worthwhile for those into surf porn, but don’t be fooled by the smile.

Franco’s films are worth investigating, depending on your sensibilities.
In the review thread, I posted around a dozen, although there are plenty of Franco specific sites out there.
Good luck.

You Only Live Twice - 1968 - 6/10
AKA - 007は二度死ぬ

Fleming’s novel is one of self-pity, vengeance, amnesia, resurrection.
The film is high style Japanese action, with 007 as a pinball in the Shinjuja arcade.
USA and CCCP space capsules disappear in orbit. Each nation blames the other. War seem likely.
The actual culprit? SPECTRE, lurking, according to MI5, somewhere in Japan.
More action and gadgetry in this, less style and panache.
Japanese locations are exotic, and the cast has plenty of headliners for those into Japanese cinema.
Bond does get rescued a lot, or relies much on Q‘s gizmos.
Earlier films are superior, although this remains a guilty pleasure.

A Special Cop In Action - 1976 - 6/10
AKA - Italia a Mano Armata (Italy At Gunpoint)

All in a very busy week. Commissioner Betti has his hands full.
Hijackers grab a school bus of children, hide, demand ransom.
Meanwhile, a violent gang is targeting big banks.
And, arms smugglers are ever bolder, more flagrant.
Betti thinks the mastermind behind it all is Albertelli (John Saxon), an untouchable crime boss.
The result is three disjointed tales, stitched together with car chases, rooftop chases, fistfights.
Oh, and bullets. Blazing firepower in this high voltage Euro-Crime actioner / thriller.

Flowers of Perversion, Volume 2: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús Franco

I expect more films I will have to hunt down.

The Sin Of Nora Moran - 1933 - 6/10

Pre-Code melodrama has the taboos in spades.
Adultery, rape, murder, coverups, death sentence.
At the heart of this is a young girl who spends her inheritance on a dance academy.
In New York, Broadway spurns her. Money dry, she joins the circus.
The story is told from several points of view, and Nora herself mixes memory with fantasy.
Sordid tale, yet the editing is extremely quick for its time and is absolutely fabulous!
Wipes, cuts, pans, dissolves, plenty of montages.
Restored print by UCLA is immaculate.

Pulse - 2001 - 6/10
AKA - Kairo // 回路

Perhaps it was an errant program, perhaps it was inevitable.
Via the internet, the dead have begun to access our sphere.
And for every new arrival, a living soul perishes, disappears into a stain.
A few groups and individuals become aware of this phenomenon.
Dwindling survivors.
Moody J-horror is long on tension and isolation.
Unspoken is how the internet increasingly disassociates humanity.

Ashes To Ashes - 2008 - 7/10

Compelling sidespin to Life On Mars.
Oddly enough, modern day DI Alex Drake had been reading reports by Sam Tyler.
Then she was shot and found herself in 1981, and meeting DCI Gene Hunt and crew.
In S01, Drake is poorly written as a chronic whiner, with a mommy fixation, and dressing inappropriately,
By the second season, her character is harder and more professional.
Just as well, as episodes grow progressively darker each outing.

S03 was always planned as the conclusion.
A new character arrives, ostensibly from “Internal Affairs”, to unearth corruption.
At times, the narrative borders on metaphysical. The ghost of Sam Tyler revives as a major quest.
The ending? One of the best, and very thoughtful.
If you enjoyed Life On Mars, and can tolerate a somewhat campy S01, this show holds rewards.

Station Zero - 2024 - 6/10

At best, a scene, an incident, from a longer Horror flick.
Following mouth-to-mouth sessions in the firehouse, an intruder knocks.
Oh, no! A zombie. And our brawny firefighter is down.
Leaving the steamy scream queen isolated.
Proof of concept short for a potential feature.

Domino - 2005 - 6/10

Real change of pace for Keira Knightley, playing a bounty hunter.
Domino was the real daughter of actor Laurence Harvey.
At the core of this over-elaborate film, is an armored car heist.
Then the patsies, a bounty hunter crew now in the eye of the F.B.I.
Knightley, who I scoff at frequently, is good as the beauty who embraces the underbelly.
A sloppy film, unfortunately, and I fault the directing and editing.
Wild cast only increases the disappointment.

Notting Hill - 1999 - 7/10

Fate, or happenstance?
White-hot Hollywood actress meets Notting Hill bookshop owner.
Attraction is not immediate, yet circumstances reconnect them, and place barriers.
Excellent Rom-Com benefits from fine acting – and – genuine chemistry.
Not to overlook an outstanding supporting ensemble!
I tend to rewatch this every five years or so, usually on our anniversary.
Holds up remarkably well.

Baker, Phil - Austin Osman Spare: Life And Legend Of London’s Lost Artist

Fascinating, frustrating, entertaining, baffling biography.
Primarily because the subject was so elusive. Misremembering, fabricating, or simply confusing.
Spare, whose cult fame continues to rise, was an artist and occultist spanning the Edwardian period into the 1950’s. Some of his work mirrors Beardsley, yet the bulk is assuredly his own style.
Baker is on solid footing with the chronology of the man.
With details, anecdotes, history, he confesses when some events are outright dodgy.
Spare, to be kind, was a unreliable source.
Success wise, Spare, like many of us, was generally his own enemy. Perhaps his roots, the premature acclaim as genius, his temperamental encounters with others.
An early Surrealist, dabbler in automatic writing, side real perspective, creator of sigils, acquaintance of Crowley, illustrator of common folk, forgotten people, not the rich nor influential.
Filled with numerous illustrations, color and black and white, although I longed for more.
Overall, enlightening and informative.
Will likely reread.

My Markdown is also ! [ ] ( ). Between parens the image URL minus the spaces.

I used Google Drive for image hosting until they disabled 3rd party with the redesigned Drive.
You could start a private blog there, and use that for hosting. Be aware that many of the links no longer end in jog or png but gibberish.
Dropbox is still out there, but you must use a workaround for images to render.
For both Postimage and Imgur, make you you register an account and upload that way to ensure longevity.
I have thousands of images for reviews and stories, and have had to reupload to various sites several times over the years. Hope your stash is not too massive.
ALWAYS back up your images in the cloud. That is a given, but many forget or forego.
Good luck out there.

Simon Magus - 1999 - 7/10

More and more families depart the shtetl.
To reverse the exodus, Dovid has a plan: build a station for the approaching railway line.
Squire Albrecht agrees to sell him the land – if – Dovid will read his poetry.
(The squire lacks intelligent neighbors to discuss culture.)
Meanwhile, a mendacious businessman wants the land at any price.
Then there is Simon, the village simpleton.
Some view him sympathetically, others view him as crop blight.

Simon frequently meets the Devil, who gives him advice, or treacherous instructions.
Not horror, not folk-horror, this runs closer to fable.
For Rutger Hauer fans, this would make a nice double bill with The Mill And The Cross.

Cunk On Earth - 2022 - 6/10

From cavemen to what will replace us, AI.
Iron Age conflicts to nuclear annihilation.
Philomena Cunk attempts to track humankind’s origins to possible extinction.
Five-part series is hit or miss. Wildly funny, to belaboring a stale joke.
Technotronic? Why, why, why?
The comedy is pretty flat. Blame bad writing (all males).
For fans of Ms Cunk, who, I perceive, is being written as ever dumber.

Vampire In Venice - 1988 - 5/10
AKA - Nosferatu a Venezia

200 years earlier, the last known sighting of Nosferatu was in Venice.
Where he supposedly boarded a ship, disappeared, possibly drowned.
Such is Professor Catalano’s theory, and yet he is investigating.
Even to the point of taking part in an ill-advised séance.
Which ends up as a summons of sorts, and Nosferatu responds.

Frustrating film is steeped in atmosphere.
Venice, shrouded in mist and fog, makes a suitable location.
The mansion, locus of activities, is a rambling home, well-appointed, yet better days far behind.

Kinski, returning as Nosferatu, is an exhausted creature.
Unable to die, weary of the world, yet still answering a beckoning siren.
The narrative is messy (3-4 directors), money ran out, the result is a patchy affair.
If outtakes survive, one hopes a reedit might improve this.
Otherwise, worth a look.