Vultural

Hardly A Criminal - 1946 - 6/10
AKA - Apenas un Delincuente

Even as a boy, Moran had been impatient.
Later, a man who favored expensive suits, nightclubs and horse races.
He could not afford the wardrobe, nor the cabaret. And his horse picks were all nags.
Worse, the loan sharks are hounding him.
Moran works in the bank, however, and embezzlement proves an easy out.
Even after he is caught, sentenced to prison, he has a plan.
All it requires is patience.
Yet, Moran has always been impatient.
Outstanding Argentinian Noir. (Wikipedia plot summary inaccurate)

Ilsa, Harem Keeper Of The Oil Sheiks - 1976 - 5/10

Just when you assumed our notorious commandant perished with the destruction of Stalag 13.
Goes to prove, you can’t keep a sadistic mistress down for long.
Ilsa works for Sheikh El-Sharif, managing his white slave harem.
Like any boot camp drill instructor, her task is to prep new arrivals; here, for market auction.
By any means necessary.
While more over-the-top than She Wolf Of The SS, this lacks the bite and trappings of that film.
Wait a minute! She died, correct?
In the commentary, it was revealed producers assumed audiences would not remember.

Ghahwagi, Karim - Black Hand, The

Malta experiences a bizarre series of murders. Dismembered bodies amidst feathers, a lot of feathers.
Inspector Osman is assigned. A Libyan, he works under the auspices of the Port Authority, yet actually he falls under the Secret Police.
The murders are not only inexplicable, but they are delicate and have connections with the swelling migrant community.

Osman enters the refugee camps, where he is told a lengthy fable of a wealthy merchant and his daughter, whose singing sent those who heard her into raptures.
Apparently, the fairytale is the core of this novella.

We return to Inspector Osman, where his case concludes abruptly. Not that readers deserve solutions, let alone explanations, yet more exposition might have improved this dramatically. Perhaps 10-15 pages.
One gets a sense that Ghahwagi simply quit. Put down his pen, ceased typing, went for a walk.
The result is a half finished draft. Unsatisfactory and badly done.
Where is the publisher’s guidance? Try harder, please.

Alligator - 1980 - 6/10

Kids, there’s a reason why you don’t buy baby gators in Florida.
They grow fast, and sooner or later you’ll just flush ’em down the toilet.
Where, in the sewers, they eat rats, fish, garbage, or lab animal carcases, juicy with growth chemicals.
Here, humans disappear and a jinxed detective is assigned the case.
Hokey creature feature is more fun than expected.
Most memorable is Henry Silva as an arrogant “sportsman” (animal killer).
Comparisons with Jaws? No.

Dune 2 - 2024 - 7/10

The initial film was so tedious, I barely stayed awake, never bothered to scribble a review.
Followup is action galore! Conflicts and strategies, on the battlefront and within the royals.
Paul Atreides, as the perceived messiah, Lisan al Gaib, unifies the southern tribes.
The path to jihad sprawls open.
One can easily view a proxy conflict between the decadent West and fundamentalist worshipers over a precious resource. Spice / oil.
Filmmakers skirt this issue as best they can, although they can neither disguise nor bury it.
Likewise, the sense of feudalism, which is today’s simmering infection, ignored or unseen.
A dense film, carefully updated from Herbert’s novel, to make a narrative more palatable to current sensibilities.

Cold Heart - 2024 - 5/10

Ethan hires on at the Y2K Cryo Lab. Dr. Olivia is his dismissive superior.
Patient after patient after patient winds up in Waste Management.
Amusing short does not outstay its visit.
More silly than engaging. Entry in the Sato48 Competition.

Alex Hugo - 2014 - 6/10

Ex-Marseille police detective Hugo, fed up with city violence, moves to the tranquil countryside.
Alas, the bucolic setting turns out to be another Cabot Cove (sans JB Fletcher), and just as lethal.
Cult suicides, runaways killed, axe murders.
Bears more than a passing resemblance to Midsomer Murders.
By the end of 3 episodes, an ensemble has been built around the burly Hugo.
Rugged mountain scenery is the attraction here.
Mysteries themselves are routine, and series seems low on energy.

Kingdom Of The Spiders - 1977 - 5/10

Shatner alert.
A rancher’s calf is dead. Calls the vet – first name Rack, please – who discovers it was killed by spider venom.
Right quick, an arachnologist hits the scene. Female and attractive (remember, this is a Shatner flick).
Soon, more livestock is killed, and even A DOG!
A humongous spider mound is discovered, and our experts decide:
“Ooh, I guess some gasoline will take care of business.”
Definitely a cult winner, this holds up – IF – you don’t think too much.
Despite being a theatrical release, this feels like a TV movie.

Regan - 1974 - 6/10

An undercover cop is in the wrong place, wrong time.
Local pub, hangout of a rough gang. Unfortunately, he is tagged as a copper.
After his murder, DI Regan of the Flying Squad starts investigating.
On his own – almost – since the various branches are being reorganized for better efficiency.
Almost, as he brings in an ex-colleague, Carter, to help suss out South London.
Decent procedural, convoluted plot with an intelligent narrative.
A year later, the duo would be rebooted into The Sweeney, a violent cop series.
“Get yer trousers on, you’re nicked.”

In The Mouth Of Madness - 1994 - 6/10

After the famous horror writer disappears, an insurance investigator is sent to the small town.
With a female associate, the pair arrive at Hobb’s End (think Arkham, reference Quatermass).
The town, and supposedly the author’s novel, serve to distort perception and reality.
Throughout, nods are given to Lovecraft, as well as Stephen King.
Actual concepts, however, seem to hew closer to Aickman, Campbell or Ligotti (the latter obscure then).
The potential here is high, the result is a half–hearted muddle.
Unsure whether director Carpenter lacked vision, pandered to an LCD audience, or if suits interfered.
Disappointing. All intelligence drained.

Note: An intriguing fanedit was crafted in 2014 by RollWave called In the Mouth of Event Horizon.

Trailer = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eZYF7nIPmg

The Great Lillian Hall - 2024 - 7/10

An icon for many years. Fans still talks about performances they witnessed 20, 30 years earlier.
During rehearsals of “The Cherry Orchard”, she has difficulties with lines, movements, acts.
A visit to a specialist reveals that she has declining cognition, dementia.
Nevertheless, she is adamant about doing Chekhov.
Part of her impairment is her dead husband, whom she sees and talks with.
Jessica Lange, as ever, is riveting as the aging theatre diva.
Kathy Bates excellent as the loyal, ferocious assistant.
Pierce Brosnan is her late night neighbor, also something of a chorus.
Theatre buffs will already be drawn to this.

Utö - 2024 - 6/10

There is an ear-piercing sound, followed by atmospheric disturbance.
Afterward, the small Finnish island of Utö is utterly isolated.
No one can leave, no one can arrive.
As supplies dwindle, so too does community spirit. Every man for himself.
Woven in are supernatural elements and actual history of ship disasters near the island.
Acting in this is bad. Primarily from the lead (Maria) who is insufferably annoying and whiny.
Subtitles I viewed were inept AI generated: an educated chimpanzee would do better.
The narrative itself has good points, and provides a strange twist near the end.

Morning Patrol - 1987 - 6/10
AKA - Proini Peripolos // Πρωινή Περίπολος

Her memory wiped, the landscape hostile and desolate, she is desperate to reach the city.
The Morning Patrol, guards, move with lethal intent, killing any survivors.
The city itself is deserted: plague, war, or a harvesting.
From her internal dialogue, we know her home was Manderley.
Except that is a fabrication, a fictional manor in du Maurier’s “Rebecca”.
Likewise, when she ponders death, the big sleep, now paraphrasing Chandler.
In the city, the TV runs, movie houses are open. Both run classic Noir films.
Later in the film, when she wonders how much time she has remaining, viewers will catch references by Dick.
Enigmatic, near-future, dystopian Noir, loaded with unanswered questions.

Human Traffic - 1999 - 7/10

Friends head out for a weekend of excess in Cardiff.
Dancing, ecstasy, alcohol, hormones, inhibitions, release.
Home and work environments are sketched, those being family and colleagues.
Not your mates, your best friends. Those who mean the world to you – for the shortest of times.
Buried in the revelry is a sense of fin de siècle.
The end of the 90’s, the end of the millennium, the last surge of youthful exuberance.
A roaring club soundtrack, and a low mixed dialogue track.
To hear conversations, you have to crank the volume.
Back inside the nightclub roar, raise your arms and reach for the lasers.

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.