Vultural

Borderline - 1930 - 6/10

Groundbreaking film, far ahead of its time.
Paul Robeson stars as a husband whose wife is having an affair with a white man.
The local cafe where he resides tolerates the brouhaha, and him.
Villagers, however, see the affair as disruptive and blame Negroes for the problems.
A few, explicit in their racism.
Enjoyment may depend …
An experimental film, both in narrative and in editing, yet the pace is glacial.
Slow to say the least. Silent film, with very, very few intertitles.

We’re All Gonna Die - 2022 - 6/10

Yes, one way or another. All men are mortal.
Host Baruchel angsts over mass events: pandemic, nuclear war, global warming, alien invasion.
He is a Chicken Little ninny, overdramatizing constantly as if he were unboxing for his mommy.
The idea of mass annihilation has already been covered more thoroughly and less foolishly in How To Survive The End Of The World (2013), minus the pity party indulged in here.
Should this get rebooted – again – please let Philomena Cunk have a bash at it.

Harsch, Rick - The Periphus Of Spur Tank Road

Hotel Ganesh, India, evening, sultry outside, bordering on stifling.
Character Rick relaxes on the terrace, trying to enjoy, appreciate, think.
When a monkey, a Bonnet Macaque to be precise, hisses, “Hey Mac.”
Rick, being a creative sort, doesn’t find a talking monkey so unusual, and the two begin a conversation.
From here, gentle reader, drop any preconceptions. Just switch off the damn TV and hang on.
Exchanges range from lurid history, to volleys against the preening indecency of humanity.
Yes, yes, I know, we mean well. Yet, when we do what we do – oops, sorry.
Vasco da Gama may get singled out, but he is merely a stand-in for the horde.
Our monkey, soon calling itself Pagan, speaks a fractured English.
For the best, as our author has not included dialogue markers (he said, Pagan replied)
We navigate a jungle of words, often confused or meandering.
Very enjoyable, if you have a taste for this, although I often suspected the author was on a bender, free-styling impressions while his hallucinations were fresh.

*Grand Prix - 1966 - 7/10

Overlong, overwrought, soap opera claptrap.
Until the Formula One engines roar to life!
Racing sequences are dazzling, thrilling even, as you are in the seat.
Groundbreaking back in the day, and still completely shames CGI fakery.
Nevertheless, the love triangles suck big time.
Yves Montand memorable as the aging driver who cannot retire. HIS is the story.
Other relationships go nowhere. Fast forward, you won’t miss much.

A Night With Janis Joplin - 2025 - 7/10

Not quite a revue, nor a straight biography.
Exhilarating musical numbers mixed with Joplin talking of childhood and her early years in San Francisco.
Also her influences: her mother’s taste in Broadway, along with Bessie Smith, Nina Simone, Odetta, Aretha, Etta James.
Mary Bridget Davies, as Joplin, is a powerhouse. Not just belting the blues, but the drawl, the cackle, the humor.
Nor is she alone. Four others slip into The Chantels, Etta, Bessie, etc …
Everyone has the chops. Save for an elderly audience who seem listless. A younger audience might have been livelier, except they might not have know the singer, let alone her songs.
The estate is still highly protective, so nor mention of her troubles.
Again, akin to a musical, and a rowdy, exhilarating one at that.
English subtitles = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3361066

The Brides Of Fu Manchu - 1966 - 5/10

Well, if you want to be accurate, they are actually caged prisoners.
Whose fathers are eminent specialists.
Obey his instructions or the daughters will perish horribly.
The goal? World domination!
Rather silly film benefits from Lee, as always, and energetic players.
Jarring at first seeing Chinese villains amidst a backdrop of Egyptian statues and frescos.
There’s also an underground installation of electronics that Ernst Blofield would envy.

Mrs. ‘Arris Goes To Paris - 1992 - 6/10

While getting mail for Mrs. Dent, charwoman Mrs. Harris sees her Dior gown.
By and large, the loveliest, most beautiful thing she has even seen.
Determined to have one, she scrimps and saves for three years to buy one at the Dior shop.
Except, when she reaches Paris three years later, she finds there isn’t exactly a shop.
She is allowed to attend one of the showings (???), and sits next to a well dressed diplomat.
Lansbury is delightful in fashion fantasy, along with costars Diana Rigg and Omar Sharif.
Solid work all around. Gowns, models, period cars, street scenes, everyday attire.

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Lost Hearts - 1973 - 6/10

“None of us are given much time. Lifespan, a mere flicker.”
Declares Mr Abney to Stephen, his much, much younger cousin.
Young Stephen is still trying to settle in, asking questions about children who preceded him.
Abney, a most sinister man, yet admired by servants, masks his guile with smiles.
Gothic suspense based on M. R. James, holds up well and is an effective thriller.
Informative commentary by Kim Newman seems a bit too jolly for the subject.

Damnation Alley - 1977 - 5/10

World War III ignites and much of Earth is annihilated, one exception being a Mojave Desert Air Force Base.
And yet … there are radio signals from Albany, New York.
A handful of survivors set forth in armored land vehicles (which might have inspired Aliens).
Obstacles include scorpions the size of pool tables, swarming killer cockroaches, and hillbillies.
I tell you this, those vehicles got damn good mileage. I never saw them refuel.
Every place they stopped, Vegas or nonworking gas station, every place had been hit with feather duster.
Altogether mediocre SciFi, that participants might have been foolishly optimistic about.
Unaware that, across the Atlantic, George Lucas was guiding a project in England.

Youngson, Anne - Meet Me At The Museum

Fifty years after being mentioned in an introduction, Tina writes Professor Glob of Silkeborg…
Mind you, he is long gone, but her query is answered by the museum curator.
From thence springs a lively correspondence between Tina and Anders.
That is much of the charm of this novel. Reading their letters, seeing their friendship deepen and progressing with each missive.
That is also the weakness of the book, and I have to set aside my skepticism and disbelief.
Ours is an era when few write actual letters. When even writing a paragraph is too taxing for most.
I found one early remark sadly accurate. “I have found that is no use to write … more than three or four lines because whoever receives it will not read to the end.”
That phrase hung with me throughout the exchanges, and I stayed disassociated.
Near the end, one of the characters receives a sharp turn which felt more like the heavy hand of the author. Then again, the time frame of the novel is barely more than a year, so I suppose compression of events might be forgiven.

Murder In Martinique - 2016 - 6/10
AKA - Meurtres en Martinique

Missing beauty contestant is found a year later under a mudslide.
Parisian transfer teams up with a grizzled veteran.
The beauty contest smacks of exploitation, the area is replete with superstition.
Plenty of suspects, not a lot of twists, but good use of off-the-track scenery.
I was hopeful since I doubted there would be romance between the white bearded cop and the beautiful transfer.
Sometimes these shows exercise restraint, other times they are more unbelievable than Hallmark.

Car 99 - 1935 - 6/10

A series of brazen bank robberies plagues the Midwest.
Michigan has state-of-the-art communications web, yet they are slim match for the Professor.
He has a crack gang, a police radio, and knows to send false reports.
Fred MacMurray plays the headstrong trooper, courting his superior’s daughter.
Fast moving action, with sporadic comic bits tossed in.
Marina Koshetz memorable as the moll, even better as the gang’s wheelman.
Best is Guy Standing, cunning mastermind hiding in plain sight amidst the officers.

Wingman: An X-Wing Story - 2023 - 6/10

A “Star Wars” chapter, which I suspect will be viewed as canon down the line.
Fifty-minute film of two halves.
First, an ambush / extraction mission, targeting an Imperial commander.
Second, a pair of X-Wing pilots left behind owing to craft damage.
Fan film from Germany, and I must say extraordinarily professional.
From costumes, to fighter crafts, to backgrounds, to storyline.
Narrative remains on point, never meanders, seldom loses momentum.
Restrained acting shames melodramatic hamminess of recent SW efforts.
Aspiring filmmakers, the costs were €3500.
English subtitles = https://subsource.net/subtitle/wingman-an-x-wing-story-2023/english/10132592

Slade In Flame - 1975 - 6/10

The Glam rock band throw a left hook here.
Rather than deliver a broad comedy, or feel-good, big show finale saga, this feels dark.
Flame forms from two journeyman bands, somehow gets a hit, then publicity.
Pressures on the road, rivalries, crooked managers, an indifferent label.
One gets the feeling that “the suits” regard them as disposable.
For the band members, this likely had the ring of truth.
They had either lived this scrabble life for years, or knew groups … like Badfinger.
Slade do well within their roles. They themselves never caught the breaks Stateside.

The Final Lesson - 2015 - 6/10
AKA - La Dernière Leçon

At her birthday party, her 92nd birthday, Grandma announces she is checking out.
Five weeks, then she plans to off herself. Time enough to settle affairs, say goodbyes.
Family reactions range from despair to apoplectic.
Film does not sugarcoat some unpleasant behavior by offspring.
There are glimmers that Grandma had a history of being selfish, putting her interests before her children.
Once taboo topic has witnessed a spate of end-of-life stories in recent years.

Mad Fate - 2023 - 6/10
AKA - 命案

Straight off, this proved excessively Chinese, even for me.
A fortune teller tries to avert the death fate of a client.
Then, he bumps into a young male, whom Fate has already cast as a murderer.
Concurrently, a serial killer targets females, while cop hounds all.
Marked as a thriller, this also has a lot of verbal comedy which flew past me.
The fortune telling, spells, talismans, chants … I couldn’t keep up.
Our main character is beyond wacko, and I just wanted another character – any – to kill him.
Messy, half-baked poo-pooh.

Kidō, Okamoto - Master Of The Uncanny

Not Horror per se, but strange tales, generally unexplained. Often relating to animals or (not so) ordinary objects. Perhaps best for those who enjoy FLIT.

The stranger appears at the doorstep of the woodcutter. His son, usually sociable, is terrified. “The Kiso Traveler” is polite enough, yet his presence makes others uneasy.

It was an ugly little antique. A carved monkey with glittering eyes that seemed to watch. “The Monkey’s Eyes” is one of possessing, watching.

“The Snake Spirit” involves the snake catcher. Most villages know of one nearby. Pythons can grow quite large, with appetites to match. The catcher has techniques, but one specific snake seems immune to all human snares and wiles.

Masuemon loved “Crabs”. Not to play with, nor merely regard, but as the dinner course. Except, when it appears they may be poisoned, and a friend prophesies more may be tainted. But why?

“The White Haired Demon” distracts the aspiring time and again during his bar examination. To the point he has failed time and again. He does not understand why it haunts him, although when he finally tells his father, the older man urges him to give up that ambition, return home and find a new career. This is a meandering tale that takes several turns.

This is not a collection or horrors, none are action oriented. Many have ambiguous conclusions, but all show and elegant charm. Kidō’s style is understated. Characters not always fully fleshed, yet the scenes and scenery are always well described and atmospheric.

Hotel - 2004 - 5/10

Irene hires on as desk clerk at Hotel Waldhaus, replacing Eva, who went missing.
Staff is cliquey and cut her out. Many are too old, a few religious, her own group disdain her.
Adjoining woods bear a sinister, if rumored, history.
Witches and disappearances.
Irene works midnight shift, which includes patrolling the basement areas.
The hotel is not a character, but a powerful liminal presence.
Irene is not a good fit for the environment, she knows this, yet shadows beckon.

Appointment With A Shadow - 1957 - 6/10

Journalist Baxter is a washed up lush.
As seen above, never saw a bottle that didn’t call his name.
Then he’s given an exclusive: a notorious fugitive is to be arrested.
Baxter will be the sole journalist; the scoop could land him work again.
If he can only stay sober long enough.
Middling Noir, awash with alcohol, makes for difficult viewing the first half.
Second half gets down to crime business and is worth waiting for.

The Gunfighter - 2013 - 7/10

Another dusty town, another crowded saloon.
Yet, before he can even finish his drink, the outlaw leans more than he desires.
This is one sordid shantytown. With secrets ripe for exposure.
And they emerge, boy, do they ever.
Comical upending of saloon tropes in inventive, just-the-right-length short.
For Western fans, track the down.
English subtitles = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3360591

Sara’s House - 1987 - 6/10
AKA - Dom Sary

Beautiful Sara is a hunter, ever seeking young, vigorous men.
Who subsequently weaken, physically erode, then vanish.
The young doctor is her newest prey, but he is extremely wary.
Based on a story by Grabinski, this is tale of the succubus, and her attendant, Asmodeus.
Pacing is measured, and this is more a chess match and open conflict.
Photography first rate, however.

The Carpetbaggers - 1964 - 6/10

Having recently watched Nevada Smith, I opted to take another look at the predecessor.
Although this is set roughly a generation later, and Smith a faded film star.
The real story is of Jonas Cord, the arrogant, powerful son of Smith’s old mentor.
Cord is a thinly disguised, glamourous version of Howard Hughes, during his enfant terrible period.
Filmmaking, working on aircraft, enjoying the gusher of oil.
George Peppard plays despicable to the hilt, but he wears the role like a glove.
Carroll Baker plays his sexpot stepmother, the two together generate a lot of sizzle.
Best is, perhaps, Alan Ladd in his final role.
Trashy, titillating potboiler, tamer than the book by Basil Fawlty’s favorite author.

The Plastic Age - 1925 - 6/10

Hugh, college freshman, meets party girl, Cynthia.
She likes alcohol, dancing, juke joints and car backseats.
In due course, Hugh’s athletic prowess weakens, and his grades tumble off the cliff.
His wild girlfriend is a hot flapper, putting his college time in peril.
Clara Bow’s first smash hit, rollicks along, although tame by later standards.
Hectic energy, nevertheless, and Clara just takes your breath away.
Look for a young Clark Gable as one of the jocks.

Alice In Borderland is a superb series, particularly the second season.
Beware the King Of Spades.