Vultural

How I Spent My Summer Vacation - 1967 - 6/10

Jack answers a vague classifieds ad and is soon whisked to Europe.
In Paris, he encounters Nikki; then in Monte Carlo, her highly competitive father.
Nikki and family are affluent. So he stays on the case, keeps playing the games.
Confusing thriller as Jack is unsure of his mission.
Soon, however, he realizes the assignment has put him in grave danger.
Early made-for-TV movie is near Hollywood standards, with jazzy Lalo Schifrin score.
Excellent casting of Robert Wagner and Peter Lawford, with Jill St. John.
“Such a needless expenditure of time and energy, like your life itself.”

Oktoberfest: Beer And Blood - 2020 - 7/10

Beer drinkers, raise your steins high!
Circa 1900, rich brewer Prank from Nuremberg arrives in Munich.
His vision is to revamp, modernize, the annual beer-fest.
A mega-tent, instead of seven allotments.
Entrenched rivals regard him as an upstart, an outsider, and crass.
Per the title, expect blood, along with murders, beatings, and carnal relations.
The side story of Prank’s daughter wandered, yet tied in by the end.
I will say, this grew on me as threads coalesced.

They Call Me Trinity - 1970 - 6/10
AKA - Lo Chiamavano Trinità…

Half brothers, Trinity and Bambino, set aside their differences to help a powerful landowner.
The rancher wants to chase away Mormon settlers from his land.
The brothers, layabouts and chiselers, eye the owner’s unbranded horses.
Action mixes with chuckles and romance.
Gunfights and stunts are better than expected, although one watches this for comedy.
This spoofs traditional Westerns with jokes and slapstick, and some purists begrudge that.
My younger brother was addicted to these Italian Westerns, his favorites being the Trinity films.
Most I recall as stupid, yet this is a rare good one. The sequel, if I recall, even better.

Murder In The Canal du Midi - 2020 - 6/10
AKA - Le Canal Des Secrets

Turistas find a dead woman floating in the canal.
Suicide? No, homicide. Suspects include her husband, the judge.
As well as her lover, soon enough located, chained in the canal. Dead.
Typical of generic French mysteries, an inspector and prosecutor team up, male and female.
Rather than succumbing to mating impulses, this pair compensates for each others’ deficiencies.
A few red herrings, as well as twists and overlooked clues, will please genre fans.
Mildly better than most of these not-quite Hallmark films.

Unlucky Day - 2017 - 6/10

Wrong place, wrong time, sweetheart.
Millie witnesses the start of a whack job and is kidnapped.
Once she wakes up, the goons ridicule her bad luck, and rotten love life.
Noir pastiche muddles along, photography lacks contrast and crispness.

Subtitles = https://subscene.com/subtitles/unlucky-day/english/3156582

Waterworld: Ulysses Cut - Zaaacharias

Highly anticipated back in its day, Waterworld proved disappointing for many. Overlong, poorly directed, oft times a soggy mess, it was, nevertheless, embraced by fans for action sequences straight out of the Mad Max world.
The extended Laserdisc, and subsequent DVD, promising a more satisfying experience, but instead the LD gave the PG rated ABC televised edit. Nudity, profanity, and gory violence excised.
Zaaacharias returned all “adult” content to the extended version giving the - for now - defacto version of Costner’s movie.

Video - Nice work here integrating the extended footage into the theatrical release. Saturation is a bit less than the LD, but the editing is solid and first rate. On the list of changes, a link shows comparison shots. Nice touch.

Audio - As mentioned elsewhere. This is 5.0, rather than 5.1 sound. There is no LFE mix. Not a problem as Zaaacharias was upfront about this. Audio editing was top notch. I popped on headphones for several sequences and did not hear any errors or poor transitions.
One thing I did note - and this is not exactly audio, but related - were the subtitles. Subtitles were based on the PG version. For example: “Shit” was seen as “Dang.” Just an observation.

Narrative - The additional 40 minutes will drive many in the post Michael Bay era to punch the fast forward button. Waterworld is more leisurely, more reflective, which is altogether fitting in trailing a loner across endless seas. I still had problems with scientific assumptions in the main plot. I tried to suspend such thoughts, but the notion that the Rockies, the Carpathians, the Andes, the Appalachian range, were all submerged? No.

Enjoyment - Mixed here. Ulysses edit was more fix than edit to my eyes. There were still way too many stupidly, annoying characters. True, a couple years after the apocalypse, few will debate Film Noir vs Pre-Code, sip Merlot, and listen to Dave Brubeck. The dialogue lurched between inventive and cringingly butt dumb.
The whole film seemed suffused with over-acting. Understandable in “Deacon” who preached to his rabble. Pointless with most others. The small girl, Enola, was particularly shrill. For her, and all others, I credit ham handed direction - both Reynolds and Costner.

There is more to appreciate here, to revel in, than to belabor what coulda / shoulda been. As an extended version, trims and wholesale surgery cannot be expected. Zaaacharias has done a stellar job, and his edit is whole heartedly recommended to all Waterworld diehards.

Crow: Devil’s Night - HanShotFirst

Problematic edit for me.
Seemed more a reduction of the original dark color scheme to pure black and white.

Video - I found the majority of this way too black. Details were often lost in the shadows.
The crow often disappeared while flying, the equivalent of the golf ball against white clouds.
A touch of brightening might have helped. During color flashback sequences, details and clarity returned.

Audio - From time to time, I thought I noticed sync issues. Reference 33" region. Lips seemed to lag words.
This was when I played the 4 GB mp4 version straight from an external HD into the USB port of a BluRay.
When I viewed the same through the computer, everything was fine. Could be my set-up, or a glitch owing to USB conversion.

Opening with Brandon Lee was a poignant touch, and a clear statement of what HanShot had in mind. Also much closer to the original series of comics by James O’Barr.

Bladerunner: Tears In The Rain - ranger613

Excellent Noir rendition of Blade Runner.
Creative, using Roy’s, and other replicants, point of view to drive the narrative.
Storywise, everything made sense - which is not always a given with such rearranging.
Pacing was good, I never got bored or felt the need to take a break.

Video: Others have written about the high contrast black and white.
I did not have as many problems, though a softer, grainier look would have been more appropriate to true Noir.
No problems whatsoever with audio. Excellent cutting and editing all around.

Note: This edit was a large file, but well worth chasing down if you are on the fence, deciding about watching.
Tears In The Rain is an inventive spin on a favorite film I have watched dozens of times.

Faster Than Fear - 2022 - 6/10
AKA - Schneller als die Angst

André Haffner, serial killer who enjoys torturing his victims, escapes from prison.
After Marcus bungles the initial dragnet, Sunny is put in charge.
Fellow officers think Sunny is unstable. Truth is, she has been traumatized but won’t confide.
Perceived as damaged goods means no promotions, no lead roles…
To my mind, the actress playing Sunny is over the top. A melodrama queen.
Most charismatic role is, natch, the footloose serial killer. Doing what he does best.

Queen Margot - 1994 - 6/10
AKA - La Reine Margot (original extended version)

Princess Margot becomes pawn in the bloody struggle between Catholics and Protestants.
Betrothed to the King of Navarre, whom she does not love, Margot has a torrid affair with a soldier.
Both men are Huguenots. If you know French history, this will inform the proceedings.
Margot’s affair with the soldier shades the court intrigue which is more important.
The truncated version for North America, edited this into a muddled bodice ripper.
Isabelle Adjani is radiant as Margot, Vincent Perez is unsatisfying as her love interest.
The result is a bloody melodrama, making me curious about the original (now gone) version.

Gissing, George - Private Papers Of Henry Ryecroft

One of my battered veterans, purchased decades earlier.
My edition is a leatherbound Modern Library from the 1920’s.
I find it altogether fitting for the text.

Ryecroft would be Gissing’s alter ego, faring better than the author. Ryecroft receives an unexpected inheritance and is able to retire to the countryside. There he observes, recollects, contemplates.
An older soul, our character is selectively nostalgic, possibly like many whose days are numbered.
The book is packed with quotable lines, and I include a fistful.
This may be better for seasoned readers, older than 50 perhaps, who can handle Victorian prose.

“It is because nations tend to stupidity and baseness that mankind moves so slowly; it is because individuals have a capacity for better things that it moves at all.

“Man in not made for peaceful intercourse with his fellows; he is by nature self-assertive, commonly aggressive, always critical in a more or less hostile spirit of any characteristic which seems strange to him.

“Ah! The books that one will never read again. They gave delight, perchance something more … yet never again shall I hold them in my hand; the years fly too quickly, and are too few.

“I know just as little about myself as I do about the Eternal Essence, and I have a haunting suspicion that I may be a mere automaton, my every thought and act due to some power which uses and deceives me.

“Once more, the year has come full circle. And how quickly; alas, how quickly! Can it be whole twelvemonth since the last spring? Enjoy the day, and, behold, it shrinks to a moment.”

Queen Of Blood - 1966 - 5/10

Aliens from outer space reach out and say, “Hey, Earth. We’re dropping by to visit.”
Only their spaceship crashes on Mars, so we send a rescue party.
The lone survivor, ambassador if you like, does not eat Earth food, though she likes blood.
Right quick, the plot veers from SciFi to another one bites the dust.
Inventive little film, incorporating scenes from a Soviet SciFi, decent sets, and an excellent cast.
Basil Rathbone (barely), Dennis Hopper, John Saxon, and the exotic Florence Marly as the alien.
One of Roger Corman’s best looking films. Credit director Curtis Harrington.

Donovan’s Reef - 1963 - 6/10

Brawny John Wayne comedy set in the South Pacific.
After WWII, a handful of Americans stay on a small island.
One is a Boston doctor, with a trust that he uses to care for islanders.
A female scion arrives, purposely to disinherit the doctor.
Film is a cascade of hijinks, fights, monsoons, romance, songs.
The tone is light and breezy throughout; Wayne apparently did most of the directing after John Ford fell ill.
Island scenery and Pacific waves probably made this a hit with nostalgic veterans.

Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell - 1999 - 8/10

No, he was not unwell, he was simply hung-over or too sloshed to submit his column to The Spectator.
Peter O’Toole stars in the revival of the acclaimed play, with a handful of players providing support.
Based on a real Jeffrey Bernard, our character is an unrepentant drinker and gambler.
When the horse track is closed, he will bet on dogs. When that is closed, well, his mates find new runners.
As with 99.9% of men, he has women problems. Four wives. He makes them sick.
A glass of vodka in one hand, cigarette in the other, Jeffrey observes Life, himself, fellow characters.
Characters, meaning individuals whom he finds memorable.
Exhilarating theatre.

Once Around - 1991 - 6/10

Renata is part of a tight knit family. Very tight.
Into her world arrives Sam, rich, successful, boorish, and older.
Across the line, the family immediately takes a dislike, which intensifies the harder Sam tries.
Aside from their perception of him, the fact is they resent their adult daughter spending more of her time with him, rather than them – them – them.
Uncomfortable comedy plays far better now than it did upon release. At least to my eyes, Boomers and their offspring are much closer than the actual family units Boomers grew up in.
“The heart wants what it wants - or else it does not care” Dickinson.

The Lesson - 2022 - 7/10
AKA - Zero Hour // שעת אפס

The classroom discussion erupts into anger, and a civics teacher is embroiled in a struggle with an unpopular student.
Politically, one is liberal, the other conservative.
The teacher may have authority in the classroom, but once the female student posts on social media, support shifts.
Bitter series brings up numerous unpleasant topics and inflames passions.
Especially after reporters sniff “news” and politicians try for easy points.
Cautionary tale for any college student considering teaching.

The Ghost Goes Gear - 1965 - 5/10

The pop group (Spencer Davis Group) takes up residence in their manager’s rural estate.
Soon to discover the manor is haunted.
Friendly ghosts, sinister ghosts? How about singing ghosts?
Too much of the ghosts, not enough of SDG (not their best tunes, either).
Acker Bilk, the Three Bells, and lesser talents sing, in this very bad movie,
Martin Lewis provides a hilarious commentary, seldom pertinent to the film itself.

Deininger, Keith - The Hallow

James is a soul adrift. College dropout, now laboring at a Thrift Town knockoff. After his car dies, he starts the whole take-the-bus then walk-the-rest-of-the-way thing.
Yes, been there, as many of us have and can identify with. Sucks, man.
James, though, cannot seem to set aside any wages to fix his car. Shoot, the money just seems to vanish without thought.

That, in a way, is the underlying theme of this novella. How things simply vanish, slip away. Quick one evening, dead the next. The invisible veil between.
A relationship with buddy Vance hurtles in one trajectory, while another with new girlfriend Annie goes in another.

Far be if for me to make such a comparison, yet there are echoes of Aickman in this overlooked DarkFuse release.

Interiors - 1978 - 7/10

Allen’s first pure “serious” film no longer comes as such a shock as it did originally.
The estranged family gathers for a dinner. Some clutch grudges and rivalries, others hope for reconciliation.
The latter hope is crushed when the father arrives with a new girlfriend in tow.
Tension is thick throughout, with no truly satisfying release.
Conversation predominates, with no plot push or resolution – sorta like all family dinners.
This strikes me as an homage to Bergman and Chekov, and would work better onstage.
As an experiment, a break from comedy, this succeeds.

Revolver - 1973 - 6/10

Choppy, ofttimes bewildering Italian poliziottesco.
Prison official Vito’s wife has been kidnapped.
The ransom, break out inmate Ruiz.
Ruiz is a foreigner, he has no friends, no contacts. Who wants him sprung? And why?
Vito, a bleary eyed Oliver Reed, attempts to find out for himself.
Then Ruiz, an over-earnest Fabio Testi, grows curious and begins to help.
Chases, shootouts, nudity, amidst a prevalent air of corruption and cynicism.

The Wild Bunch - 1969 - 7/10

“If they move, kill ’em.” With that opening line, the theater erupted.
This was one of those rare occasions when film and audience were perfectly matched. When we arrived, the theater parking lot was packed with 300-500 motorcycles. Half the audience were bikers.
End of an era finds the once Wild West setting into the sunset.
The gang’s last big haul is a fiasco, and the survivors hightail it to Mexico.
There, they make a deal with a brutal generalissimo.
Extremely violent Western, elegiac in tone, poignant moments broken with splatter.

Pink String And Sealing Wax - 1945 - 6/10

Mr. Sutton has his hands full at home.
One daughter wants to be a professional singer, another is a small time animals rights activist.
Then there is his son who has become infatuated with a married woman.
Worse, the wrong sort of woman.

In a word, Mr. Sutton, a chemist, is a prig, who excels in making his family miserable.
Despite all, the children are resourceful.
As for the tempting hussy (the curvalicious Googie Withers), there’s a woman who knows how to charm.
Slow going initially, but turns into a wonderful late Victorian drama.

The Human Tornado - 1976 - 6/10

Dolemite returns in wild Blaxploitation adventures.
Queen Bee’s nightclub is threatened by the Mafia, who also want the girls as merchandise.
Funnier, and more professional than the first outing, with even a few face name actors.
Bed exercises are a surprise highlight. The rats are especially memorable.
As usual, Rudy Ray Moore’s charisma carries the film.
His kung fu is … You know, I wonder if Jackie Chan or Donnie Yen have viewed his style.
Sorry, sidelined. I’ve seen most of Moore’s films, this is probably the best one.
Still, see Dolemite first!

The Tattered Dress - 1957 - 6/10

Blonde bait, Charleen, is having a fling with the hamlet’s ex-football star.
After a night of rough play, she and her husband screech into town and shoot the man down.
Middle of the street, witnesses, cold blood.
They are rich enough to afford an expensive, hotshot New York defense counselor.
Who takes the case, does well, but underestimates the town hicks.
Solid desert Noir has the makings of a classic.
Except it spends waaaaay too much time in the courtroom.
Philip Reed and Elaine Stewart (the rich swells) underutilized.
Two conflicting narratives, and the courtroom won out. Too bad.
My copy had a dull commentary by a pedantic academic.

Last Orders - 2001 - 7/10

When one of their mates dies, the surviving men convene.
The dead man’s last request was for his ashes to be spread in the sea.
What follows is the road trip to Margate, as the men recollect, share stories, live with grudges.
Common people recalling small moments, mistakes, turning points.
Terrific male cast includes Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay, David Hemming, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren.
The farther along the path you are, the deeper this will resonate.