Vultural

Lisbon - 1956 - 6/10

Skipper John Evans is hired by Aristides Mavros.
Evans is a smuggler, Mavros is a cultured Greek criminal, highly connected.
Third part of the triangle is Sylvia Merrill, wife of a kidnapped millionaire.
She desperately wants her husband returned, though she stands to be wealthy if he dies.
Low-key adventure, bolstered with witty dialogue and beautiful Lisbon scenery.
Filmed in Trucolor, using Naturama lenses, this Republic movie (one of their last) still looks great.
Claude Rains perfect as the dapper mastermind.
Directed and produced by Ray Milland, who also plays the skipper, desired by two females.
I found that difficult to accept, but the scenery, Noir twists, and Nelson Riddle score made this enjoyable.

Girls Can’t Surf - 2020 - 6/10

Documentary charts the rise of women’s professional surfing from the 1980’s onward.
Several females profiled, interviewed, along with some footage.
For a surf documentary, however, this is light on “surf porn”.
Instead, finding sponsors, fighting to get acceptance, the quest for pay,
Financial disparity between the sexes is referenced often.
Reading between the lines, for a multi-billion dollar sport, sponsors seem to reap the benefits.
Paychecks shown simply are not that great.
One year, for example, the champion’s trophy came with zero prize money.
Pioneers blazed the path, watched wistfully as the third generation reaped financial windfalls.

Empty Dream - 1965 - 6/10
AKA - Chunmong // 춘몽

The dentist’s office is hot, humid. His drill is belt drive. Anesthesia – inadequate.
The attractive female patient passes out first, followed by the male.
Who then has truly weird fantasies.

Based on an early Japanese Pinku, this has no nudity, but is wild with sets and camerawork.
Sets range from Expressionistic to theatre minimalism.
In the male patient’s dreamscape, the dentist is an aristocrat with top hat and cane.
He also sadistically tortures the female while the male patient watches helplessly.
Bizarre throughout, and the dental scenes are horrifying, especially if you grew up (as I did) with a dentist who still used belt driven equipment. Slow grinding drills. Terrible memories.

The Most Dangerous Game - 1932 - 6/10

Despite a few liberties with the source (Richard Connell’s story), this remains one of the finest adaptations.
Enroute to a big game junket, sportsman Railsford washes up ashore on a deserted island.
Cossack nobleman Zaroff lives there with huge manservant Ivan and a pack of hounds.
Along with temporary visitors who arrive there from time to time.
Soon, Railsford realizes that, while Zaroff is likewise a hunter, he prefers highly intelligent quarry.
Remade dozens of times, this benefits using sets from King Kong, and Leslie Banks’ fierce performance.

Lloyd, Rebecca - Woolfy And Scrapo

Ecstasy and terror, quiet anxiety and pompous declarations. Speculations, adventures, and the follies of brothers Woolfy and Scrapo.
Brothers in that they are a pair of black woolen gloves.
The duo are more innocent than ignorant.
Much of the world at large, as well as humans close at hand, baffles them. Not that such stops them from theorizing, guessing and making wild misassumptions.
This book avoids preciousness simply because of its utter charm.
There are illustrations, and you could probably read this aloud to your child, depending on their disposition.
A winner!

A Star Is Born - 1976 - 6/10

Up and coming singer songwriter falls in love with the out-of-step, no-longer-hot, rock star.
Sound familiar. Yeah, yeah. Overcooked remake, this time shifting into the Rock / Pop sphere.
Streisand fanatics will shout this is marvelous – It’s OK.
Detractors will spit that it’s garbage – It’s alright.
Again, melodrama. Doomed love story and way, way, way too overlong.
Kristofferson is fine, Streisand is fine, the songs are good, memorable.
Their chemistry, however, runs hot and cold, and once Kris is gone, the film goes flat.
Midway, I was checking the time, never a good sign.

A Star Is Born - 1937 - 6/10

Yet another young hopeful arrives in Hollywood, yet before he dreams are dashed, she catches the eye of an alcoholic has-been.
At its core, this is melodrama, the doomed love story, steeped in veiled tales of the bygone generation.
Janet Gaynor believable as the star-struck ingenue.
Frederic March, who I usually dislike as ham prone, her is excellent as the lush.
The outstanding drawn of this, to be honest, creaker, is watching a restored Technicolor print.
Yes, 1937 and in Technicolor. It is absolutely beautiful.

Drunken Master II - 1994 - 7/10
AKA - Jui Kuen II // 醉拳二

Returning to Canton, Wong Fei-hung gets in a scuffle with a government toady.
During the skirmish, boxes are mixed-up leading to all sorts of complications.
One of the major themes is of artifacts and treasures being smuggled back to England.
Fights see-saw back and forth, and Wong Fei-hung’s specialty is drunken boxing.
This is simply one of the greatest action films of all time!
Fight choreography is jaw-dropping. Jackie Chan is in spectacular form.
One of the very best martial arts movies.

The Great K & A Train Robbery - 1926 - 6/10

Ole Bill Hart’s Westerns too starchy for you?
Try Mix, Tom Mix, the original rhinestone cowboy.
Anyhoo, the train keeps getting robbed by desperadoes!
A dee-tect-ive is hired on, and he infiltrates the pack of bandits.
Of course there are fights, chases, gunfights, and while the villains outnumber Tom, they overlook his secret weapon.
His trusty horse, Tony. I kid you not, that hoss is terrific.
Stuntwork is dazzling, especially when you realize it is all done without a net, and barely any safety.

The Color Of Pomegranates - 1969 - 8/10
AKA - Sayat Nova

Biography of Armenian poet, Sayat Nova, told primarily through images.
Dialogue is extremely spare in this, compensated with extraordinary visuals.
First time viewers may be adrift (I was the first time), if they know nothing about the artist or period.
In essence, the poet’s life, experiences and death are displayed in arresting chapters.

While you can feast on one composition after another, the experience remains a hypnotic mystery.
A commentary (such as on Criterion) is essential for understanding.
Second Sight (UK) offers alternative commentaries, as well as a subtitled commentary.

The Tunnel - 2016 - 6/10
AKA - Tunnelen

Outside the yawning entrance, graffiti screams, “Close the Death Tunnels.”
Do travelers care? They are returning from the beach. The planet is overpopulated.
How should one reduce numbers without discrimination?
Anxiety ridden SciFi short on ones Fate in the ever swelling tide.
RIP, Thomas Malthus (1766 - 1834), your theories grow more prophetic by the year.

Overland Stage Raiders - 1938 - 6/10

Fast moving, “modern” Western finds bandits ambushing gold shipments.
The Three Mesquiteers pool local resources and buy an airplane for shipping.
The bandits ain’t’ dumb, however, so expect shoot-ups and chases.
Early John Wayne vehicle, high on action, low on plot.
Fare that used to be after-school staples.
Final role for Silent icon, Louise Brooks.
Small world, Hollywood, in that both she and Clara Bow knew Wayne.

Go Now - 1995 - 6/10

Nick’s football skills have become dodgy. On the pitch, the ball seems to bobble.
He does score with an attractive bird, though.
Karen is a waitress at a posh hotel, where she is dating the well-dressed manager.
Nonetheless, Nick and Karen form a couple, as his football skills deteriorate, his work ability worsens.
Sure enough, he has an affliction.
Mixed bag here. Nick’s friendships and his relationship are well drawn.
Narrative suffers poor chronology. Events happen within a week? Or years?
One of my childhood friend’s mother had this disease, so I am sadly familiar with it.
Too much in this film irritated me.

Heaven And Earth - 1990 - 7/10
AKA - Ten to Chi to // 天と地と

Sweeping epic of the multiyear conflict between warlord Takeda and local daimyō Kagetora.
Ambition versus protection. One wants to conquer and unify Japan, the other safeguards his area.
Unfamiliar places and persons, along with shifting alliances, I simply rolled with.
My version is interspersed with English narration by a classic mumbler.
A huge draw for this, is that this is pre-CGI. Thousands of extras, 800 horses.

After skirmishes and feints, the final battle is a doozy.
Thirty minutes of full bore action, often chaos.
Watching the generals shift formations, alter strategy, improvise.
Confusing at times, yes. Yet admirable for the high reach.

Miss S - 2020 - 7/10
AKA - Qi Pao Mei Tan // 旗袍美探

After a few years in Europe, Su Wenli returns home.
Just in time to observe police ineptitude during a drug sweep.
She intrudes, assists, then discovers at least one inspector is intelligent.
Major retooling of the Miss Fisher franchise, set in 1930’s Shanghai.
Thirty, two-part episodes. I watched ten episodes a year.

Straight off, this looks fabulous! Costumes, cars, interiors. Luxury overload.
Minor quibble is the streets (sets) are too clean and not crowded enough.
Fans of the original will relish how Wenli assembles her “team”.
Including her building relationship with Inspector Luo.

Yili Ma and Weiguang Gao have sparkling chemistry. Two characters who genuinely seem to like each other.
Individual episodes range from good to very good, similar to Miss Fisher S01.
Miles above cookie cutter Hallmark drivel.
Best – really good here – the writers and producers never quite drop the murder of Su Wenli’s sister.
Whereas team Fisher quit, here Ding Ru Shan percolates through the series, rising to a deadly forefront by the end.
Fairly satisfying. Next time your girl requests Hallmark, suggest this series.

Flesh And Fantasy - 1943 - 6/10

Follow-thru film to 1942’s Tales Of Manhattan.
Three stories of Fate, disguises, palm reading, premonitions.
The opener during masked Mardi Gras is the most romantic, perhaps the weakest.
Next is the misfortune of a dire palm, based on an Oscar Wilde story.
Nice camerawork here, watching Edward G. Robinson argue with himself.
Finale of aerialist suffering premonition, then meeting the girl from his dream.
Charles Boyer and Barbara Stanwyck as star-crossed lovers.
Fine anthology, lacks the powerhouse cast and snap of the first film.

Tabitha - 2021 - 6/10

After Lily dies, her twin sister inherits her stuffed bear, an empty envelope, and the cat.
Tabitha.
The feline is suitably wary, while the bear … I must confess, I’ve never liked bears.
Horror short will strike a chord with those who dislike the stuffed or the purring.

The Last Round - 1976 - 6/10
AKA - Il Conto è Chiuso

Two families control the northern city.
Manzetti’s with drugs and smuggling, Belmondo through nightclubs and prostitution.
From the South, Marco arrives, looking for work.
After he beats up a half dozen Manzetti thugs, their own boss, Rico, hires him on.

Not knowing Marco has his own agenda, and will soon set the rival families into conflict.
Italian Euro-Crime borrows heavily from A Fistful Of Dollars, and an effect from For A Few Dollars More.
Marco (boxer Carlos Monzón) is no Eastwood, but Luc Merenda as the calculating Rico owns his every second onscreen.

The Big Boodle - 1957 - 6/10

Ned, Havana blackjack dealer, is passed a fistful of counterfeit bills.
Next, everyone is after his hide: Cuban police, criminals, T-men, the original counterfeiters. Ladies.
Yes, there are females. This is an Errol Flynn vehicle. No longer a star, he still exudes grace and charm.
Noirish story moves along. Local cast is fine, Flynn solid as the borderline soul.
Real attraction here is the Batista era Cuba. Paradise for the rich.
Time capsule of a place that would shatter within a year.

Sinclair, Iain - Agents Of Oblivion

Four section “travelogue” (using this definition very loosely), referencing four emissaries:
Blackwood, Machen, Ballard, Lovecraft.
I freely confess that the first section, with its nod to Algernon Blackwood, flummoxed me completely. I simply could not get into the rhythm of this. Mind you, I struggle a fair amount with Blackwood’s own stories.
Entering the Machen section, I was on surer footing, or at least I was beginning to grasp Sinclair’s cadence. Dense writing here, every sentence a compact prose poem. Not to be rushed, even if I could, but a heady flood of images, observations and thoughts to savor.
The journey with/to/acknowledging J G Ballard I enjoyed most, perhaps because this veers closest to our own period. The signposts were more familiar. Foolishly, I hoped I understood Sinclair.
Not so. With the HPL adventure toward the mountains, I felt unmoored again. In many ways, this section is also a dream quest.
To be direct, this is not a book that yields easily. I imagine a second reading might prove rewarding. Finding the time, though, oh for the time.

German Crime Story: Deadlock - 2023 - 7/10
AKA - German Crime Story: Gefesselt

Could be because he’s a furrier, that Raik suffers women troubles.
Or so he says. I mean, females attracted to this overstuffed blowhard?
That, and they are also attracted to a wee bit of S&M.
Unaware that Raik is a more hardcore operator.
Innocent that a walk into his underground bomb shelter is a one-way trek.
Based on real events, this swings between apprehension, terror and comedy.
As police interrogators discover, Raik is not one to easily pin down.
The man can concoct alibis, explanations and fibs on a dime.
And the stories he weaves are generally comical.

Hoopla - 1933 - 6/10

Cooch dancer Lou is paid to seduce Nifty’s son.
Nifty is the carny manager, and son Chris, a college kid, is naïve and sexually inexperienced.
Well, Lou schools the lad right quick. So much so, they fall for each other and elope.
This would be Clara Bow’s last film, and she is still radiant.
Steamy, sexy, hard-boiled, romantic. The tough broad with a heart of gold.
Her voice is fine, the camera adores her, she still has “IT”, the rest of the cast … mmm … serviceable.

Brotherhood Of The Wolf - 2001 - 7/10
AKA - Le Pacte des Loups

Grégoire, knight errant sent by the king, arrives in a remote village.
Where locals are being slaughtered / terrorized by an unknown beast.
Werewolf, whisper the superstitious.
While a young lord welcomes Grégoire and his companion, Mani, cutthroats are more dangerous.
A lot is packed into this 18th century adventure: mystery, horror, thrills, action.
Including martial arts, exciting to behold, but completely out of place.
Gorgeous production. Action fans, it this was “before your time” it is definitely worth watching.

Sex Madness - 1934 - 3/10

This winner will ofttimes be found in el cheapo, early exploitation box sets along with Reefer Madness, Cocaine Fiends, Marijuana, etc …
Beach parties, encounters with burlesque dancers, lesbians, even a quick bounce with a casting agent results in -
Yes, Syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, crotch crickets.
Leading right quick to blindness and insanity. Stop scratching already.
Unlike the films mentioned earlier, this is not over-the-top, but educational, preachy, and dullsville.
♪ VD is for everybody, not just for the few ♫
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdA2Z4Qt2K0

A Private Affair - 2022 - 6/10
AKA - Un Asunto Privado

Marina’s father was police commissioner, and throughout her childhood he schooled her well.
Trouble is, there is no room for female officers in 1940’s Spain.
Nonetheless, when a serial killer targets discreet prostitutes for elite gentlemen, she investigates.
Along with butler Hector (a skittish, yet knowledgeable Jean Reno).
Fun mystery series is a romp, despite occasional screeching, and periodic silliness.
Light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek, save for the finale which is narrative packed and quite dark.
Really, the conclusion feels like it is grafted from another series.