Vultural

Terror In Tower - 2020 - 6/10

The Hollywood Tower, in case you are curious.
Two visitors consult with who appears to be a medium.
They want to know who killed their friend, Mr. Serling.
French short (Court-Métrage) plays homage to “The Twilight Zone.”
Atmosphere and settings enhance understated mood piece.
Indie outfit, BA Productions 66, has interesting array of shorts.
https://ba-production-66.webself.net/

English subtitles = https://www.mediafire.com/file/6t32z9sv7utf4q2/Terror_In_Tower_-_2020.srt

The Silent Partner - 1978 - 7/10

Milquetoast Miles, teller at the bank, comes across an aborted stickup note.
Wait a minute! It was the Santa Claus who left it, but I bet he’ll be back.
Sure enough, next day Santa returns, whereupon Miles quickly pockets most of the cash “before” the robbery.
Later, the criminal (a terrifying Christopher Plummer) realizes he has been fooled and zeroes in on Miles.
Neo-Noir turns into nail-biting thriller.
At the time, this gem was overlooked until it was championed by two rising film critics: Siskel & Ebert.
Darkly funny at times, and coworker Louise fills some eye popping T-shirts.

Supermensch - 2013 - 7/10

Eye raising factually, but highly entertaining documentary on Shep Gordon.
Manager to Alice Cooper, Blondie, Teddy Pendergrass, Pink Floyd (for barely a week), Luther Vandross, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse, Groucho Marx, King Sunny Ade, Gipsy Kings, Jean Luc Ponty, Rick James, Pointer Sisters, Raquel Welch . . .
Stories are all funny and genuinely amazing, though the overall tone is one of endless backslapping.
Gordon was married to a Playboy model (not interviewed), dated Sharon Stone for years (not interviewed).
He was a tough businessman, none of his rivals were interviewed.
One gets the impression he remains a serial womanizer, which might explain why so few females appear.
Score is purely for entertainment value. Dock a couple points if shadows and darker honesty is your preference.

Dinner Rush - 2000 - 7/10

Trials and tribulations for the owner of a small Italian restaurant.
His old business partner has been mysteriously murdered, two pushy hoods wants to take over his restaurant.
Employees air problems, among the patrons sniffs a food critic. Add family issues.
Wiseguy vibe hums throughout.
Fans of Mafia films will recognize a place footsoldiers would feel at home in.
John Corbett memorable as cheerful barfly, on assignment.

Clue - 2022 - 7/10

Theatrical production from Paper Mill Playhouse.
Derived from the enduring board game, loosely based on the 1985 film, this is a breathless farce.
Characters arrive at Boddy Manor, innuendos pile up, and do bizarre treacheries.
Set in 1950’s McCarthy witch-hunt America, where no one is above suspicion.
Extremely funny play.
Camerawork is serviceable, audio mostly OK.
Lengthy introduction is illuminating.
Theatre junkies, dinner is served! Best advised to wolf down the hors d’oeuvres.

Der Samurai - 2014 - 4/10

Can’t say I wasn’t warned.
Low-budget horror film from Germany earned scathing reviews … except … from pretentious arthouse types.
In whose ranks I probably belong.
Apparently I am not pretentious enough, however.
Local police officer deals with problem wolf by feeding it in the woods.
“What are you trying to do?” everyone asks. “Feeding it won’t get rid of it!”
Chasing a lead, he enters an abandoned house and finds a homeless squatter.
Male - wearing a dress - applying makeup - wielding a samurai sword.
Lots of speculative arguments follow, along with foot chases.
Is the guy a werewolf? Or an escapee of sorts in a dress?
Film - shot almost exclusively at night - suffers from limited costs. No plot and no effects.
Dull - boring - offscreen gore - no sex - no nudity - scant violence.
Wine ‘n cheese crowd might enjoy better, indie horror flick connoisseurs that we are.

Split Second - 1953 - 6/10

Pair of convicts break out of prison, greet a confederate, and hit the road.
Enroute waits a stash of loot and south of the border passage.
First - car, hostages, and a hideout.
What better place to hide than an abandoned mining town, half mile from an atomic bomb test site?
“No one will hunt for us here. Especially since there is a test tomorrow at 6:00 AM.”
Part Noir, part Playhouse drama.
Eye candy includes luscious Jan Sterling (bad girl with the good heart), and Alexis Smith (bitter wife, bored and oh-so easy).
The real star, though, is Stephen McNally, the head con. Tough, unflinching, he can and does kill in a heartbeat.
Smartest man in the room. Yet being a Noir, things can go wrong, even for smart guys.

This was Dick Powell’s first directorial film and I could not get over the nuclear bomb angle.
Three years later, he would direct The Conqueror on Utah’s atomic testing grounds.
That movie, an atrocious John Wayne vehicle, is notorious for the heavy death toll, stars and crew, from cancer.

A Woman’s Revenge - 1990 - 5/10
AKA - La Vengeance d’une Femme

Closet drama pitting two women, wife and girlfriend, of deceased husband / lover.
Whose fault? Who ought to bear guilt? How much suffering suffices?
Psychological story starts OK, and holds interest for an hour.
Then it seems to slow. Conversations are repetitive, themes regurgitated.
Of the characters, any 13 year old would have tired of “the game” and walked.
Feels like a play, or a bloated infection.

The Crucified - 1921 - 5/10
AKA - Ukrizovaná

The soldier and best friend priest are both smitten with the innkeeper’s daughter.
The priest has his vows, so the soldier scores, and the daughter wins “Baby Jackpot!”
Out of wedlock, plus she’s Jewish, he’s not, what happens next? Yeah, the heave ho.
This is dreary throughout, and underpinned with 1848 Revolutions that seem endless.
Numerous battles, characters come and go.
The print I saw was nicely restored, but the music score was too modern.
Electronic blips, swirls, pulsations, ambiant groans. An overall distraction.

Wagner, Karl Edward - Little Ochre Book Of Occult Stories

One of the better “Little” book series to track down, and invariably reasonably priced.
A diverse sampler of Wagner that includes three stories, an essay, and scattered poems.
Also a poignant introduction by editor Stephen Jones, who has done much to keep the flame of Wagner burning. This intro is a letter to Karl, updating him on colleagues who have passed, recollections of conventions shared. Jones is not a mere fan, he knew the author. Both men respected each other.
“The Last Wolf” is a failing scribbler, not inferior, but reading tastes have changed, slimmed. Urged to write easier prose, more digestible, for simpler minds, he resists as he can.
“Undertow” is the longest work, and one of Wagner’s Kane stories. A grim, muscular sorcerer, Kane always reminds me of Conan with magic. The chronology is jumbled, making for a challenging read.
“Sticks” is one of his most famous stories, much anthologized, appropriated by film and television (Blair Witch, True Detective: S01). A riveting, page turner, indebted to HPL, and miles above the usual Cthulhu attempts.

The Power - 2021 - 6/10

New nurse, rather nurse trainee, Valerie (“Call me Val”) starts at the ward, bright eyed, idealistic.
She grew up in this hard luck borough, understand.
Actually, in the orphanage nearby.
She understands deprivation. Dark is another matter.
And in 1974 Britain, there are trade union strikes and the power goes off at 7:00 PM.
This probably goes under the subset of Medical Horror, though this is more a haunting.
Much better than indicated on review sites, I was tempted to tally an extra point.
Except for the music which is loud and intrusive, dominating throughout.

Andromeda Nebula - 1967 - 5/10
AKA - Tumannost Andromedy // Туманность Андромеды

Turgid Soviet space opera.
A crew finds itself trapped on an “iron planet,” unable to escape the gravitational pull.
Meanwhile, back on Earth, scientists and the intelligentsia, debate, ponder, and rhapsodize about humanity,
Those guys are a drag.
Back on the iron planet, an invisible presence starts killing.
Sets are bad, optical effects interesting, costumes are glorified togas.
Characters spout highfalutin propaganda at will. Zzzzz.
I watched out of curiosity as the KGB banned the writer after this.

Port Of Forty Thieves - 1944 - 6/10

Decent Republic programmer. More mystery than Noir.
Merry socialite wants to inherit multi-millionaire husband’s estate.
He vanished over seven years ago, so she hires lawyer to establish the death legally.
Slight wrinkle - clues, such as cheques signed by missing millionaire, keep appearing.
Impossible, the wife thinks - and knows - since she murdered him.
At less than an hour, this B-film speeds along with more murder, attempted murder, blackmail.
One darkly enjoyable element is Stephanie Bachelor as the widowmaker.

Cheerful and sunny throughout, when scheming or when killing.
Nice to see someone who enjoys her work.

God Help The Girl - 2014 - 8/10

Three minutes in, I asked, “Is this based on a musical?”
The females who selected this quickly answered, “I hope not.”
There were songs throughout - lots of them.
Internal songs, numbers for a prospective concert, others, to quote Mr Wilson, busy doing nothing.
A small percentage will love this film, destined to become a cult fave. A greater proportion will shrug or dislike.
The cinematography is stylized and lush. For some, and this will be the last spike, there are dance numbers.
Odd coming of age tale, omitting the typical love angle.
Troubled girl escapes from clinic / halfway house, goes to Glasgow, tries to work on her song craft.
The theme is of the friends you make in your late teens, early twenties. Your peers.
The ones who help you through the awkward, often painful transition into adulthood.
The ones who, for the briefest of springs, mean the whole world to you.

Yet that period is so very brief.
Bittersweet, and again, not everyone will enjoy.

The Alligator People - 1959 - 5/10

Honeymooning cross-country by train, Paul receives a wire and abandons new bride, Joyce.
“No one’s jilting this girl!” and off she goes, tracking her husband into his mysterious past.
Deep into the Louisiana swamps, swarming with water moccasins and alligators.
As well as hook-handed Lon Chaney Jr., moonshine swiller and gator hater.
Yeah, there’s a plot, but it ain’t much. Action? Zzzz. Horror? Get on.
The look is Southern Gothic, the tone is brooding, but the story falls flat.
One of the last films by Roy Del Ruth - watch his 1930’s films instead of this.

Paris In Five Days - 1926 - 6/10
AKA - Paris en Cinq Jours

Chicago accountant Harry, takes new girlfriend Dolly to Paris for five days.
What follows is the parody of the quickie / cheapie tour.
The open bus, rolling down boulevards, passengers looking quickly, snapping photos.
The 15 minute drinks break. A hurried rush through museums.
Dolly catches the eye of a smooth seducer, while Harry, over and over, gets lost or into trouble.
Fast moving silent, packed with sight gags and situation comedy.
Not to mention Parisian exteriors, late 1920’s.
The print I watched was beautifully restored, BUT had no sound and the French inter-titles were not translated.

Audio Guide - 2020 - 6/10

19 year old art student, Audrey, tours the museum.
Listening via a “smart” guide. Point at a work, and info is given.
Bored, or perhaps on a whim, Audrey aims at a fellow patron.

And the voice provides varying info. From backgrounds to futures.
Increasingly unsettling short will appeal to nihilists and possibly antinatalists.

Sue - 1997 - 7/10

Let’s see, Sex And The City began airing in 1998.
Four single women, trendy fashions, endless drinks and companions, no money worries.
Glamorous Manhattan, hey, it’s easy!
Sue, which came out the year before, explores the likelier reality.
Sue is between jobs, she goes on numerous interviews, she lies about work experience.
She is behind on rent, she has begun to skip meals.
The deeper one goes down the pit, the more difficult, almost impossible, it is to climb out.
No safety net, no resources, just dimming hope.

Three Hearts - 2014 - 5/10
AKA - 3 Coeurs

Tax accountant misses the last train, ends up walking midnight streets with a woman out buying cigarettes.
He suffers panic attacks, she has esteem problems.
They make a date to rendezvous in Paris later, only one gets stood up.
Tailspin from there.
One character relocates abroad - the other hooks up with their sibling!
Mind you, the original midnight strollers had never exchanged phone numbers, let alone names, so the subsequent encounter was sheer coincidence. - Fate -
Or, the hand of a clumsy writer.
There is also the possibility that everything that occurred after that missed date is all dream-time.
An even worse cheat, especially since that notion is postulated yet never resolved.
I am trying to be careful here, trying not to spoil a muddled yarn.
The denouement dovetails to that missed rendezvous again with yet another potential outcome!
Enough to give arthouse films a bad name.

The Hobbit: Spence Edit - 2014 - Spence

Fan-editor Spence combined the bloated Hobbit trilogy into one film, running three and a half hours.
Virtually all moronic humor was cut, as were most Elvish appearances not in the Tolkien book.
Big omission, Beorn. Otherwise, one doesn’t really miss the rest.
The plot stays coherent and works.
If anything, more characters could have been tossed, meaning the bulk of the dwarves. Tolkien never elaborated on two thirds of them and most could have been dispensed with.
To be honest, though, near the end I was ready for the whole damn thing to finish already.
Certainly not the fault of Spence, who has done a job here.
The narrative itself is sluggish and bombastic. Much of the film was miscast - sacrilege I know, but Martin Freeman’s portrayal of Bilbo never rings true for me.
Still, there are Hobbit fans galore, and this edit - easy to track down - is a tidy way to watch it in one sitting.
Fans of the originals should enjoy more than I did.

Naked Lunch - 1991 - 7/10

“… rub some of this bug powder on my lips.”
Should you possess a typewriter, a talking typewriter, who are you to deny such a small request?
Astounding adaptation of the Burroughs’ novel!
Bug exterminator Bill Lee, sampling his own insecticide, grows addicted.
Before he knows it, he is in the middle of espionage activities in the Interzone.
Sexual gamesmanship, a Mugwump colleague, the hallucinatory fog.
Fans of Cronenberg, fans of Burroughs, you’ve already viewed this. Numerous times.
As have I. In the theater, at home, high, drunk, late night. Any time is the right time.
More powder, please.

Betty Blue - 1986 - 7/10
AKA - 37°2 le Matin

Zorg, handyman and hopeful writer, and the ferociously protective Betty.
Carpe diem applies as they live from one situation to another.
Moving, primarily because of Betty’s explosive temper.
Dangerous, too. Not only to others, but increasingly to herself.
Heady arthouse film of consuming passion still packs a punch.
The limits of how far one would go for love.
The photography is gorgeous (as is Béatrice Dalle), and the music is hypnotic.
Long, at three hours, though seldom slow. A lot of skin and friction.

The Night Manager - 2016 - 6/10

Acclaimed thriller about night manager of ritzy Cairo hotel involved with filthy rich armaments dealer.
His reasons are personal - ethical - and old-fashioned vengeance.
A nest of lies and intrigue enhance suspenseful plot. Talent, locations, photography, all superb.
Hugh Laurie marvelous as the cynical, suspicious, amoral Richard Roper.
Watch it, then move on quickly, because you do not want to rethink this one.

Clichés run the gamut from hero who cannot refrain from forbidden fruit, to the wary kingpin who lowers his guard, to the same kingpin not layering himself.
What else? Hotel manager, really? Yes, it is terribly swank.
Would manager of trendy high-end shoe store have worked? Posh wine seller? Mercedes Benz dealer?
Watch - don’t think.

Two Of Us - 2019 - 7/10
AKA - Deux

Plans accelerate.
Once Madeleine sells her apartment, she and neighbor Nina can move to Roma.
Trouble is, Madeleine has family. Two adult children and a grandson.
Nina doesn’t have family. Nor is she selling her apartment.
Madeleine’s flat is richly furnished with antiques, Nina’s is bare.
Madeleine is a “have,” Nina a “have not.”
That informed my view. One is passive money, the other the pushy digger.
Ostensibly a forbidden love story, the undercurrent of avarice was hard to shake.
Desires stream throughout. For romance, for possessions, for security.

10 Cloverfield Lane - 2016 - 6/10

Female, post-breakup, driving late night answers pleading boyfriend on cellphone.
She hangs up, he recalls, she reaches and – screech, wallop! Yes, car-phone crash.
Next scene, she is shackled to a hospital bed, IV drip in vein.
She is “guest” of survivalist (John Goodman), convinced the Apocalypse has occurred.
There is no radio, no outside news, only his saccharine 60’s pap music collection.
Over time, she adjusts to her situation, though there is growing uneasiness.
Goodman’s character (a version of Big Lebowski’s Walter) might be unstable.
A slow burn of a film, yet definitely a fork off Cloverfield.