Vultural

Traitor - 2019 - 7/10
AKA - Reetur

Money problems, too many women (wife, mistress, illegitimate daughter), plus he has been dismissed.
Alfred Vint has hit a bad patch.
Life in Estonia had been much easier when it was a Soviet satellite.
Alfred is ripe for turning. Especially when Russian hard cash comes calling and he enters the Defense Ministry.
Top espionage thriller of a man inching deeper and deeper into the quagmire.
Action is limited. This series is more cat n mouse, mistakes and coverups.

Desperate Living - 1977 - 6/10

One of John Waters’ keenest satires on American suburbia.
A rich housewife murders her husband (with ingenious help from her maid), both flee to Mortville.
The burg has its own queen, and her princess daughter.
Add lesbians Muffy and Mole, wrestler and trans lovers.
This film is an insane explosion of narratives and images.
Like the wresting outfit, or dog with the fresh hotdog.
I saw this when it came out, took friends who were giddy with laughter, even my visiting 18 year old brother.
Waters reaches a weird zenith here, never to return as he became more mainstream.

Ordinary Fascism - 1965 - 6/10
AKA - Triumph Over Violence // Обыкновенный фашизм

Unsurprising Soviet documentary on the rise and activities of the Nazis.
Not so much about World War II but rather the National Socialist Party.
History shown from the Soviet point of view.
No “Allies” mentioned in the Great Patriotic War (how USSR termed WWII for years).
A couple chapters devoted to Communist factions in the Weimar era.
Narrative is overlong, condescending, and opinionated. Reference the '65 date.
Interesting more as a curiosity, less as historic document.
Unseen (to me) Soviet war footage, along with quite graphic concentration camp imagery. Beware.

The Invaders: S01 - 1967 - 7/10

I had not viewed this influential series for a couple decades. Rewatching brought back memories.
The show boasts a gorgeous, “wet color" look, over-saturated, but typical of Quinn Martin productions.
Dominic Frontiere provides an evocative credits theme and numerous music cues.
Architect David Vincent squares off against extra-terrestrial planet grabbers.
Mr Vincent wins stray battles here and there, but the potential outcome seems ominously one-sided.
Roy Thinnes plays lead (at least producers made him an architect, rather than a writer) who gets nowhere trying to convince officials and military brass he’s not some arm waving Sasquatch alarmist.
Special effects were barely more than mattes, models and dissolves, and there is no arc to the story (those were rare in 1967). Dave hurries from point to point, thwarting one alien stratagem after another.

My brother and I were wild about this when it aired, and we thought it almost equal to The Outer Limits.
Almost. Not quite, though.
Midway, we started having problems with both alien intelligence, as well with our red-blooded hero.
The aliens had some damn good tactics: weather disruption, mind control, contagion … except they kept launching attacks one at a time. Giving their pesky architect nemesis just enough time to zoom in and foil them - - again.
C’mon, they mastered interstellar travel. They could have figured out what flight he was on and zapped his airliner.
End of story.

Another plus for Team Alien. Sex appeal. They had hotties. Suzanne Pleshette and BarBara Luna (sic).
Is Vincent interested? Heck, no. (In a rival show airing in ‘67, Kirk would not have hesitated an instant, no sir.)
Another thing, and this is really big, where did ole Dave get his money?
Sure, he was an architect and drummed up business occasionally. Yet enough for flights, car rentals, motel rooms, nice clothes, blue plate dinners, and the infrequent date with a big-haired blonde (strict earthling variety)?
Things cost money - plenty of money. My brother and I had paper routes, so we grasped the concept of budgets.
Anyway, my brother, eight years old, figured it out one episode.

A pair of Alien agents are chasing Dave all over West Virginia in their big Ford.
Dave eventually gets the drop on them and crisps ‘em both. Another victory for architecture. End of Part IV.
Then, during the Epilog, my brother points and hollers, “Hey! He’s driving their car!”
Sure enough. Dave is rolling easy in the aliens’ blue Ford.
“I bet he stole their car,” my brother continued. “I bet he emptied the trunk, searched the glove compartment.”
Oh?
“Yeah, he took all their money! Probably found their motel room and swiped their watches, money stash, custom suits. He stole everything! We won’t see it, but he’s gonna sell that Ford, too. Once he kills them, I bet he drives all their Fords to the Used Car lot. That’s how Vincent does this week after week. He’s a thief! Like a grave robber!”
Pretty hard to argue with his theory, I must say.

The Invaders has not dated too much - depends on one’s tolerance for the sometimes leisurely pace, I guess. I might even get to season two eventually, say in two or three years.

Suzhou River - 2000 - 6/10
AKA - Su Zhou He // 苏州河

Club owner hires a freelance photographer to film his main attraction, the blonde mermaid.
The videographer and female soon form an uneasy relationship.
Meaning, he does not know much about Meimei, and she disappears at random.
Enter Mardar, motorcycle courier, who is convinced Meimei is his old girlfriend, Moudan.
As the sordid backstory unfolds, viewers cannot help but wonder, is Meimie actually Moudan?
The opening ten minutes are cinéma vérité, though the camera settles once the courier’s story occurs.
Personally, I never bought either love story, nor the mystery angle, only the obsession.

Crimes Of Passion - 1984 - 6/10

By any other hand, this might be a steamy erotic thriller, a genre in vogue for a decade.
A Ken Russell film, though, brace for something “different”.
Bobby, hired to investigate industrial espionage, discovers his quarry is designer by day, prostitute by night.
Soon enough, he initiates a … hmm … a connection with her
As if one stalker isn’t bad enough, she also attracts a weird minister.
Anthony Perkins (sadly typecast throughout his later career) memorable as the wacko, obsessed preacher.
The film had / has a scurrilous reputation, reason enough to watch when it came out.
I found it disappointing, then learned the R rating had trimmed naughty bits.
By the time I viewed an unrated version, well, the world and I had moved on.
Don’t watch this for sex, watch to enjoy the repartee between China Blue and Reverend Shayne.
As I tell young colleagues, you want to see hot action, get a mirror and an enthusiastic partner.

Damage - 1992 - 8/10

A prominent Tory MP starts a disastrous affair with his son’s fiancée.
As with most clandestine trysts, the relationship grows squalid, fraught with lies, self-lies, betrayals.
Per the title, one can expect consequences emotional, political, personal.
This is my favorite Malle film, though I realize it is polarizing.
Reckless and detached, the main characters are heedless to the point of stupidity.
I suspect enjoyment (or appreciation) may depend on how deeply the story resonates.
If you are able to identify with one of the characters, or two, or perhaps three.
The consequences of treachery most intimate.

The French Lieutenants’s Woman - 1981 - 7/10

Resourceful adaptation of John Fowles’ bestseller.
Charles, gentleman naturalist, and engaged, is smitten by Sarah, a more dubious soul.
They are drawn to each other, in secret however, owing to conventions of Victorian society.
The film, diverging from the book, also features Jeremy Irons and Meryl Streep playing actors, playing the parts of Charles and Sarah.
While this may sound confusing, it works and is clear, so do not be put off if curious.
The film is beautiful to look at, though the emotional tone is cool, particularly for dual romances.

Nighty Night: S01 - 2004 - 7/10

Mean spirited, blacker than 2:00 AM, venomous comedy.
When husband is informed he has cancer, he inquires about treatment.
Wife Jill, on the other hand, suggests books such as “Goodbye Everyone” or “Heaven, I Can’t Wait!”
She then proceeds to hurry him to the grave.
Meanwhile, new neighbors arrive: a doctor and his wife (with multiple sclerosis).
Jill immediately sets out to rupture the marriage so she can bag and mount the doctor.

“I’m double jointed,” she confesses. “My hips go both ways.”
Jill is self-centered, toxic, wildly inappropriate, abusive - too many superlatives.
Everyone she encounters, she treats like bird scrapings.
Not remotely politically correct. γνῶθι σεαυτόν.

Alien3: Third Cut - 15MaF

Filesize = 6.8 GB, Video = 1920 X 808p h265, Audio = 640 kbps, 5.1 AC3. No subs.

This is a terrific edit of a film I had previously regarded as flawed and unmendable.
The narrative now flows and makes good sense. Real story telling here.
Video editing is rock solid, no complaints, I like what 15MaF has done.
Audio is another matter. The 5.1 sound is pretty loud, often boomy. The soundscape overwhelms the dialogue most of the time. Conversations are muffled, murky or flat out indecipherable.
This undercuts the story. No subtitles hurts this particular edit.
Alien3 was always drama driven, not the adrenaline overload like its predecessors, and is miles superior to what followed.
I recommend this improved version to anyone still longing for a good experience.
Nice bonuses include cover art and a detailed change list.

Robots Vs Kung Fu (Matrix) - matrixgrindhouse

I did not care for this on initial viewing.
Luckily, Robots Vs Kung Fu is brief, so I rewatched. This time, yowzer!
Solid work here. Editing is deliberately, royally screwed up, in a good way, in a bad way.
Some Johnny Mnemonic scenes work better than others. All made the film funnier.
Narrative wise, the film hangs together as an alternative version.
Audio reminds me of a fourteen year old with a Casio keyboard. Moreover, some of the Hong Kong cuts distract no end. A half recognized tune caused me to go, “wait, wait, that’s from – that’s from --”

On the plus side, and this is major, there is an outstanding commentary track! Focused, always pertinent to onscreen activity, informative, interesting. This is one of the best commentaries I have listened to, including a lot of so-called professional ones. Top marks here.

For what this set out to do, make a crappy, enjoyable grind version of The Matrix, this succeeded brilliantly.
Looking forward to chapter 2 – no matter how many decades it takes.

Daughter Of Darkness (1990) - Dr. Sapirstein

Filesize = 870 MB, Video = 960 X 720p AVC, Audio = 128 kbps AAC, 2-Channel stereo. No subs.

After mom dies, Katherine flies off the sunny Romania, in search of her long lost father.
Bucharest Customs are a breeze and lands a genial cabbie, who will subsequently reappear every time she needs a taxi.
Members of the club scene are willing to help, plus she meets a glassblower who knew her father.

The plot is little more than Hallmark meets vampires.
Acting ranges from amateurish to hamhock time.
And Bucharest? Please! I recognized Vajdahunyad Castle, as well as the statue. This is Budapest!
Sapirstein has done a superb color restoration, and the audio is improved.
That said, this is a poor film (another woofer from Stuart Gordon), talky and dumb.
Sapirstein is a better editor than the source, and I wish he would tackle projects worthy of his/her skills.

Times Adder - TM2YC

Brilliant surprise on this consecution.
Faithful, reverent and surprisingly amusing edit of the “Back n Forth” special.
This is lighter toned than the original, and, dare I suggest, sunnier.
Meaner edges have been buffed down.
For all the trims, the story holds together nicely.
Bit jarring to hear music from “The Creature From The Black Lagoon” opening.
This is a straight faced rework, and one cannot escape the irony of it being funnier than the original.
Quicker, too.

Waves (The Shallows) - Maniac

Filesize = 5.6 GB, Video = 1920 X 1080p AVC, Audio = 1536 kbps, 5.1 DTS. No subs.

What a beast! I’m talking the edit, though ole Mark, cruising the shallows, is pretty bad ass.
Maniac has distilled this to survival. Phone calls, road trip, companions, all gone.
Nor are they missed, to be honest. Jonathan Livingston abides, though both it and the surfer remain uneasy squatters. Bon-bon and savory appetizer if you will.
The audio is immersive. Forceful at times, yet never overpowering. Dialogue is brief and spare. While I often comment on subtitles, they are unnecessary with this edit.
Running less than an hour, this is top quality drive-in adventure. And thank you for not going the overused grindhouse path. This ain’t that kinda exploitation film.
Every aspect of editing in this is first rate. Audio, video, cuts.
Terrific fun in the sun film!

Angels And Insects - 1995 - 7/10

William returns from the Amazon, rich in experience, bereft of funds.
Fortunately, a country squire, himself an amateur dabbler, takes a shine to him.
William is hired to organize the haphazard collection, where he soon becomes part of the collection.
Slow moving film is never dull. Family observation on several levels.
From the ant colonies to family dynamics, shrouded in gauze curtains and cryptic remarks.
An absolutely bewitching film of Victorian repression and unease.
Behavior that hardens into habit, unshakeable, rotting from within.

Dogtown And Z-Boys - 2001 - 6/10

Roots in surf, blooming on the sidewalks.
Documentary on the rise of skateboarding into professionalism.
Usual mix of aerial prowess, newsreels, participants telling their versions.
Hardcore fans need no prompting, casual viewers – give it fifteen minutes and decide.
The history and details strike me as fairly accurate.
I was keenly aware of the skateboarding world of the 1970’s.
Believe it or not, I put myself though college working at a skateboard factory (across from a porn studio),
We had our own “Pro,” half of the early crew were surfers, though later on stoners predominated.

Backtrack - 2015 - 6/10

Psychological thriller set in nighttime Australia.
After his daughter dies in an accident, psychiatrist (Adrian Brody) becomes haunted by a ghost.
Or is it his imagination? Guilt? Or repressed memory?
Perhaps demons originate from his childhood home, so back he returns.
Visually dark film, starts slow and confusing, but gears eventually click together.
Bleak design scheme in that places resemble the abandoned hours of midnight shift.
Evokes the early (ie: the good) M Night Shyamalan efforts. Perhaps evokes too much.

Dick Tracy - 1990 - 6/10

Tracy and cohorts take on Big Boy Caprice and his associates.
Distracting the sides are Tess Trueheart, the Kid, and Breathless Mahoney.
Eye-popping set design, amazing color scheme, blazing bullets.
All underwhelmed by a white bread script that serves Disney, rather than the comic strip.
The result is akin to a violent, live action cartoon. A triumph of style over meager substance.
The 90’s witnessed a lot of Pulp inspired movies. This was one of the first and one of the poorest.
Coulda, shoulda. I’ve watched this for years, floored by the photography, cringing at the “family values”.
Beatty OK, Pacino hamms it up, Madonna steals everything in sight.

Youth - 2015 - 8/10

Striking visuals enrich a series of vignettes, compact yet powerful, not so much about old age, but more about the ability to recharge. Not to succumb, to stay invigorated in Life.
Michael Caine and Harvey Keitel play very old friends, renowned composer and acclaimed director, relaxing at what can only be defined as an exclusive health spa.
One is in self-imposed retirement, the other struggles to stay relevant.
Multiple characters drift in and around them.
Over the film, one gets an image of who many of the characters were, where they are now, and where they may be going.
Not really an “old fogy” film, as I think many fear. Wonderful feast for film buffs.

Scoring more for visuals: cinematography, set design, color schemes.
Storylines range from sublime to pedestrian.

O Lucky Man! - 1973 - 7/10

The continuing (mis)education of Mick Travis, following 1968’s If.
Mick, rising employee in the coffee conglomerate, dates the boss’s daughter and rises in status.
His roots remain working class, however, and he retains some 60’s optimism.
Whatever. Overlords and the empowered will find a way to exploit naiveté.
Bracing cynical film has aged, yet is more relevant each passing year.
The ranks of gullible Micks swell exponentially, eternal fall guys.
Messy film, more of moments than narrative. Overlong by an hour.
“If you’ve found the reason to live on and not to die you are a lucky man.”

Swimming Pool - 2003 - 7/10

A writer accepts her publisher’s offer to use his home to rest and recharge.
Well and good, until the publisher’s assertive daughter appears.
Put off, somewhat, the writer chooses to stay, and watch. No, observe.
The daughter seems a free-spirited exhibitionist. Or is the show play acting?
Keep in mind, this is a writer taking in details, making notes.
A Noir tinged thriller, filmed under hot sun, with long stretches of bare flesh.
Multi-layered with a lot going on, though you have to be attentive.
One of François Ozon’s best films.

War And Peace - 2016 - 5/10

Lavishly filmed and lavishly praised mini-series of Tolstoy’s classic.
Once you get past the sumptuous visuals, the story itself is more peace than war.
Meaning the tale is dominated by angst dialogue, ennui, and characters full of doubts.
The stereotyped view of Russians.
Acted and directed with great seriousness throughout, to the point of being stilted.
This is Tolstoy, damnit!
All star cast still results in, to paraphrase George Harrison, a drag, a well known drag.

Deep Blue Sea - 1999 - 6/10

Scientists, searching for an Alzheimer’s cure, boost the intelligence of sharks.
Luckily, the sharks, who increasingly exhibit anger management issues, are penned in strong cages.
Well made horror outing, though by the numbers.
Meaning, I knew which humans would die – chomp, chomp – and which would live.
However, I got the dining order wrong. Boy, did I get that wrong!
As far as shark films go, this is one of the best. Compared with other sharkie flicks, this is an 8.
Youtube offers several entertaining fan commentaries.

Dust Angel - 2021 - 5/10

Earth and Mars, engaged in a terrible war, are ever in search of resources.
Weapons in hand, a lone Earth pilot lands on Dorniens Tora.
This SciFi short resembles something between plastic models and a video game.
Makeup could be from Halloween or a KISS convention. EFX acceptable.
Plus, it’s preachy.

Empire Of The Tsars: Romanov Russia - 2015 - 7/10

Lucy Wolsey hosts three part documentary covering 300 years of the Romanov Dynasty.
Episodes focus on Peter The Great, Catherine The Great, and Nicholas The Not-So-Great.

Wolsey is always enthusiastic and prepared, and seldom offers personal opinions or snarky comments.
As history, much of this will be old hat to buffs.
The chief draw is that she seems to have been allowed unrestricted access to many areas inside palaces or behind the scenes.