Vultural

Predators - 2010 - 6/10

Not exactly a remake, more a sidespin with a heavy dose of “Fun And Games” from Outer Limits.
Humans, specialized in killing (not hunting), are air-dropped into hostile territory.
Alert to their situation, they realize they ain’t in Kansas, they are not even on planet Earth.
They are in a “hunting ground” – hunters unknown.
While this echoes the original, combat action overload, the cast are mere sketches.
No do they work as a cohesive team, making outcomes pretty foregone.
A disappointment for me, more so because all the elements for a classic actioner are there.
Save for the script, sloppy and unfocused, because of which the film stumbled.

Lost In Translation - 2003 - 7/10

Film star Bob, his career someplace between a valley and on the skids, is in Tokyo.
Purpose: to make some commercials. (At the time, this was frowned upon and considered bad form. Now, actors will do anything for spare change.)
He bumps in to Charlotte several times, and they form a friendship.
Lonely souls, one questioning his career trajectory, the other wondering about her marriage.
NOT a Hollywood romance. These are similar people, talking and listening.
A muted film of disconnection, quietly foretelling the nature of life in a few years.
Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson surprisingly good together.

House Of Frankenstein - 1944 - 6/10

After monster cycle peaked, Universal simply piled on the ghouls and stars.
Frankenstein, Wolfman, Dracula, the mad doctor, gypsies, a hunchback.
Plotting madness tries to fit everything together.
The doctor arrives at Castle Frankenstein, revives the “monster” and Larry Talbot.
Things are muffed with an odd romantic triangle, and our doctor is a chronic liar,
One element I noticed as a child, more so now, is how tired several characters are.
Both Dracula and Larry Talbot are weary of living.
A DVD or BluRay could use a remastering, and an audio commentary.

Ostermeier, R - Black Dog

The holiday was forced upon him. Ben preferred structure, not the empty break from routine.
Perhaps the choice was fate, perhaps Ben nursed a contrary streak. His choice of vacation, Oakmotherley was on the coast. It had a maligned reputation, an unhealthy place, and it was also known as Black Dog.

A triplex on the sands, recently renovated for a tourist trade that never materialized.
Quiet enough, though, for Ben Bagwell to work on his etchings and idle time with passersby.
The step toward the Black Dog sect was just a soft turn, a twinge of curiosity, until he found himself knee deep. Accepted.

This is a story that lulls one, tugs at you insistently, until you find yourself in the spell of enlightenment or madness. One way or another, you may never regard grapes the same way.

Suggestion: Prior to reading this, you might want to view “What Artists Do All Day: Norman Ackryod” to get an understanding of the etching process.

Cat People - 1942 - 7/10

Oliver, despite barely knowing Irena (aside that animals hate her, and her warning that she might be descended from evil shapeshifters) proposes marriage.
Such happiness! Until; Oliver fancies a new skirt.
Then the claws come out. Literally.
Early Val Lewton film is textbook on how to film Horror on a budget.
Outstanding use of shadows and minimal jump scares.
For gore-hounds, this relies on your imagination rather than visceral thrills.
If you don’t have one, this won’t be for you.

Teaserama - 1955 - 4/10

Obscure artifact from the era of burlesque.
Strips, skits, shamelessly inept acting.
While one might seek this out for Bettie Page, most of the time is given to Tempest Storm.
The “comedy” runs along the lines of blue humor.
Puns and innuendo that the WWII generation would find howlingly funny.
Curious about what Grandpa found sexy as can be?
Here’s an example. I warned you.

The Outrun - 2024 - 7/10

Rona returns to the Orkney Islands after storming too hard in London.
The drinking, drugs, partying, as she embraces the follies of youth.
What is masked, however, is the family history of depression and bipolar.
And alcohol is a blessed conduit to oblivion, the happiness of negation.
Saoirse Ronan quite good as the troubled Rona.
I wonder if the haphazard editing, meant to jumble chronology, lessened award chances.

Transformations - 1972 - 6/10

The females gather from farm and field.
Enter the woods, dab ceremonial makeup.
Dance, invocations, celebrations, other matters unspoken.
Silent film has a hippie, trippy feel to it.
The coven of white witches in the woodlands.

Starship Troopers: Invasion - 2012 - 6/10

The rescue on asteroid base Fort Casey turns out to be an ambush, with an onslaught of Klendathu bugs.
Suddenly, their ship powers away, stranding the combat teams.
Once sorted, aboard a smaller vessel, they are contacted by General Rico.
Something has gone terribly wrong with the ship that abandoned them.
Their new mission? You got it.
Half decent script here, and this is canon, so perhaps worth a watch to fans of this franchise.
Dated CGI, yet ought to be fine for those who tolerate retro.

The Beekeeper - 2024 - 6/10

The beekeeper’s neighbor is scammed of her pension and savings, as well as a charity.
Her solution, which is frankly mystifying, provokes our “social enforcer” on a path of balance.
The beekeeper is akin to Gort, unstoppable and non-negotiating.
Obstacles? What obstacles? Thrilling while one is immersed.
Afterward, one recognizes the shooter game as tentpole.

The Obscene Mirror - 1973 - 6/10
AKA - Al Otro Lado del Espejo // Inside A Dark Mirror

Mother died early, and Ana was raised by her father.
The pair are close, very close. After she announces her betrothal, he kills himself.
Afterward, she joins a Jazz ensemble and drifts from man to man.
Moody Jess Franco study of a damaged soul.
The surface is sheer gloss, even the rich idlers who drink, sun themselves, do nothing all day.
Underneath, the waters are choppy, although one might never guess from Ana’s placid expression.
Interesting psychological film. If curious, find the Spanish original. French and Italian edits had hardcore added.
English subtitles = https://subsource.net/subtitle/al-otro-lado-del-espejo-1973/english/10091946

Abandoned - 1949 - 6/10

Small town Paula arrives in big bad Lost Angeles looking for her lost sister.
She is soon befriended by a newspaperman, sniffing a story.
As well as a shifty private eye, who had been hired by the lost girl’s father.
The lost girl, they discover, was ensnared in the baby racket.
Selling unwanted infants to the desperate for large money.

So-so Noir one watches just for the actors.
Solid cast includes Dennis O’Keefe, Raymond Burr, Jeff Chandler, Gale Storm.
Yet it is the villains, dominated by Marjorie Rambeau, who hold your interest.
Cool, calculating, cynical, ever prepared, ever greedy.
English subtitles = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3356245

Otley - 1969 - 6/10

Gerald Otley, actually. Deadbeat, sponger, moocher, crashing in friends’ homes, casually stealing objects.
Well and good, although increasingly his requests are rebuffed with a firm “No.”
Until one of those who put him up is murdered.
Otley is wanted for questioning, and several factions hunt him as well.
A comedy, perhaps a spoof of espionage films (tenuous, as best).
Tom Courtney plays the befuddled quarry. He lacks charisma, which aids his ordinariness.
There is a questionable female ally; Romy Schneider, what is she doing in this?
For fans of Brit telly, a slew of faces, most younger that you are familiar with.
Obscure 1960’s gem is fast-paced and silly.

Business Ideas - 2024 - 5/10

Initial comedy from a fledgling playwright. Escapades in the local coffee shop.
While the put-upon barista deals with misfit customers, a mother / daughter pair concoct business ideas.
Patrons are caricatures and knockoffs of Seinfield or Sedaris.
While the mother-daughter serve as interludes for costume changes, they are grating, their proposals moronic.
At best, this is an outsider attempt. One wonders if the author ever worked retail.
(I’ve scribbled 200+ work stories of customers and coworkers. This author has no perception of retail.)

Fist Of Death - 1981 - 3/10
AKA - El Puño de la Muerte

Twin sisters, one good, one evil, clash over the cosmic stone of power!
One heals the lame and the blind, while the other wants to annihilate the world.
Of course, the wicked one steals it.

What to do? Why, summon Santo telepathically.
Wait! There is Jungle Girl too, with her wolves (German shepherds).
Never mind, she is going to marry the Chinese prince. Until her Wickedness kidnaps her!
This winner is laughably bad, yet not so-bad it’s-good.
No, the bulk of it is padded footage. Either dancing, or folks schlepping from one place to another.

Only reason to view this is Grace Renat and her stupendous twin pair of … as twins.
Parts filmed in Florida (Alabama Jack’s boat), gators, Coral Castle (last mentioned in Nude On The Moon).
Note: Zelda and I visited Coral Castle around this time. No sighting of Grace Renat, alas.

Double Door - 1934 - 6/10

Even though it was just downstairs, Aunt Victoria disregarded the wedding.
She had hated her nephew’s gold-digging girlfriend from the onset.
Nor was she accustomed to not getting her way.
Victoria was the spiteful, hateful, abusive force in the gloomy family.
Her sister, terrified of her. The nephew, spineless.
As for the new bride, Victoria bided her time.
Old-fashioned chiller, full bore Gothic. Fabulous, stark photography.

Clark, Simon - Vampyrrhic

Responding to the invite from his aged, yet vigorous, uncle, David returns to the childhood home of Leppington.
The town’s fortune was built on the huge slaughterhouse, owned by the Leppington family (including David Leppington) for generations.
Events are stirring underneath, with dark events and whispered claims swirling madly.
The hotel proprietress resembles a Goth movie presenter. One guest is transfixed by video cassettes of the locked cellar. More? How about a thuggish employee who can read minds?
Then there is Thor. You know, the “if I had a hammer” god. And Thor has an ungodly army!
Kitchen sink horror, meaning any and everything our author could dream up is mixed in.
Long, extremely fast moving, a diverting page turner.
One of those titles I bought years ago for old age reading.
My limited edition (of 1000) is signed with what resembles a donkey doodle.

The General’s Mustache - 1968 - 6/10
AKA - Janggun-ui Suyeom // 장군의 수염

Cheol-hun is dead, police have to decide between suicide and murder.
Painter, photographer, lately novelist, although he hasn’t got beyond the title (see above).
Describing the plot to others, they decide his story is akin to a comic.

There are conflicting testimonies from neighbors and coworkers.
Police also speculate, and toss up various theories.
Gradually, however, they zero in on his live-in girlfriend, Sin-hye.

Cheol lived in a fantasy world, she said, and was a thirty-year-old child.
The plot, like the dead man, is an enigma. There is a back history of the Korean War.
Slow, talky, a puzzle that reorganizes itself throughout.

Requiem For A Vampire - 1971 - 6/10
AKA - Requiem Pour un Vampire

The opening resembles a heist gone bad.
A trio on the run. Costumes, gunfights, death, footrace.
Surviving females flee into a “deserted” castle.
Per title, one realizes there lies the abode of the undead.
Jean Rollin film with his usual touches.
Attractive females, nudity, sensuality, sumptuous interiors, dreamlike proceedings.
The females, while dressed like innocent youngsters, are anything but.
Difficult choices also await, stemming from the weary head of the family.

Prego - 2015 - 6/10

“I’m pregnant.”
“Hey, wow. Congratulations. Who’s the lucky dad?”
Yeah, without a clue. I’ve always said it’s a miracle females don’t murder every one of us.
Then again, she shared the restroom quickie with this dunce.
Painfully funny (or horrifying) short of the male / female announcement.
English subtitles = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3356246

What She Said: The Art Of Pauline Kael - 2018 - 6/10

Doc on the acerbic writer skips lightly over her personal life, going straight into her film critic career.
Her’s are extended reviews and, as such, space must be filled.
Meaning, full plots and often spoiling twists and endings.
Far too many times, she attacks actors and directors, on what seem whims.
Kael’s method has always been polarizing (I am not a fan).
I have always found her an exceptional, perceptive writer, but an insensitive reviewer.
Her reviews read better AFTER one sees the film.
She is spot-on in lambasting inferior critics who pander to studios, or write in a pompous term paper style.
Nonetheless, this is essential for cinema fans, and is bursting with clips / scenes.

The Room Next Door - 2024 - 7/10
AKA - La Habitación de al Lado

It’s terminal. No, the experimental drugs are working. No, they’re not.
Hopes and fears, the emotional swings take their toll.
Until Martha decides she has had enough.
Wants to resolve her situation while she is still lucid, before the pain overwhelms.
Only needs someone to “find” her body afterward.
Powerful drama gives Tilda Swinton the lion’s share of the best lines.
Julianne Moore’s Ingrid feels underwritten, as if director Almodóvar gave his finest to only one.
Indeed, John Turturo is given bristling dialogue, as well.
Nevertheless, this is compelling drama, recommended for those who can almost feel the Reaper’s breath.

Generation War - 2013 - 6/10
AKA - Unsere Mütter, Unsere Väter

On the eve of Operation Barbarossa, five friends gather in the local tavern.
One female plans to be a singer, another has graduated nursing and will head to the Eastern front.
Two brothers are in the Wehrmacht, and they are destined for glory in Russia.
The fifth has been trying to emigrate to America, more so after Kristallnacht.
Trying to distill the time from spring 1941 to Götterdämmerung is a big ask.
Focusing on Russia and Poland helps, and there are not too many side characters.
Brutality is shown, as are moral conflicts, although “Final Solution” is glossed.
The level of coincidental chance encounters is off the scale.

Beast Stalker - 2008 - 6/10
AKA - Ching Yan // 証人

Police bust the operation and take down the boss.
Within an hour, henchmen free the mobster and pursuit begins.
Eventually, the lawyers take charge – except the boss orders the kidnapping of the lead attorney’s child.
Violent Hong Kong actioner turns into suspenseful thriller.
This features a trope I dislike: child in danger.
In Hollywood product, danger typically evaporates. In European and Asian, worst fears confirmed.
An ugly film, where all main characters are broken souls.

Death Line - 1972 - 6/10

He wandered around Soho, soaking up the atmosphere.
Later, in the Underground, he tried to pick up a piece of flash.
Before he disappeared.
Police are vaguely interested, until MI5 (Christopher Lee) warns them off.
Then the coppers dig in. Donald Pleasence, delicious as the sarcastic, bitter inspector.
The real star, however, in the Underground. Forgotten and abandoned sections.
Dim patches with flickering gas lamps. Eerie, unnerving liminal spaces.
Slow, creepy, gruesome, pungent. Should beckon to fans of Mark Samuels.