Vultural

Gunman In The Streets - 1950 - 6/10
AKA - La Traqué (French language version)

Interesting pursuit Noir set in post WWII France.
Dane Clark plays an ex-GI who remained behind the war and set up a nice little black market operation.
When the film opens, he’s being transferred from jail to jury when he is sprung via armed attack.
From then on this is a cat n mouse police chase.
Clark’s colleagues are interrogated, hideouts smashed, ex-girlfriend followed.
As this was shot in France, the look and feel differs from American Noir.
The streets, the shops, the clothes, the faces, most notably a young Simone Signoret.
Aside from the location, the plot offers nothing fresh.
Clark slips catlike through police nets and his character is cold and unsympathetic.
Director Frank Tuttle was an early casualty of the HUAC blacklist which might have explained the European location.

Murder At Land’s End - 2021 - 6/10
AKA - Meurtres à La Pointe du Raz

Local gendarme investigate the death of a village “character.”
Hers resembles suicide, and it occurs in the Bay Of The Dead, where the drowned meet Ankow.
Suspicions soon lead to another body.

The male / female cops do not flirt or trade innuendos.
Plot twists are few, though narrative jags add to unpredictability.
Gorgeous Brittany coastal scenery used to the full.

xxxHOLiC - 2013 - 7/10
AKA - ドラマ　ホリック

Inventive fantasy J-dorama based on anime based on manga.
Enroute from school, young student spies and is quickly whisked into the shop run by a dimensional witch.
What she runs is, plain and simple, a barter shop. She can grant wishes - but - there is a price to pay.
In any exchange, there is always a price.

He can see ghosts. On the street, in school, everywhere. He is miserable.
The series has eight episodes, thirty minutes each.
One story involves a variation on the monkey’s paw.
Aside from the dimensional witch, there are ghosts (not the friendly sort, either), tainted blood, and a fetchingly cruel wasp spider.
The set design is spare yet elegant. Costumes range from school uniforms to beautiful gowns to downright kinky.
This seems aimed for the young adult crowd, but anyone interested in Japanese folklore should appreciate.

Brontës Britain With Gyles Brndreth - 2021 - 6/10

The lives of three Brontë sisters, with attention to their Yorkshire upbringing
The landscape, as well as key dwellings, still surviving.
One work per sister is referenced, along with film representations.
Mr. Brndreth, as presenter, is akin to an infomercial questioner.
“I didn’t know that!” “So here we are!” “Oh, now I see!”
His enthusiasm, infectious, can prove a bit much at times.
Usual talking heads. One I recognized from an episode of “The Secret Life Of Books”, where she all but called Charlotte Brontë a racist.

Beyond The Black Rainbow - 2010 - 5/10

Futuristic tale of company that helps you create “a better you.”
Except experimentation now seems their locus.
Camera work reeks of student film class: slow dissolves, step printing, colorization.
Acting is ponderous and stilted to the nth degree.
The opening corporate mission statement indicates 1983 and the music remains 80’s throughout.
Synthesizers and musique concrète.
A lot of visually impressive work undermined by exhausting, dreary, glacial pace.

Bodyguard - 1948 - 6/10

Lawrence Tierney plays detective who ignores the rules and book one too many times and gets suspended.
Not to worry, he is approached to work as bodyguard for wealthy old lady.
She protests she does not need a bodyguard, then a bullet smashes though the window of her study.
Detective stays the night, follows her when she slips out at 4:00 AM, gets whacked on the head, wakes up in a car with a dead cop beside him, the car is on train tracks with an express train howling …
That’s like the first ten minutes of this rapid fire B-movie.
Pace is terrific, from constant tracking shots to enough situations to fill six movies.
Breathless thrust of the narrative keeps one from wondering, “What’s the point?”
Tierney also plays a “good guy.” He’s no Boston Blackie, but it’s nice to view him in a role other than a caged tiger.
He has good chemistry with Priscilla Lane (her last role).
Script by a very young Robert Altman, of all people.

Silent Britain - 2006 - 6/10

Film historian Matthew Sweet deep within the BBC vaults.
British silent films are often overlooked, especially compared with Hollywood or German cinema.
England had its own pioneers, stars, studios, and hits.
At an hour, this is not an in-depth survey, merely showcasing key films.
More films, including rarities, would have been better.

Ouija: Origin of Evil - 2016 - 6/10

Old school style yarn of family messing with Ouija board, getting more than they bargained for.
Recently widowed mother earns pocket money by holding seances.
Revenue is meager, though, and PAST DUE bills stack up.
Mom really doesn’t have the gift, either, but the youngest daughter does. (The child who plays Doris is well directed.)
Thing about the open-ended Ouija board. When you make contact, it works both ways.
And to reference Rocky TF Squirrel, are they friendly spirits? Not in this movie.
Set in 1967, though cars, clothes, soda fountain, echo the 50’s.
OK scares, no gore, no nudity. “Child in danger,” a trope I generally dislike.

Liar Game: S01 - 2007 - 7/10
AKA - うそつきゲーム

Great little series about con-men, game playing, greed.
Young girl receives a case full of money and an invitation to participate in the Liar Game.
There are numerous players. The object is to swindle other players out of their case of money.
The winner keeps all the money, losers must pay what they lost. They will be financially ruined.
Straight away, the girl, a trusting, gullible innocent, seeks help from a cunning genius of schemes.
Temporary allegiances, snares, and of course, lies, more lies, and damned lies.
Honorable, upright souls, be warned to avoid this one.

Rare Beasts - 2019 - 6/10

Dating. Meeting someone special, ideal. Romance.
Then there’s the reality. He’s obnoxious and his parents are utterly mad.

Not that Mandy’s parents are any better, let alone saner. And her son, why can’t he be normal?
Because in this life, there is no escape. No hearts and sunshine melodies.
Anything redeeming? The comedy is pitch black in this
And after alcohol, and by candlelight, sometimes the troll looks acceptable.
No they don’t, you hopeless fool.
Overall, the film feels akin to a vanity project.

Wolf Estate - 1943 - 6/10
AKA - La Ferme Aux Loups

Bouncy French mystery finds two fledgling newspaper hounds investigating murder of Russian homeless man.
The lead deadends, so the pair head to the country with the boss’s attractive secretary.
During a howling thunderstorm, their car breaks down and they seek shelter in an “old dark house."
Inside - hey, there’s that dead Russian bum!
Not the most original, yet fast paced, light on its feet, with rather salty dialogue.
Thinking afterward, I wondered if this was filmed in Vichy France.

Code Unknown - 2000 - 7/10
AKA - Code Inconnu: Récit Incomplet de Divers Voyages

Closer translation might be “Unknown Code: Incomplete Stories of Diverse Voyages.”
Brilliant, if challenging film, with scant attempt at linearity.
Tangled storylines weave in and out, clash, or disappear abruptly.
Characters do not listen, do not want to listen. are distracted, are absorbed in their glorious selves.
Communication, human’s so-called forte, is near-impossible. (Deaf children open and close the movie.)
Haneke turns us (cinema viewers) into clueless onlookers.
We can assume backstories, fabricate motivations, or tune out and scroll the phone.

The Man Who Could Cheat Death - 1959 - 6/10

Physician and sculptor, Dr. Bonnet is the toast of 1890 Paris!
The hoi polloi flock to his new exhibition, as do two females.
One who modeled for the current nude torso, and one who modeled previously.
The doctor has dark clouds gathering, however.
Police are curious why he disappears from residences every decade.
Just around the same time as missing person reports.
Hammer Gothic costumer has the sets, the clothes, the cast.
Unfortunately, the script is stodgy, the direction is slow.
Hammer completists should add this snoozer to their bucket list.

Obvious Child - 2014 - 6/10

Stand up comedienne is having a bad day, bad night, bad stretch.
Her job is going out of business (another New York bookshop bites the dust).
Her boyfriend dumps her. She gets drunk, jumps a straight-arrow guy.
Next beat, she discovers she’s the winner of Baby Jackpot!
Story then follows the less traveled path - meaning the cliché of she and the guy hooking up, perhaps getting married, do right by the baby, does not happen.
Instead, she makes an appointment with the abortion clinic.
Realistic, funny at times (though her stand-up routine struck me as painful), based on an earlier short.
Therein is also a flaw with the film. Most of the actors from the short (2009) reprise their roles, only they are now in their 30’s - obvious 30’s. They look too old to play 20-somethings. Her actions don’t always ring true.
Intelligent, adult script with thoughtful, non-judgmental, non-hysterical performances.

Blood And Roses - 1960 - 7/10
AKA - Et Mourir de Plaisir

Beautiful retelling of Sheridan Le Fanu’s “Carmilla,” updating the setting to modern Italy.
Carmilla is despondent over the approaching nuptials of her cousin Leopold, whom she loves.
She is moody, fascinated with a more superstitious past.
After a fireworks show gone awry, Carmilla, drawn to the cemetery, encounters a supposedly long dead vampire, Millarca. Unsettling developments ensue.

Erotically charged film, sans nudity. Sets, costumes, and fall outdoors are all gorgeous, though the print I viewed seemed washed out. My copy was also dubbed English.
The final act is surreal and imaginative. One of Vadim’s best films.

Speed - 1994 - 7/10

For what it is, brain-off action ride, this is pretty good.
A ransom demanding bomber has already been thwarted once.
Now he targets mass transit, and half filled city bus.
The pacing keeps you from analyzing problems.

I saw this when it was released. A couple of times, actually (I was younger).
I rewatched recently, after decades, and quietly criticized. (No, not the aerial leap,)
The ransomer (Hopper, memorable) wants $3.7 million.
I’m going, “Pay it. Mark the bills, but pay it.”
Throughout, highway mayhem, street damage, airport jollies, subway, I’m running a mental calculator.
“Told you guys. Ransom was cheap compared to repair bill.”

Fading Gigolo - 2013 - 6/10

Mixed bag comedy/drama written and directed by John Turturro, very much in the Woody Allen mold.
Allen himself plays the owner of a rare book shop, closing his New York storefront because his only customers are rare customers.
To help his soon-to-be laid off employee (Turturro), he hires him out as high priced gigolo to rich woman (Sharon Stone).
If you can buy that premise, you’ll have no problem with Allen becoming pimp daddy as Turturro expands his clientele.
Story and narrative move into the Hasidic community, and comedy dissipates.
Saturated late fall New York locations, and interesting window on the Hasidic neighborhood, but film itself poorly structured with Allen having all the comic moments, and Turturro the bulk of the drama.
Amusing, but not as funny as the trailer promised.

Atami Police Investigators - 2010 - 6/10
AKA - Atami no Sôsakan // 熱 海 の 捜 査 官

A bus carrying four schoolgirls disappears into the fog along an empty stretch of road.
The vehicle is never found, police are stumped.

Three years later, one girl returns, soon the bus is found, events escalate.
Catalyst for events might be the arrival of two agents from the WAI.
J-dorama similar to one of the X-Files shaggy dog episodes.
Twin Peaks fans will identify the assortment of local oddballs and bizarre settings.

Leads and false trails grow at a dizzying pace. The ceramics club fronts teen prostitutes. The giant fish. Why does one boy pose nude in the mostly girls school? What is in that static filled cassette? Where did the religious cult originate?
Musical score swings from choral arrangements to sleazy blues to elegant Satie.
Onion layer mystery, laced with very Japanese humor and irreverence.

Woman Despiser - 1967 - 6/10
AKA - Kadin Düsmani

A mask wearing killer prowls the streets of Istanbul.
Well, not prowls Caesar, because he goes indoors to kill females, before violation.
Police are on the case, but they suffer a surplus of suspects, including a creepy, heavily mustached man carrying a violin case.
The look is part Giallo, part high Gothic, part cheap TV. Melodramatic acting.
No great shakes, yet oddly engrossing if only for the peculiarities.
For example, when one man invites a girl to go dancing, he takes her to a belly dance club.
Often, silhouettes are used, one gathers instead of supporting actors.
Then there is strange incest angle. No! Two incest angles.

If subs prove elusive, I reworked = https://subscene.com/subtitles/woman-despiser/english/2633313

Banksy Does New York - 2014 - 7/10

Documentary on street artist Banksy’s 31 day guerrilla exhibition in and around New York City.
Each day, Banksy’s website offers a clue where the latest art or installment can be viewed. Then it becomes a race, a scavenger hunt, to see the work before it disappears.
Displays get tagged, smashed, “appropriated,” or on one memorable afternoon, bought.
The press gets involved - adding to the publicity - as well as the mayor and police who announce they intend to catch Mr Banksy. Good luck – London was never able to do so.
Selected locations often deliberately provocative: within inner city blight or near trendy galleries frequented by the clueless, shallow wine n cheese crowd.
The growing media frenzy brings out the best and worst behavior in people.
As always, tour de force by the artist - or collective - known as Banksy.

krausfadr said:

@Artisdead I’m not leaving FE. I just don’t have an interest in posting my edits there.

EDIT: Sometimes it helps just to communicate. So I’ve removed my comments here about FE Staff.

Aww, man, sorry to read about your difficulties over at FE.
I remain friendly with many members there via the PM system.
I ceased active participation at FE years ago, after pointless conflicts with an unhappy soul.
For onlookers, I’m sure some of our clashes were entertaining.

On topic. Kinda looking forward to your Dune, although the film underwhelmed me.

Your Last Day On Earth - 2019 - 6/10
AKA - Tu último Día en la Tierra

Time travel for $75,000. You can go back, for a limited period.
There are rules, such as you cannot touch or talk. You cannot try to remain. You must wear a disguise.
To see someone you lost, someone dear, would you?
SciFi short from Spain is provocative, and somewhat sad.

Heartbreaker - 2010 - 5/10
AKA - L’ Arnacoeur

Featherweight French comedy, laughs lighter than an over-whipped soufflé.
Man, his sister and brother-in-law operate a small outfit designed to break apart unhappy couples.
Prevent the doe eyed innocent from marrying the cheat, the abuser, the jerk.
All’s fair.
Only rule - they do not break up happy relationships.
Before you can say, “that sounds …” the man owes thousands to a loan shark and a very juicy offer comes from a gangster type to stop his daughter’s upcoming marriage.
The engaged couple is deliriously happy, yet the heartbreaker needs the money.
Narrative not only thin and predictable, but more than a little creepy.
To learn about the fiancé, a lot of time is spent spying and stalking.
Cameras in bedroom and bathroom. Nothing humiliating is actually shown, but if you think about it, someone was watching everything.
Fans of Romain Duris, he has better films out there.

White: Melody Of The Curse - 2011 - 5/10
AKA - Hwa-i-teu: Jeo-woo-eui Mel-lo-di // 화 이 트: 저 주 의 멜 로 디

Oft told story of one artist appropriating another’s creativity
This set in the K-Pop competitive sphere.
Pink Dolls have never broken big and face their last chance at success.
Backdancer Eun-joo finds a VHS labeled “White” of an unknown group, auditioning a catchy song.
Pink Dolls claim the song, update the arrangement and choreography, fight over who sings lead.
And then, one by one, disasters strike group members.
The music is hook laden, the girls are cute, but this is predictable Horror.
May work better for Asian pop buffs, or frighten ten year olds.

Parasyte: Part 2 - 2015 - 6/10
Kiseijuu: Kanketsuhen // 寄 生 獣 完 結 編

A different, blacker film altogether, right down to the somber music.
The sequel is filled with action and carnage.
Younger characters have grown up. Parasytes are trying to find a way to co-exist or conquer.
Humans have gotten wise to the parasites and unleash the firearms.
Once again, there are moral discussions about a given species “right to exist.”
(I recalled similar themes in 1985‘s Robotech, particularly the third section involving the Invid. Japan has always struck me as a rather insular nation, so I wonder what was going on in the 80’s there.)
Part 2 was more satisfying for me, the characters more assured, with less jokes.
Good cheer is replaced with violence. Possibly an ugly ride for those expecting Part 1.