Vultural

Last And First Men - 2020 - 7/10

Text by Olaf Stapledon, images from Yugoslav memorials.
From the far future, 2000 million years from now, surviving humanity tries to contact us.
As the sun expanded, the populace relocated to Neptune.
Dwellings are twenty or more miles at the base, and tower into and above the atmosphere.

Humans evolve beyond recognition.
Some exist in a group mind, others, far-flung, are navigators.
Others pass through diverse time frames, akin to what, non-Euclidean time?
Their collected voice reaches out because they want to help, and because they need help.

Stimulating and challenging fare, the first (and last) by Jóhann Jóhannsson.
Arthouse SciFi, those familiar with Lovecraft’s cosmic scale will appreciate.

Tokyo Fiancée - 2014 - 6/10

20 year old Belgium girl moves to Tokyo and offers to teach French lessons.
She gets one client, a male her own age, who seems to speak French passably well.
Nonetheless, money is money and they meet weekly.
Sparks don’t exactly fly as both seem to suffer cultural misperceptions of each other.
He introduces her to friends as his fiancée, she is convinced he is Yakuza.
Story winds in unpredictable directions and often dead-ends.
Several scenes were, perhaps, symbolic, except I was unable to comprehend their meaning.

Hall, Oakley - So Many Doors

From the Hard Case Crime press, this is not crime, not hardboiled, not even a mystery.
Jack Ward sits in his prison cell, ignoring the lawyer assigned to defend him.
“Yes, I killed her,” he confesses. “I’m not fighting, either. Just get it over with.”
The “her” in question is Vasilia Baird, who goes simply by V.
Their story, told from multiple points of view, is of a toxic relationship.
Jack and V push each other’s buttons, torment each other, flee, and then are drawn back.
This has the makings of a Noir, but underneath the dark trappings this is a melodrama.
Two adults who, for all their experiences, are little more than pouting teenagers.
What most of us grew out of by our early 20’s.
About midway, I began envisioning Douglas Sirk adapting this for Hollywood.
Possibly better than this disappointment.

Straight Outta Compton - 2016 - 7/10

Rousing biopic of badboy rappers, N.W.A.
Standard tale of friends forming a band, hitting the big time, then the money fights.
Focus is on Eazy, Cube and Dre, and the latter seems to have been smoothed a shade.
Not too many liberties taken, though my knowledge is basic at best.
I checked for inaccuracies later and found minor, aside from Heller’s litany.
Should appeal to the mainstream despite expletives, weed use, nudity, coochie poppin …
By a quirk of casting, Paul Giamatti plays NWA’s shifty manager. Soon as I saw him I hollered, “Look out guys! That’s Dr Landy. He fleeced Brian Wilson (“Love And Mercy”). Look out!”
Oddly enough, I found myself giving footnotes to innocents around me. “What does OG mean?” “Who is Suge Knight?”
I watched the extended cut, almost three hours, and it never dragged.

Munkie - 2021 - 6/10

22 year old Rose still lives with her strict, controlling parents.
They disapprove of her “bad” boyfriend and lock her inside their home.
Growing more furious by the minute, Rose and boyfriend target the obstacles.
Slow burn crime story, based on Jennifer Pan, a Vietnamese-Canadian girl.
Think Kristi Koslow, or Alyssa Hatcher, or Jasmine Richardson, or Nina Holbrook, or Esmie Tseng …
One note short should stir resentful teen viewers.

Frozen Death (Cold Prey 1 - 2 ) - Mikedrew87

Norwegian slasher thrillers, joined together nicely. The first installment boasts the original concept but is marred by too many lulls. The sequel suffers a sense of repetition, yet the pace drove quicker. Even better, higher body count, and not just civilians, but cops. Professionals. MikeDrew chops 70 minutes in his edit, with little sense of loss.

Video - Great look throughout. Both films were always of halves - the blinding outdoor world, and dark, claustrophobic interiors. Edits are smooth and the transition between Part 01 and Part 02 graceful.

Audio - Solid 2 channel stereo. No difficulty hearing anything. Excellent subtitles. For those who don’t like to read movie subs, there was no dub track here. Get over it.

Narrative - The edit was heavy on Part 01. Establishing and getting to know characters. Part 02 was the last third of the edit, and the pace was hammer down. Scant character development, however. The cops’ scenes inside the hospital were heavily truncated. An error perhaps. As with most slasher fests, the more raw meat, the better. The narrative as a whole holds together, though gears seem to downshift a little between films. One logical issue never addressed (certainly not in either original) was how Jannicke manages to endure outdoor conditions without thermal gear.

Enjoyment - Difficult to say. More gratifying than the first film, and I truly appreciate the fact that MikeDrew rendered his edit to under two hours. Police sequences at the hospital would have enhanced the gore … yet … and this is a concession … I understand how that reinforces a major criticism of the sequel, the seeming invincibility of Mr Snowman. After considering, yes, MikeDrew made the correct editing decision.

Very satisfying slasher film. Especially welcome during cold months. Or summer, when your AC cannot keep up.

The All-New Adventures Of Chastity Blade (2000) - Dr. Sapirstein

Filesize = 631 MB, Video = 1920 X 1080p AVC, Audio = 128 Opus, 2 Channel Stereo. Subs, yes. Hardsubbed in French.

Straight off, I find Lisa Wilcox easy on the eyes, which was one reason why I had this.
The short, a “comedy”, is dumb. Not witty, not slapstick, simply empty, flat humor.
As always with Sapirstein, the video work is first rate.
The audio – Opus – would not play on my units so I converted to AC3.
Subs, while in French, were useful as most of the males were poorly miked. If you understand a bit of French they will assist.
Not that it matters, the source is a puerile attempt, at what? A busted pilot to spoof Irma Vep.
Aspiring faneditors, study the video upgrade, tune out the rest.

Humans Are Limited (2001 short) - Adabisi

Low scores on IFDB, c’mon. I think people miss the point of this.
This is HAL 9000’s version.
The stressed out A I who more or less unravels before his passengers’ eyes.
While the humans take precautions when evaluating scenarios, they don’t factor in HAL’s almost omnipotent intelligence.
Whereas some disliked the rather open ended conclusion, I found it darkly comic. (SPOILER) Here, Dave is SOL.
Editing is solid, the plot is cohesive.
And – this short actually occurs in space, damnit!

Cosmogony - The Man Behind The Mask (TMBTM)

Filesize = 4.16 GB, Video = 720 X 480p mpgv, Audio = 320 kbps 2-Channel Stereo AC3

Ambitious story of humanity from the genesis of the cosmos to modern day.
Film fans will recognize 2001, Quest For Fire, Apocalypto, The Mission, etc …
It does seem to settle in the New World, omitting whole continents.
Also, it is dated. Scenes from Koyaanisqatsi would have pointed where humanity is headed.
Along with the eternal, suicidal conflicts we engage in.

This is a DVD, with menu and trailer, few editors bother with those nowadays.
The audio is superior to the video, though I found the audio too loud most of the time, often overwhelming what sparse dialogue there is.
As far as music choices, for every good tune, there were three I rolled my eyes at. Tastes vary, so I just tried to ignore.
By the end, I found “the story of us” suffered from overreach. I still wonder if TMBTM was trying to replicate a huge screen IMAX event.
Where is this guy, anyway? Retired? Bummer, he remains a good editor.

Scream - The Giallo Cut - Neglify

Groundbreaking and fresh when first released, Scream has been copied and parodied so much that return viewings now seem stale and predictable. Neglify drags a rather scrubbed and polished film straight into grindhouse. The result is much better.

Video - Awful, by design. Cropped to 4 X 3 to resemble the VHS experience. The top of the screen suffers pronounced curling and distortion. Noise appears at random times, as does flutter. Then there are surprise, inserted scenes. Color does not match, nor does brightness or focus. That said, the video itself did not suffer from over-used damaging.

Audio - Pretty good here. I warble frequently about not being able to transition from deafening explosions to whispered dialogue, but no problem here.

Narrative - The additional sequences, a few seconds here and there, improve the story. Adding a flashback element to Sidney’s intimacy issues and obvious weird dreams.

Last rewatched on Halloween night. Have not watched the original in years, in fact, I’m tired of it and the bloatload of sequels.
Definitely one for Giallo fans - even if you’d only watched one or two Argento or Fulci. Be aware this ain’t your daddy’s Scream, though.

Wes Craven’s Dark Nightmare (Wes Craven’s New Nightmare) - Dr. Sapirstein

Filesize = 3.9 GB, Video = 1280 X 720p AVC, Audio = 448 kbps 5.1 AC3. No subs.

“The fans want Freddy back,” the producer informs Heather.
Yeah, maybe, but they probably did not want this stinker.
Even the gifted Dr. Sapirstein cannot completely remove the hog whiffle from this one.
Purging the screeching Dylan would have been the first and best step.
There are countless trims in this, which hurry the pace.
There is less Freddy, however, and more Dylan, who is annoying beyond belief.
(I am not a fan of the “child in danger” cliché. In US movies, kids are never killed.
The cutting is flawless. The sound mix is loud, bordering on bombastic at times.
Best part of this edit – putting Dokken back in.
Freddy curious, stick with #1 and #3.

The Adventures of Superman: The Kryptonite Saga Vol 1-3 - Siebener

Tasteful adaptation of lengthy radio serial.
All intro and closing music has been removed, as well as recaps.
The discreet over-layering of classical music cues enhance the soundscape.
Audio editing struck me as seamless.

This would make a nice introduction to OTR (old time radio), and it is just short enough to listen to on a commute.
60 minutes per remixed episode.
Bear in mind, Superman was a childrens program, so the plot is simplistic and many characters are adult juveniles.

Much of the youth tone disappears with V2, charting Superman’s fight with Atom Man, fiendish Nazi weapon.
The Nazi survivors are not cartoon types, either.
Despite being a childrens radio show, this was surprisingly dark, and somewhat techie, with references to atomic weaponry.
Artwork was fine, though images were available online featuring Atom Man.

With V3, Siebener concludes his Superman audio trilogy on a peak. This installment focuses on narrative and action. Next to no jokes, juvenile humor, or dimwitted henchmen.
Fun, popcorn packed adventure as the Man Of Steel battles Atom Man, the diehard Nazi, bent on destroying Metropolis. The last seconds of the edit even leave the possibility of a further sequel open … if barely a crack … with the Caped Crusader.

Werckmeister Harmonies - 2000 - 7/10
AKA - Werckmeister Harmóniák

We follow our narrator / observer Janos around his village as a circus sideshow arrives.
The “show” consists of the carcass of a massive, stuffed whale, and an unseen ”Prince.”
Townfolk mill around, grumbling, discontent rising into fiery destruction.
I do not know my Hungarian history, but I will wander out on a limb and guess the whale represents a regime of sorts, and the Prince is a puppet figurehead.
Much of the conflict, late in the film, reminded me of the Bosnian War in the 1990’s.
Then there is Janos’ uncle, a creative soul (the intelligentsia) and the estranged aunt (the deal maker of rebellion).
A very heady film, where I was baffled numerous times, but never lost interest.

In the Name Of My Daughter - 2014 - 6/10
AKA - L’homme qu’on Aimait Trop

Catherine Deneuve struggles to hold onto a high end casino, circa 1976.
Local politicos and developers would like her to close, so they can build luxury hotels.
A mega casino combine - who launders money for the mob - wants to push her out.
Her daughter returns after a messy divorce, demanding her inheritance.
Gliding, slithering, shifting between all parties is a young, smiling attorney.
Loosely based on real events, the film coils around the players, none of whom are truly clean.
Talky French drama, with nebulous resolution, had me wondering about double jeopardy in France.

Hearts Of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse - 1991 - 8/10

Documentary on the making of Apocalypse Now (1979).
Watching this, it’s a wonder how films, especially large extraordinary films, ever get made.
Script problems, blown budgets, actors (eg: Brando).
Location shooting, a heart attack (Sheen), constant studio meddling.
What is spectacular is how much private film footage was shot and assembled for this.
Typically, what we get are laughfests from players reminiscing how much fun things were.
This romps behind-the-scenes of massive creative egos, battles, waste.

The Last Bus - 2021 - 6/10

Likeable crowd pleaser should ring with the geriatric set.
Thomas sets off from Scotland for Lands End by bus. Make that buses.
Tom travels light: briefcase, some currency, Scotland transit pass.
Along the way we glimpse slices of his history, his wife and child.
Not much, though. Very little. Yet enough to realize his is the classic road trip.
15-20 minutes in, I suspect what is in his briefcase, and so will you.
The film panders to a nonexistent world, where young onlookers are mostly quiet and respectful and curious.
It is also WOKE informed, which I shrug at (woke folk aren’t going to watch this, anyway).
As in Mr. Turner (2014), Timothy Spall sports a frowning pout much of the time.
A tired crutch, and Spall is a better actor than this.

Houdini & Doyle - 2016 - 6/10

Escape artist and Sherlock creator solve crimes along with a female Scotland Yard inspector.
Fun, but not remotely historically accurate.
Doyle and Houdini have ongoing disputes over spiritualism, some episodes are borderline absurd, and the parade of “guests" grows strange, indeed.
Fans of Murdoch Mysteries ought to enjoy as H & D strongly resembles that show.
On the plus side, this series seems to be a one-off. If only more shows were thus.

Truly, Madly, Deeply - 1990 - 7/10

As in, do you love me truly, madly, deeply?
When cellist Jamie dies, partner Nina is inconsolable.
Would that he could return.
Only then, well, fulfilled dreams are seldom what one expects.
Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman totally believable as characters, as a couple.
Wonderful little film, haunting, poignant, about the flame of love that burns and burns.
Although living with a spectre has limitations.
The sun ain’t gonna shine anymore.

Northern Soul - 2014 - 6/10

Companion film to documentary Northern Soul: Living For The Weekend.
This opens as the scene seems near its zenith. Wigan Casino, “the” dancehall, is many miles away, however.
Drugs, primarily amphetamines, are a given (dancing till dawn) and dealing is a major subplot.
A secondary plot is tracking down obscure RnB 45s, or figuring out what mystery track a DJ is playing.
There is also a love - infatuation - story. Male bonding. Dance numbers.
The film suffers from a little bit of this, a little bit of that,
Really, the viewer unaware of the Northern Soul period might have trouble connecting the links here.
Fine soundtrack of lost Hard Soul music.
Enjoyable, though it meandered.

Horse Latitudes - 1975 - 6/10

If you cannot win a race, or achieve a feat, how about you fake it?
Our seaman, Donald, wants to be the first to sail single handed around the world.
Instead of actually sailing, he parks in the S. Atlantic “horse latitudes” and sends in falsified position reports.
He reckons without the isolation and the torrid heat.
Months in, he is losing his sanity.
This excels with the ennui, the lethargy of enforced idleness, though I never had much feel for the character.
Based on a true story.

Arachnophobia - 1990 - 6/10

Oliver Douglas moves from New York to Hooterville … oops, wrong story.
Dr. Ross moves his family from the metropolis to rural California.
He doesn’t blend with the locals, though family does fine.
Worse, by far, is a spider infestation, and he has a phobia of arachnids.
Wickedly funny horror comedy, bolstered with a strong cast, and plenty of cobwebs and spiders.
Not to mention John Goodman as the exterminator, in an over-the-top role that feels patently real.
Spiders, mmm, if you suffer a “thing” about spiders, there are a lot of spiders.

Pumping Iron - 1977 - 7/10

Overlooking Stay Hungry (1976), this is where Arnold started his ascent.
While supposedly a documentary on bodybuilding, one gets the feeling several of the participants are “acting” in front of the camera. This seems especially true with Schwarzenegger and Ken Waller.

Most of this is hugely entertaining, watching the men train for the upcoming Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia.
One does get a feel for the more innocent rivals.
Then there are the strategies, diets, trash talk, behind the scenes.
Arnold already radiates charisma, though it would be another five years before he blew up to the masses.

Pieces - 1982 - 6/10
AKA - Mil Gritos Tiene la Noche

Gory thriller that navigates between Giallo and Slasher.
Opening has dear mom watching her son work a jigsaw puzzle. Of a nude model.
Mom wrecks his puzzle and junior finds a nearby axe.
Decades later, an unseen, gloved stalker starts solving that nudie puzzle.
By chopping up a bevy of college beauties.
Mounting body count of Euro lovelies baffles police!
Though set in Boston, filmed in Madrid.

There is a valuable audio commentary with Jack Taylor.
Most of the discussion is not about this film, but rather Jess Franco, with whom Taylor made eight films.
For Franco fans, this will be great.

Backbeat - 1994 - 6/10

Ballsy retelling of the Beatles’ baptism of fire in Hamburg.
This focuses on the Stu / John relationship, then Stu / Astrid.
Gritty throughout, with nightclubs, bars, brothels, vermin infested digs.
Music is recreated by a pool of 1990’s talent, and is edgy and punky.
Paul is given short shrift in this (which he has commented on), while George and Pete are virtually nonexistent.
Astrid has praised the portrayal of Stuart, and their relationship as shown.
Ian Hart memorable as John, he has played Lennon three times now.
One of those docu-dramas which, I think, is mostly accurate, and worth seeking by Beatle fans.

Straight Line Crazy - 2022 - 7/10

Theatrical production of Robert Moses, emperor of inner city expressways and urban renewal.
First half deals with early, somewhat idealistic days negotiating with powerful Long Island estates, the Vanderbilts, the Morgans, etc … Then wheeling-dealing with Governor Al Smith.
Second half is the attempt to ram a project through Washington Square (the Village), where he encounters ferocious, organized resistance spearheaded by ***Jane Jacobs.
Moses’ legacy endures to this day. The thought that road congestion can be solved with more roads, wider roads.
Understanding urban planning might enhance enjoyment of this play, though it is not necessary.
Ralph Fiennes casts a spell as the visionary who grows entrenched, then autocratic.