Vultural

The Rescue - 2021 - 7/10

Documentary of the schoolboys (soccer squad) and their coach, trapped in a cave as monsoon laden waters rise.
First in were the Thai Navy SEALS, accustomed to underwater missions, but not cave diving.
Next, a tiny group of aging, British hobbyists, who regard cave diving as fun and relaxing.
Gripping documentary is chronological, shows the MAJOR effort involved, the global media circus, the politics and “face” obstructions, and does not shy away from the implied threats to the divers.
Superbly photographed.

When younger, I caved for over a decade. The water was usually ice cold. Water levels were often knee high, a few times, waist high. Whenever it reached out necks, we turned around. If the next step was a dropoff or hole, that would prove a catastrophe. We often suspected there were chambers and spectacles in the depths, but proper gear was beyond us. This doc shares the lure and tranquility of caving, so long as you are not claustrophobic.

Terror On The Rappahannock - 2020 - 6/10

Horror short blends racial injustice with the sins of the father.
Add a malevolent force active on Halloween night.
A little heavy handed, but the editing stands out, negotiating several storylines.
No real surprises or twists. Worth a watch, though.
Borderline subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/terror-on-the-rappahannock/english/2786074

The Brest Fortress - 2010 - 7/10
AKA - Fortress Of War // Брестская Kрепость

No-holds barred WWII guts n glory film, told from the besieged Soviet point of view.
In 1941, the Soviets were unprepared, poorly trained, complacent, and, if you recall your history, supplying raw materials to their German “ally” up to the last hour.
The Brest fortress is an obsolete relic, ill equipped for the Wehrmacht, at its zenith in '41.
Film scores in not being jingoistic or packed with propaganda. Poor planning results in failure.
Even heroism is no match for Stukas, Panzers and machine gun fire.
Film is problematic, however, in that it provides scant background details.
Nothing is shown of the German planning for Operation Barbarossa, or the overall offensive around Minsk.
Of course, the entire film is from the Soviet defenders’ perspective, and they would be likewise ignorant of German High Command strategy.
There are also an awful lot of characters in this and roles and ranks are often confusing.
Don’t let that deter you, if curious. Hunt down the documentary series Soviet Storm if truly interested.

Meet The Feebles - 1989 - 7/10

Trials and tribulations of the weekly variety skit show.
The star diva, growing fatter by the day. Her lover / club owner, who cheats on her and deals drugs on the side. The porn films being filmed in the basement. The star comedian who has caught a deadly disease.
This barely covers a fraction of the shenanigans of this black comedy satire.
Fans of the Muppets, this a parallel world on crank.
Shocking, hilarious, subversive. NOT FOR PRUDES, please!
Swearing, sex, drug abuse, violence, unforgettable musical numbers.

Note: When Fellowship Of The Ring came out on DVD, I bought stacks of Feebles and placed them at checkout, with signage, “Also by Peter Jackson!” We sold through quickly and repeatedly. Not one ever came back, but I’m sure folks expecting the Shire were surprised.

The Rocketeer - 1991 - 6/10

Part of the pulp derived films that flourished in the 1990’s (Dick Tracy to The Shadow to The Phantom). All fun and empty headed.
Cliff finds a jetpack prototype that can send him airborne.
It could also be used by combat troops, which draws interest of spies and sellouts.
This suffers from insufficient action, subdued colors, along with an awfully wholesome tone.
The Rocketeer came after Raiders Lost Ark, and faltered at that bar.
Later pulp adaptations were more tongue in cheek, not so here.
Well cast, this should appeal to fans of Jennifer Connelly.

Man Up - 2015 - 7/10

Well done British romantic comedy scores all around.
Jaded relationship failures “meet cute” then have the great first night date.
Go figure.
They down multiple shots, strike at a bowling alley (are there even lanes in London?), quarrel, bond, deceive, lie.
And yes, deception lurks at the core of this comedy.
Points for using fairly unglamorous leads, kicking them into cringe situations.
Points for positive portrayals of Millennials, not cast as self-absorbed, delusional twats.
Feel good material, with melancholy undercurrent.
Possibly rated this higher than it deserves because the other suggested title was guy kryptonite, Sex In The City 2.

Surely someone will invent a game changer.
A matter diffuser, or an energy burst that loosens molecular bonds.
Guns are a convenient fallback, I suppose.
Protoculture would have made an interesting weapon.
Or was it the proto molecule?
Ha ha, Robotech lives!

A Man’s Story - 2009 - 7/10
AKA - The Slingshot // Namja-I-Yaki // 남자이야기

K-drama squarely in the revenge genre.
Unlike Western vengeance that revels in payback and blood satisfaction, this studies the consequences of revenge.
The corrosion of the soul, and unhappiness that wounds friends and strangers.
Cha Do Woo, trying to acquire a competitor, destroys dozens of smaller companies. Collateral damage.
Kim Shin’s brother loses all. Business, money, respect, finally his life.

Kim vows to destroy the man responsible.
If that means going to prison, if that means joining with gangsters, if that means stealing … so be it.
The rich playboy, Cha Do Woo, is a marvelous villain.

A poised, polished sociopath, who regards 95% of humanity as dirt.
He has an easy time in early episodes, yet as stakes mount, ethics plummet.
Obstacles must be crushed in pursuit of his grandiose scheme.
Both opponents analyze and exploit the weakness of each other.
Very much a chess match played across boardrooms and stock exchange.
Limited weeping - hooray. Clever plotting throughout, the end stitches a few threads, leaves a few unresolved.
Yong-ha Park (Kim Shin) was on a meteoric ascent with this, his final work before his suicide.

Angry, Raucous, And Shamelessly Gorgeous - 2021 - 6/10

Anne, living abroad for three decades, is lured back to the States to receive an achievement award.
She misinterprets, however, and believes she will also be acting in her historic play.
Where a younger actress has already been cast.
Sharp tongued comedy of the plight and shading of aging female actors.
Airing during the height of Covid Pandemic, this ”Zoom” show lies between theatre and television.
Throughout, there are obvious, visible, video edits. So much for “live” theatre.
Since the producers tweaked there, why not repair the audio issues?
Phylicia Rashad’s voice is poorly caught most of the play, as is Alicia Stith’s.

Dossier 51 - 1978 - 6/10

Dominique is promoted to a high level diplomatic position.
Immediately, security agencies, spy operatives, set about to discover any weakness.
Once found, they will exploit to control the individual.
This has a documentary feel, with witnesses and subjects interviewed throughout.
The diplomat’s mother, ex-schoolmates, an old flame, neighbors, babysitter.
Despite touches of humor, this is an arid, cynical progression.
Throughout, neither the diplomat nor his equally surveilled wife are aware.

Kill Your Friends - 2015 - 6/10

You ever wonder why pop music is so damned dreadful?
How inarticulate halfwits, scabbing lyrics a three-year-old would be ashamed of, soar up the charts?
Mostly, the herd is responsible.
You know, us, the feeble brained audience, especially when we are young and have discretionary income and limited tastes.
Oh, and there is also the A & R guy, force-feeding us crappy artists he thinks we might like.

Ferocious satire set in during the heyday of BritPop or Cool Britannia.
Our Artists & Repertoire rep is cynical to the core, ambitious, terrified of getting fired, and treacherous.
He’s hunting for the next new group, next hit. Longevity? Sod off!
Time specific to the mid 90’s (in five years, filesharing will start to destroy the vast majority of record labels).
Sharp edged, wicked comedy revs out of the gate, falters midway, then strikes for the jugular.

Swallow - 2019 - 7/10

New bride Hunter is a mess of insecurities.
Of humble origins, she has married into wealth and status.
She doesn’t seems capable of doing much, nor is she given opportunity.
Besides esteem problems, she is overly eager to please.
When pregnancy arrives, a pica compulsion mounts.
(As someone with a mild pica myself, I know how insidious this can be.)
The pace is deliberate, in keeping with unearthing Hunter’s deeper issue.
Psychological story flirts with female oppression, and the family stain.

Burt’s Buzz - 2013 - 6/10

Documentary about elderly Burt Shavitz, cofounder of Burt’s Bees product line.
Featherweight across the board, simply because this man talks little and while his story is mildly interesting, it is hardly compelling.
Suffice to say, in the 80’s, Maine resident Burt and fellow hippie female friend started selling beeswax candles, lip balm.
His backwoods, bearded image was used as logo and namesake.
Company enjoyed incredible success, Burt was bored, sold out for a trifle.
Don’t know whether to praise filmmakers for trying to make him appear entertaining, or to blame them for displaying this taciturn, slow thinking old man.
Shavitz died in 2015, by the way.

Mauprat - 1926 - 6/10

An infant aristocrat is kidnapped by a scoundrel and raised with bandits.
Of age, he meets his beautiful cousin, falls in love, and tries to amend bad habits.
Creaky Silent has too much melodrama and love misunderstandings.
The villainy and conflicts are exciting, yet there are not enough of those moments.
The print I watched was very good (though no audio).
Director Jean Epstein dissolve transitions are marvelous.
Reworked subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/mauprat/english/2781723

Almost Human - 2013 - 6/10

Bit of a mistake, this. I had watched the Swedish series Äkta Människor, then decided I wanted to view the remake. Only I chose this buddy cop series instead of Humans.
This is a slick, empty headed failure. Glossy high tech, stereotype roles.
Angry cop, wise supervisor, nervous geek deep in his lab, mouthwatering chrome-femme colleague.
Angry cop’s new partner is a discontinued robot model (with synthetic soul, that way the actor doesn’t have to speak and move like other androids).
Plots are stale, outcomes predictably happy, dialogue is crap, acting stiff.
In the year 2048, there are still cellphones, cars, desk computers, nightclubs, as well as Frisbee sized drones.
There are noodle shops and plenty of booze. Blame limited imagination on producer J H Wyman (Fringe)
J J Abrams created the three-note opening music, yet the rest of the music, better, is by Crystal Method.
For the patient, by E10 the show finds its footing and voice. Original ratings tanked around that point.
For the first time, the underbelly of an elite city is shown, also a growing class divide between normal humans and genetically perfect ones, and rudimentary story arcs appear.
After E13, there are a couple of loose ends, but no annoying cliffhangers.
I have read it is canceled, I have read it is renewed. Eh.

Female Jungle - 1955 - 4/10

On the brink of stardom, a blonde actress is strangled outside a cheap dive.
Stumbling out of the bar is an off-duty detective, senselessly drunk.
He had been dating a blonde, he wonders. Was she … did he … He can’t remember.
Noir wannabe written, starring and produced by Burt Kaiser.
Poor script, amateurish direction sink this turkey. (Bad and boring.)
Director favors reaction shots and cutaways - lots of them.
John Carradine plays elegant, sinister artsy type, Lawrence Tierney coasts.
Everyone else overacts, or worse, wait for partners to finish lines so they can say theirs.
Film introduced new actress, all hips, lips and curves, Jayne Mansfield.

Farewell, My Lovely - 1975 - 7/10

“Find my Velma.”
And Marlowe is shanghaied into searching for the hulking Moose’s old flame.
Velma had disappeared seven years earlier, after Moose went into the slammer.
As Marlowe hunts, others seek furiously, and lethally, for Moose Malloy.
Two steps forward lead to one step back and two more sideways.
Police, prostitutes, murder, dope, nudity, language.
This is Film Noir, but it ain’t 1946 Noir. Actually, there are references setting this in 1941.
Historical namedrops: DiMaggio’s streak and Operation Barbarossa.
Cars, I was less sure about (I needed my father to nitpick there).
I switched the color to black and white at one point, but it lacked the depth and contrast to resemble Noir.
Exceptional homage, nonetheless, beautifully stitched tale of doom and betrayal.
Mitchum, John Ireland, Charlotte Rampling, Harry Dean Stanton, (a slim) Sly Stallone.

Remainder - 2015 - 6/10

A lone man, walking a crowded London street, notices windows shattering off a nearby skyscraper.
Next thing, something falls (appears to be scaffolding) smashing him to the pavement.
After months of rehabilitation, he returns to society.
His memories are shredded, but lawyers got him a £8.5 million settlement.
Naturally, his oldest, bestest friends - of whom he has no memory - are eager to assist.
To its credit, as the guy throws money to restore memories, the narrative goes in unexpected directions.
Answers and truth seldom equate to happiness.
Slow initially, momentum escalates, as does the violence.

Manson Family Vacation - 2015 - 6/10

Artistic, unemployed brother crashes with more successful attorney brother for a few days.
“Hey, while I’m in the neighborhood,” he suggests, “do you wanna check out homes of Manson murders?”
There’s the premise.
Viewers best expect creepy crawl.
Film begins in uncomfortable territory, yet the aim does not hold true.
Narrative gradually curves into an unexpected, and rather refreshing direction.
Note the title, note the subject matter.
Do not wander into this if you have qualms or get squeamish about outsiders.

Emptied - 2014 - 6/10

8:30 PM, the hygienist clocks out, leaving Dentist Charlotte alone.
Who remains to greet her late night patient, an “ex” of sorts.
Those who suffer dentophobia, stop now! Right now.
Visceral, gory short of the jilted and a pair of extractors.
Based, so the intro says, on true events (April 2012).

Gothic & Lolita Psycho - 2010 - 5/10
AKA - Gosurori shokeinin // ゴスロリ処刑人

Rough club in Neo-Tokyo caters to cage boxing, torture, blood wagers, Kimono fan dancers …
Parasol spinning girl arrives, resembling Cher having a bad hair day.
She slaughters everyone in the room, just to get at the first notch on her list.
Yes - vengeance. Flashback shows five black robed assassins murder her mother.
Truckloads of action and a fair bit of comedy.
The best “duel” was #4 with Lady Elle, a bubbly sort wearing skimpy schoolgirl duds.
This has decent fight choreography (I ran in slo-mo) with Elle pausing to chat on her weapon phone.
Plot is paper thin, the acting is broad and goofy (eyepatch Elle is a jewel, though).
Mindless fun for pre-teens any age.

Northern Soul: Living For The Weekend - 2014 - 7/10

Another documentary on the scene that flourished in Northern England from late 60’s to mid 70’s, stressing obscure hard soul songs hailing from the 60’s US.
The region - at least those particular clubbers - ignored psychedelia, bubblegum, heavy metal and just wanted music to dance the night away. None of that sitting and nodding stuff.
Athletic dance moves prefigure break-dancing, along with a juicy mix of stomping tunes.
This period has been covered in a couple other docs, but Living For Weekend seems target dated for the imminent release of the film version.
Packed with music, some of the usual clips, different shuffle of talking heads.
Should satisfy the curious and provide an easy introduction to Northern Soul.

Attack On Titan - 2015 - 6/10
AKA - 進撃の巨人

Fire up the barbeque grill!
Bygone, post apocalypse dystopia finds humanity lingering behind towering fortress walls.
Within fifteen minutes, the root of the apocalypse (100 years earlier) lumber inside.
30m tall, humanoid looking “titans” who soon get down to business.
Oh yes, carnivore chomping business. Preferred food - tasty humans.
Gore galore as the giants squabble over dainties and rip ‘em apart.
Technology being at subsistence level, survivors wage a losing war using blades, gunpowder and dwindling petrol.
Based on popular anime which was based on popular manga, this is an efficient distillation.
Moreover, this live action version loses the immature comedy and most of the leads are at least in their twenties, rather than teens and tweens.
Savory film with wings or ribs. Bon appétit.

A Long Way Down - 2014 - 6/10

Film launches with a disgraced television presenter preparing to jump from a towering building.
A woman approaches behind him, asking if he will be long. She’s in a hurry to leap.
Next, another female. Then a guy. You get the picture.
On New Years Eve, no less, and no one carries bubbly. No wonder they are depressed.
With group suicide as a beginning, how far down can it go?

Start asking yourself questions: Could these characters become unlikely friends?
Will they realize their miserable lives aren’t so miserable after all?
Will fun and laughter start creeping into their lives?
Large name cast wisecracks Nick Hornby’s feel-good novel.
This coulda shoulda been over in 2 minutes. Less talking, more jumping.

Murder In Mulhouse - 2021 - 5/10
AKA - Meurtres à Mulhouse

The corpse of a jogger is found under a mound of potash.
Leading the investigation is the lieutenant, who has lost custody of her son in a divorce.
Somewhat assisting the inquiry (why?) is the divorce attorney for her husband.
The attorney, her own brother.
Lackluster French mystery wanders aimlessly only to quickly resolve in a force-fit finale.
Take note of the suspects above. To the left. Yes, that one, Saint Nick.