Vultural

Rachel Getting Married - 2008 - 6/10

Yes, it is her big day, but troubled sister Kym is draining all the energy, accidentally or accidentally on purpose.
Kym is out of rehab for years of substance abuse. Self-destructive and a chronic liar.
Everyone blames her for the death of a relative.
Family conflict, with a provocative black sheep who garners no sympathy from family or viewers.
The usually perky Anne Hathaway is simply wonderful as the toxic disease on two legs.
Anyone who has witnessed or participated in baggage loaded nuptials, rehearsals, receptions will recognize.
Planning to marry soon? Yours could be similar. Reluctant attendees = Destination Wedding.

The German - 2025 - 6/10

Uri and Anna have been married and at the kibbutz for 25 years.
Son Eitan primed to join the air force, daughter Tamar to graduate university.
Uni, developer of a new irrigation process, needs to fly to Germany to seal the deal.
Compounding matters, Mossad asks Uri to deliver a small packet.
Germany, where horrible memories and an uneasy past lurk near the surface.
Where the recipient, an ex-Nazi, perceives something in Uri.
Mossad is delighted and Uri is pulled deeper into darkness and away from the kibbutz.
What follows is a high-strung thriller that buckled at the end.
The finale is truncated. Either producers could not find an ending, or opted for season 2.
I found the overall conceit completely implausible.

The Protectors - 1972 - 6/10

Ever wonder what happens to old spies, those who retire?
For example, Napoleon Solo, post his stint with U.N.C.L.E.
He might freelance. Provide protection, surveillance, conveyance.
Join forces with an Italian countess and a suave French operative.
At half an hour each, episodes hurry along.
Do not expect character development or much narrative track.

Nyree Dawn Porter, the Countess, had been approached by The Avengers.
Reluctant to follow Emma Peel, she wisely declined, and her character hews closer to Cathy Gale.
Fun series, lacking greatness, but action packed, spectacular locations, and an irresistible theme song.

Love Gets A Room - 2021 - 7/10
AKA - El Amor en su Lugar

Theatre troupe, imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII, put on a play to raise spirits.
A musical comedy, weaving the play with personal choices.
Playwright Patryk plans to escape after the show and wants ex-flame Stefcia to accompany.
She, however, is in love with the caddish leading man.
The theatre is full, a stoic audience longing for a night to forget their desperate fears.
In the front row, an SS officer, theatre lover himself or something more sinister?
Outstanding camera work, easy to overlook if one is caught in the story.

Homicidal - 1961 - 6/10

Emily strolls into a Ventura hotel, requests the “younger” bellboy to carry her bag.
Upstairs, she offers him $2000 to marry her that night – followed by an annulment.
Like you or I, he says sure, hotstuff.
Once the Justice Of The Peace does the deed, Emily stabs the JP dead and flees.
End of intro.

Think the killing is over? No, sir, Emily is one busy, one twisted blonde.
She tortures an invalid, flirts with her sister-in-law’s boyfriend, buys strychnine.
Cheap, messy William Castle flick, with an icy performance by Joan Marshall.

Anticipation Of The Night - 1958 - 6/10

Experimental film spiraling from dusk to dawn.
Silent, no sound. Blurred images, rapid pans, repeated settings.
From woodlands to what appears to be an amusement park, packed with children late at night.
I viewed with the mindset that this was a museum installation and I was OK with that.
My attention bounced from absorbed to bored to deep concentration to checking the clock.

The Sea God - 1930 - 5/10

The skipper has the worst luck. One, his name is Pink. Two, he loses all his money gambling. Three, he bets his boat, loses that. Four, his sweetheart, Daisy, is back with his hated rival, and engaged!
Hope springs eternal, however, when a dying seadog tells him where a fortune in pearls can be found.
So long as those pesky cannibals keep away.
Stodgy adventure film set in the South Seas (ahem, Catalina Island).
Fay Wray and Richard Arlen have sparse chemistry, despite making several films together.

Le Sauvage - 1975 - 6/10

Ever of her wedding, Nelly flees her future husband, or more likely, his huge, rambunctious family.
After her nightclub boss refuses her back pay, she swipes his Toulouse-Lautrec.
And winds up on Martin’s island. Where he grows vegetables and subsists off the land.
Martin is trying to escape the rat race; Nelly is the rat race, obsessed with money and the value of everything.
Silly French RomCom boasts powerful leads in Catherine Deneuve and Yves Montand.
Support includes Tony Roberts and Dana Wynter, set in Venezuela.
Comedy seem forced, may depend on your attitude.
Still, not often you see Deneuve so capricious.

Various (Editor: Marín, Álvaro García) - The Vampire Of Vourla

A half dozen vampire stories from 18919-1846, predating the Bram era.
All are Greek oriented, though many appear to have come from English writers.
Editor Marín pens a lengthy introduction, explaining the long history of vampires in Greece, their origins which may have gone back to Turkish domination, and the rationale for their erasure from history.

The opener by Lord Byron is a mere fragment, yet reflects the ornate writing of old. Flowery to the point of overripe. Ending mid-sentence, mid-paragraph? Just ending.

“The Vampire: A Tale” picks from Byron’s story, perhaps copied, perhaps influenced. Written by John Polidori, Byron’s physician, whom I might pigeonhole as a frenemy. The story is of a young man with an older, more experienced, slightly sinister man. He reminded me of Dorian’s mentor, Lord Henry.

“The Story Of Demetrio Gkikas” is less bloodsucker than a restless spirit, an unhappy soul.

In John Bowring’s “Vampires”, we listen in as a father tells his children a spooky bedtime story. The children, while not precocious, easily possess more common sense than many individuals today.

“The Vroucolacas” is a fun little romp with a good mix of characters, a possessive father whose beautiful daughter loves an unacceptable male. Complaining to the local Turkish official is perilous, as the Bashaw would sooner chop off heads than tax himself listening. While the vampire in question disturbs the local community, readers chuckle at the mischief.

An essential book? Probably not. Good for those who want more stories that are off the heavily worn path. The notes and scholarship aid immensely, as well.

redundant = will sort later

The Jangling Man: Martin Newell Story - 2022 - 6/10

Meandering documentary (fitting actually) of the iconoclast musician and poet who shuns the music biz.
Youth barely mentioned, read “This Little Ziggy”. Bands are checked, with tune snips.
Mostly, this is Newell in his home studio, accent on home.
Plenty of talking heads, primarily musicians, certainly not the London critics.
Giles Smith seems a big omission.
While this rambles, by the end you have a good feel for Martin as an individual.
Fans of Newell ought to bump my score a couple points.
Never heard of him, but like vintage pop and psychedelia?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heKeeC_ADcA

Highest 2 Lowest - 2025 - 6/10

Glossy remake of the Kurosawa classic from 1963.
Music mogul, King, regrets selling part of his empire, now seeks to retake control.
His son is kidnapped, an exorbitant ransom demanded, only it was not HIS son, but his chauffeur’s.
Pay the ransom and lose the company? Or refuse and face the wrath of social media?
The moral dilemma. Bear in mind, Hollywood is not Japan.
Slick, beautiful shots of New York. The film is overlong, however, and great stretches stagnate.
Moreover, the logic of the demands (Swiss francs) and the fund transfers defy belief.

Gunn - 1967 - 6/10

A retired mob boss is liquidated on his boat.
Even though the new cartel warns him, Peter Gunn owed the old man.
And as the new chief starts squeezing, casino owners cry for help.
Reboot of the vintage TV series seems out-of-step from the start.
1967, the Summer Of Love, yet the interiors are Jazz clubs and gangsters in fedoras.
The mystery angle is good, great twist, Stevens laid back (seems too old to lure the ladies, though).
For the cult of Sherry Jackson, she has a meaty role and is as intoxicating as ever.
Look for Carol Wayne at the end.

Bookish - 2025 - 7/10

Mr. Book sells used books. Also assists the Yard on occasion.
After all, he has a letter from Mr. Churchill.
Period mysteries set between the end of WWII and the Swinging Sixties.
Plenty of rubble and resentments, and, of course, murders.
Superb looking series. A trio of two-part episodes.
Clues are strewn, but usually a big one is saved for the final reveal.
Compared with other cozies, there is a meaner edge to this, setting it apart.

Murders In Valenciennes - 2018 - 6/10
AKA - Les Disparus de Valenciennes

Florian had been working on the history of the fatal mining disaster.
Until he was found hanging, a steel chain around his neck. Murdered.
Responding are two French officers, long estranged brothers.
Mean-spirited throughout, what with bickering, resentments, class rancor.
This one does not rely on scenery, but very plot driven.
No end of malfeasance, too. Dark edge that cuts to the conclusion.

Show us?

Cthulhu In Salem - 2047 - 5/10

A hazing ritual gone bad, an initiation taken too far.
Stultus Fortis fraternity pleads accident. Behind the smiles, “accidentally on purpose.”
Bound and blindfolded, pledges were submerged in freezing waters.
One was held under until his lungs filled. His last gasp, however, was “Fanglue muggle calla you relay wha-fatgen.”
Afterward, frat members – and girlfriends – die or disappear mysteriously.
The blotched rendition of the classic “Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn” is one of numerous errors.
Warning: This is a variation on “The Shadow Over Innsmouth” and NOT “The Call Of Cthulhu”.
Also, Innsmouth is transplanted to Salem. Either producers did not know HPL or did not care.
Actors from a local college. Hockey team and Phi Pi Phi girls.
Effects surprisingly good. Fog for mist, creatures backlit or shadowed. Eerie music and sound field.
Derivative story is, yet pacing is crisp and tension builds. One can see why this is a hit on the Dark web.
Acolytes? Cthulhu is never seen nor mentioned.

The Stone Tape - 1972 - 5/10

The old castle provides the new location for the research laboratory.
One room, however, well … it’s haunted. Screaming, sightings.
Anyone with common sense might go, “OK, close this off and leave it alone.”
These are lab coats, mind you, so they drag their gear inside and begin investigating.
Dawdling narrative, elements of Horror and clunky science.
Looks cheap. Actors strive their best, but they deserved a sharper script.
This was a real theory, by the way = https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Tape_theory

Brown, Eric - The Telemass Quartet

Retired cop Matt Hendricks is in pursuit across light years.
Ex-wife Maatje and her partner have kidnapped the daughter.
Dead daughter.
Hurtling from one system to another in search of a promised resurrection cure.
Since alien treatments might work on humans, right? Maybe? Hopefully?
Four novellas, each around eighty pages, read hard and fast.
For an ex-investigator, ole Matt is repeatedly outsmarted by Maartje.
Luckily, convenient help, and willing ladies, appear just when needed.
The first two novellas seemed fresher; maybe I appreciated the world building better in those.
Every story bolts to a conclusion, with the “The End” plug yanked abruptly.
Note: I have read little SciFi since the 70’s, but this was entertaining.
Part of a second grab-bag assortment bought from PS Publishing.

Necromancy - 1971 - 5/10

Frank accepts a job in isolated Lilith, dragging a reluctant Lori along.
The small town is a gated community, inhabitants mostly twenty-year-olds.
Well-garbed hippies, New Age occult dabblers.
Ruling all is Mr Cato (Orson Welles, why oh why?), pining for his dead son.
Lori, it seems has gifts: second sight, visions.
In a town full of wannabe witches, she is the genuine article.
Promising concept, poorly executed.
“Witchcraft is the only honest religion, that makes things happen now, in this life.”

Curse Of The Dog God - 1977 - 6/10
AKA - Inugami no Tatari // 犬神の悪霊

Three men, racing down the backroads, Geiger counter suddenly clicking like mad.
So excited, they accidentally smash into a small shrine, then run down and kill a dog.
Yes, they brought this on themselves. Even though they are ignorant for a while.
Nevertheless, one marries a village girl who soon realizes her husband is under the curse.
Trying to protect him drives her insane, and she is possessed.
Above, the husband about to succumb to the intruder inhabiting his wife.
Twin evils throughout: ancient curse, modern uranium. Village superstitions, motorcycle thugs.

Arachnid - 2001 - 5/10

An experimental stealth fighter locates and shoots down … an alien spaceship!
Jump ahead several years, when a scientific expedition flies to a remote South Seas island.
Natives are being decimated by some sort of mysterious venom dissolving them from within.
Oh-my-God, does that mean there was a big, intelligent spider piloting that craft?
Half-baked ripoff of Predator finds a team beset by various, deadly insects.
Locations reminded me of Ramar and Jungle Jim.
You like junk food? Here’s something to watch with it.

Dearest Sister - 2016 - 6/10
AKA - Nong Hak

Nok leaves the small village for large city Vientiane to care for a distant relative, Ana.
Ana, married to Westerner Jakob, is going blind, and suffers from passive aggressive servants.
A side-effect of the failing eyesight, Ana is soon seeing the dead, and receiving messages.
Numbers, winning lottery numbers, which the poor village girl exploits for material goods.
Nok is soon snooping, eavesdropping, losing small town morals.
Yes, there are some cloudy dead souls, but this is limited Horror, more a slow burn thriller.

Nadja - 1994 - 6/10

Modern take on Dracula, actually his daughter, and this bears little resemblance to the 1936 film.
The look is Noir / Gothic, although “vampiric” scenes are pixilated.
The pixilation is overused, gets repetitive, ultimately tedious.
A Van Helsing descendant is jailed after driving a stake (finally) through Count Dracula’s heart.
Dracula’s daughter retrieves the body, then parties begin scrambling across New York.

Acting is dominated by a loose, swinging Peter Fonda and a mesmerizing Elina Löwensohn.
Back and forth, I was riveted to the screen and bored out of my mind.
Arthouse vampires, in line with Only Lovers Kept Alive.

The Norman Conquests: Round And Round The Garden - 1977 - 7/10

Final part of the trilogy, this one set in the back garden.
This opens earliest, with Tom arriving for an injured cat, then Norman, then Reg and Sarah.
One ought NOT watch this first, however, as subsequent proceedings stem from indoor incidents.
Any sympathy for Norman collapses in this outing.
Norman is an emotional huckster with a smooth lie, “I can make you happy.”

He comes off as a pathetic sleaze. One wonders at the desperation quotient of females drawn to him.
Norman is a charade, miserable himself, with radar for similar sufferers.
Ayckbourn comedy mixed with poignancy may rouse your ire.