Change Your Image
LeonLouisRicci
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Der amerikanische Freund (1977)
ARTSY...NE0-NOIR...WIM WENDERS PLAYS WITH PATRICIA HIGHSMITH'S "TOM RIPLEY"...AN Off-BEAT-THRILLER
Bonafide Cult-Movie (see Danny Peary's "Cult Movies" 1,2,3)...
Part of the "German-New-Wave", Wim Wenders Made Movies with a Seldom-Seen, Overwhelming Passion that is Undeniable.
In this "Ripe for "Film-Noir", Character (Anti-Hero) Story, and Style, Wenders Uses the "Form" and Backdrops and Transfigures "Tom Ripley", here a Co-Star in the Purest Sense, Played by Dennis Hopper (fresh off the plane from the filming of "Apocalypse Now" (1976).
Bruno Ganz, Plays "Jonathan", a Family Man with a Wife and a Pre-School Son, who is Grappling with a "Terminal-Diagnosis", and is Distraught at the Meger Holdings He will Leave After "Departing".
"Ripley" Recruits "Johnathan" for a "Hit-Man" Assignment where He can Earn a Bundle-of-Bucks for a Few Days "Work".
Reluctant at First, but Soon Realizes He has Very Little Options in Front of Him Before He "Passes"...So Agrees.
Expressionistic Style, Other-Wordly Presentations, Thickly Embellished Cinematography (especially the fluorescent lighting and the use of color from Cinematographer Muller),
Ambiguous Playful Plot and Story, all are a "Personal" Decision" from Wenders, Forgoing Popular Modern-Tropes, for a More Intimate Portrayal of Crime and Film-Noir.
European Film-Makers are a "Different Breed" (obviously), from their "American" Movie-Makers.
As Such, it Takes Time for the Impact, Artistic Influences, offering a "Same" but "Not the Same" Game.
Here is a "Master-Class" of Independent Film-Making He Combines 2 Dynamos of Acting...Bernard Ganz and Dennis Hopper who Effortlessly Capture the Screen, Lisa Kreuzer, Playing Johnathan's Wife, is Equally Compelling.
Another of Wim's Playful Inclusions of Former Real-Life Directors Sam Fuller, Nicholas Ray, and Others in Supporting Roles,..
and Tops it All Off with a Visually Arresting Display of Cityscapes (internal and external).
"The American Friend" is Infectious and has a Long-Lived Staying Power from those that Watch this "Immigrant" Hybrid...
with an Open-Minded Look-See at What's Going On with Movies by Non-American Film-Makers Abroad.
If that bit of Mind-Travel is of No Interest there can be No Interest in Going Here.
In a Few Days there will be Hundreds of New Movies at the Cineplex where You will Feel Comfortable and Very at Home.
Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)
MOSTLY BASED ON THE ALEX RAYMOND NEWSPAPER-STRIPS..."STAR WARS" MOSTLY BASED ON THIS TYPE
Running Time (3hr 15min)
Chapter Titles
1. The Purple Death...2. Freezing Torture...3. Walking Bomb...4. The Destroying Ray...5. The Palace of Peril...6. Flaming Death...7. Land of the Dead...8. The Fiery Abyss...9. The Pool of Peril...10. The Death Mist...11. Stark Treachery...12. Doom of the Dictator
Buster Crabbe (Flash Gordon), Charles Middleton (Ming the Merciless), and Frank Shannon (Dr. Alexis Zarkov) only Actors to Appear in All 3 "Flash Gordon" Serials.
The 3 "Flash Gordon" Serial Titles...Flash Gordon (1936)...Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars (1938)...Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe ( 1940). King Features Syndicate Released the 3 Flash Gordon Serials as well as "Buck Rogers" (1939).
Much of the Background Music was by "Frank Waxman" Originally Used in "The Bride of Frankenstein" (1935). Also, the Song Playing in the Background during the Sequence Recapping the Previous Chapter's Events was the Theme for "The Invisible Man" (1933).
In the 1960s, this Serial was Edited into the Length of a Feature to be Sold to TV. The feature version was renamed "Flash Gordon's Perils from the Planet "Mongo".
According to Film-Historians Jim Harmon & Don Glut, Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe ...
"Was the most picturesque of the trilogy but surrendered much compelling charm for its cinematic sophistication."
Somewhat Available "Free" and For-Sale...But be Diligent in Your Selection because the Offerings Vary-Wildly in Quality...Take some Time and Choose the Best Versions that can be Found to Truly Experience this Serial and the Other 2 that are Considered, with Very Little Descent...
The Best of All "Cliffhangers, Serials, Chapter-Plays" Ever.
Elaborate, Eye-Popping-Art-Deco, Exciting...and Fun for the Family.
Historically, Cinema Science-Fiction was Produced Mostly for Children...with some Diversion along the way, but Not Taken at all Seriously, Until "Kubrick" ("2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968)...
that "Ground-Breaker-Break-Through" Started an Awkward "Hit & Miss Filmography Until George Lucas and "Star Wars" Changed All That (follow the money) with "New Thinking" about its Worth, Along-Side Other Genres.
The Western, Similarly, was Given the "New Think" Starting about 1950 with "Adult" Themed Movies from Anthony Mann and Budd Boetticher. But it Took Longer for Sci-Fi, and it was Worth the Wait.
If You are all Curious about the "Serials"...Might as well Start with the "Flash Gordons".
For Sci-Fi Fans...
A Must-See
For Others...
Worth a Watch.
Owning Mahowny (2003)
"FEED ME SEYMOUR"...ROLE-PLAYING WITH ROOTS IN HIS REAL-LIFE...PSH AGAIN MAGNETIC
An Oscar-Winner who is Considered one of the Best-Actors of His Era, was No-Stretch if You Know His Private-Life Back Story.
A Man who Lives a Life, Despite all the Talent and Success, of One Addiction or Another that Haunts His Life.
He Entered "Rehab" at 22 after Finishing His Undergrad Work, Suffering from Alcohol-Addiction.
Then After Many Years Sober Found Another Pleasure, so All Consuming (heroin) that Ended His Life in the Bathroom with a Needle still Stuck in His Arm when Discovered Unconscious.
He was 46, and Made Over 50-Movies,. In 2003 He was Still Accelerating a Career Much Admired and Respected by Fans and Critics.
But in 2003 the "Public" and Peers were Confident, after Kicking Alcohol, that the "Trouble" was in the Past and He had Much to Live-For and Enjoy Life, Including His 3 Children.
Still a Supporting Actor in Independent Films, for the Most-Part...His Oscar Win as "Truman" in "Capote:, was 3 Years in the Future, it's Obvious that He Finds "Addiction" and Addicts Something Compelling.
He IS the Driving-Force Behind any Success the Movie Displays.
The Support is from John Hurt, Minnie Driver, Maury Caulkin, and the Story of Molony, who is Canada's Most Infamous "White-Collar" Criminal for His Crimes of Embezzlement and Fraud.
Directed by 2nd Timer, Richard Kwietniowski, with a $10M Budget that Shows its Under-Funding in a Bad-Light,
Especially the Casino Scenes, which Obviously are the Grounding where His Gambling During "Game-Day" are a Necessity, but Here are Hopelessly, and Crudely Handled.
If Hoffman was Not in the Lead the Movie would be Haplessly Worthless.
Even as a Study or a Studied-Warning about the Many Life-Destroying Activities or the Struggles and Road-Blocks Put In Front of the Species as a Matter-of-Course.
All the Things that Give Pleasure can Become "Habit-Forming" by the Very Nature of the Appeal
Ir Must be Enjoyed in Moderation to Avoid Becoming Physically or Psychologically "Addicted"
No Easy Task, but it Seems a Very Easy Role for Philip Seymour Hoffman to Identify With and Carry the Movie on His Back, Like so Many Monkeys, that have Done Just That.
Three Hours to Kill (1954)
INTERESTING...WESTERN-MYSTERY HYBRID...GENRE MATURITY ON DISPLAY...ABOVE AVERAGE
Dana Andrews, Again Faces the Hangman's Rope (see..."The Ox Bow Incident" (1942), this One is a Technicolor "B" that Lacks the Gravitas of the Former, but Still has Ingredients that Showcases the "Western" Genre Maturation Post WWII.
Exemplified by the Films of Anthony Mann and Budd Boetticher, this one also Produced by Harry Joe Brown who Teamed with Randolph Scott and Made some of the Most Memorable, Cutting-Edge Westerns in the "Decade of the Western", the 1950's.
It has a Solid Cast with Donna Reed Co-Starring and Backed with the Likes of Whit Bissell and Carolyn Jones.
Heavy on Intrigue and Mystery, Not Usually Found in the Genre, with 2 Elements Not Usually Found in Any Genre During the "Code" Era.
First, there is an Out-of-Wedlock Child that Figures Predominately and is Displayed Unapologetically...2nd there is a Throw-Away Angle Concerning a Gambler with 2 Girlfriends and All 3 seem to be OK with the Arrangement.
One of the Western-Movies of the 50's that Stands-Out Among the Avalanche that Smothered the Audience on the Big and Small Screen with so Many Offerings, that Sometimes a Hidden-Gem Gets Obliterated by the Shear Number of Titles.
This Might be One of Them...Give it a Go to See if it Qualifies.
For Western Movie Fans...A Must-See...For Others...Worth a Watch.
Blonde for a Day (1946)
LIVELY TALKY..."PRC" MICHAEL SHAYNE (HUGH BEAUMONT)...NO GREAT SHAKES
PRC (Producer Releasing Corp.) Infamously Invited "Nicknames" like..."Pretty Rotten Crap", etc. Because of the Studios Notoriously Low Budgets with "Cut-Corners" Evident Everywhere.
But they Provided Much Needed Work for a Lot of People on Their Way Up or Down the Hollywood-Ladder.
It's the 3rd Time Out for Hugh Beaumont, as Michael Shayne Taking Over the Role from Lloyd Nolan when FOX Produced.
Beaumont would Later become Immortalized in one of the Most Popular TV Sitcoms of the 50's. Playing "Dad Cleaver" in "Leave it to Beaver" (1957- 63).
It's also Worth Noting that He Co-Starred, Along-Side a "BLONDE" Barbara Stanwyck in what is Considered One of the Best Film-Noir..."Double Indemnity" (1944).
It's a Busy, Fast-Moving "Mystery" with an Occasional Norish Look. Most of the Action is Fisticuffs with One-Punch a Surprising "Knock-Out" from an Unconventional Source.
A Good Time-Passer as these Things Go.
Worth a Watch.
Johnny Apollo (1940)
EMBRYONIC FILM-NOIR...TYRONE POWER & DOROTHY LAMOUR AGAINST TYPE...ABOVE AVERAGE
Tyrone Power was a Powerful Box-Office Draw with His Costume Adventures but by 1940 He Requested more Diverse and Challenging Roles...This was Offered.
By 1947 with "Nightmare Alley", a Movie that Fans and Critics Label "100% Film-Noir", His Range as an Actor was No Longer in Question.
Director Henry Hathaway would Go-On to Contribute Significantly to the Spontaneous Eruption of Film-Noir in the Post-War Years Including...'The Dark Corner" (1945)..."Kiss of Death" (1947)..."Rawhide" (1951)...and "Niagara" (1953).
The Talented Hathaway, Parenthetically, can be Credited for Directing 2 that were Not Usually Associated with the Genre..."Niagara" a Full-Blown Technicolor Presentation with Maybe Marilyn Monroe at Her Sexiest and Perhaps Her Best Performance...and "Rawhide" a Western.
This Movie is an Above Average Film that Might be Called a Film-Noir Prototype Accentuating some of the Tropes and Style to Come in the Genre.
A Crime Picture that Starred the Always Reliable Edward Arnold that had an Electric Screen Presence and Dorothy Lamour Slumming Sans the Costumes and Fluff and Stuff where She was Always Welcomed Window-Dressing Along-Side Hope and Crosby "On-the-Road"...
Here She Delivers a Line Straight-Out of the Noir-Playbook...When Asked Where She was Going?... She Answered..."As far as $25 and a mink-coat will take me".
Lamoure Plays a Gangsters Gal and Blows a Couple of Tunes in Lloyd Nolan's Night-Club. Dorothy seems at Home On-the-Skids as She Was in Exotic Backdrops Enhancing the Entertainment in Those Other Eye-Pleasing Pictures.
The Supporting Cast is of Note...Charley Gapewin as a Milk&Scotch Lawyer and Marc Lawrence as a Gang-Member, Later He Became a Regular in Film-Noir and Always Delivered.
This was the Time When the Studio-System was Peaking, 1939 is Considered the Summit of Film-Making that Finished the Decade On-Top of Their Game.
But WWII was Exploding and that Put Everything On-Hold and Priorities Shifted to an All-Out-War-Effort by American-Citizens. Film-Noir and Making Feel-Good Extravagant Entertainment was, for the Most-Part, in Limbo for 5 Years.
Tomahawk (1951)
LOST AMONG THE NUMBER OF BIG & LITTLE SCREEN "WESTERNS" IN THE 50's...INCLUDED IN THE 1st WAVE OF A GENRE RECONSIDERED
A Mid-Range Budget, a Conscientious Director (George Sherman), Comfortable in the Setting of "Western-Movies",
and Willing to Break a 25 Year "Tradition" of Portraying Native-Americans in the 1800's as "Savages"...
that Failed to Add "Noble" to the Assessment that the Natives were Soul-Less Pagans and were In-the-Way of "Manifest Destiny".
Considered "Less-than-Human" and set about Eliminating these Obstacles at Any Cost.
No Tactic was Unused, Including...
Genocide, Wiping-Out Women and Children, Germ-Warfare (smallpox), and Eliminating (with glee) the Buffalo-Herds (they worshiped the creature that was the life-blood of their survival),
and of course the American Government Broke Most, if not all, of the "Peace-Treaties" Signed Together..."In-Good-Faith".
At the Time and Continuing for the 1st-Half of the 20th Century...the "Actual" Activities were White-Washed, Covered-Up, Dumbed-Down, or Ignored by "Historians", Politicians, and just about Anyone who Benefited from Their Departure.
The "Mind-Set" Occupying the Heads of Business, Most Leaders, and the Average Citizens was that Their "Heads" were Literally Void of Creating Anything Humane while Handling of the Situation, and were Insensitive to these People who were Considered "Expendable".
This Short-Lesson in American History is here Because "Tomahawk" was Made just a Year After the Ground-Breaking Philosophical Decision to Reverse-Course After 100 Years of the Native-American Portrayal and Decided that the "Indians" vs Calvary Treatment was Completely Lacking.
A One-Sided Negative Trope that was Propagandized and the Indigenous Folks Deserve a Clearer and Accurate Account of Who They Were, and What They Were, Without a Distorted Lense of Bigotry and Hate.
The Movies that Gets Credit for the Reconsideration About Discovering the Tribes that Existed in the American West Long Before a "White-Man" Discovered America was...
"Broken Arrow" (1950) in Tandem with...a Lesser Known Low-Budget Movie Directed by Anthony Mann..."Devil's Doorway" (1950).
Other "Tomahawk" Treats Include the Luscious Technicolor, Strong Cast Across-the-Board with Leads Van Heflin, Alex Nicol, Yvonne de Carlo, Susan Cabot, and Preston Foster, Jack Oakie, with John War Eagle as "Red Cloud".
Based on Real-Life Incidents...Most Native-Americans are Played by Real Natives.
For Western Fans a...
Must See
For Others...
Worth a Watch.
The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)
HIDDEN-GEM...SCI-FI-APOCALYPTIC WARNING (NUKES, GLOBAL WARMING!!!)...GRIPPING SUSPENSE
British Director/Writer Val Guest (The Quatermass Series) Delivers More than a Warm Warning about the Consequences of Nuclear War/Testing.
Wringing Every-Drop of Verisimilitude from a Low-Budget, with the Clever Use of Matte-Shots, Documentary Footage, and Hyper-Delivered Run-On-Dialog.
The Story is Centered in the Bowels of a City-Newspaper as the Journalists are Seen as Not Only "The Front Page", but Seemingly "The Front Line"...
Against a Global Catastrophe Caused by the Simultaneous Detonations of Nuclear-Bomb-Tests that Cause an 11 Degree Tilt to the Axis and Propelling the Earth Toward the Sun.
The Extremely Sharp, Profound, and Intelligent Dialog that Never Stops is one of the Best of the "Serious-Sci-Fi" Sign-Posts that Serve as a Thermometer to Make Commentary on the Humanity and its Hubristic, Blind-Eye, Machinations that Ultimately Affects Every-One Every-Where.
Edward Judd is a Down-and-Out Reporter, Fending His Way Through Personal Problems while Investigating the "Big-Problem" at Hand. He Hooks-Up with Former "Disney" Cutie Janet Munro (who goes topless and displays copious amounts of skin...in the British Version). Leo McKern is a Senior Reporter and Friend who Helps Along the Way.
The Whole Cast Contributes, the SFX Team and the Editors do a Fantastic Job, and Overall...
Despite a Few Dated Aspects (the Newspapermen all offer-up rapid-fire, cliched countenance, and some Gender Anachronisms), the Movie is a Solid Piece of Social-Political-Commentary that Could Side with Rod Serling and other Contemporaneous Writers.
It's a Gut-Wrenching Drain of a Watch, but it's a Must-See for Sci-Fi Fans and those that Allow Far-Out Fiction to Make Some Common-Sense.
Gojira -1.0 (2023)
OCCUPIED JAPAN...MINUS-AMERICANS..."GODZILLA" OFF-SCREEN 90%...WAY WAY OVERRATED
The Latest "Godzilla" Movie (Had enough yet?) has Garnered Fawned-Over-Praise with Every Positive-Affirming-Adjective Available in the English Language.
Note...The Movie was "Made-in-Japan", It was Filmed in the Native Language and the American Release is Choiced between Subtitles and Dubbed.
The Filmography of "King of the Monsters" is a Tweak-Fest of Multiple Directions with the Only Consistent...The Star...
A Huge Monster (Dinosaur/Lizard) Born of Radioactivity. The Remaining Single Story Could, and was, to Go Anywhere and Do Anything...It was a Stream-of-Consciousness Affair and Each Feature was a Grab-Bag of Godzilla's Saga.
There are so Many Movies in the Canon and Has Picked-Up Along the Way so Many Fans and Cultists (one wonders why), and Deep-Diving into the Legacy that is "Godzilla" is so Convoluted, Inconsistent, and Wacky, that Maintaining One's Sanity is Not a Given.
There are a Number of Styles, an Ongoing, Regular Release of "Godzilla Movies" that No One, No How, No Way could Accurately Chronicle the Saga Without Devoting a Life-Time to the Endeavor.
Suffice to Say, this Latest Movie has Gone "Origin" and is a Straight-Laced Story Re-Telling of the Gig-Guys Entrance Post WWII,
with More Emphasis on the Japanese Experience from an Interpersonal Perspective.
But if One is to be Objective, the Movie is a Mediocre Affair with a Simplistic Style and Story of what Came to Be...
An Unlikely Main-Stay of Cinema that has Lasted, with All its Awful, Near Awful, OK, Some-What Entertaining "B-Movie Icon that has Defied Cheesy Effects, Man-In-Suit Awkwardness, and Toy-Crusher Kid-Activities, to Become Another Not Always Welcome Entry in the Mad, Mad, World of Moviedom.
Your Reaction to this Latest Offering is Likely to be the Same Reaction You Probably Experienced Watching a Previous "Godzilla" Movie, although this One is Heart-Felt to the Extreme and as Serious as a Heart-Attack.
Overall, in the End, it's just Another in a Long-Line of a Movie-Monster-Star, that has Run Amok, Wearing a Plethora of Hats and is Satisfied with Somberly Telling the Tale that Started it All.
Worth a Watch
Note 2...The One-Sheet Movie Poster should get a "God-Awful" Award...the dullest, nondescript, banal, color-drained, non-entity Art-Work, an abomination void of anything...Could be the Worst Movie-Poster Art in the History of Movie-Poster Art.
The Da Vinci Code (2006)
OPIE'S-DAY FOR TRANSFORMATION...BLOCK-BUSTER BOOK TO MYTH-BUSTER FILM
Ron Howard's Filmography, as a Director, Could be Called "Spielberg Lite". A "Safe" Movie-Maker that Shuns "R" Rated Ultra-Violence and Eliminates Almost All Sex or Sexual Reference.
The Look of the Movie Certainly Does Not Lack Luster, its the Droning-On Dialog that seems Forced at Times and the Film Falls to a Crawl. With Danger Never Feeling Contemporary, but Distant.
Howard Lacks the Gifts Bestowed Upon Spielberg as an Innate Craftsman of the "Art" and "Passion" for Movies that Somehow is Evident and On-Display in Most if Not All of Films.
CONTROVERSIAL...to say the Least was the Surprise Mega-Best-Selling Book by Dan Brown...and that Bled-Over to the Movie.
It's NOT Surprising, after all, We're Talking About "Jesus", His Blood-Line, Major and Profound Cover-Ups by the Catholic Church...YIKES.
The Subject was Ripe for Ridicule by Theologians, Scholars, Academics, Christians...More that Half the Planet Ready to "Take Up Arms" and "Crusade" for the Book and the Film to be "Burned"..."Banned"...and labeled...Blasphemous.
That's just the "Subject", leaving Aside Brown's "Skill" as an Author-Story-Teller and Ron Howard's "Skill" as a Film-Maker.
The Book was Destined to be a Best-Seller, Gobbled-Up by those that "Love" the Taboo, Mystery, and History...and also by those who "Hate" its Chutzpah for Daring to even Attempt to Correct or Re-Write Historical Accounts...Canon or Non-Canonical.
The Film Does a Good Job Formulating and Executing the "Paper-Chase" and Assembling the Puzzle-Pieces in a Way that Believers and Non-Believers can Come Aboard.
The Quest Dries Out Now and Then Evaporating some of the Substance Flowing Underneath.
The Violence and Threats by the Antagonists, and the Harm Lurking About, while There, Never Seems Wholly Substantial.
It's a Contrivance of Situations, Clues, and Comeuppance that the Book and the Movie Demands, and can be a bit Too Much of a Demand.
When That Happens the Story Becomes More of Fantasy then a Misguided Real-Life Attempt at Controlling the Masses.
"The Davinci Code", Book and Movie, are Fiction Based on a Faith-Based Religious Icon that some say is Fiction.
It's a Formula Fraught with Fever from the Out-Set, and Both Book and Movie Took Plenty of Heat.
Overall, it can be a Fun-Time-Film Depending how Seriously One Attaches to the DOGMA the Story Destroys.
If You Like the Book You Will Like the Movie
If You Like the Movie You Will Like the Book.
Inherent Vice (2014)
MURKY...MUMBLING...ULTIMATELY UNSATISFYING...CUTTING-EDGE DULLED BY A LACK OF COHERENCY
Maverick "Artsy" Film-Maker Paul Thomas Anderson has Hit and Missed with His "Personal" Filmography that is Ripe with a Repertoire of Repulsive, or at Least Against the Grain of "Typical", Audience Friendly Subject Matter and Characters.
His Most Highly Acclaimed Movies Like "The Master" (2012), "There Will Be Blood" (2007), and Boogie Nights (1997) can be a "Chore" for the Average Movie-Fan.
Professional Critics, on the Other-Hand, Mostly Love His Off-Beat, Daring Displays, and Technical Artistry, that Makes His Movies "Apart" from Others in the Main-Stream.
"Inherent Vice" is a Neo-Noir, Drug-Soaked-Detective-Dark-Comedy that is Nothing if Not a Challenge to Watch and Get-Through.
The Story is Scattershot, Frustrating Most of the Time, with Unpleasant Characters that All seem to Whisper and Mumble Their Lines.
One Guesses This is to Represent a "Smokey-Stoned-Haze", but it Makes the Hard-to-Follow Story even More Hard-to-Follow and Track What the Hell is Going On.
The Self-Assured Anderson is, No Doubt, Aware of All the Negative Push-Back and Mediocre Reviews, but One Senses that This WAS His Vision.
It is Sort of a Wallow and a Badge of Honor for Fringe Directors Like Altman and Lynch that Set-Out to be Unconventional.
And Sometimes, Like Anderson and those Others, Score Big-Time.
But Other Times, It's More an Endurance Test than it is Entertaining for the Audience and Renders All the "Art-Work" Close to Unapproachable, So-So, and Brushed-Aside by Many.
The Cast is an A-List-Wet-Dream, the Cinematography and Sense of Time-Place is Spot-On.
But, the Movie is Based on Another Eccentric... Novelist Thomas Pynchon, One of Those Writers whose Work is Often Cited as "Novels That Are Unfilmable", and in This Case it Seems an Accurate Description.
For Fans of the Unusual, Weird, and Psychotronic, it is...
Worth a Watch
For Others...Maybe Not.
The Intruder (1962)
EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL IN 1961,,,ROGER CORMAN EXPERIMENTS...WAY AHEAD OF ITS TIME
By 1961 Film-Maker and the Talent-Whisperer Roger Corman First-Run of Movies Were so Successful that the Boyish-Confident-Smooth Talking Corman seemed to have a Midas-Touch and a Savant Like Understanding of Movie-Fans.
Suffice to Say Corman was a Whirlwind of Energy, Creativity, Economic Savvy, and Skill.
So, in 1961 He Financed His Own Movie (he could hardly hope anyone else would back this ticking-time-bomb of racial intrusion).
The Making of the Movie (in the South no less), the Production was Not Without Trouble. Corman and Crew were Always Looking Over Their Shoulder, Changing the Script when the Local Mob of Extras were On-the-Job, etc.
William Shatner, Years Before "Star-Trek" is Tasked to Take on the Role of an Interventionist Outside-Agitator.
Sent to Stir-Up the Already Over-Heated White-Citizens into a Physical Confrontation with the New "Black" High Schoolers Ready to Enroll to be Educated along with Their White Neighbors Kids.
Corman's Film did Not Finesse or Down-Play the Real Hatred (on re-release the film was Re-titled "I Hate Your Guts")...
The "N" Word and Other Bigoted Slang Names for African-Americans are Spoken Freely.
This Alone Makes Roger Corman's "The Intruder" a More Honest Dramatization of Current Events (Pre-Civil-Rights Legislation) then Other Hollywood Movies that Dared Attempt to Message such a Movie.
Shatner is almost Perfect as a Silver-Tongued Scum-Bag, that Seduces a High-School Girl, Makes Love to His Neighbor's Wife, and is a Coward Underneath it All.
Shatner Gets Great Support from Leo Gordon, Frank Maxwell, and Others.
It's Gritty, In-Your-Face, Pulls-No-Punches, and Can be an Uncomfortable Watch for a Number of Reasons.
It's Often Said that Good "Art" Evokes a Response...
In this Case its a Response from "Art-Makers" to an Untenable Situation that is About to Bust-Wide-Open in the "Land of the Free".
It's Roger Corman and Crew Mimicking Realistically to the "State of Play" in Jim Crow America. It Could and Has Been Called Corman's Best Picture.
Maybe it is, All Things Considered. But even if it is Not, it's Still a Movie that is a...
Must-See
Note...We Lost Roger Corman Recently (RIP). Died just Shy of 100.
Note 2...Corman's Autobiography was Titled "How I Made 100 Movies......and Never Lost a Dime. But..."The Intruder" (1961) Initially was a Major Flop, although with the Arrival of the DVD it Finally Did Make Money. So the Autobiography Title was Accurate.
Countess Dracula (1971)
COUNTESS (BATHORY) DRACULA...HAMMER AT THE CROSSROADS...THE BEGINNING OF THE END...A MISSED OPPORTUNITY
You may have Heard..."If it's a Hammer Film...It's Worth a Watch"
Despite a Never-Ending Flow of Disdain, Mostly Because Hammer chose to Title this Movie a "Dracula" (a con if there ever was one) but Digging Deeper...it could be said that it Works as a Sly Metaphor on the Inspirational Legacy of Bram Stoker's Count...
From IMDb Trivia...
Countess Dracula was based on Hungarian Countess Erzsebet (our modern day "Elizabeth") Bathory who lived from 1560 to 1614. Countess Bathory was allegedly responsible for the deaths of approximately 600 virgin girls, all of which involved torture and gruesome methods of killing. Her atrocities are mostly speculation. She is credited for influencing our modern day concept of Dracula as an entity depending on human blood for youth and vitality.
By 1970 the "Counter-Culture" had Helped Make Significant and Profound Shifts in Attitudes and Life-Style Choices Around the World and Perhaps More Significant and Profound in Pop-Culture, Specifically Performance Art Like Movies and Music.
Hammer Studios had a Critical Friendly, for the Most Part, Following of Fans and Admirers that Spawned a Generation of Devotees.
The Series of Movies from Hammer Over a Span of a Decade and a Half was Nothing Less than Proven Artistic Integrity and Financial Rewards.
What Seems in 2024 as a Severe "Missed-Opportunity to Take the Studio and Perhaps the Horror-Movie-Market in General with Something Outrageously New, it Played it "Safe".
Playing it Safe in a Time of Extreme Change was Not a Flattering Flag to Wave. Now Movies were "Giddy" about the New-Found Freedom of a "Code-No-More" World that Exploited "Sex and Violence" for, well, One could Say, for No Other Reason then...Now We Can.
After Being at the "Top of the Heap" in Producing Quality, Entertaining, Colorful, and Cutting-Edge Cinema, the Studio Found its Critic-Friendly, Fanatical Fanbase, and the General Horror-Movie Crowd, and just Plain Movie-Lovers...Suddenly Apathetic...
the Hammer-Movies that Cemented Their Reputation and Helped the Studio Flourish for so Long, in 1970 Reeked off "Old-Hat"...
Pop-Culture was all About "The New"...and Hammer, as Good as They Were, with its Unmatched (many tried to imitate) Overall Gems of Low-Budget Movie-Making that Put "Hammer Studios" on Par in the History with Luminaries Like..."Val Lewton", Roger Corman, and other B-Movie-Makers that Excelled by Pinching Pennies and Found Gold in the Process.
The History of Hammer Studios, Horror-Movies, and Cinema Per se, is Still Being Documented in this "Age of Info",
No Doubt even this Ingrid Pitt "Scream Queen" Crowning of a Movie-Goddess (solidification after "The Vampire Lovers" (1970) Demonstrates that "Hammer", even when it Stumbled and Fell to a "No Longer Relevant" Neurosis that Hampered its Free-Wheeling Creativity, the King of em All Yall" Hammer,
Nevertheless, was so Good at what They Did...even the Movies at the Bottom of the Filmography, well...
"If it's a Hammer Film, it's...Worth a Watch"
Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind (2022)
HE ROCKED LONGER n' LOUDER...RAW n' UNTAMED..."THE KILLER" JERRY LEE LEWIS
I"m a hit!"...Jerry Lee Lewis Told "Sam Phillips", Music Producer and Owner of "Sun Records" out of Memphis, Tenn. Jerry Lee had just Arrived by Car from Hometown...Ferriday, La.
"That's what they all say", the Half-Interested Sam Phillips Fired Back a Micro-Second Later.
What Sam Did Not Know was that Jerry Lee was Correct. But so were the Others that Sam was Referring to...Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins (later dubbed "The Million Dollar Quartet" including Jerry Lee).
Often Mistaken as "Braggadocio" a Trait of "The Killer", but in His Case Most of it was CONFIDENCE. He Knew He Had what it Takes..."Goodness Gracious".
It may Surprise Some that Ethan Coen (of the Coen Bros.) took a "Vacation" from Partnering with "Joel" and went Solo to Make Jerry Lee Lewis: "Trouble In Mind", this Documentary "Love-Child" and Corralled the Dynamo who was Still Touring in His 80's.
The Still Very Alive "Piano-Pounder" Leads the Viewers on an 'Up Close and Personal" Journey of a Rock 'n Roll "Survivor", with No Equal, except Perhaps "The Rolling Stones".
The Trip Along Memory-Lane is a Short One Considering the Breadth and the Bewilderment of Life "On the Road", as Jerry Lee went From $10,000 a Night to $200 a Night...After He Married His 13 Year Old Cousin and was Virtually Blacklisted From the Big-Time by the "Moral Majority".
"She was not 13", the Rock 'n Roller whose "Great Balls" Never Cooled Off, having Gone Through 6 Marriages Before He Called it a Night, and Finally Gets to Answer the "Big Question" that Haunted Him His Entire Life..."Why Play the Devil's Music?"
It's a Fun Filled Frolic that Fills the Void of an UN-Sung Original Rock 'n Roller that Played in the Background Night After Night while the Trajectory of the Music He Helped Originate, Wildly Moved Forward and Beyond.
After Pop-Music Turned Against Him, He Nonchalantly, Without Missing a Beat Went "Country" Before "Country was Cool" and that Success Sustained His Ego, Life-Style, and Zeal to Perform. It's Fascinating How Charming "The Killer" can be Reminiscing, even about the Bad-Times, with Affection and a Good Natured Reflection.
In the Final Analysis...Jerry Lee Lewis is a Trip...and His Travels are Great and Remarkable. Thank You Ethan Coen and Most of All...Thank You Jerry Lee Lewis for All that Shakin'.
Mysteries from Beyond Earth (1975)
FAMILIAR 70'S PARANORMAL ZEITGEIST...PASTICHE OF ALL THINGS "MYSTERIOUS"...FROM UFO'S TO "SATANIC MASS"
.These Low-Budget Compilations were Everywhere in the 70's. Probably Inspired by Erik von Daniken's Mega-Success with His Book and Follow-Up Documentary (1970) "Chariots of the Gods" (nominated for an Oscar).
Mostly the Format Contained a Semi-Recognizable Host Like...Leonard Nimoy...Rod Serling...etc.
Standing Up In-Front of Archival and Public Domain Footage of "Weird", "Unknowns", "Mysteries", "Myths", "Paranormal", "Crypto..." Facts, Speculations, and Musings on Things that Academia Avoids at All Costs.
As Carl Sagan Said About UFO's in the 70's...
"There isn't a scintilla of evidence that we have been visited by Extraterrestrials."
Despite Sagan and His Colleagues echoing that Hubristic Declaration, the Citizenry was Not so Easily Persuaded. A Huge "Cottage" Industry Formed with Books, Documentaries, TV-Shows, and the Kitchen-Sink Proliferated Pop-Culture that Still is Remanent Today.
This One is a Smorgasbord of Topics...Well Handled and Presented by Host Lawrence Dobkin with Interviews and Statements from Scientists, Educators, and Experiencers.
The Documentary Covers UFOs, The Bermuda Triangle, Bigfoot, Ghosts, Kirlian Photography, Abductions, The Church of Satan, Witches, Atlantis, Ancient Megaliths, ESP, and more.
You Couldn't even Avoid the Phenom at the Grocery Store...Time/Life Got in on the Boom with Sets of "Encyclopedias".
The Movie has the Charm of Variety and the 95 min. Print Currently on YouTube is Excellent, and the Production Value is as Good as These Things Get.
For those with the Slightest Interest in the Paranormal and Earth Mysteries, this is Certainly...
Worth a Watch.
The Executioner (1970)
DULL & DREARY "SPY-MOVIE...HEAVY WORDY SCRIPT...DOUBLE/TRIPLE AGENTS...SLUGGISH...UNREMARKABLE
George Peppard as a Slick British Secret Agent (raised in America) is Ultra-Stiff along with an Underused Joan Collins Among the European Locales.
Other Familiar Faces from British Cinema are Among the Talkers in the Talkathon, with Judy Geeson's Pert and Plucky Love Interest Steals the Show.
Mainly Because of the Cute-Factor who Sparks of Life Among the Walking Dead On Screen.
The Movie has No-Style, the Pacing is Awful, the Length is Long (almost 2hr), and the Story of Traitors and Double-Agents Never Grabs and just sort of Plays-Out for the Running Time.
No Humour, Very Little Action, a Zombified Peppard and a Complicated, Convoluted Story Made This a "Bomb" Out of the Box.
Big Production, Good Cast, a Missed-Opportunity and a Failure on Almost Every Level.
If You Skip this You Won't be Missing a Thing.
Rolling Thunder (1977)
VIETNAM POW...PERMANENT ALIENATION...PTSD...COLD REVENGE
It was Inevitable, America's Decision to Engage in a Hot-War for Over 10 Years in the Stifling Jungle Heat, was a Debacle, Miss-Handled by the Politicians, Military Leaders, and Advisors from Day One.
Divided the Country, and Caused a Split Among its Citizens.
It All Ended in 1975. But the Repercussions and Blow-Back is and was Clear and Profound.
Hollywood was Keen on Making a Killing (along with a Liberal agenda of We told You so) about Returning Veterans from an Ill-Advised Fiasco that Caused the Death of Least a Million Lives (50,000 American) .
An Uneasy and Difficult Time for the Soldiers, some who "Never Came Back", Psychologically, from the Experience and Personally had to Deal With Rejection from some of the Citizens Calling Them "Baby-Killers" to Their Face.
Having Served 7 Years of Torture, Maj. Kane (William Devane) Finds a Community that Recognizes and Honors His Service, it's His Family that has Abandoned Him. The Wife wants a Divorce and His Son, an Infant when He Left, is Clueless.
That Being the Rope He is Offered to Hang Himself.
But He has Learned to "Love the Rope". Loving the Rope let's Him Cope by Killing ALL Feelings...
"That's 'cause I can't think of anything to say. It's like my eyes are open and I'm looking at you, but I'm dead. They've pulled out whatever it was inside of me. It never hurts at all after that and it never will."
His Wife that Bolted and His Son are Inadvertently Killed in a "Home Invasion" are Now Gone and the War-Hero is Gone, Gone Over the Edge, but While Going Over the Edge He Takes the Bad-Guys with Him.
There were a Wave of Movies, a whole Sub-Genre, Like "Rambo" and the Franchise, but also Important Films such as "Taxi Driver" (1976), although the Disturbed-Vet Implied, and Others that Made an Impact.
Quintin Tarantino is a Huge Fan of the Movie and has Wildly and Widely Touted, that Gave Rise to its Blu-ray Release after Many Years in DVD-Limbo.
Linda Haynes Sparks the Proceedings a "Kane Groupie", and Adds just the Right Amount of Diversion, Compassion, and Attraction with Heart and Emotion, to Contrast the Dead-Soul of the Hero.
Tommy Lee Jones is Kane's POW-Buddy, a MSgt, that Gleefully "Gets His Gear" in a Moments Notice and Helps His Friend Check-In at the "Pearly-Gates".
Under-Seen, and was Obscure to Until Recently. One of the Betters in the Sub-Genre.
Directed by an Under-Valued, Hard-Edged John Flynn.
Brainstorm (1965)
JEFF(rey) HUNTER, ANNE FRANCIS & DANA ANDREWS...IN WILLIAM CONRAD'S RECYCLED MIND-BENDER
This Neo-Noir, Shot in Panavision (WS) and B&W, Revisits the "Psychological-Thriller".
About a Femme Fatale (Francis), a Sap (Hunter), and a Rich Abusive Husband (Andrews).
The Hook is "Faking" Insanity to Get Away With Murder (Guess Whose?) and Live "Happily Ever After".
Hunter's Brilliant Scientist Thinks He can Out-Think the Justice System by Reading a Few Books and Building a Tolerance to "Truth Serum".
The Attractive Leads are Stereotypically Slotted and Performed with a Sharp-Edge and Conrad's Direction has a Few Razzle-Dazzle Inclusions via Computer-Screens and a Noir Staple, the Surreal Flashback.
Overall, the Film Suffers a bit From Familiarity of Plot, and the Director Tries to "Modernize" the Look with Wide-Screen, Bright (as opposed to the traditional Film-Noir) Dark Ambience with Lighting and Shadows, with a Very "Today" (1965) Look and Feel.
However, the Story IS Dark and Disturbing.
Messing with the Mind and the Psychiatric Profession..."The Days of Wine and Neurosis",
and Anne Francis' Bubbled-Headed Cutie, with a Toddler in Tow is a "Piece of Work" Typical in the Noir Universe.
But, in the End it is a So-So Retread, Professionally Presented with a Minimum of Artistic Flourishes and Only Feels Like a 1hr 45min "Twilight Zone" Episode.
Not a Revisitation to the "Golden Age" of Film-Noir.
Although Still Good Enough to be...
Worth a Watch
Note...Not to be confused with Douglas Trumbull's 1983 Sci-Fi with the same name.
Breakwater (2023)
SURPRISES HERE & THERE...3-LEADS DELIVER...ENGROSSING STORY & SOME SHARP CINEMATOGRAPHY
The Extremely Prolific Dermot Mulroney (142 Credits), Fresh-Faced Darren Mann, and the Cutie-Thespian Alyssa Goss,
All Bring a Good Game to a Coastal Village Where Secrets and Treasure are Revealed that Make this a Somewhat Intriguing Independent Dramatic-Thriller.
It's a Good Edgy Mystery with Multi-Dimensional Characters, a Quick Pace and Sharp Sea-Side Images (shot with one camera and no CGI).
The Story Goes in Different Directions Now and Then and Keeps Viewers On-Their-Toes. Some Revelations May Make a "Suspension of Disbelief" Mandatory, but it Does Not Interfere too Much with the Entertainment Factor.
Overall, it's a "Dark" Tale that Leans into Neo-Noir Territory as a "Lifer" (Mulroney) Grooms and Protects a Young Inmate and Asks a Favor when the Latter is Released.
This Sets in Motion a Chain of Layered Events Containing Enough Depth and Skullduggery that Makes it an Above Average Film in its Class and is...
Worth a Watch.
Hey, Let's Twist! (1961)
ESSENTIALLY AN EMBARRASSMENT...THE TWIST & THE 15 Min. OF FAME...NOSTALGIC ONLY
Rock n' Roll the Early Days and the High-Energetic Popularity that Came With was Soon Halted by a String of Negative Events.
So the Powers that Be that Tried to Kill the Art-Form from the Beginning with No Success Got What They Wanted.
Elvis Went Into the Army...Chuck Berry got Arrested for Taking a Teen Girl Across the State-Line...Jerry Lee Lewis Married His 13 Year Old Cousin...Little Richard Stopped Recording and Touring Having Found the Lord and Became a Preacher...Buddy Holly Died in a Plane-Crash.
This Opened Up a Void and Filling that Void in Pop-Culture was a "Clean-Cut" Invasion of White-Bread Singers Like Fabian...Paul Anka...and Frankie Avalon to Name a Few.
Also Chubby Checker Re-Recorded a Hank Ballard Song that Stiffed, but Not This Time.
The Song "The Twist" was a Huge Hit as was the Dance. Joey Dee and the Starliters Recorded "The Peppermint Twist (also a Hit).
An Unforeseen Happening Made Sure that the "Craze" was Dead as Fast as it Came Alive.
What Happened was...The Parents of the Baby-Boomers Started Twisting Along with the Teens. That was the "Death Knell".
At the Heart, but Not the Only Attraction of Rock n' Roll was a Rebellious, Youthful Battle-Cry of Anti-Establishment Zest.
Mom and Dad Doing "The Twist" Turned Teens Off and They Moved On to Other "Groovy" Things.
This Low-Low-Budget Movie was Nothing More than the Capitalist Establishment's Way of Separating the Youth from Their Pocket-Money (a new development in America's post-war Booty).
This "Twist Phenom" was just Another Void-Filling, Soul-Less, Family Friendly Entry Along with the Aforementioned Replacements for the Departed "Hell-Raisers".
In a Short-Time Young-Folks Discovered and Wholly Embraced a "New-Sound" that Originated in Britain and an Invasion was Imminent.
So Much for "The Twist", Chubby Checker, The Peppermint Lounge, and its 15 min.
The Movie is Hyper-Innocent without an Edge and Belongs in the Graveyard, Dead and Buried.
But it May Be Worth a Watch for Those who Came of Age at the Time (between Elvis and The Beatles).
It Might Provide a Heart-Beat of Nostalgia for Those that were Young in an Unfortunate Time that was a Vast Nothingness in Top 40 "Rock n' Roll Radio"...Do you Remember?
It was the Era of "Teen-Idols" Between Elvis and The Beatles.
Where the Only Thing of Quality to be Found, Aside from a Rare, an Indeed Welcome Anomolie from All the Crop Controlled Same-Ness...
and Capitulations from Cow-Towing, Assembly Line Produced, Cookie-Cutter-Idol Cuteness...that came Shrink-Wrapped a Prevab "Show" for Sale.
The "Product" also came with "Hidden Contract Clause", Written in "Invisible-Ink & Blood"...
"We've Got Your Cash...Now we want Your Soul"
But Wait..."What's that I hear"?...
Like a "Voice" in the Wilderness at the Record Store was the Music Productions of Phil Spector.
Sodom and Gomorrah (1962)
FICTIONAL FILM...LOOSELY BASED ON PROBABLE STORY-TELLING FICTION...END OF A CYCLE
Directed by Robert Aldrich who Made Many Films Adored by the "Film School" Generation and has Attained a Huge Cult Following.
The Outspoken Director Considered this His WORST FILM.
An International Production with a Big-Budget that Contains some Good Actors...Stewart Granger...Pier Angeli...Stanley Baker...and Anouk Aime. Lending some Needed Gravitas.
Good Use of the Budget with Impressive Battle Scenes, Sets, and a Much Touted Score (Miklas Rosa).
Americans have Always Been Much More Tolerant of Violence On-Screen and Less So with Sex, Especially Proclivities Involving those Described as Deviant.
The Bible, where Many Citizens Set Their "Moral Compass", is Short and Sour in its Brief Description of the Tale of "Sodom and Gomorrah".
Topping the "Sins" on God's List in the Biblical Account that Raised His Wrath and Subsequently the Destruction of the "Twin Cities" was Homosexuality.
It is Here where the Movie had to Capitulate to the Code. Thus Almost Ignoring God's Concern,
No Reference to the "Gay" Except in the Symbolic. Nothing Verbal, just a Few Gestures, Looks, and Such. Hoping No One Would Notice.
It is Noticed that Violence (Torture Wheel), Sadism and War Fared Much Better and Produces a Few Cheap-Thrills so the Audience isn't Bored-to-Death for its 2h 34min, and Basic Good v Evil Lesson from the Cinematic Pulpit.
The Biblical Epic and its "Sword and Sandal" Sub-Genre was Prolific and Profitable for About a Decade, and this was the "Sign-Post" of "The End" of that Bit of Ballyhoo.
The Movie, to This Day, has Never Shown a Penny of Profit and has Gone Down as a Disastrous Conclusion to the Genre. Only a Few Years After "Ben Hur" was All the Rage and Dominated the Oscars.
Depending on Your POV, this Movie is Not Awful, but Certainly Nothing Remarkable, Especially Considering the Money and Talent Involved.
Point Being...Robert Aldrich's Next Film..."Whatever Happened to Baby Jane", with a Minuscule Budget, Became an Acclaimed Piece of Art, was Immensely Profitable, a Critical Success and as They Say...
"The Rest is (Hollywood) History".
The Last Page (1952)
PRE-HORROR "HAMMER"...TERENCE FISHER...DIANA DORS...BLACKMAIL...MURDER...SEDUCTION...ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?
Alternate Titles..."The Last Page (UK)..."Man Bait" (US)
Britain's "Hammer Studios", had been around since the 30's Before Striking Gold with "The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957) Producing Enjoyable Movies in Most Genres, Turning Frequently to Crime-Noir During the Zeitgeist. This is One of Them.
Directed by Hammer's Most Prolific, Terence Fisher, who Helmed All the Iconic Neo-Classic "Monster-Movie" Origin Stories from the Studio.
A Bitter-Sweet Diana Dors is a Bonus in this Fast-Moving Dark Story, Providing a Central "Figure" that is a Wow of a Look and Performance that is Top-Notch.
Announced in the Titles as "Introducing" is a Misnomer, having Acted in Over a Dozen Movies Prior. But Hey, this is Show-Biz where Almost Anything Goes.
She Competes with Peter Reynolds to "Steal the Show" and the Competition is Strong Because Reynolds Antagonist is a Villainous "Piece of Work" with No Scruples and is Completely Despicable.
Also On Hand with Good Performances All Around...Aging American Stalwart George Brent (a favorite Muse of Bett Davis)...and Margarete Chapman as the "Good Girl".
Above Average for the Studio Output During the Era
If it's a "Hammer Film", it's...
Worth a Watch.
A Rainy Day in New York (2019)
BREEZY BIT OF FLUFF...MEDIOCRE WOODY...REGURGITATION...FEEDING OFF THE FEEDBACK LOOP
A Walk in Central Park for the 4 Time Oscar Winner, Soft-Stepping Around the "Big Apple" Involving Trade-Mark "Romantic Rallies" and "Back Alley" Misunderstandings, Coupled with Class-Angst and Intellectual Snobbery.
The Film is Much More Enjoyable as Chunks of Insight than the Whole Picture that Comes Across as "Not So Much".
Most of the Cast do Nothing More than Extended Cameos and None Make Much of an Impression, although the 3 Leads do Shine with Selena Gomez and Elle Fanning Competing to Steal the Show...It's a Tie.
The Film Looks Gorgeous with Warm Hues Contrasting the Drizzle.
But the Movie Lacks Allen's Razor-Wit and One-Liners, in Fact, at Times, it can be Rather Dull. But Redeems Itself Now and Then.
It's an OK, Lightweight, Pretty Thin Screenplay for Woody Allen, who Not Only Regurgitates, but Seems Half-Interested.
Still, there is Enough Talent Remaining in the Reserve-Tank to Present a Rather Whimsical Muse on "Old-Timey" Movies, Piano Bars, Popular Tunes, with the Film Leaning Heavy on the Nostalgic.
Worth a Watch.
Argylle (2024)
DISTRACTING ARTIFICIAL LOOKING...CONVOLUTED...OVER-TWISTY & CHAOTIC
Matthew Vaughn has been a Director Worth Watching. Having Delivered Out-of-the-Gate "Layer Cake" (2004)...with Follow-Ups Like "Kick-Ass" (2010)..."X-Men: First Class" (2011)...and "Kingsman: The Secret Service" (2014).
But there were Signs of Repetitive Over-Indulgence with the Sequel to "Kingsman", "The Golden Circle" (2017) which was a Disappointment Containing the Aforementioned Flaws.
Returning Once Again to the "Spy-Spoof" with "Argylle", the Director Foregoes His Instincts and Talents to Revisit the Same Theme, almost, in the Same-Way.
With a Big-Budget, and an A-List Cast, He Wallows in Past Glories and Successes to Deliver an Overflowing, Twist-Fest and Runs Amok for the Over 2-Hour Running Time. Never Settling on Intrigue, Suspense, or Anything Cerebral.
The Movie is Bloated and Visually Stilted, even though it Tries Mighty Hard to be Fresh Wowing the Audience with Things Like Ice-Skating on Oil.
Sam Rockwell is His Usual Fan-Friendly Self, Bryce Dallas Howard Does OK, although the "Suspension of Disbelief" Really Cries Out, Given Her Physical Stature, but Her Charm and Cuteness Manages to Keep Things On Track.
The Rest of the Big-Name-Cast are Not-Bad, the Movie just Seems Exhaustively Engaging with More CGI, Cartoony Phoniness than is Tolerable even in a "Spoof".
The Nail in the Coffin, and its a Pretty Big Nail, is Making the "Cat" a Central Character. It Never Works, is Silly Beyond the Bounds of Silliness, and is Cringe-Inducing From Start to Finish. Who Ever Thought that would be Charming and Arresting for the Audience was, to be Kind, Mistaken.
Overall, a Movie with this Much Talent and Money Involved is Bound to be Somewhat Watchable, but Considering that Consideration..."Argyle" is a Huge Disappointment.
Worth a Watch...Barely.
Squad Car (1960)
MORE THAN COMPETENT...LOW-LOW-BUDGET...CRIME-THRILLER...NOT BAD BUT...
From Roughly 1958-62...There was a "Void" in the Entertainment Business and the Over-All "Arts" Community was Seemingly Suffering Creatively by Real and Abstract Reasons.
As is Often the Case, that "Void" was Rebelling Against Itself and Rumblings Started and Finally Exploded.
The Opening for that Long-Looked-For On-Ramp for Outlets to Revive a Return to Greatness and a Lively Format as Entertainment was Now Offered by What Was Called "The British Invasion"...
All Entertainment as Art Changed Rapidly, Drastically, and a Zeitgeist Happened that Now is a Well-Documented "World Event".
In Context, the Aforementioned "Void" is where this Typical 2nd Feature and Low-Low-Budget Movie Found Itself.
It has All the "Tropes" and Signs of a Pop-Culture Entry in the Drive-In and Grind-House Venues.
Historically Movie-Buffs, Pop-Culture Enthusiasts and Researchers Have Found the Non-Mainstream "Exploitation" Genre/Market was a Wild, Weird-World of "Work-for-Hire" Entertainers that Could Not Really Run-Amok,
but did Manage to Take Chances that No Main-Stream, Established, Respected Movie-Studio would Touch.
"Squad Car" Clocking in at 62 min. Circa 1960 was a Watchable, if Not by Any Stretch Remarkable Police-Procedural.
That by Now was Nothing More than a "Devolving", Done-to Death Offering of Film-Noir (stripped of its cutting-edge), TV's "Dragnet" that Beat that Drum so Loudly and So-Often that it No-Longer was Ground-Breaking, just Anesthetizing and Ready for the "Old-Folks-Home".
It was Time for Something More than this Above-Average of its Type,
but Hardly Nothing to Write-About Cheapie that Gave a Prolific "Back-Ground" Actor with Claims of 4-500 Screen Appearances...
Paul Bryar, to Try His Hand as a Finally 'Credited" Actor in the Lead. Along with a 4th Rate Platinum-Blonde Lounge-Act (Vicci Raaf)...
Belting a Few WoW Songs with as Little Lyrics as Possible and a Fancy of a Jazz-Novelty Delivery of Sultry, Salty Lyrics of Not-so-Subtle Sexual Subtext.
She Steals the Show Revealing, Not in Her Sexy Songs, but in Her Acting Abilities and a Force of Feminine Ferociousness to be Reckoned.
Worth a Watch.