LeonLouisRicci Reviews

Rolling Thunder (1977)

VIETNAM POW...PERMANENT ALIENATION...PTSD...COLD REVENGE

[7/10 · 8 May 2024]

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 that is Still Echoing.

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, at the Top is "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 Cash-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

[6/10 · 3 May 2024]

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

[7/10 · 1 May 2024]

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 Them and Keeps Viewers On-Their-Toes. Some Revelations May Make a "Suspension of Disbelief" Mandatory, but it Does Not Interfere to 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

[4/10 · 30 April 2024]

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 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

[6/10 · 30 April 2024]

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".

Man Bait (1952)

PRE-HORROR "HAMMER"...TERENCE FISHER...DIANA DORS...BLACKMAIL...MURDER...SEDUCTION...ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?

[7/10 · 30 April 2024]

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

[6/10 · 26 April 2024]

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

[6/10 · 19 April 2024]

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...

[6/10 · 16 April 2024]

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.

The Man from Planet X (1951)

EDGAR G. ULMER..."PRIMITIVE-ART" SPECIALIST...MAKES ANOTHER MEMORABLE MOVIE...HIS CELEBRITY STATUS SOLIDIFIED

[8/10 · 12 April 2024]

EDGAR G. ULMER..."PRIMITIVE-ART" SPECIALIST...MAKES ANOTHER MEMORABLE MOVIE...HIS CELEBRITY STATUS SOLIDIFIED

Director Edgar G. Ulmer's Destiny to be an "Auteur" of A-List "Genre" Films, after His Break-Out-Break-Through Success with Art-Deco Flourishes and Cutting-Edge Style Propelled Universal's "The Black Cat" ( 1934) to Critical Praise and the Studio's Most Lucrative Movie of the Year...

was Halted by His "Affair" with Universal's Carl Laemmle's (CEO) Woman.

The "Black Cat" Director Found Himself "Blacklisted" and Unable to Find "Big-Budget" Work for the Remainder of His Long Career.

Ulmer, an "Art for Art's Sake" Creator Ultimately Made a Lasting "Name" for Himself with a Huge Cult-Movie Following with Undeniable "Artistic" Movies, No Matter the Budget.

Along with "The Black Cat", the Director's other Notable Films (57 credits) Include..."Bluebeard (1944)...Strange Illusion (1945)...Detour (1945)...Club Havana (1945)...The Strange Woman (1946)...So Young So Bad" (1950)...to Name a Few.

His Seminal Film-Noir "Detour" is Frequently on Top-10 and Best Lists along with "The Black Cat".

Edgar G. Ulmer Never Stopped Working and Creating Entertaining, Provocative Movies No Matter what Obstacles He Encountered and is Fondly Remembered and Respected Today.

"The Man From Planet X" has the Distinction to be Sighted as the One of the First, if Not THE First "Alien Invasion" Flick, Riding Initiating the 1st Wave of the 50's.

The Look is Like No Other.

Butting Up Against such Stalwart Icons as "The Thing From Another World" (1951)..."The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951)..."Invaders From Mars" (1953) other Highly Celebrated and Influential Films.

With a $40,000 Budget and a 6-Day Shoot (compared to the Million-Dollar + of those others mentioned), Ulmer Nevertheless, Delivered a Surreal, Other-Worldly, Compelling Entertaining Movie with a Relentlessly Somber Tone, Norish Visuals and a Game Cast.

Today, the Movie's Restrictive Production is Glaring, some say Adding to the Creepy Feel, and must be Viewed Contextually when Considering.

Everything Works as Well as Can be Expected and the Overall Result is a "Primitive-Art" Piece (much like "Detour") that Still Creates Conversations, Awe, and Respect in the Movie-Buff Community.

For Sci-Fi Fans and Low-Budget Affectionados, it's...A Must See

For Others...Worth a Watch.

On the Line (II) (2022)

1-TRICK PONY WITH MEL GIBSON IN THE SADDLE...MINIMAL & MILD ENTERTAINMENT FACTOR...BASICALLY A SCAM

[5/10 · 12 April 2024]

The Scam is On Anyone who Invests Their Time/Money in an Entertainment that Reeked Off-Center, (not always a bad-thing), Once the Basic-Plot was Announced to the Public.

"TALK RADIO"...Is that Still a Viable Thing.

Headlining the Hype, was a Still-Around, Still-Working X-Super-Star who has Fallen Off-that-Wagon and Now is a Work-for-Hire Marquee-Name who Can, and Still Does, Carry With Him an Undeniable Screen-Personality-Presence that is Marketable, at this Late-Date and He is Working Steady, along with the Likes of Nicolas Cage and Liam Neeson.

The Success Rate, both Artistic and Financial is All-Over-the-Map for Gibson, just Like the Aforementioned Workaholics.

Gibson's Role in a Movie Varies from Barely Consequential to the Driving-Force that Propels the Project.

There can be Spotted a 'Producer" Credit for Gibson, so He Certainly was "Behind" the Movie from the Beginning,

and it's Not so Easy to Fluff this Off as a "Blindside" or an Easy 'Pay-Day".

Easy Meaning...Mel Gibson in His Performance, Shows Signs of an Abrasive, Obnoxious, Alpha-Male Personality-Type (mainly his own and not a stretch).

The Character He Assumes is "Elvis" an Overnight "Midnight" Talk-Show in Los Angeles, what Used to be Called "Shock-Jock" Host who Takes Cold-Calls and Fills the Caller's Ear, and the Audience with a "He Could Say Anything" just to Keep the Format Frosty and Unscripted.

We are Told in the First-Scene that His Ratings are Stagnant and He is a Dinosaur (Post-Social-Media) and Needs to Activate His Show or Go the Way of the Horse and Buggy.

What Follows Seems to be a "Scary-Miracle" Delivered by an Unhinged Idiot,

Well-Equipped and Ready to Kill People, Destroy Lives and Property and Create Misery in the Name of...______________(fill in the blank)

Gibson is the On-Air Pilot Steering this "Dusty" Scenario.

Mega-Talk-Shows have become Old-Hat and Suffer from the Weight of Alternative-Information-Entertainment (a singular niche the format provided that is no longer singular)...

We are Living Through a "Glut" of Options and Choices to "Partake".

So the "Elvis" Hosted Late-Night Talk Show is On the Chopping Block and Only a "Miracle" will Save it from Cancellation.

Except for the Last 15 Minutes that was Ill-Advised and Hated by Most Viewers who have Voiced Their Complaints Loudly.

It's a Not-Bad, No-Great-Shakes "Retread" of a Format that Really Never Went Away...it just Morphed into what We Now Call..."Podcasts".

The Major Difference is Everyone's Who Wants a Podcast is "On (the) Line".

The Format is Now Hosted by Anyone with a Heart-Beat and Something to Say to Anyone who will Listen.

What Happens in the Movie is a Manifestation of that "Miracle"...

It's Almost Worth a Watch...

But Buyer Beware.

Voyage to the End of the Universe (1963)

GROUND-BREAKING...SERIOUS & SEMINAL SCI-FI...INFLUENTIAL...EYE-POPPING SET DESIGN

[8/10 · 11 April 2024]

"Ikarie XB 1"...aka..."Voyage to the End of the Universe"

Roger Corman and AIP Bought the Rights to this Overlooked 1963 Sci-Fi Movie Made in the Communist Controlled Soviet-Bloc...

Cut Some Stuff...Added Some Stuff...Dubbed the Dialog...and Unashamedly Released "Ikarie XB 1"...Retitled as "Voyage to the End of the Universe".

This was Part of Corman's Schtick as He Did the Same with Other "Foreign" Sci-Fi-Horror Movies Without Batting an Eye while Focusing on that Most Corman of Things..."The Bottom Line".

It wasn't Until the New Millennium that Genre Fans in America had an Opportunity to See the Original Version...

Remastered and Available on Blu-ray in All its Rather Captivating, Stunning, Art-Deco Influenced Visuals, the Intended Ending (that Corman completely changed), along with Other Sub-Plots (like the birth of the "Star Child").

By Most Accounts Film Buffs and Cinema Scholars were Not Disappointed, but Witnessed the Movie as Ground-Breaking, Visually Impressive, and Labeled it a Hidden Gem...

No Longer Covered by Corman but Available for Perusal, Flaws and All.

The Flaws are Not Aggressively Intrusive (some exterior shots of pedestrian model-work) and some Aging Actors and a Little Bit of Forced Humor (the Robot Patrick).

It has been Hammered Home Again and Again that its Influence on the Genre Film-Makers is Nothing Short of Profound.

Kubrick's "2001 A Space Odyssey '' (1968) and Roddenberry TV Show "Star Trek" are the Most Cited Examples.

The Modestly Budgeted Sets, Costumes, and Interior Visuals are Certainly Impressive if Not Downright Amazing.

The Atmospherics are Astonishing.

For Sci-Fi Fans and Serious Film Scholars it's a...Must See

For All Others it is Certainly...Worth a Watch

Note...Based on the book "The Magellanic Cloud" by Stanislaw Lem (Solaris, Stalker).

The Ghoul (1975)

"TYBURN" STUDIO TRIES...BUT LATE TO THE PARTY...BLOODY & DANK...ELUSIVE STORY...PETER CUSHING & JOHN HURT A PLUS

[6/10 · 10 April 2024]

The 2nd British Studio to Hop on the "Hammer" Gothic-Horror Bandwagon, after "Amicus" Studio had Moderate Success,

"Tyburn", Founded by the Son of Freddie Francis whose Cinematography and Directing Talents Helped "Hammer" Achieve the Enormous Success that Sat On Top of "British Horror" for 15 Years.

It was just Too-Little-Too-Late for "Tyburn" that Only Managed 3 Films.

This is the Best of the 3, with Peter Cushing Absolutely Flawless Again and Young Blood John Hurt Adding Immensely to the Creep-Factor, and there's Plenty of "Creep".

Hurt is a Lecherous Gardner for Cushing, a Defrocked Priest that Brought Disturbing Things Back from His Stint in India.

Namely, a Mutant Murderous Son, and More. The Details Concerning the Story are Scant, With-Held, or Simply Absent.

It's the Biggest Flaw in this Otherwise Atmospheric, Gory, Unsettling Film.

After a Frivolous Beginning Concerning Young Adults Partying Hardy in the 1920's, the 2nd Act Unveils Uncomfortable and Horrifying Nastiness in Cushing's "Old-Dark-House" with Slashings and Sacrifices.

A Capable Cast Including Veronica Carlson and Ian McCullough with Don Henderson as "The Ghoul".

It's a Bit of a Mess Held Together by Cushing, Hurt, and some Striking Sets and Locales.

But the Story is Ambiguous Holding it Back from Full Involvement.

Overall, it Feels Like Left-Overs, Not Very Fresh, but Left-Overs can be Satisfying and for Horror Fans...

Worth a Watch

For Others...Probably Not.

The Sleeping City (1950)

OFF-BEAT FILM-NOIR...HOSPITAL SETTING...GAMBLING...DRUG TRAFFICKING

[7/10 · 9 April 2024]

Actor Richard Conte takes a Few Minutes Prior to the Opening to Set-the-Record-Straight that the Hospital is Fictional (could be anywhere U. S. A.) and the Story is also "Made-Up".

At the Same Time He Acknowledges that "Bellevue" Graciously Allowed Filming in Their Iconic, Prestigious Hospital, and Made Accolades about the "Modern &1st Rate" Facility.

After Seeing the Film One can See Why.

This is 1950 in a Post-War Environment when an Enormous Effort to Cherish and Praise American Institutions was at its Peak, No One would Link "Gambling" and "Drug Trafficking" to the Health Care Facilities Across America.

This was a "Bold" almost Unheard of Dramatization of the Underbelly (Film-Noir) at Work in these "Hallowed Halls" that was a Definite "Downer" to the Public Perception.

That Precisely was the Now Enormous Power and Appeal of Film-Noir, Perhaps even in its Formulating Years was Seen as Something Special and Something to be Respected.

Conte, a Policeman, Goes Under-Cover to Trace the Murder of an Intern. This is Perhaps the Weakest LInk and Requires a Supreme "Suspension of Disbelief", but it's a Must if the Story is Going to Work at All. They Do Manage to Somewhat Pull-It-Off.

Thanks to some Fine Acting From All Involved. An Unobtrusive Palette Inside the Hospital where Director Sherman Films it Naturally with Little Artistic Embellishment.

Overall, it's Cutting-Edge Cinema Thanks to the Film-Noir Aesthetic that was Robust at the Time.

If You Want to Take an Off-Ramp from the Usual Film-Noir Express, this May Be What Your Looking For. The Movie is Loaded with the Things that Make a Film-Noir.

Drugs, Gambling, Murder, Suicide, Corrupt Public Institutions, Human Foibles Galore.

Definitely...

Worth a Watch.

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

ELECTRIFIED MODERN MONSTER-MOVIE...SFX SHALLOW...THIN...ANEMIC...NUMBING

[6/10 · 9 April 2024]

If You Haven't Gone Deaf and Blind Watching the Eye-and-Ear Assault brought about by the the Never-Subtle, Never-Beautiful, Never-Rich Display On-Hand in these CGI Overload Movies in the Modern Era,

You Might Possibly Enjoy the Onslaught of Masochistic Mayhem Offered for Your Consideration.

Considering the "Monster-Movie" has been Around, Well, as Long as Movies Have Been Around, its a Solid, Fan-Friendly, Easy Sell.

120 Years may have Passed, but the Formula is the Same, the "Monsters" the Same, the Soft-Sell the Same, it's Only the "Method", the "Means", the Way that the "Monsters" are Animated Amongst the Humans and the Landscape that has Changed.

Nothing Changed Much from 1925 to the 1950's (except technicolor and sound), from Willis O" Brian and His "Stop-Motion" Monsters to Ray Harryhausen and His "Stop-Motion" Monsters. Harryhausen Perfected the "Art" that Obie Invented, but it was Basically the Same Delivery System.

You Could Call Their Work "Organic", the way it Looks and Feels.

You Could Not Call the Current CGI "Monsters" Organic by any Stretch, in Fact, the Complete Opposite...In-Organic. It Brings with it a Certain Laborious, Ultimately Annoying, Ambience of Color-Drained (what remains is blue and white), Loud, almost Deafening Sound.

Viewer Fatigue Sets In, just Watching Becomes a Taxing Burdon. Taxing on the Eyes, Taxing on the Ears, Taxing on the Brain.... You Feel the Need to Bale.

There's too Much of Everything in the "Art-Form" and Not Enough Ingredients to Soften the Presentation and Provide Contrasting Templates...It All Looks and Sounds the Same.

Perhaps if there was a "Killer-Story", No it's "Monster-Movie" 101, Recycled for the CGI Generation of Artists and Fans.

A Story about an Iconic "Ape" and "Lizard"...Maybe Could Be a Little More...Organic.

For What it is...

Worth a Watch.

One Way Street (1950)

BOOK-ENDED BY BRUTAL BARE-BONES NOIR...MIDDLE SAGS...OVERALL OK BUT LACKING

[6/10 · 9 April 2024]

It's a Film-Noir Entry in the Pivotal Year and Decade-Turn that had an Effect on the Spontaneous, Organic Formation of the Genre.

The Most Noticeable and Most Transformative is the "Move" Toward the "Police-Procedural" and also the Migration to the Suburbs and the Inclusion of Children in the Plot.

Although in this one, the "Move" is South of the Border where the Mexican Way of Life is in Sharp Contrast to the Dangerous, Doom-Laden Streets, Alleys, and High-Rises of Urban America.

It'a Contrast to Striking and Deep and the Film Flounders, Making an Unsuccessful Effort to Steer the Off-Course Plight of the Medical Doctor (James Mason), His Stolen Girl and Loot, back on the Straight-and-Narrow where All is Well.

The 1st and 3rd Acts are Cracker-Jack Film Noir, with Genre Icons Dan Duryea, Jack Elam, and William Conrad are On-Hand to Dish Out the Violence and Snap-Pat that Film-Noir Demands and it is as Good as it Gets.

Too Bad about that 2nd Act where things are Sunny, Hopeful, and Sweet. It's Not Bad On its Own, it does have a Slight Edge and some Highlights but Pales in Comparison to the Dark Goings-On in the Beginning and End.

That are so Good, it Makes the Movie Almost a Must-See. But at the Very Least, it's...

Worth a Watch.

Richard Jewell (2019)

HIT & MISS EASTWOOD DELIVERS A SMOOTH STORY, CHARACTERS, AND SETTING WITH GRAVITAS...BUT IT'S PAUL WALTER HAUSER'S PICTURE

[8/10 · 8 April 2024]

The "Wrong Man", that Hitchcock Knew so Well is "Borrowed" from the Way Over-Rated Director Clint Eastwood this Time in a Career-Winding-Down Sea of Mediocrity and Downright Awful Movies, He Makes a Good One.

The Situation that "Security-Guard" Richard Jewell Found Himself was one of Instant "Hero" to Instant "Suspect" in a Heart-Beat and Eastwood Let's the Tremendous Cast of Sam Rockwell (Jewell's Attorney), Kathy Bates (Mother), Olivia Wilde (Reporter), and Jon Hamm (FBI), Loose Surrounding the "Immovable Object" (Jewell).

Immovable, almost Teflon, Determined and Comfortable in the Skin of "Law Enforcement" and is Virtually Resistant to the "Slings and Arrows" that the Army of Media, Law-Enforcement, and the Public Consistently and Relentlessly Fire in His Direction. He Never Wavers.

Paul Walter Hauser as Richard Jewell is the Center Piece, the Nucleus, the Stuff that Makes Him an "Underdog" and the Audience is on HIs Side from the Get-Go.

It's Only a Matter of just how Despicable the Forces Against the "Patsy" will Get Before the "Truth" is Discovered.

It's a Testament to the Talent, Screen-Presence, and Budding Star-Power that Hauser can Dominate the Film, Despite all that A-List Talent in the Surrounding. He Literally Never Let Go of the Spotlight on the "Lead" Character in a Film about Domestic Terrorism, Law-Enforcement, The Media, and Amplified Public Reaction.

Despite All the Ingredients...Paul Walter Hauser is "The Thing" Here.

Worth a Watch.

Black Tuesday (1954)

E.G. ROBINSON CHANNELS "RICO/ROCCO" 1-LAST TIME...BRUTAL NORISH CRIME-THRILLER

[8/10 · 31 March 2024]

The "Ghosts" of Iconic Characters/Type Never Really Leave an Actor, but Remain to be Summoned Occasionally, if Need be.

Apparently Edward G. Robinson, Reeling from a Career Downslide, somewhat Linked to His becoming a "Friendly" Witness to the "House Un American Activities" (HUAC), Decided to Call Upon 2 of His Former Glorified On-Screen Characters.

Caesar Enrico 'Rico' Bandello from the Film '"Little Caesar" (1931) and Johnny Rocco from the Film "Key Largo" (1948).

The Result is this "Hidden Gem", a Somewhat Under-Seen and Under-Appreciated Crime-Thriller with Heavy Film-Noir Undertones.

It's a Relentlessly Down-Beat, Brutal Movie about Death-Row Inmates Vincent "King" Canelli (Robinson) and Peter Manning (Peter Graves) Planning and Successfully Pulling-Off an Escape on the Eve of Their Dual Electric-Chair Execution. Other Inmates are also Released and Join-In.

The Movie Pulls-Few-Punches in the Determination to Portray the "King" as a Soul-Less, Maniacal, Killer with No Redeeming Qualities from the Outset and Eddie G. Punches and Guns-Down People Routinely.

Peter Graves, on the Other-Hand is the "Soft" Side of the Criminal Gang. He's Sensitive and Artistic ( building matchstick bridges), but still Maintains a Desperate and Severe Attitude Throughout Most of the Running Time.

There are Probably More Gunshots is the Finale then any other Film Up to that Point. In Fact, the Deafening Sound of the Hail of Bullets is used "Artistically" in 1-Scene to Illustrate and Emphasize.

This is a Sharply-Designed, Dark, Story Told with Cut Angles, Deep Shadows, and Claustrophobic Sets and Hardened Criminals (Male and Female).

It's a Winner, with Solid Grounding in Film-Noir with Threads of that Dark Style Woven Throughout.

Was Hard-to-Find for a While and has Slipped Through the Cracks. Needs to be Rediscovered.

For Noir and Crime Fans it's a...

Must See

For All Others...

Worth a Watch.

The Night of the Iguana (1964)

"THE LONG SWIM TO CHINA" TENNESSEE WILLIAMS BY WAY OF JOHN HUSTON, RICHARD BURTON, AVA GARDNER, & DEBORAH KERR

[7/10 · 28 March 2024]

In "Night of the Iguana", Huston Corralled "Top-Talent" with Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, and Deborah Kerr, a bit of Taming (1964) was Imposed by the Code,

but is so Well-Done that Dramatically and Entertainingly the Film's Legacy Survived and Remained Intact.

Tennessee Williams was "Hot-Stuff" in His Era of Heavy Righteousness and Ultra-Conservative Times because He Wrote Plays that Attempted (successfully) to be "In your Face" Satirical Put-Downs of Society, its Rules, and the Place Malcontents must Live.

It's No Surprise that the "Public" Brought with Them Their Secret, or Otherwise, Feelings that Tennessee Boldly Gave a Voice to the "Liberals" who were the Target of the Aforementioned "Right-Wing" Agenda.

It's Also No Surprise and Highly Entertaining the Way the Actors Sink-Their-Teeth into the Characters and are Among the Reasons this Movie is Special.

Despite the Deep-Division with Fans and Critics.

The Only Thing that is Beyond-the-Pale, and Silly, also must have been Seen as Goofy in '64, is the Over-the-Top Display of Mexican Boy-Toys Dancing About Ava Gardner...

while Hissing Like the Snake in the Garden, Forever Tempting and Delivering Sexual Pleasure to a Middle-Aged Woman.

Although the 3 Stars are a Treat from the "Old-School" and seem Almost Flawless, it is a Supporting-Actress that the Oscars Singled-Out to Honor.

The Award was for Grayson Hall, Nominated but Did Not Win. She is 16 Year-Old Sue Lyons Guardian and Chaperone. May Be an In-the-Closet Lesbian Secretly Lusting After the Teenager and Resents Her "Coming-On" to Richard Burton's Not-Defrocked Priest and Sets Out to Ruin Him.

Overall, a Guilty-Pleasure can be Had with the Film that Came at a Time When Things were About to Burst, on that Seemingly Ever-Present Conservative Cultural Prison.

Tennessee with All the Other People in "The Closet" Hiding from the Oppressors would Ultimately Win-Out.

"Viva, the Revolution".

Dead on Course (1952)

HAMMER & FISCHER...BEFORE THE BEGINNING...OK BUT UNREMARKABLE...ZACHARY SCOTT STARS

[7/10 · 28 March 2024]

AKA ..."Dead On Course" or "Wings of Danger"

File this Movie Under "Pre-Horror-Hammer", with Ingredients...Directed by Terence Fisher...Written by John Gilling...The File is Filled with Hammer-Studios Exploits before Discovering Classic-Horror-Monsters...Dracula...Frankenstein...The Mummy...The Wolf Man...Phantom of the Opera.

Their Contribution in Resurrecting the Universal Studios Icons of Print and Screen...is the Embellishment of Color and Sex (cleavage)...Providing and Matching the Previous Top-Notch Productions at Universal.

But Before the Soon to be World-Worshipped Studio, the Movie-Making "Hammer" was, well, Making Movies.

A Lot of Norish Styled Crime Thrillers with Occasional Trips Exploring other Genres.

A Word of Warning...Newbies to "Hammer" and "Film Noir"...

While the Ever-Elusive Agreed Upon and Otherwise Defining Characteristics of the Film Noir are Present (as they were in non-Hammer Movies that Capitalized on the Noir-Zeitgeist) are...

Often Sub-Par, Mediocre, and Basically Basic Quick and Easy Movies made for Quick and Easy Bucks. Lacking Determination and Heart for the "Art".

Director Terence Fisher "Cutting His Teeth", by 1952 when "Wings of Danger"...American Title "Dead on Course"...is a Foreshadowing of "Better Things to Come"...

Hammer and Fisher Saw the Light and the Light would be Very Bright in just a Few Years. The Rest is Solid-Gold "Cinema History".

Zachory Scott, Plays a Good-Guy, where a "Lee Van Cleef" Semi-Devilish Scowl Permanently Etched, Accompanied by a Voice as Sharp as Any Weapon, was always More Successful Playing Villains, or a Least a Character with "Something Up His Sleeve', here is OK but seems Miss-Cast.

The Story with its Noir Tropes such as Returning-Vet (almost always with a PTSD problem), Scott a Pilot Suffering Black-Outs, and a Sort-Of Femme-Fatale, is Here, Neither to Interesting or Explored for that Matter.

It's Over-Complicated but the 73 Min Run-Time is Over Before it has a Chance to be Really Intolerable.

Terence Fisher on Auto-Pilot is Still Terence Fischer, whose Latent Greatness has Yet to Be Fully-Born.

The Movie, with All its Mediocrity and Pedestrianism is "Hammer-Before-Horror" and if it's a Hammer Film, it's...Worth a Watch.

Heaven's Gate (1980)

DEFINITIVE EXCESSIVE FLOP...OVER-INDULGENT...OVER BUDGET...UNDER-RATED...EPIC

[6/10 · 19 March 2024]

Not Only a Movie of Epic Style and Story, but the Response by Critics and Movie-Buffs has Become an Epic-Voice of Diverse Opinions Not Intimidated by Anything and Everything that has been Attached to this Infamous and Notorious Nut-Ball Movie-Making.

It All Happened by a Thing that Gets Repeated Now and Then with Predictable Results.

That is, a Director (Michael Cimino & Kevin Costner) has an Enormous "Hit" (The Deer Hunter (1978) & Dances With Wolves (1990)...that are Huge Box-Office-Bonanzas and Award Magnets.

It Seems that Movie-Making-Genius is in the Midst and the Keys to the Kingdom are Handed on a Silver Platter Along with a "Blank Check".

What Happens Next is Not for the Faint of Heart, Especially the Men who Backed the "Blank Check".

So Cimino, After "The Deer Hunter", Believed that He Really Was the Genius Behind that Enormously Successful Movie, took the "Blank Check" as a Justifiable Award and Ran Amuck Spending it on the Enormously Unsuccessful "Heaven's Gate". He has in His Long Career Made Only 10 Films.

Kevin Costner, After "Dances With Wolves", took His "Blank Check" He was Given as Justifiable and Made "Waterworld: (1995) and "The Postman" (1997)...'Nuff Said.

Sifting Through the Sands of Time that has Past Since the "Heaven's Gate" Scandal, it is Clear that there is a Thing that Pop-Music Calls "One-Hit-Wonders". We have Just Looked at 2 of them in the Movie-World.

"Heaven's Gate" is a Labyrinth Layered Exponentially with Questions and Exclamations.

It's a Dusty, Immigrant-Infested World in the American West where Expansion was Up for Grabs and Tribal Warfare was the Order of the Day.

It's a Murky Looking Movie with Scenes that Play-Out to Excruciating Length...Cimino the Genius wasn't About to Say "Cut"...

This was Filmed in "Genius-Vision".

Books have been Written about "Heaven's Gate" and there is a Frightening Amount of Information On-Line, if You Feel Masochistic.

Suffice to Say, at this Late-Date, The Movie, Through All the Hoopla, and for the Better and the Worst, it is Nothing More than...

Worth a Watch.

Walk on the Wild Side (1962)

CODE HAMPERED...DILUTED DISAPPOINTMENT...NUMB & NEUTERED

[6/10 · 19 March 2024]

Almost Forgotten (almost, cue...Lou Reed) because of its Befuddled Casting.

A Movie, Script, and Presentation of the Kind of Thing that the "Motion Picture Code" considered "Red-Meat" for the Liberals, Perverts, and Undesirables Lurking About in the America, the Code was Formed to Censor and Modeled After Themselves.

So the Movie Suffers and Suffers, Laboring to Make a Story About Vice (Prostitution), "The Ruin of Many a Good Woman", Corruption, and the "Wild Side" of the Title, with Very Uneven, Only Hinted at...

Peek and Peep at the "Doll House", and the "Dolls", Assorted "Johns" that Partake, and a Side of American-Life, that was "The Code" Reason to Be.

What's Left for Movie-Goers is "All Sizzle and No Steak", a Near Embarrassment for the Artisans of Film that Today can Only be Accepted as...

A Titillation from a Bye-Gone-Era that was a Front and a 'Dumbed-Down, Watered-Down, Downer...

with Little Artistry, Sociology, and Psychological, or Even a Turn-On for the Sexually Frustrated.

A 50 Year-Old Barbara Stanwyck, that Film-Historians Claim is the 1st Major Star in a Main-Stream Movie to Play a "Lesbian", is the Foundation Around the Structure that the Movie Presents...

Laurence Harvey (a handsome dirt farmer from Texas), is the Picture Forming in Your Mind that anticipates that are more miss-steps to come)...

Meets 24 Year-Old Jane Fonda, in Her 2nd Movie, Playing an Underage Traveler Named "Kitty Twist" (here we go) that is an Amoral Fun-Loving "Tramp"...

After a Short-Time Together, where They and We Meet a "Mexican" Diner-Owner Played by Anne Baxter, who Falls for Harvey in a Heart-Beat.

Fonda and Harvey Split, but Jane isn't Done Yet. Harvey is Questing to Re-Couple with a Former Lover, a 3-Month Fling with a "Beauty" Named Hallie, that Smittened the Simple "Dove Linkhorn" (yep Pard, that's his name), sounds Like a Joke-Name Made-Up by a Homosexual Writer of Fiction to Vent on Attractions of the "Gay ".

Hallie has Moved-On for a Bigger, more Luxurious Mode...

Her Rescuer, and Lover, the Aforementioned Stanwyck, and Now Turns High-Class Tricks in that "House in New Orleans...

the Trajectory of Everything that Follows is Based on Stanwyck's Refusal to Sacrifice Hallie for Dove. But "Dove" is Persistent and the Melodrama that Follows is Somewhat "Arresting".

By the Way...Jane Fonda is Back...Shows Up as Another Fish in the Net with the Ill-Repute.

She Tries to Steal the Show, and Almost Does with Her Unchained From Restrictive Rules and a New Young Generation that "Runs the Candy-Stand" at the "Doll-House".

In Conclusion...It's Quite Sad, that the Motion Picture Production had its Foot on the Neck of the Movie Industry in America and Forced Film-Makers to Bow-Down to these "Dictators".

This Movie is what Passed for Art Reflecting Reality and its Pale, Blind, and an Imitation, a Fake, a Farce, a Fugasi,

and One of the Reasons "The Code" Went Out of Business...

Thank God.

Phenomena (1985)

JENNIFER CONNELLEY CREEPY-CRAWLING WITH DARIO ARGENTO...JAGGED...BIZARRE...GORY...VIOLENT

[7/10 · 14 March 2024]

AKA..."CREEPERS"

Horror/Gallio Director Argento was on a Decade-Long-Roll with "Deep Red" (1975)..."Suspiria" (1977)..."Inferno" (1980)..."Tenebrae" (1982)...

Then Came "Phenomena/Creepers".... A Similar Horror-Gore-Fest, but Decidedly a Rougher-Ride with Jarring Montage, a Confusing Story-LIne, a Genuinely Perplexing, Bizarre (even for Argento) Tale of a Teenage-Girl (Jennifer Connelley) who has a Telepathic Connection to Insects and Finds Herself in the Trauma of an On-the-Loose Serial Killer.

With the Help of a Wheel-Chair Bound Entomologist (Donald Pleasence) and His Pet-Chimp, try to Avoid and Discover the Killer.

The Movie, Filled with Frequently Frightening and Very Gory and Violent Scenes, It Somehow Manages to Fray at the Edges and Unravels, Never Maintaining that Slick Cohesiveness of Those Other, Better Argento Movies.

Jennifer Connelley, at 15 Years, Performs Beyond Her Years and is Solidly Believable and Watchable Amidst the Maggots, Insects, Rotting Corpses and Blood-Bathing.

The Music is Jacked-Up Beyond the Typical "Goblin' Score, with Stuff From Bill Wyman, Iron Maiden, and More.

It's a Fascination Film and Sets Itself Apart from the Trends of the Era, but Not Always in a Good Way. The Maestro is too Self-Indulgent and Unrestrained for this to be Among His Best Work...Like His Follow-Up "Opera" (1987).

It's Got Plenty to Admire and to Dismiss as Foolish Folly. For Horror-Fans, it's a...

Must-See

For Others...

Maybe Not.

Mad Dog Coll (1961)

FAMILIAR FACES ABOUND...JOHN DAVID CHANDLER'S ONLY LEAD...A SLEEPER

[6/10 · 13 March 2024]

With His "Mad Dog" Face a Natural for the Titular Gangster, Actor John David Chandler Never was Offered a Lead-Role Again (quite odd),

but Did Have a Successful Career Playing Criminals and Especially the Mentally-Ill...He is an Actor that Leaves an Impression.

While the Movie does Feature Many Actors who would Become Well-Known, such as...Jerry Orbach, Telly Savalas, Vincent Gardenia, and an Unaccredited Gene Hackman...

Chandler Still Dominates the Movie, Propped Up by the Support, the Unforgettable Title, and an Overall Violent, Lurid, and a Code-Defying Sociopathic Tone,

it is Chandler that Steals the Spotlight Whenever He is On Screen.

It's a Fantastic First-Film in a Career Spanned to 1998 with a Guest-Spot on "Deep Space Nine".

He Became a Reliable Force of Evil that Enhanced Many Movies & TV and Classically for a Character-Actor, when He Appeared, it's..."Oh Yea That Guy".... What's His Name?

This is Part of the "Untouchables" Run-Off from the Late 50's, Early 60's when these Low-Budget "B" Movies were Raging. There were Dozens.

This One was Hard-to-Find and was Sleeping Waiting to be Discovered.

Reminds of a "Roger Corman" Movie and Just as Good.

Worth a Watch.

Napoleon (2023)

SIDE-SHOW & SLIDE-SHOW...NOT SCHOLARLY SERIOUS...SKETCHY & SILLY

[7/10 · 11 March 2024]

Director Ridley Scott, Nominated for 4 Oscars, and at 85, Still Functioning Film-Maker has Been-There-Done-That in 28 Movies Starting with the Under-Seen Under-Rated "The Duelist" in 1977...

He Does, Search, and Take Chances.

Ridley Scott's Filmography is a Wild-Ride, Ranging from Inconsequential to an Awe-Inspiring Ahead-of-His-Time Artisan of Immense Popularity and Fawned-Over Master of His Craft, a Pop-Culture Idol.

In His Greatest Achievements He Delivered State-of-the-Art Movies that Entertained with Crowd-Pleasing, Cutting-Edge Films such as..."Alien" (1979)..."Blade Runner" (1982)..."Gladiator" (2000)...

Nothing Less than Superior Movie-Making Pop-Icons that Started Trends, Franchises, and Made Movie Lovers both Critic and Fans Follow and Adore.

You Could Say He Has Done and Conquered the Film-World with Not Much Left to Accomplish.

If that is So, then is it No Wonder that He Played with the Histrionics of Such a Top-Heavy Icon, that is Admired, Loathed, and Studied by Students and Scholars.

A "Hitler-Esq" Figure among the "Human Fingerprints" on the Earth-Map...that is Pondered, Piled-Over, and Debated by Each Succeeding Generationd that Followed.

The Prognosticator, Poet, and Mystic "Nostradamus" saw Him as a Candidate for the "Anti-Christ", Along with Adolf Hitler.

The Divergence of Opinion on this "Epic" Treatment that Scott and Joaquin Phoenix Deliver Opposing as to the Emperor and His Role in the European Existentialism of His Time.

The Mind-Set of the Movie is Mainly an Alternate Take, a Side-View, at the History of the History...

with "Research" and "Documentation" and Enough Verbiage to Violate the most Tolerant and Patient Seekers of the Events and the Man.

Inarguable..."Josephine" (Vanessa Kirby) Plays Second-Fiddle and Back-Up to the Domineering Personality and Deeds of Napoleon...

when it Comes to Laying-Out the Events in Relation to what Legacy and Influence, as it has Drawn for those to Ponder, Reflect, and React to France, Europe, and the Nationalism that is the Main-Event in the Long Run.

The Long Running-Time is 2 Hrs & 40 Min is by No Means Long Enough to Satisfy the Insatiable, and the Director has Promised a 4 Hour Version for the Gluttonous to Gorge.

But No Doubt, if One Doesn't Abide the Very Interpersonal View and the Historical Shuffling, No Running-Time will Suffice.

If You Enjoyed the Breath-Taking Take on Battles Painted with a Wide-Scope and Carnage, the Extended Version will, No Doubt Deliver...

As Far as the Movie as a Movie...

$200 Million...the Film-Makers Employ the Best Technical Team Available...Joaquin Phoenix's Napoleon is "Cartoonist-Caricature", where He Positions His Portrayal as "Something Completely Different", a Modern Movie Trope that Becomes Welcome as Well as Jarringly Juxtaposed with a Man Who Significantly Changed History, Causing the Death of Millions...Vanessa Kirby as Josephine also Shows Signs of Dominating the Story Despite Scott, His Tech-Minions, and Phoenix. A Remarkable Achievement Considering...

For Both Cranks and Movie-Fans, Certainly...

Worth a Watch.