Sløborn - 2020

Sløborn - 2020 - 7/10

 
Apocalypse fans!
A deadly contagion hits an isolated island in the North Sea.
Actually, the virus (which is incurable) is rampaging planetwide.
When a drifting boat is sighted, locals hurry to investigate.
Teens, a burnt out writer (my fave!), young offenders, several clandestine affairs, investors, conspiracy types.
Seriously, there must be a dozen stories, yet one should be able to keep track of them.
Remember:  more characters = more meals!
The ending suffers logical loopholes, and character arcs are given short shrift.
Who cares!  It’s the end of the world!

The Secret Life Of Mrs Beeton - 2006

The Secret Life Of Mrs Beeton - 2006 - 7/10

 
During Victoria's reign, Isabella Beeton created “The Book of Household Management,” cookbook and overall go-to Bible for generations.
Her life was not all plummy, however. She suffered several miscarriages, was in debt most of her married life, and died at age 28.
In fact, the film opens with her cheekily observing her own funeral.
Anna Madeley makes a very beguiling and saucy Mrs Beeton, though one of the film's major revelations is perhaps speculation.
Breezy bio, do not expect focused social criticism.

The Beeton book, by the way, is available at amzn-co-uk and currently darned cheap ... 50p USED!  Or .00 if Kindle!

Sarah's Key - 2010

Sarah's Key - 2010 - 7/10
AKA - Elle s'appelait Sarah

 
Twin narratives of modern day journalist (Kristen Scott Thomas) digging out story of imprisoned Jews in WWII occupied France, and young girl's escape and desperate journey to reach her brother.
Stories dovetail, then tighten uncomfortably.
Great looking film, well acted all around.
Lived up to my expectations of being depressing.

99 River Street - 1953 - USA

99 River Street - 1953 - 7/10

 
Ernie lands a devastating right hook and the champ slumps to the canvas.
Like the resurrected, the champ survives the ten count, and in the next two minutes, the prize fight sours for Ernie.
Two years later, he’s a washed up pug, a hack driver, married to a bitter scold with a roving eye.
A slick haired sugar daddy stirs the wife’s honey pot, slowly, persuasively, until she’s sopping wet and helps him yank a bag of ice from a pair of clutching dead hands.
Then the setup, the dimwitted husband, driving his taxi, chasing fool pipedreams and hopes.
Well shot Noir is outstanding example of how to create wonders with a minimal budget.
The script is packed with crosses and double-crosses, unexpected treachery, hard fists.
No matter how hard the ex-boxer fights, there is always the corpse stuffed in the back seat of his taxi.
A seething John Payne is perfect casting, whether resigned or about to detonate.

Luther: S01-S05 - 2010 - UK

Luther: S01 - 2010 - 7/10

 
Vaughan Rice was my favorite character in the brief Ultraviolet series (BBC) from the late 90’s.
Ten years later, Idris Elba fuses Vaughan with Dirty Harry into a driven, obsessed criminal profiler.
Smart writing, more twists than a monkey puzzle tree, top notch supporting characters add up to an irresistible, darker than night, six part crime series.

Luther S02 - 2011 - 6/10

 
Season One was rapid fire paced, constantly inventive, with tour de force performances.
Season Two, while far above routine TV fare, was slower and felt like leftovers.
Missing was the dazzling dialogue that peppered the first season.
Not to mention the omission of a very key character who barely appeared this time out.

 
From here on, and yes I watched all seasons, the series gets progressively weaker and recycled.
Idris looks tired, or bored. The overcooked stories lack snap.
A major reason why I shun USA soap opera fare is generally because after S01, the tempo chugs down and plot points advance incrementally.
Happens, as well, with Brit TV, K-dramas, movie sequels.
Watching Luther over the years was my error, like trying to milk a lizard.

Brighton Rock - 2010

Brighton Rock - 2010 - 5/10

 
Updated retelling of Graham Greene's Noir, set during the clashes between Mods and Rockers in Brighton.
Small time gang, getting buried by the big boys, implodes.
Swank looking film, fab clothes, gear sets, luxe tune mix.
Completely marred by grotty script, a daff couple with NO chemistry, and over the top sound design.
Sam Riley good as smart dressed punk who oversteps one too many times.
Coulda, shoulda been a hell of a lot better.

Good Morning, Mister Hitler - 1993

Good Morning, Mister Hitler - 1993 - 6/10

 
Cobbled documentary around “then-recent” found color footage of 1939 Munich Festival of Art.
The images, filmed by amateur photographers, vary in quality but most are quite good, considering their age.
Talking heads include sons of original photographers, and a professor providing historical details.
AND - get this - a number of elderly ladies, watching in a theater, who had been participants in the festival.
They commented on what preparations were like, gasped when they viewed their young selves in the parade, talked about the giddy period of the Reich in 1939.  One surmised they had mixed emotions.
By now, most of that generation are gone.  While first hand comments are always useful, they are best received with a grain of salt.
A useful companion to 1989’s **Architecture Of Doom**.

The Dark Charisma Of Adolf Hitler - 2012

The Dark Charisma Of Adolf Hitler - 2012 - 5/10

 
Why?  Because there is always room for one more Hitler doc, no matter how shabby.
Three parter starts from World War I service, then attempts to support the hypothesis that it was dark charisma that led Germans astray.
Roughly 10% of the do has speeches from rallies and conventions.  None are subtitled.
Period footage is used and reused, often within 30 minutes.
No names or identification are given to faces belonging to Hess, Speer, Rohm …
Third rate effort geared for someone wondering, “Who is this Hitler fellow?”  not wanting to scrape past the surface.

Battle Los Angeles - 2011

Battle Los Angeles - 2011 - 4/10

 
I delayed watching this after all the negative reviews across forums.
All the elements for a top action flick were there, except for way too many family clichés.
There are kids in the film.  Utter waste of time.  In western films, kids never get killed or eaten.
I don't care if they are related to the director or producer.  No more Newts!
Leftover civilians.  Listen, the mayor, governor, prime minister orders, "Get outta Dodge!" you don't say, "Ooh, maybe there is a sale at Piggly Wiggly."
Marines who have to protect deadbeats ought to jab their thumbs with, "Exit's that way, Pilgrim."
Don't try to make action films for kids and mommies.
In the featurette, one of the honchos said they were trying to outdo Alien or Aliens.
As if.  Is that why their template was Independence Day, another family friendly suckfest?
Vasquez and Drake coulda kicked their ass ... even saddled with Hudson!

The Beast Must Die - 1969

The Beast Must Die - 1969 - 7/10
AKA - Que la Bete Meure

 
French revenge film.
Single dad’s lone child is struck and killed by a hit and run driver.
Police explore the usual leads, find nothing, extend apologies, return to their lattes.
The father is far more determined, however.  Finds an overlooked clue, stumbles across a witness (who did not see the accident, but saw something related), then hones in on the quarry.
Older film, not overly moralistic, though there is collateral emotional damage.
Also, to me refreshing, this is not revenge-porn which is today’s norm.
My bride always argues, “Revenge doesn’t bring the dead back.  You only wound yourself.”
I generally reply,  “True, but you remove one more bad guy from the world.”

The Flood - 2019

The Flood - 2019 - 7/10

 
Female immigration officer takes the difficult case of a refugee from Eritrea asking for asylum.
Trouble is, he had been apprehended carrying a knife, and the Home Secretary wants a clear message sent.
The seeker talks and gives his story.  The road trip of one.
Questions of whether there is room or opportunity for everyone are not addressed.
Political refugee or an economic migrant, the film picks a side early and sticks with it.

Death Smiles On A Murderer - 1973

Death Smiles On A Murderer - 1973 - 6/10
AKA - La Morte Ha Sorriso All'assassino

 
An out of control carriage wrecks, leaving a dead driver and lovely female with amnesia.
No worries, the rich family nearby take her in.
The local doctor (Klaus Kinski) is summoned, who declares her health problems are temporary.
Nevertheless, as soon as he returns to his laboratory, he bubbles into mad professor behavior.
Film mixes Gothic, Giallo, Carmilla, Poe, Frankenstein, all sorts of influences in a chaotic mess.
It is never uninteresting, but it never goes anywhere, either.
DVD audio commentary confirmed my take.
Worth a watch, especially for Kinski fans who is good in this. 

Best Worst Movie - 2009

Best Worst Movie - 2009 - 7/10

 
Documentary on Troll 2, often listed as the worst movie ever made.
Unlike Troma camp, Troll 2 was not meant to be awful, but a cascade of bad acting, inept script, an Italian director and writer who could not speak English, zero production values, resulted in a reel of brown goo.
Then the movie went on to become a cult favorite, though the Italian director still insisted Troll 2 was an artistic triumph, full of meaning and family values.
The documentary catches up with old cast members (George Hardy is now a dentist) and shows packed midnight movie houses.
Real passion from people who love bad movies.
Consider yourself warned.

Witchcraft XI: Sisters In Blood - 2000 - USA

Witchcraft XI: Sisters In Blood - 2000 - 3/10

 
I ought to have my head examined.
Watched this winner because Anita Page was in it.
Miss Page was one of the last working Silent Era actresses.
She appeared in three scenes, wearing nightgown and hairnet. Probably filmed at her nursing home.
"Plot" is of a trio of drama students who get possessed by witches then do lots of bouncing to raise a lesser demon and open a doorway to Hell.
Most of the spawning is of the topless variety, as the babes grind away sporting black panties.
These were not exactly top tier thespians.  In one scene I found myself trying to read the titles on her bookshelf, while the gent, laying passive under her indifferent loins, was trying to keep from yawning.
Hold yourself back.

Golden Exits - 2017 - USA

Golden Exits - 2017 - 7/10

 
New York professional archivist hires (another) young, female assistant.
She is Australian, inexperienced, pretty, and received coolly by the archivist’s wife and sister-in-law.
A thick undercurrent pervades the marriage, a tension that smells of infidelity.
The Aussie had been to the States a decade earlier and had developed a crush on a musician, whom she casually sets about stalking.  His male vanity is flattered, his wife’s radar hones in, however.
Very much a film dominated by conversations, said and unsaid, as well as glances and fleeting physical touches.

The Possessed - 1965

The Possessed - 1965 - 6/10
AKA - La Donna Del Lago

 
Mid-winter, and the writer returns to the lake hotel where he penned his previous novel.
Partly to recapture inspirational magic, more to see the blonde beauty who has been thinking of since he left.
Only thing … turns out she is dead.  Suicide, says the official report.  Murder whispers the villagers.
So, does he start on his book?  Of course not, he starts asking questions.
The deeper he digs into the mystery, the more false trails he unearths, not to mention numerous nightmare sequences, designed to bewilder the viewers.
Moody, atmospheric tale photographed in a high Gothic style, though the sound mix is overly aggressive.
All in all, a good mystery.

The Day Of The Wolves - 1971

The Day Of The Wolves - 1971 -  6/10

 
Very interesting el cheapo caper film.
First fifteen minutes are wordless as we watch various individuals - assassin, bank robber, second story man - ply their trade, then get recruited for a big job.
The plan, organized by Number 1, is to take down a small desert town.
The men all wear beards and go by numbers, not their names.  If any get caught, they can’t tell the Feds jack.
Pace bogs midway with endless rehearsals and town politics, until the robbery unfolds in a blaze of bullets.
Well cast with name actors, and lesser known, though no bad acting.
Soundtrack, a mix of psychedelia and funk, is pretty good.
Film stock is bad, the look is cheap, editing is jumpy.  In short, Grindhouse fare.
I bet 5¢ that Mr. Tarantino saw this at one point and it influenced Reservoir Dogs.

The Art Of The Steal - 2009 - USA

The Art Of The Steal - 2009 - 6/10

 
Documentary on how Philadelphia politicians, charitable institutes, and foundations, colluded to disregard the stipulated will of mega collector Albert C Barnes, and shift stewardship of a priceless collection to the Philadelphia Museum.
Why? Tourist money in the millions.

The group I viewed this with were appalled.
I argued theft is in our DNA. I referenced the Elgin Marbles, the Hermitage, loot taken by Caesar, Napoleon, Goering, and untold wealth grabbed by Conquistador Spain from Central and South America.
The group chastised me for being cynical.  I declined to point out that living room outrage is the equivalent of the social media  “Dislike.”  The protesting sheep is still mutton.

Moka - 2016 - France

Moka - 2016 - 7/10

 
Early on, mother flees (escapes) from the clinic where she had been under observation.
She suffers profound grief following the death of her son by a hit and run driver.
Remorse is not on her mind, however, retribution is.
Through a hired private detective, she "thinks" she has found the driver.
Her mind is made up, though for viewers the quarry is less clear.
A great deal of tension in this tale of grim resolve vs unsubstantiated assumptions.
Emmanuelle Devos excellent as the parent turned hunter.
In many ways a remake of 1969's Que la Bete Meure with less moral clarity.

Meek's Cutoff - 2010

Meek's Cutoff - 2010 - 6/10

 
A group of pioneers heading for Oregon in 1845 hires a mountain man who knows a shortcut.
Yes, shortcut.  Females worldwide are shaking their heads.
Of course he gets them lost.  In the desert, no less.
Adding to their parched thirst, a Paiute Indian is prowling about.
The film is very slow, colors washed out, dialogue sparse.

Much of the film is from the women's point of view.
Thus we cannot hear what menfolk quietly discuss.
Not an action flick, but a mood piece that will try the patience of many.

Urbanized - 2011 - USA

Urbanized - 2011 - 6/10

 
Ten year old documentary about urban planning.
Making cities more “liveable.”  More green space, less overcrowded slums.
Cleaner apartments, running water, crime control, on and on.
The mayor of Bogota prioritized buses carrying 100 citizens over 100 cars with 1 driver each.
Good luck with that in other (ahem, privileged) nations.
Anyway, all the speakers are idealists.
Two elephants are NEVER mentioned.
Ongoing climate change and the mass migration that will ensue.
And, the human population which continues to increase exponentially.
Are those realities too taboo to discuss?

A Perfect Getaway - 2009

A Perfect Getaway - 2009 - 6/10

 
Oh, those turistas.  Especially the twenty somethings.
Irritatingly upbeat, eager for risky adventures, seeking trouble.
This had been on my list for awhile, but the females always vetoed with, "No more dead teenager films."
Perfect Getaway is not a dead teenager flick.
A honeymoon couple starts trekking the remote Kalalau Trail.
They learn that other honeymooners had been murdered by a mysterious couple.
Could the killers be the creepy hitch-hikers they refused to give a ride to? Or the crazy vet and his cracker girlfriend?
Nice thriller with good twists.
Milla Jovovich and Steve Zahn stand out, but all leads give decent performances.

Sex, Chips And Rock N' Roll - 1999 - UK

Sex, Chips And Rock N' Roll - 1999 - 6/10

 
Coming of age mini-series.
Sisters Arden and Ellie fall in the path of The Ice Cubes, a rising pop group in the early 60's.
Wistful recollection of Eccles, with an irresistible song selection and youthful performances.
Nice layers of multiple generations conflicting, as well as surprising class misconceptions.
I found this quite by accident when looking for other work by James Callis (AKA - The Wolf, AKA - Gaius Baltar).

The Forgotten Plague - 2015

The Forgotten Plague - 2015 - 6/10

 
Documentary on tuberculosis focuses less on the disease (possibly the most lethal, killing roughly 25% of the population for centuries), but rather on the search for the cure.
TB was only recently been “cured” in the 1950's, so this features many survivors sharing firsthand memories of life in the wards, in the sanatoriums.
Peppered with photos, the doc is well organized, though the tone is dry and detached.
Well done, but surprisingly dull.
Cured is a curious word.  As of 2017 there were 10M cases of TB on the planet.

Infinity Chamber - 2016 - USA

Infinity Chamber - 2016 - 6/10

 
Set in the near future, the US Presidency incarcerates opposition in mass isolation cells.
Frank, inside the coffee shop, is shot by two security police.
When he revives, he is in a high tech prison, watched over by a computer.
Film unspools as a series of loops, as an advanced A I program extracts information.
Takes awhile to build momentum, and viewers are always on uncertain ground.
Intelligent SciFi, done with a minimal budget.
Christopher Kelly as Frank performs well in what is primarily a one-man show.

A Gentle Creature - 1969

A Gentle Creature - 1969 - 6/10
AKA - Une Femme Douce

 
Elle, impoverished student, selling the last of her possessions, meets Luc, young pawnbroker.
His interest swiftly turns obsessive and he proposes marriage.
Maybe Elle could do a lot worse, and penury is a powerful inducement.
The story, told via flashback and memory, peers at a dispirited union.
The marriage, Elle quickly realizes, is unequal.  While she “aspires,” he sets limitations.
She must adapt.  Theirs is a relationship without smiles.
The one-sided perspective will leave many stymied.

Vincere - 2009

Vincere - 2009 - 4/10

 
Italian potboiler about one of Benito Mussolini's mistresses.
She goes insane - or is insane to begin with - and is institutionalized.
Ham fisted acting accompanied by operatic music cranked to 11 during heavy melodrama.
Possibly the music was meant to wake dozing viewers.
As far as historical accuracy, I do not know.

Marwencol - 2010 - USA

Marwencol - 2010 - 7/10

 
Documentary.
Mark Hogancamp got the living crap beat out of him in a bar.
Literally. He was in a coma for days.
When he emerged, he had to relearn how to walk and talk again.
After 30 days, the hospital gave him the old "Good luck" heave ho.
He had been an artist with talent before, but lost the skills to draw when injured.
He began creating tableaux using dolls, setting them in a violent, often bloody, WWII environment.
Doll characters had their basis in Mark's real life friends and coworkers.
Quick moving story as he uses his outsider art to rehabilitate his artistic abilities, work through obsessions, fixations, and inner demons, then gaining recognition from galleries.

 
A fave - Stuntman Kurt, shot by Nazi, drinking whiskey.