Other Side Of The Box - 2018 - USA

Other Side Of The Box - 2018 - 6/10

 
“I wouldn’t open that if I were you,”  I advise characters in the short.
Ben and Rachel, giddy with infatuation, until Shawn, Rachel’s ex, visits.
With a gift.  The gift wrapped box.
Which the couple, ignoring my advice, open.
The interior is black inside, with no apparent bottom.
Should they reach down?  See what is lies within?

Secret Service Of The Imperial Court - 1984 - Hong Kong

Secret Service Of The Imperial Court - 1984 - 6/10
AKA - Gam Vee Wai  //  錦衣衛

 
Violent, gory, and downbeat period actioner from late Shaw Brothers era.
The new emperor is preoccupied with plenty of nude girls supplied by the court eunuch.
While he is distracted, the evil eunuch (are there any other kind?)  peddles influence, kills rivals, and positions himself as all-powerful.  
Even the elite band of court assassins, the Brocade Guard, falls under his sway.
Except for Sergeant Zhao Bufan, who gets squeezed between duty and righteousness.
Numerous fights accompanied with geysers and severed limbs.
Plot a bit confusing, and the body count is damn near everyone in the film.
Fairly entertaining now, though when released it was considered old fashioned.
Such as - the musical sequence.
Shaw Brothers popcorn.

Don’t Breathe - 2016 - USA

Don’t Breathe - 2016 - 6/10

 
Three twentyish burglars prowl Detroit homes.
They follow guidelines (keep the haul under $10K to avoid felony), tight timetables.
For some, it might be hard to work up sympathy for lowlifes who steal their stuff.
“Cause I’m disadvantaged!”  or  “Growin’ up was hard!”  or  “I ain’t rich like you!”
Even less sympathy when they target the Gulf War vet who lives in a forlorn neighborhood.
He’s all alone, and he’s blind.
Being thugs, they decide to hit the blind guy’s house in the middle of the night.
Course your powers of prediction are likely superior to those fools.
Acceptable home invasion thriller.
Followed by pointless sequel.

Spectral - 2016 - USA

Spectral - 2016 - 6/10

 
Bose-Einstein students, check this out!
Planet Earth's global police force (the U S of A military) fights in Moldava.
The enemy has unleashed something uncategorical, and US troops are getting their asses kicked.
Ghost - alien - undead - A I - molemen - spirits - robots?  There is an unworldly element to the “spectral" force, and producers are good about teasing the denouement.
Warning - Try to avoid spoiler riddled reviews if you can.
A weapons designer is summoned from the States to take the measure of the enemy.
Similar to Cruise’s Edge Of Tomorrow, with even less character development.
Solid cast, mostly men, not boys.  Heavy combat action enhance this SciFi / Horror yarn.
The more you can suspend disbelief, the better you may enjoy, though jargon and explanations do stretch thin at times.

Agatha - 1979 - UK

Agatha - 1979 - 7/10

 
Nicely turned, what-if thriller.
In 1926, Agatha Christie disappears for 11 days.
This film is another speculative theory, plausible enough, save for lack of proof.
Dustin Hoffman plays an American newsman who saunters into the mystery.
The chemistry between Hoffman and Vanessa Redgrave (Christie) is chilly, aloof, though that seems typical of the period and the situations.
This is not a romance.
Costumes, period settings, all top notch.
A good mystery in its own right, perhaps forgotten  by most save the Christie contingent.

Loulou - 1980 - France

Loulou - 1980 - 6/10

 
Purely for sex.
Isabel Huppert dumps stolid, if abusive, husband for layabout, petty criminal stud, Gérard Depardieu.
At this time, GD had not turned into Jabba the Hutt, so naysayers don’t get started.
Little narrative “plot” in typical arthouse fare.  Wife abandons morally restrictive society for freedom in the alleys.
She does have her own money, however, and never worries about rent, utilities, groceries.
Nor sexual diseases, though Loulou is pre-AIDS.
Story never goes anywhere.  Instead characters act as stand-ins for class and expectation.
No, not a lot of fun.
Viewer note - Depardieu is Loulou (for Louis), and one of his male friends is Lulu.

Tokumei Tantei: S01 - 2012 - Japan

Tokumei Tantei: S01 - 2012 - 7/10
AKA - 匿名探偵

 
Terrific detective spoof, that also features solid mysteries.
Each episode is a single story, so no narrative arc to follow. ( binging not necessary ).
Low rent private eye lives across from strip club, and trio of forever practicing lovelies.
No car, he pedals a girl’s pink bike.  That said, he is a coffee aficionado, and a damn smart dresser.
The clothes and look struck me as prime Disco era, which he wears with flair.
Each episode begins with a damsel in distress:  missing money, lost relative, stalker . . .
Because the detective truly lives on limited means, he does plenty of footwork and deduction.
The tone is lightweight, and Katsunori Takahashi oozes charisma.
Fun series - nine episodes.

Dinner With A Vampire - 1989 - Italy

Dinner With A Vampire - 1989 - 5/10
AKA - A Cena Col Vampiro

Silly vampire spoof from the 1980’s.
Four actors are invited to a lavish castle for dinner, only to discover their host is a 4000 year old Mesopotamian vampire!
Viewers who anticipate screaming, running, inferior acting, might enjoy despite deficiencies.

 
The castle is the real highlight in this, though the Count’s challenge makes a good puzzle.
This was made for television, so don’t expect gratuitous … anything.
Faneditor, Dr. Sapirstein has done an expert restoration of this.
For one thing, the image work is masterful.

 
Other prints I had previously seen were grainy, washed out, damaged.
The clarity is sharp here, the colors sumptuous.

English subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/brivido-giallo-first-season/english/2700109

Five - 2016 - France

Five - 2016 - 5/10

 
Five friends (get it?) decide to pool wages to move into pricey apartment together.
The spotlight hogging rich kid finds himself abruptly disinherited, only he keeps quiet.
New career, he starts peddling high end reefer to high end clients.
Yes, like most mere mortals have access to both.
Complications ensue in not always funny French comedy.
Fanny Ardant plays weed huffin’ Fanny Ardant.

The Two Faces of January - 2014 - UK

The Two Faces of January - 2014 - 6/10

 
Sleeper, psychological thriller / mystery based on Patricia Highsmith work.
If you know this particular author, you expect unpleasantness.
Circa mid-60's.  Cheap hustler working female tourists in Athens, encounters a pair of fellow Americans.
Married couple, who are con artists and scammers on a higher level.
The college kid is drifting around, they are on the run.
They begin helping / using each other, each maneuvering for advantage.
Glamorous period clothes, especially appealing on Dunst.
Rugged, rock strewn scenery throughout Greece and Crete underscore the moral bleakness.
No likeable characters in seedy, on-the-run story.

Inserts - 1975 - USA

Inserts - 1975 - 5/10

 
Has-been Silent director, now “reduced” to making pornography.
Those expecting porn will be disappointed, although there is some adult content.
Story is more about the creative process, compounded with real world obstacles.
Richard Dreyfuss and Jessica Harper pretty much dominate proceedings in dialogue driven film.
The “look” of seedy late 1920’s, early 1930’s is fine, and few will notice timeline errors.
Marked as a comedy, this is as funny as herpes, and feels like a theatre play.

Hitler: The Greatest Story NEVER Told - 2013 - USA

Hitler: The Greatest Story NEVER Told - 2013 - 5/10

 
Lengthy and subversive documentary on Der Führer.
Lengthy, as in 25 episodes, an additional episode of credits, and a bonus episode of life in decadent Berlin before the National Socialists straightened things out.
Over riding theme is Adolf was a genuine good guy who tried to save the world from Bolsheviks.
Initial dozen or so episodes are better crafted, mixing stories that had me heading to my WW II books or Wikipedia:  the Haavara Agreement, Bromberg Massacre, Operation Keelhaul, among others.
Other assertions are just plain whoopers.  Two examples:  Zylkon-B used at Auschwitz was strictly for delousing.  Also, equating Berlin defenders with Masada resisting Roman legions.
Latter episodes suffer poor narration, scenes from movies (unattributed), and general meandering.
Subversive, in that at 15“ each, these episodes are easily digested and will be attractive to many.
Bonus episode of decadent Berlin is cobbled directly from Legendary Sin Cities: Berlin - Metropolis Of Vice, without attribution.
IMDB tallies big scores for this revisionist documentary, as well as numerous detailed reviews.
In general, I always urge people to absorb and study as much as they can.
“History is written by victors,"  (often attributed to Hermann Göring).  I realize as I get older history is less and less reliable.

Who You Think I Am - 2019 - France

Who You Think I Am - 2019 - 7/10
AKA - Celle Que Vous Croyez

 
Claire, fifty, divorced, realizes she has been dumped by her younger boyfriend.
“Boyfriend” is a stretch, as he more of go-to satisfaction.
Doing what guys have done for years, she creates a fake online identity, with a younger age and a random photo.
That said, she is not merely casting for any young male.  No, she has a target.
Therein lies the tale in this mystery / psychological drama.
The invisible woman, who conjures a haunting wraith, and for what?
Throughout, she confesses to her psychiatrist, piecemeal explanations that sound hollow.

Whiplash - 2014 - USA

Whiplash - 2014 - 7/10

 
In your face character study of aspiring drummer and drill-sergeant, sadistic teacher.
Film has been surprising to many, though hardly to anyone who ever played in high school band or beyond.
That environment has always been extremely competitive, both within the ensemble itself and during contests with other bands.
The student is gifted and ambitious, which the teacher recognizes, but he pushes him harder.
Profanity, obscenity, bullying, physical violence escalate.
Acting over the top, yet totally in keeping with the tone.
Stellar soundtrack.
Basic familiarity with jazz might enhance enjoyment, though it is not necessary.

The Expanse - 2015 - USA

The Expanse - 2015 - 7/10

 
Yeah, there’s a sucker born every minute.
I can’t tell you how many SciFi shows I take a chance on when I know - I know - they are going to blow.
Most are pathetically lame, written by unimaginative hacks, with plots for the lowest common denominator.
Well - this one ain’t!  Probably because it is based on a clutch of well written novels.
This, set a couple hundred years in the future, details the conflict and intrigue between Mars and Earth.
Caught in the middle are the “Belters,” denizens of the Asteroid Belt who are treated as grunt labor.
Unlike most SciFi, this is packed with ships and space.  Multiple plotlines that converge, yes!
S02 maintains this standard, adds characters and deepens storylines.
S03 is a terrific finale to the first trilogy.
BSG fans, hit this.

Afterthought:  I knew, I KNEW, I should have quit after the initial trilogy.
Except I couldn’t help myself.
S04 muddled around inside “The Ring,” and was alright as far as world building.
S05 - S06 reflect conflict and combat.  Discouraging and, in a way, depressing.
While set in “the future,” The Expanse shows how infinitesimal humanity’s journey from the cave has been.
We still murder each other, we still kill each other, we drink hate and thirst for revenge.
The Expanse, for all the technological advancement, showcases humankind as remaining primitive.

Secret Of The Blue Room - 1933 - USA

Secret Of The Blue Room - 1933 - 6/10

 
Irene turns 21 in the family manor.  Her father beside her, three suitors nearby.
Wind howls outside, rain lashes the windows.  At the back door, a stranger knocks.
Then the youngest suitor asks to hear the story of the tainted Blue Room.
Where, over the years, three individuals have perished mysteriously.
Tidy, locked room mystery has choice cast and wonderful Universal Gothic sets.
Fairly creaky, and will be familiar if you have watched several “old dark house” mysteries.
Highlights include a chase at the end that goes down, down, down.  I should’ve counted steps.

Drive-In Massacre - 1976 - USA

Drive-In Massacre - 1976 - 3/10

 
Grindhouse slasher that will kill you with boredom.
Couples at the drive-in start getting killed dead by a swordsman.
Piercings, beheadings, general dismemberment.
Killings are speedy and barely shown.
Frisky behavior inside cars is PG, meaning nothing that would disturb a nun.
Though set in California, the acting corps have heavy East coast accents.
Which you will hear plenty of because everyone talks and  talks and talks and talks.

Mr. Turner - 2014 - UK

Mr. Turner - 2014 - 5/10

 
Dreary biopic had key viewers hollering foul that Spall missed an Oscar nod as British painter J W Turner.
Really, Spall spent most of the film grunting or guffawing, arguably a spot-on portray of the taciturn artist, but hardly compelling viewing.
Fine outdoor photography undermined by dishwater narrative.
Characters singularly unlikable, and whatever drives them eludes the viewers.
Plot is little more than Turner dabbing oils on canvas, shagging the housekeeper, setting up alternative house, while snorting at relatives, relatives, fellows artists, critics.
A good documentary on Turner would be a recommended alternative.

122 - 2019 - Egypt

122 - 2019 - 6/10

Nasr and Umnia don’t have enough money to get married.
Going back on a promise, Nasr decides to do one final “job.”
She insists on accompanying him.  It was supposed to be easy.
The accident, however, was unexpected.  Umnia survives, Nasr is tagged as dead.

 
Only, not quite.
Might just as well have been, though.
See, the medical facility does a brisk, cash business in organ harvest.
There are orders for corneas and kidneys, and Nasr has healthy ones!
Derivative, oh yeah.  Been done before, sure.
Fast, dark thriller, for nondemanding fans of medical horrors.

Made In Britain - 1982 - UK

Made In Britain - 1982 - 7/10

 
Scoring this simply for Tim Roth’s ferocious performance.
He plays a high school skinhead, delinquent, spitting ball of hate and fury.
Because he is a juvenile, social agencies are still trying to guide him.
Like he gives a damn.
He knows there is no future for him because of class, wealth, expectations.
Everyone else is overshadowed by a blistering Roth, in this, his first film.

A Study In Terror - 1965 - UK

A Study In Terror - 1965 - 6/10

 
Sherlock Holmes mystery pitting the sleuth against Jack The Ripper.
Production appears like a proto-Hammer version, rich sets, minimally inhabited.
Splash of blood, sexual innuendo but zero nudity.
John Neville makes a crisp Holmes with a touch of irony.
Very young Judi Dench plays mission worker.
Narrative is no great shakes.  The famous detective hunts the infamous ripper.
Final denouement confusing, if not outright lame.