Truly, Madly, Deeply - 1990 - UK

Truly, Madly, Deeply - 1990 - 7/10

 
As in, do you love me truly, madly, deeply?
When cellist Jamie dies, partner Nina is inconsolable.
Would that he could return.
Only then, well, fulfilled dreams are seldom what one expects.
Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman totally believable as characters, as a couple.
Wonderful little film, haunting, poignant, about the flame of love that burns and burns.
Although living with a spectre has limitations.
The sun ain't gonna shine anymore.

Northern Soul - 2014 - UK

Northern Soul - 2014 - 6/10

 
Companion film to documentary Northern Soul: Living For The Weekend.
This opens as the scene seems near its zenith.  Wigan Casino, “the” dancehall, is many miles away, however.
Drugs, primarily amphetamines, are a given (dancing till dawn) and dealing is a major subplot.
A secondary plot is tracking down obscure RnB 45s, or figuring out what mystery track a DJ is playing.
There is also a love - infatuation - story.  Male bonding.  Dance numbers.
The film suffers from a little bit of this, a little bit of that,
Really, the viewer unaware of the Northern Soul period might have trouble connecting the links here.
Fine soundtrack of lost Hard Soul music.
Enjoyable, though it meandered.

Horse Latitudes - 1975 - Canada

Horse Latitudes - 1975 - 6/10

 
If you cannot win a race, or achieve a feat, how about you fake it?
Our seaman, Donald, wants to be the first to sail single handed around the world.
Instead of actually sailing, he parks in the S. Atlantic “horse latitudes” and sends in falsified position reports.
He reckons without the isolation and the torrid heat.
Months in, he is losing his sanity.
This excels with the ennui, the lethargy of enforced idleness, though I never had much feel for the character.
Based on a true story.

Arachnophobia - 1990 - USA

Arachnophobia - 1990 - 6/10

 
Oliver Douglas moves from New York to Hooterville … oops, wrong story.
Dr. Ross moves his family from the metropolis to rural California.
He doesn’t blend with the locals, though family does fine.
Worse, by far, is a spider infestation, and he has a phobia of arachnids.
Wickedly funny horror comedy, bolstered with a strong cast, and plenty of cobwebs and spiders.
Not to mention John Goodman as the exterminator, in an over-the-top role that feels patently real.
Spiders, mmm, if you suffer a “thing” about spiders, there are a lot of spiders.

Pumping Iron - 1977 - USA

Pumping Iron - 1977 - 7/10

Overlooking Stay Hungry (1976), this is where Arnold started his ascent.
While supposedly a documentary on bodybuilding, one gets the feeling several of the participants are “acting” in front of the camera.  This seems especially true with Schwarzenegger and Ken Waller.

 
Most of this is hugely entertaining, watching the men train for the upcoming Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia.
One does get a feel for the more innocent rivals.
Then there are the strategies, diets, trash talk, behind the scenes.
Arnold already radiates charisma, though it would be another five years before he blew up to the masses.

Pieces - 1982 - Spain

Pieces - 1982 - 6/10
AKA - Mil Gritos Tiene la Noche

 
Gory thriller that navigates between Giallo and Slasher.
Opening has dear mom watching her son work a jigsaw puzzle.  Of a nude model.
Mom wrecks his puzzle and junior finds a nearby axe.
Decades later, an unseen, gloved stalker starts solving that nudie puzzle.
By chopping up a bevy of college beauties.
Mounting body count of Euro lovelies baffles police!
Though set in Boston, filmed in Madrid.

There is a valuable audio commentary with Jack Taylor.
Most of the discussion is not about this film, but rather Jess Franco, with whom Taylor made eight films.
For Franco fans, this will be great.

Backbeat - 1994 - UK

Backbeat - 1994 - 6/10

 
Ballsy retelling of the Beatles’ baptism of fire in Hamburg.
This focuses on the Stu / John relationship, then Stu / Astrid.
Gritty throughout, with nightclubs, bars, brothels, vermin infested digs.
Music is recreated by a pool of 1990’s talent, and is edgy and punky.
Paul is given short shrift in this (which he has commented on), while George and Pete are virtually nonexistent.
Astrid has praised the portrayal of Stuart, and their relationship as shown.
Ian Hart memorable as John, he has played Lennon three times now.
One of those docu-dramas which, I think, is mostly accurate, and worth seeking by Beatle fans.

Straight Line Crazy - 2022 - UK

Straight Line Crazy - 2022 - 7/10

 
Theatrical production of Robert Moses, emperor of inner city expressways and urban renewal.
First half deals with early, somewhat idealistic days negotiating with powerful Long Island estates, the Vanderbilts, the Morgans, etc …  Then wheeling-dealing with Governor Al Smith.
Second half is the attempt to ram a project through Washington Square (the Village), where he encounters ferocious, organized resistance spearheaded by Jane Jacobs.
Moses’ legacy endures to this day.  The thought that road congestion can be solved with more roads, wider roads.
Understanding urban planning might enhance enjoyment of this play, though it is not necessary.
Ralph Fiennes casts a spell as the visionary who grows entrenched, then autocratic.

Stung - 2015 - Germany

Stung - 2015 - 5/10

 
Poor marks on IMDB should have warned me, but a glowing review on DVDTalk tempted the sucker in me.
Two caterers drive into rural nowhere.  Birthday party for elderly WASP’s in a crumbling manor house.
Lance Henriksen is the most recognizable player.
WASP’s are soon attacked by wasps, big ones, maybe three or four inches long.
Them what gets stung gives birth to a fresh wasp, roughly the size of the host body.
Clearly, you want to keep pissed off insects near field mice and away from sumo wrestlers.
Plot is predictable, the pace grows boring, and the script has more flaws than invention.
There are a decent amount of meals (victims) at the party, but most get killed within three minutes.
One suspects filmmakers could not imagine different ways of killing, so that’s their fault.
Also, numerous small sized, crafty wasps are easier to hate and fear than laughable jumbos.
Then again, real wasps likely don’t take direction well.  Again, blame the filmmakers.
To be fair, I was drinking, yet that didn’t make this retread any more entertaining.

You Won’t Be Alone - 2022 - UK

You Won’t Be Alone - 2022 - 7/10

 
Nevena, newly born, catches the eye of Maria, a centuries old “witch”.
Her mother agrees to hand over her daughter once she turns 16, then hurries to hide Nevena.
As if anything can be hidden from a witch.
After 16 years, the witch claims the girl, who has been hidden in an isolated cavern.
Much of the film follows the girl, who is given shape-shifting ability, as she tries to understand and fit in with humans.
Supposedly set in 1800’s Macedonia, this could just as easily be set in 1400’s.
There is a timeless, pre-Industrialization quality throughout.
Some have equated this with The VVitch (2015), but it is actually closer to Hagazussa (2017).
For devotees of folk horror, this is indispensable.

The Snake Girl And The Silver-Haired Witch - 1968 - Japan

The Snake Girl And The Silver-Haired Witch - 1968 - 6/10
AKA - Hebi Musume to Hakuhatsuma // 蛇娘と白髪魔

Sayuri is being adopted.  By her own parents!
Owing to a mix-up at birth, another child was switched in her place.
No matter, now she has a big sister.
Who is completely alarmed about being displaced by the blood child.
Sayuri cannot help but notice the mask her sister wears, and – wait – is her back covered in scales?
She soon realizes her sister is a snake, in league with a murderous witch.

 
Horror gem boasts frightful costumes, wild optical effects, and hundreds of snakes.
Locked rooms, experiments in the basement, a mother losing her mind add to a complicated plot.
A bit campy now, though I wonder if children saw this during its run.
I can imagine it unsettling them.

The Devil’s Double - 2011 - Belgium

The Devil’s Double - 2011 - 7/10

 
A soldier gets coerced into becoming Uday Hussein’s (Saddam’s eldest son) body double.
Bit of cosmetic surgery, teeth implant, behavior training and voilà!
Soon the poor sap is viewing torture, rapes and dodging assassination attempts.
Dominic Cooper quite good as both flamboyant, maniacal Uday, and the more subdued Latif.
Filmmakers wisely chose to craft this as a full bore gangster saga.
Shootings, a gory evisceration, substance abuse, rampant sex, all during the tine of Gulf War 1991.
Opulent looking production, though docs reveal many of the visual tricks used.

The Lonedale Operator - 1911 - USA

The Lonedale Operator - 1911 - 6/10

 
Father ailing, his daughter (15 year old Blanche Sweet) takes over the whistle stop telegraph office.
And receives the payroll, from the weight of the bag, in gold.
Never noticing two shiftless vagabonds rolling out from under the train.
Trapped young girl, bag of gold, desperadoes!
Within a minute, I recognized this as an earlier version of The Girl And Her Trust (1912).

Watching this solved an enduring childhood mystery for me.
From age 3 to 12, I was always shipped off to my grandparents for a month in the summer.
This was the old C&O line and the trip took about 5 hours.
(Yes, I cannot imagine current parents sending unaccompanied tots off on trains or planes.)
The train platform had baggage wagons.  Huge steel wheels, the bed three feet off the ground.
Why so high, I always wondered.
In this short, one saw trunks and boxes being shoved off freight cars onto “same height” baggage wagons.

To The Lake - 2019 - Russia

To The Lake - 2019 - 6/10
AKA - Epidemiya // Эпидемия

 
Apocalypse fans!
A lethal virus blazes through Moscow.  Fleeing citizens spread the plague across Russia.
Where’d this come from?  Is the spread planetwide?
The opening episodes are furious, and a template on how to render chaos and violence.
Deadlier than the virus are military and paramilitary suppressor units.
Only then the story settles into following two families as they drive into rural oblivion for lake property.
Along the way, this becomes an adventure each week.  Threats, obstacles, enduring each other.
Personality clashes border on melodrama.
In later episodes pace is definitely steadier and the conclusion is somewhat hazy.
Second season is out there, of which I am indifferent.  If the story concludes, then maybe.

Secrets Of China - 2015 - UK

Secrets Of China - 2015 - 5/10

 
Maddening three part BBC doc ought to be called "Billie Takes Selfies In China".
Presenter Billie JD Porter whines, complains, pouts, acts disrespectful, and helps us understand China.
Evidently, she did no homework before filming began.  Not even a few Mandarin words.
In one episode, she visits a boot camp for kids failing in school because of attitude problems or games addiction.
Billie encourages one of the girls to fight on, resist!
Yet Billie will return to her posh life soon enough, and her advice could be disastrous if any students follow it.
Another episode focuses on marriage mania, and the insane money involved.
Third show displays the widening gap between poor and ultra rich.   Hey, didn’t Mao lead a revolution?
Billie pretends to embrace and commiserate with common folk, but she is obviously drawn to glitz and wealth.
Interesting points are made throughout, though the self absorbed host is distracting and culturally clueless.

Girl Groups: The Story Of A Sound - 1983 - USA

Girl Groups: The Story Of A Sound - 1983 - 6/10

 
Brief overview of what was, probably, a brief moment in musical history.
The rise and demise of the “girl groups,” focusing on the US groups.
Yes, there had been girl singers before.  In Big Bands, they were called canaries.
This does an adequate job interviewing composers and performers.
From Brill Building roots to Spector and the Wrecking Crew.
Leiber and Stoller speak, as does Ellie Greenwich.  Missing are Carole King and Mann & Weil.
Shirelles, Shangri Las, Martha & Vandellas, Angels, Marvelettes, Ronettes, shown amidst a dozen examples.
Missing names include Lesley Gore, Chiffons, Cookies, etc …

 
At barely an hour, twenty minutes are provided to the Supremes.  Way too much, and this unbalances the doc.
Also, the ending proposes the usual blather that the British Invasion killed the girl groups.
Untrue.  In 1966, the Supremes were still charting, as were the Marvelettes and Chiffons.
The Ronettes were the Beatles opening act for their final tour.
Public tastes change.  The British Invasion, surf sound, girl groups would all be swept away in 1967 by flower power, psychedelia and protest songs.  By 1970, things would change again … then again …
This doc is breezy and enjoyable, although the Alan Betrock book, upon which it is based, has more substance.
(Confession:  I have a sizeable portion of “girl groups” in my collection.  In my record store days, I was the go-to employee for questions about girl singers – along with Heavy Metal, Disco, and Classical.  Go figure.)

Britannia Hospital - 1982 - UK

Britannia Hospital - 1982 - 6/10

 
Savage comedy, skewering England’s National Health Service.
Young Mick (no longer a coffee salesman or popstar) is now a reporter.
Shady goings on at the hospital prove to be more sinister.
Where there are tiers of care, depending on one’s affluence.
Much of the humor is “English”, and outsiders may not understand views on the NHS.
(Disdained pre-Pandemic, adored during the height of the crisis, opinions of the NHS seem to be leveling again.)
Gallows humor serve to enhance the horrors, which border on slasher territory.
Jedi fans, keep your eye out!

Black Mirror - 2011 - UK

Black Mirror - 2011 - 6/10

Well done, if uncomfortable near future series.
This delves into the increasing muddle of networked humanity.
People valuing “virtual” over actual through phones, computers, social sites.
The most seen episode, “White Christmas” with Jon Hamm, follows online voyeurs to sexing.
One of the more unsettling possibilities is in “The Entire History Of You,” where individuals can record and replay daily incidents over and over.  They replay arguments, obsess over facial cues, have to surrender their recorders at security checks.
One that really stays with me is “The White Bear.”
A girl wakes up in an abandoned village.  Outside, she is soon stalked by a masked, shotgun shooting assassin.

 
Wait!  The village is not abandoned.  The girl is soon circled by folks holding phones, capturing the moment.
No one, no one helps.  Part slasher - part conspiracy - totally original.

The Lamp - 1959 - Poland

The Lamp - 1959 - 6/10
AKA - Lampa

 
The doll-maker decides to modernize his dim interior.
Electricity replaces kerosene.
An early, early Roman Polanski short.
Presaging a talent that was not exactly team Disney, and one that would grow darker.
More illumination, more light, is perhaps undesirable here.

Futureworld - 1976 - USA

Futureworld - 1976 - 6/10

 
I imagine the surprise financial bonanza of Westworld triggered studio sequelitis.
This rush job, likely signed off with “good enough”, is what they peddled to moviegoers.
Two years after all the bugs have been fixed, Westworld reopens.
Among the initial guests, two suspicious reporters.
Not as original as the first film, though it has cloning and world domination to excite conspiracy mavens.
Robots, androids, Cylons?  Not so much.

Best Of Enemies - 2015 - USA

Best Of Enemies - 2015 - 7/10

 
Giving this 7/10 as a piece of theatre.  Entertainment.
For accuracy, I am unsure.  For “coulda - shoulda” this would score lower.
In 1968, third rate network ABC decided to have two debaters during the political conventions.
Conservative William F Buckley Jr and Liberal Gore Vidal.
Both could be considered privileged aristocrats.
The doc focused not so much on issues, not even on the debates, but on the personality clashes and dislike each had of the other.
Filmmakers high lit the cat fight, which makes for juicy watching, though empty of substance.  Think FOX.
Ubiquitous talking heads contribute little information.
Much could have been shown about the subsequent path of each man.  Buckley became more liberal, Gore more conservative.  Show is about the debates, however.  Since the full debates are not shown there is no context.
Refreshing to see articulate and intellectually sharp individuals.

Aside - I actually watched the 68 conventions, and watched later ones until 1984.  They were unpredictable and royally entertaining.  After 1984 they became micro-managed and boring.