The Andromeda Strain - 1971 - USA

The Andromeda Strain - 1971 - 6/10

 
After a space probe lands, a deadly, hitherto unknown contagion snuffs out a small desert town.
Scientists rush to the scene, then try to isolate the virus before it spreads to populated areas.
Thoughtful thriller (courtesy Michael Crichton) plays out in what seems like realistic time.
A small team of specialists attempt to isolate the pathogen, while not pointing blame (military?) for bringing it back.
Tech is dated now, but the parallels to current outbreaks could not be sharper.
If only officials could reassemble this team for today’s widespread pandemic.

Terrible Things - 2022 - Ireland

Terrible Things - 2022 - 6/10

“Tell us what the world was like before it hated us.”
A survivor explores the bleak landscape.
With a few lines of dialogue, we gather what was.
As for the future of the traveler, unknown.

The Navigators - 2001 - UK

The Navigators - 2001 - 6/10

In the 70’s, I belonged to the UMW (United Mine Workers), small fry in a huge crew.
Come the 80’s, I was still blue collar, high steel, only now the force was 3 or 4, tops.
A Master, a Journeyman, a Helper or two.  Often either a Master or a Journeyman and one Helper.
In ten years, the blue collar world had altered dramatically.
By the 90’s the same do-more-with-less downsizing hit Retail jobs.

 
This bleak Ken Loach film captures that, although it comes across as twenty years late.
The “navigators”, the BritRail workcrew, attend the meeting about privatization.
About competing for customers.  Only gradually do they grasp they are competing for hours.
Payroll cuts, less safety, untrained temps.  Our future ain’t never what we envisioned.

Alice In Borderland: S02 - 2022 - Japan

Alice In Borderland: S02 - 2022 - 7/10
AKA - Imawa no Kuni no Arisu // 今際の国のアリス

Never would have predicted this.
I enjoyed S01 up until it faltered at the Beach.
Was unsure if I wanted to view this season, until the fans raved deliriously.

 
Vestiges of Tokyo are disappearing under vegetation.
Players survive in pockets, form temporary enclaves as the games grow more elaborate.
For a second season, there is a wealth of narrative track, in deeper, richer veins.
Secondary, even tertiary players assume major roles.
Just how much is packed into eight episodes is astonishing.
Much relies on S01, so one must see that season first,
A few installments boast separate contests, with glimpses of still other games.
This season is more thoughtful as characters grapple with the value of human life.
What determines value?  Merit, money, education?  Who decides?
Is Life itself even worth the struggle, worth living?  How about freedom?
Imaginative ending, too, in this well thought-out series.

 
”Your life is yours. Don't follow someone else's path."
Kyuma

To The Limit - 1995 - USA

To The Limit - 1995 - 4/10

 
After her boyfriend is murdered, Vickie Lynn revives her CIA training to track the killers.
Meantime, a Vietnam vet sees his wedding shot-up to hell, so he wants the killers.
The team complete (Anna Nicole Smith and Joey Travolta), the narrative spirals.
If you try to pay attention to the plot, this may distract you into enjoying it more (plot being jumpy and incoherent).
Smith offers nudity a few times, although these hew close to her Playboy videos.
Action is average, explosions probably from a fireworks stand.
Curious about Anna Nicole?  None of her films are that hot.  To The Limit may be the best, although it never showcases her exuberance.
I have long puzzled over why there is no documentary pertaining to her murder (follow the money).

Mrs. Warren’s Profession - 2021 - UK

Mrs. Warren’s Profession - 2021 - 6/10

 
Not that it is even mentioned, but the profession is the oldest one.
Mrs. Warren’s expertise has enabled her to put daughter Vivie through college.
Mother and daughter are strong characters, proto feminists.
A George Bernard Shaw play, the language is preachy, pompous, dull at points.
The message is dated and timely, female must empower to avoid shackles.
Over talky, stagebound, with players rooted to their marks, speechifying.

Crazed Fruit - 1956 - Japan

Crazed Fruit - 1956 - 7/10
AKA - Kurutta Kajitsu // 狂った果実

Arriving with his date, suddenly the guys realize innocent Haruji has bettered them all.
She is a beauty.  She can dance, she is fun.  How had he scored?
While Haru may well be naïve, his girl Eri is apparently not.

 
A sun swept romance, with unsettling undercurrents.
Haru’s older brother decides to take the girl away, by whatever trick.
Most of the characters appear very young, though I would guess them to be 18-20.

Enys Men - 2022 - UK

Enys Men - 2022 - 6/10

 
Lone inhabitant of isolated island is disturbed by visions - memories - remnants.
Writer / director has not bothered to elaborate, so speculate freely.
Suffice to say, there IS a female resident, and there once WAS a community.
There were miners, who also manned the rescue boat.
Categorized as Horror, it is not.  It hews much closer to Aickman, into strange, into fringe.
The chronology is deliberately jumbled; advise you to simply watch and let proceedings bloom.
Viewers seeking Horror tropes, stop!  There are thousands of other titles available.
Audio-freaks, this cranked my subwoofer, big time!

The Saragasso Manuscript - 1965 - Poland

The Saragasso Manuscript - 1965 - 7/10
AKA - Rękopis znaleziony w Saragossie

During a lull in the Napoleonic War in Spain, an officer finds a thick book.
The manuscript details the adventures, perhaps madness, of his grandfather, decades earlier.  Beginning with a shortcut through borderland territory, he meets two beautiful sisters.
Supposedly cousins to him, they say.  Or are they ghosts?  Or djinns?  Or succubi?

 
Bravado and common sense ignored, he drinks, as any female who coaxes the tiny head could predict.
Meanwhile, he is hunted, captured by the Inquisition.  Rescued by a Kabbalahist.  Or gypsies!

 
Baffling film, brims with heady stories, odd alleyways, serendipitous coincidences.
Utterly engrossing, although the three plus hours length kept this on my shelf for a few years.
Even now, I think I missed a lot.
Multiple viewings are supposedly necessary to fully appreciate this film.
Early champions of this include Scorsese, Coppola, and of all people, Jerry Garcia.
World cinema, arthouse fans, probably a must.