The Last Round - 1976 - Italy

The Last Round - 1976 - 6/10
AKA - Il Conto è Chiuso

Two families control the northern city.
Manzetti’s with drugs and smuggling, Belmondo through nightclubs and prostitution.
From the South, Marco arrives, looking for work.
After he beats up a half dozen Manzetti thugs, their own boss, Rico, hires him on.

 
Not knowing Marco has his own agenda, and will soon set the rival families into conflict.
Italian Euro-Crime borrows heavily from A Fistful Of Dollars, and an effect from For A Few Dollars More.
Marco (boxer Carlos Monzón) is no Eastwood, but Luc Merenda as the calculating Rico owns his every second onscreen.

The Big Boodle - 1957 - USA

The Big Boodle - 1957 - 6/10

 
Ned, Havana blackjack dealer, is passed a fistful of counterfeit bills.
Next, everyone is after his hide: Cuban police, criminals, T-men, the original counterfeiters.  Ladies.
Yes, there are females.  This is an Errol Flynn vehicle.  No longer a star, he still exudes grace and charm.
Noirish story moves along.  Local cast is fine, Flynn solid as the borderline soul.
Real attraction here is the Batista era Cuba.  Paradise for the rich.
Time capsule of a place that would shatter within a year.

German Crime Story: Deadlock - 2023 - Germany

German Crime Story: Deadlock - 2023 - 7/10
AKA - German Crime Story: Gefesselt

 
Could be because he’s a furrier, that Raik suffers women troubles.
Or so he says.  I mean, females attracted to this overstuffed blowhard?
That, and they are also attracted to a wee bit of S&M.
Unaware that Raik is a more hardcore operator.
Innocent that a walk into his underground bomb shelter is a one-way trek.
Based on real events, this swings between apprehension, terror and comedy.
As police interrogators discover, Raik is not one to easily pin down.
The man can concoct alibis, explanations and fibs on a dime.
And the stories he weaves are generally comical.

Hoopla - 1933 - USA

Hoopla - 1933 - 6/10

 
Cooch dancer Lou is paid to seduce Nifty’s son.
Nifty is the carny manager, and son Chris, a college kid, is naïve and sexually inexperienced.
Well, Lou schools the lad right quick.  So much so, they fall for each other and elope.
This would be Clara Bow’s last film, and she is still radiant.
Steamy, sexy, hard-boiled, romantic.  The tough broad with a heart of gold.
Her voice is fine, the camera adores her, she still has “IT”, the rest of the cast … mmm … serviceable.

Brotherhood Of The Wolf - 2001 - France

Brotherhood Of The Wolf - 2001 - 7/10
AKA - Le Pacte des Loups

 
Grégoire, knight errant sent by the king, arrives in a remote village.
Where locals are being slaughtered / terrorized by an unknown beast.
Werewolf, whisper the superstitious.
While a young lord welcomes Grégoire and his companion, Mani, cutthroats are more dangerous.
A lot is packed into this 18th century adventure:  mystery, horror, thrills, action.
Including martial arts, exciting to behold, but completely out of place.
Gorgeous production.  Action fans, it this was “before your time” it is definitely worth watching.

Sex Madness - 1934 - USA

Sex Madness - 1934 - 3/10

 
This winner will ofttimes be found in el cheapo, early exploitation box sets along with Reefer Madness, Cocaine Fiends, Marijuana, etc …
Beach parties, encounters with burlesque dancers, lesbians, even a quick bounce with a casting agent results in -
Yes, Syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, crotch crickets.
Leading right quick to blindness and insanity.  Stop scratching already.
Unlike the films mentioned earlier, this is not over-the-top, but educational, preachy, and dullsville.
♪ VD is for everybody, not just for the few ♫
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdA2Z4Qt2K0

A Private Affair - 2022 - Spain

A Private Affair - 2022 - 6/10
AKA - Un Asunto Privado

 
Marina’s father was police commissioner, and throughout her childhood he schooled her well.
Trouble is, there is no room for female officers in 1940’s Spain.
Nonetheless, when a serial killer targets discreet prostitutes for elite gentlemen, she investigates.
Along with butler Hector (a skittish, yet knowledgeable Jean Reno).
Fun mystery series is a romp, despite occasional screeching, and periodic silliness.
Light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek, save for the finale which is narrative packed and quite dark.
Really, the conclusion feels like it is grafted from another series.

The Adventures Of Robin Hood - 1938 - USA

The Adventures Of Robin Hood - 1938 - 8/10

 
Errol Flynn was already a Warners star, but this vaulted him into the constellations.
Robin Hood, Little John, Will Scarlett and the Merry Men, square off against the duplicitous Prince John and his sinister henchman, Sir Guy Of Gisbourne.
Stealing from the rich, giving to the poor.  In between, Robin finds time to woo Maid Marian.
While the costumes come across as  Disneyish, everything else is first rate.
Lavish Korngold score, fantastic chemistry all around, thrilling sword fights.
This is the bar against which all other Robin Hood’s stand – and fail.
Note:  The Laserdisc has bolder colors throughout in this Technicolor gem.  The DVD, by comparison, appears washed out.  I have not viewed the HD upgrade.

Arthur - 1981 - USA

Arthur - 1981 - 6/10

 
Arthur, an eternal manboy, stands to inherit hundreds of millions of dollars if he marries well heeled Susan.
Sure, why not?  Have the lawyer make a prenup, marry Susan, then move to Amalfi.
No, no, that would not make a Romcom, but possibly a decent Noir.
Arthur is an alcoholic, he adores New York, then he falls in love with poor, klepto, Linda.
Liza Minnelli (Really?  Oh, right, right, he’s an alcoholic.)
John Gielgud is a delight as the sarcastic butler, Hobson.
Arthur made Dudley Moore a star for a brief time.

Death Of England: Face To Face - 2021 - UK

Death Of England: Face To Face - 2021 - 6/10

 
In the middle of Lockdown, Michael visits Delroy, bringing Delroy’s new daughter.
There, they rehash old issues, opinions, instability.
One family is utterly toxic, while one soul is akin to a doormat, or moth to flame.
The two men – “mates” – declare their friendship frequently, yet their history is strained.
While the pairing is interesting, this show, and the performers, pale against the originals.Death Of England and Death Of England: Delroy.
This is not a play, but a TV show.
A back glance at two characters, adding little to the powerhouse originals. 

The Touch Of Her Flesh - 1967 - USA

The Touch Of Her Flesh - 1967 - 4/10

As soon as Jennings departs, wife Claudia lets in her lover de jour.
While they start grinding (keeping on trousers, black panties, and socks), Jennings remembers he forgot something.
Astounded by the groping, he dashes into the street, is struck by a car, loses an eye, and is temporarily paralyzed.
Recuperating, Jennings vows revenge on all lustful and lust inspiring females.
An incredibly long sequence by à go-go dancer before death – Jennings takes his time watching.
Next, a burlesque house, where no one notices the guy in a wheelchair, with an eyepatch, and dart blowgun.

 
Artsy grindhouse has vast stretches sans dialogue.  Instead, music by Rachmaninoff or Bach.
Dialogue is atrociously looped.  Watch for the telephone, on and off the cradle.
Unbelievably bad, though essential for fans of buxom women.  Topless throughout.

Sleep, My Love - 1948 - USA

Sleep, My Love - 1948 - 6/10

 
New York woman, Alison, wakes on the midnight train to Boston.
No idea how or when she boarded the train.
No memory of having shot her husband.
All instincts point to her losing her marbles.
Except, wait a minute, her patient husband has a slice of cheesecake stashed.

 
Noir in look only, and the opening and closing.
In-between, melodrama-splashed, psychological thriller.
Douglas Sirk directs, though his flourishes are minimal.
Also involved are Mary Pickford and Buddy Rogers.

A Simple Robbery - 2020 - UK

A Simple Robbery - 2020 - 6/10

 
Becky and Stacey hitchhike in the bucolic rural locale.
Young grifters, they target pricy cars with a lone male driver.
Only this time, they break their rule, and climb into the car with two men.
Short thriller, predictable, gory, and funny at times.
English subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/a-simple-robbery/english/3120404

Tales Of Manhattan - 1942 - USA

Tales Of Manhattan - 1942 - 6/10

 
Better suited would be tales of a tailcoat.
A posh dinner coat (with tails) goes to Broadway’s top actor.
Followed by a soon to be married roué.
Next a down on his luck lawyer.
Then – – you get the idea.
Six stories follow the stories, lucky or ill, of the recipients.
Astonished how the Robeson speech (Socialist, if not Communist) made it into the film.
My print also had the W. C. Fields section, often omitted.