Faster Than Fear - 2022 - Germany

Faster Than Fear - 2022 - 6/10
AKA - Schneller als die Angst

 
André Haffner, serial killer who enjoys torturing his victims, escapes from prison.
After Marcus bungles the initial dragnet, Sunny is put in charge.
Fellow officers think Sunny is unstable.  Truth is, she has been traumatized but won’t confide.
Perceived as damaged goods means no promotions, no lead roles..
To my mind, the actress playing Sunny is over the top. A melodrama queen.
Most charismatic role is, natch, the footloose serial killer.  Doing what he does best.

Queen Margot - 1994 - France

Queen Margot - 1994 - 6/10
AKA - La Reine Margot  (original extended version)

 
Princess Margot becomes pawn in the bloody struggle between Catholics and Protestants.
Betrothed to the King of Navarre, whom she does not love, Margot has a torrid affair with a soldier.
Both men are Huguenots.  If you know French history, this will inform the proceedings.
Margot’s affair with the soldier shades the court intrigue which is more important.
The truncated version for North America, edited this into a muddled bodice ripper.
Isabelle Adjani is radiant as Margot, Vincent Perez is unsatisfying as her love interest.
The result is a bloody melodrama, making me curious about the original (now gone) version.

Queen Of Blood - 1966 - USA

Queen Of Blood - 1966 - 5/10

 
Aliens from outer space reach out and say,  “Hey, Earth.  We’re dropping by to visit.”
Only their spaceship crashes on Mars, so we send a rescue party.
The lone survivor, ambassador if you like, does not eat Earth food, though she likes blood.
Right quick, the plot veers from SciFi to another one bites the dust.
Inventive little film, incorporating scenes from a Soviet SciFi, decent sets, and an excellent cast.
Basil Rathbone (barely), Dennis Hopper, John Saxon, and the exotic Florence Marly as the alien.
One of Roger Corman’s best looking films. Credit director Curtis Harrington.

Donovan’s Reef - 1963 - USA

Donovan’s Reef - 1963 - 6/10

 
Brawny John Wayne comedy set in the South Pacific.
After WWII, a handful of Americans stay on a small island.
One is a Boston doctor, with a trust that he uses to care for islanders.
A female scion arrives, purposely to disinherit the doctor.
Film is a cascade of hijinks, fights, monsoons, romance, songs.
The tone is light and breezy throughout; Wayne  apparently did most of the directing after John Ford fell ill.
Island scenery and Pacific waves probably made this a hit with nostalgic veterans.

Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell - 1999 - UK

Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell - 1999 - 8/10

 
No, he was not unwell, he was simply hung-over or too sloshed to submit his column to The Spectator.
Peter O’Toole stars in the revival of the acclaimed play, with a handful of players providing support.
Based on a real Jeffrey Bernard, our character is an unrepentant drinker and gambler.
When the horse track is closed, he will bet on dogs.  When that is closed, well, his mates find new runners.
As with 99.9% of men, he has women problems.  Four wives.  He makes them sick.
A glass of vodka in one hand, cigarette in the other, Jeffrey observes Life, himself, fellow characters.
Characters, meaning individuals whom he finds memorable.
Exhilarating theatre.

Once Around - 1991 - USA

Once Around - 1991 - 6/10

 
Renata is part of a tight knit family.  Very tight.
Into her world arrives Sam, rich, successful, boorish, and older.
Across the line, the family immediately takes a dislike, which intensifies the harder Sam tries.
Aside from their perception of him, the fact is they resent their adult daughter spending more of her time with him, rather than them – them – them.
Uncomfortable comedy plays far better now than it did upon release.  At least to my eyes, Boomers and their offspring are much closer than the actual family units Boomers grew up in.
“The heart wants what it wants - or else it does not care”  Dickinson.

The Lesson - 2022 - Israel

The Lesson - 2022 - 7/10
AKA - Zero Hour  // שעת אפס

 
The classroom discussion erupts into anger, and a civics teacher is embroiled in a struggle with an unpopular student.
Politically, one is liberal, the other conservative.
The teacher may have authority in the classroom, but once the female student posts on social media, support shifts.
Bitter series brings up numerous unpleasant topics and inflames passions.
Especially after reporters sniff “news” and politicians try for easy points.
Cautionary tale for any college student considering teaching.

The Ghost Goes Gear - 1965 - UK

The Ghost Goes Gear - 1965 - 5/10

 
The pop group (Spencer Davis Group) takes up residence in their manager’s rural estate.
Soon to discover the manor is haunted.
Friendly ghosts, sinister ghosts?  How about singing ghosts?
Too much of the ghosts, not enough of SDG (not their best tunes, either).
Acker Bilk, the Three Bells, and lesser talents sing, in this very bad movie,
Martin Lewis provides a hilarious commentary, seldom pertinent to the film itself.

Interiors - 1978 - USA

Interiors - 1978 - 7/10

 
Allen’s first pure “serious” film no longer comes as such a shock as it did originally.
The estranged family gathers for a dinner.  Some clutch grudges and rivalries, others hope for reconciliation.
The latter hope is crushed when the father arrives with a new girlfriend in tow.
Tension is thick throughout, with no truly satisfying release.
Conversation predominates, with no plot push or resolution – sorta like all family dinners.
This strikes me as an homage to Bergman and Chekov, and would work better onstage.
As an experiment, a break from comedy, this succeeds.

Revolver - 1973 - Italy

Revolver - 1973 - 6/10

 
Choppy, ofttimes bewildering Italian poliziottesco.
Prison official Vito’s wife has been kidnapped.
The ransom, break out inmate Ruiz.
Ruiz is a foreigner, he has no friends, no contacts.  Who wants him sprung?  And why?
Vito, a bleary eyed Oliver Reed, attempts to find out for himself.
Then Ruiz, an over-earnest Fabio Testi, grows curious and begins to help.
Chases, shootouts, nudity, amidst a prevalent air of corruption and cynicism.

The Wild Bunch - 1969 - USA

The Wild Bunch - 1969 - 7/10

 
“If they move, kill ’em.”  With that opening line, the theater erupted.
This was one of those rare occasions when film and audience were perfectly matched.  When we arrived, the theater parking lot was packed with 300-500 motorcycles.  Half the audience were bikers.
End of an era finds the once Wild West setting into the sunset.
The gang’s last big haul is a fiasco, and the survivors hightail it to Mexico.
There, they make a deal with a brutal generalissimo.
Extremely violent Western, elegiac in tone, poignant moments broken with splatter.

Pink String And Sealing Wax - 1945 - UK

Pink String And Sealing Wax - 1945 - 6/10

Mr. Sutton has his hands full at home.
One daughter wants to be a professional singer, another is a small time animals rights activist.
Then there is his son who has become infatuated with a married woman.
Worse, the wrong sort of woman.

 
In a word, Mr. Sutton, a chemist, is a prig, who excels in making his family miserable.
Despite all, the children are resourceful.
As for the tempting hussy (the curvalicious Googie Withers), there’s a woman who knows how to charm.
Slow going initially, but turns into a wonderful late Victorian drama.

The Human Tornado - 1976 - USA

The Human Tornado - 1976 - 6/10

 
Dolemite returns in wild Blaxploitation adventures.
Queen Bee’s nightclub is threatened by the Mafia, who also want the girls as merchandise.
Funnier, and more professional than the first outing, with even a few face name actors.
Bed exercises are a surprise highlight.  The rats are especially memorable.
As usual, Rudy Ray Moore’s charisma carries the film.
His kung fu is … You know, I wonder if Jackie Chan or Donnie Yen have viewed his style.
Sorry, sidelined.  I’ve seen most of Moore’s films, this is probably the best one.
Still, see Dolemite first!

The Tattered Dress - 1957 - USA

The Tattered Dress - 1957 - 6/10

 
Blonde bait, Charleen, is having a fling with the hamlet’s ex-football star.
After a night of rough play, she and her husband screech into town and shoot the man down.
Middle of the street, witnesses, cold blood.
They are rich enough to afford an expensive, hotshot New York defense counselor.
Who takes the case, does well, but underestimates the town hicks.
Solid desert Noir has the makings of a classic.
Except it spends waaaaay too much time in the courtroom.
Philip Reed and Elaine Stewart (the rich swells) underutilized.
Two conflicting narratives, and the courtroom won out.  Too bad.
My copy had a dull commentary by a pedantic academic.