Hoodoo Ann - 1916 - USA

Hoodoo Ann - 1916 - 6/10

 
Infant Ann was dumped off at the orphanage on Friday 13, and hard luck has been her lot since.
Mid-film, her inherent goodwill and generosity give her chance at happiness.
All the while, the hoodoo, the jinx, bides its time.
At an hour, this boasts enough plots for 3-4 films.
The orphanage scenes, domestic bliss in an unsettled neighborhood, a murder mystery!
Then there is the film within the film, “Mustang Charley’s Revenge” a Wild West melodrama.
Good role for Mae Marsh in a, at times exciting, if sweet little film.

Walking On Sunshine - 2019 - Austria

Walking On Sunshine - 2019 - 6/10  

 
Trials and tribulations of the weather division of a local Austrian TV station.
On one hand, the team does its own in-house analysis and forecasting.
One he other hand, they are tiny, and the German behemoth wants them as a feeder.
The team is a mix of likeable and bullying, professionals and fools.
Ex-alcoholic news presenter Otto is the most compelling as the self-deluded egoist.
Others, well, the writers try their best to make dullards seem intriguing.
Season 01 = 10 episodes.  Doubt I shall return for more.

Count Magnus - 2022 - UK

Count Magnus - 2022 - 7/10

 
The English tourist, a self styled scholar, delving into histories best left buried.
Mr Wraxall, a writer of travel guides, is vacuous and supercilious, and a classic wheedler.
His hostess, the publican, the priest, all warn him to avoid anything to do with the long dead Count Magnus.
And yet …
Probably one of the better adaptations by Mark Gatiss.
Previous installments have been adequate, hum-drum, but this scores points for atmosphere and a Jamesian style.
Cozy, not gory.  Understated, not bellowing.  Know thyself.

Hijack - 2023 - UK

Hijack - 2023 - 7/10

 
Airline hijacking.  Seven episodes for a seven hour flight.
Passengers are an assortment of families, turistas, professionals.
Also terrorists and a high stakes business negotiator.
One of the strengths is the casual pace, insomuch as we don’t know WHY incidents occur.
As aware as the passengers, are government officials, who hesitate until they have more facts.
Well constructed thriller is perfect for those about to take a lengthy flight.
A few explanations are still murky.

Louise Brooks Arena - 1986 - UK

Louise Brooks Arena - 1986 - 6/10

 
Eye-opening documentary back in the day, showing its age it bit now.
Vintage clips, especially from Brooks’ European films, along with films before and after.
Brooks’ interview in her apartment seems from Lulu In Berlin by Richard Leacock.
Readings stem from “Lulu In Hollywood”.
Images are soft and could benefit from a restoration.  Audio, even more so.
Nevertheless, essential for all fans of this surprising icon.

Women At War - 2022 - France

Women At War - 2022 - 6/10  
AKA - Les Combattantes

 
What do a convent nun, prostitute, abortionist and widow have in common?
Early Great War and the German offensive assails the Vosges.
In different ways, these women tend the wounded, run ambulances, struggle.
Narratives range from espionage to melodrama to preposterous to nunsploitation.
Creators keep adding more and more twists and turns until the plots topple precariously.
For me, this was akin to  “What are they going to do this week?”
Excellent production values, explosive war sequences, but the personal stories run excessive.

Umberto Eco A Library Of The World - 2022 - Italy

Umberto Eco A Library Of The World - 2022 - 7/10

 
In his last move, Eco’s home library contained more than 30,000 titles.
After that, he quit keeping count.
Book lovers, readers or collectors, aspire or despair.
Eco’s personal collection is vast, his organization idiosyncratic.
Along the journey, he talks about reading:  for enjoyment, for pleasure, for knowledge.
He differentiates between knowledge and information.  A key distinction seeing as our current era provides infinite information, most of it useless.
The Professor manages to be perceptive and enthusiastic, and while you may not dash out to acquire titles referenced, he does make one long to read.

English subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/umberto-eco-a-library-of-the-world/english/3242708

Wednesday - 2022 - USA

Wednesday - 2022 - 7/10

 
Living under a cultural rock, I was unaware of this until someone I respected posted a favorable review.
Anticipation turned to disappointment once I saw Tim Burton’s name in the credits.
For me, Burton’s forte is of odd weirdness, with storytelling at the toddler level.
I was on guard the entire season, bracing for Burton’s mannerisms.
Not to worry.  This is reverent, faithful, packed with in-jokes, and Wednesday is a jaundiced gem.
After being booted from one too many schools, she is exiled to Nevermore Academy.
Where her curiosity is drawn to dark doings and a rising malevolence.
Jenna Ortega is ideal as the pigtailed scorpion.
Commitment avoiders, this sarcastic series reaches a satisfying conclusion with S01.

It’s True, It’s True, It’s True - 2018 - UK

It’s True, It’s True, It’s True - 2018 - 7/10  

 
Painter Artemisia accuses fellow painter Agostino for forcibly raping her.
He counters that she chased him, she forced herself onto him.
Artemisia says she had been a virgin.  Agostino says she slept with half the neighborhood.
Accusations ring the courtroom in a trial that lasted months.
Based on court documents from the 1612 trial in Rome.
She said – he said.  The more things change …

The Tough Ones - 1976 - Italy

The Tough Ones - 1976 - 6/10
AKA - Roma a Mano Armata

 
The head of Rome’s police crime division is no fan of laws being used to coddle criminals.
Early Euro-Crime poliziottesco blisters with high octane excitement.
Car chases, rooftop fistfights, bank robberies, nudity, rape, not to mention brutal police interrogations.
Maurizio Merli is seething fury throughout, boiling over into violent reactions.
Music is terrific, as well, a pulsing backbeat even during rare lulls.
For fans of these (c’mon Giallo fans, check out Euro-Crime), this one is pounding hammer time.

Earth Spirit - 1923 - Germany

Earth Spirit - 1923 - 5/10
AKA - Erdgeist

=

 
Lulu proves hard to handle for her husband, Dr. Schoen.
Admirers flock in, including the doctor’s son, Lulu’s elderly pimp, and a strongman.
Why this is not coupled with every version of Pandora’s Box (1928) is beyond me.
In this version, Lulu is as innocent as syphilis.
The acting is theatrical, melodramatic, with broad gestures and heavy makeup.
Almost to a soul, every player over emotes with facial contortions.
Definitely merits a watch – once – then go back to the masterpiece by Pabst.
English subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/earth-spirit/english/3242706

La Belle Époque - 2019 - France

La Belle Époque - 2019 - 7/10  

 
The satirical cartoonist, out of work since newspapers collapsed, receives an odd gift card.
A time trip.  Where many might choose the era of Napoleon or the 1920’s, he chooses 1974.
The year he first met his wife, before their marriage soured.
Being an artist, he sketches the small cafe, interior and exterior, as well as fashions.
The recreation of a personal memory means errors may be spotted.
(I certainly noticed the music, and commented that “I’m A Believer” by the Monkees was circa 1966.)
This half of the film is magical, and so is the “other” half.
The behind-the-scenes, the actors playing parts, negotiating their own reactions and impulses.
A must for French film fans, and I am surprised Hollywood has not made a sugary pooh version.

A Girl In Every Port - 1928 - USA

A Girl In Every Port - 1928 - 5/10

 
Once ashore, first mate Spike studies his black book for addresses of every waiting females.
Most have not been waiting.  Or they’ve been “tagged” by a rival seaman.
Of course, he will meet his competition – Bill – and after slugging it out, they become fast friends.
The innuendo and implications are steamy throughout, but the pace feels slow.
Victor McLaglen’s Spike is effervescent, larger-than-life, and buoyantly optimistic.
Most view this to see Louise Brooks, who arrives quite late.
She is given barely anything to do, aside from look attractive and tempt males, but oh, how she does both.

Oasis Of Fear - 1971 - Italy

Oasis Of Fear - 1971 - 6/10
AKA - Un Posto Ideale per Uccidere

 
A pair of free spirits (not hippies) make their way from London to Italy.
Main income comes from peddling pornography.
Smutty photos, a no-no in Italy (?!!?), gets them kicked out.
Except, enroute to the south, they break into a house to swipe gasoline.
The owner is headcase, change-her-mind-on-a-dime, female.
Sexual games, mysteries, locked rooms, lies, excuses, absurd explanations.
The young couple, to be clear, a shady pair, are completely out of their depth.
How producers talked Irene Papas into this steamy Giallo is beyond me.
She dominates every scene, although the couple, young nude skin and plenty of it, are easy on the eyes.