Violent Night - 2022 - USA

Violent Night - 2022 - 6/10

 
Santa, disillusioned with another crop of holiday ingrates, gets sodden at the pub.
Before climbing into the sleigh and later inadvertently crashing an unmerry heist.
High tech band of thieves have invaded the maximum security fortress of the ultra rich.
Bludgeoned proceedings are stuffed with black-humored comedy.
Couple of mushy bits that sog the dash-along pace, but these are few.
For those who appreciate Yule mayhem, there are nods to perennial favorites.
Prefer Christmas crimson of the splashed kind?
Suffer no guilt.

Fatman - 2020 - USA

Fatman - 2020 - 6/10

 
In a world of limited to no consequences, it is unsurprising Santa is dispensing more coal than toys.
Chris is also suffering a crisis of faith, although wife Ruth tries to rally his cheer.
Add a wealthy, spoiled, sore-loser of a little boy, furious with his lump of coal.
Who hires a professional hitman to snuff the fatman.
Needless to say, there is a lot going on in this rambling holiday fantasy.
It does coalesce somewhat, yet the focus is not on Yule.
An odd film, not the first choice for family viewing, unless your kids giggle at a rising body count.
If so, perhaps anthracite may be fill future stockings.

Home For The Holidays - 1972 - USA

 Home For The Holidays - 1972 - 6/10

 
No, not the Thanksgiving classic with Holly Hunter and Robert Downey.
Here, Pa summons his estranged daughters to his bedside.
The girls blame their odious-to-the-core father for their mother’s suicide.
“My new wife!”  he wails.  “She’s poisoning me!”
“So, what do you want us to do about it?”
“Why, kill her!”
There are a few decorated trees, one of the females hums a carol.
Otherwise, this is a knock-em-off whodunit.
Bland made-for-TV movie, wasting a terrific cast.

Street Of Chance - 1942 - USA

Street Of Chance - 1942 - 6/10

 
Only afternoon, you’re strolling easy on the sidewalk, when a chunk of rubble bounces off your head.
Regain consciousness and, “Hey, my name is Frank Thompson!  Why are all my initials DN?”
Oh, no!  He had been suffering amnesia, and in his previous state had been a sinister type.
Worse, several shady characters are chasing him.
Narrative is the search for identity, what Frank did – if he actually did it.
Burgess Meredith lacks the oomph to carry this.
Plus, Frank’s loyal wife is a mousy brunette, alter-ego Danny’s girl is torrid blonde, Claire Trevor.
Massive plot holes, photography is pre-Noir, although close.
Sheldon Leonard is the absolute best thing in this.

The Heart Of Texas Ryan - 1917 - USA

The Heart Of Texas Ryan - 1917 - 4/10
AKA - Single Shot Parker

 
Texas Ryan being the bossman’s daughter, just returned from a fancy Eastern finishing school.
Parker is the ranch foreman, a rootin-tootin, hijinks lovin’ cowpuncher.
Out in the sagebrush are cattle rustlers, led by a wily Mexican, who wants that new filly, Miss Ryan.
Lots of action, shooting, horses running all over, steers, saloons, whatnot.
Plot is skimpier than a jackrabbit.  Romance?  Educated girl, wild, boozing cowboy?
I reckon they’ll last a shade longer than this hour film.  Print is in terrible condition.

Being There - 1979 - USA

Being There - 1979 - 7/10

 
Chance, simpleton, is tossed onto the streets after his elderly benefactor dies.
By contrivance, he finds a home with another wealthy, influential family.
The satire expands as his vacuousness is mistaken for wisdom.
His naive comments are heard as thoughtful insight.
When much younger, I dismissed this film as sheer nonsense.
Nowadays, I realize humanity can and will believe all manner of tripe as gospel.
Relevant when it came out; relevant now in our era of “influencers”.
Chance, however, is an innocent, whereas most influencers range between self-serving and malicious.

Of Human Bondage - 1934 - USA

Of Human Bondage - 1934 - 6/10

 
Aspiring artist Philip is advised he lacks talent, imagination.
Disappointed, he returns to London and eventually becomes a doctor.
Well and good, until he meet, and becomes smitten with, trashy waitress Mildred.
From this point, this becomes a soapy melodrama.
Why would a doctor …?  And why would a waitress spurn advances from a rich physician?
Leslie Howard well cast as the human doormat, Bette Davis as the disdainful idol.
Although everyone knows characters like this is real life, the lengthy attraction here seems incomprehensible.