Madness Rules - 1947 - Switzerland

Madness Rules - 1947 - 6/10
AKA - Matto Regiert

Doktor Laduner thinks young Kaplaun can soon return to society.
The asylum director, a bullying tyrant, thinks otherwise.
New methods clash with severe discipline – until the director is murdered.
Enter police inspector Studer.

 
Murder in a madhouse suggests all manner of themes.
This goes the procedural route, with the inspector asking provocative questions and keenly observing.
Patients and their maladies are backgrounded.  This is not Mabuse.

Nights Of Iemanjá - 1971 - Brazil

Nights Of Iemanjá - 1971 - 5/10
AKA - Noites de Iemanjá

 
She snubs her husband, who seems unable to satisfy her needs.
Instead, she prowls the docks, the wharves, open beaches.
Seeking younger, fitter men.  Whom she seduces and drains.
Not the vampire, succubus, femme fatale trope, but closer to a destroying siren.
The pace is languid and the female’s impulses are vague.
Even to herself.
Copy I viewed seemed from a nth generation VHS.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/download/3365673

Deadly Games - 1989 - France

Deadly Games - 1989 - 6/10
AKA - 3615 Code Père Noël

 
The store is short-staffed on Santas.  So they hire a street bum.
Who turns out to be unstable and dangerous.
Luckily, they realize and fire him before he can inflict further harm.
Unluckily, he learns where the boss lives and goes there to exact revenge.
Fans of Home Alone (1990) will recognize the bones of the plot.
Although this menace is deadlier, childlike and cuckooland.
There are numerous murders, and the young boy is injured, possibly scarred.
The creators of this did parody Rambo, so it’s perhaps fair play that John Hughes stole their concept.

Sugarcane - 2024 - Canada

Sugarcane - 2024 - 7/10

 
Graves are reported at closed Catholic schools for tribal children.
If there were wrongdoings or incidents, they occurred long ago and many culprits are now dead.
Documentary is partly a race against time, interviewing survivors, tracking the guilty.
Also, painful persuasion, as most of the victims, now elderly and frail, are extremely reluctant to revisit the past.
As ever, problems stem from wayward priests, who, once exposed, were simply relocated.
Compelling viewing, yet a difficult watch.

Boulet Brothers’ Holiday Of Horrors - 2025 - USA

Boulet Brothers’ Holiday Of Horrors - 2025 - 5/10

 
Four shorts (10” each) sorta/kinda winter related.
A murdered grandma, feeling restless. Hikers, lost in the woods, and a Yeti.
Daughter inherits Pa’s home. And Santa with a big ole bag.
Three are mere sketches, pitches, if you like, that do not satisfy.
Santa’s experience, however, is the stuff of nightmares.
Parents who let underage children watch that one will suffer the consequences once they are retirement age.
Filmmakers aim for camp, yet deliver stale cookies and corny approach.

In The Wink Of An Eye - 1981 - Philippines

In The Wink Of An Eye - 1981 - 7/10  
AKA - Kisapmata

 
He has trouble letting go.
Even though daughter Mila is pregnant, the male is ready to marry her.
Her father does not want to let her leave.
All manner of excuses, reasons, coercion, threats.
After all, Mila is more than just a daughter, she is his property, and something more.
Creepy suspenser with tension that tightens from the onset.
Steeped in incest, this is more frightening than most “horror” films.
Sadly, based on true events.

The Deluge - 1933 - USA

The Deluge - 1933 - 6/10

 
Barometric pressures are plunging across the globe for no reason.
Then there is an ongoing eclipse!
Earthquakes arrive, including the “big one” feared by all Californians.
And the Western states tumble into the sea!
Omigod, the quakes migrate east, while annihilating the rest of the planet.
Afterward, dog eat dog, sweet cheeks, and heaven help you if you are female.
Late Pre-Code suffers stilted acting, impressive (for their time) effects, and a racy story.
Recent DVD from an excellent Italian print is the one to seek out.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/download/3365672

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? - 1980 - UK

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? - 1980 - 6/10

 
Out golfing, Bobby and his doctor partner come across (or strike) a hiker.
His dying words were those above.  A puzzle.
Bobby is mildly curious, his female friend, Lady Francis, more so.
Breezy whodunit has multiple suspects that the main players disagree on.
“Well, he’s certainly innocent.” – “He most certainly is not!”
There is a sinister health sanitarium, and a lot of morphine.
Probably too long at 3 hours, but easy to portion.  Christie fans ought to seek it out.
Francesca Annis and Tommy Warwick would later pair up as Tommy & Tuppence.

The Empress - 1917 - USA

The Empress - 1917 - 6/10

The painting “The Empress” makes artist Louis rich.
He invites his model Nedra to the country, where he tries to assault her and the landlord’s daughter.

 
Meanwhile, the landlord snaps photos for later blackmail, since who knows the tomorrow brings.
For famous model Nedra, tomorrow brings a rich husband, followed by steady blackmail.
Old-fashioned Melodrama creaks along and harks to the Edwardian era.
Inter-titles missing (as is music), although the attentive will have no trouble following.

A Christmas Carol - 2024 - UK

A Christmas Carol (Read) - 2024 - 7/10

 
From “The Read” series.  Anne-Marie Duff narrates the Dickens classic.
Descriptive passages dominate, and she keys in on lesser events that most films overlook
No, she is not reading from a book, she has memorized the script.
Her voice is contemplative, inviting, never over-emotional or strident.
Clearly, this is for those who have patience to listen, and not attempting to multitask.
Very much on a par with the Simon Callow one-man play from 2018.

Outside Man - 1972 - France

Outside Man - 1972 - 6/10
AKA - Un Homme est Mort

 
Lucian arrives in Beverly Hills, saunters into the mansion, then coolly assassinates the mob boss.
Clean hit, professionally done.  Only he is soon the target of a rival hitman.
Yes, double-crossed.  Seems someone is tying up loose ends, even the professional returning to Paris.
French Noir, set all around LA, is entertaining in numerous unexpected ways.
Jean-Paul Trintignant is fine as the moody killer, adrift in an alien landscape.
Roy Scheider great as the opposition whose accuracy is atrocious.
Angie Dickenson and Ann-Margaret as questionable females.
From the Hilton to strip clubs, powerful folks to biker gangs, this swerves throughout.

Looking At Christmas - 2011 - USA

Looking At Christmas - 2011 - 6/10

Christmas Eve, two strangers window shopping in Manhattan, looking at displays.
He has just been fired, she is an aspiring actor, thus far unable to land even bit parts.
New to the city, she is still upbeat, while he is burnt out.
Nevertheless, they walk from one department store to another, and share stories.
Meanwhile, after commenting on the displays, the pair leave, and mannequins come to life and comment on them.
Makings of a Rom-Com, this theatre flows like two ships in the night.
Lonely souls, sharing a few hours.

Pusher - 1996 - Denmark

Pusher - 1996 - 7/10

 
Frank’s day had started well enough.  Making deals, drinking, rolling easy.
He is in debt to his supplier, however.
Possible escape arrives with an ex-cellmate, who wants to do a major deal.
All smiles at this stage, before events go to hell.
Hyper kinetic film put Nicolas Winding Refn on the map, and launched Mads Mikkelsen.
Club scenes and street swirl are wonderfully dizzying.
Mostly, it’s the lies, the promises, the pipedreams.

The Ice Tower - 2025 - France

The Ice Tower - 2025 - 6/10

Reasons unknown, 15-year-old Jeanne runs away from the foster home.
She makes her way to the city, where she shelters in an abandoned warehouse.
Only that turns out to be a studio, where a modern version of “The Snow Queen” is filming.

 
Jeanne, renaming herself Bianca, ingratiates herself and is soon an extra.
Where she falls under the wing – and influence – of Cristina, lead actress.
The girl confuses the fairy tale with the sets, with the performers, with her situation.

 
Visuals are striking, while the pace is glacial.  Sound is atmospheric, then excessive.
Straight-up, European arthouse circa 1975.  Know your taste and tolerance.
More mainstream would be Snow Queen (2002).

Talking Bones (Gu Yu) - 2018 - China

Talking Bones - 2018 - 6/10
AKA - Gu Yu  // 骨语

 
Forensic examiner Xia Ying is assigned to the Special Crimes Unit.
Acceptance is grudging as she is taking over from an established elder.  Her mentor, actually.
Over the course of this C-drama, cases involve a copycat killer (Black Dahlia), mass murder of a family, a promiscuous female, child selling, serial killer, acupuncture assassin …
The team “grows” in this, building expertise, members given more responsibilities.
This was obviously shot without audio, the looping is spotty and there are vast stretches of piano music, even during pursuits and fights.
Subtitles are some of the worst (so bad, they're good) I’ve seen since the heyday of Hong Kong films.
Example: A character looks up an old girlfriend, before assaulting her.
Explanation to officers.  "She had makeup and perfume, and wore a provocative dress.  She looked like a leprechaun!"

Boxing Day - 2021 - UK

Boxing Day - 2021 - 6/10

 
Georgia and Lisa meet and get along famously.
Until Georgia realizes Lisa is engaged to marry the old flame, for whom she still carries a torch.
There is also a boisterous, Jamaican / English family involved.
Everyone in everyone else’s business.
And the boyfriend / ex in question?  Hr fled two years ago to escape family.
While tagged with Christmas, this is straight up Rom-Com.
OK, depending on your tolerance for pushy families.

Dangerous To Know - 1938 - USA

Dangerous To Know - 1938 - 6/10

 
That would be racketeer, Recka, who controls City Hall, various boards, top politicians.
Still capable of violence, yet now trying to ingratiate himself into “classy society”.
Rather than his usual bribery and intimidation, he woos a penniless aristo, Margaret Van Case.
Who may be charmed, yet won’t be bought.
Crime drama saturated with Fatalism and a touch of Melodrama.
The pedigree is outstanding.  Story by Edgar Wallace, costumes by Edith Head.
Cast = Lloyd Nolan, Gail Patrick, Akim Tamiroff, with Anna May Wong in a starring role.

Christmas At The Catnip Café - 2025 - USA

Christmas At The Catnip Café - 2025 - 5/10

 
Woo, this looks like a Hallmark card.  That’s because it’s a Hallmark Christmas movie.
Living with felines and feline staff, I KNEW this one would load in the rotation.
California businesswoman inherits a half-share of a cat café in upstate New York.
She just needs the other owner, a self-effacing vet, to sell out so she can buy the condo of her dreams!
Cats?  Schmats!  Send ‘em to the pound or the testing labs!
Predictable romance to the point of insulting the audience.
If players would only act like folks do in real life … then we’d have horror narcissism.

Le Paris des Mannequins - 1962 - France

Le Paris des Mannequins - 1962 - 6/10

 
The models depart the building, head for a rooftop photo shoot.
Stilted, frozen poses, akin to high-stepping shoe adverts in Vogue.
Then they hit the streets and alleys for impromptu work.
Reactions of onlookers vary from surprise to hey-look-at-me.
The sly humor caught me off guard and made this memorable.

 
English subtitles = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3364480

Nouvelle Vague - 2025 - France

Nouvelle Vague - 2025 - 7/10

 
He has been writing critical reviews, but now Jean-Luc Goddard is ready to make his own film.
There is a scenario, written by friend Truffaut, and he has recruited another friend, Jean-Paul Belmondo, to play the petty, nihilistic thug.  More, he wants Jean Seberg, a young American, already a star.
What follows is a deep, deep plunge into the making of Breathless (1959).

 
Script, what script?  Goddard seemingly improvises the narrative, then makes extensive jump cuts.
Releasing an influential and audacious masterpiece.
One can view this cold and enjoy the comedy, the  process, the fashions, the look.
Cineastes will be ecstatic, however, as the film namechecks Chabrol, Romer, Rossalini, Melville, Bresson, Gréco, Varda …
The more French cinema one has viewed (especially New Wave), the more you may appreciate.

Itim - 1976 - Philippines

Itim - 1976 - 6/10
AKA - The Rites Of May

 
The magazine is shuttered for summer, so Jun leaves Manila for small village San Ildefonso.
Jun’s doctor father, incapacitated following an accident, exists in a gloomy manor.
Taking photographs during Lent, Jun soon finds himself attracted to Teresa, who is lost in a fog.
Nor is this mere attraction, but the hand of Teresa’s dead sister, Rosa.
Who begins to manipulate her sister, and the couple, for her own purposes.
Photography is dreamlike and hazy throughout, many scenes maddeningly opaque.
Chances are, you will deduce the plot and twists before the end.
Jungle mix of Catholicism, shamanism, superstition and taboos.

The Sorcerers - 1967 - UK

The Sorcerers - 1967 - 5/10

 
Professor Montserrat just needs a subject.  Intelligent, inquisitive, sober.
Once under, he should be able to read the subject’s mind, experience vicariously their day to day.
From there, control the subject.
Alas, wife Estelle has other desires: theft, violence, bloody murder.
The weaker sex?  Fool!  Estelle is soon up to all manner of diabolical mischief.
Even for a dated film, the pacing is slow, and the director lets scenes run much too long.
A pruning would aid this one, although there is a melancholy vibe.

The Hollow Spirit - 2025 - Greece

The Hollow Spirit - 2025 - 6/10

 
Manos made a deal, a pact, and there had been plenty of time to change course.
Only now his time has expired.  Payment is due.
He must fulfill the bargain.  Even then, he’ll only lose.
Greek short of death, faith and bitter agreements.

Glass Ceiling - 1971 - Spain

Glass Ceiling - 1971 - 6/10
AKA - El Techo de Cristal

 
“And I’m telling you, I’m hearing footsteps upstairs.  I think she killed her husband.”
Marta, like the other women in the dwelling, has too much time on her hands.
The weather is hot, sultry, their husbands or boyfriends absent, and they are mad with desire.
Marta suffers the worst, while both Julia and Rosa roam with abandon.
Steamy Spanish thriller touches on Giallo, but not quite.
Plenty of cake with an undercurrent that never loosens.
Then there is the smell.  Everyone comments on the stench.

Death Of A Killer - 1964 - France

Death Of A Killer - 1964 - 6/10
AKA - La Mort d'un Tueur

 
Released after five years in prison, Massa wants revenge.
Someone betrayed him, someone wanted him out of the way.
Luciano did so to steal Massa’s girl, Maria.
Who just happened to be Massa’s sister.
French Noir intercut with flashbacks, Underworld justice, the heist.
French Jazz might be too perky for purists, but it adds local flavor.
Imaginative locations throughout.
English subtitles = https://sub-scene.com/3364481

Evilside - 2025 - Finland

Evilside - 2025 - 6/10
AKA - Korvessa Kulkevi

 
High-schooler Aapo is devising a satanic themed LARP game.
Something goes awry, however, and he is found murdered.  Butchered corpse on his father’s sled.
Suspicion falls on Joanna, village outsider, rumored to be an acolyte of the devil.
Goth girl, artist of unsettling cataclysms, and apparently Aapo’s muse.
Mind you, there are suspects everywhere on the island.
The officer sent from Vantaa discovers resentments, accusations, and silence.
Brooding series from Finland wanders for four episodes, then dives down an ugly pit.
In some ways, a Twin Peaks locale, minus the Lodge and timeslips.

La Malédiction du Lys - 2023 - France

La Malédiction du Lys - 2023 - 6/10

 
Probably because the victim was a mayoral candidate.
Then again, he was found naked, with a muzzle across his face and a recent brand burned into his flesh.
Paris sends an agent to assist the Bordeaux police captain in charge.
Aside from dinner requests, no romance in this outing (hooray).
The plot is rather convoluted, with weird turns.
Inherited wealth, derived from bygone slave trade, fuels motives.

The Naughty Flirt - 1931 - USA

The Naughty Flirt - 1931 - 5/10

 
Two grifters calculate heiress Kay is worth 5 million.
She is a Jazz baby, party goer, wildly living it up like the Twenties still roared and there was no Depression.
The male gold-diggers are too obvious for her, and she sets her sights on a stuffy lawyer.
Feather-lite comedy for Alice White, who flutters and flounces and sparkles those big eyes.
White often gets compared with Clara Bow, I imagine because of those expressive eyes.
There is nothing to this film, unless you want to gaze at her.

Creditors - 2025 - UK

Creditors - 2025 - 7/10

 
Adolf complains to Gustaf about his vampiric wife, Tekla.
Draining him of his creative talent and energy.
Appropriating his opinions as her own, building a cadre of followers.
Mind you, every story has two sides, as Gustaf (above) listens to Tekla.
Hothouse theatre delivered by a trio to top flight professionals.
Oft times funny, yet being Strindberg, one buckles up.

The Seasoning House - 2012 - UK

The Seasoning House - 2012 - 6/10

 
1996, Balkan Wars, Angel is seized after her family is murdered.
Brought to a wooded brothel, her disfigured face means she will not be appealing.
Viktor, proprietor of the house, uses her as helpmate, drugging captive females, tidying aftermaths.
Most of the clients are extraordinarily violent.
Unflinching narrative of toxic behavior, with excellent use of claustrophobic spaces.
Horrific thriller that gnaws and churns, never bothering with clichéd formula.

The Last Voyage Of The Demeter - 2023 - UK

The Last Voyage Of The Demeter - 2023 - 6/10 

 
July 6, the Demeter sets sail from Varna, Bulgaria, with 50 crates of Transylvanian soil.
Progress is good, and the crew anticipates a bonus.
Except, the opening shipwreck is a bit of a spoiler.
Not to mention that anyone remotely familiar with Dracula knows the outcome.
This is well photographed, however, and the tension is sustained throughout.
The crew assorted nationalities, most with limited common sense.
Really, once they grasp the potency of sunlight, they ought to work with that.

What The Hell Happened To Blood Sweat Tears? - 2023 - USA

What The Hell Happened To Blood Sweat Tears? - 2023 - 7/10
 

It didn’t matter where they performed or why.  The critics piled on the hate.
Documentary on the well-intentioned, yet naïve concert tour of Eastern Europe.
Exposure to authoritarian regimes, followed by blowback from counterculture elites.
BST had been riding high beforehand, their second release Grammy Album Of The Year.
The premise is that the tour, brought on by pressure by the US State Dept., damaged their credibility.
I don’t necessarily buy that.  Critics lambasted Zeppelin, Mahler, Grand Funk, Bruckner, Rush, Chet …  
BST faded because the hits dried up.  Trends run their course.
Counterculture ended with the 70’s, while critics / influencers continue to survive and fester.
Nonetheless, this is a highly absorbing film – primarily for fans who recall this version of the group.
And the footage that survives, my God, the band was incandescent for those audiences.

 
 

Lucy Worsley Investigates - 2022 - UK

Lucy Worsley Investigates - 2022 - 7/10  

 
In this series, mysteries or myths.
The princes in Richard III’s Tower, Witch persecution, King George’s madness, the Black Death of 1349.
These are fairly in-depth, researching archives, interviewing historians, visiting locations.
Unlike lazy “presenters” Worsley does not pad episodes with pointless drive time or aimless walking.
She has a sly sense of humor, knows her subjects, seldom utters a self-serving opinion.
The persecution of witches (ie: midwives, wise women) arguably the most distressing episode.
Black Death most enlightening, as most confuse with the 1665 London Plague.

Nectar - 2014 - France

Nectar - 2014 - 6/10

 
Attendants stimulate the queen, who exudes honey, or nectar.
Which is collected, stored, eventually making its way to the outside humankind hive.
Health of depends on the queen, otherwise the community perishes.
Arthouse allegory with an evocative sound field (should be boosted substantially).
Mirroring the cityscape with the honeycomb subtly done.

Fake - 2024 - Australia

Fake - 2024 - 7/10

 
Better late than never for Birdie, disappointed in love and a nest of insecurities.
Enter Joe Burt into her life.  Handsome, filthy rich, bubbling with enthusiasm and bold vision.
Thing is … he’s not exactly dependable.
He forgets dates, cancels meetings, although there are always reasonable excuses.
Every time Birdie doubts, questions him, it backfires and her guilt intensifies.
I mean, he’s such a great guy!  A real catch.  Despite what her intuition says.

Traveling Saleslady - 1935 - USA

Traveling Saleslady - 1935 - 6/10

 
The stolid toothpaste brand faces an upstart.
Cocktail, and yes, those are the flavors the rival offers.
Unbeknownst to the big brand boss, the salesperson spearheading the opposition is his own daughter.
Yes, a mere female.  The sex that knows nothing about business.
Brisk RomCom is simply a vehicle for Joan Blondell, queen of the bygone Pre-Code.
No one else matches her charisma in this.
Oh, would that this had been filmed a year or so earlier, before the Code.

Eugenie de Sade - 1973 - Liechtenstein

Eugenie de Sade - 1973 - 6/10

 
Eugénie’s stepfather, Albert, writer of erotica, initiates her into a world of seduction, torture, murder.
She proves a willing, even eager accomplice.
At first, they are careful, covering their tracks, creating alibis.
Gradually, more experienced, confident, they grow careless.
Jess Franco’s film of sexual gamesmanship, based on de Sade, is well composed and structured.
Plus, he is blessed with Soledad Miranda, whose presence is palpable throughout.
The stars were aligned for her at this point (1970), and a bright film future loomed.

Love Birds - 2011 - New Zealand

Love Birds - 2011 - 6/10

 
Innocuous RomCom triangle.
A native Kiwi, recently dumped by his aspirational girlfriend.
An English Rose transplant, wary of messy entanglements.
And a duck.
If a joke, this would start “A Kiwi, a Rose and duck entered the bar …”
Not on par with classic RomComs of the 80’s and 90’s, but still an OK date flick.
Note: our male protagonist has a serious Queen fixation.  Prepare for Freddie.

For Those In Peril - 2013 - UK

For Those In Peril - 2013 - 6/10

 
Aaron, lone survivor of a fishing disaster, suffers ever more.
The community refuses to accept him, he hears his brother, old fables haunt him.
Fisherman superstition means he will never be permitted onboard again.
He cannot recall the incident, which many refuse to believe.
Listed as folk-horror, this is a pure descent down survivor’s guilt.
Slow, with pregnant pauses, unexplained meanderings.

Ludwig - 2025 - UK

Ludwig - 2025 - 6/10

 
After his police inspector brother vanishes, John takes his place.
Inside the department, outside in the field.
Solving seemingly impossible cases.
Which is what he did beforehand, as John is Ludwig, premier puzzle maker.
Weekly stand-alone mysteries are good, all “locked-room”.
Overlook the implausibility that none of the colleagues noticed their boss was now “different”.
The overall arc?  I doubt producers will sort that.

Blueprint For Robbery - 1961 - USA

Blueprint For Robbery - 1961 - 6/10

 
Fine caper flick, based on the Brink’s Robbery.
Financial backers contact one to assemble and lead a crew.
Observe the premises, plan meticulously, rehearse, do the job.
An inverted police procedural, where we watch the bad guys execute the heist.
Then they have to wait three and a half years.
Which proves so hard.

La Belle Cérébrale - 1968 - France

La Belle Cérébrale - 1968 - 6/10
AKA - The Beautiful Intellectual

 
Martine, model for a painter is on her break.
While he babbles on the phone, she listens, eats a pear, lets her mind wander.
Nice juxtaposition of the banal conversation with her vivid imagination.
I used TurboScribe to capture the phone talk, then tidied up.
Not ideal, but serviceable.
English subtitles = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3364066

The Night Doctor - 2022 - France

The Night Doctor - 2022 - 7/10
AKA - Médecin de Nuit

 
Also called the patron saint of junkies, Dr. Mikaël routinely prescribes Subutex to help them withdraw.
Health officials are investigating the sheer number of scripts he issues … with good reason.
Mikaël is flawed and compromised, committed and faithless.
Neo-Noir set in the gloomy nightscape.
Even during wild revels and celebrations a fog of despair seeps into everything.
A few have complained about predictability.  Noir, Neo-Noir, there is always a fatalistic element.
Mikaël, like all of us, cannot escape his Fate.

Mystery Of Mr. Wong - 1939 - USA

Mystery Of Mr. Wong - 1939 - 6/10

 
He knew his life was imperiled once he sought the precious Eye Of The Daughter Of The Moon.
In his possession, Brandon showed Mr Wong the note suggesting who his killer would be.
Alas, the murder occurs and the note vanishes.
Nevertheless, there are a clutch of suspects, with various motives.
Typical of the 1930’s, police are hardnosed.  Better, there are two esteemed criminologists on the scene.
Fast paced B-mystery should fill a late afternoon.
Understand, yellowface was more common and sadly acceptable back then.

Fawlty Towers: The Play - 2024 - UK

Fawlty Towers: The Play - 2024 - 7/10

 
Three episodes (Hotel Inspectors, The Germans, Mrs Richards “What!!”) sequenced for a busy three days at the Torquey seaside hotel.
John Cleese introduces the comedy to a boisterous audience, then he is seen no more.
Adam Jackson-Smith has Basil Fawlty nailed, straight down to the gangly leg movements.
Anna-Jane Casey effortlessly delivers Sybil’s sniggering laugh, and spectacularly reduces her husband.
Perfect for fans of the original.  You’ll wish you were in the Apollo Theatre that night.

Alien Earth - 2025 - USA

Alien Earth - 2025 - 6/10

 
Above, meet-cute moment when Daisy meets Wendy.
Backup.  Returning to Earth, a Weyland-Yutani research vessel crashes into Prodigy territory.
Prodigy is an upstart mega-corporation, developing synthetic humans.
Anyhoo, the vessel has alien critters.  W-T wants them returned, Prodigy says “finders keepers.”
Sounds like plenty of potential meat on the narrative bones.
Except, producers opted to focus most of this bloat-fest on teenyboppers.
Children, encased in synthetic teenage bodies.
On the plus side, this is the first Alien franchise outing where W-Y employees aren’t the stupidest in the room.
Are writers truly this unimaginative?  Or do they pander to LCD?
One excellent episode (E05), sandwiched between middling and lackluster, indicates what coulda / shoulda been.