The Robe - 1953 - USA

The Robe - 1953 - 7/10

 
Large Biblical epic finds Roman tribune overseeing the crucifixion.
Following the possession of Christ’s robe, he is transfixed, gradually turning into a believer.
Spectacle in every sense of the word with lavish costumes, wonderful sets, a magnificent score.
Burton and Simmons fine as ill-starred love interest.  Rest of the cast excellent (and I had no issue with Caligula).
Growing up, this was still quite popular, often airing as an Easter event on TV.
My parents owned the soundtrack, packed with memorable, rich themes by Alfred Newman.
Somewhat overlong, and impossible to imagine being remade today.

Knock On Any Door - 1949 - USA

Knock On Any Door - 1949 - 6/10

 
Lawyer Morton takes the case of defending a police killer (newcomer John Derek).
The story flips back and forth between courtroom dramatics and flashbacks.
Narrative remains stodgy, and Derek, while distractedly pretty, is a poor foil to Bogart.
And the defense tactics?  Please.
“Killers are the product of their environment,”  says the attorney.  “Who’s at fault?  Us, society.”
Becomes predictable, perhaps sadly so.

Wake Up Dead Man - 2025 - USA

Wake Up Dead Man - 2025 - 6/10

 
The young priest, an ex-pugilist, has anger problems.
While his new boss, the monsignor, is a toxic soul, decimating his flock.
The clash is immediate, the senior priest’s circle choose to hate the newcomer.
An eventual murder is not unexpected, although being a locked room one heightens interest.
Enter the slick detective, Benoit Blanc, intrigued by the “impossible” angle,
Overlong mystery with plenty of suspects.  Funny initially, although the humor fades.

The Offering - 2013 - USA

The Offering - 2013 - 5/10

 
Father and son drive through the heavily wooded road.
Clock reading 11:55, one realizes they had a midnight deadline.
Preparations hurry, climaxing when one realizes something had been forgotten.
One wonders if the omission had been accidental or on purpose.
Horror short feels like an incident in a longer story; backstory and aftermath jettisoned.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3367794

Saya: Perspective In Love - 1988 - Japan

Saya: Perspective In Love - 1988 - 6/10
AKA - Saya no Iru Tousizu // 沙耶のいる透視図

 
Softcore photographer gets drawn into a triangle by his publisher.
The female, Saya, is one of those moody types, gloomy, likely clinically depressed.
Nevertheless, a type of honeypot tempting to certain males.
Like the publisher, then the photographer.
Backstories for two are sordid, incest and parental misconduct.
Film is more arthouse than exploitation or pinku eiga.
Afterward, I felt I had watched something repellent.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3367796

Spider’s Web - 1982 - UK

Spider’s Web - 1982 - 6/10

 
Really, a corpse is the most deplorable thing.  Especially when one is expecting company.
So Clarissa discovers an hour after a regrettable argument with the now-deceased.
While she enlists a trio of menfolk, sadly men so often bound away on their own initiative.
Then, when police arrive, and stories have not been rehearsed, oh, the muddle.
Very fine adaptation of lesser known Agatha Christie play, boosted by Penelope Keith’s comedic flair.
Mystery, comedy and spoof of the genre, nicely done.
English subs = https://sub-scene.com/subtitle/3367797

Hollywood Horror House - 1970 - USA

Hollywood Horror House - 1970 - 6/10

 
Straight off, there is a serial killer dismembering ladies in Hollywood.
Next, we view the wayward man hop off the sightseeing bus (driven by Joe Besser).
The mansion is owned by a recluse from the Golden Age, living with memories and alcohol.
Plotting could be tighter, the pace quicker.
Nevertheless, Miriam Hopkins revels in juicy role (her last), Gale Sondergaard gives starchy support.
Plus, plus, you get a peekaboo tour, inside and out, of the old Norma Talmadge estate.
Psychedelic 60’s visuals intersperse proceedings.  A guilty pleasure.

Murders In Auvergne - 2017 - France

Murders In Auvergne - 2017 - 6/10
AKA - Meurtres en Auvergne

 
Jennifer had hardly been popular, firing many from the health spa.
New visitors required new methods and new faces.
Not oldsters who had worked there for decades.
Her death, murder actually, yielded plenty of suspects.
The following murder, however, seemed unrelated.
Tangled French mystery benefits from no romantic entanglements.
Lead delivers one-note performance, similar to his role in Murders in Valenciennes.

Scandal Eve - 2025 - Japan

Scandal Eve - 2025 - 7/10
AKA - スキャンダルイブ

 
Rafale is a small talent agency.  So when their major star is exposed in a tabloid, it damages.
An old incident, of him drinking / sleeping with an underage female.
Readers were shocked!  She was 19 (age of consent in Japan is 13, so please).
Turns out there was collusion between a mega-agency and the scandal sheet.
Brief J-dorama of the small upstart trying to survive opposition by the colossus.
Well written, fiercely acted, some sharp turns.
Problems for viewers may be the tabloid or print angle.
In most of the world, those are passé.
Readers, by and large, grow more extinct daily.

The Diplomaniacs - 1933 - USA

The Diplomaniacs - 1933 - 6/10

 
Wheeler & Woolsey are barbers on the Adoop Reservation in Oklahoma.
The tribe has reaped millions from oil, so they pay the duo to go to Zurich and establish world peace.
Before their departure, half-dressed Indian dance around them.
On the good ship Periwinkle, munitions manufacturers enlist hotties to seduce the men.
In France, a half-clad villainess and her crew are recruited.
Should I mention the singing, swinging hotel chambermaids?
Or a cringing scene in the Peace Conference after a bomb explodes?
Zany comedy roars pellmell, silly, embarrassing, and sadly prescient
In 1933, the world was drifting to fascism, to totalitarianism, leading to the deaths of millions.

The Hotel In Amsterdam - 2004 - UK

The Hotel In Amsterdam - 2004 - 5/10

 
Three couples on winter holiday share a large suite.
Before even getting settled, they order the drinks.
And thus, they drink, and drink, then talk, voicing their scorning opinions.
Foremost is Laurie (a brilliant Tom Hollander), dominating the room.
He is bilious throughout.  In fact, I tired of him long before the others did.
His character is a more refined version of Jimmy from Look Back In Anger.
Set in 1968, there is nary a hint of Swinging London or the Sixties.

Sons Of The Neon Night - 2025 - Hong Kong

Sons Of The Neon Night - 2025 - 5/10
AKA - Fung Lam fo Saan // 风林火山

 
Wildly uneven film that borders on incoherence.
Alternative take on Hong Kong 1994, where crime is rampant and officials corrupt.
A major crime boss is dying, a younger son poised to take over, while the older, preferred son, is in hiding.
There are the cops, the son, and an elite team of fixers.
Also gun battles punctuating major lulls.
The lulls are killing.  Very talky, rambling, philosophical, fatalistic.  Enough.
A lot of money was spent on the visual look, as well as acting talent.
The lack of plot, however, make this attempt a major fail.

Mother Of Flies - 2025 - USA

Mother Of Flies - 2025 - 7/10

 
Radiation failed, chemo failed.  College girl Mickey heads to the woodlands.
Some view Solveig as a witch, or practitioner of black magic.
Where I grew up, these older females were called wise women and one did not taunt them.
A slow film, steeped in atmosphere, with a compelling story and minimalist backstory.
Acting is understated, but solid.  I am amazed by what this small production team accomplished.
Fans of drive-in Horror will be frustrated.
Those whose preferences run to Hagazussa or You Won’t Be Alone should investigate.