The Lickerish Quartet - 1970 - Italy

The Lickerish Quartet - 1970 - 6/10  

 
The wealthy gentry depart their castle to stroll the visiting circus / carnival.
One of the performers is a daredevil cyclist, who, after removing the helmet, eerily resembles the female in an erotic film the family had been viewing previously.
Naturally, they invite her back inside the stone walls for a get-to-know you session.
Beautiful locations, attractive cast, and a strange plot of misdeeds and fantasy.
Arthouse softcore, for connoisseurs of such, suffers from slow pacing.
To be honest, I imagine one is supposed to observe and ponder the proceedings.
Early Radley Metzger that I have viewed several times, still unable to grasp, if I am even supposed to.

Zorro’s Black Whip - 1944 - USA

Zorro’s Black Whip - 1944 - 6/10

 
After the Black Whip is killed, sister Barbara takes the mask, whip and pistol and carries on.
Location, Idaho, on the verge of statehood, unless a wealthy land baron can stop that.
He’s got all sort of illegal money making enterprises which would end once the Feds arrived.
“Shoot, we reckoned we killed him.”  Nor do they realize the female body differs from a male.
Republic serial has NOTHING to do with South of the border, Mexico, let alone Zorro.
Production values are routine, cliffhangers range from decent to cheating.
Stunts and action are good.
As with all serials, take your time and watch an episode before your main flick.

Cyrano, My Love - 2018 - France

Cyrano, My Love - 2018 - 7/10
AKA - Edmond

 
Despite a powerful champion in Sarah Bernhardt, Edmond Rostand’s first play is a flop.
Dusting himself off, Edmond begins a new play.  Two years on, the words still don’t come.
Until he catches sight of friend Léo’s girlfriend, Jeanne, who acts as his muse.
Whereupon he begins to write about novelist, musketeer, swordsman, Cyrano de Bergerac.
Story moves into “let’s put on a play” territory.  42nd Street (1933), Babes In Arms (1939), A Midwinter's Tale (1995), Shakespeare In Love (1998) are merely a sampling of a formidable list.
Set in 1897 Paris, the story generates romance, comedy, sparkling dialogue, and theatrical tropes.

The Vengeful Beauty - 1978 - Hong Kong

The Vengeful Beauty - 1978 - 6/10
AKA - Xue fu Rong  // 血芙蓉

 
Straight off, evil is afoot.  Bookshops are raided, books burned, booksellers beheaded.
Their families, too.  And the writers, and the publishers, and proofreaders.
The emperor does not like criticism, let alone readers, for that matter.
On a pilgrimage to honor her old master, Yung is away when her family is massacred.
Fleeing, she receives help from a fellow student, as well as a repentant assassin.
In pursuit, the Flying Guillotine squad!
Of course, swordplay abounds, including one topless fight.
Camera work is creative throughout, from angles to perspectives.

Under Paris - 2024 - France

Under Paris - 2024 - 6/10  
AKA - Sous la Seine

 
An opener in the North Pacific, under the massive floating island of human garbage.
Prowling underneath, a shark.  A big one, really big, and aggressive.
A team of shark biologists descend … and … miscalculate.
Three years on, survivor Sophia works in Paris, and a team of save-the-earth types advise her of a shark in the Seine.
There is also an upcoming triathlon (yo, swimming) spectacle.
Excellent shark film, chasing Deep Blue Sea and The Shallows, so long as you do not overthink.
Low scores likely hail from the Sharknado or Meg contingent, hoping for more splop.
I live with two shark obsessed females, who always, always, root for the shark.

Fascism On A Thread: The Strange Story Of Nazisploitation Cinema - 2019 - USA

Fascism On A Thread: The Strange Story Of Nazisploitation Cinema - 2019 - 6/10

 
Interesting, if watery documentary on bizarre subgenre.
From classy productions like Rome, Open City and Night Porter.
To grindhouse faves such as Salon Kitty and Ilsa, She Wolf Of The SS.
Into completely disreputable and inept nonsense such as SS Girls and Elsa.
Two camps of exploitation studied: Italian fare and US.
As always, talking heads and aging participants share histories, observations and anecdotes.
Perhaps there just weren’t that many Nazi exploitation flicks made, as this seems lightweight.
Note: After Dyanne Thorne retired, she became a Las Vegas minister.
Want to get married by Ilsa instead of Elvis?  In SS attire?  She does that.

Hardly A Criminal - 1946 - Argentina

Hardly A Criminal - 1946 - 6/10
AKA - Apenas un Delincuente

 
Even as a boy, Moran had been impatient.
Later, a man who favored expensive suits, nightclubs and horse races.
He could not afford the wardrobe, nor the cabaret.  And his horse picks were all nags.
Worse, the loan sharks are hounding him.
Moran works in the bank, however, and embezzlement proves an easy out.
Even after he is caught, sentenced to prison, he has a plan.
All it requires is patience.
Yet, Moran has always been impatient.
Outstanding Argentinian Noir.  (Wikipedia plot summary inaccurate)

Ilsa, Harem Keeper Of The Oil Sheiks - 1976 - Canada

Ilsa, Harem Keeper Of The Oil Sheiks - 1976 - 5/10

 
Just when you assumed our notorious commandant perished with the destruction of Stalag 13.
Goes to prove, you can’t keep a sadistic mistress down for long.
Ilsa works for Sheikh El-Sharif, managing his white slave harem.
Like any boot camp drill instructor, her task is to prep new arrivals; here, for market auction.
By any means necessary.
While more over-the-top than She Wolf Of The SS, this lacks the bite and trappings of that film.
Wait a minute!  She died, correct?
In the commentary, it was revealed producers assumed audiences would not remember.

Alligator - 1980 - USA

Alligator - 1980 - 6/10

 
Kids, there’s a reason why you don’t buy baby gators in Florida.
They grow fast, and sooner or later you’ll just flush ’em down the toilet.
Where, in the sewers, they eat rats, fish, garbage, or lab animal carcases, juicy with growth chemicals.
Here, humans disappear and a jinxed detective is assigned the case.
Hokey creature feature is more fun than expected.
Most memorable is Henry Silva as an arrogant “sportsman” (animal killer).
Comparisons with Jaws?  No.

Dune 2 - 2024 - USA

Dune 2 - 2024 - 7/10

 
The initial film was so tedious, I barely stayed awake, never bothered to scribble a review.
Followup is action galore!  Conflicts and strategies, on the battlefront and within the royals.
Paul Atreides, as the perceived messiah, Lisan al Gaib, unifies the southern tribes.
The path to jihad sprawls open.
One can easily view a proxy conflict between the decadent West and fundamentalist worshipers over a precious resource.  Spice / oil.
Filmmakers skirt this issue as best they can, although they can neither disguise nor bury it.
Likewise, the sense of feudalism, which is today’s simmering infection, ignored or unseen.
A dense film, carefully updated from Herbert’s novel, to make a narrative more palatable to current sensibilities.

Cold Heart - 2024 - USA

Cold Heart - 2024 - 5/10

 
Ethan hires on at the Y2K Cryo Lab.  Dr. Olivia is his dismissive superior.
Patient after patient after patient winds up in Waste Management.
Amusing short does not outstay its visit.
More silly than engaging.  Entry in the Sato48 Competition.

Alex Hugo - 2014 - France

Alex Hugo - 2014 - 6/10

 
Ex-Marseille police detective Hugo, fed up with city violence, moves to the tranquil countryside.
Alas, the bucolic setting turns out to be another Cabot Cove (sans JB Fletcher), and just as lethal.
Cult suicides, runaways killed, axe murders.
Bears more than a passing resemblance to Midsomer Murders.
By the end of 3 episodes, an ensemble has been built around the burly Hugo.
Rugged mountain scenery is the attraction here.
Mysteries themselves are routine, and series seems low on energy.

Kingdom Of The Spiders - 1977 - USA

Kingdom Of The Spiders - 1977 - 5/10

 
Shatner alert.
A rancher’s calf is dead.  Calls the vet – first name Rack, please – who discovers it was killed by spider venom.
Right quick, an arachnologist hits the scene.  Female and attractive (remember, this is a Shatner flick).
Soon, more livestock is killed, and even A DOG!
A humongous spider mound is discovered, and our experts decide:
“Ooh, I guess some gasoline will take care of business.”
Definitely a cult winner, this holds up – IF – you don’t think too much.
Despite being a theatrical release, this feels like a TV movie.

Regan - 1974 - UK

Regan - 1974 - 6/10

 
An undercover cop is in the wrong place, wrong time.
Local pub, hangout of a rough gang.  Unfortunately, he is tagged as a copper.
After his murder, DI Regan of the Flying Squad starts investigating.
On his own – almost – since the various branches are being reorganized for better efficiency.
Almost, as he brings in an ex-colleague, Carter, to help suss out South London.
Decent procedural, convoluted plot with an intelligent narrative.
A year later, the duo would be rebooted into The Sweeney, a violent cop series.
“Get yer trousers on, you're nicked.”

In The Mouth Of Event Horizon - 1994 / 2014 - USA

In The Mouth Of Event Horizon - 1994 / 2014 - NA

 
Inspired concept here. Trimming In The Mouth Of Madness, and adding sequences from Event Horizon.
At first thought, one might doubt this would be a wise combination.  Yet, both films are major reality disconnects, and the linking device is Sam Neill’s characters. Turns out editor RollWave is onto something.

From smooth transitions to jarring, hard cuts, everything works.
A few of the edits were diabolically clever, passageways in particular. Near the end, watch for visual easter eggs.

This is not an equal sharing of movies. The burden falls on  the Carpenter film, which is stronger in intelligence, in plot, in acting.
Additional scenes from Event Horizon enhance character breakdowns.  Even during hard cuts, character reactions sync perfectly. The story of spiraling descent into derangement, individual and societal, stays on track throughout.

Not a replacement for Carpenter’s original, but an astounding parallel version.  Entertaining, intelligent Horror labyrinth.

In The Mouth Of Madness - 1994 - USA

In The Mouth Of Madness - 1994 - 6/10

 
After the famous horror writer disappears, an insurance investigator is sent to the small town.
With a female associate, the pair arrive at Hobb’s End (think Arkham, reference Quatermass).
The town, and supposedly the author’s novel, serve to distort perception and reality.
Throughout, nods are given to Lovecraft, as well as Stephen King.
Actual concepts, however, seem to hew closer to Aickman, Campbell or Ligotti (the latter obscure then).
The potential here is high, the result is a half–hearted muddle.
Unsure whether director Carpenter lacked vision, pandered to an LCD audience, or if suits interfered.
Disappointing.  All intelligence drained.

Note:  An intriguing fanedit was crafted in 2014 called “In the Mouth of Event Horizon”.
Trailer = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eZYF7nIPmg

The Great Lillian Hall - 2024 - USA

The Great Lillian Hall - 2024 - 7/10

 
An icon for many years.  Fans still talks about performances they witnessed 20, 30 years earlier.
During rehearsals of “The Cherry Orchard”, she has difficulties with lines, movements, acts.
A visit to a specialist reveals that she has declining cognition, dementia.
Nevertheless, she is adamant about doing Chekhov.
Part of her impairment is her dead husband, whom she sees and talks with.
Jessica Lange, as ever, is riveting as the aging theatre diva.
Kathy Bates excellent as the loyal, ferocious assistant.
Pierce Brosnan is her late night neighbor, also something of a chorus.
Theatre buffs will already be drawn to this.

Utö - 2024 - Finland

Utö - 2024 - 6/10

 
There is an ear-piercing sound, followed by atmospheric disturbance.
Afterward, the small Finnish island of Utö is utterly isolated.
No one can leave, no one can arrive.
As supplies dwindle, so too does community spirit.  Every man for himself.
Woven in are supernatural elements and actual history of ship disasters near the island.
Acting in this is bad.  Primarily from the lead (Maria) who is insufferably annoying and whiny.
Subtitles I viewed were inept AI generated: an educated chimpanzee would do better.
The narrative itself has good points, and provides a strange twist near the end.

Morning Patrol - 1987 - Greece

Morning Patrol - 1987 - 6/10
AKA - Proini Peripolos  //  Πρωινή Περίπολος

 
Her memory wiped, the landscape hostile and desolate, she is desperate to reach the city.
The Morning Patrol, guards, move with lethal intent, killing any survivors.
The city itself is deserted: plague, war, or a harvesting.
From her internal dialogue, we know her home was Manderley.
Except that is a fabrication, a fictional manor in du Maurier’s “Rebecca”.
Likewise, when she ponders death, the big sleep, now paraphrasing Chandler.
In the city, the TV runs, movie houses are open.  Both run classic Noir films.
Later in the film, when she wonders how much time she has remaining, viewers will catch references by Dick.
Enigmatic, near-future, dystopian Noir, loaded with unanswered questions.

Human Traffic - 1999 - UK

Human Traffic - 1999 - 7/10

 
Friends head out for a weekend of excess in Cardiff.
Dancing, ecstasy, alcohol, hormones, inhibitions, release.
Home and work environments are sketched, those being family and colleagues.
Not your mates, your best friends. Those who mean the world to you – for the shortest of times.
Buried in the revelry is a sense of fin de siècle.
The end of the 90’s, the end of the millennium, the last surge of youthful exuberance.
A roaring club soundtrack, and a low mixed dialogue track.
To hear conversations, you have to crank the volume.
Back inside the nightclub roar, raise your arms and reach for the lasers.

The Sister Of Ursula - 1978 - Italy

The Sister Of Ursula - 1978 - 6/10
AKA - La Sorella di Ursula

 
The sister, Dagmar, has her hands full with Ursula.
Ursula is still in agony over the death of their father.
Worse, she is high strung, has premonitions, usually of death.
And the off-season hotel where they are staying (in stunning Amalfi) has a serial killer.
While the hotel keeps trying to gloss over and cover-up the deaths (bad for business), Dagmar hooks up with a junkie.
Speaking of hooking up, wow! is there a lot of sex and full frontal nudity in this one.
In essence, this is a Slasher, with a lot of attractive scenery.

Zvenigora - 1928 - Soviet Union

Zvenigora - 1928 - 7/10
AKA - Звeнигopа

 
Sweeping tale of the old man who guards the Ukraine treasure.
Time from around 900 to 1900, after the Bolshevik Revolution.
The treasure, one gathers, lies in the soil itself.  The identity of Ukraine.
At one point, during the modern era, a performance occurs for a live audience.
The presenter has pledged to shoot himself after explaining the conflict between Ukraine and Bolshevikism.
A crowd of rich Europeans, maddened with bloodlust, disinterested in the East.
Film of inventive visuals and thorny ideas.

The Devil’s Throat - 2019 - Bulgaria

The Devil’s Throat - 2019 - 6/10
AKA - Djavolskoto Garlo

 
The first mutilated corpse had his eyes replaced with sheep eyes.
Followed by another tortured body.  There are clues this may be Islamic terror.
And the small town is already struggling with a refugee center.
The capital dispatches a lead investigator to take charge, a high strung female.
Long -winded Bulgarian series about a serial killer and buried secrets.
The meat of this 12-parter is the first two episodes and the last two.
The middle eight should have been condensed down to six, possibly four.
Those are misdirection and attempted relationships.
Lead duo are hammy actors, supporting cast is excellent.

The Erl King - 2020 - UK

The Erl King - 2020 - 6/10

 
Following an auto accident that leaves Alfie injured and his father dead, the woodland god takes an interest.
Mother Julia has trouble reconnecting with her son, who holds on to the belief his father is alive.
Two souls, neither of whom can let go.
Quiet woodland short.

Perfect Days - 2023 - Japan

Perfect Days - 2023 - 7/10  

 
Hirayama works for Tokyo Toilets and cleans public restrooms in parks.
His life is extraordinarily structured.  Dawn, drive to work, park lunch, bathhouse, supper.
He buys (and reads) books from a small shop, also visits a small bar occasionally.
By contrast, his young colleague’s life is a mess: short of money, a girlfriend he cannot afford.
Hirayama’s is an ordinary life, gentle, not boastful.
For many, he is invisible, which is typical of how most view retail or service workers.
He takes pleasures in small things: saving plants, listening to music, photography, observing.
A backstory of a troubled upbringing is implied in the merest of exchanges.
Wim Wenders film.