The Capture - 2019 - UK

The Capture - 2019 - 7/10  

 
Imprisoned Gulf War soldier Shaun is released on trumped up charges after experts show his body-cam footage had been inaccurate.
Next beat, surveillance cameras show him assaulting and kidnapping his barrister!
Crack detectives are assigned, but Shaun, insisting on a frame, escapes and eludes.
While the detectives, the deeper they dig, the more questions they raise.
And they become increasingly aware of clandestine government agencies, meddling with camera footage.

 
Two season thriller mixes politics, security, espionage, and big data.
Almost everyone involved has tainted hands, justifying all manner of misdeeds.
A prescient series, frightening in ways, indicating how controllers and AI can “correct” realities.

Beginning Of The End - 1957 - USA

Beginning Of The End - 1957 - 4/10

 
Saints preserve us!  It’s a humongous grasshopper!  And it has the munchies!
Do-gooder scientists try to ease world hunger, not by stemming population growth, but by making veggies bigger.
How?  Radiation, folks!  Yep, carrots the size of a truck, and radioactive!  How cool is that?
Hold on, locusts have chowed down on radioactive grain and are now gigantic.
Had the same happened to humans … the possibilities for porn boggle.
As boys, my brother and I heckled this mercilessly. “Get Raid!  Big can of Raid!”
The US military’s solution was even more asinine, but I won’t spoil for you curiosity hounds.
Dreadfully bad film, although it has its admirers.

All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) - 2024 - Japan

All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) - 2024 - 6/10
AKA - Zen Ryoiki  // 全領域異常解決室

 
A series of unexplained deaths (suicides) catches the eye of this tiny agency.
Their expertise is not with extraterrestrials, but rather the supernatural.
Gods.  Demons.  Supernatural entities.
This plays out like X-Files with logical, scientific explanations given.  
However, deaths mount, and an obscure god claims responsibility via social media
Hiruko.
This program really goes into Japanese mythology, referencing numerous gods.
Enjoyable fantasy series.  Might even tempt you investigate Japanese myths.

The Nature Of Love - 2023 - Canada

The Nature Of Love - 2023 - 7/10  
AKA - Simple Comme Sylvain  (Simple as Sylvain)

Sophia lives a stale marriage.  Limited sex, twin beds, separate bedrooms.
She is a university professor, philosophy.  Friends and family, erudite intellectuals, if narcissistic and opinionated.
Then, renovating the rustic chalet, she meets handyman Sylvain.

 
Who rocks her world, as well as her glands.
They go at each other with a violent physicality.
His family, working class, later sees him as a good match for Sophia.
After all, he’s an intellectual.  He reads books.  On UFO’s and the paranormal.
Opposites attract.  In our 20’s, all of us do this.  This couple is in their early 40’s, however.

Occult - 2009 - Japan

Occult - 2009 - 6/10
AKA - Okaruto  // オカルト

“The killer jumped into the ocean.  His body was never found.”
Following the killings of tourists, documentary filmmakers interview witnesses and families.
Gradually focusing on a male survivor, whose back had been carved up by the killer.

 
And who now believes he is miraculously  blessed, gifted with second sight.
He hears voices, sees “things”, receives messages.
While the film crew, chasing the slenderest of leads, scuttle down the rabbit hole.

 
Faux documentary Horror is part cinéma vérité, part found footage.
The rhythm seldom rises above a heartbeat for much of the film.
Main character Shohei Eno grows progressively weirder and more dangerous.

Creeper - 2023 - Canada

Creeper - 2023 - 6/10

 
He saw him, out in the backyard, under the bird feeders.
Then in the woods, when he was walking the dog.  Only an old guy.
Yet, something disturbing about him.
Our protagonist then slinks home to wait (?).
Well-made short, long on style, crisp editing, storywise –– eh.

Red Rooms - 2023 - Canada

Red Rooms - 2023 - 7/10
AKA - Les Chambres Rouges

 
The murder trial is notorious.  Observer Kelly Anne sleeps outside the courthouse so she can get a seat.
Night after night, week after week.  Why?  What impels her?
Unlike those who seem murder groupies, she is an enigma.  She is also affluent.
The internet is a tool she uses better and keener than most.
A fashion model, a computer hacker, a successful gambler.
Again, she is a daily visitor at the heinous trial, taking in the accused and the bereaved.
For viewers, we are on the periphery, the blood and mutilation offscreen.
A maddening film, profoundly done.

The Tell-Tale Heart - 2008 - Canada

The Tell-Tale Heart - 2008 - 7/10

 
Clearly, the old man, his employer, is prime time for Death’s knock.
The servant, impatient, frustrated, hastens the demise.
When inquiries are made, he is jovial.  And he talks, and talks, and talks.
Early Robert Eggers work, based on Poe, makes a fine preview of his later feature films.

Time Table - 1956 - USA

Time Table - 1956 - 5/10

 
The heist is well-executed.  Goes of so well, in fact, it fooled me for several minutes.
The haul?  Half a million.  Cash.  Huge amount for the 1950’s.
However, as with all clockwork plans, once time stutters, there’s an opening for coppers.
In this case, local police and, wouldn’t you know it, an insurance claims investigator.
Opening and closing pieces are best, in between, the energy tapers off.
A good cast, yet they seem hesitant.  The “look” resembles flat, washed out early television.
I blame director / star Mark Stevens for the former, the cinematographer for the latter.
Felcia Farr as the smoky moll is the best thing in this, along with an early twist.

The New Avengers - 1976 - UK

The New Avengers - 1976 - 6/10

 
Agents Purdey and Gambit flank the man in charge, John Steed.
Half dozen years after the collapse of the original series, the franchise is rebooted for the 1970’s.
More action oriented, rapid paced, and Joanna Lumley returns the female agent to lethal capability.
Earlier episodes possibly the best, as they are more straight-forward and less campy.
While this never gets as silly as the final years of the original, the plots do grow far-fetched.
The action is very good, Lumley and Hunt did their own stunts.
Ironically, the States found the series too violent for prime time.

Dishonored - 1931 - USA

Dishonored - 1931 - 6/10

 
She’s not afraid to live, nor is she afraid to die.
Overhearing her comment, the top man with the Austrian Secret Service recruits Marta.
Assignment: find out who’s working with the Russians during the Great War.
Dietrich, as ever, looks fabulous!  She even nails a comic sequence as a simple-minded servant.
Victor McLaglen is another matter altogether.
He smirks worse than a Cheshire cat, and few would buy him as a Russian aristocrat.
Their scenes together show limited chemistry, and the narrative drifts into woozy melodrama too often.
Nevertheless, this is a Marlene Dietrich / Josef Von Sternberg film, so a must.
Blackie, the Paramount cat, steals every scene he is in.

Creeper - 2022 - USA

Creeper - 2022 - 6/10

 
Jason’s home life is in tatters.  Mom and abusive Dad spit violent arguments.
Money, no one is earning any money.
Terrible as that is, Jason is also being stalked, by one who seems straight from his sketchpad.
Short thriller of home invasion, rotten parents, and the intruder.

OSS 117: Cairo, Nest Of Spies - 2006 - France

OSS 117: Cairo, Nest Of Spies - 2006 - 7/10
AKA - OSS 117 : Le Caire, nid d'espions

 
Exploits of agent most extraordinaire, Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath.
Dispatched to Cairo following the disappearance of fellow agent, he immediately embroiled in mystery.
Chief among many, is how the books for the chicken house are so disorganized.
Yes, this ain’t James Bond.  Closer to Maxwell Smart.
Set in the 50’s, care has been taken to look authentic, from wardrobes to backgrounds.
Stunts and action are surprisingly first rate, and the comedy is shrewd and loving.
OSS 117 is skilled, resourceful, clueless.  Also knows how to appreciate a casual catfight.
Great for fans of spy flicks.

Fudoh: The Next Generation - 1996 - Japan

Fudoh: The Next Generation - 1996 - 6/10
AKA - Gokudō Sengokushi: Fudō  // 極道戦国志 不動

 
By day, Riki Fudoh is a high school student, but after hours, crime boss.
His is the path of vengeance for the murder of his older brother.
The enforcers are lethal, yet young.  A dart-shooting assassin has to be seen to be believed.
A mix of outrageous action balances with graceful scenes.
Also a menacing rival, scene chewing Riki Takeuchi.
My first encounter with director Takashi Miike, this was mind-blowing.
Later releases proved he was no fluke, no one-shot.

The Young Poisoner's Handbook - 1996 - UK

The Young Poisoner's Handbook - 1996 - 6/10

 
Mid-school Graham has an interest in and a flair for chemistry.
He is also into death, the dark side, and he’s more than a little morbid.
When his parents cross him, Graham poisons them.
He is institutionalized, where his keen intellect sets him apart.
Dark frightening comedy, is creepy and unsettling.
Especially for those (you and I) who have toiled next to an unstable coworker.
Not for all tastes, for those with a tolerance for black comedy.

John Carter - 2012 - USA

John Carter - 2012 - 5/10

 
By any other name, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “A Princess Of Mars”.
Civil War captain is teleported to the angry red planet.
Once there, and once he grasps his situation, Carter finds himself amid a forever war, and finds a princess.
Fairly standard plot here (can you say Star Wars?), yet this launches from 1912.
Despite an enthusiastic cast, this feels like leftovers.
The plot, alien creatures that seem from Lucas casting, a poor grip on pacing,
Result is overlong, old-fashioned, and just flat lacking sizzle.
At least one faneditor has tackled this, trimming 20”.  Helps, but the flaws are merely lessened.

30 Coins: S02 - 2023 - Spain

30 Coins: S02 - 2023 - 7/10
AKA - 30 Monedas

 
Season 02 splinters off in several directions with multiple characters.
Also, with a new foe, the ultra rich Barbow, with his own agenda.
We follow Father Vergara, in the fires of hell, dealing with nemesis Angelo (Mr Cipher).
Elsewhere, villagers flee, hide, or conspire.  Fear not, everything coalesces.
The finale is a veritable avalanche of action and images.
Creator Álex de la Iglesia has announced that S03 episodes and conclusion are already written.
Lovecraft acolytes, this is a series of inspired insanity and mad brilliance.

Husbands And Wives - 1992 - USA

Husbands And Wives - 1992 - 7/10

 
Long married couple Jack and Sally are breaking up.
To the dismay of their friends, who begin to reflect on their own marriage.
Consequences include wondering whether their own relationship is still sound.
One of Woody Allen’s darker comedy of manners, which is not always funny.
He probes here into jealousy, possession, mid-life crises.
Fiction may mirror reality here, as this was the last film between Allen and Farrow.
Their story, sadly, became public fodder, and the stuff of tabloid soap opera.

Dangerous Crossing - 1953 - USA

Dangerous Crossing - 1953 - 6/10

 
The new bride is jilted on her honeymoon cruise.
No husband.  In fact, no one has heard of the husband.
Ruth had booked under her maiden name.  But – but – and she faints.
Thank goodness the ship’s doctor is understanding, and handsome.
Old-fashioned mystery plays well in the tight corners of the ship.
Great use of fog and forced perspective.
Nonetheless, this feels padded.  Listen to the earlier “Cabin B-13” on Suspense instead.

The Beaux’ Stratagem - 2015 - UK

The Beaux’ Stratagem - 2015 - 7/10

 
Their fortunes lavished on assorted debaucheries, two gentlemen flee London creditors.
The new quarry?  Young rural heiresses.  Find em, fool em, fleece em, forget em.
Until one of the wastrels is smitten.  As for the ladies, no lambs here.
Add a scheming innkeeper, a gypsy seductress, and a band of highwaymen.
Speaking of band, a combo of musicians provide accompaniment for stray songs and jigs.
Broadly comedy of manners from 1707 rollicks along; keep up with the staccato dialogue.
Theatre junkies, Jane Austen unbuttoned.

Koyaanisqatsi - 1982 - USA

Koyaanisqatsi - 1982 - 8/10

 
Life out of balance.
Overpowering visual assault showing humanity dwarfed by our constructs.
The pace hurtles dizzyingly, the images a cascade.
Philip Glass score aids this tremendously.
Consider also, 1982 was pre-internet, pre-social media.
Nowadays, dwellers are likewise enthralled to devices, and, in turn, masters of those.
Forty years on, this remains as powerful and as troubling as ever.

Paddington In Peru - 2024 - UK

Paddington In Peru - 2024 - 6/10

 
News by post reports that Aunt Lucy has disappeared from the Home For Retired Bears.
Thus, Paddington and Family Brown embrace the risk and travel to the Andes.
Third installment of the adventurous bear with rapids, fortune hunters, and shaky goings on.
Escapades, Peruvian in-jokes, along with a list of everything that goes wrong on trips.
This will be fine for family viewing, and fine of Paddington fans.
Not as good as the second film, yet better than the first.

Double Vision - 2002 - Taiwan

Double Vision - 2002 - 6/10
AKA - Shuang Tong // 雙瞳

 
The first victim died in his office, drowned or frozen to death.
Next one was incinerated in her apartment, nothing else was even scorched.
By victim three, a strange bacteria has been isolated.
Taiwan police, out of their depth, consult the FBI, who send a profiler.
Early on, the two sides barely tolerate each other, and that never subsides.
Strange murder mystery mixes scientific investigation with supernatural underpinnings.
Amidst the deaths are Taoist scriptures, a secretive cult, and immortality.
Alert: Two endings are out there.

Poodle Springs - 1998 - USA

Poodle Springs - 1998 - 6/10

 
“Philip Marlowe, private investigations.  I don’t take divorce cases?”
Marlowe hears the request for help, the address, then gunshots.
He alerts the police, then hits the crime scene first.  And is now suspect #1.
The setup, the frame.  The patsy, and old enough to know better.
Perhaps too old, perhaps that’s the problem.  Marlowe is old.
1963, set in the border between California and Nevada, amidst shady wives, gunsels and greedy developers.
James Caan well cast as Marlowe, fading detective from an earlier era.
Top notch writing.  Chandler started this, Robert Parker finished it, Tom Stoppard adapted it.
Convoluted, confusing at times, yet unlike – ooh – Big Sleep, this does tie up fairly logically.
Keep track of the three ladies.  Fine Neo-Noir for mystery fans.

The Big Bluff - 1955 - USA

The Big Bluff - 1955 - 5/10

 
Ne’re-do-well Rick confers with girlfriend Fritzi, sexpot dancer and wed to a jealous man.
Rightly so, too, as Rick and Fritizi glide in and out of each other’s rooms at any given chance.
Rick has now stumbled onto a cash cow.  An attractive New York heiress.
Whose days are numbered owing to an incurable heart ailment.
In better hands, perhaps a creative director of photography, this might have been something.
Director Lee Wilder (Billy’s brother) does not have a lick of style.
The overall look is cheap and sleazy, actually fitting for the tawdry plot.