3-Iron (2004) - 7.5/10 - A young man who owns very little apart from his motorcycle puts up flyers by day and then breaks into empty homes at night. He uses the places he breaks into to sleep, eat, bathe, do laundry, etc. and does household chores or fixes things to pay for his time there. His life changes somewhat one night when he finds an abused wife in a home he thought was empty. It was a pretty entertaining romance.
Orion's Belt (1985) - 6/10 - This cold war action adventure deals with the people on a Norwegian trawler who do a variety of jobs to try to make a living. They agree to participate in an insurance scam that promises to pay well and stumble across a secret Soviet post on an island. The Soviets don't want the secret to get out so they set out to kill the men and destroy the ship. The first hour or so was a decent action movie, but the last part of the film changed course somewhat and was less interesting. Overall not a bad movie, though.
Force of Evil (1948) - 7.5/10 - A lawyer is working with a gangster to consolidate all of the small numbers rackets under one umbrella with his partner in charge. One problem is that the lawyer's older brother is one of those running a numbers racket and he could be ruined and maybe even die as a result. The lawyer tries to help the brother, but the brother wants no part of that help. This was a good noir crime film.
The Magic City (1954) - 7/10 - Kosmas lives in the slums of Athens with his wife and younger sister. He works hard driving a truck, but is barely able to make ends meet. He may lose the truck due to his mounting debt. He agrees to work for a smuggler to make some extra money, but has a tough decision to make when he discovers what they are transporting if he doesn't want to compromise his ethics. This is a nice film from Greece.
Kwaidan (1965) - 8.5/10 - This film adapts four Japanese folk stories - A samurai who divorces his wife in search of greater wealth, a woodcutter who is caught in a storm and spared by a woman in the snow, a blind biwa player who lives in a temple, and a writer who relates an unfinished tale of a lord who sees a man in a cup of tea. The tales are beautifully told and the stories may seem a bit familiar since they share themes with other "ghost stories".
Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Thrilling (Carlo Lizzani, Ettore Scola & Gian Luigi Polidoro, 1965) 2/10
Boring anthology broken into three segments each by a different director. Ettore Scola tackles a tiresome Nino Manfredi who rambles on and on suspecting his tough german wife (Alexandra Stewart) of trying to murder him. It was a relief to see how deservedly he finds his maker. The second episode has a couple (Walter Chiari & Dorian Gray) trying to spice up their sex life by playing dress-up. Alberto Sordi is amusing in the third episode where chasing a man on the highway he ends up at a remote hotel where he meets a statuesque blonde (Sylva Koscina) and a family of murderers. A waste of time as neither episode holds one's interest.
Mafioso (Alberto Lattuada, 1962) 10/10
Lattuada's black comedy starts off as a gentle and amusing travelogue (we get to see the boat crossing across the Strait of Messina) as a family travels from Milan to the old hometown in Sicily, reuniting with his boistrous dark-haired country bumpkin family - toothless but foul mouthed dad, suspicious Italian mother, a sister with a moustache and assorted uncles, aunts and cousins. The stark contrast between the affluent North versus the poverty-ridden South is glaring. Antonio (Alberto Sordi), a proud Sicilian, works as a factory manager in a Fiat factory in Milan - an efficient cog in a well oiled machinery. A two week vacation to his hometown is a means to introduce his blonde wife (Norma Bengell) and two blonde daughters to his family. It's his first visit since he left for the North with quite a bit of help from the local godfather who now makes him an offer he cannot refuse. A comedy of manners suddenly turns into a mob thriller which later inspired Francis Coppola when he directed "The Godfather". The film is neatly held together by Alberto Sordi's inspired performance which is a delicate balance between riotous comedy and sheer terror conveyed with great expertise by the actor's facial expressions and body language. The actor was a strange combination of a clown and a matinee idol which suited him fine as it allowed him to easily gravitate from one film genre to another. The film is a must-see and one of Lattuada's numerous masterpieces.
Halloween Kills (David Gordon Green, 2021) 4/10
It's Halloween once more and Michael Myers is back in town - he survived Jamie Lee Curtis' onslaught from the previous episode. Even after 40 years the townfolk of Haddonfield remain incredibly stupid. They have had countless showdowns with the masked maniac but something happens to people around him as they can't outrun him, they flail while pointing a gun directly at him and invariable miss shooting him. And because they are stupid it allows the killer to easily kill them in highly inventive ways most of which involve slashed throats with blood gushing out. Curtis is a victim of stabbing but saved by the doctors and recovering in hospital. Her family joins a vigilante group from the town and they plan on hunting the maniac down. The stupidity level of everyone reaches such incredible heights that by the end of the film I was totally rooting for Michael Myers and wanted him to kill every goof around him. And he does.
Boring anthology broken into three segments each by a different director. Ettore Scola tackles a tiresome Nino Manfredi who rambles on and on suspecting his tough german wife (Alexandra Stewart) of trying to murder him. It was a relief to see how deservedly he finds his maker. The second episode has a couple (Walter Chiari & Dorian Gray) trying to spice up their sex life by playing dress-up. Alberto Sordi is amusing in the third episode where chasing a man on the highway he ends up at a remote hotel where he meets a statuesque blonde (Sylva Koscina) and a family of murderers. A waste of time as neither episode holds one's interest.
Mafioso (Alberto Lattuada, 1962) 10/10
Lattuada's black comedy starts off as a gentle and amusing travelogue (we get to see the boat crossing across the Strait of Messina) as a family travels from Milan to the old hometown in Sicily, reuniting with his boistrous dark-haired country bumpkin family - toothless but foul mouthed dad, suspicious Italian mother, a sister with a moustache and assorted uncles, aunts and cousins. The stark contrast between the affluent North versus the poverty-ridden South is glaring. Antonio (Alberto Sordi), a proud Sicilian, works as a factory manager in a Fiat factory in Milan - an efficient cog in a well oiled machinery. A two week vacation to his hometown is a means to introduce his blonde wife (Norma Bengell) and two blonde daughters to his family. It's his first visit since he left for the North with quite a bit of help from the local godfather who now makes him an offer he cannot refuse. A comedy of manners suddenly turns into a mob thriller which later inspired Francis Coppola when he directed "The Godfather". The film is neatly held together by Alberto Sordi's inspired performance which is a delicate balance between riotous comedy and sheer terror conveyed with great expertise by the actor's facial expressions and body language. The actor was a strange combination of a clown and a matinee idol which suited him fine as it allowed him to easily gravitate from one film genre to another. The film is a must-see and one of Lattuada's numerous masterpieces.
Halloween Kills (David Gordon Green, 2021) 4/10
It's Halloween once more and Michael Myers is back in town - he survived Jamie Lee Curtis' onslaught from the previous episode. Even after 40 years the townfolk of Haddonfield remain incredibly stupid. They have had countless showdowns with the masked maniac but something happens to people around him as they can't outrun him, they flail while pointing a gun directly at him and invariable miss shooting him. And because they are stupid it allows the killer to easily kill them in highly inventive ways most of which involve slashed throats with blood gushing out. Curtis is a victim of stabbing but saved by the doctors and recovering in hospital. Her family joins a vigilante group from the town and they plan on hunting the maniac down. The stupidity level of everyone reaches such incredible heights that by the end of the film I was totally rooting for Michael Myers and wanted him to kill every goof around him. And he does.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
U.S. Go Home (1994) - 8/10 - In the 1960s, 14 year old Martine lives in a Paris suburb and wants to lose her virginity. She and her friend Marlene hitchhike a lot and do this to get to a party that her older brother is attending, but the party doesn't work out quite how Martine was expecting. After, Martine and her brother hitch a ride home. The title derives from the presence of a U.S. base in the area and their soldiers who are around as well. I thought it was very well acted and believable and it is a good coming of age story.
Mean Streets (1973) - 7/10 - Charlie (Harvey Keitel) is a small time gangster and friends with Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro). Johnny Boy avoids work and gambles and has racked up lots of debts to loan sharks. Charlie tries to look after and protect his friend, but it isn't easy. I thought the film was good, but could have been a lot better. The plot seemed a little unfocused at times.
Hollywood Shuffle (1987) - 7.5/10 - Robert Townsend directed and stars in this film about a young black man who wants to be an actor, but the only roles he can find to audition for are stereotypes which is not the type of acting that he wants to do. The movie is a satire and features many short scenes taken from his character's imagination. The movie is pretty funny and I thought it was good.
Black Girl (1966) - 8/10 - A Senegalese woman gets a job as a governess for the children of a white French family. When they return to France, they hire her to come there to do the same job, telling her of the sights and shops that she can visit. When she arrives, she finds that she is treated more as a slave with little free time or freedom. Excellent acting from Mbissine Thérèse Diop in a relatively short, but very good film.
A Page of Madness (1926) - 8/10 - A janitor takes a job at an insane asylum to be near his wife who is an inmate there. The film is pervaded with a sense of madness. The acting of the inmates certainly contributes to this as does the score that was added to this silent film and many different effects that are used in the film. The movie is kind of a trip to watch.
Pickpocket (1959) - 7/10 - A man thinks working a regular job leads nowhere and decides to devote himself to becoming a pickpocket. He isn't very good at first, but studies, practices, and makes acquaintances who help him improve his abilities. The police are on to him, but lack proof. It's a pretty stark film and well acted, but I didn't like it nearly as much as A Man Escaped.
Mean Streets (1973) - 7/10 - Charlie (Harvey Keitel) is a small time gangster and friends with Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro). Johnny Boy avoids work and gambles and has racked up lots of debts to loan sharks. Charlie tries to look after and protect his friend, but it isn't easy. I thought the film was good, but could have been a lot better. The plot seemed a little unfocused at times.
Hollywood Shuffle (1987) - 7.5/10 - Robert Townsend directed and stars in this film about a young black man who wants to be an actor, but the only roles he can find to audition for are stereotypes which is not the type of acting that he wants to do. The movie is a satire and features many short scenes taken from his character's imagination. The movie is pretty funny and I thought it was good.
Black Girl (1966) - 8/10 - A Senegalese woman gets a job as a governess for the children of a white French family. When they return to France, they hire her to come there to do the same job, telling her of the sights and shops that she can visit. When she arrives, she finds that she is treated more as a slave with little free time or freedom. Excellent acting from Mbissine Thérèse Diop in a relatively short, but very good film.
A Page of Madness (1926) - 8/10 - A janitor takes a job at an insane asylum to be near his wife who is an inmate there. The film is pervaded with a sense of madness. The acting of the inmates certainly contributes to this as does the score that was added to this silent film and many different effects that are used in the film. The movie is kind of a trip to watch.
Pickpocket (1959) - 7/10 - A man thinks working a regular job leads nowhere and decides to devote himself to becoming a pickpocket. He isn't very good at first, but studies, practices, and makes acquaintances who help him improve his abilities. The police are on to him, but lack proof. It's a pretty stark film and well acted, but I didn't like it nearly as much as A Man Escaped.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Il vedovo / The Widower (Dino Risi, 1959) 9/10
Matching the great Alberto Sordi, playing the widower, is Franca Valeri as his wife who refuses to die. Raucous black comedy seemingly revolves around the notorious "Fenaroli" case of 1958 in which an industrialist allegedly murdered his wife in order to collect on the insurance. A consistently down on his luck little entrepreneur (Alberto Sordi) is married to a savvy rich businesswoman (Franca Valeri) and spends a life of humiliation under her shadow - one of her recurring term of endearment for her husband is "cretinetti" or nitwit which she calls him at the drop of a hat. When she is suspected of being dead in a train crash - the train car derails and falls into a lake - the grieving husband arranges a huge funeral with his beautiful working class mistress (Leonora Ruffo - hilariously dressed in a backless black gown at the funeral) helping out with the mourners. When she suddenly turns up very much alive - she missed the train - he plans an elaborate way to get rid of her once and for all. Talky comedy with moments of inspired frenzy works through the combined efforts of a very funny screenplay (Rodolfo Sonego, who often wrote for Sordi), Risi's direction and the deadpan clowning by Sordi. Great fun and one of the classic comedies from the golden age of Italian cinema.
Il boom (Vittorio De Sica, 1963) 9/10
A flop in its original release the film is a bitter look at the profound moral dilemmas and social contradictions brought about by the so-called Italian “economic miracle”. It led to a situation where people spent more than they earned - a situation borne out of keeping up with the Joneses. A small building contractor (Alberto Sordi) is drowning in debt and desperately goes about town trying to borrow huge sums in order to pay off his debts and continue to keep his frivolous trophy wife (Gianna Maria Canale) in the lap of luxury. All in the name of love. When all seems lost a society matron agrees to give him the money in exchange for his cornea which she wants for her husband who has gone blind. His selfish wife, discovering his situation, walks out on him with their son instead of trying to change her lifestyle and help her husband. Will he go through with the plan sacrificing his eye in order to keep his family together? The savage screenplay by Cesare Zavattini and De Sica's astute direction help keep this film neatly balanced between farce and tragedy and for that they have the perfect actor. Sordi, with his "everyman" persona and hangdog expression, easily walks that tightrope which the director and screenwriter demand of him in the role.
Una vita difficile / A Difficult Life (Dino Risi, 1961) 8/10
Alberto Sordi goes serious in a film that uses the Fratelli d'Italia as part of the background score. Risi's film falls under the genre of the Commedia all'italiana which follows the "difficult life" of a journalist who refuses to bow down to the pressures of wealth and fame and continues to follow his heart but at a very high cost to him, his wife (Lea Massari) and infant son. The story covers Italian history from 1944 to 1960 as we see the young man go from being a partisan during the War to a life of protesting on the streets and jail time as the country sees the end of fascism, the birth of the Italian Republic and the rise of the Italian Communist Party. Compromising on his ideals he decides to sell his soul in order to win back his estranged wife but it too comes at a cost. A very high cost which his wife also finally realizes and acknowledges.
The Last of Sheila (Herbert Ross, 1973) 8/10
Convoluted whodunit written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins. When the wife of a famous movie producer (James Coburn) is mysteriously killed in a hit and run accident he invites six friends on a holiday on his yacht in the South of France. Five of the guests were present at the party when his wife was killed and he plans a macabre game for the guests to play as his means of revenge. The eclectic guest list includes a has-been director (James Mason), a bitchy agent (Dyan Cannon), a screenwriter (Richard Benjamin) and his alcoholic wife (Joan Hackett), and an actress (Raquel Welch) and her manager-husband (Ian McShane). The guests are all accused of harboring a nasty secret which are written on cards and distributed. They are to guess each other's secret while hiding their own. The fun and games result in a murder and a suicide before the holiday is over. Well acted film also has the added fun of trying to discover who these nasty and ruthless Hollywood types were all based on.
Matching the great Alberto Sordi, playing the widower, is Franca Valeri as his wife who refuses to die. Raucous black comedy seemingly revolves around the notorious "Fenaroli" case of 1958 in which an industrialist allegedly murdered his wife in order to collect on the insurance. A consistently down on his luck little entrepreneur (Alberto Sordi) is married to a savvy rich businesswoman (Franca Valeri) and spends a life of humiliation under her shadow - one of her recurring term of endearment for her husband is "cretinetti" or nitwit which she calls him at the drop of a hat. When she is suspected of being dead in a train crash - the train car derails and falls into a lake - the grieving husband arranges a huge funeral with his beautiful working class mistress (Leonora Ruffo - hilariously dressed in a backless black gown at the funeral) helping out with the mourners. When she suddenly turns up very much alive - she missed the train - he plans an elaborate way to get rid of her once and for all. Talky comedy with moments of inspired frenzy works through the combined efforts of a very funny screenplay (Rodolfo Sonego, who often wrote for Sordi), Risi's direction and the deadpan clowning by Sordi. Great fun and one of the classic comedies from the golden age of Italian cinema.
Il boom (Vittorio De Sica, 1963) 9/10
A flop in its original release the film is a bitter look at the profound moral dilemmas and social contradictions brought about by the so-called Italian “economic miracle”. It led to a situation where people spent more than they earned - a situation borne out of keeping up with the Joneses. A small building contractor (Alberto Sordi) is drowning in debt and desperately goes about town trying to borrow huge sums in order to pay off his debts and continue to keep his frivolous trophy wife (Gianna Maria Canale) in the lap of luxury. All in the name of love. When all seems lost a society matron agrees to give him the money in exchange for his cornea which she wants for her husband who has gone blind. His selfish wife, discovering his situation, walks out on him with their son instead of trying to change her lifestyle and help her husband. Will he go through with the plan sacrificing his eye in order to keep his family together? The savage screenplay by Cesare Zavattini and De Sica's astute direction help keep this film neatly balanced between farce and tragedy and for that they have the perfect actor. Sordi, with his "everyman" persona and hangdog expression, easily walks that tightrope which the director and screenwriter demand of him in the role.
Una vita difficile / A Difficult Life (Dino Risi, 1961) 8/10
Alberto Sordi goes serious in a film that uses the Fratelli d'Italia as part of the background score. Risi's film falls under the genre of the Commedia all'italiana which follows the "difficult life" of a journalist who refuses to bow down to the pressures of wealth and fame and continues to follow his heart but at a very high cost to him, his wife (Lea Massari) and infant son. The story covers Italian history from 1944 to 1960 as we see the young man go from being a partisan during the War to a life of protesting on the streets and jail time as the country sees the end of fascism, the birth of the Italian Republic and the rise of the Italian Communist Party. Compromising on his ideals he decides to sell his soul in order to win back his estranged wife but it too comes at a cost. A very high cost which his wife also finally realizes and acknowledges.
The Last of Sheila (Herbert Ross, 1973) 8/10
Convoluted whodunit written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins. When the wife of a famous movie producer (James Coburn) is mysteriously killed in a hit and run accident he invites six friends on a holiday on his yacht in the South of France. Five of the guests were present at the party when his wife was killed and he plans a macabre game for the guests to play as his means of revenge. The eclectic guest list includes a has-been director (James Mason), a bitchy agent (Dyan Cannon), a screenwriter (Richard Benjamin) and his alcoholic wife (Joan Hackett), and an actress (Raquel Welch) and her manager-husband (Ian McShane). The guests are all accused of harboring a nasty secret which are written on cards and distributed. They are to guess each other's secret while hiding their own. The fun and games result in a murder and a suicide before the holiday is over. Well acted film also has the added fun of trying to discover who these nasty and ruthless Hollywood types were all based on.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Song of the South (1946) - 7.5/10 - Uncle Remus tells his stories about Br'er Rabbit to Johnny, a lonely boy with no real friends except for Jenny, who lives nearby, and Uncle Remus. The film was a product of its time, but apart from that it is a nice and entertaining film. The animated sequences are good and James Baskett gives a nice performance.
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954) - 8/10 - Toshiro Mifune stars as Takezo, a wild young man who goes off to war with his best friend only to be hunted by villagers and the local lord when he returns. This is the opening part of the man who becomes Musashi. I thought it was really good and I enjoyed it quite a bit. There is action, though not as much as you might expect, and also a fair amount of humor. The last bit of the story takes place at Himeji Castle which I visited with friends in 2018. I plan to watch the other two parts of the trilogy soon.
Passenger (1963) - 8/10 - A German woman on a cruise ship recognizes another passenger. She tells her husband that during WWII, she was an overseer at Auschwitz and that the woman she recognized was a prisoner who served as her assistant. She goes on to relate the story of their interactions at the camp. Unfortunately the movie was never completed because the director, Andrzej Munk, died in a car crash during production. What was completed is very good and the end result probably would have been as well.
The Mummy (1932) - 6/10 - An ancient Egyptian mummy is accidentally brought back to life. Skip ahead 10 years and the mummy (Boris Karloff) is now using his powers to bring about the reawakening of his lost love who has been reincarnated into the present time. Karloff gives a decent performance, but the movie itself is merely okay. The story is a bit underwhelming after a good start.
Blood Wedding (1981) - 5/10 - This is the first in Carlos Saura's Flamenco trilogy. We get to see a dress rehearsal for a flamenco production of Lorca's Blood Wedding. The first 10-15 minutes involve putting on makeup and getting dressed. There are other scenes with putting on costumes. The dancing itself and the music are decent, but the film as a whole isn't all that interesting. I liked Carmen (the second entry in the trilogy) more.
The Set-Up (1949) - 8.5/10 - An aging boxer who hasn't had much success lately is hoping for that one punch to see him through the upcoming fight. His manager took a bribe from a local gangster to throw the fight, though he neglected to tell the fighter, expecting him to lose as usual. This was a nice film with good boxing sequences and a fairly straightforward, but well told story.
Daisies (1966) - 8/10 - This is an odd movie and a bit tough to describe in full. Two young woman (each named Marie) spoil themselves by getting older men to buy food and wine for them and then leaving them in the lurch at the train station. Marie and Marie go through the movie doing all sorts of silly and crazy things, but it is generally pretty entertaining. The filmmakers also use a variety of visual techniques throughout the film that make it more interesting as well. I liked the film quite a bit, but it probably isn't for everyone.
Solaris (1972) - 6.5/10 - Cosmonauts who've spent time on a space station orbiting a planet called Solaris have been having mental issues. A psychologist is sent to investigate and finds himself in the same situation when his wife appears on the station with him, except that she's been dead for a decade. I found the first part of the film to be meandering and dull. The second part was much better with Hari there (the wife), though I thought it still moved at too slow a pace at times. It's easy to tell that a lot of work and thought went into the film and its story, but it didn't quite work for me.
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954) - 8/10 - Toshiro Mifune stars as Takezo, a wild young man who goes off to war with his best friend only to be hunted by villagers and the local lord when he returns. This is the opening part of the man who becomes Musashi. I thought it was really good and I enjoyed it quite a bit. There is action, though not as much as you might expect, and also a fair amount of humor. The last bit of the story takes place at Himeji Castle which I visited with friends in 2018. I plan to watch the other two parts of the trilogy soon.
Passenger (1963) - 8/10 - A German woman on a cruise ship recognizes another passenger. She tells her husband that during WWII, she was an overseer at Auschwitz and that the woman she recognized was a prisoner who served as her assistant. She goes on to relate the story of their interactions at the camp. Unfortunately the movie was never completed because the director, Andrzej Munk, died in a car crash during production. What was completed is very good and the end result probably would have been as well.
The Mummy (1932) - 6/10 - An ancient Egyptian mummy is accidentally brought back to life. Skip ahead 10 years and the mummy (Boris Karloff) is now using his powers to bring about the reawakening of his lost love who has been reincarnated into the present time. Karloff gives a decent performance, but the movie itself is merely okay. The story is a bit underwhelming after a good start.
Blood Wedding (1981) - 5/10 - This is the first in Carlos Saura's Flamenco trilogy. We get to see a dress rehearsal for a flamenco production of Lorca's Blood Wedding. The first 10-15 minutes involve putting on makeup and getting dressed. There are other scenes with putting on costumes. The dancing itself and the music are decent, but the film as a whole isn't all that interesting. I liked Carmen (the second entry in the trilogy) more.
The Set-Up (1949) - 8.5/10 - An aging boxer who hasn't had much success lately is hoping for that one punch to see him through the upcoming fight. His manager took a bribe from a local gangster to throw the fight, though he neglected to tell the fighter, expecting him to lose as usual. This was a nice film with good boxing sequences and a fairly straightforward, but well told story.
Daisies (1966) - 8/10 - This is an odd movie and a bit tough to describe in full. Two young woman (each named Marie) spoil themselves by getting older men to buy food and wine for them and then leaving them in the lurch at the train station. Marie and Marie go through the movie doing all sorts of silly and crazy things, but it is generally pretty entertaining. The filmmakers also use a variety of visual techniques throughout the film that make it more interesting as well. I liked the film quite a bit, but it probably isn't for everyone.
Solaris (1972) - 6.5/10 - Cosmonauts who've spent time on a space station orbiting a planet called Solaris have been having mental issues. A psychologist is sent to investigate and finds himself in the same situation when his wife appears on the station with him, except that she's been dead for a decade. I found the first part of the film to be meandering and dull. The second part was much better with Hari there (the wife), though I thought it still moved at too slow a pace at times. It's easy to tell that a lot of work and thought went into the film and its story, but it didn't quite work for me.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Waiting for Happiness (2002) - 7/10 - There are a few overlapping stories here. It starts with Abdallah returning to the coastal village in Mauritania where he is from. He doesn't speak the local dialect anymore and doesn't fit in with his western clothes. There is also a young boy and an elderly electrician trying to bring electricity into the boy's home. Nearby, a woman is teaching a young girl to sing. There are other stories in the village and the film moves at a rather slow pace much of the time, but it is still an interesting movie that I liked.
In a Lonely Place (1950) - 8/10 - Dix Steele (Humphrey Bogart) is a screenwriter who hasn't had a hit since before WWII. He becomes a suspect in a murder case, but has an alibi from Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame), a neighbor who saw him the night of the murder. The two become involved, but the police investigation and DIx's bad temper threaten to tear them apart. It's a very solid film noir and is entertaining.
Django (1966) - 6/10 - A gunfighter dragging a coffin near a border town comes across a woman that two groups want to kill. Django has to deal with several groups, including racist ex-Confederates and a band of Mexican revolutionaries whose leader he knows. There is a lot of bloody violence and some parts of the story are pretty good, but overall the story is just an excuse for gun battles and blood and the film itself is just okay.
Infernal Affairs (2002) - 8/10 - The police have an undercover cop hidden in a criminal organization, but the crime boss also has a mole on the police force. It's a game of cat and mouse to see who can uncover the other mole first. This was a very good film and also served as the basis for The Departed.
Throne of Blood (1957) - 8/10 - Lord Tsusuki summons his two top commanders to his castle after a big victory in battle. They are friends and travel together on the way through the forest to the castle, but encounter fog and a spirit along the way. The spirit tells them that one will become the lord of the castle and the other's son will one day become the lord. One of the commanders is egged on by his wife to do away with their lord and fulfill the prophecy. I'm not a fan of Macbeth, but this was pretty well done.
The Crime of Monsieur Lange (1936) - 8/10 - A man and woman arrive at a hotel late one evening and one person recognizes the man as being wanted by the police. The woman tells his story and lets the people there judge for themselves. The man is named Lange and he wrote a popular pulp western about a character named Arizona Jim. His publisher was a swindler and womanizer who was always hitting on the ladies who worked at Valentine's (the woman telling the story) laundry. Lange's story is told from the creation of Arizona Jim through his crime and subsequent arrival at the hotel. I thought it was well acted and a very entertaining film.
The Return Of Doctor X (1939) - 6/10 - A newspaper reporter is meeting an actress for an interview when he finds her dead body. However, the body disappears before the police arrive and the woman turns up apparently alive later still. The reporter gets his doctor friend involved and they discover that other victims with the same rare blood type have also died. The movie seemed pretty rushed at the end, but it was still an enjoyable enough horror mystery.
In a Lonely Place (1950) - 8/10 - Dix Steele (Humphrey Bogart) is a screenwriter who hasn't had a hit since before WWII. He becomes a suspect in a murder case, but has an alibi from Laurel Gray (Gloria Grahame), a neighbor who saw him the night of the murder. The two become involved, but the police investigation and DIx's bad temper threaten to tear them apart. It's a very solid film noir and is entertaining.
Django (1966) - 6/10 - A gunfighter dragging a coffin near a border town comes across a woman that two groups want to kill. Django has to deal with several groups, including racist ex-Confederates and a band of Mexican revolutionaries whose leader he knows. There is a lot of bloody violence and some parts of the story are pretty good, but overall the story is just an excuse for gun battles and blood and the film itself is just okay.
Infernal Affairs (2002) - 8/10 - The police have an undercover cop hidden in a criminal organization, but the crime boss also has a mole on the police force. It's a game of cat and mouse to see who can uncover the other mole first. This was a very good film and also served as the basis for The Departed.
Throne of Blood (1957) - 8/10 - Lord Tsusuki summons his two top commanders to his castle after a big victory in battle. They are friends and travel together on the way through the forest to the castle, but encounter fog and a spirit along the way. The spirit tells them that one will become the lord of the castle and the other's son will one day become the lord. One of the commanders is egged on by his wife to do away with their lord and fulfill the prophecy. I'm not a fan of Macbeth, but this was pretty well done.
The Crime of Monsieur Lange (1936) - 8/10 - A man and woman arrive at a hotel late one evening and one person recognizes the man as being wanted by the police. The woman tells his story and lets the people there judge for themselves. The man is named Lange and he wrote a popular pulp western about a character named Arizona Jim. His publisher was a swindler and womanizer who was always hitting on the ladies who worked at Valentine's (the woman telling the story) laundry. Lange's story is told from the creation of Arizona Jim through his crime and subsequent arrival at the hotel. I thought it was well acted and a very entertaining film.
The Return Of Doctor X (1939) - 6/10 - A newspaper reporter is meeting an actress for an interview when he finds her dead body. However, the body disappears before the police arrive and the woman turns up apparently alive later still. The reporter gets his doctor friend involved and they discover that other victims with the same rare blood type have also died. The movie seemed pretty rushed at the end, but it was still an enjoyable enough horror mystery.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Le Plus Vieux Métier du monde / The Oldest Profession (Franco Indovina, Mauro Bolognini, Phillipe de Broca, Michael Pfleghar, Claude Autant-Lara & Jean-Luc Godard, 1967) 4/10
Prostitution through the ages by way of six bombshell actresses in an anthology of six extremely corny films by six highly talented directors. During the pre-historic era everyone is on a beach â la Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello except its voluptuous Michèle Mercier (undressed in an animal skin bikini) in a tizzy because a popular visitor refuses to sleep with her until she discovers the magic of eye shadow on her lids. Bolognini does Ancient Rome with the Emperor moving through various brothels in search of exotica which he finds in one woman who, to his shock, turns out to be the Empress (Elsa Martinelli) moonlighting on a weekend. The French Revolution has de Broca guiding lovely Jeanne Moreau and her giant pink hat as she gets bamboozled into giving herself to a cunning Jean-Claude Brialy. Raquel Welch makes goo-goo eyes at an elderly banker and ensnares him into marriage during the Gay Nineties. Autant-Lara takes on Paris of "Aujourd'hui" and how the modern prostitute (France Anglade) and her pimp (Nadia Gray) improvise with an ambulance taking sex on the road. Godard looks at prostitution in a dystopian bleak future in his monochrome episode shot at Orly airport in Paris. Its the only vignette with full-on nudity. An ambassador from another galaxy (Jacques Charrier) finds disappointment with two prostitutes - one (Marilù Tolo) wants to make love but refuses to speak while the other (Anna Karina) speaks but refuses to make love. Silly film is very much part of the 1960s when sexual liberation was out front and center although only one episode works - ironic that its the one with the American actress. Raquel Welch takes that episode and runs with it.
The Pink Panther (Blake Edwards, 1963) 8/10
Amusing first installment in the series of films about the inept Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) and his attempts to safeguard a huge diamond, the Pink Panther, belonging to an Indian Princess (Claudia Cardinale). The notorious Phantom (David Niven), his mistress (Capucine) - who is Clouseau's wife - and his playboy nephew (Robert Wagner) are all vying for the jewell. The exotic location of Cortina d'Ampezzo, Henry Mancini's iconic score, Brenda de Banzie's funny but annoying hostess, and Sellers are the highlights of the film. Edwards expertly juggles Niven, Sellers, Capucine and Wagner during a prolonged comic bedroom set piece which is shot with superb comic timing. Fran Jeffries sings the memorable song "Meglio stasera (It Had Better Be Tonight) and the Pink Panther makes his first appearance in all his animated glory. While Niven is the sophisticated lead here it was Sellers who would go on to be the star of all the subsequent films.
The Night House (David Bruckner, 2020) 7/10
A woman (Rebecca Hall) discovers strange eerie secrets in the past life of her husband after he commits suicide. Hall, mostly acting alone on the screen, gives a strong performance as a woman who could either be losing her hold on sanity or discovering some nasty home truths about the man she was married to for over 15 years. The lovely lakeside house alternates by looking soothingly inviting and screamingly spooky. Chilling horror film.
Wonder Bar (Lloyd Bacon, 1934) 8/10
The "Grand Hotel" of pre-code musicals. A number of regulars appear at a hot nightspot called the "Wonder Bar" in Paris. The owner and emcee (Al Jolson) and the young crooner (Dick Powell) are both in love with the Latin dance sensation (Dolores del Rio) who is insanely obsessed with her dance partner (Ricardo Cortez) who has been having an affair with a rich banker's wife (Kay Francis) and plans to ditch both women. On the comic front are two middle-aged couples played by Guy Kibbee and Ruth Donnelly and Hugh Herbert and Louise Fazenda. While Busby Berkely creates geometric designs with scantily clad women on the art deco stage and Al Jolson gets to sing his big ministrel number (once again and very tediously in black face) there is a planned suicide and a sudden murder in the club. Fast moving film has snappy performances, two sexy leading ladies wearing iconic Orry-Kelly gowns and a notorious but memorable scene involving two men on the dance floor which miraculously escaped censorship.
Prostitution through the ages by way of six bombshell actresses in an anthology of six extremely corny films by six highly talented directors. During the pre-historic era everyone is on a beach â la Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello except its voluptuous Michèle Mercier (undressed in an animal skin bikini) in a tizzy because a popular visitor refuses to sleep with her until she discovers the magic of eye shadow on her lids. Bolognini does Ancient Rome with the Emperor moving through various brothels in search of exotica which he finds in one woman who, to his shock, turns out to be the Empress (Elsa Martinelli) moonlighting on a weekend. The French Revolution has de Broca guiding lovely Jeanne Moreau and her giant pink hat as she gets bamboozled into giving herself to a cunning Jean-Claude Brialy. Raquel Welch makes goo-goo eyes at an elderly banker and ensnares him into marriage during the Gay Nineties. Autant-Lara takes on Paris of "Aujourd'hui" and how the modern prostitute (France Anglade) and her pimp (Nadia Gray) improvise with an ambulance taking sex on the road. Godard looks at prostitution in a dystopian bleak future in his monochrome episode shot at Orly airport in Paris. Its the only vignette with full-on nudity. An ambassador from another galaxy (Jacques Charrier) finds disappointment with two prostitutes - one (Marilù Tolo) wants to make love but refuses to speak while the other (Anna Karina) speaks but refuses to make love. Silly film is very much part of the 1960s when sexual liberation was out front and center although only one episode works - ironic that its the one with the American actress. Raquel Welch takes that episode and runs with it.
The Pink Panther (Blake Edwards, 1963) 8/10
Amusing first installment in the series of films about the inept Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers) and his attempts to safeguard a huge diamond, the Pink Panther, belonging to an Indian Princess (Claudia Cardinale). The notorious Phantom (David Niven), his mistress (Capucine) - who is Clouseau's wife - and his playboy nephew (Robert Wagner) are all vying for the jewell. The exotic location of Cortina d'Ampezzo, Henry Mancini's iconic score, Brenda de Banzie's funny but annoying hostess, and Sellers are the highlights of the film. Edwards expertly juggles Niven, Sellers, Capucine and Wagner during a prolonged comic bedroom set piece which is shot with superb comic timing. Fran Jeffries sings the memorable song "Meglio stasera (It Had Better Be Tonight) and the Pink Panther makes his first appearance in all his animated glory. While Niven is the sophisticated lead here it was Sellers who would go on to be the star of all the subsequent films.
The Night House (David Bruckner, 2020) 7/10
A woman (Rebecca Hall) discovers strange eerie secrets in the past life of her husband after he commits suicide. Hall, mostly acting alone on the screen, gives a strong performance as a woman who could either be losing her hold on sanity or discovering some nasty home truths about the man she was married to for over 15 years. The lovely lakeside house alternates by looking soothingly inviting and screamingly spooky. Chilling horror film.
Wonder Bar (Lloyd Bacon, 1934) 8/10
The "Grand Hotel" of pre-code musicals. A number of regulars appear at a hot nightspot called the "Wonder Bar" in Paris. The owner and emcee (Al Jolson) and the young crooner (Dick Powell) are both in love with the Latin dance sensation (Dolores del Rio) who is insanely obsessed with her dance partner (Ricardo Cortez) who has been having an affair with a rich banker's wife (Kay Francis) and plans to ditch both women. On the comic front are two middle-aged couples played by Guy Kibbee and Ruth Donnelly and Hugh Herbert and Louise Fazenda. While Busby Berkely creates geometric designs with scantily clad women on the art deco stage and Al Jolson gets to sing his big ministrel number (once again and very tediously in black face) there is a planned suicide and a sudden murder in the club. Fast moving film has snappy performances, two sexy leading ladies wearing iconic Orry-Kelly gowns and a notorious but memorable scene involving two men on the dance floor which miraculously escaped censorship.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Nothing Personal (2009) - 7.5/10 - A woman leaves Amsterdam, apparently after the breakup of a marriage, to travel across Ireland on foot and by hitchhiking. She comes across a remote home where a hermit lives and they slowly build a relationship. Dialogue is fairly sparse at times, but isn't really needed. It was a good film and Lotte Verbeek and Stephen Rea each give nice performances.
The Cranes are Flying (1957) - 9.5/10 - This Soviet film about WWII deals with a young woman named Veronika (Tatyana Samoylova) who is in love with a young man named Boris (Aleksey Batalov). It is expected that they will marry, but the war starts and he enlists. Waiting is really hard for Veronika, especially since she gets no letters from Boris. The movie features an excellent performance from Samoylova plus the visuals and story are each top notch as she deals with the fear and the heartbreak and the war. It is an excellent film.
Raise the Red Lantern (1991) - 9/10 - After her father dies, 19 year old Songlian (Gong Li) gives in to her stepmother's wish for her to marry. Songlian becomes the fourth mistress of a very wealthy man in 1920s China who lives in a large compound. Songlian soon finds that the mistresses are in competition with one another for the attention of the Master and that the servants also treat the mistresses differently depending on who holds his favor at the moment. Songlian finds herself somewhat isolated and can't even rely on the maid assigned to her. A nice performance from Gong Li in an excellent film.
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) - 9/10 - The set used for most of the film is deceptively simple. The images of the people from the church and Joan with the close ups and group shots and so on, the fast talking and fast pace is all very effective. Using material from the actual transcripts is impressive, but so are the performances from all of the actors.
Simon of the Desert (1965) - 8/10 - Simon has been living on top of a tall pillar for over 6 years, praying to become closer to God. Another pillar is erected for him and he comes down and walks over to the new pillar. He has attracted crowds of people who want to see him perform a miracle. When one is performed, they leave unimpressed. There are a number of recurring characters including a group of religious men, a goat herder, his mother, and Satan. Satan appears a number of times to try and tempt Simon. The film moves at a pretty quick pace and there is humor mixed in as well. It's a lot more entertaining perhaps than the description might make it seem. Luis Buñuel directing it plays a large role in that.
Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) - 8/10 - Stefan Brand (Louis Jourdan) is a concert pianist who was pretty well known in his younger days. He is about to leave town to avoid a duel when he receives a letter from a woman that he does not remember. Lisa (Joan Fontaine) relates her story in the letter as to how she loved Stefan from the age of 14 when he lived nearby and she heard him play regularly. She continued to love him as she grew up, but he took no notice of her until one night many years later. The story is very melodramatic, but it works very well and the lead performances are very good.
The Cranes are Flying (1957) - 9.5/10 - This Soviet film about WWII deals with a young woman named Veronika (Tatyana Samoylova) who is in love with a young man named Boris (Aleksey Batalov). It is expected that they will marry, but the war starts and he enlists. Waiting is really hard for Veronika, especially since she gets no letters from Boris. The movie features an excellent performance from Samoylova plus the visuals and story are each top notch as she deals with the fear and the heartbreak and the war. It is an excellent film.
Raise the Red Lantern (1991) - 9/10 - After her father dies, 19 year old Songlian (Gong Li) gives in to her stepmother's wish for her to marry. Songlian becomes the fourth mistress of a very wealthy man in 1920s China who lives in a large compound. Songlian soon finds that the mistresses are in competition with one another for the attention of the Master and that the servants also treat the mistresses differently depending on who holds his favor at the moment. Songlian finds herself somewhat isolated and can't even rely on the maid assigned to her. A nice performance from Gong Li in an excellent film.
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) - 9/10 - The set used for most of the film is deceptively simple. The images of the people from the church and Joan with the close ups and group shots and so on, the fast talking and fast pace is all very effective. Using material from the actual transcripts is impressive, but so are the performances from all of the actors.
Simon of the Desert (1965) - 8/10 - Simon has been living on top of a tall pillar for over 6 years, praying to become closer to God. Another pillar is erected for him and he comes down and walks over to the new pillar. He has attracted crowds of people who want to see him perform a miracle. When one is performed, they leave unimpressed. There are a number of recurring characters including a group of religious men, a goat herder, his mother, and Satan. Satan appears a number of times to try and tempt Simon. The film moves at a pretty quick pace and there is humor mixed in as well. It's a lot more entertaining perhaps than the description might make it seem. Luis Buñuel directing it plays a large role in that.
Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) - 8/10 - Stefan Brand (Louis Jourdan) is a concert pianist who was pretty well known in his younger days. He is about to leave town to avoid a duel when he receives a letter from a woman that he does not remember. Lisa (Joan Fontaine) relates her story in the letter as to how she loved Stefan from the age of 14 when he lived nearby and she heard him play regularly. She continued to love him as she grew up, but he took no notice of her until one night many years later. The story is very melodramatic, but it works very well and the lead performances are very good.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Darby O'Gill and the Little People (Robert Stevenson, 1959) 8/10
This is where producer Albert R. Broccoli first saw Sean Connery and cast him as James Bond. Charming Disney fantasy about an old Irish codger (Albert Sharpe) who spins tall tales in the village about having met the King of Leprechauns. Nobody believes him and he is the butt of jokes but the old man actually does converse with the King with whom he carries on a battle of wits about getting three wishes granted. The two old men play matchmaker for Darby's spirited daughter (Janet Munro) with the young man (Sean Connery) who has been chosen to replace him as caretaker. Causing problems for all is the old village snoop (Estelle Winwood) and her son (Kieron Moore) who also hopes to win the young lass. Colorful bit of whimsy was shot entirely on the studio lot in California where an Irish village was created. Wonderful special effects depicting the leprechauns. And Connery and Munro sing "Pretty Irish Girl".
Dune (Denis Villeneuve, 2021) 4/10
Villeneuve's film is spectacular in almost every way. Grand sets, huge space ships, stunning backdrop of the Norwegian fjord and the desert of Wadi Rum in Jordan which fills in for the story's desolate giant worm-ridden planet of Arrakis where the "chosen one" Paul (Timothée Chalamet), the Duke, his father (Oscar Isaac) and his mother (Rebecca Ferguson) all find themselves on after being given the stewardship of the dangerous desert planet. The story, unfortunately, still remains convoluted and trite although because of the grandness of the project it towers above the pathetic David Lynch version that flopped in 1984. Maybe it should have remained as Frank Herbert's book - a cult classic tome - and should never have been filmed. An eclectic cast flail about on the sidelines - Josh Brolin as a close aide of the family, Jason Momoa as a swordmaster, Stellan Skarsgård as the chief villain of the piece floating around like Casper the ghost, Zendaya as the love interest, Javier Bardem as a leader of a tribe and an underused Charlotte Rampling, her face covered by a thick net, as the stern Reverend Mother. Unfortunately the film does not conclude the story but one has to now wait for the second part in order to find out how it all ends.
The Protégé (Martin Campbell, 2021) 6/10
Maggie Q was an exciting discovery playing a kick-ass assassin out for revenge when her foster dad and trainer (Samuel L. Jackson) is killed. The film has all the usual clichés of the genre and more. Also amusing was the banter between Q and Michael Keaton with shades of "Prizzi's Honor". It appears I've seen Maggie Q before but in a few forgetful minor Hollywood parts - her stardom was courtesy of the Hong Kong film industry - but she more than carries off the lead role here.
Lawyer Man (William Dieterle, 1932) 4/10
Idealistic lawyer (William Powell), with a roving eye, gets involved with crooks and realizes that in order to survive he must learn to play the crooked game as well. Joan Blondell is the faithful and lovelorn secretary who stands by him. Pre-code drama although nothing special.
The Last of the Mohicans (George B. Seitz, 1936) 6/10
James Fenimore Cooper's exciting 1826 novel about the French and Indian war gets a good, if rather set bound, Hollywood treatment. Randolph Scott is Hawkeye, the white American hunter and scout, in love with the Governor's feisty daughter (Binnie Barnes) while her younger sister (Heather Angel) falls for an Indian (Phillip Reed). Bruce Cabot is the despicable Indian chief Magua who secretly shifts alliances with the French against the British and tries to abduct the two ladies. The film's daring (for the time) interracial love story is sweetly played out between Sears and Reed. Mostly forgotten film is over shadowed by the Michael Mann remake which was a huge romantic hit at the boxoffice.
Ecologia del delitto / Bay of Blood (Mario Bava, 1971) 6/10
A wheel-chair bound Countess (Isa Miranda) is strangled to death in her bay side mansion by her husband who is then mysteriously knifed to death. This sets off a chain of gruesome murders making it Mario Bava's most violent film. The graphic murders have at its center various characters wanting possession of the vast property including the Count's estranged daughter (Claudine Auger) and her husband (Luigi Pistilli). Dying in vicious fashion are two young couples who for kicks break into a derelict house on the bay. One couple is impaled to death as they make love while one girl is decapitated just after taking a nude swim in the bay and discovering the rotting corpse of the Count. Assorted people find themselves facing deadly sharp objects ending in painful deaths. An ironic ending is the icing on this bloody cake.
Wing and a Prayer: The Story of Carrier X (Henry Hathaway, 1944) 7/10
Exciting, moving account of the workings of an American aircraft carrier in the Pacific during WWII and a salute to the Navy airmen. Rousing propaganda piece, set in the months between Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway, has stunning scenes of aerial battles along with spectacular moments showing planes landing, taking off and crashing off the giant ship. Skillfully woven into the action scenes is actual documentary footage which gives the film authenticity. The cast gamefully play every stereotype in the book with among the standouts Don Ameche as the relentlessly severe flight commander, Dana Andrews as the leader of the attacking squadron, William Eythe as an Oscar-winning actor flying missions and keeping Oscar in the cockpit as his mascot, Richard Jaeckel as the underage gunner and Charles Bickford as an Admiral. The film's original screenplay was nominated for an Oscar.
The Bravados (Henry King, 1958) 6/10
Surprisingly lacklustre Western has spectacular widescreen color cinematography by the great Leon Shamroy. A story of revenge as a rancher (Gregory Peck) gives chase to four men (Stephen Boyd, Albert Salmi, Henry Silva, Lee Van Cleef) who have raped and killed his wife. He tracks them down to a town where the sheriff has jailed them for robbing a bank. Before they are hanged the men escape with everyone - the townfolk, the rancher and his former girlfriend (Joan Collins playing a Mexican and speaking with a clipped British accent) - giving chase. Peck looks bored througout and fails to portray a man full of fury while Collins is absurd casting.
Hard to Get (Ray Enright, 1938) 5/10
Silly comedy has a spoilt heiress (Olivia de Havilland) plan revenge on an attendant (Dick Powell) at a gas station but instead falls in love with him. The hijinks involve a wonderful supporting cast - Charles Winninger as the girl's daffy rich dad, Melville Cooper as his butler and wrestling partner, Bonita Granville as the bratty sister, Isabel Jeans as the haughty mother and Penny Singleton as a talkative maid. Early de Havilland when she was still alternating between A and B pictures. Powell sings and clowns but then also gets an excrutiatingly cringy moment where he appears in black face and sings "Sonny Boy".
Wings of the Navy (Lloyd Bacon, 1939) 5/10
Competition on and off the playing field. Naval aviator (George Brent) faces envy and competition from his younger brother (John Payne) who leaves the submarine service to join the flying cadets like his much celebrated older brother. When he falls in love with his brother's girlfriend (Olivia de Havilland) matters take on a prickly stance when she reciprocates his feelings. Superb aerial sequences in this B-film.
Welcome Stranger (Elliott Nugent, 1947) 7/10
Barry Fitzgerald is a delightful curmudgeon as the small-town doctor who hires an unseen doctor as his replacement when he wishes to go on vacation. It's hate at first sight between the old man and the young doctor (Bing Crosby) who likes to croon songs at the drop of a hat. The Crosby-Fitzgerald chemistry remains intact - a holdover from their Oscar-winning days on "Going My Way". Pretty Joan Caulfield co-stars as a school teacher while doing double duty off-screen as Crosby's mistress. A huge hit at the boxoffice the film's cast also includes the great Elizabeth Patterson as the wise no-nonsense housekeeper, young Wanda Hendrix as the teenage daughter of the town drunk (Frank Faylen) and amusing Percy Kilbride as the town's lone dim-witted taxi driver. Crosby sings four songs and there is the obligatory Bob Hope put-down in the screenplay.
The Walls Came Tumbling Down (Lothar Mendes, 1946) 6/10
B-noir has a society columnist (Lee Bowman) turn detective when his close friend, a priest, is found dead by hanging. Was it suicide or murder? The plot involves a pair of rare Bibles, a shady crook (George Macready) and a femme fatale (Marguerite Chapman). Atmospheric film played around restaurants, bars, offices and hotel rooms. The two leads have snappy chemistry.
Westbound (Budd Boetticher, 1959) 6/10
One of many Westerns Boetticher made with star Randolph Scott which, short of disowning, the director acknowledged that it was one of the low points in his career. I don't know what he was talking about as it many not be great but its a perfectly respectable film. Union army officer (Randolph Scott) is tasked with running a stagecoach line carrying shipments of gold to support the Union war effort. Unfortunately a southern sympathiser and an old adversary (John Duggan), now married to his former sweetheart (Virgina Mayo), stands in his way. Scott is his usual stiff self and Mayo is wasted in a brief role but the film is livened by Michael Pate as a vicious killer out to steal the gold. Also adding sparks are Karen Steele and Michael Dante as a young frontier couple who get caught between the crossfire.
This is where producer Albert R. Broccoli first saw Sean Connery and cast him as James Bond. Charming Disney fantasy about an old Irish codger (Albert Sharpe) who spins tall tales in the village about having met the King of Leprechauns. Nobody believes him and he is the butt of jokes but the old man actually does converse with the King with whom he carries on a battle of wits about getting three wishes granted. The two old men play matchmaker for Darby's spirited daughter (Janet Munro) with the young man (Sean Connery) who has been chosen to replace him as caretaker. Causing problems for all is the old village snoop (Estelle Winwood) and her son (Kieron Moore) who also hopes to win the young lass. Colorful bit of whimsy was shot entirely on the studio lot in California where an Irish village was created. Wonderful special effects depicting the leprechauns. And Connery and Munro sing "Pretty Irish Girl".
Dune (Denis Villeneuve, 2021) 4/10
Villeneuve's film is spectacular in almost every way. Grand sets, huge space ships, stunning backdrop of the Norwegian fjord and the desert of Wadi Rum in Jordan which fills in for the story's desolate giant worm-ridden planet of Arrakis where the "chosen one" Paul (Timothée Chalamet), the Duke, his father (Oscar Isaac) and his mother (Rebecca Ferguson) all find themselves on after being given the stewardship of the dangerous desert planet. The story, unfortunately, still remains convoluted and trite although because of the grandness of the project it towers above the pathetic David Lynch version that flopped in 1984. Maybe it should have remained as Frank Herbert's book - a cult classic tome - and should never have been filmed. An eclectic cast flail about on the sidelines - Josh Brolin as a close aide of the family, Jason Momoa as a swordmaster, Stellan Skarsgård as the chief villain of the piece floating around like Casper the ghost, Zendaya as the love interest, Javier Bardem as a leader of a tribe and an underused Charlotte Rampling, her face covered by a thick net, as the stern Reverend Mother. Unfortunately the film does not conclude the story but one has to now wait for the second part in order to find out how it all ends.
The Protégé (Martin Campbell, 2021) 6/10
Maggie Q was an exciting discovery playing a kick-ass assassin out for revenge when her foster dad and trainer (Samuel L. Jackson) is killed. The film has all the usual clichés of the genre and more. Also amusing was the banter between Q and Michael Keaton with shades of "Prizzi's Honor". It appears I've seen Maggie Q before but in a few forgetful minor Hollywood parts - her stardom was courtesy of the Hong Kong film industry - but she more than carries off the lead role here.
Lawyer Man (William Dieterle, 1932) 4/10
Idealistic lawyer (William Powell), with a roving eye, gets involved with crooks and realizes that in order to survive he must learn to play the crooked game as well. Joan Blondell is the faithful and lovelorn secretary who stands by him. Pre-code drama although nothing special.
The Last of the Mohicans (George B. Seitz, 1936) 6/10
James Fenimore Cooper's exciting 1826 novel about the French and Indian war gets a good, if rather set bound, Hollywood treatment. Randolph Scott is Hawkeye, the white American hunter and scout, in love with the Governor's feisty daughter (Binnie Barnes) while her younger sister (Heather Angel) falls for an Indian (Phillip Reed). Bruce Cabot is the despicable Indian chief Magua who secretly shifts alliances with the French against the British and tries to abduct the two ladies. The film's daring (for the time) interracial love story is sweetly played out between Sears and Reed. Mostly forgotten film is over shadowed by the Michael Mann remake which was a huge romantic hit at the boxoffice.
Ecologia del delitto / Bay of Blood (Mario Bava, 1971) 6/10
A wheel-chair bound Countess (Isa Miranda) is strangled to death in her bay side mansion by her husband who is then mysteriously knifed to death. This sets off a chain of gruesome murders making it Mario Bava's most violent film. The graphic murders have at its center various characters wanting possession of the vast property including the Count's estranged daughter (Claudine Auger) and her husband (Luigi Pistilli). Dying in vicious fashion are two young couples who for kicks break into a derelict house on the bay. One couple is impaled to death as they make love while one girl is decapitated just after taking a nude swim in the bay and discovering the rotting corpse of the Count. Assorted people find themselves facing deadly sharp objects ending in painful deaths. An ironic ending is the icing on this bloody cake.
Wing and a Prayer: The Story of Carrier X (Henry Hathaway, 1944) 7/10
Exciting, moving account of the workings of an American aircraft carrier in the Pacific during WWII and a salute to the Navy airmen. Rousing propaganda piece, set in the months between Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway, has stunning scenes of aerial battles along with spectacular moments showing planes landing, taking off and crashing off the giant ship. Skillfully woven into the action scenes is actual documentary footage which gives the film authenticity. The cast gamefully play every stereotype in the book with among the standouts Don Ameche as the relentlessly severe flight commander, Dana Andrews as the leader of the attacking squadron, William Eythe as an Oscar-winning actor flying missions and keeping Oscar in the cockpit as his mascot, Richard Jaeckel as the underage gunner and Charles Bickford as an Admiral. The film's original screenplay was nominated for an Oscar.
The Bravados (Henry King, 1958) 6/10
Surprisingly lacklustre Western has spectacular widescreen color cinematography by the great Leon Shamroy. A story of revenge as a rancher (Gregory Peck) gives chase to four men (Stephen Boyd, Albert Salmi, Henry Silva, Lee Van Cleef) who have raped and killed his wife. He tracks them down to a town where the sheriff has jailed them for robbing a bank. Before they are hanged the men escape with everyone - the townfolk, the rancher and his former girlfriend (Joan Collins playing a Mexican and speaking with a clipped British accent) - giving chase. Peck looks bored througout and fails to portray a man full of fury while Collins is absurd casting.
Hard to Get (Ray Enright, 1938) 5/10
Silly comedy has a spoilt heiress (Olivia de Havilland) plan revenge on an attendant (Dick Powell) at a gas station but instead falls in love with him. The hijinks involve a wonderful supporting cast - Charles Winninger as the girl's daffy rich dad, Melville Cooper as his butler and wrestling partner, Bonita Granville as the bratty sister, Isabel Jeans as the haughty mother and Penny Singleton as a talkative maid. Early de Havilland when she was still alternating between A and B pictures. Powell sings and clowns but then also gets an excrutiatingly cringy moment where he appears in black face and sings "Sonny Boy".
Wings of the Navy (Lloyd Bacon, 1939) 5/10
Competition on and off the playing field. Naval aviator (George Brent) faces envy and competition from his younger brother (John Payne) who leaves the submarine service to join the flying cadets like his much celebrated older brother. When he falls in love with his brother's girlfriend (Olivia de Havilland) matters take on a prickly stance when she reciprocates his feelings. Superb aerial sequences in this B-film.
Welcome Stranger (Elliott Nugent, 1947) 7/10
Barry Fitzgerald is a delightful curmudgeon as the small-town doctor who hires an unseen doctor as his replacement when he wishes to go on vacation. It's hate at first sight between the old man and the young doctor (Bing Crosby) who likes to croon songs at the drop of a hat. The Crosby-Fitzgerald chemistry remains intact - a holdover from their Oscar-winning days on "Going My Way". Pretty Joan Caulfield co-stars as a school teacher while doing double duty off-screen as Crosby's mistress. A huge hit at the boxoffice the film's cast also includes the great Elizabeth Patterson as the wise no-nonsense housekeeper, young Wanda Hendrix as the teenage daughter of the town drunk (Frank Faylen) and amusing Percy Kilbride as the town's lone dim-witted taxi driver. Crosby sings four songs and there is the obligatory Bob Hope put-down in the screenplay.
The Walls Came Tumbling Down (Lothar Mendes, 1946) 6/10
B-noir has a society columnist (Lee Bowman) turn detective when his close friend, a priest, is found dead by hanging. Was it suicide or murder? The plot involves a pair of rare Bibles, a shady crook (George Macready) and a femme fatale (Marguerite Chapman). Atmospheric film played around restaurants, bars, offices and hotel rooms. The two leads have snappy chemistry.
Westbound (Budd Boetticher, 1959) 6/10
One of many Westerns Boetticher made with star Randolph Scott which, short of disowning, the director acknowledged that it was one of the low points in his career. I don't know what he was talking about as it many not be great but its a perfectly respectable film. Union army officer (Randolph Scott) is tasked with running a stagecoach line carrying shipments of gold to support the Union war effort. Unfortunately a southern sympathiser and an old adversary (John Duggan), now married to his former sweetheart (Virgina Mayo), stands in his way. Scott is his usual stiff self and Mayo is wasted in a brief role but the film is livened by Michael Pate as a vicious killer out to steal the gold. Also adding sparks are Karen Steele and Michael Dante as a young frontier couple who get caught between the crossfire.
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The Glass Cell (1978) - 7.5/10 - A man is wrongfully convicted of fraud and spends five years in prison. When he is released, his family is almost like a stranger to him and he sees that his lawyer is unusually close with his wife and young son. The time in prison changed the man and he finds it difficult to deal with his roles having been usurped by another. It was a pretty good crime drama.
Sara Akash (1969) - 6/10 - Samar is coerced into marrying Prabha by his family. He wants to complete his studies before thinking of marriage, but gives in to the pressure. Neither one is ready for married life. Samar becomes bitter and Prabha fits in poorly with Samar's family, who often give her a hard time.
Le Samourai (1967) - 7.5/10 - A hitman gets pulled in for questioning after a job. He's established his alibi, but is still under suspicion. The police are after him, but so are the people who hired him. There's a lot of atmosphere here and the film is rather minimalist in a number of ways, especially dialogue. It's a good film, though I didn't like it as much as some reviews that I've seen.
Chungking Express (1994) - 7.5/10 - This movie has two stories about Hong Kong policeman whose girlfriends have left them. The first one has a guy calling her number repeatedly and hoping she'll come back. It really wasn't all that interesting. I liked the related story about the woman who has a drug deal go bad much more. The second story has a guy whose flight attendant girlfriend leaves. Another girl who works at the snack bar he frequents likes the man, though she has an interesting way of expressing it. She also likes really loud music. The second story was a lot more enjoyable than the first one.
Salaam Cinema (1995) - 6/10 - Mohsen Makhmalbaf is an Iranian director who put an ad in the paper for an open casting call for his next movie. So many people showed up that it was a dangerous mob scene outside the facility they were using for screen tests. He decided to make a movie about the casting process for these prospective actors. It had its interesting moments, but overall was just okay.
Paths of Glory (1957) - 8.5/10 - A general (George Macready) aiming for a promotion orders an undermanned troop to attack and take a heavily fortified German position during the first World War. Kirk Douglas plays the colonel in charge of these men and has to defend three men chosen as scapegoats against charges of cowardice after the attack fails. Adolphe Menjou also has a significant role as a smarmy general. Stanley Kubrick directed the film and I thought it was very good.
Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) - 8/10 - Buster Keaton is the son of a steamboat captain who hasn't seen him since he was a baby. When he arrives in town, he is a big disappointment to his father. While the second half of the film is definitely better than the first half, I did enjoy the film quite a bit overall. The storm sequence was excellent.
Sara Akash (1969) - 6/10 - Samar is coerced into marrying Prabha by his family. He wants to complete his studies before thinking of marriage, but gives in to the pressure. Neither one is ready for married life. Samar becomes bitter and Prabha fits in poorly with Samar's family, who often give her a hard time.
Le Samourai (1967) - 7.5/10 - A hitman gets pulled in for questioning after a job. He's established his alibi, but is still under suspicion. The police are after him, but so are the people who hired him. There's a lot of atmosphere here and the film is rather minimalist in a number of ways, especially dialogue. It's a good film, though I didn't like it as much as some reviews that I've seen.
Chungking Express (1994) - 7.5/10 - This movie has two stories about Hong Kong policeman whose girlfriends have left them. The first one has a guy calling her number repeatedly and hoping she'll come back. It really wasn't all that interesting. I liked the related story about the woman who has a drug deal go bad much more. The second story has a guy whose flight attendant girlfriend leaves. Another girl who works at the snack bar he frequents likes the man, though she has an interesting way of expressing it. She also likes really loud music. The second story was a lot more enjoyable than the first one.
Salaam Cinema (1995) - 6/10 - Mohsen Makhmalbaf is an Iranian director who put an ad in the paper for an open casting call for his next movie. So many people showed up that it was a dangerous mob scene outside the facility they were using for screen tests. He decided to make a movie about the casting process for these prospective actors. It had its interesting moments, but overall was just okay.
Paths of Glory (1957) - 8.5/10 - A general (George Macready) aiming for a promotion orders an undermanned troop to attack and take a heavily fortified German position during the first World War. Kirk Douglas plays the colonel in charge of these men and has to defend three men chosen as scapegoats against charges of cowardice after the attack fails. Adolphe Menjou also has a significant role as a smarmy general. Stanley Kubrick directed the film and I thought it was very good.
Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) - 8/10 - Buster Keaton is the son of a steamboat captain who hasn't seen him since he was a baby. When he arrives in town, he is a big disappointment to his father. While the second half of the film is definitely better than the first half, I did enjoy the film quite a bit overall. The storm sequence was excellent.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Detour (1945) - 7/10 - A piano player in New York decides to travel to California to join his girlfriend. Since he has almost no money, he hitches rides with mixed success. He gets lucky when he is picked up by a guy in Arizona who is going all the way to LA and then things take a turn. It was a decent noir film.
Bye Bye Morons (2020) - 7.5/10 - Suze is a hairdresser in her 40s who has just been informed that she is dying. She decides to try and find the baby she gave up for adoption when she was 15. She gets help from a bureaucrat undergoing a midlife crisis and a blind archivist. There is quite a bit of humor here and I thought it was a fun movie.
The Scoundrel (1935) - 6/10 - Noel Coward stars in this film about a publisher who seems to be rather callous and dismissive of most of the people in his life. It was a bit dull, but watchable.
The Match Factory Girl (1990) - 8/10 - Iris works in a match factory and leads a pretty sad and dull life. She lives with and helps support her parents who are strict and appear to be unloving. She doesn't have any luck romantically until one night when she meets a man in a bar, but it becomes apparent later that he thought she was a prostitute. When he scorns her, something inside snaps and Iris decides to get revenge. I thought this was a very good film. Iris is a woman of very few words, but she doesn't need many to convey her situation. She actually becomes livelier after she decides to get even.
Lone Wolf and Cub - Sword of Vengeance (1972) - 9/10
Lone Wolf and Cub - Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972) - 9/10
Lone Wolf and Cub - Baby Cart to Hades (1972) - 9/10 - I've loved the Lone Wolf and Cub manga series since the 1980s, but this is the first time I've watched the movies. I think that they are pretty faithful and very entertaining, though definitely bloody and violent (as are the comics). I enjoyed them quite a bit and will watch the other three movies in this series at a later date.
A Man Escaped (1956) - 8.5/10 - A French resistance prisoner is sent to prison and meticulously plans his escape with some help from his fellow prisoners. The movie was pretty much just the prisoner in his own cell or mingling briefly with the other prisoners while washing up or in the courtyard, but it was somewhat tense and was very well done. It is a very good movie.
Bye Bye Morons (2020) - 7.5/10 - Suze is a hairdresser in her 40s who has just been informed that she is dying. She decides to try and find the baby she gave up for adoption when she was 15. She gets help from a bureaucrat undergoing a midlife crisis and a blind archivist. There is quite a bit of humor here and I thought it was a fun movie.
The Scoundrel (1935) - 6/10 - Noel Coward stars in this film about a publisher who seems to be rather callous and dismissive of most of the people in his life. It was a bit dull, but watchable.
The Match Factory Girl (1990) - 8/10 - Iris works in a match factory and leads a pretty sad and dull life. She lives with and helps support her parents who are strict and appear to be unloving. She doesn't have any luck romantically until one night when she meets a man in a bar, but it becomes apparent later that he thought she was a prostitute. When he scorns her, something inside snaps and Iris decides to get revenge. I thought this was a very good film. Iris is a woman of very few words, but she doesn't need many to convey her situation. She actually becomes livelier after she decides to get even.
Lone Wolf and Cub - Sword of Vengeance (1972) - 9/10
Lone Wolf and Cub - Baby Cart at the River Styx (1972) - 9/10
Lone Wolf and Cub - Baby Cart to Hades (1972) - 9/10 - I've loved the Lone Wolf and Cub manga series since the 1980s, but this is the first time I've watched the movies. I think that they are pretty faithful and very entertaining, though definitely bloody and violent (as are the comics). I enjoyed them quite a bit and will watch the other three movies in this series at a later date.
A Man Escaped (1956) - 8.5/10 - A French resistance prisoner is sent to prison and meticulously plans his escape with some help from his fellow prisoners. The movie was pretty much just the prisoner in his own cell or mingling briefly with the other prisoners while washing up or in the courtyard, but it was somewhat tense and was very well done. It is a very good movie.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012) - 7/10 - I didn't have this one marked as watched, though I wasn't sure how I'd missed it. Sure enough, I could tell right away that I'd seen it, but decided to rewatch it anyway. There are definitely some good bits here - the Monte Carlo casino and choice at the beginning for example. The animals are trying to get back to New York City and join a circus as they try to stay away from the law (animal control). It's a fun movie.
Animal Crackers (1930) - 6/10 - There were some funny bits here and there, but there was also dead air sometimes after attempted jokes, especially earlier in the film. It was like they were waiting for a nonexistent audience reaction. Overall, I thought it was kind of dull and the mystery of the missing painting wasn't all that interesting. There was enough there to make it worth watching once, but it is not one of the better Marx brothers films.
Harakiri (1962) - 10/10 - A ronin shows up at the gate of the Iyi clan in 1630 requesting permission to use their forecourt to commit ritual suicide by harakiri. Times had been tough for masterless samurai since the peace of 1619. A retainer of the Iyi clan relates the story of a man who made the same request in the recent past in likely hope of being given some money, but forced to follow through. The ronin insists that he wants to continue and before the ceremony begins, he relates his story. Tatsuya Nakadi does an excellent job as the aging samurai who has had to scramble to make a living over the past 11 years. The set design and camerawork are also top notch. Highly recommended.
Bitter Rice (1949) - 8.5/10 - Francesca and Walter stole jewels and now Walter is being hunted by the police. He passed the jewels on to Francesca when the police cause them to miss their train. Francesca mixes in with workers taking a different train to work in rice fields as seasonal workers. Another rice worker, Silvana, figures out why Francesca is there and tells her boyfriend Marco, a soldier. Walter eventually shows up and tempers flare and plans are made by Walter to make money there. The film is well acted and is pretty entertaining throughout.
Aniki-Bóbó (1942) - 8.5/10 - Carlitos is a young boy with a crush on Terezinha, a girl who hangs out with the the same group of boys that Carlitos does. However, she seems to like another boy, Eduardo, who is a bit bigger and stronger and is a leader in the group. The two boys fight a couple of times as Carlitos tries to win her affection. It's a very nice film with only a few adult characters of any note - the shopkeeper and the schoolteacher.
Go West (1925) - 7/10 - Buster Keaton is down on his luck and can't get a job in New York City so he decides to head west, hopping on a train car since he has no money. He arrives at a ranch and is hired as a cowboy, though he has no skills in that regard. I thought the first part of the film was a bit slow and not really all that funny. However, it got a lot better in the second half and the finale in the city was really good.
Big Trouble in Little China (1986) - 7/10 - I hadn't seen this since the 80s and didn't remember anything about it so I decided to watch it again. Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) is a truck drive who takes his friend Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) to the airport to meet his fiance. The fiance gets kidnapped and they follow the trail to Chinatown which leads to all sorts of problems. The result is a goofy supernatural martial arts action comedy that doesn't really make a lot of sense if you think about it, but is entertaining enough for the spectacle of it.
Animal Crackers (1930) - 6/10 - There were some funny bits here and there, but there was also dead air sometimes after attempted jokes, especially earlier in the film. It was like they were waiting for a nonexistent audience reaction. Overall, I thought it was kind of dull and the mystery of the missing painting wasn't all that interesting. There was enough there to make it worth watching once, but it is not one of the better Marx brothers films.
Harakiri (1962) - 10/10 - A ronin shows up at the gate of the Iyi clan in 1630 requesting permission to use their forecourt to commit ritual suicide by harakiri. Times had been tough for masterless samurai since the peace of 1619. A retainer of the Iyi clan relates the story of a man who made the same request in the recent past in likely hope of being given some money, but forced to follow through. The ronin insists that he wants to continue and before the ceremony begins, he relates his story. Tatsuya Nakadi does an excellent job as the aging samurai who has had to scramble to make a living over the past 11 years. The set design and camerawork are also top notch. Highly recommended.
Bitter Rice (1949) - 8.5/10 - Francesca and Walter stole jewels and now Walter is being hunted by the police. He passed the jewels on to Francesca when the police cause them to miss their train. Francesca mixes in with workers taking a different train to work in rice fields as seasonal workers. Another rice worker, Silvana, figures out why Francesca is there and tells her boyfriend Marco, a soldier. Walter eventually shows up and tempers flare and plans are made by Walter to make money there. The film is well acted and is pretty entertaining throughout.
Aniki-Bóbó (1942) - 8.5/10 - Carlitos is a young boy with a crush on Terezinha, a girl who hangs out with the the same group of boys that Carlitos does. However, she seems to like another boy, Eduardo, who is a bit bigger and stronger and is a leader in the group. The two boys fight a couple of times as Carlitos tries to win her affection. It's a very nice film with only a few adult characters of any note - the shopkeeper and the schoolteacher.
Go West (1925) - 7/10 - Buster Keaton is down on his luck and can't get a job in New York City so he decides to head west, hopping on a train car since he has no money. He arrives at a ranch and is hired as a cowboy, though he has no skills in that regard. I thought the first part of the film was a bit slow and not really all that funny. However, it got a lot better in the second half and the finale in the city was really good.
Big Trouble in Little China (1986) - 7/10 - I hadn't seen this since the 80s and didn't remember anything about it so I decided to watch it again. Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) is a truck drive who takes his friend Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) to the airport to meet his fiance. The fiance gets kidnapped and they follow the trail to Chinatown which leads to all sorts of problems. The result is a goofy supernatural martial arts action comedy that doesn't really make a lot of sense if you think about it, but is entertaining enough for the spectacle of it.
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No Time to Die (2021) - 8/10 - The Daniel Craig Bond era goes out with a bang. Bond is retired and just as he is on the verge of being happy, trouble finds him and messes it all up. New foes and old show up here and there is certainly plenty of action. Lashana Lynch was good as the new 007, though I thought she would play a slightly larger role. Léa Seydoux returns and does a good job. There were quite a few nice sequences during the film. It was definitely better than Spectre.
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Volcano: An Inquiry into the Life and Death of Malcolm Lowry (1976) - 5/10 - A documentary about the author of Under the Volcano. It was comprehensive, but fairly dull.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) - 7.5/10 - A crooked card game leads to a £500,000 debt. This leads to a plan to rob a small neighboring gang, but there are rival factions, mishaps, and plenty of violence. It was a pretty good film.
Pather Panchali (1955) - 7.5/10 - A poor man in a Bengal village aspires to be a writer, but has debts so he leaves home to try and find work to pay off the debts and support his family. Much of the film deals with the everyday life of his wife, daughter Durga who is a bit of a handful, and son Apu who is fairly young. It is a pretty good film and was filmed with very little money and amateur actors. It is also the start of the Apu trilogy of films which are highly regarded in India and elsewhere.
Nights of Cabiria (1957) - 8/10 - A prostitute survives nearly drowning in a river and starts yearning for happiness and a better future, only to find disappointment and heartbreak. Giulietta Masina was very good in this film directed by Federico Fellini.
A Well Spent Life (1971) - 7/10 - Mance Lipscomb was a tenant farmer in Texas for much of his life. He was also an excellent blues and folk guitarist who only played locally until being discovered in 1960. After that, he recorded a number of records and toured the U.S. quite a bit. This film looks at his life and family, including his wife of over 55 years. He tells stories, plays songs, and is interviewed. It's an interesting documentary.
Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (1963) - 8/10 - We get a behind the scenes look at the effort it took to get Vivian Malone and James Hood registered for classes at the University of Alabama, thus breaking the color barrier. The access that Robert Drew and his ABC News crew had is kind of amazing. Much of the film centers on Robert Kennedy and his deputy, Nicholas Katzenbach, but we also get JFK in a meeting, and plenty of George Wallace plus the two students involved. There is a lot of political maneuvering to make sure the students are safe and that the court order is enforced without making Wallace a martyr to the cause. It's a nice documentary about a pivotal moment in U.S. history.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) - 8.5/10 - Jimmy Stewart stars as Senator Ransom Stoddard who returns to the town of Shinbone for the first time in many years. The newspaper editor wants to know why he is there so he relates the story of how he came to Shinbone when the state was still a territory. Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) was an outlaw who was used to getting his way, except when Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) confronted him. Vera Miles also co-stars as Hallie, Doniphon's girlfriend. This is another entertaining western from director John Ford (there were so many of them) and it ranks near the top for me. It is nice seeing Stewart and Wayne together in a film and they each do a nice job in their respective roles.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) - 7.5/10 - A crooked card game leads to a £500,000 debt. This leads to a plan to rob a small neighboring gang, but there are rival factions, mishaps, and plenty of violence. It was a pretty good film.
Pather Panchali (1955) - 7.5/10 - A poor man in a Bengal village aspires to be a writer, but has debts so he leaves home to try and find work to pay off the debts and support his family. Much of the film deals with the everyday life of his wife, daughter Durga who is a bit of a handful, and son Apu who is fairly young. It is a pretty good film and was filmed with very little money and amateur actors. It is also the start of the Apu trilogy of films which are highly regarded in India and elsewhere.
Nights of Cabiria (1957) - 8/10 - A prostitute survives nearly drowning in a river and starts yearning for happiness and a better future, only to find disappointment and heartbreak. Giulietta Masina was very good in this film directed by Federico Fellini.
A Well Spent Life (1971) - 7/10 - Mance Lipscomb was a tenant farmer in Texas for much of his life. He was also an excellent blues and folk guitarist who only played locally until being discovered in 1960. After that, he recorded a number of records and toured the U.S. quite a bit. This film looks at his life and family, including his wife of over 55 years. He tells stories, plays songs, and is interviewed. It's an interesting documentary.
Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (1963) - 8/10 - We get a behind the scenes look at the effort it took to get Vivian Malone and James Hood registered for classes at the University of Alabama, thus breaking the color barrier. The access that Robert Drew and his ABC News crew had is kind of amazing. Much of the film centers on Robert Kennedy and his deputy, Nicholas Katzenbach, but we also get JFK in a meeting, and plenty of George Wallace plus the two students involved. There is a lot of political maneuvering to make sure the students are safe and that the court order is enforced without making Wallace a martyr to the cause. It's a nice documentary about a pivotal moment in U.S. history.
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) - 8.5/10 - Jimmy Stewart stars as Senator Ransom Stoddard who returns to the town of Shinbone for the first time in many years. The newspaper editor wants to know why he is there so he relates the story of how he came to Shinbone when the state was still a territory. Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin) was an outlaw who was used to getting his way, except when Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) confronted him. Vera Miles also co-stars as Hallie, Doniphon's girlfriend. This is another entertaining western from director John Ford (there were so many of them) and it ranks near the top for me. It is nice seeing Stewart and Wayne together in a film and they each do a nice job in their respective roles.
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Peeping Tom (1960) - 7/10 - A photographer works at a film studio during the day, takes suggestive photos of women for a newsagent, and secretly works on his 'documentary' on fear. He's a serial killer who likes to film women as he kills them and get their reactions. He also becomes friends with the young woman whose family rents the downstairs set of rooms. It was a decent film and more of a psychological drama than horror.
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) - 9/10 - John Ford directed this excellent western about a Cavalry Captain nearing retirement who takes out a patrol shortly after Custer and his men were killed at Little Big Horn. He is also escorting the wife and niece of the commander to take them to safety. The film is beautifully shot and John Wayne does a great job as Captain Nathan Brittles. There is a fair amount of humor in the film in addition to the drama and the supporting cast is also very good.
All About My Mother (1999) - 8.5/10 - Pedro Almodóvar wrote and directed this film about a single mother who sees her son die on his 18th birthday. She decides to return from Madrid to Barcelona for the first time since leaving during her pregnancy in order to tell the father about the son's existence and death. I thought it was a pretty moving story and Cecilia Roth was very good in the lead role as Manuela.
Nobody (2021) - 7.5/10 - Hutch is happily married with two kids, but reverts back to his old classified self after a home invasion. This leads to big trouble with a group of Russian criminals. This was a fun wish fulfillment film with plenty of action.
L'enfant (2005) - 8/10 - Bruno and Sonia are a young couple who survive and welfare and the money that Bruno brings in with petty thefts. Sonia has a baby and is happy, but Bruno keeps thinking of ways to make money. It's a realistic and well acted film.
Tokyo Story (1953) - 10/10 - Shukichi and Tomi Hirayama (Chishū Ryū and Chieko Higashiyama) are an older couple who live in Onomichi with their youngest daughter, Kyoko, who is a teacher. They travel to Tokyo to visit two of their grown children, grandchildren, and daughter-in-law with a stop in Osaka on the way home to visit another son. They feel like a burden on their children who don't take time from their busy lives to spend with their parents and see the visit as a bit of a nuisance. The only one who shows them kindness and takes the time is Noriko (Setsuko Hara), the widow of their son who died eight years earlier in WWII. The movie is definitely a masterpiece and the acting is superb, especially from Setsuko Hara and the actors who played the parents. The cinematography, music, and story are also excellent. You can see that it was inspired by Make Way for Tomorrow, but I think that this is a better film. The movie (and others directed by Yasujirō Ozu) has been on my list to watch for a while.
The White Bus (1967) - 6/10 - A young woman leaves London by train for a trip to another city. She is accompanied by a group of football fans. When she arrives, she boards a white tour bus and joins a group of visitors from other parts of the world who are being led on a tour by the mayor. The film switches to color for short sequences, seemingly at random. There are also the occasional bit of fantasy from the protagonist. It's an interesting film at times, but not a great one.
The Call of Cthulhu (2005) - 5/10 - This film adapts the Lovecraft short story as a silent film with intertitles. It didn't really feel like an older film, though. I didn't really enjoy it that much, not being a Lovecraft fan, but it seems to be fairly faithful to the source material.
She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) - 9/10 - John Ford directed this excellent western about a Cavalry Captain nearing retirement who takes out a patrol shortly after Custer and his men were killed at Little Big Horn. He is also escorting the wife and niece of the commander to take them to safety. The film is beautifully shot and John Wayne does a great job as Captain Nathan Brittles. There is a fair amount of humor in the film in addition to the drama and the supporting cast is also very good.
All About My Mother (1999) - 8.5/10 - Pedro Almodóvar wrote and directed this film about a single mother who sees her son die on his 18th birthday. She decides to return from Madrid to Barcelona for the first time since leaving during her pregnancy in order to tell the father about the son's existence and death. I thought it was a pretty moving story and Cecilia Roth was very good in the lead role as Manuela.
Nobody (2021) - 7.5/10 - Hutch is happily married with two kids, but reverts back to his old classified self after a home invasion. This leads to big trouble with a group of Russian criminals. This was a fun wish fulfillment film with plenty of action.
L'enfant (2005) - 8/10 - Bruno and Sonia are a young couple who survive and welfare and the money that Bruno brings in with petty thefts. Sonia has a baby and is happy, but Bruno keeps thinking of ways to make money. It's a realistic and well acted film.
Tokyo Story (1953) - 10/10 - Shukichi and Tomi Hirayama (Chishū Ryū and Chieko Higashiyama) are an older couple who live in Onomichi with their youngest daughter, Kyoko, who is a teacher. They travel to Tokyo to visit two of their grown children, grandchildren, and daughter-in-law with a stop in Osaka on the way home to visit another son. They feel like a burden on their children who don't take time from their busy lives to spend with their parents and see the visit as a bit of a nuisance. The only one who shows them kindness and takes the time is Noriko (Setsuko Hara), the widow of their son who died eight years earlier in WWII. The movie is definitely a masterpiece and the acting is superb, especially from Setsuko Hara and the actors who played the parents. The cinematography, music, and story are also excellent. You can see that it was inspired by Make Way for Tomorrow, but I think that this is a better film. The movie (and others directed by Yasujirō Ozu) has been on my list to watch for a while.
The White Bus (1967) - 6/10 - A young woman leaves London by train for a trip to another city. She is accompanied by a group of football fans. When she arrives, she boards a white tour bus and joins a group of visitors from other parts of the world who are being led on a tour by the mayor. The film switches to color for short sequences, seemingly at random. There are also the occasional bit of fantasy from the protagonist. It's an interesting film at times, but not a great one.
The Call of Cthulhu (2005) - 5/10 - This film adapts the Lovecraft short story as a silent film with intertitles. It didn't really feel like an older film, though. I didn't really enjoy it that much, not being a Lovecraft fan, but it seems to be fairly faithful to the source material.