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Hey_Sweden
Birthdate: September 25
I bid you...velcome.
I'm a shameless movie fanatic who especially favours the following genres:
Exploitation
Horror
Action
Comedy
Favourite directors include:
John Carpenter
Larry Cohen
George A. Romero
David Cronenberg
Ratings
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An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
Kulay dugo ang gabi (1964)
Solid entertainment for vampire aficionados.
Ronald Remy plays Dr. Marco, a vampire terrorizing a Filipino community while desperately trying to restore health to his wife Katrina. He sets his sights on Katrinas' sister Charito (the lovely Amalia Fuentes plays both roles), intending to take Charitos' heart and transplant it into his beloved. The initially terrified locals begin to actively oppose Marco, led by the determined Victor (Eddie Fernandez) and a wise old priest / vampire expert (Andres Benitez).
Remy, with his bald head, is a striking antagonist, albeit a multi-dimensional one. Much of what he does is motivated by his love for his wife. The cast is variable, but Benitez has a great face, and Mary Walter does well as the conflicted Marissa, the mother of Charito who pals around with Marco but would rather he use ANYBODY other than her daughter for his purposes. (Filipino icon Vic Diaz supplies the dubbed-in voice for Benitez & the narration.)
Overall, this is a good attempt by Filipino filmmakers to put their own stamp on vampire legends, although admittedly it does fall back upon that trope of having the expert explain what a vampire is, and how to destroy them. It alternates between full color and color-tinted sequences; this was not a stylistic choice, but rather a budgetary consideration, but it does lend a unique touch to the material. Director Gerardo de Leon gives the film excellent atmosphere, complete with an eerie score by Tito Arevalo, and it delivers some decent chills, although some viewers may feel dissatisfied with the ending.
Scripted by Cesar Amigo, based on a serialized comic book story.
Seven out of 10.
Petey Wheatstraw (1977)
You can't trust the Devil! Any fool knows that!
"Petey Wheatstraw" is a lively, very funny vehicle for 70s icon Rudy Ray Moore, in which the comedian plays the title character, a smooth entertainer who is gunned down thanks to his professional rivals, the incredibly weaselly Leroy & Skillet. But Lucifer himself (G. Tito Shaw) appears to offer Petey a deal: Lucifer will restore Petey and his associates to life, and let him get revenge on his enemies, and in exchange Petey will have to marry Lucifers' daughter (Ebony Wright), the ugliest girl in the underworld. Naturally, Petey tries to figure out how to weasel out of the deal.
Written by director Cliff Roquemore, based on Moores' own character creation, "Petey Wheatstraw" is undeniably a crude blaxploitation / comedy / action / horror feature, with some absolutely priceless action, and doesn't always have great momentum. (There IS some padding on this thing.). But it comes up with truly gut-busting moments often enough - both intentionally and unintentionally - to make it a good time for RRM fans. It may be cheesy as Hell (pardon the expression), but it's hard to resist overall.
As usual, it's fun to watch RRM do his thing, and he receives able support from Jimmy Lynch (playing a friend of Petey's named Jimmy), Shaw, who is amusing as Old Scratch, Wright (who does double duty, also playing Petey's pretty companion Nell), comic team Leroy Daniels & Ernest Mayhand as Leroy & Skillet, and Marvin Jones as Scarface Willie. Director Roquemores' son Bryan plays Larry; future top character actor Sy Richardson ("Repo Man", "Straight to Hell") appears briefly as Petey's old man in the flashback sequence.
Punctuated by some kick-ass funk music, "Petey Wheatstraw" is certifiably wacky entertainment.
Seven out of 10.
The Twilight Zone: Elegy (1960)
A place where your dreams come true, even after you stop dreaming.
Three astronauts in the 22nd century - Kurt Meyers (Jeff Morrow, "This Island Earth"), Peter Kirby (Don Dubbins, "The D. I."), and James Webber (Kevin Hagen, 'Yancy Derringer') - end up hopelessly lost in the void of space. Just about out of fuel, they touch down on an asteroid that looks much like Earth when they land. The main problem is, all the people & animals they see seem to be absolutely frozen in place. They're confused & distressed, until finally one of the people comes to life: the jovial Jeremy Wickwire (Cecil Kellaway, "The Postman Always Rings Twice"), and he ultimately lays out for them just what the situation is.
Although much of the situation IS conveyed through the dialogue (by Charles Beaumont), there is a certain, appealing "What the Hell is going on?" quality to rival that of the pilot episode, 'Where Is Everybody?'. It's easy to sympathize with these astronauts, especially when we realize just how screwed they are. The concept of the asteroid, as explained by Wickwire, is quite interesting. Adding to the unreality of the plot is the way that the settings look so normal and Norman Rockwell-esque, and yet everybody knows full well that this AIN'T Earth. (For one thing, there are two suns in the sky.). The acting is excellent from the four credited principals (Kellaway is a delight), and the score by Van Cleave adds to the atmosphere.
Another solid episode in this series' landmark first season.
Seven out of 10.
Barney Miller: Graft (1975)
I musta been a breach baby. My feet are older than I am.
One of a scant few episodes to show a scene outside the squad room, 'Graft' deals with an Internal Affairs detective (guest star Dick O'Neill, "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three") who intends to dig up whatever dirt he can on the boys in the 12th precinct.
Barney is indignant, since he knows he's quite clean and is confident that his men are clean. Even in a scene where the detectives admit to some of their transgressions, they're really minor in the great scheme of things. Still, Barney can't help but feel a little paranoid, as he vents to his wife when he notices that they're eating quite well and have scored some free tickets to Bermuda.
As this main plot develops, Wojo is busy studying for a sergeants' exam, and a weary Chano resigns himself to trying to track down an obscene phone caller.
There are some pretty funny lines here, if no truly uproarious moments. One thing worth noting is how Inspector Kelly is one of those "equal opportunity offender" type of guys, and thus ALL of the men in the 12th precinct have no time for him!
The two payoffs at the end definitely make it all worth it, both in regards to Inspector Kelly, and to Fishs' new shoes which now force him to walk funny.
Seven out of 10.
Unhinged (1982)
Ah, the parental influence.
Don Gronquist co-wrote, produced, and directed this Portland-based indie slasher, which earned some infamy after becoming part of the Video Nasties list. I wouldn't call it a classic, but it has some things going for it while also having a lot WRONG with it.
Three intelligence-impaired young women take a car trip to a music festival, only to get into an accident on a stormy night in the back of the beyond. They are rescued and tended to by a man-hating matriarch (Virginia Settle) and her spinster daughter Marion (Janet Penner), target of much verbal abuse from the old lady. They live in a predictably creepy mansion where deep, raspy breathing can be heard at night.
Gronquist understands the needs of the genre, and delivers some nudity, but parcels the gore out carefully, not really pulling out all the stops until the big finale, which is not bad. But getting there is rough: the acting is mostly extremely amateurish (especially from Settle, and from Laurel Munson, who plays Terry), the script inane, and the pacing as slow as molasses in January. (This might have worked better as a short.) Still...the badness on display here IS good for some very hearty laughs.
At the least, the movie does have some good atmosphere, the cheesy electronic music score is occasionally effective, and Penner does her best with the material on hand. Ultimately, the story does get pretty twisted, which helps some.
Slasher enthusiasts should find this enjoyable to one degree or another; no-one else need apply.
Five out of 10.
Girl on a Chain Gang (1966)
Compelling, even with its obvious drawbacks.
Three young folks - one white man, one black man, and one white woman - drive to the small Southern town of Carsons' Landing to assist in voter registration. However, they are soon victimized - over and over and over again - by the crooked locals, with the sheriff (character actor William Watson, in his film debut) proving to be the absolute worst, a repugnant, racist, brutal piece of work.
Grindhouse cinema legend Jerry Gross made his own directing debut with this "Southern-fried" (although actually filmed in Long Island!) exploitation-drama. It IS pretty heavy-handed, with most of the antagonists coming off as thoroughly evil stereotypes. The others are otherwise morally compromised in some way and thus easy for the sheriff to manipulate into doing his bidding. These cretins put our victims through so much Hell that it would be hard not to feel *something*, for sure. From start to finish, the white woman (the attractive Julie Ange, whose only other film credit was "Teenage Mother") is treated to what her captors have the gall to consider "justice", complete with a total joke of a "trial".
The ending is indeed a little too "neat" and sudden, but I admit that I kept watching this bit of indie trash just to see what other degrading things Gross could come up with. The acting is adequate through and through, although it's worth nothing that Watson had a solid career after this, also appearing in things like "In the Heat of the Night", "Lawman", and "The Mack". Arlene Farber, who plays the sheriffs' trampy gal pal, was also in "Teenage Mother" and went on to appear in the trash classic "I Drink Your Blood" and the mainstream hit "The French Connection".
As has been said, Gross was likely inspired by the real-life murders of three civil rights workers in Mississippi the previous year, the same incident that was recounted in "Mississippi Burning" over 20 years later. He saw the potential in the incident for a potent drive-in movie story, and delivers a fair amount of sordid, depressing atmosphere with this little item.
Six out of 10.
Vampires (1998)
Forget whatever you've seen in the movies...
Scripted by Don Jakoby from a novel by John Steakley, this latter-day John Carpenter film does put a fairly interesting twist on the whole idea of hunting vampires. Jack Crow (James Woods) is a crude but badass modern day Van Helsing who leads an elite team of high-tech slayers. However, the team is betrayed, and Crow and his sidekick Montoya (Daniel Baldwin) must run for their lives, while preparing for the ultimate battle with master vampire Jan Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith), who's been around for six centuries.
Upon revisiting this film (it's been a long time since my last viewing), I found it to be pretty agreeable entertainment, full of action & violence and Carpenters' sense of style. It's fundamentally a good, entertaining story, although it's true that the balance of the film never does measure up to its VERY strong opening. It becomes awfully conventional, especially when Montoya gets bit and is able to keep this a secret for two days.
During the opening 20 minutes or so, we see Crow and his team (also including Mark Boone Junior, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Gregory Sierra, Thomas Rosales Jr., and Henry Kingi) in action, cleaning out a "nest", and another major set piece to follow when the team is busy celebrating and gets caught off guard by the arrival of Valek. Adding a wrinkle into the plot is when a prostitute named Katrina (Sheryl Lee) is bitten, and Crow figures to exploit her situation since now she will have a psychic link with Valek.
A typically excellent soundtrack from Carpenter (with Steve Cropper and Donald "Duck" Dunn from the Blues Brothers Band also among the musicians) and some juicy gore from the KNB guys makes this a generally good time. It's not among Carpenters' *best* efforts, in my humble opinion, but it's certainly not bad either.
Seven out of 10.
Star Trek: Is There in Truth No Beauty? (1968)
"You live out your lives in this...shell of flesh."
The current mission of the Enterprise is to transport an alien ambassador named Kollos, and his beautiful assistant, Miranda Jones (Diana Muldaur, returning to the series after 'Return to Tomorrow'). Miranda has incredible telepathic abilities to rival that of Spock and his ability to "mind-meld". And Kollos, in his natural form, is supposed to be so hideous in appearance that to look upon him drives most species insane.
This excellent, intelligent episode does drive home some universal truths, as the viewer thinks about that human tendency to equate goodness with beauty. "One of our last prejudices", quips Kirk. We also see what happens as two of the key characters here develop deep-seated resentment that influences the way they behave.
A compelling situation arises in that starship visitor Larry Marvick (David Frankham, "Master of the World"), who is actually one of the people who designed her, ends up steering the Enterprise to an indeterminable void far outside its known galaxy. Thus, the navigational skills of Kollos are put to use as Spock & him "become as one". This allows Nimoy to play a scene with more geniality and expressiveness than usual, and utter some heartfelt dialogue.
Guest star Muldaur is wonderful as this intriguing character who is ultimately worthy of some respect. Granted, the "big twist" here may well have some people thinking "I should have seen that coming", but the moment of revelation is still handled well.
All in all, an appealing episode with some food for thought, as well as some typically amusing fight scenes and solid acting all around.
Eight out of 10.
Spider-Man: King Pinned (1968)
Gas is needed for bugs.
Knowing that he is the "man of the house" now, Peter aims to help out his Aunt May by taking a job at the newspaper The Daily Bugle. His first day is certainly eventful, as he learns of a fake drug racket going on that is being overseen by corpulent, larger-than-life mobster The Kingpin. The Kingpin & his goons kidnap Jameson to get him to kill the story, while also speaking vaguely of a mysterious "black box".
This is a solidly entertaining outing for Peter / Spidey, although it's clear, as it would be for some subsequent episodes, that there wasn't quite *enough* story. The result is a couple minutes worth of Spidey just swinging around NYC, as he pursues the Kingpin to his lair. (This does lead to a great one-liner from Spidey, as he quips, "I'd better watch it or I'll end up in Hoboken.") The Kingpin himself is a great character, although the episode hints that we might see more of him since he's not apprehended here. Rather, Spidey comes to a realization and has to race back to the Bugle QUICKLY.
One thing I love about the series that starts here is the use of the KPM library for the score. There are some VERY cool tunes to accompany Spidey's endless scenes of swinging around, and the classic "The Hell Raisers" plays as Spidey ensnares some of the goons in webbing and goes to confront the Kingpin.
One final thing worth mentioning is how personal this mission is to Peter / Spidey: poor Aunt May has been taking some of this overpriced fake medicine, which has only been making her sicker.
Seven out of 10.
Jason X (2001)
Guys, it's okay! He just wanted his machete back!
The "Friday the 13th" series completely jumps the shark here with this utterly ridiculous entry that actually takes Jason Voorhees (Kane Hodder) into outer space! After being cryogenically frozen for over four centuries, Jasons' body is brought on board a spaceship full of assorted handy victims.
Among the scant few characters who *aren't* incredibly dumb: Lexa Doig as Rowan, a researcher who knows just how dangerous Jason is, Lisa Ryder as a sexy and butt-kicking android named Kay-Em, and Peter Mensah as a tough soldier named Brodski.
"Jason X" was excoriated by critics (big surprise there), and failed to make ANY impact at the box office. It rubbed a lot of longtime series fans the wrong way with its blatant emphasis on humor. But I actually think it's quite amusing, if undeniably absurd in the extreme. I like that writer Todd Farmer and late director James Isaac sort of embraced the cheesiness of their movie and never took it that seriously. Some of the kills are good, especially the "frozen face smash" (even some haters of the movie enjoyed *that* moment), and there's one priceless scene near the end where the last characters standing stall for time by distracting Jason with a "virtual reality" representation of Crystal Lake.
Hodder, in his final outing as Jason, is in fine form, and 'Andromeda' co-stars Doig & Ryder are good (Here, of course, their roles are reversed: on the show, Doig was the android and Ryder a human). Particularly amusing is seeing filmmaker David Cronenberg turn up in a cameo at the outset.
At least Jason racks up his highest kill count in the entire series, even outdoing "A New Beginning" in terms of numbers.
Basically, "Jason X" is stupid beyond belief and fully aware of it. It's a fun time for *this* longtime series fan.
Seven out of 10.
Les week-ends maléfiques du Comte Zaroff (1976)
...I was lost in my thoughts.
Writer-director-star Michel Lemoine plays Boris Zaroff, descendant of a Russian nobleman, who is himself a count / businessman. Often incapable of discerning fantasy from reality, Boris has visions of violence occurring on his vast estate. He also has visions of his deceased wife Anne (Joelle Coeur).
Lemoines' 1976 effort, which was banned in France for several years, is an odd duck of a Euro-cult movie: as it straddles the line between art & exploitation, it moves from being erotic (and succeeds pretty well in this regard) to being surreal to attempts to be poignant. Although uneven, it tends to get better as it goes along, with some very sexy women, fairly regular nudity, and a memorable sequence in the torture chamber occupying the basement of Zaroffs' castle. This sequence *does* have a good payoff.
It gets off to an equally memorable start with Zaroff seeming to pursue a naked woman while on horseback; he is also accompanied by a Great Dane during the hunt. This seems to suggest that Lemoine might be going the route of paying more homage to "The Most Dangerous Game", but that is *not* the case. This is something else.
Although it wasn't that successful from my perspective, it's just strange enough and interesting enough that aficionados of Euro-trash may get a kick out of it. At the least, it's nice to see prolific, Swiss-born Howard Vernon, a familiar face from many other European horror & exploitation films.
Six out of 10.
The Hoax (2006)
A compelling tale of a huge literary con job.
Richard Gere is aces as Clifford Irving, a seriously struggling author who finally hits upon what he thinks is a can't-miss idea: selling to a major publishing house, and the world at large, that reclusive, eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes has selected Irving to write his "as told to" autobiography. The balance of the story has this shameless - yet pathetic - scoundrel working like mad to keep the con going, dragging his accomplice Dick Suskind (Alfred Molina) and even his wife Edith (Marcia Gay Harden) along, and digging a bigger and bigger hole for himself.
This is the kind of tale that might be hard to believe if it weren't true, but it's utterly riveting. Part of the crux of the story is how much Irving invests himself in his b.s., even trying to "become" Hughes, and getting totally wrapped up in a fantasy life. I was involved every step of the way, just waiting for that inevitable moment when the sleazeballs' whole world would come crashing down.
The cast is excellent and features a rich variety of familiar faces - Julie Delpy plays actress Nina Van Pallandt, who was Irvings' mistress - and it's definitely Molina, as the conscience-stricken co-conspirator, and Harden (her dodgy accent aside) that stand out. Director Lasse Hallstrom guides all of it with a sure hand, mining the premise for some very amusing humor and some undeniable tension. I like the way Hallstrom decides to shoot the fantasy sequences of Irving & Suskind supposedly meeting with Hughes in black & white.
Text before the end credits reveals the fates of a few of the key players; apparently, as of the release of this film, the shameless Irving was STILL trying to pitch his idea to the world.
Seven out of 10.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Triggers in Leash (1955)
Good, if unmemorable, entertainment.
Ellen Corby ('The Waltons') plays Maggie, who runs a little out-of-the-way eatery. One rainy day, two locals come in, determined to have it out with each other - fatally, if need be. They are Del (Gene Barry, "The War of the Worlds") and Red (Darren McGavin, 'Kolchak: The Night Stalker'), who still have a beef over a poker game from the night before.
The two men refuse to budge, even though we can see how nervous they are. Maggie does everything possible to dissuade them. This includes telling them that whoever draws first will basically be a murderer, and will hang if he does succeed at killing the other. They finally agree to both draw at the moment the cuckoo clock announces noontime.
The resolution is definitely amusing, although it may strike some viewers as disappointing when the possibility of Divine Intervention is disputed. (And yet, it does show how crafty Maggie is.) Still, this episode is generally good fun, with entertaining performances by the star trio (McGavins' dodgy accent aside) and a sufficient amount of tension generated by director Don Medford ("The Hunting Party", "The Organization"). In addition to a very minimal cast, the action is confined to one single cramped set, so the episode also has a claustrophobic feel.
Worth a viewing if not as good as the previous episodes.
Seven out of 10.
Cave In! (1983)
Pretty good of its type.
Another late-in-the-game made-for-TV disaster movie from ever-reliable Irwin Allen, 'Cave In!' tells a decent if unspectacular story, largely constrained by the nature of network TV. Written by Norman Katkov, it shows us what happens when people touring the popular Five Mile Caverns are trapped in there when the caves (weakened by recent excess amounts of rain) start collapsing. Added into the mix: a criminal on the run (played by James Olson, cast against type but doing a solid job), who somehow ends up in there with the others and who is intent on acquiring a hostage.
Directed by Georg Fenady, a longtime TV veteran whose credits include 33 episodes of 'Emergency!' and 29 episodes of 'Quincy M. E.', this goes through its paces reasonably efficiently. It features two major set pieces: the characters having to cross a geothermal pit on slippery rocks, and having to also traverse a chasm on a rickety bridge. It's not surprising that the plotting & dialogue can get cheesy at times, with *numerous* silly flashbacks to the characters' previous lives. But the cast does an admirable job of treating their material with gravitas. Dennis Cole ('The Felony Squad') is the beefcake hero, Leslie Nielsen a detective who's lost his partner and been suspended, Susan Sullivan ('Dharma & Greg') the luminous leading lady, Julie Sommars ('Matlock') is Nielsens' supportive wife, Lonny Chapman ("The Birds") plays Coles' colleague, special guest star Ray Milland (in fine cranky form) a pompous professor, and Sheila Larken ('The X Files') is his overworked and under-appreciated daughter.
Although you never truly believe the actors are inside actual caves, the sets are still pretty fun, and the music by Richard LaSalle is very good. This story *does* play it awfully safe, however, in terms of the body count, which is next to nothing.
Although more for diehard lovers of disaster movies than truly discerning viewers, 'Cave In!' does show the former group a good time.
Although filmed in 1979, it didn't air until 1983.
Seven out of 10.
Lethal Weapon 2 (1989)
It hits the spot for any action fan.
Odd-couple detectives Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) are back in this incredibly lively sequel that has them facing off against a supremely arrogant South African crime kingpin (Joss Ackland) hiding behind diplomatic immunity, and his assortment of goons. Introduced into the mix is Leo Getz (Joe Pesci, in what was, at the time, a comeback role of sorts), a money launderer due to testify against the very creeps that are already in the heroes' sights.
Directed with his typical style by the late Richard Donner, this is a prime example of how to do an action movie right, with plenty of thrills, plenty of laughs, and - most importantly - plenty of heart, as we once again revel in that natural chemistry between Gibson & Glover. They also work well with Pesci, who does an excellent job of being VERY annoying and yet very endearing at the same time. Many other familiar faces turn up, too, in this story (scripted by Jeffrey Boam, from a story by series creator Shane Black & Warren Murphy) with a link to the original in terms of plot development. It also gives Riggs a romantic interest in the form of Rika Van Den Haas (the very pretty Patsy Kensit). Another important thing: the script makes the bad guys SO loathsome - and yet so unprepared for Riggs' recklessness & determination - that the audience eagerly anticipates their demises.
The score by Michael Kamen, David Sanborn, and Eric Clapton is once again perfectly suited to this material, and Donner opens up the picture a bit by shooting this sequel in 2.35:1 instead of 1.85:1.
Among the memorable scenes: Murtaugh trapped on a toilet seat that's been wired to blow, and a bit where Murtaugh & Leo visit the embassy and make a big scene. Some of Leos' dialogue also made an impression on viewers, especially the "They **** you at the drive-thru!" quote.
Although one could easily describe a Hollywood action movie such as this as "loud & dumb", it's the very fact that it cares so much about its characters that makes it work this well.
Eight out of 10.
Girls for Rent (1974)
Better than average Al Adamson effort.
Porn legend Georgina Spelvin, fresh off her success in "The Devil in Miss Jones", got cast in this decent, frequently amusing exploitation-actioner from B movie veteran Al Adamson. Spelvin plays Sandra Tate, career criminal who's sprung from a prison work detail in Mexico to work for crime kingpin Joseph Moreno (Kent Taylor, "Brides of Blood"). Her first order of business is a hit, but Sandra chooses exactly the wrong person to help her carry it out: prostitute Donna Taylor (Susie Ewing, "Smokey and the Bandit"). Sandra is aghast at being party to murder, so she takes it on the lam, with Sandra and Morenos' lackey Erica (Rosalind Miles, "Friday Foster") in hot pursuit.
I actually enjoyed this one quite a bit: it's a sordid and sleazy little flick in which Ewing supplies most of the T & A (although Spelvin does take her top off twice). It's nice to see a movie like this where a lot of the humor WAS intentional; Adamson and his longtime cohort / producer Samuel Sherman were wise not to take this too, too seriously. The acting, too, was better than expected; at the least, it didn't always have me rolling my eyes. It's also a little twisted, as we see at about the 70 minute mark as it's revealed just how nasty Sandra is capable of being.
Granted, the stock music used was variable, in another case of the score working at some points and not at others. But I laughed heartily at how Sandra & Erica were really put through their paces trying to put a couple of bullets into Donna. And there's even a bit of heart, as Donna connects with the helpful Chuck (Preston Pierce, "Whiskey Mountain"). The big chase finish is fairly well done, as well.
Overall, this was fun to watch, although Spelvin herself disliked the experience enough that she went straight back to doing adult films (although she DID do two of the "Police Academy" movies in the 80s).
Seven out of 10.
Magic (1978)
It's going to be a bumpy night.
Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins is memorably twisted in this solid psychological thriller from Oscar-winning actor / filmmaker Richard Attenborough. Hopkins plays Corky, a failed magician who only finds success once he incorporates a ventriloquists' dummy (named Fats) into his act. Thanks to Corky's agent Ben Greene (Burgess Meredith), the entertainer gets a real shot at genuine TV stardom, but he panics and hightails it for the Catskills, ending up at a forlorn resort where he reconnects with his childhood crush, Peggy Ann Snow (Ann-Margret).
The main thrust of the tale (written by William Goldman, from his own novel) is that the highly unstable Corky finds that he can NOT get Fats out of his head. The two become as one, basically, and Corky acts upon the dummy's suggestions to solve his problems through murder.
Top character actor Ed Lauter rounds out an excellent acting quartet as Peggy Anns' sullen husband Duke, and in fact it's the acting that makes this work as well as it does. Hopkins, who also does the voice of Fats, is absolutely incredible, succeeding at making Corky sympathetic as well as creepy, although Fats unsurprisingly tends to steal the show. Ann-Marget is wonderful as always, and Meredith is a delight as the concerned agent. He and Hopkins have one terrific scene where Ben tries to get Corky to stop talking in Fats' voice for at least five minutes.
Both touching and creepy when it needs to be, "Magic" has great atmosphere, superb cinematography by Victor J. Kemper, and haunting music by Jerry Goldsmith. Fans of the actors and director should enjoy it.
Seven out of 10.
Tian can di que (1979)
Gloriously insane.
Lee Ho and Tang are two fighters united acrimoniously: as the movie opens, Tang is following orders to chop off Lee Hos' arms (for a reason never really made clear). Then, later, Tangs' thoroughly evil Master Lin Chang Cao punishes Tang rather than rewarding him, thoroughly mutilating his legs. Since both men have ample reason for desiring revenge, they reluctantly join forces, aided by a genial old Master who's also a master contortionist. They're determined not to let their disabilities deter them from their mission.
Not really for people looking for serious chop-socky fare, this kung fu action flick is purely exploitative nonsense, but is so damn amusing and so damn lively that I had a good time with it. Granted, the fighting isn't the best you'll ever see - you never believe that fists & feet are actually coming into contact with bodies, despite the typical over-use of over-the-top "impact sound effects" (including metal clanging!). Overall, the movie is highly crude, even downright cheesy, but it's still priceless.
From the typically wretched dubbing to the hilariously inappropriate, upbeat music score, "The Crippled Masters" is a politically incorrect hoot, provided that the prospective viewer isn't turned off by this "high concept" story from the outset.
Seven out of 10.
Spider-Man: The Origin of Spiderman (1968)
"Thus, a legend is born..."
With the first season having foregone an origin story, here the second season begins with a rehashing of how Peter Parker came to be Spider-Man. A very studious college student, Peter is attending a demonstration on radioactivity in the lab when a spider wanders into the display, becomes radioactive itself, and then bites Peter. Soon, he discovers that this has given him incredible powers. At first, Peter is content to exploit his new abilities purely for fame & fortune, until tragedy strikes too close to home, and he realizes that his power MUST be put to use fighting crime.
The new approach by animation legend Ralph Bakshi and the Krantz animation company is felt right away, with those truly bizarre backdrops, and LOTS of time devoted to Spidey just swinging around, with his webbing seemingly connected to nothing but clouds.
The animation may be very crude (at one point, you can see Peter leap onto thin air), but if you are like me and saw this series as an impressionable child during its decades of syndication, you didn't much mind. This cartoon did have a definite charm, even if the Bakshi era soon became decidedly WEIRD.
At this point, the music was still being recycled from the first season. But, starting with the next episode, we got treated to some truly groovy jazz-rock tunes that lent a COOL touch to these stories.
All in all, this was a good rendition of the famous Spidey origin story, even if we only get to see Uncle Ben briefly before his untimely end.
Eight out of 10.
Star Trek: And the Children Shall Lead (1968)
Kids do the darndest things.
Kirk, Spock, and Bones beam down to the planet Triacus where they discover that the adults have all committed suicide. The survivors are five children, who are in a jovial, playful mood, and seem to care not at all about what has happened. As it turns out, these innocents are under the control of an evil entity with nefarious plans, and once the kids are on the Enterprise, they easily manipulate the crew.
'And the Children Shall Lead' plays like an echo of the first season episode 'Miri', and is unsurprisingly only moderately effective. It's still pretty amusing to see so many crew, including Chekov and Sulu, defying orders and being so open to suggestion. As you can expect, Spock & Kirk hold out the longest, although not even they are completely immune to these kids.
This concept of the corruption of these innocents is a decent hook, and the episode does exhibit some good tension, but it just doesn't pack that much punch. The oddest touch is the casting of real-life celebrity attorney Melvin Belli as Gorgan, the creep who's recruited these children to further his ends. An actor he really is not. But the kids - among them, future composer & musician Craig Huxley (among his credits, the feature film "Alligator" and the 'Knots Landing' series), Pamelyn Ferdin ("The Beguiled"), and Brian Tochi ("Revenge of the Nerds") are certainly endearing. That whole motion that they make with their fists to control the crew gets awfully repetitive.
Overall, this isn't unwatchable, thanks to the cast, although it's telling that Nimoy confronted producer Fred Freiberger over the script, and walked away with the impression that the producer thought 'Miri' was garbage and that this was supposedly an 'improvement'.
Six out of 10.
Three's Company: The New Landlord (1979)
"I can't sleep anyway, you sold my bed!"
The roommates are busy selling what they think are the remainders of the Ropers' belongings, having the couples' blessing to do so. But, it turns out, this junk actually belongs to new landlord Ralph Furley (comedy legend Don Knotts, making a grand debut on the series). In order to change his mind about evicting the three of them, Jack suggests a dinner party for Furley & Lana, having noticed that the landlord immediately developed the hots for her.
This is hands down one of the most *hysterical* episodes that I've seen so far as I work my way through the series once again. This is, quite simply, farce at its best, especially a quick scene with Jack, Janet, Chrissy, and an ill-fated roast.
Knotts added so much to the dynamic; his contributions can't be over-estimated. Granted, his was a much more eye-popping, broad humor than that of the grumpy, conservative Mr. Roper, but Stanley & Helen never *quite* crack me up the way that RF does at his best. His entrance is classic stuff (Knotts supposedly commented that the wardrobe department went to the "ends of the Earth" to find the clothes that RF would wear). And Richard Klines' reactions as RF orders his first drink at the Beagle are hilarious.
Unfortunately, the writers seemed content never to do very much with the Lana character, rendering her mostly one-note. That said, Ms. Wedgeworth does get utilized pretty well here, as Lana develops an instant dislike to Furley, whom she calls a "worm" (!).
But if broad comedy and slapstick, some of the cornerstones of 'Three's Company', are your thing, you'll find MUCH to enjoy here. One of my favorite bits: a game of musical chairs.
10 out of 10.
Un homme est mort (1972)
A worthy viewing.
French star Jean-Louis Trintignant ("The Great Silence") plays Lucien Bellon, a French hitman who comes to L. A. to assassinate American mobster Victor (Ted de Corsia, "The Killing"). But soon Lucien is dodging attempts on his *own* life, thanks to a *relentless* - if not that competent - American hitman, Lenny (Roy Scheider, "The French Connection"). The only help that Lucien really gets is from Nancy Robson (Ann-Margret, "Carnal Knowledge"), the boss at a topless bar.
Directed with a true European sensibility by Jacques Deray ("He Died with His Eyes Open"), "The Outside Man" a.k.a. "Un Homme Est Mort" is good fun for lovers of crime fiction. Deray makes it a hard-to-resist combination of an offbeat approach, some very amusing doses of comedy, interesting choices (the final gunfight takes place in a funeral home, where Victor has been embalmed in a sitting position), a fairly relaxed tone most of the time, and an unhurried pace. The funky score by Michel Legrand is a delight, as is the use of various L. A. locations.
Trintignant is very good in the lead, playing this "outsider" who's lost amidst Southern California culture of the period. Ann-Margret, looking very sexy in low-cut dresses, is enticing as his reluctant associate. Scheider is a hoot as the determined rival hitman. Georgia Engel ('The Mary Tyler Moore Show') is hilarious as a ditzy housewife. The eclectic supporting cast also includes the wonderful Angie Dickinson ("Big Bad Mama"), Felice Orlandi ("The Driver"), Carlo De Mejo ("The House by the Cemetery"), Michel Constantin ("Le Deuxieme Souffle"), Umberto Orsini ("Goodbye Emmanuelle"), Carmen Argenziano ("The Accused"), John Hillerman ("Blazing Saddles"), Jon Korkes ("Catch-22"), Playboy Playmate Connie Kreski ("The Black Bird"), Ben Piazza ("The Candy Snatchers"), Alex Rocco and Talia Shire from "The Godfather", and a very young Jackie Earle Haley ("Watchmen"), making his film debut.
Overall, this made for very agreeable entertainment; I didn't even really have a problem with the way it ended, although others may certainly feel differently.
Seven out of 10.
The Last Wagon (1956)
Seems reasonable.
The great Richard Widmark of "Kiss of Death" fame plays "Comanche" Todd, a wanted man so named because he'd spent 20 years of his life living with a Comanche tribe. Now, a sheriff (George Mathews, "Pat and Mike") has captured him, and they encounter a wagon train. Tragic circumstances lead to disaster for the procession, and Todd, actually being a rather *good* man, takes responsibility for the youthful survivors, leading them through dangerous Apache territory.
"The Last Wagon" is pretty good Western entertainment, with Widmark in fine form. Not surprisingly, Todd must deal with in-your-face racism from some of the survivors, who don't believe that they can trust him. While the plot (written by James Edward Grant, Gwen Bagni, and director Delmer Daves, from Bagnis' story) stretches credibility sometimes, it still keeps its grip thanks to capable acting and surefooted direction by Daves ("3:10 to Yuma"). It would surely be much more on the routine side without talents like Widmark, Daves, cinematographer Wilfrid M. Cline, and composer Lionel Newman. The film *looks* gorgeous, and there are some sharp-looking ladies to boot: Felicia Farr ("Charley Varrick"), Susan Kohner ("Imitation of Life" '59), and Stephanie Griffin. Other familiar faces include Tommy Rettig from 'Lassie', Ray Stricklyn ("Young Jesse James"), Nick Adams ('The Rebel'), Carl Benton Reid ("In a Lonely Place"), Douglas Kennedy ("The Land Unknown"), and James Drury ('The Virginian'). Timothy Carey ("The Worlds' Greatest Sinner") appears unbilled early on as Cole Harper.
One thing's for sure: Todd surely deserves some sort of acknowledgment - if not a damn medal - for restraining himself from just painting bullseyes on the bigoted young folk initially wary of going anywhere with him. That said, this is the kind of story where such characters DO eventually realize their mistake and do some growing up, leading to an agreeable - if not THAT believable - happy ending.
Seven out of 10.
The Tall T (1957)
T is for terror!
Western icon Randolph Scott plays Pat Brennan, a solitary rancher who has a day that goes from bad to worse. He's already lost out on the chance to acquire a seed bull, and loses his horse in the bargain. Then he is kidnapped (along with married couple Maureen O'Sullivan and John Hubbard) by an outlaw gang led by Frank Usher (Richard Boone). Although a tough customer, he knows that he will have to bide his time while waiting for the chance to make a move against his captors.
On one level, this is simply a very fun Western story with loads of tension from the get-go. It's established that Ushers' accomplices (played by Skip Homeier and a swaggering Henry Silva) are utterly evil creeps who think nothing of killing. We also have a very appealing O'Sullivan who is interestingly cast as a plain Jane type who was grasping at what she thought was her one chance for happiness. Homeier & Silva are a blast, but it's the subtle & nuanced villainy of all-time great Western bad guy Boone that really brings this to life. He and Scott have what is actually a very reasonable conversation about ethics. In fact, Boone is a less odious character than Hubbard, who's the working definition of WEASEL.
On another level, this is another great Scott-Budd Boetticher collaboration with a theme of loneliness, and how some people fear it and some people embrace it. There's also a theme of self-esteem, as Scott urges O'Sullivan to think better of herself.
There's even time for comedy, as we get to see a smiling, laughing, joking Scott take time for a pratfall into a water trough!
Overall, this was highly engaging and I can believe that it's one of the best (if not THE best) Scott-Boetticher teamings.
Eight out of 10.
Big Jake (1971)
"Not hardly."
A ruthless outlaw gang stages a brutal raid on the McCandles ranch near the border with Mexico. They make off with "Little Jake" (Ethan Wayne) and aim to hold him for a ransom of $1 million. But the McCandles matriarch Martha (Maureen O'Hara) knows that the gang needs an adversary just as ruthless, so she calls upon her estranged husband Big Jake (John Wayne) to bring his grandson back alive. This Big Jake will do with the help of his sons James (played by The Dukes' son Patrick) and Michael (Robert Mitchums' son Christopher), as well as Indian tracker Sam Sharpnose (Bruce Cabot).
Although this will be way too violent to suit some tastes, "Big Jake" does tell a solid Western story with plenty of action and plenty of comedy. (It's just too amusing to watch as John and Patrick create this initially antagonistic relationship.). The Duke, of course, is once again a great screen presence, and there are LOTS of familiar faces in the supporting cast, but all in all, what really sells "Big Jake" is the very effective villainy from Richard Boone, who plays gang leader John Fain.
Another thing that "Big Jake" has going for it is its setting: the early years of the 20th century, and the advent of both automobiles and motorcycles lend something different to what otherwise would largely be an old-fashioned story.
In addition to Patrick and Ethan, The Duke also works with his son Michael, who produced the film; this was his fifth and final teaming with O'Hara, who's feisty & formidable in her brief time on screen. So this WAS a real "family affair".
Good fun overall, but even better for Richard Boone fans. (He had previously worked with The Duke on "The Alamo".)
Seven out of 10.