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Famously Haunted: Amityville (2021)
Not Nearly as Detailed as It Should Have Been
As most viewers are probably aware, on November 13, 1974, a troubled young man by the name of Ronald DeFeo Jr. Grabbed a shotgun in his house and killed both of his parents and 4 of his siblings in the middle of the night while they slept in their beds The story then picks up a year later with a married couple by the name of George & Kathy Lutz moving into the house with their three children. Slightly less than a month later, they hurriedly abandoned the house in the middle of the night due to what they described as an evil presence which had been tormenting them since the very first day. At least, that is what they maintained in a book published about two years after that--and that is when the mystique actually begins with countless movies being released to capitalize on it. Likewise, there have also been a couple of documentaries produced on this subject, with one released in 2005 under the title of "The Real Amityville Horror" being more detailed than this particular version. At least, that is my opinion. That being the case, while I don't consider this to be a terribly bad documentary necessarily, I don't believe it was nearly as effective as its 2005 predecessor, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.
Cam Girl (2011)
A Young Woman Forced into a Difficult Decision
After the death of her father, an attractive young college student by the name of "Mary O'Brian" (Layla Randle-Conde) decides to use her body to make money on the internet by becoming a cam girl. At first, everything seems to be going well as she is able to pay her bills thanks to a few of her more devoted followers. Unfortunately, as time goes by she soon finds herself revealing more to her customers simply to keep them interested. And when the company she works for becomes slow in sending the money they owe her, she then has to choose whether or not to go even further--which could have severe repercussions for her later on. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that I didn't expect too much from this low-budget movie. So, I wasn't too disappointed with the film as a whole. For starters, although Layla Randle-Conde certainly performed well enough, it became quite clear early on that one person couldn't carry a film like this all by themself. It was simply too much to ask of anyone. Likewise, although it had elements of mystery and suspense, neither of these factors were developed in a sufficient manner either. Throw in dull music along with poor camera work, and the end result was a rather boring movie--which I cannot rate any higher than I have. Below average.
Background to Danger (1943)
A Fairly Entertaining Spy-Thriller
This film begins during World War 2 with the Germans desperately wanting Turkey to enter the war on their side against the Soviet Union. To help in that regard, a senior German agent by the name of "Colonel Robinson" (Sydney Greenstreet) has been sent to Ankara with a plan to distribute false information about a possible Soviet attack on Turkey. To prevent that, a Soviet spy by the name of "Ana Remzi" (Osa Massen) has obtained some documents which expose the plot. However, noticing that she is being followed by German agents, while on a train to Ankara, she hands them in an envelope to an American businessman named "Joe Barton" (George Raft) under the pretext that it contains her life savings which she doesn't want Turkish customs to seize. Naturally, being the ladies' man that he is, Joe agrees to take the envelope and bring it to her hotel in Ankara. Unfortunately, when he arrives at her hotel, he finds that she has been killed and, moments later, he observes a man by the name of "Nikolai Zaleshoff" (Peter Lorre) entering the room and rapidly searching through her luggage for something. Meanwhile, unknow to Nikolai, Joe quietly leaves the hotel room and unexpectedly sees an attractive woman, later revealed as "Tamara Zaleshoff" (Brenda Marshall), waiting for Nikolai to return. What Joe doesn't know is which side these two people are working for--and this creates complications for all three of them. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was decent spy-thriller which, thanks in large part to the presence of Sydney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre, had certain similarities to "Casablanca." Yet even though he performed adequately, George Raft wasn't quite able to duplicate the impact or on-screen presence that Humphrey Bogart clearly had during this particular time. Be that as it may, I still found this to be a fairly entertaining movie, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
Shaitaan (2024)
"Vash" Rebooted
This film essentially begins with a man by the name of "Kabir Rishi" (Ajay Devgn) taking his wife "Jyoti Rishi" (Jyotika) and two children to their country home to enjoy the weekend together. Along the way there, they stop at a restaurant where they meet an interesting stranger named "Vanraj Kashyap" (Madhavan) who they invite to sit at the table with them. Not thinking too much of it, they then head back to their car and part ways with him. Strangely enough, not long after arriving at their summer home, they happen to see Vanraj at the gate and invite him inside to power up his cellphone. To their horror, once inside, he uses black magic to cast a hypnotic spell on their teenage daughter "Jahnvi Rishi" (Janki Bodiwala) and informs them that he does not intend to leave the house without Jahnvi coming with him. And to show them that he means business, he not only compels Jahnvi to seriously injure their young son "Dhruv Rishi" (Anngad Raaj) but also threatens to have her kill each and every one of them if they don't do what he demands. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this movie is basically a remake of the movie "Vash" which was produced just one year earlier. At first, while watching the film, I wondered why a remake was done so quickly as almost every scene was identical to the previous film. However, the answer to that question became crystal clear toward the end. An answer which I will not elaborate on any further. Be that as it may, although this film was, for the most part, very similar to its predecessor, I will say that there were a couple of scenes which went on a bit longer than necessary. So, in that regard, the original film was more concise--and this led to better suspense. At least, that is how it seemed to me. Regardless, although I consider this movie to be somewhat inferior to the one before it, it's still a pretty good film, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
I soliti ignoti (1958)
How Not to Conduct a Burglary
This film essentially begins with a car thief by the name of "Cosimo Proietti" (Memmo Carotenuto) being arrested for a botched auto theft and being put in prison. While there he learns from one of the inmates about a fortune locked away in a safe at a local pawn shop which he becomes determined to steal. Unfortunately, his incarceration prevents that. So, to remedy the situation, he has some fellow accomplices put the word out that they will pay someone to confess to the crime and thereby free him to carry out his plan. Sure enough, a man in great need of money named "Peppe" (Vittorio Gassman) agrees to the plan but, to everyone's surprise, he is released on probation while Cosimo remains in prison. Prior to being released, however, Peppe learns about the burglary Cosimo has planned and decides to form his own gang to carry it out instead. What he doesn't realize is that the people he chooses are just as incompetent as him. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an entertaining comedy which was so popular that it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film that same year. Admittedly, it has aged over the years and probably doesn't have quite the same impact now as it did back then but, even so, I enjoyed it for the most part, and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.
Flight to Hong Kong (1956)
The Hazards of Stealing Diamonds from the Mob
This film essentially begins with a novelist by the name of "Pamela Vincent" (Barbara Rush) boarding an airplane on its way to Hong Kong. On the flight she meets a man named "Tony Dumont" (Rory Calhoun) who strikes up a conversation with her. It's also during this flight that the airplane is hijacked and is forced to land on a deserted runway some distance from their intended destination. As it so happens, the hijackers were seeking a briefcase full of diamonds and, having now obtained what they were looking for, quickly flee the area and leave all of the passengers behind. Not too long afterward, another plane is sent to pick them up and eventually fly them to Hong Kong where both Pamela and Tony go their separate ways--at least for the time being. It is then disclosed that Tony is part of a world-wide criminal syndicate which was responsible for stealing the diamonds and it is his job to make sure that they are sold on the black market for the highest price possible. What he doesn't know, however, is that there is a traitor within the organization who intends to steal those same diamonds--which will eventually cause problems for everyone concerned. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an entertaining crime drama which suffered a bit from a fast pace along with a rather disappointing ending. And as far as the actors were concerned, I thought that Rory Calhoun, Barbara Rush and Dolores Donlon (as "Jean Blake") performed adequately, all things considered. Be that as it may, despite some of the issues just mentioned, I enjoyed this film for the most part, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
New Frontier (1939)
A Rather Mediocre Addition to the Series
This film essentially begins with the residents of a small ranching community being told that they must move from their homes due to a new dam being built which will flood the entire area. Needless to say, the residents are not too happy with this decision, and they decide to resist any and all attempts by anyone seeking to forcibly evict them from their lands. So, rather than take a loss on their investment by having the matter delayed any further, the greedy corporate developers decide to trick the ranchers into accepting worthless land in the desert under the false promise that a huge irrigation pipeline will be built to satisfy all of their water requirements. And to further assist them in their underhanded scheme, the Three Mesquiteers are duped into convincing the local ranchers that the deal is actually legitimate. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was the last film to feature John Wayne in the role of "Stony Brooke" with Robert Livingston being called back afterward. Apparently, John Wayne was a much too valuable of a commodity to waste on grade-B westerns of this type. And judging by this rather mediocre addition to the series, I can certainly understand that reasoning. Be that as it may, although this wasn't a terribly bad film necessarily, I honestly didn't care that much for it, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.
Amityville in the Hood (2021)
The Third Time Is Not the Charm
This film begins with a couple of thugs entering the infamous house in Amityville to harvest a large amount of marijuana they had planted inside of it earlier. Unfortunately, after filling a large bag of their illegal substance, once outside of the house, they encounter another group of thugs from a rival gang who kill them and take everything they had. The scene then shifts to a police officer in Compton, California by the name of "Detective White" (Thom Michael Mulligan) being asked to investigate a series of bizarre murders resulting from what appears to be the product of a new strain of marijuana which induces homicidal behavior. Or something like that. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that the director (Dustin Ferguson) borrowed heavily from his earlier films "Amityville Toybox" and "Amityville Clownhouse" in the production of this film. And considering that both of these two films were extremely bad, I'm not sure that this was the wisest decision on his part. But I will leave that up to the individual viewer to decide. One thing I can say, however, is that Dustin Ferguson didn't learn much from his previous experiences because this film had the same basic faults as his previous films which includes bad acting, uneven audio technique, awful music and a completely ridiculous plot. That said, as far as his Amityville movies are concerned, the third time is definitely not the charm, and I have rated it accordingly.
Left to Die (2012)
The Story of an American Woman Imprisoned in a Foreign Country
This film begins with a middle-aged woman named "Sandra Chase" (Barbara Hershey) being convinced by her adult daughter "Tammi Chase" (Rachael Leigh Cook) to take a vacation to Ecuador with her male companion "Nick Sakeris" (Vincent Irizarry). Having never been overseas, Sandra eventually acquiesces to her boyfriend, and they fly to Ecuador. Unfortunately, as they prepare to board their return flight, two bags of cocaine are found in Sandra's luggage and the two of them are imprisoned pending a trial for drug trafficking. The problem, however, is that the court system is quite slow in Ecuador and as a result Sandra soon finds herself alone in a foreign prison without any idea on whether she will ever be able to resume the life she once knew. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that whenever I see the words "based on a true story" applied to any American movie, I immediately begin to suspect that some key facts have been embellished out-of-proportion to the actual case at hand. It's what Hollywood does. That said, I have always tried to take everything with a grain of salt when watching movies of this sort. But that's just me. Even so, I still found the overall story to be quite riveting, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
Captain America II: Death Too Soon (1979)
Captain America at War Against Terrorists
This film essentially begins with a scientist by the name of "Professor Ian Ilson" (Christopher Cary) being kidnapped by a terrorist known simply as "Miguel" (Christopher Lee) to help him in an extortion attempt against the United States of America. In furtherance of that goal, Miguel forces Professor Ilson to create a substance which can increase the aging process in both animals and humans. Recognizing the impact that this substance would have if a large city were to be sprayed with this substance, "Captain America" (Reb Brown) is sent to the last place Professor Ilson was seen to investigate. What he doesn't count on, however, is the hostile reception he gets from the local people of the town once he arrives. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this made-for-television movie started off pretty good but, much like its predecessor, suffered somewhat because of the rather poor fight scenes and basic special effects. That being said, while it wasn't a bad film necessarily, the glaring faults just mentioned were simply too hard to ignore, and I have rated this movie accordingly. Slightly below average.
Vash (2023)
A Family Tormented by the Devil
This film essentially begins with a man by the name of "Athrava" (Hitu Kanodia) taking his wife "Beena" (Niilam Paanchal) and two children to their country home to enjoy the weekend together. Along the way there, they stop at a restaurant where they meet an interesting stranger named "Pratap" (Hiten Kumar) who they invite to sit at the table with them. Not thinking too much of it, they then head back to their car and part ways with him. Strangely enough, not long after arriving at their summer home, they happen to see Pratap at the gate who tells them that his car broke down and he needs to make a phone call. Naturally, being the courteous people that they are, they invite him inside to use their phone. To their horror, once inside, he uses black magic to cast a hypnotic spell on their teenage daughter "Aarya" (Janki Bodiwala) and informs them that he does not intend to leave the house without her coming with him. And to show them that he means business, he not only compels Aarya to seriously injure their young son "Ansh" (Aaryan Sanghvi), but also threatens to have her kill each and every one of them if they don't do what he demands. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a rather dark horror film which took a really bizarre turn toward the end. Yet even though I would have preferred a different ending, the one depicted here is much more horrific and seems somewhat more appropriate. But that's just my opinion and I will leave it at that. Be that as it may, this turned out to be a pretty good horror film, and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.
C.B. Hustlers (1976)
A Low-Budget Drive-in Filler
This film begins with a couple known simply as "Dancer" (John Alderman) and "Scuzz" (Jacqueline Giroux) utilizing their CB radio and a couple of refurbished vans to establish a mobile brothel for highway truckers. Needless to say, the country sheriff "Elrod P. Ramsey" (Bruce Kimball) realizes something is going on but, because Dancer changes his location so frequently, he hasn't been able to catch up to them. What really becomes problematic, however, is the fact that a local newspaper reporter named "Mountain Dean" (Richard Kennedy) has also recently figured out what is happening, and he is determined to expose this illegal operation if it's the last thing he ever does. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say this is a film that took advantage of several opportunities that were unique to the period of time. For starters, because of the oil crisis in America a couple of years earlier, CB radios had just become quite popular, and a number of movies were produced to take advantage of this new phenomenon with "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Convoy" being two of the more popular films during this time. Likewise, it was also during this particular time that local drive-ins were so desperate for films that they would take almost anything that was available on the market--and a low-budget film like this fit the bill quite nicely. Having said that, however, it should be noted that, even though the demand was quite high for a film like this, that doesn't mean that this was a good movie by any means. It was quite bad actually with poor acting and an awful soundtrack being the main reasons. Admittedly, there are a couple of attractive actresses featured with Janus Blythe (as "Silkie"), Uschi Digard ("Dee Dee") and Catherine Barkley ("Lemon") being the primary attractions for Dancer's mobile business. Not that it really mattered, of course, considering how bad this movie actually was. Be that as it may, while a film like this might have been a staple for drive-in theaters during this particular time, it's not something I would recommend, and I have rated it accordingly.
SST: Death Flight (1977)
A Decent Made-for-Television "Airport" Clone
This film essentially begins with the news that a brand new American supersonic transport (SST) is about to embark on its maiden voyage from New York to Paris. Naturally, a number of people are excited about this, and the flight is booked with celebrities and members of the press. One person who isn't happy, however, is an engineer by the name of "Les Phillips" (George Maharis) who decides to sabotage the aircraft hoping that, once in flight, it will have to turn back and thereby embarrass the people who passed him over for promotion. What he doesn't count on, however, is the CEO of the company "Marshall Cole" (Lorne Greene) disregarding the advice of his main engineer "Willy Bassett" (Burgess Meredith) and ordering the pilot "Captain Jim Walsh" (Robert Reed) to continue on with the flight anyway--and this results in severe repercussions for everyone involved. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was an okay "Airport" clone which clearly benefitted from having several established actors in the cast with Peter Graves (as "Paul Whitley"), Doug McClure ("Hank Fairbanks"), Misty Rowe ("Angelea Garland") and Tina Louise ("Mae") to name just a few. Admittedly, it suffers to a certain degree from its made-for-television format, but even so, it managed to pass the time well enough, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.
Wyoming Outlaw (1939)
Has a More Serious Tone Than Some of the Other Films in the Series
This film essentially begins with the "Three Mesquiteers" driving some cattle through Wyoming when they discover that one of their steers has been rustled and subsequently slaughtered on the spot. Unable to follow the footprints of the man who rustled their steer, they soon turn back and head to a nearby town to get something to eat. While there "Stony Brooke" (John Wayne) comes across a young lady named "Irene Parker" (Pamela Blake) who begins to get hassled by one of the local thugs in that town. Naturally, this prompts Stony to get involved and after a quick fistfight, Stony walks Irene back to her house. Much to his surprise, once he gets there, he finds his too buddies "Tucson Smith" (Ray Corrigan) and "Rusty Joslin" (Raymond Hatton) already there talking to Irene's parents. Not long afterward, they also meet Irene's brother "Will Parker" (Don 'Red' Barry) who they quickly realize is the rustler they had been looking for. However, recognizing the bad situation the family was currently having to endure, they write off their loss and happily accept their invitation to have dinner with them instead. Unfortunately, they soon realize that Will and his family are even worse off than they thought due to a corrupt local businessman named "Joe Balsinger" (LeRoy Mason) who controls everything in that town--and still wants more. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this movie was one of the better films in the series due in large part to the acting of John Wayne and the absence of Max Terhune who existed solely for cheap laughs. Be that as it may, although this was still a grade-B Western by and large, I liked the more serious tone, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
Amityville Cop (2021)
An Awful Film
This film essentially begins with a motorist being pulled over for a speeding ticket and then being brutally beaten to death by what appears to be monstrous figure wearing a police uniform. The scene then shifts to a homeless man being woken up from his sleep and subsequently killed by the same police officer. Naturally, after his body is taken to the morgue, an investigation is opened up but, with few clues to go by, neither "Detective Miller" (Jason Toler) nor his partner "Detective Val" (Nicole D'Angelo) know where to begin looking. Further complicating the issue is the testimony by a local drunk that a demon in a police uniform was responsible. Yet despite the skepticism expressed by Detective Miller, this news comes as quite a shock to the precinct supervisor "Captain Benson" (Jeffrey Moon) who has been afraid of this development for almost 20 years. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that I wasn't too disappointed with this film for the simple reason that I didn't expect very much from it in the first place. The acting was bad, the plot lacked depth, and the script could have used significant improvement as well. Not only that, but it became quite clear early on that this was one of those films that slapped the name of "Amityville" onto its title simply to draw more viewers. And, having watched the film in its entirety, I fully understand why viewers haven't flocked to see it. It's an awful film, and I have rated it accordingly.
Party Line (1988)
A Serial Killer and His Psychotic Sister
This film begins with a young woman by the name of "Angelina" (Greta Blackburn) seducing a married man through a 900-party line and, after bringing him to her home, having her brother "Seth" (Leif Garrett) kill him with a straight-edge razor. The scene then shifts to a local Los Angeles police station with a vice detective known simply as "Dan" (Richard Hatch) tailing a drug dealer only to discover that his suspect has had his throat cut in the same manner as a couple of earlier homicides. Being rather short-handed, his supervisor "Captain Barnes" (Richard Roundtree) subsequently transfers Dan from vice to homicide and assigns him to investigate the case. Along with that, Captain Barnes also assigns a female DA assistant named "Stacy" (Shawn Weatherly) to work with Dan as his partner. The problem, however, is that there are very few clues to work with and the District Attorney named "Henry" (James O'Sullivan) is looking for an excuse to fire Dan for several issues that occurred between them in the past. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film suffered from a lack of suspense, weak acting and bad chemistry between the main characters overall. That being said, while I don't consider this to be a terribly bad film necessarily, it just didn't impress me all that much, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.
Captain America (1979)
Not One of the Better Superhero Movies Produced During This Time
This film begins with a young man by the name of "Steve Rogers" (Reb Brown) being targeted for abduction by a clandestine organization which believes that he might know the location of some film containing top-secret information. Upon realizing that he doesn't have the information they want, the organization then decides to murder him instead. Although seriously injured in their attack, thanks to a formula his father had worked on before being murdered by that same organization, Steve not only manages to recover, but he is endowed with super-human strength--which he then uses to the benefit of the United States under the name of "Captain America." Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was one of several films and television shows during this particular period of time which sought to capitalize on various comic book superheroes with Spider-Man, Wonder Woman and the Hulk to name just a few. Unfortunately, this particular made-for-television movie wasn't one of the better ones due to stiff acting, poor action scenes and the lack of special effects. That being said, although I like superhero movies as much as the next guy, I honestly cannot recommend this film, and I have rated it accordingly. Below average.
Hatyara (1977)
A Bandit Accepting the Consequences for His Actions
This film essentially begins with a notorious bandit chieftain by the name of "Daulat Singh" (Pran Sikand) leading a raid into a small town and killing an innocent man in the process. Needless to say, this has a devasting impact upon Daulat when the young son of the murdered man confronts him over it. So much so, that he turns himself over to the proper legal authorities to accept whatever punishment that they might deliver. To that effect, he is then sentenced to life in prison which, in turn, results in his wife "Shanta D. Singh" (Chand Usmani) having to raise their two young children all by herself. Then, after dutifully serving 14 years at hard labor, he is suddenly paroled from prison due to good behavior and joyfully reunites with his family in a small village where nobody knows of his past crimes. Life is good for Daulat Singh who has learned from his ordeals and become a better person for it. And it's because of this new wise and humble nature, that his son "Vijay D. Singh" (Vinod Khanna) is given permission to marry the daughter of a prominent member of the local village. Unfortunately, it's during this wedding that Daulat is recognized by the widow of the man he killed years earlier--and this results in disastrous consequences for all concerned. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a good movie which suffered, to a certain degree, from some noticeably bad special effects during a couple of action scenes. To its credit, however, I liked the in-depth plot and having three attractive actresses like Moushumi Chatterjee (as "Gauri V. Singh"), Priyadarshini ("Geeta Singh") and Laxmi Chhaya ("Champakali") certainly didn't hurt either. Be that as it may, while I don't consider this to be an outstanding film necessarily, it was still quite enjoyable, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
One Way Wahine (1965)
A Rather Dull "Beach Party" Movie
This film essentially begins with an attractive blonde by the name of "Kit Williams" (Joy Harmon) flying to Hawaii to enjoy some fun in the sun with no real thought of tomorrow. While there she meets a young man named "Lou Talbot" (David Whorf) who introduces him to a couple of friends by the name of "Chick Lindell" (Anthony Eisley) and "Brandy Saveties" (Adele Claire) also have the same philosophy of life. To that effect, although they certainly have a good time, they all wonder how much better it would be if they had more money. And it's then that Lou meets two older men named "Charley Rossi" (Lee Krieger) and "Hugo Sokol" (Ken Mayer) who ask him to set them up with two young ladies for a night--and they offer to pay a decent amount of money for them. Being the observant person that he is, Lou quickly deduces that these two men recently robbed a bank in Chicago and concludes that they must have a fortune hidden somewhere in their new apartment. That said, after talking it over with his three friends, he come up with a plan to steal all that money for themselves. What none of them realize, however, is that Charley and Hugo aren't just ordinary thieves--they're cold-blooded killers who don't like it when people try to take things from them. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a rather dull "Beach Party" movie which suffered from weak acting and a lack of any real comedy. On the plus side, I liked the exotic Hawaiian scenery and having an attractive actress like Joy Harmon certainly didn't hurt in that regard either. But even so, neither of these features could offset the previously mentioned faults, and I have rated this movie accordingly. Slightly below average.
The Concorde... Airport '79 (1979)
The Last Film in the Airport Franchise
Just prior to boarding a transatlantic flight from New York to Moscow, a television reporter by the name of "Maggie Whelan" (Susan Blakely) receives some documents which prove that a defense contractor named "Kevin Harrison" (Robert Wagner) has been involved in illegal arms shipments worth millions of dollars to various unsavory governments. Making matters even worse is the fact that Kevin and Maggie have been dating for quite some time. That being said, having learned that Maggie has these documents in her possession, Kevin decides to get rid of the evidence by destroying the airplane and killing all of the passengers onboard with an anti-aircraft missile. What he doesn't count on, however, is the capability of the pilot flying the airplane--or the fact that the airplane he is flying just happens to be the brand-new supersonic Concorde. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this movie was the fourth (and last) film in the "Airport" franchise. It is also, in my opinion, the weakest in the series due to several ridiculous action scenes coupled with some rather tepid comedy. For their part, both Robert Wagner and Susan Blakely performed well enough, but even so, neither of them could overcome the obvious faults just mentioned, and I have rated this film accordingly. Slightly below average.
Three Texas Steers (1939)
Focused Too Heavily on Lullaby Joslin
This film essentially begins with a young circus owner named "Nancy Evans" (Carole Landis) refusing to sell some land she just inherited to her trusted business manager "George Ward" (Ralph Graves) for personal reasons unrelated to the business at hand. To that effect, in his desperation to own that land, George begins a campaign of sabotage aimed at forcing her sell it in order to save her circus. And when that fails, he then hires men to go after her as well. What he doesn't count on, however, is the involvement of the Three Mesquiteers who happen to own land adjacent to her run-down ranch and are more than willing to help her out any they can. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that I don't consider this to be one of the better Three Mesquiteers films ever produced due in large part to the heavy focus on "Lullaby Joslin" (Max Terhune) who is typically there in a supporting role to provide comic relief. That being said, rather than featuring a prominent actor like John Wayne (as "Stony Brooke) or even Ray Corrigan ("Tucson Smith") for that matter, the director (George Sherman) chose to showcase the weakest of the Three Mesquiteers instead. And that would have been fine if Max Terhune was actually funny. But he wasn't--and this had a negative impact on the movie as a whole. At least, that is how it seemed to me. In any case, I didn't particularly care for this specific addition to the series, and I have rated it accordingly. Below average.
The Amityville Moon (2021)
A Dull Horror Film
This film essentially begins with two young women named "Karla" (Kelsey Zukowski) and "Alyssa" (Alex Rinehart) attempting to escape one night from a rehabilitation center located in Amityville, New York. Although Alyssa manages to crawl out through a window, once outside she turns and, to her horror, watches as some huge beast attacks Karla and rips her to shreds. The scene then shifts to a police officer by the name of "Detective Kimball" (Trey McCurley) being told that these same young women have been reported missing and that his assignment is to track them down and return to the rehabilitation center which they had been remanded to by the court system. At first, he considers this to be a rather routine assignment--but what he doesn't know is that this isn't the first time that a young woman has gone missing from this particular rehab center--and the disappearances always occur on a full moon. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a rather dull horror film due in large part to the lack of action and suspense. Likewise, the script could have used some improvement as well. That being said, although I don't consider this to be a terribly bad horror film necessarily, it isn't something I would honestly recommend, and I have rated it accordingly. Below average.
Day of the Woman (1978)
Not for the Squeamish
This film begins with a writer from New York City by the name of "Jennifer Hills" (Camille Keaton) deciding to spend some quiet time in the country to work on a new novel. At first, everything is going smoothly, and she seems to be on good terms with the people in the small town not too far from her cabin on the river. Everything is peaceful and quiet. Then one day, while canoeing on the river, she comes across some young men in a boat with an outboard motor who begin to make a nuisance of themselves. One thing leads to another, and they soon drag her canoe to the shore where they then proceed to brutalize and rape her. To make matters even worse, within a day or two they show up at her cabin and savagely beat and rape her again. This time, however, rather than taking the chance of her reporting them to the police, one of the men named "Matthew Duncan" (Richard Pace) is selected to kill her while the rest of them wait outside. Not wanting to anger his colleagues, he initially agrees but, once inside the cabin has a change of heart and, rather than killing her, smears some of the blood from her body onto his knife and then presents it to the rest of the group to satisfy their concerns. What they don't realize, however, is that Jennifer has no intention of reporting them to the police--and they will soon discover why. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this is an extremely graphic film which some people might find rather disturbing. So, be prepared as this is not a movie for the squeamish. On a completely different note, although this film features a number of action scenes, none of those related to the revenge aspect were very credible. Likewise, other than Camille Keaton, and possibly Eron Tabor (as "Johnny Stillman") none of the other actors really stood out. But that's just my opinion. At any rate, although I certainly don't consider this to be a good movie by any means, it does stand out as being one of the one of the most memorable rape & revenge movies ever produced, and I have rated it accordingly. Average.
Hell's Highway (1932)
Life and Death on an American Chain Gang
This film begins in a southern prison with the convicts being forced to work on a highway chain gang under extremely brutal conditions. One of the reasons for this is because the contractor involved with the construction of the highway, "William Billings" (Oscar Apfel) desperately wants to finish ahead of schedule to reduce his expenses. So, to accomplish that, he bribes the sadistic overseer named "Blacksnake Skinner" (C. Henry Gordon) to squeeze as much out of the convicts as possible--without regard for their health or welfare. Naturally, the convicts realize what is going on and, unable to affect immediate change, turn to one particular prisoner named "Duke Ellis" (Richard Dix) who has shown an ability to stand up to those in charge when necessary. However, things take a dramatic turn when his younger brother "Johnny Ellis" (Tom Brown) is assigned to this same chain gang. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this film shared an uncanny resemblance to another film around this time titled "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang" which also depicted the rather inhumane treatment of convicts in the American penal system. Where "Hell's Highway" goes wrong, in my opinion, is in the rather convenient ending which diminishes the realism it endeavored to create. That being said, while I still liked this film overall, had it not been for the rather disappointing ending, I would have rated it a bit higher. Slightly above average.
Tokyo Mafia: Yakuza Blood (1997)
The Last Film in the Series
This film essentially begins 10 years after "Tokyo Mafia 2-Wrath of the Yakuza" left off with the leader of the Tokyo Mafia named "Ginya Yabuki" (Riki Takeuchi) having lost everything due to a long and drawn-out civil war with other Yakuza clans. As a result, Ginya has become a legendary assassin with no concern about whether he lives or dies. To that effect, Ginya quickly becomes both feared and respected in the Tokyo underworld. That said, when a lowly street punk by the name of "Ryo" (Kazuhiro Mashiko) accidentally meets Ginya in person, he decides to follow in his footsteps and become an assassin too. What Ryo doesn't quite count on, however, is just how difficult and lonely the life of an assassin can be--which Ginya tries to tell him on more than one occasion. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this 4th installment in the Tokyo Mafia collection is the last, and easily the worst, film in the series as well. I say this because, after the first 15 minutes or so, nothing really happens until the final twist at the end. Admittedly, there is a lot of action and violence, but nothing really alters the overall dynamic between the two main characters. At least, that is how it seemed to me. Be that as it may, I didn't really care that much for this movie, and I have rated it accordingly. Below average.