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jamesrupert2014
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The Last Man on Earth (1964)
OK but a remake true to the original story is needed
Robert Morgan (Vincent Price) struggles to survive in a post-plague world in which the infection has turned people, including the reanimated dead, into vampires. This was the first film version of Richard Matheson's clever novella that fused horror and science-fiction by proposing that vampirism was not a supernatural phenomena but in fact was caused by a bacterial infection that triggered physiological, hematological, and psychological symptoms than gave rise to the legend of night-walking blood-suckers than could only be killed by a stake through the heart. Unlike those in the book, the vampires in the film are more like the shuffling undead now associated with 'slow-zombie' films and don't come across as particularly menacing, which is good because Morgan's home isn't much a fortress. The film is an awkward American-Italian co-production and other than Price, everyone is poorly dubbed (even a crying baby). The early scenes are the most effective, with Morgan staking vampires incapacitated by the daylight and disposing of the bodies in a vast burn-pit but the ending degenerates into a generic 'chase', completely missing the point of Matheson's story. Given the nature of the plot, there is a lot of voice-over as Morgan reminisces, ruminates on his bleak, lonely life, and makes plans to deal with the undead threat surrounding him, which, even with Price's iconic voice, gets stale fast. The poor dubbing and lacklustre cinematography undermine the of the story (note: I watched a pointlessly colourised version and suspect that the original B/W would have been more effective). Far from perfect but still better than the subsequent attempts at lensing Matheson's apocalyptic tale (1971's 'The Omega Man' and 2007's 'I Am Legend').
Sous la Seine (2024)
Goofy Gallic galeophobic fantasy
Parisian river police, intrepid scientists, and annoying eco-warriors try to prevent unnecessary deaths (piscine and otherwise) when a huge, mutated mako shark migrates to the Siene River just in time for a triathlon. Don't waste your time with 'But how...?' questions, the inherent biological ridiculousness of the high-concept premise is blithely explained away with some pseudo-scientific jargon, as is the presence of some highly convenient plot-drivers buried in the mud under the city's bridges. The film opens with a greenie tinge (in a grossly exaggerated 'Great Pacific garbage patch') and tries to glue a trendy environmental message on the subsequent carnage but in the end has a pleasantly nihilistic 'red-in-tooth' view of nature as both the stupidly self-serving and the stupidly self-righteous end up as shark-chow. Although the campy ludicrousness probably contributes to its immediate appeal, with a bit more cleverness in the storyline and script, 'Under Paris' might have become a long-term 'nature-gone-bad' cult classic (like 1980's 'Alligator'). Everything about the film (acting, cinematography, special effects, etc,) suffices to move the story along to its fun but utterly nonsensical finale. All in all, an entertainingly silly entry in the surprisingly crowded world of shark-movies (i.e. 'Jaws' and 'everything else').
Nebula-75 (2020)
Endearing tribute that will appeal to those who fondly remember 'Supermarionation' (especially 'Fireball XL5')*
After a mysterious cosmic-anomaly transports the spaceship Nebula-75 33-million miles from Earth, the intrepid crew (Captain Ray Neptune, boffin Dr. Hermann Asteroid, Lieutenants Stella Solstice and James Mercury, anthropomorphic robot Circuit, and occasionally the benevolent telepathic 'star-maiden' Athena) encounter nasty aliens, sneaky space-grifters, cosmic junk-men, mysterious planets, mad scientists, pushy film-directors, ghosts (maybe), and (of course) space-pirates (Yarrr!)...and that's just in the first two series. Although the show is more humorous than the po-faced originals, it is clearly a homage and not a parody. Aficionados will recognise numerous nods to the old shows, particularly 'Fireball XL5' (most notably in how the Nebula-75 'flies' and the character similarities between Capt. Ray Neptune and Capt. Steve Zodiac, Lt. Solstice and Venus, Lt. Mercury and Lt. Ninety, Circuit and Robert the Robot, and Dr. Asteroid and Dr. Matt Matic). The episodes vary in tone from the lighthearted 'Fools Gold' (which is also called pyrites...get it?) to the darker 'For the Ashes of His Fathers' in which Nepture is ordered to destroy his ship (killing himself and the crew in the process) to keep an alien contagion from reaching Earth. Anyone with fond memories of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's strings-attached oeuvre should enjoy this respectful resurrection and, unlike 2004's 'Team America: World Police', the opportunity to introduce a new generation of children to the 'Tracy airwalk'. The covid-related provenance of the series makes for interesting reading. Do I still 'wish I was a spaceman'? Seven-five!
*Score and comments pertain to the first two series (12 episodes), watched on-line.
The Outfit (1973)
Good tough-guy thriller
Earl Macklin (Robert Duvall), fresh out of the joint, takes bloody and fiscal vengeance on the 'outfit' after his brother is clipped by a couple of hitmen for taking part in the robbing of a bank that was a front for the organisation. Duvall is as good as always, as is Joe Don Baker as Jack Cody, his partner, and Karen Black as Bett, his reluctant moll. Most of the bad guys are generic expendables but Robert Ryan manages to pull off a convincingly menacing boss. The neo-noir story is typical 'anti-hero' and other than Bett, everyone's a crook and/or a killer, all of whom appear to only differ by the degree with which criminal 'honour' guides their motives and actions. The simple plot holds together and the solid script is full of fine tough-guy talk. Low-lifes abound, dames get slapped around (in Macklin's world, all women seem to be weak, deceitful, and/or predatory) and the violence is grim (without being over the top). There aren't a lot of surprises and the ending is a bit weak (reportedly the studio insisted on a less bleak denouement). Not in the A-list of its time and type but should still entertain fans of the star or the genre.
Rodeo Dough (1940)
Dated but still amusing short
Sally and Mary (prolific character actresses Sally Payne and Mary Treen), a couple of dames hitching rides from Hollywood to Kokomo, sneak aboard a trailer containing a bull and end up at the star-studded Palm Springs rodeo where they show the cowboys a thing or two. The brief (10-minute) comedy gives the girls a few good lines but is mostly a showcase for the celebrity-studded rodeo. Most of the stars listed in the cast are 'just seen' ("and there's Micky Rooney"... etc.) and are not part of the story (and exception being an amusingly laconic Johnny Weissmuller who stops and gives the gals a lift in his gorgeous car (a real doozy) after Sally flashes a bit of road-side gam (à la Claudette Colbert)). Retro-fun that may leave you trying to figure out why Treen (especially her voice) seems soooo familiar.
Poor Things (2023)
A bit over-the-top and in love with its own grotesqueness, but still strangely fascinating
After a pregnant woman commits suicide, a mutilated surgeon (Willem Defoe) reanimates her body by replacing her dead brain with the living brain of her fetus, creating 'Bella Baxter' (Emma Stone), an adult with, literally, the 'mind of a child'. Opinions of Egress Lanthimos' pitch-black comedy range from transcendental brilliance to borderline pornography so be warned: there is a lot of nudity and (presumably) simulated sex, and as Bella has a child's brain, some people condemn the images as abuse because, despite her adult body and apparent autonomy, her mind remains incapable of consent). Whether current concepts of 'child', 'consent', 'autonomy' etc., can be applied to a fantasy scenario in which an adult, sexually-mature body contains the brain of a minor is debatable (and how would you deal with the reciprocal: a child's body housing an adult brain?). Whether the film is a pean to female empowerment or patriarchal exploitation wearing a feminist mask seems to be another on-line debate. Clearly Bella is meant to represent someone who does what she wants regardless of social norms (something children do naturally, further fueling the argument that Stone's character is a child and should be treated accordingly, regardless of her adult body and generally pragmatic, self-serving approach to satisfying her obviously adult sexual appetites). Moral conundrums aside, I like 'steam-punk', so greatly enjoyed the imagery of the strange world through which a rapidly maturing Bella travels, the score, set-designs and costumes are outstanding, and, like many commentators, I was very impressed by Stone's tour-de-force performance (although the part is a bit gimmicky). 'Poor Things' did well as the Oscars, continuing an entertaining trend for the Academy to dish out awards to increasingly weird movies (sexual encounters with fish-men in 2017 and hotdog fingers in 2022 come to mind).
Xi you fu yao pian (2017)
Disappointing follow-up to 'Conquering the Demons'
Demon-fighting Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang and his three demonic travelling companions Sha Wujing (a water demon), Zhu Bajie (a pig demon), and Sun Wukong (the powerful and unpredictable Monkey King) continue to have adventures as they travel West in search of the holy sutras. The film is a continuation of 2013's 'Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons', but while the first film was entertaining in a giddy, goofy way, this sequel is just loud and childish. The CGI is colourful, detailed and sometimes imaginative but imagery doesn't make up for a lackluster story, sophomoric acting, brutally unfunny 'comic relief, and, in general, terrible script (note: I watched an English-dubbed version). Too bad - I liked the first film.
Equinox (1970)
Excellent for what it is
Four young people end up in possession of an ancient book of evil spells that attracts demons. The film is an 80-minute expansion of producer/director Dennis Muren's 1967 short 'The Equinox ... A Journey into the Supernatural' and features elaborate (considering the provenance and budget) special effects including stop motion, matte paintings, split screens, and forced perspectives. The story is simple but diverting and the script relatively intelligent. Other than Frank Bonner (the future Herb Tarlek on 'WKRP in Cincinnati' (1978)), the main cast is borderline amateur although judging them may be unfair as the voices were supposedly looped in during post-production. The various monsters are entertaining, notably the strange Lovecraftian tentacled horror briefly seen at the beginning and the flying form of lead demon Asmodeus. Some scenes are a bit ludicrous (notably when a ridiculously leering and distorted Asmodeus (in human form) assaults one of the girls) but they don't detract from an ambitious, and ultimately successful, attempt to make a memorable horror-fantasy on a limited budget. Amusing to see this odd little cult-number joining the lengthy list of classics and A-listers in the Criterion Collection. Muren's career trajectory and the influence his film had on future genre-legends such as George Lucas and Sam Rami makes interesting reading.
Warlock (1959)
Typical western buttressed by an interesting story and good performances, especially by Henry Fonda
Clay Blaisdell (Henry Fonda), a skilled gunman who, along with his partner Tom Morgan (Anthony Quinn), works just inside the law to 'tame' the frontier, is invited by the mining town of Warlock to serve as Marshall and to deal with a crew of violent cowboys however he sees fit (there are parallels to the Wyatt Earp/Doc Holiday story; Fonda played Earp in 1946's 'My Darling Clementine'). Blaisdell is an interesting character and the trajectory that he predicts, then follows, from town saviour to town liability is the most interesting part of the story. He's also one of the few gunfighters in the genre who are shown diligently practicing their draw and shooting. Morgan, whose obsessive devotion to Clay has led to some speculation about the true nature about the relationship is also an interestingly ambivalent character. Most of the 'bad' cowboys are typical black-hats whose demises are predicable, although De Forest Kelly's droll Curley Burne is a bit more nuanced. Richard Widmark's formulaic Johnny Gannon, a guilt-stricken cowboy who breaks with the gang, 'goes straight' and ends up being the law, is the least interesting aspect of the story. The cinematography and 'action sequences' are nicely done but the pace is a bit slow at times and too much footage is spent on the less interesting side-stories, such as Blaisdell's romance with Jessie Marlow (Dolores Malone, who was almost 20 years younger than Fonda). Good, not great.
Taimu surippu 10000-nen: Puraimu Rôzu (1983)
Silly anime fun, disjointed and inexplicable but with a special treat
What appears to be a giant orbiting robot-head splits in half and the impact of the falling segments transports the cities of Dallas and Kujukuri 10,000 years into a desolate future in which (as discovered by time-patrol agent Gai and his bratty little brother Bunretsu) the survivors of the temporal jump struggle to survive in a world of warring cities and vast slave labour camps tasked with constructing colossal statues of demons and monsters. As loopy as that all that sounds, now add monstrous insects, dragons with giant distensible tongues that can turn people into stone, some kind of malevolent space-Satan, a sexy warrior-princess (Emiya) who dresses like a heroine from a 'Heavy Metal' comic (although with a somewhat less buxom physique), and what appears to be a clone of Mr. Spock. Little of this sci-fi book-ended 'sword and sorcery' tale makes much sense, especially the bathing scene: in the midst of the cartoonish adventures, juvenile humour, and silly imagery, Emiya suddenly takes a bath in a huge puddle, giving both young Bunretsu and we the viewers long, lingering looks at her breasts and backside. The scene seems jarringly out-of-place in what was to that point a kid's show (plus, Emiya's naked body seems a lot more voluptuous than would be predicted given her lack of pronounced curves when wearing her skimpy warrior outfit). The character of Rose Prime originated in a manga by Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astroboy and the film's animation resembles the old cartoon (which I loved back in the early 1960s). I am insufficiently familiar with the history of manga or anime to know whether this film was a significant contribution to the genre. Watched on Tubi with subtitles.
Oh, God! (1977)
Amusing relic from the '70s
The Lord (George Burns) elects to pass on his message to Mankind through the agency of grocery store manager Jerry Landers (John Denver), who, need-less-to-say, is looked upon with disbelief when he claims to be passing on the Devine Words. 'Oh, God!' is one of the quintessential comedies of the mid-1970s, an amusing, lightweight family-friendly film that succeeded largely due to octogenarian George Burns' classic dead-pan delivery. There are some funny lines, but the film is essentially an extended sit-com, as Jerry's life gets increasingly disrupted by religious zealots, skeptics, and lawsuits. The climatic 'non-revelation revelation' court scene makes for clever closure. A-list singer John Denver is fine as Jerry as is Terri Garr as his increasingly exasperated wife, but the film belongs to Burns. From a religious perspective, the theology is very progressive - it's in us to be good and everyone is right (except smarmy televangelists). Despite being around for the initial release, I only saw the film recently. Entertaining enough in a retro way but I doubt that I'll bother hunting down the two reputedly lack-lustre sequels.
Man of the West (1958)
Gritty transitional western*
Former hard-case out-law, now married sodbuster Link Jones (a too-old-for-the-part old Gary Cooper) is left behind along with saloon-singer Billie Ellis (Julie London) and card-sharp Sam Beasley (Arthur O'Connell) when their train is held up by a gang led by Jones' old boss and mentor-in-crime, Dock Tobin (Lee J. Cobb). An early entry in the 'revisionist' cycle of westerns, the characters are more ambiguous and the violence more visceral and graphic than most oaters of the time (notably the off-screen rape of Ellis), and the aging gunmen and ghost-towns give the film a bit of an 'end-of-an era' vibe. Cobb over-does the 'jocular black-hat' routine although later in the story, it's suggested that his character may be in the 'early stages of dementia' (to use modern terminology). Cooper is great but the story should have been tweaked to fit his age (at almost 60, Cooper was 10 years older than Cobb and plays a man with two young children). A young Jack Lord plays Coaley, the most vicious of Tobin's gang and Royal Dano has an interesting role as the murderous mute minion Trout. The story takes a while to get rolling and there are some overly-talky scenes, but the climatic shootout in the barren town of Lasso is a standout and well worth the wait. * 8 is generous but it's better than a 7.
Prey (2022)
Better than I expected (but I didn't expect much)
In the late 1700s, a 'Predator' who is set down for a hunting trip in the American west takes on rattlesnakes, wolves, grizzlies and Comanches. The cinematography is excellent, both when capturing the beautiful Southern Alberta scenery and when setting the scene and mood for the period-piece hunter: hunted storyline. Unfortunately, it's just another version of the iconic original: how to defeat a strong, fast, agile, remorseless alien armed with advanced weaponry, enhanced senses, and adaptive camouflage (i.e. A 'cloak of invisibility'). 'Prey' does better than the previous attempts to cash in on the fluorescent-blooded horror (faint praise: the previous sequels range from crap to absolute crap) and moving the action to a 'traditional culture' was an interesting twist. The 'action scenes' are generally good although the fights with the scurrilous French trappers (apparently the only people in the 1700s with bad teeth) and the climatic showdown were full of physics- and physiology-defying super-heroics, Elven levels of archery, and the silly yo-yo-tomahawk. I regret not watching the film in subtitled Comanche, the young actors' vernacular English didn't help the credibility of their characters (also not helped by their fine Hollywood teeth). The much-lauded Amber Midthunder was fine, but the role wasn't particularly demanding (she spends most of the film looking either scared or resolute) and the rest of the cast was serviceable. I was not overly-impressed at the 'big reveal' of this film's visualisation of the 'Predator' (whose bone hat I particularly disliked) - after 40 years, the original "ugly MF" has still not been surpassed. Having expected a crappy, heavy-handed 'message' movie, I got an OK, light-handed 'message' movie, and thus was both surprised and entertained. Rounded up to 7.
Overlord (1975)
Interesting low-budget anti-war film
The film follows British soldier Thomas Beddows (Brian Stirner) from his call-up, through basic training, and onto a landing craft off the coast of Normandy during 'Operation Overload', the allied invasion of fortress Europe on June 6, 1944. Though nicely done, the film doesn't add much to the extensive canon of war films that focus on young soldiers' lives from training to 'baptism under fire'. Much of the film's running time is well integrated stock-footage that serves to illustrate the magnitude and the horrors of the war that is flaring outside of Pte. Baddow's limited world rather than to buttress his story (i.e. It is not suggested that what we are 'seeing' is what he is experiencing). There are a number of premonition and dream sequences that interrupt the flow of the story and the ending comes as no surprise considering the overall bleak tone of the film. An interesting counterpoint to the big-budget WW2 epics of the 1960s and 70s.
Xi you: Xiang mo pian (2013)
Silly but entertaining take on the classic Chinese fantasy epic
Early in his enlightenment, young Buddhist monk Tang Sanzang fights demons (and other demon fighters) and, with the help of Buddha, recruits (conscripts?) the three 'demon-in-human-form' travelling companions that will eventually accompany him in his legendary 'Journey to the West': Sha Wujing (a water demon), Zhu Bajie (a pig demon), and the most powerful of the three, Sun Wukong (the Monkey King). Although clearly targeting the youth market, the cartoonish violence is occasionally bloody and unexpectedly harsh, and there are several sight-gags regarding sexual orientation (one involving a banana) that seem dated (at least by progressive 'Western' sensitivities). There are lots of hyperkinetic, highly-stylised, physics-defying fights that, like everything else in the film, are loud, colourful and over-the-top fun. Zhang Wen makes for an endearingly goofy, much abused hero who hopes to conquer evil by appealing to its good side, and who starts the story with a massive head of hair only to end up bald by the end. The three main demons and assorted demon-fighters are entertaining characters and on the distaff side, Shu Qi is amusing as the sexy, if not very feminine, demon-fighter Miss Daun, who falls in love with the chaste, earnest holy-man hero. I watched a subtitled version so can't really comment on the acting or actual script but I'm sure that it was fine for a fast-paced, lighthearted fantasy adventure. I have read an English version of 'Journey to the West' and seen other adaptations (but still only have a limited knowledge of the story and all of the associated lore and legends) and I enjoyed seeing the iconic characters and events get the CGI treatment.
Misiunea spatialã Delta (1984)
Odd little animated Romanian space-opera
The launch of the intergalactic starship 'Delta' is disrupted when the highly sophisticated computer A. I. that controls the ship falls in obsessive love with Alma (voiced by Mirela Gorea-Chelaru), a beautiful, green-skinned reporter. Things get more complicated with the giant spherical vessel suddenly disappears and the lovelorn A. I. starts sending out robots to procure the verdant vamp (who is accompanied by 'Tin', her two-legged omnivorous space-pet). The film is fun, albeit not particularly sophisticated in story or execution. The animation is reminiscent of the old Krantz Films cartoons such as 'Rocket Robin Hood' (1966), most notably in the colourful abstract backgrounds, the imaginative but simplistic 'tech' designs, occasional inconsistencies in scale, recycling of footage (especially in the 'action sequences'), and overall lack of smoothness and precision when characters are moving. There is also a touch of early 'anime' style, primarily in the blurry way Tin moves when rushing from place to place. For a very basic animated character, Alma is surprisingly sexy in her form-fitting spacesuit and Tin's antics may amuse little kids but none of the rest of the characters are very interesting. The best parts of the story are when Alma is forced down on a hostile planet with a vibrant surreal background (that reminded me of 1960s sci-fi paperback covers) that is inhabited by nicely conceived very alien creatures. All-in-all, 'Delta Space Mission' is more interesting than entertaining (largely due to its Iron Curtain provenance) but still worth watching and oddly memorable (I'm starting to get what Kirk saw in green-skinned space babes). Streamed on Kanopy 06/24.
Messiah of Evil (1974)
Moody but not much more
Concerned that her artist-father's letters have become increasingly incoherent and bizarre, a young woman (Arletty, played by Marianna Hill) travels to a remote town in search of him, only to find that the horrors that he claimed to be experiencing were in fact real. The film has a real early-70s vibe (especially the fashions) and more than a passing resemblance some of the era's horror-focussed giallo. The plot wanders, there a lot of 'dead spots' (no pun intended) in the narrative flow, and some of the characters/acting are borderline amateur (notably Joy Bang's dopey groupie Toni), but there are some really memorable moments, notably the
"Ralphies" scene. Anyone who has gone to an all-night supermarket in the wee hours will attest that the most banal environments can become disquieting, creepy, sometimes near surreal, when empty and silent. The production's mise a scene is very effective, with the scattering of stylised portrait-paintings that perhaps mirrors the strange townsfolk and the deadly calm of the beach at night. Too bad the 'circle back' ending is so unsatisfying. Best watched alone, late at night, in the dark, and when tired and suggestible.
Onna ga kaidan wo agaru toki (1960)
Affecting tale of a woman living a life she hates
Keiko (Hideko Takamine), a Tokyo bar hostess tries to survive in a competitive business that measures success by the ability to please men and to support her needy and demanding family while attempting to raise enough money to open her own establishment without dishonouring the memory of her dead husband by offering herself to potential investors. Mikio Naruse's portrait of a sad woman working in world that she dislikes is both poignant and beautifully made. Takamine (whom I really liked in Keisuke Kinoshita's two 'Carmen' comedies) is excellent portraying the increasingly desperate, increasingly resigned hostess. The rest of the cast is equally good and I really enjoyed the look at Tokyo's famed Ginza district in the late 1950s. The film's depiction of women working on the fringe of Japan's sex-industry and the frequently exploitive, unfeeling men with whom their profession demands that they favour reflects themes frequently touched on by Naruse's contemporary Kenji Mizoguchi.
Valdez Is Coming (1971)
Solid Burt Lancaster revisionist oater
When attempting to diffuse a tense standoff, Bob Valdez (Burt Lancaster), a half-Mexican constable is deceived and forced to gun down an innocent man in self-defence. Remorseful, Valdez attempts to collect money from the local citizens to help the dead man's Apache wife but is met with first racist contempt and then with brutal violence, forcing the quiet-spoken old man dust off his Sharps buffalo gun and to fall back on the tracking and killing skills he honed while hunting Indians for the U. S. cavalry. Lancaster is pretty good in 'brown-face' affecting a Hollywood Mexican accent (casting that would likely be unacceptable these days) and Valdez is an interesting character: an aging killer with deep feelings of guilt. The transition between his two 'extremes': from a humble old man dressed in black begging for alms on behalf of a widow to a methodical killer in a cavalry uniform willing and able to gun-down men thousand yards away without warning, seems a bit abrupt (others have compared it to Clark Kent donning the tights and cape). Based on a book by Elmore Leonard, the story is quite good and there are lots of memorable 'action sequences' (notably the 'crucifixion scene that I vividly remembered from having seen the film back in the 1970s). The rest of the cast is fine (especially Barton Heyman) although Jon Cypher shovels on the egregious nastiness of lead black-hat 'Frank Turner' a bit thick. The 'twist' towards the ending very good, and if close attention was paid, somewhat foreshadowed (see other comments about this) but ultimately, I didn't feel that there was sufficient secondary-character development to really carry it off. I found the film's final shots, which I'll admit were a brave attempt at being a different and unpredictable, to be unsatisfying. One of the last of the 'A-list' westerns featuring stars from Hollywood's 'golden age'
9 (2009)
A fine post-apocalyptic sock-puppet adventure
Nine strange doll-like entities living in a post-apocalyptic wasteland fight to survive after they unintentionally awaken the machine that had destroyed the world. The surreal feature-length film was based on Shane Acker's outstanding 2005 UCLA student project (a 10-minute short, also entitled '9', available on-line). The story is simple and a bit inexplicable in places, but entertaining and fast moving. The machine-punk imagery is outstanding and the odd little ragdoll heroes manage to be quite engaging despite a competent but A-list but somewhat bland voice-cast (the characters in the original short were mute, which I preferred). Dark, unsettling but beautiful to watch.
9 (2005)
Fabulous, surreal student film
In a grim post-apocalyptic world full of broken toys, rotting buildings and decaying machinery, '9', a mute doll-like creature, tries to outwit a horrific cat-like mechanoid that has been killing and draining the life-force of the other doll-like denizens of the urban wasteland. Made as a UCLA student project by Shane Acker, the short film is excellent, with a surreal, machine-punk look (all CGI), an engaging hero, and a simple but interesting story with a surprisingly poignant ending, Expanded in 2009 into a feature-length film of the same name that extends the ragged rag-dolls' universe, multiplies the enemies they face, and gives them the gift of speech (courtesy of a A-list voice-cast). Perhaps 'apples to oranges', but IMO the short is the better of the two films.
Don't Look Now (1973)
Creepy but ultimately unsatisfying
Following the drowning death of their daughter, a young couple (Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland) travel to Venice where they encounter a blind psychic who claims to have reached the dead girl's spirit and watch the bodies of murdered women being pulled out of the canals. Soon the husband begins to have strange visions. Nicholas Roeg's subtle supernatural thriller (based on a story by Daphne du Maurier) makes excellent use of the photogenic Italian city, seen as maze of endless passageways, dead-ends, pigeons, and above all, the ubiquitous water. The storyline is interesting and full of 'red herrings' but I found the cryptic ending to be a bit of a letdown, despite an effective 'boo!' moment.
Re-Animator (1985)
Gleefully gruesome
Within the storied halls of Miskatonic University, medical students Herbert West (Jeffery Combs) and Dan Cain (Bruce Abbot) experiment with a serum that brings the dead back to life, or at least to some kind of grotesque reanimated quasi-life. Their work quickly attracts the scientific avarice of Dr Hall (David Gale), the school's generally loathsome academic heavy-hitter, who ends up more involved in the experiments than he planned. Along for the ride is sexy scream-queen Barbara Crampton, who spends much of the proceedings in various states of undress while being ghoulishly abused (including the infamous 'dead-head-head' scene). Coombs nails West's creepy aura of nerdy menace and the rest of the cast is fine in the undemanding roles typical of exploitation flics. The over-the-top carnage is delivered with just sufficient severed-tongue-in-cheek to be eye-rolling fun. Excellent midnight fodder for the right audience and, for the wrong audience, the film courteously offers an early warning (in the form of exploding eyeballs) that a prompt exit might be in order Followed by a couple of purportedly lack-lustre direct-to-video sequels. I gave the film an '8' partly because it is so much better than most of its ilk.
Men in War (1957)
Good, gritty low-budget war pic
In the early days of the Korean War, an exhausted Lt. Benson (Robert Ryan) and his platoon are cut-off and surrounded by enemy soldiers when their truck is wrecked. Knowing that their survival depends on being able to fight, Benson orders the men to carry the heavy cases of ammo as they trudge towards the American lines on a distant hill. Soon they encounter a jeep that surly sergeant 'Montana' Willomet (Aldo Ray) is using to transport a shell-shocked officer to safety. The tough, experienced NCO is loath to give up his vehicle, which Benson requisitions to carry the platoon's supplies, or to take orders from a Lieutenant but all soon realise that cooperation is essential if anyone is going to live out the day. The film is a tough example of the 'men under fire' genre as the desperate, and ever-diminishing, platoon is subject to guerilla attacks, sniper fire, mines, and artillery before discovering that the way to safety is blocked by two North Korean machine gun positions. Although a bit melodramatic at times, the film is a tough portrayal of the harsh realities of war as the nominal heroes commit what would likely be considered war-crimes (shooting prisoners, using captured enemy soldiers to clear minefields) in order to survive. Ryan is very good, as is Ray, and the rest of the all-male cast are serviceable as the disparate GIs. With neither the budget nor the military support needed for large combat set-pieces, director Anthony Mann focuses on the tired and scared men as they trudge along (through Bronson Canyon) and deal with threats, often unseen, and each other's weaknesses. Released after the cessation of hostilities in Korea, the film is much less jingoistic than Hollywood's usual offerings but does contain frequent racial slurs that, although likely 'realistic', may bother some modern viewers. Based on the WW2 novel 'Day Without End' (1949) by Van Van Praaag. As far as I can tell, the florid line on the poster "...I'll fill your guts with lead!" is not uttered in the film.
Fireball XL5: Space Magnet (1963)
Real boss episode
Steve, Matt and Venus investigate a missing spaceship that may be tied in with the mysterious changes in the moon's orbit. Sixty years ago, I was furious with my parents for making me go to my aunt's just as I spotted the wreckage of Fireball XL7 on the conveyer belt at the mysterious planet's power station. I have since recovered from that trauma but finally got around to seeing how the episode ended (thanks to Tubi and the Google). It's a pretty typical outing for the old Supermarionation space-heroes: Steve does the heavy thinking, Matt provides some comic relief and Venus proves that 100 years hence, women are still doing the domestic chores. Fireball XL5 was my favorite show when I was a little kid, and while "Space Magnet' was not worth harbouring a grudge for six decades, it was worth finally finishing. I still wish I was a spaceman.