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General: [Sticky] What's the last movie you've seen?
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At cineclub last night "Rancho Notorious" (Fritz Lang, USA 1952)
All the universe of Lang in a western, lonelyness, revenge, secret societies, a great directing with the ten first minutes (always the most important ones in Lang's movies) with all the clues for the rest of the story... A dark tale of revenge, very pessimistic, a movie made like a greek tragedy with doom, and a ballad that rythms the story like an ancient chorus... The acting is good especialy Marlene Dietrich of course and Mel Ferrer. A very good movie even if often under-rated... 9/10. -
ON screen watched two masterpieces :
"Stachka" (aka Strike) (Sergei M. Eisenstein, USSR 1925)
A powerfull masterpiece wonderfully directed and edited (the editing was the most important thing for Eisenstein) especially the first half of the movie wich is heavyly inflenced by futurism and constructivism in his way of filming... The second part is more didactic and a bit less impressive. 9/10.
"The Swimmer" (Frank Perry, USA 1968)
a wonderfull and mysterious often missundertood movie (the kitsch of several scenes (completly deliberate) is sometime very surprising) with a bunch of telescopic metaphors, and an unexpected and very sad ending, a bitter critic of american way of life, hypocrisy and selfishness, with a great Burt Lancaster in a awsome tour de force of acting (it is his favourite role dixit himself) his role can be considered as the matching one and the deconstruction of the one he had in From Here to Eternity (1953) (he did all the movie in bathing suite... ) If you don't have allready watched it, just do it...It's perhaps the most strange vision of hell ever made. 10/10 -
"L'invincibile Superman" (aka Superargo and the Faceless Giants) (Paolo Bianchini, Italy 1968)
The second and last (what a pity) adventure of Superargo. A delicioulsely dated and kitsch movie of a superhero Superargo who is a sort of mix between Superman, Santo and James Bond... The italian response to the mode of masked heroes. Further more Superargo has devellopped psychic power... A perfect hero indeed with a nice red suit and an black mask. Here he's fighting a mad scientist and his pretty assistant who have a troup of radio guided robots and who kidnap wrestlers, attack banks, without a precise plan neighter clear objectives... but who cares ?? Certainly not Superargo who will stop them... Truelly entertaining this little movie is a must to see for all Bis Fans. 6,5/10 for Bis fans 9/10 at least.
"Little Caesar" (Mervyn LeRoy, USA 1931)
A wonderfull gangster movie, one of the best, with a great Edward G. Robinson who perfectly plays the rise and fall of Rico, a small thief who'll try to become the boss... The direction of LeRoy is very interresting and often inventive and will be very important later, at the time of Film Noir. 9,5/10. -
Paul (2011) 5/10
Occasionally funny, but it often feels like a routine job. Zombie movie parody? Check. Police movie parody? Check. Science fiction movie parody? Check. What's next?
Lugares Comunes [Common Ground] (2002) 6/10
A not very memorable Argentinian movie about an idealistic professor of literature sent into early retirement and then trying to cope with all the changes in his life this triggers.
Bunny and the Bull (2009) 6/10
Too long and sometimes slightly boring, but nevertheless a pleasant little imaginative and playful movie about a shut-in reliving a trip through Europe.
Pecados de mi padre [Sins of my Father] (2009) 7/10
Documentary about the son of Colombian drug cartel leader Pablo Escobar (killed in 1993), living in exile in Buenos Aires, and trying to be reconciled with the sons of two politicians his father had murdered. Insightful use of archival news footage, home videos and family photos.
Autobiografia lui Nicolae Ceausescu [The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu] (2010) 7/10
Three hours of archive footage from Ceausescu's propaganda films, showing him delivering speeches, meeting foreign politicians, inspecting shops, enjoying holidays, etc. The stuff is shown in chronological order, with only the original sound (and often no sound at all). No narrative, no voice over. The idea was apparently that the images should speak for themselves. Conceptually, that may be a justifiable position, in reality it's a mistake. A documentary needs editing. The viewer needs context. There is still plenty of stunning imagery, but, man, this could have been so much better... -
"4D Man" (Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr., USA 1959)
A Small B movie with a mad scientist who discovers a way to reach the fourth dimension and then he can go through walls and fences. But this had sides effects on him for example he is growing older very fast, faster and faster then he have to go through people to drain thier life-energy, they die becoming very old in one minute... it causes also brain damages and the hero is going completly mad... A small B movie who is a bit too long at the beginning (the love story is a bit too long and very classical) but when the transformation begins the movie is very entertaining and full of suspence... the transformation and the mental and physical changes are well done and the drama of the situation of the mad doctor is well shown. So a small B worth of watching. Note that the little girl in rose dress who speaks to the 4D man is Patty Duke, very young here (13 years old) 3 years later she'll get an oscar (for her wonderfull acting in "The Miracle Worker")... 6,5/10 -
"One Million B.C." (Hal Roach Jr. & Hal Roach, USA 1940)
This movie deals with the adventures of the young prehistoric hunter Tumak (A young Victor Mature) fired from his primitive tribe and who meet Loana (beautifull, and tragical B queen Carole Landis) a member of a must advanced tribe (yes the story is the same as "La Guerre du feu" (Quest for fire, 1981)). They will have many adventures and then the two tribes will learn from each others. The plot is very similar with the one of "Quest for Fire" and even the dialogs are the same (they all speack prehistorical languages), a nice love story at the stone age. The movie is of course cheaply made with few means but is pleasant. Mature and Landis are very cute and convincing in thier role. The directing is not bad with lot of action. A good B 7/10. -
"Blonde Ice" (Jack Bernhard, USA 1948)
The first movie about a female serial killer... Claire Cummings (Leslie Brooks) is a pretty young ambicious journalist... She marries a millionnair and the day of the wedding he surprises her kissing an ex-lover Les (Robert Paige). Then he want to divorce but she kill him before to keep the money... But the alibi she has will lead her to kill and kill again. Well directed by Bernhard a director who'll had a meteoritic carrer in hollywood drirecting 12 B movies in five years (1946-1950) and then completly disappear. He's mainly known for the strange movie "Decoy" the good noir "The Hunted" and a colorfull adventure movie "Unknown Island". Here the acting of Brooks is excellent and we feel well her transformation in a more and more unmercyfull killer. Her ambition makes her abandoning all feeling of guiltyness or pity... cold like Ice... A good B 7,5/10.
"The Duel at Silver Creek" (Don Siegel, USA 1952)
A very entertaining B western directed by the great Siegel. A story of a gang who kill goldseakers after they force them to sell thier mines. A marshal, Lightning Tyrone (Stephen McNally) want to stop them but is injured and can't shoot with his right hand anymore, he engages the young Silver Kid (Audie Murphy) who want to find the thieves too because they killed his father. But Lightning fall in love with the pretty Opal Lacy (Faith Domergue) who is in fact the girl of the chief of the thieves... A short western full of action, pursuits, gunfights... with good actors, all B stars (a,d a young Lee Marvin with a small role). A good one. 7,5/10. -
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) 4/10
Well, yeah, there is some fun in things like the editing, the lyrics and the comments on Toronto, but overall it's a badly acted, irrelevant and ridiculous story.
Kâbê [Kabei: Our Mother] (2008) 6/10
The story of a Japanese family in the late '30s and early '40s. Father is imprisoned for being an intellectual who has committed 'thought crimes' (i.e. opposing the war against China), mother is trying to raise her two young daughters on her own, or with the help of some relatives and friends. A slice-of-life without much plot (based on the autobiography of the youngest daughter), it's not a terribly exciting film.
Lake Tahoe (2008) 6/10
Teenager crashes the family car in a deserted Mexican suburb and spends a day trying to find the spare part to get it going again. In the process, he meets some odd characters. Long takes, slow pace and little dialogue, but actually quite convincing.
En ganske snill mann [A Somewhat Gentle Man] (2010) 7/10
Wonderful dark comedy in the best Nordic tradition.
Attenberg (2010) 9/10
Touching, intriguing, energetic, provocative, carefully constructed and whimsical: this movie about the behaviour of a 23-year-old Greek girl and her dying single parent father is a lot of things at the same time, but never conventional. -
- CommentAuthortheoffice911
- CommentTimeApr 25th 2011 edited
I know there are lots of Kubrick fans over here, so if you are near Paris don't miss this great exposition I had an awesome time !!! You can learn a lot about the master and there are tons of stuff that were used for the movies (fountain-girls of A Clockwork Orange, axe of Shining, helmet of Full Metal Jacket, the bomb of Dr Strangelove, HAL9000, lots of costumes and so on...)
http://www.cinematheque.fr/fr/expositions-cinema/kubrick/ -
Many things this last week.
"The Toxic Avenger"
(Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman, USA 1984). the first succes of the Troma. I watched this one when I was a kid and re-watched it in cinema in Lyon last week. A parody of gore and super hero movie still very funny. The 80's look of the actors, the absurdity of the plot and a french dubbed version made it truelly hilarious... 6/10 (for B fans 9/10)
"Matinee"
(Joe Dante, USA 1993). A very nice movie (which had no success even if one of the best of Dante). A moving hommage to a forgotten cinema, to the B movies Dante's watched as a child and wich gave him the will to do it later, hommage to William Castle too, the great B movie producer/director and king of the gimmick... all on a background on Cuba's crisis... Great one. 8,5/10.
"The Children's Hour" (William Wyler, USA 1961)
A masterpiece (we proposed it in our cineclub) on the difficult subject of homosexuality between two women. Also a great critic of puritanism. Even if Wyler had to make some concessions the strenght of the movie is still there. Some equences are especialy awsome and very well directed (especialy the silencious ones, the last sequences too) Audrey Hepburn and Shirley McLane are wonderfull. 9,5/10
"Beyond the Time Barrier" (Edgar G. Ulmer, USA 1960)
Once more Ulmer was in advance, his movie (a rarity) goes on screen just before the George'Pal's superproduction "The time Machine". Her a man is projected in the future, a very dark future... The screanplay is very interresting, but of course Ulmer had no means to direct this movie... by the way the settings are very original with an obsession of the triangle wich gives to the spectator a strange feeling (Ulmer was also a great set decorator). A strange Z sci-fi movie to discover. 7/10
"Zombies of Mora Tau" (Edward L. Cahn, USA 1957).
A pure Z movie of explorers who want to get diamonds kept on the ocean floor by a bunch of zombies sailors... For Z fans only by a master of the genre. 5/10.
"The Amazing Colossal Man" (Bert I. Gordon, USA 1957)
Another Z movie of a man who becomes a 60 feet giant after an atomic explosion and who will make some collateral damages. 5,5/10
"Fantômas" (Pál Fejös, France 1932). The less known adaptation of the famous character. This movie proves that France could also make B movies. The acting of some characters is very bad, but the screanplay is interessant. A curiosity hard to watch. 6/10
"Morocco" (Josef von Sternberg, USA 1930).
A wonderfull love story between to great actors Gary Cooper and of course Marlène Dietrich. Wonderfull directing, very fine analysis of human heart, with a good dose of cynisism and humour, in great settings. 9/10
"The Cheat" (Cecil B. DeMille, USA 1915).
Even if uncredited, everybody knows that this movie is one of the best of DeMille. A very wierd story of a woman corrupted by an evil rich man from Burma. Even if the racism of DeMille is obvious, the acting performance of Sessue Hayakawa (take a look at his actor's carreer, you'll be impressed) and Fannie Ward is awsome. The directing is good especialy the scenes in the dark and with the shadows, very impressive and with a strong dose of erotism unusual at this time. 8/10 -
@RDPL55: Finally someone who can recognize my "Zombies of Mora Tau" shots :) However, they almost all got rejected, so I gave up on that movie quite some time ago.
I watched The Little Foxes (William Wyler, USA 1941) yesterday. A great drama about intrigues in a southern family in the year 1900. The movie got 9 Oscar nominations but unfortunately didn't win one. It's a mistery to me, because Bette Davis is just flawless in this movie. What an actress! 8/10
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"Lost Continent" (Sam Newfield, USA 1951)
A small B movie which mixes cold war and prehistoric. Searching for a lost rocket, soldiers and scientists got lost on an unknown Island full of uranium and dinosaurs... A classic of the genre, with all the clichés which go with entertaining with, a "green" film when they are in the jungle, some interesting scenes (the climbing, the earthquake) and cheap special effects. The casting is good with the great Cesar Romero, John Hoyt and the cute Hillary Brooke in a too short appearance... 7/10
"Corridors of Blood" (Robert Day, UK 1958).
A very interresting movie with Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee (they'll do only two movies together). In the middle of XIX century Karloff is a famous surgeon who want to prove that it is possible to make painless surgery with anesthesia. But he has to test his theory on himself and get a opium addict losing his mind committing murders with bodysnatchers. A very good varition on the theme of Jekyll and Hyde and the story of Burke & Hare (Lee is wonderfull as a maniac killer who asphyxes his victims with a pillow or slaughter them with a big knife). A nice picture of the downtown of London, good directing of Day and great acting of Karloff who perfectly shows the disintregation of the character of the doctor... Nice B movie with some means indeed. 8/10. -
"Two Lost Worlds" (Norman Dawn, USA 1951)
Pure Z movie but very entertaining which shameless mixes pirate adventures, romance, a bit western and prehistoric movies... Incredible screenplay, directing using a lote of stock shots (for example all the prehistoric sequences azre taken from One Million B.C. (1940) i commented before... Acting is not as bad as it could have been and it's funny to see a young James Arness before he become famous as Matt Dillon in the famous movie Gunsmoke (1955). A good one for B fans. 6/10 (for fans 8,5/10).
"Children of the damned" (Anton Leader, UK 1964)
A frightening classic of Sci-Fi/Horror of the 60's...very creepy screenplay, nice directing with some impressive sequences in the abadonned church, or in a London which seems completly deserted very nice b&w photography by Davis Boulton... a small dose of british humour and nice acting. 8/10
"A High Wind in Jamaica" (Alexander Mackendrick, UK 1965)
I watched it today on screen... Mackendrick is deffinitively too rare on screen (and DVD too indeed). Very few of this great director is watchable and that's a pity. This movie is an example. Made for all family it's a very nice and moving movie of a group o children kidnapped by pirates as they travel to England... They will discover the life on a boat, and the life itself by an incredible travel through the seas, harbors, ports, taverns... they will discover the world of the adults through the violence, the supersitions... and will stay alive thanks to the captain Chavez (Anthony Quinn) who will take a liking to them espacialy the young Emily... till the cruel and very sad ending... The directing is good with nice scenes on the boat, the acting is good especialy Quinn and Coburn (The second of Chavez) and the young Emily (Deborah Baxter) A movie and a director to (re-)discover. 9/10. -
Taken (2008) 3/10
Total crap action thriller. Well no, actually not a thriller, because from the very start it is clear that ex-CIA agent Liam Neeson will hunt down and kill all the bad guys who kidnapped his daughter in Paris in the blink of an eye, because, hey, that's what American secret agents do. Still a few points, since the acting is less preposterous than the script.
Aberdeen (2000) 5/10
Road movie in which an estranged father and daughter - alcoholic Skellan Skarsgard and coke addict and young urban professional Lena Heady - travel from Oslo to Aberdeen to meet their dying one time wife and mother (Charlotte Rampling) for the last time. Alas, director Hans Petter Moland falls in the trap of over-dramatizing, filling every minute of the trip with outbursts of various kinds.
Mammuth (2010) 5/10
Road movie in which Gérard Depardieu is a lame nutcase trying to sort out his state pension. Flimsy story and only odd characters. So light it gets pointless.
Samaria [The Samaritan Girl] (2004) 6/10
Like other Kim Ki-duk movies, this one is clever in confining the story, but this tale of self-sacrifice, shame and punishment is also too far-fetched to be really convincing.
Monsters (2010) 6/10
A photographer and his boss's daughter need to cross a zone in northern Mexico inhabited by some alien life form. The film has some weaknesses, like the aliens only showing up when it's dark so we can't see anything, the unexplained recklessness of the characters at one or two decisive moments, the absence of sparks in the romantic part of the story, and the all too obvious social criticism. Its strength lies in its sort of mellow atmosphere - in the music, the cinematography, the acting.
The Station Agent (2003) 7/10
Delicate little debut film about some lonely souls in New Jersey slowly finding some friendship.
Lille Soldat [Little Soldier] (2009) 7/10
Traumatized female Danish soldier returns home from some international mission, starts working as driver and bodyguard in her father's escort business and then decides to interfere. But what's good and bad in this complex world of damaged people? Some clichés, but no moralism and a brilliant title role for Trine Dyrholm.
An Education (2009) 7/10
Teenage girl in the 1960s in London is seduced by a charming 35-year-old man. Very predictable, but also very well made and enjoyable. Well, maybe 24-year-old Carey Mulligan playing a 16-year-old schoolgirl isn't entirely convincing.
Irréversible (2002) 9/10
A film that hits you like a hammer blow. It's horrifying, but for a good reason and, I would say, artistically totally defendable. Which doesn't mean that it's pleasant to watch. But rage hasn't been depicted any better than here. -
Lincoln Lawyer, 89/100 - along with Source Code best movie of the year so far. I can't believe that Mcconaughey actually delivered good performance. Great cast, music and a lot of twist and turns.
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"Goyôkiba: Oni no Hanzô yawahada koban" (aka "Razor 3: Who's Got the Gold?"). (Yoshio Inoue, Japan 1974)
The third (and last) part of the adventures of Hanzo, the dirty Harry of shoguns's time... The inspector Hanzo is an expert of martial arts and also has a very big dick, and sometimes has to use it to get confessions... Here he's investigating on the desappearance of gold in the shogun's treasure... and some female ghosts who are haunting the lake...Very entertainning movie mixes of detective movie, with lot of sword fights, humour, and a touch of erotism... very interresting. 8/10
"Schock" (aka Shock) (Mario Bava, Italy 1977)
Not the best Bava indeed but the master of terror is still very effective in this movie... very terrifying with lot of suspence... A strange plot with an obscure story of murder, psychiatry and telekinesis... Daria Nicolodi one of Argento's favourite actress is here very convoncing in the role of a woman becoming completly mad... the ending is surprising... to discover 7,5/10 -
"The crawling Hand" (Herbert L. Strock, USA 1963).
A pure Z movie with an incredible plot : A rocketship with two astronauts is victim of cosmic rays... one of the astronaut ask to destroy the rockership because he's contaminated and transform into a killer creature... the base destroy the rocket... but a teenager and medicine student, Paul, and his girlfriend find the arm of the astronaut on the beach... he put it in the fridge but the hand is toill alive and begin to strangle all around.... Paul is soon contaminated and begin to transform in a killer creature... Yes it's not very good but fun. The directing is not so bad and some says that it could have been the first movie of Burt Reynolds who was screen-tested for the role of Paul... 6/10.
"Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc." (John English & William Witney, USA 1941)
The last serial of Dick Tracy and the best one. An increduble story of revenge of a mysterious character "The Ghost" who want to kill the men who condamned his brother to the electric chair. The ghost is helped by the Dr. Lucifer who created a machine who can make invisible... Very entertaining with lot of action, gunfights pursuits.. directed by the masters of the Republic serials, Ralph Byrd is once more Tracy and very good as usual... A good serial 8/10.
"Wild Boys of the Road" (William A. Wellmann, USA 1933)
Another pre-code gem movie with strong social commitment. The story of teenagers pushed on the road because of the Great Depression, their struggle for survive, the hostillity of the railroad company employees, the cops... A very strong movie excellent even if the end is a bit too happy and artificial (on purpose I supose) the message is obvious (the producers you know...) 9/10. -
"Come rubare la corona d'Inghilterra" (aka The Incredible Paris Incident, aka Argoman the Fantastic Superman, aka...) (Sergio Grieco, Italy 1967)
Simply incredible ! One of the most laughable movie ever... simply pathetic. This movie makes "Plan 9" out to be a masterpiece... Incredible ridiculous plot of the adventures of a Super Hero (Argoman) who fight agains a (pretty) Villain Jenabell who of course want to be the master of the world... Pathetic dialogs, lot of machist talks and scenes, ridiculous yellow suite of Argoman, pathetic fights, a pathetic robot all the ingredients of a must of the Z and that's it... 1,5/10 (for the robot) for Z fans 10/10 at least... Soon news about Supersonic man, said to be worst... ;) -
Towelhead (2007) 2/10
Very embarrassing movie written and directed by the writer of American Beauty. It has some of the same themes as the earlier movie, but hopelessly fails to find the right tone to address them.
One Week (2008) 5/10
Failed Canadian writer hears he's got terminal cancer and sets off on a motorcycle trip through the country in search of the meaning of it all. But this all turns out to be a pretext for director Michael McGowan to demonstrate his pride for his country. We're served a touristic view of the country whereas plot-wise nothing much happens.
The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) 6/10
We've seen it all before: half-corrupt street-wise defense attorney is caught in a set-up and needs dirty tricks and violent friends to get out of trouble and solve his case in an acceptable manner. Entertaining, but also very average.
R (2010) 7/10
Grim and brutal Danish prison movie that came out shortly after the French Un prophète - which it resembles in many ways in the first half of the film. But after this similar start, R moves in an opposite direction, very cleverly amplified by an unexpected shift in perspective towards the end of the film.
Inside Job (2010) 9/10
In the seventies we had these paranoid thrillers in which ordinary citizens tried to fight the invincible evil power named the 'military industrial complex'. Today we have a very real documentary explaining how the American financial industry enriches itself in a perverse way, caused the 2008 crash and gets away with it. And the bad news is: there's no power left outside this industry - which is financing virtually all relevant political, institutional and academic players - that is capable of stopping it. Therefore, more than a film about a corrupt profession, this is a film about a corrupt state. -
- CommentAuthormarinaraujo
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2011 edited
I took this weekend to watch some classics of the horror, and it was VERY worth it!
Night of the Living Dead (1968) - Nice, must have been very shocking by the time it was released and it's a good film for people who like zombies films. :D Quite entretaining but well, it's more funny than scary. 6,5/10
Suspiria (1977) - My first Argento and I'm definetely gonna watch more from him. Such an awesome soundtrack! Very beautiful and at the same time spookier than the film itself haha. The colours are awesome and the story is well built, but the ending threw me a bit off it. 7/10
Poltergeist (1982) - Can't describe it using a better word than AWESOME. Really really liked it. 9/10
Scream (1996) - Good film but then again the ending was sort of disappointing. 7/10 -
Some movies I watched recently...
"Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb" (Michael Carreras, UK 1964)
A small movie of the Hammer. The tale of some explorers who bring back to London a mummy and a curse of course. John Bray (Ronald Howard) and his fiancée Annette Dubois (Jeanne Roland) meet on the boat back the strange and charming Adam Beauchamp (Terence Morgan) who’s in fact the cursed brother of the mummy damned to eternal life because he killed his brother… Now he wants to recover peace but only if he’s killed by his own brother… So the mummy must come to life again… Not a bad Hammer but certainly not the best. 6/10.
"Sweeny Tod : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (George Dibdin-Pitt &Frederick Hayward, UK 1936)
First adaptation of the classic tabloid legend from the early 1800’s. The main role is played by Tod slaughter (the well named !!) the british Karloff-Lugosi… The movie is cheaply made but very creepy and entertaining. Slaughter is definitively a mad actor with sadistic faces and laugh. The direction is not bad and other actors not as bad as expected. A good B. 7/10.
"Dead Men Walk" (Sam Newfield, USA 1943).
A small PRC B movie by a master of the genre in which the great George Zucco plays the role of evil twin brothers Elwyn and Lloyd Clayton. Lloyd killed his own brother because he was a satanist. But now he comes back from the grave and want a revenge… Weird screenplay, nice directing and a performance of Zucco make this small movie a good B 7/10.
"The Monster Maker" (Sam Newfield, USA 1944).
Another Sam Newfield/PRC product which deals with a mad doctor who inoculates acromegaly to a famous pianist to get his daughter who looks like his deceased wife (he killed her indeed…). A completely weird story with an excellent J. Carrol Naish as the mad Doctor Markoff… 6,5/10
"Deadly is the Female" (Joseph H. Lewis, USA 1950)
I re-watched this wonderful movie which is one of the best B movies ever and a wonderful film noir (which anticipates Bonnie and Clyde). A terrifying story of love, passion and death, the fatum of film noir at it ‘s best (with Ulmer’s Detour, They live by night and some others). John Dale and Peggy Cummings are simply excellent. The directing of Lewis is simply huge (see for example the famous scene of the bank robbery simply incredible). A must 9,5/10.
"The Screaming Skull" (John Kneubuhl, USA 1958)
A very entertaining small B horror movie with the story of a young couple Eric and Jenny (John Hudson & Peggy Webber) who comes back to the house of the previous wife of Eric. But Jenny (who is fragile and was sometimes in sanitarium) begins to hear and see a screaming skull !! And who is Mickey the gardener who is still so devoted to the deceased woman ? In fact Eric want to frighten Jenny to put her back in sanitarium and keep the money… but is there only one skul… Very creepy movie still frightening. The movie is also known because of the advertizing at the time which promise to pay your burial if you died during the movie… and for the first sequence too (with the empty coffin for the poor spectator… A good B 7/10.
"Dr Renault’s Secret" (Harry Lachman, USA 1942)
The young Dr. Larry Forbes (Shepperd Strudwick) comes to France to visit his fiancée Madelon Renault (Lynne Roberts) the daughter of the famous Dr. Renault (George Zucco) He’s driven to Renault’s place by a strange man Noël (J. Carrol Naish) and meets also a weird gardener Rogell (the great Mike Mazurki). Some murders are committed in the area always by strangulation. In fact we will discover that it is Noel the killer who is indeed a gorilla transformed in a human by Renault… Good directing, nice settings, good acting with bunch of B stars. A good small B 7,5/10.
to be continued... -
the others...
"House of Horrors" (Jean Yarbrough, USA 1946).
A nice movie by a king of the B’s who directed a bunch of forgotten gems. In this small one a doomed sculpturer, Marcel De Lange (the famous Martin Kosleck) is humiliates by an art-critic. Desperate, he wants to commit suicide, but as he wants to jump into the river he sees a man drowing he saved him and find an ungly man, the Creeper (Rondo Hatton) who is in fact a serial killer of prostitutes… He only see in him the model he will use for his masterpiece. The Creeper, now safe and with a new friend will help Marcel by killing all those who have humiliate him… But a young and attractive art-critic Joan Medford (Virginia Grey) want to know what masterpiece Marcel is making… A very good and creepy B horror movie nice directing, and nice acting from Kosleck (as usual) and Hatton the famous acromegalic actor of Hollywood, who was well known to be as gentle in life as ugly due to his illness. To discover 7,5/10.
"Miss Muerte" (Aka "The Diabolical Dr. Z") (Jesus Franco, Spain/France 1966).
Perhaps the best Franco’s movie. A creepy story of a mad docteur and his pretty assistant who is also his daughter. She will use a weird machine to control people (especialy a pretty sexy dancer (the beautifull and tragical Estella Blain) and make them zombies to take revenge after her father’s death… Nice directing, huge photography a dose of humor and parody (the detectives look like ridiculous Holmes and Watson) a very good euro B movie 8/10.
"L’immortel" (Richard Berry, France 2010)
A story of revenge of a mafioso (Jean Reno) who wish to retire against his old friends who tried to kill him especialy Tony (Kad Merad). All is predictible, Reno plays one more time the same role… Lot of gunfights, poursuit in cars, motorcyvles, lots of dead and hemoglobin, violence… boring. Nice pics of Marseille (my home town) but nothing new under her sun. 5,5/10 (for Marseille)
"Adieu, Poulet" (Pierre Granier-Deferre, France 1975).
A good police movie about corruption in politics and confusion between criminals and politicians. An effiscient movieabout the story of a young billsticker who is murdered. A politician may be involved because he engaged some criminals in his staff. Two polecemen with very different past are in charge Verjeat (Lino Ventura) and Lefèvre (Patrick Dewaere). A bitter, dark and sometime humorous satirical point of view of the corruption and politics in a small town. The methods of the policemen, thier contempt for autority and rules make you think to Dirty Harry (with also the same innuendoes). Directing is classical but good, great acting of Ventura and Dewaere. 7,5/10.
"The Man without a Body" (W. Lee Wilder, Charles Saunders, USA/UK 1957).
Incredible movie with one of the weird plot ever. A millionair Karl Brussard lears he has a brain tumor and is gonna die… He meets a doctor who transplant monkey’s head on other monkeys… The businnessman decides to steal the head of Nostradamus in his crypt in France to put in on his body… yes !! But Nostradamus’s head now back to life has other projects… Excellent Z a must to see for fans 5,5/10 (for Z fans 9/10) -
The last ones for today...
"The Ape Man" (William Beaudine, USA 1943).
A small monogram movie with Bela Lugosi who made a wrong experiment and became half man half gorilla. He can recover a human form but needs some spinal fluid. So he will have to kill and kill again. A completly budget-less small movie in wich Beaudine and Lugosi do what they can. Not so bad. 6/10.
"Goyôkiba: Kamisori Hanzô jigoku zeme" (aka Hanzo the Razor: The Snare). (Yasuzo Masumura, Japan 1973)
Second part of the trilogy of Hanzor the Razor the Dirty Harry of shogun’s time with his sword, his impertinence and his big dick for only weapons… In this movie a girl is found dead after an abortion… This will lead Hanzor to discover prostitution ring and a big financial scandal… A radical movie very critical on the society, the traditions, the hierarchy, corruption… indeed even if it sounds very often like a parody. A very good and clever movie with nice photography, good choregraphy of the fights… 8/10.
"Inhale" (Baltasar Kormákur, USA 2010).
The story of a couple Paul and Diane Stanton (Dermot Mulroney and Diane Kruger) has a little girl Chloe who needs a lung transplant. But it’s impossible to find a donnor and the list of people waiting is so long. He lears that a man had a heart transplant with a heart coming form Mexico. He goes to Ciutad Juarez and discover an awfull trafic of organs directed by an ugly doctor (Vincent Perez). So he’ll have to dicide what to do. The screenplay is good and the idea to treat it with multiple flash-backs is good. But the treatment of this nice would have deserved more than a B movie like way. Too much sensational effect, to make it trully plausible. Actors are convincing. Not bad but could have been better. 6,5/10.
"Les aventures extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec" (aka "Adèle and the Secret of the Mummy") (Luc Besson, France 2010)
The adaptation of the wonderful french comics of Tardi. What a disappointment for whom have read the books. Well it’s nicely done (settings, special effects…) and if you’re in a good day you smile two or three times… 3/10. -
- CommentAuthormarinaraujo
- CommentTimeMay 21st 2011 edited
Pirates of the Caribbean - On Stranger Tides - Brr, such a big disappointment. And that being said by a fan of the series who already wasn't expecting much from it. 5.5/10 (you can read more here http://whatthemovie.com/review/727 ). -
Le mari de la coiffeuse [The Hairdresser's Husband] (1990) 3/10
Stupid, dirty old man's fantasy. 12-year old boy develops a crush on his hairdresser and decides he will marry one when he grows up. And when he finds one, she is over 20 years younger and smiling a lovely smile for no good reason for the rest of the film.
Copying Beethoven (2006) 3/10
A romantic biopic featuring an English speaking Beethoven composing and directing his 9th symphony. Main character is a young woman who helps the deaf composer (well, in this film not very deaf at all, actually) finishing his work in time and conducting the music at the premiere. The problem is that this character is entirely fictional. The film's main intention seems to be to sympathize with Beethoven's music, so why on earth not try to tell the real story?
Unknown (2011) 3/10
Another total crap action thriller featuring Liam Neeson as a hero in trouble.
La sconosciuta [The Unknown Woman] (2006) 5/10
This thriller-ish film about a Ukrainian woman forcing herself into the life of a specific Italian family was a big hit in Italy, which says something about the poor quality of present day Italian cinema. Not a boring film, that has to be said, but it's throwing in too many ingredients. And whereas in some films it's OK if not all questions are answered, it's not OK if the film withholds a lot of information for the sake of suspense and then delivers a messy plot with loads of unanswered questions.
Srpski Film [A Serbian Film] (2010) 7/10
Serbian director Srdana Spasojevic is clearly on a mission. The film is as violent and perverse as Pasolini's Salò - the obvious film to compare it with - and claims to be meant as a political allegory showing the manipulations of the Serbian government. My advice after seeing this movie: stay away from that country! ;-) Yes, the film is disgusting and will infuriate many, but it does well what it sets out to do and manages to get the attention it is after. Mission accomplished.
Hereafter (2010) 7/10
Certainly not a masterpiece, lacking some focus and depth, but it has something pleasant and honest. Clint Eastwood explores the possibility of life after death in three loosely connected stories.
Monsieur Hire (1989) 8/10
While director Patrice Leconte's next film, Le mari de la coiffeuse (see above), fails to find the right tone, this one does. It's a psychological drama about a middle aged social outcast spying on his young femme fatale neighbour. A nice, stylish character study. -
Watched some movies yesterday...
"Stranger on the Third Floor" (Boris Ingster, USA 1940)
This excellent movie is told to be the first Film Noir. Indeed it looks more like a german expressionist movie on many aspects (especially the dream sequences). Nevertheless most of the element of film noir are ere too, urban setting, night, light, flashbacks... Peter Lorre is once more excellent, very nice directing the photography of Nicholas Musuraca is huge and the sequences of dream are simply a great moment of cinema !! A very goo movie 8,5/10
"Hellzapoppin'" (H.C. Potter, 1941)
Wonderful comedy directly influenced by the Burlesque (Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields...) and Tex Avery cartoons. It's also a masterpiece of editing an directing. Hilarious form the beginning through the end with an incredible plot, lot's of finding. Great one 8,5/10
"The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T." (Roy Rowland, USA 1953)h
How can a movie like that be almost forgotten ? It's a mystery. Excellent comedy, Sc-Fi, Musical... what else all and nothing indeed... Wonderful movie full of kindness and poetry, visually impressive and very inventive ! A great one 8,5/10
"The Vanishing Riders" (Robert F. Hill, USA 1935)
A small B western in which a cow-boy, Bill Jones, (The famous Bill Cody) and his adoptive son Tim (Bill Cody Jr.) disguise into skeletons to catch a gang of cattle's robbers who kidnapped also the young and pretty girl of the farmer. A curious mix of western and horror not so common. Original but indeed bad acted and budget-less. 5,5/10.
"Tombstone Canyon" (Alan James, USA 1932)
A cheap B western with the famous actor Ken Meynard playing a young cowboy searching for his origin (his father and mother) who finally comes into a small town where a strange disfigured ghost commit murders... the last thing the victim can ear is a sinister scream... Very cheaply made without budget but once more the mix of horror and western is original. 6/10. -
"L'Atlantide" (Jacques Feyder, France 1921)
First adaptation of the famous eponymous novel of Pierre Benoit this incredible movie is very faithful to the original. A tour de force of filming for that time : almost one year of filming, 8 months in Algeria, almost two months in the Sahara... The on location sequences are simply huge!! Great movie great story great settings despite the lenght of the movie (3 hours) it goes very fast and your attention is always kept... very good. 9/10.
"L'Atlantide" (Georg Wilhelm Pabst, Germany/France 1932)
Second adaptation of the novel by the great Pabst after Feyder said he doesn't want to make the speaking remake of his 1921 masterpiece (this novel will have almost 65 adaptations on screen !!). Pabst is less faithful to the novel but his movie is more psychological and strongly more erotic with of course the wonderful tour de force of acting of Brigitte Helm simply astounding (you can watch the movie only for her!!) Very good too with nice filming (camera moves, angles)and settings 9/10. -
"Blackbeard the Pirate" (Raoul Walsh, USA 1952).
Very entertaining pirate's movie with lot of action, huge technicolor... and the great directing of Walsh, nice filming ideas, good directing of the actors specially Robert Newton enourmous in his role of Blackbeard funny and frightening at the same time... and a pretty Linda Darnell as Edwina Mansfield... A good one 8/10.
"Canyon Passage" (Jaques Tourneur, USA 1946).
First western and first movie in color for Tourneur, the maste of b&w horror B movies. Here it's no more a B but a great western withe a touch of black... specially when you see the characters always unsure, as if something was always threatening them... Lot of sequences are at night, with rain... it re-enforce this feeling. A very good western you can't forget after watching... with great Dana Andrews and Brian Donlevy and nice Susan Hayward... 9/10
"Daredevils of the Red Circle" (John English, William Witney USA 1939).
One of the best serial made by the masters of the genre English and Witney... Incredible story of 3 acrobats that purchase a fugitive criminal called 39013 (his cell number) who want to destroy the empire of the man who put him to jail... He kidnaps him, keeps him as a prisoner and then takes control of his empire to destroy it... Incredible plot with incredible adventures and cliffhangers, very entertaining... with a young Bruce Bennett (aka Herman Brix) a famous B actor and the beautiful carol Landis... 8/10
"The Devil's Men" (aka "Land of the Minotaur") (Kostas Karagiannis, USA/UK/Greece 1976)
A weird story of a village in Crete inhabited by people who become zombies at night and make human sacrifices to the Minotaur !! They are under the influence of their master the baron Corofax (Peter Cushing) and a priest will fight them (Donald Pleasance). The presence of the two great actors can't save this very cheap Bis movie... 4,5/10. -
@RDPL
The 1921 version of L'Atlantide is on my "to watch" list since i saw my first film by Feyder ("Visages d'enfants", a great movie btw.).
Unfortunately the only available dvd of this film here in germany is quite expensive and in a language i don't understand (french). That sucks. :( -
"Nude on the Moon" (Doris Wishman, Raymond Phelan, USA 1961)
... Hum... A couple of astronauts land on the moon and discovers it is inhabited by pretty topless gals with nice antennas and who communicate by telepathy... It's then hard for them to remain serious scientists and study this strange people... Indeed one of the guys wants to stay, in love with the queen who strangely looks like the secretary he left on Earth in his lab... Simply pathetic Z nudy from outer space a true So Bad That It's Good for fans 3/10 (for Z fans 9/10) -
Les amours imaginaires
At the beginning I thought: Oh my god the slow motions.... I hate slow motions... ^^
But.... no, it's awesome. It fits with the movie perfectly, with what director wants to express and actually it also fits very good with what the characters are living and feeling
There is something very special about this movie and I must say, I was quite impressed. I will for sure follow the work of Xavier Dolan from now on
The music is fantastic (Vive La fete, The knife etc), the characters, the dialogs, everything fits so good. And it never gets boring
8.5/10
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@Chrisy: I totally agree. It's a piece of work in which everything fits perfectly. And more than that: I love slow motions! ;-)
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"Der schweigende Stern" (Kurt Maetzig, Poland/East-Germany 1960)
Typical product of the east-block sci-fi this one deals with an international expedition on the planet Venus which will discover an ancient civilization who wanted to invade earth but which has been destroyed by its own weapon. As all Eat-block sci-fi movie this one is a strong call to peace and a warning against nuclear weapons... and as usual the special effects are very good for that time (and will be used by amariacan producers like the great Roger Corman) 6,5/10
"The tree of Life"(Terrence Malick, USA 2011)
Great one. I won't make comments it will be toooooo long. 9/10 -
Megamind (2010) 1/10
I can't even imagine this is fun for 6-8 year olds.
How to Train Your Dragon (2010) 3/10
Why did I watch this childish fantasy story that develops in all the predictable Hollywood ways?
Noruwei no mori [Norwegian Wood] (2010) 4/10
There were some glimpses of poetry, due to the beautiful photography and Jonny Greenwood's music, but I was mainly bored by these indecisive people caught up in love triangles.
Tony Takitani (2004) 6/10
This Japanese film about loneliness does justice to Haruki Murakami's short story on which it is based, but that doesn't mean it is a very interesting feature-length film. The characters are flat, it's often more like a slide show with a voice-over, it's filmed in rather depressing dulled colours, and, most of all, the sketchy story is a bit silly, to be honest.
Open Water (2003) 6/10
Watched this after I read some stupid review of 127 Hours, in which the author claimed Open Water is a better film about people being stuck in a life-threatening situation. Well, the author was wrong. The good thing about Open Water is its normality. No monstrous killer sharks, no improbable twists. But, hey, if you're not planning to let anything happen at all, why bother making a film?
The People Speak (2009) 6/10
Documentary about Howard Zinn's book 'A People's History of the United States', an alternative history stressing the role of rebels and dissidents and pointing out that democracy demands active citizenry. It's not great cinema: it's the book brought to life by having actors read historical documents and showing archive material. But the message is worth to be heard.
Fair Game (2010) 6/10
Not too exciting dramatized version of the story of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame, betrayed in a pathetic act of revenge by the Bush administration after her husband rightly disputed the fabricated evidence of the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Atame! [Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!] (1990) 6/10
For some reason I've never been a Pedro Almodóvar fan. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the combination of drama and comedy which I think often delivers a half-hearted result. As it does here. A girl is being kidnapped, but if she doesn't mind, why should we? Or should we laugh about the fact that the psychopath is lovingly welcomed into the family? Or is the film meaning to say that life is just a big role-playing game that shouldn't be taken seriously? And how interesting is that?
Mary and Max (2009) 7/10
The claymation is brilliantly creative, the story is sort of cute and does its best to play around with expectations, yet I'm afraid I was never really touched by the two characters.
Idiots and Angels (2008) 8/10
As several people said before in this topic, this a wonderful, dark, wordless, inventive and expressive animation.
Days of Heaven (1978) 8/10
Great atmospheric film set in rural Texas in the early twentieth century. Told from the perspective of a teenage girl with a murderous brother who has learned to take life as it comes. -
Yes, "Idiots and Angels" and "Days of Heaven" are great movies... Agree completely with you...
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The Tree of Life (2011) 10/10
If both Terrence Malick himself and RDPL55 prefer not to speak out about this movie, who am I to do so? ;-)
A simple story of a Texas family in the fifties, somehow expanding limitlessly to cover the themes of life, the universe and everything, and told in pure visual poetry. A film that is a one of its kind, loaded with pretension, but in a soft-spirited bearable way, aimed to be a masterpiece and indeed turning out to be one. Although the strength of the film lies in the fact that it's made by a director who pursues his own very private goals and is immune to conventions, I think I could do with a tiny bit less 'National Geographic sequences'. Most unforgettable are the ways in which Malick visualizes childhood memories. -
I can't wait :)
Only saw Days of heaven and Badlands from Terrence Malick, I thought both were awesome (I think I also saw The New World on TV once but I was less impressed)
But the Tree of life seems so beautiful. The only thing I'm a little worried about is the all thing about religion and spirituality, with me I either love it or hate it. Religion theme seems to annoy me if it is treated the wrong way :)
we shall see -
A little summary of what I watched the past few weeks. I got stuck with the Battlestar Galactica series for a while so less movies than normal :)
Torso
A bit of a left down, even for Giallo lovers like me, interesting anyway but I will forget I have ever watch it
6.5/10
Le petit Nicholas
Cute. Maybe too cute?
6.8/10
The Royal Tenenbaums
I always have mixed feelings with Wes Anderson's movies. On one side, his movies are always so loveable but also at some points the caricatures seem to always annoy me. I can never really explain it, but I never fully love them like woua this is awesome. I had a good time, but nothing more
7/10
The Children
wait... why did I watch this again?
Not scary and just very cliche
5/10
Isolation
huh, I dont remember it, I swear I really dont.... but.... I gave it a 6/10 on IMDB :)
The Station Agent
7.9 on IMDB, I mean, seriously? I really dont get it. I found it quite boring actually? was it funny? touching? when? maybe a few parts were ok but come on, 7.9????
6/10
Bedevilled
Now this is an interesting one, I really liked it. It has a soft side, and it is one of the best representation of revanche I have seen in a long time
8/10
Another Year
Who doesn't know Mike Leigh doesn't really know the essence of cinema, at least not really because he always proves that acting and emotions are more important than anything else. A simple plot, not much story actually but so much emotions going on. A really touching movie played by big actors I dont even know the names :) slow paced, maybe the only down side of the movie, you sort of expect something to happen.... and it doesn't... but that's also not what Mike Leigh's movies are about. This movie is about alienation, loneliness, compassion, loss, friendship and so much more :)
7.8/10
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@Antituur, happy to see that you loved The tree of life like I did... I did'nt give the 10 only because of 'National geographic' sequences (necessary, nice but very conventional)... But perhaps should I have despite of it :)
@Chrisy, I loved Another Year... great movie. -
did you see more Mike Leigh movies RDPL55?
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I should...
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@Chrisy, about Malick you should watch "the thin red line"... perhaps the best war movie ever... but indeed, it's not exactly a war movie (like apocalypse now)
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"Slave girls from beyond infinity" (Ken Dixon, USA 1987)
Impressive title for a pathetic and parodic remake of "The most dangerous game" with two bimbo-slaves who escape a spaceship and crash on an unknown planet inhabited by ugly mutants and a diabolical man called Zed (sic!) who hunts human beings at night... will our two pretty girls survive ? and the spectator ? Very cheap movie indeed for Z fans only. 3/10 (for Z fans 8/10) -
"Son of Ingagi" (Richard C. Kahn, USA 1940)
A small independent B horror movie unique in the production of those years being the only horror movie made with an all-black cast. Otherwise it' looks like all other small Bs, locaed in a mysterious manor with lot of secret passages, a mad doctor, a monster, some murders and a dose of humor... A good small B. 6/10.
"Francis" (Arthur Lubin, USA 1950)
The first adventures of the famous Francis the talking mule (yes...). During the war in the pacific Peter is lost from other soldiers and is saved by Francis a talking mule... who only talk to him... When he says how he was saved... direct to the hospital to the mental health service... Francis helps peter to become a hero in various missions but the explanations leads him each time to hospital... But then te circumstances will push Francis to talk and become famous... Very funny comedy from a lost cinema... 7/10 -
"You're Telling Me!" (Erle C. Kenton, USA 1934).
A great comedy with the wonderful W.C. Fields as an unpredictable and alcoholic inventor in trouble with his wife and his girl who want to marry a rich guy (Larry "Buster" Crabbe!!). His meeting with a princess will change his life... Very funny and caustic as usual. Excellent. 8/10
"L'inferno" (aka Dante's Inferno) (Francesco Bertolini, Adolfo Padovan, Giuseppe de Liguoro, Italy 1911)
A masterpiece of early cinema in a good copy indeed. The adaptation of the famous poem of Dante is quite faithful to the text. The special effect are huge for that time (a century !!). A true classic !! 9,5/10 -
"The great Gabbo" (James Cruze, USA 1929)
A tale of schizophrenia between a ventriloquist puppeter and his puppet... In love with the same woman. Incredible plot for a great movie with a wonderful von Stroheim and a pretty Betty Compson. Cruze is another great director almost forgotten. A nice movie to discover. 8/10.
"Man Beast" (Jerry Warren, USA 1956)
Another small B movie of the king Warren... A classic plot of an axpedition in Himalaya searching for a previous one which disappeared looking for the yeti of course... they meet the guide of the previous expedition a strange guy indeed... A very entertaining small B with nice (stock)shots of the mountains and climbing... a basic story (a bit weird indeed) and bad actors. But the directing is not so bad. for B fans. 5/10. -
"The Tree of Life"
Well, that was a weird experience. Apart from the whole "father/nature vs mother/grace" thing the film's probably up to wiiiide interpretation. "The Tree of Life" is a beautifully crafted, stunning visual experience and probably features the best cinematography I've ever seen in a film. However, I was a bit disappointed, because the film doesn't really offer any new insights into the human soul. I can't rule out that I simply didn't get some things, though, as there were some really, really obscure scenes. -
"Soldier Blue" (Ralph Nelson, USA 1970)
A cult western completely (and deliberately) biased against the US. involvement in Viet-Nam. the massacre of te idians refering to the massacre of My Lai... Very well directed, with nice photography. The final sequences of the massacre are very hard and shocking but Nelson shows clearly what he want to say so a good one. 8,5/10 -
"Quasimodo d'el Paris" (Patrick Timsit, France 1999)
Another delicate french comedy, a subtle revisit of french literature classic "Notre-Dame de Paris" brillant acting and directing, fine humor and dialogues... A deep reflection on human condition, love and with a strong social commitment... 3/10. -
lol :)