“The Girl in Black Stockings” (Howard W. Koch, USA 1957) Nice small whodunit in a classy motel in Utah. Great casting with Lex Barker, Anne Bancroft, Mamie Van Doren… a curiosity. 7/10
“Queen of Blood” (Curtis Harrington, USA 1966) Strange Sci-Fi movie sort of mix of It!, the Terror of Beyond Space and The Planet of the Vampire and some kind of ancestor of Alien. A rescue team land on Mars and rescue a strange alien woman. As they travel back to earthe she begins to sucks their blood… 7/10
“Rip Roarin’Buckaroo” (Robert F. Hill, USA 1936) A small modern western wit Tom Tyler, a boxer whose career ends after he loses a fixed fight, winds up with a job as a ranch hand. When his new boss gets involved with a crooked fight promoter, Tyler winds up back in the ring with a chance to vindicate himself. A classic small B. 5,5/10
“The Forty-Niners” (John P. McCarthy, USA 1932) Another small B western with Tom Tyler as cowboy O'Hara who as has been hired to lead a wagon train west. Instead he has led it off the trail to where it can be attacked by his Indian friends. But Tennessee Mathews is familiar with O'Hara's tactics and sends for the soldiers. A good small B western 6,5/10
“Pagan Island” (Barry Mahon, USA 1961) The survivor of a shipwreck finds himself on an island populated only by women. What could have been a dream becomes a nightmare when our hero falls in love with the girl promisez to the local sea-god … a giant clam !! A pure gem !! 6/10 but much more for Z fans !!!
“Du rififi à Paname“ (Denys de La Patellière, France 1966) I re-watched with much pleasure this classic french crime movie with Jean Gabin as local godfather in struggle to save his position. Note the presence of Goerge raft in the cast… 7,5/10
“The Fiend of Dope Island“ (Nate Watt, USA 1961) A pure Z grade movie about Charlie Davis the mad dictator and dope smuggler of a remont island. He decides to bring a pretty go-go dancer on his island in his poor cantina to divert him… but soon the girl fall in love with Davis partner and the two lead a riot… Absurd movie but much enjoyable and a very very mad performance of Bruce Bennett as Davis…. Completely out of control !!! 6/10
“Szyfry” (aka “The Codes”) (Wojciech Has, Poland 1966) A very nice movie of the famous polish director Wojciech Has. A father searches for his son, who has been missing since WW II, in post-war Poland. In his quest for the truth about his son, the father is forced to contemplate the elusive and coded nature of truth itself… Excellent. 9/10
“El” (Luis Buñuel, Mexico 1953) We proposed this excellent movie of the Mexican part of Bunuel Carrier. A cruel tale of paranoid behavious of a man who becomes jealous after his wedding. Also a movie with all Bunuel deviant art, fetishisme, hate of religion… Great. 9/10
“The Saga of Hemp Brown” (Richard Carlson, USA 1958) A nice western (especialy the first part) about an ex-officer (Rory Calhound) fired from the army and tracking the man responsible for that… 7/10
“Walk the Angry Beach” (aka “Hollywood After Dark”) (John Hayes, USA 1965) Before being a TV star Rue McClanahan made some poor rough-nudies in the 60’s. In this one she is a young girl who comes to Hollywood to try to break into the movies, but winds up being taken advantage of by sleazy producers, and is forced to become a stripper. 5,5/10
“Mask of the Dragon” (Sam Newfield, USA 1951) A poor crime movie about an uranium smuggling through jade figurine between china and the US… by king of the B’s Sam Newfield. 5,5/10
“Tough Assignment” (William Beaudine, USA 1949) Funny small crime movie in which a couple of journalists are investigating about a meat smuggling… they get hired undercover in the ranch of the gang… 6,5/10
“Mesquite Buckaroo” (Harry S. Webb, USA 1939) A budget-less western with star Bob Steele in which he must compeet in a rodeo but must face crooked guys who want to steal the money of the betting… 5/10
“The Red Rope” (S. Roy Luby, USA 1937) Another small western with Bob Steele who’s a young formeman about marrying the daughter of his boss. But a crooked lawyer and a banker have wievs on the ranch and try to interrupt the ceremony… 6/10
“The Phantom of Crestwood” (J. Walter Ruben, USA 1932) Excellent small Old Dark House movie with lot of plot twists, murders secret passages, phantom… very entertaining with great Ricardo Cortez and pretty Karen Morley… 7,5/10
Then I continued to watch Hopalong Cassidy westerns... there are 66... It may be long !!
“Trail Dust” (Nate Watt, USA 1936) The eighth Hopalong Cassidy movie in this one Hoppy agrees to lead a large cattle drive north he runs into lots of trouble… 7/10
“Borderland” (Nate Watt, USA 1937) In the ninth episode of the serie Hoppy goes undercover as an outlaw to track down a bunch of outlaws operating along the border. 6,5/10
“Hills of Old Wyoming” (Nate Watt, USA 1937) Tenth Hopalong Cassidy’s movie In this one, the ranchers near a Wyoming Indian reservation are suffering heavy losses because of cattle rustlers that leave signs that the Indians are the culprits. Hopalong Cassidy suspects Andrews, the deputy government agent in charge of the reservation, of being the head of the rustlers. 7/10
“North of the Rio Grande” (Nate Watt, USA 1937) The eleventh Hopalong Cassidy Movie. Hoppy arrives posing as an outlaw to avenge his brother's killing by Plunkett. After robbing a train and killing Plunkett, he gets to meet the boss known as the Lone Wolf and lead his next job… 7/10
“Rustlers’ Valley” (Nate Watt, USA 1937) Twelfth Hopalong Cassidy Movie. In this one, Lucky, the young friend of Hoppy, is falsely accused of robbing the local bank and assumed drowned in the river while being pursued by a posse… 7/10
“A Night to Remember” (Roy Wad Baker, UK 1958) The English version of the Titanic wrecking is quite good with huge reconstitution and wrecking sequences are veryu strong. The movie less insists on pasagers characters and psychology and gives more imoortance to the facts and causes… A good one 8,5/10
“El jorobado de la Morgue” (aka "The Hunchback of the Morgue") (Javier Aguirre, Spain 1973) A cult hooro movi of the 70’s A modern and often hilarious vision of the Hunchback of Notre-Dame… A must to see for all Z grade fans. 5,5/10 but 10/10 and more for Z grade fans… The french dubbed version is especialy recomended….
“Tormented“ (Bert I. Gordon, USA 1960) A strang ghost movie about Tom who is going to mary wealthy girl on a remote island when his ex-lover Vi is coming ti blackmail her. As they are on an abandoned lighthouse, Vi is falling and Tom don’t save her as he could have done it and let her die… soon Vi’s ghost begins to haunt him… Not as bad as expected even if cheaply made. 7/10
“The Black Camel“ (Hamilton MacFadden, USA 1931) Certainly one of the best episode of the Chalie Chan detective serie. A huge screenplay and the meetingof Chan with great Bela Lugosi. A must. 8/10
“F.B.I. Girl“ (William Berke, USA 1951) A small B-noir movie made in a very documentary way. Some kind of apology of the work of the FBI agents and an overwiev of all their methods of investigation. Not bad. 7/10
“Dead Ringers“ (David Cronenberg, (Canada/USA 1988) We proposed this great movie at our cineclub. I didn’t watched it from 1989… so I enjoyed a lot… ;) 8,/10
“Hip,Hot and 21” (Dale Berry, USA 1967) In this weird rough-nudie, hillbilly girl Diane is sold by her stepfather for 50 bucks to a student. Soon after the get married he leaves her alone and she becomes the pey of a drug-dealing lesbian hooter and have a love affair with drug-junkie Michelle. But when michelle is murdered things go wrong… 6,5/10
“Hot Thrills and Warm Chills” (Dale Berry, USA 1967) Another rough-nudie by Dale Barry in which three women who haven't seen each other for years meet at a motel to talk about what they've done since they were together, and also to plan a heist of the King of Sex's crown during the upcoming Mardi Gras carnival. They pull the heist and are pursued by relentless detectives, and they must use their feminine charms to escape incarceration…. 6,5/10
“J’accuse!” (Abel gance, Fance 1919) A wonderful peace of art of the silent era. A savant and beautiful mix of Anti-war movie and melodrama. Huge filming, editing… 9/10
“Venus in Furs” (Victor Nieuwenhuijs, Maartje Seyferth, Netherlands 1994) Free adaptation of the novel of Leopold von Sacher-Masoch the movie is very beautifully made and filmed even if sometimes quite dull. 7,5/10
”The Thin Red Line” (Andrew Marton, USA 1964) First adaptation of James Jones’ novel before Terrence Malick in 1998. It’s interesting to compare this more classical one with Malick’s work. Some sequences are very similar as others quite very diffently seen. The directing and photography are quite good here and the reflection about war quite unusual for that time even if ending here is radicaly different. 8/10
"Five Minutes to Love" (John Hayes, USA 1963) Another rough-nudie with future TV star Rue McClanahan as Poochie the whore of a mad junkyard owner. As a young couple Ben andEdna and their baby daughter are headed to California, their car breaks down. Ben ventures off to the junkyard in search of a spare part to fix his car… 6/10
“Crime et châtiment” (Pierre Chenal, France 1935) Nice adaptation of the novel of Fyodor Dostoevsky, with the hysterical french actor Pierre Blanchar as Raskolnikov is quite good, the tortured mind of the hero just fitting with the actor’s tortuded way oc acting. Harry Baur as the judge Porphyre is very good. 7,5/10
"Sin’s Pay Day” (George B. Seitz, USA 1932) A nice redemption movie about a crooked lawyer who finish in the street as an alcoholical tramp after his wife leaves and who mmets a young boy of the streets who will bring him back to dignity. IA pretty gopod small B with eleven years old Mickey Rooney… 7/10
”Border Menace” (Jack Nelson, USA 1934) A poor B-western with Bill Cody (no connection with the real Buffalo Bill even if it’s his real name) who is ranger Bill Williams who goes to prison to get information on Chuck Adams. Then a fake posse chase gets him invited into Adams' gang… A classic small B about infiltration of gang of smugglers. 5,5/10
”Circle of Death” (J. Frank Glendon, Yakima Canutt, USA 1935) A nice pro-indian small B-western, quite rare at this time but when you knows that Yakima Cannutt directed it its less surprising. A good small B. 6,5/10
”The Law Rides” (Robert N. Bradbury, USA 1936) One of the small B westerns that made Bob Steele under the direction of his father Robert N. Bradbury. In this one Hank Davis kills Jack Lewis to get his gold mine. Bruce Conway (Bob Steele) brings him in but then realizes Davis is the only one that knows where the mine is. Bruce and his pal Whitey rescue Davis from the lynch mob only to have Davis' gang catch them and leave them in the desert to die… A quite entertaining one with nice filming in the desert of Mojave… 6,5/10
”Rainbow Ranch” (Harry L. Fraser, USA 1933) A poor small B-western set in the present for no evident reasons. Ed Randall is in the Navy and also a boxing champion. One Day his aunt call him in an emergency in her ranch. He returns to find the water cut off and her note due the next day. When the man he seeks legal advice from is murdered, Ed is accused and he now finds himself in jail with a lynch mob forming outside. 5,5/10
”Smokey Smith” (Robert N. Bradbury, USA 1935) Another Bradbury/Steele western in which Smokey, looking for his parent's killers, trails a gang to Blaze's ranch. Posing as a wanted man he join the gang. He hopes to find a ring taken from his father that will identify the murderer… 6/10
”The Tonto Kid” (Harry L. Fraser, USA 1934) This westerns stars Rex Bell and telle the story of Lawyer Creech who is after the ranch of the dying Cartwright. First he brings in Cahill to pose as the only living relative. Then when the Tonto Kid (Rex Bell) finds platinum on the ranch, Creech frames him for murder… Entertaining small B 6,5/10
“Crème glacée, chocolat et autres consolations“ (aka “Ice Cream, Chocolate and Other Consolations“) (Julie Hivon, Canada 2001) We proposed this nice movie at our cineclub about the difficulties of relationship of young adults in their late 20’s… Even if a bit predictable a quite fine depiction of a certain mood. 7/10
“Éloge du retour“ (Lysanne Thibodeau, Canada 2001) Another movie we proposed at our cineclub. A nice autonbiographic movie about the questions of the exile and homecoming… 7,5/10
“Esprits de famille“ (Lysanne Thibodeau, Canada 2007) We finaly proposed this documentary about a canadian movie director and her son in search of their ancestors in Acadia… 6,5/10
“Bad Boy“ (Herbert Meyer, USA 1939) The story of a good guy who becomes a mob because of a gold-digger. A classic small B. 6/10
“Women Won’t Tell“ (Richard Thorpe, USA 1932) Improbable pre-code melodrama in which a homeless woman living at the city dump hears of the death of a wealthy industrialist and puts in a claim on his estate for her daughter, who is actually the rightful heir… A strange small B. 6,5/10
“Men are Such Fools” (William Nigh, USA 1932) A nice story of an Italian immigrant who’s a musician and get in trouble when his gold-digging wife get involved in a love affair with a notorious mob… 6,5/10
“Slander House“ (Charles Lamont, USA 1938) A ridiculous satire/comedy about rich old women who spend their time in a beauty institute directed by Helen a beautiful young girl soon accused to have an affair with the husband of one of her client… 5/10
“Affairs of Cappy Ricks“ (Ralph Staub, USA 1937) A nice comedy/romance about captain Cappy Ricks who has a lot of troubles with his family. To “cure” them, he imagines a tricky plot. He takes them on his yacht, makes them believe to a wreck and forces them to live together on a desert island… Funny. 6/10
“Moonlight on the Range“ (Sam Newfield, USA 1937) A small B western with poorly known western star Fred Scoot. When Killer Dane kills Jeff's friend, Jeff goes after him. Jeff and Dane are look-alike half brothers and this leads Dane to make a raid dressed like Jeff. This gets Jeff arrested but before Dane's henchman can organize a lynch mob, Fuzzy breaks him out and Jeff heads after Dane again. A classic small B westerns with twins… 6/10
“Blazing Guns“ (Ray Heinz, USA 1935) Another poor B western with Reb Russell and his horse Rebel. After Slug Raton takes Brady's horse, hat, and gun, the Sheriff arrests Grady thinking he is the outlaw. Slug's men chase them to Ricard's ranch which they burn. After Grady saves the Ricard's from their burning house, Betty Lou saves Grady from hanging at the hands of the masked vigilantes. Grady recognizes the voice of Raton among the vigilantes and now knows who to go after.
“Slightly Married“ (Richard Thorpe, USA 1932) A nice pre-code melodrama about a rich guy who is drunk and who marries a poor girl accused of prostitution in order to avoid her to go in jail. But his family doesn’t find it funny at all and they force them to divorce… now the girl is alone waiting for a child… Nice small B 7/10
“Aces Wild” (Harry L. Fraser, USA 1936) A small B-western with Harry carey the star of silent western era. Cheyenne (Harry Carey), a retired marshal, rides into Durango and runs into his old enemy Kelton. Kelton's game is to bring his safe to a town without a bank and let the townspeople put their valuables in it. Then he grabs the loot and flees…; 6/10
“Wild Mustang” (Harry L. Fraser, USA 1935) Another movie of the small-B western made by silent Star Harry Carey in the 30’s… Prison escapee Utah Evans kills Sheriff McClay. Joe Norton was McClay's predecessor and sent Utah to prison. Ma McClay having taken over as Sheriff for her husband, now gets Joe to return. Joe sets out to get Utah and Utah, learning Joe is after him, hopes to get revenge for being sent to prison. 6/10
“Giant from the Unknown” (Richard E. Cunha, USA 1958) A cheap horro movie directed by a master of the genre. Well it’s not the worst he did… almost the best one. But certainly don’t expect too much from this story of a conquistador brought back to life by a lightning strike !! 6,5/10
“Voodoo Man” (William Beaudine, USA 1944) Re-watched this masterpiece of cheap horror the only movie with the three greatest stars of the genre Bela Lugosi, George Zucco and John Carradine !! A must to see for all fans of cheap horror !!! 8/10 !!
“The Mysterious Mr. Wong” (William Nigh, USA 1934) Another movie full of clichés about Chinese and Chinatown with Bela Lugosi as cruel Mr. Wong… 6/10
“Forbidden Planet” (Fred M. Wilcox, USA 1956) Re-watched this one with som friends… we had a lot of pleasure… 8/10
“Verdun, visions d’histoire“ (Léon Poirier, France 1928) Nice silent movie about the greatest battle of WWI. 8,5/10
“Cargaison blanche“ (Georges Lacombe, France 1958) French B-noir about a young girl Françoise (Françoise Arnoul beautiful) a journalist who infiltrate a gang of white girls smuggling. 7/10
“Du rififi chez les femmes” (Alex Joffé, France/Italy 1959) In Brussels, two gangs leaded by tough girls affronts about the great robbery of the most important bank of the city… Nice casting for a typical film-noir “à la française” 7,5/10
“La grande illusion“ (Jean Renoir, France 1937) We proposed this masterpiece to our cineclub… it was great pleasure to watch it once more. 10/10
“By Appointment Only“ (Frank R. Strayer, USA 1933) A small B-drama directed by cinema-veteran Strayer in which a mother dies of heart failure in a doctor's office and the physician feels somewhat guilty because he couldn't save her. S he decides to takes an interest in the woman's young daughter, and makes her his ward, but his fiancé doesn't particularly like it… 6,5/10
“The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine“ (Bernard Vorhaus, USA 1942) Adaptation of the famous play of Paul Armstrong Jr. This is a pretty comedy with a great idea at the beginning but a poor treatment. A radio Show proposes 10,000$ reward to the person who’ll bring to justice the famous safecracker Jimmy Valentine who’s supposed to live now in a small town Fernville… 6/10
“Roll Wagons Roll“ (Albert Herman, USA 1940) A small B-western with Tex Ritter, in which oregon fur traders are attempting to keep pioneers migrating westward out of the territory by inciting the Indians to attack their wagon trains… A classic plit but entertaining. 6/10
“Riders of the Frontier“ (Spencer Gordon Bennet, USA 1939) Another small B-western with Tex Ritter in which he poses as a dangerous criminal in order to infiltrate the gang of crooked foreman Lane who runs the Rancho Grande, a Texas border ranch, keeping the true owner druged… 6,5/10
“River Lady” (George Sherman; USA 1948) One of the first Western that beautiful Yvonne De Carlo made with director George Sherman. Even if it’s a B one, an Universal B western is always interesting. In this One a nice story of lumberjacks, croked bussinesmen and a love square… 7,5/10
“Mohawk” (Kurt Neumann, USA 1958) Another B-western in Technicolor very entertaining and with a nice dose of humour. The story of painter and an indian who falls in love between the difficult relationships of new settlers, and Indians… 7,5/10
“Girl in Trouble” (Brandon Chase, USA 1963) A classic nudie in which a bored farmer's daughter sets out to make it in the big city. She gets mixed up with freaks, perverts and degenerates and winds up a stripper in New Orleans… 6,5/10
“A Good Time With a Bad Girl” (Barry Mahon, USA 1967) A wealthy guy in his 50’s is boed with his couple. He goes to Las Vegas for business and has an affair with a sex-addicted younger girl who left her country to discover the big city… 6/10
“Bad Girls Do Cry” (Sid Melton, USA 165) Even if eleased in 1965 by Jacqueline Kay Studios, it has been made in 1952 or 1953. Another classic story of a naive young girl goes to a model agency, where she is molested, shot up with drugs and forced to become a prostitute. Misty Ayers who has leading role was a famous go-go dancer and striper in early 50’s…
“After Death (Oltre la morte)” (Claudio Fragasso, Italy 1989) Ultra-bad zombie movie… (but can it be different with zombie movies except 3 or 4 excellent ones) Ridiculous plot (logic), ultra bad acting (logic), ultra-ridiculous dialogs (hilarious)… A true So Bad That It’s Good. With Gay Porn Star of that time Jeff Stryker in his only non-porn movie… fortunately… 1,5/10 but 10/10 for Z grade fans !!
“Wild Women” (aka : “Bowanga Bowanga”) (Norman Dawn, USA 1951) An hilarious movie about three men in a safari captured by Ulamas ! A secret tribe of white amazons living in the jungle… The queen needs a new husband… It’s ridiculous but quite entertaining ! Excellent ! 6,5/10
“Wild Women of Wongo” (James L. Wolcott, USA 1958) Ridiculous prehistoric movie in which two tribes are in conflict : The Wongos where girls are beautiful and men ugly and the Goonas where it’s just the opposite ! So when the son of the Goona’s king comes to ask the help of the Wongos to fight ugly ape-men… Totally camp and kitsch movie ! 6/10
“A Estranha Hospedaria dos Prazeres” aka. “The Inn of Naked Pleasures”) (Marcelo Motta, José Mojica Marins, Brazil 1976) José Mojica Marins aka Zé do Caixão, run a motel and invites some persons to spend the night there… and make them face thier furure… Not the best Marins movie at all but some nice moments. 5,5/10
“O Estranho Mundo de Zé do Caixão” (aka. “The Strange World of Coffin Joe”) (José Mojica Marins, Brazil, 1968) Three short stories in this movie in the first one “The Dollmaker” an old dollmaker traps some bad guys… in the second “Perversion” A poor ballons sellers falls in love for a wealthy girl who is going to marry a rich playboy… in “Ideology” the mad an cruel professor Odez offers to prove to a journalist Alfredo and his wife that the instinct prevails over reason, and brings the couple to the dungeon of his house… Not bad especialy the first two ones. 7/10
“La chienne” (Jean Renoir, France 1931) We proposed this excellent drama to our cineclub. This is the second talkie movie for Renoir and it’s first masterpiece. Even now the movies works perfertcly : completely amoral and wih a nice touch of anarchism… 9/10
“Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” (Arthur Lubin, USA 1944) Gilty pleasure to watch this adaptation of the famous tale… Full of colors and action ! 7,5/10
“Manji“ (aka “Passion“) (Yasuzo Masumura, Japan 1964) Nice drama about love, submission, lie. Strong dose of erotism for that time a nice photography and great acting of Ayako Wakao… 8/10
“Das mädchen mit den katzenaugen“ (Eugen York, West Germany 1958) A small german Krimi about in girl coming home and who get involved in a car smuggling ring 7/10
“Le château des 4 obèses” (Yvan Noé, France 1939) A poorly known movie by a poorly known director (a pseudo indeed). Le château des quatre obèses is some kind of Old Dark House movie in a french way… by a stormy night some people are forced to stay in a manor owned by four fatty brothers… But that night, the brtohers die one by one but the bodies disappear… Quite good small movie 7,5/10.
“The Dirtiest Game” (James Bryan, Titus Moede, USA 1970) A sof-core porn movie from the 70’s in which a guy who is candidate to the election want to legalize pot. So he get involved with a guru, cultivates pot and get involved in wild sex orgies… his girl doesn’t agree… Completely weird movie from the deep underground… 6,5/10
“Ca va barder” (John Berry, France 1955) Nice french action movie with Eddie Constantine in one of his best performance. Lot of action, punches, very pretty gals and gunfights… The ending in the lighthouse is excellent very well directed by John Barry in exile… 7,5/10
“The Chase” (Sidney Lumet, USA 1966) Re-watched with great pleasur this excellent movie on TV… great casting of stars and second leads and an apocalyptic ending ! Very good ! 8,5/10
"Jenny” (Marcel Carné, France 1936) An early Crné/Prévert movie. Not the best but quite interesting. A young girl come back to her mother in Paris after breacking her engagement. But she ignores that her mother is now the Madame of a classy brothel… The mother has also a gigolo and he falls in love with the daughter… 7,5/10
“Joi Baba Felunath” (aka “The Elephant God”) (Satyajit Ray, India 1979) A delightful movie from master Styajit Ray. Lot of finesse, and humour in this detective movie. An unusual movie for Ray, not his best but deserves largely an 8/10
“Peep Show” (J.X. Williams, USA 1965) Very strange experimental movie using bits of other stuff (T-Men of Anthony Man, Girl in Trouble of Brandon Chase etc…) and some montages… It clearly shows the interaction betweem mafia and show business… J.X. Williams is in fact a pseudonym… or is it ?? ;) 8/10
“Seisaku no tsuma” (aka. “Seisaku's Wife”) (Yasuzo Masumura, Japan 1965) Wonderfull drama about love and war… During the war between Russia and Japan in 1915, a soldier comes back injured… but when he has to go back to the front his wife is eady to do everything to make him stay… Excellent movie ! 9/10
“Kapurush” (Aka “The Coward”) (Satyajit Ray, India 1965) I rewatched with som much pleasur this wonderful Ray movie… Once more Ray manages with a tiny script to tell much and more in only a few more than one hour… A lesson of cinema. 9/10
“Kin-dza-dza!” (Georgiy Daneliya, SSSR 1986) Strange Sci-Fi comedy of two human beings who suddenly find themselves on planet Pluke in the galaxy Kin-Dza-Dza… on this planet a strict hierarchy exists between the two castes the superior the, Chatlanian and the inferior the Patsak… Absurd and hilarious ! 8,5/10
“A Streetcar Named Desire” (Elia Kazan, USA 1951) Rewatched with much pleasure this masterpiece. But everybody knows it. 10/10
“Fanfare” (Bert Haanstra, Netherlands 1958). Very funny comedy about the fanfare of a small village which prepares the annual fanfares’ competition. But the two bartenders, members of the fanfare soon quarrel and then the fanfare splits into two fanfares… 8,5/10
“Curse of the Headless Horseman” (Leonard Kirtman, USA 1972) Ultra bad gory movie with ultra low budget, ultra bad acting and the presence of Ultra Violet the Handy Warhol muse… 2/10
“Carnival of Blood” (Leonard Kirtman, USA 1970) Another earlu gory movie from the vault in which a psychopathic killer, owner of a flechette stand, uses the carousel ride at a carnival to pick his victims, whom he then murders and dismembers… Very cheap and poor one. 4/10
“Men of San Quentin” (William Beaudine, USA 1942) This movie tells the story of a San Quentin Warden facing many difficulties with the prisonners and his colleagues. It’s also a promotion to the new politics of reinsertion of criminals in the society (or the army even if not told…). 6/10
“Queen of the Yukon” (Phil Rosen, USA 1940) Nice little western on the same theme as “River Lady”. Sadie owns a riverboat that gold-miners are using to travel to their claims, while gambling and drinking on the way… One day her daughter Helen comes back from the east… not bad small B western. 7/10
“King of the Newsboy” (Bernard Vorhaus, USA 1938) A poor young man's girlfriend leaves him for a gangster, who has the money and power she wants. Determined to show her that he can be a success, he starts up a newspaper distribution business that is soon the biggest in the city, but things don't turn out exactly the way he wanted them to. For B fans only… 6,5/10
“Ijô seiai kiroku: Harenchi” (aka “Shameless: Abnormal and Abusive Love”) (Teruo Ishii, Japan 1969) A pervert and mentaly disturbed man, with wife and children becomes, sickly in love with young Noriko. Very sick Japanese pink movie ! 7,5/10
“Czlowiek na torze” (aka “Man on the Tracks”) (Andrzej Munk, Poland 1957) In 1950 a train stops after killing a man who was on the tracks… an inquery begins but the different testimonies make the story becoming more and more confuse… told with many flashbacks like film-noir a very interesting movie. 8,5/10
“Megaforce” (Hal Needham, Hong-Kong, USA 1982) Very important movie in cinema history. One of the first of it’s genre, some kind of ancestor of all movies like Independence Day, G.I. Joe, Expendables, Battleship and so on… Lot of means, bunch of special effects, tough guys, pretty gals, tons of explosions, reactionary ideology and…. pitiful movie ! At least this one is especially funny and ridiculous… 3/10 but for Z grade fans 10/10
“O Ritual dos Sádicos” (José Mojica Marins, Brazil 1970) Another movie with Marins as Coffin Joe. In this one a mad doctor wants volonteers to explore the effects of LSD on mind… 6,5/10
Then four early Cary Grant movies, all very nice...
“Thyrty Day Princess” (Marion Gering, USA 1934) A nice romantic comedy of a young Cary Grant in which a jobless actress (Sylvia Sidney) must take the place of a princess who comes to US for an important diplomatic visit… Nice little romance. 7,5/10
“Kiss and Make-Up” (Harlan Thompson, USA 1934) In this very funny comedy Cary Grant is Maurice Lamar a wealthy plastic-surgeon in Paris. With one of his customer Eve Caron (Genevieve Tobin) he creates the perfect beauty and then Marry her but happiness is not there but his faithfull secretary (Helen Mack) is just near him… A free adaptation of Pygmalion ina screwball style. 8/10
“Wings in the Dark” (James Flood, USA 1935) Another nice little romance with Cary Grant as inventor who works on a new technology allowing plane pilots to “fly blind”. But one day an accident makes him trully blind. His friend Sheila (Myrna Loy) is an expert pilot and works hard to allow him to continue his work and believe in life… One day she accepts a very dangerousmission… A nice small movie. 7,5/10
“Big Brown Eyes” (Raoul Walsh, USA 1936) A small crime/comedy with Cary Grant and Joan Bennett as Eve Fallon a manicurist who becomes a reporter and discover a traffic o stolen jewels and insurance… She helps her boyfriend the goofball inspector Danny Barrr (Cary Grant) to solve the case… Very funny. 8/10
“Le couteau dans la plaie” (Anatole Litvak, France/Italy 1962) A french movie for Anatole Litvak about a weak and jalous husband (Anthony Perkins) to survives by miracle to an airplane crash and who decides to disappear in order to get the money of his life insurance. He blackmails his wife (Sophia Loren) and promises her to leave as soons as he get the money… Strange and dark movie. 8/10
“La ferme du pendu“ (Jean Dréville, France 1945) A nice and under-rated rural drama in which a farmer (Charles Vanel) ask to his two brothers and his sister not to divide the domain thier father left them after he dies. But soon tensions begin to rise between the mebers of the family. A very good one with nice screenplay and nice filming. 8,5/10
“Gigantes planetarios“ (Alfredo B. Crevenna, Mexico 1966) A low budget Mexican Sci-Fi in wich four astronauts fly to a mysterious planet ruled by ‘El Protector’ a tyranic king who plans to invade our planet… With the help of some rebels our friend will triumph ! 6/10
“El planeta de las mujeres invasoras” (aka “Planet of the Female Invaders”) (Alfredo B. Crevenna, Mexico 1966) Amazing Sci-Fi movie from Mexico in which a race of invadors, only pretty gals, kidnap some habitants from earth in order to make some experiments on them to discover a way to have similar lungs to breath on earth and invade our planet… Some kind of mexican adaptation of the mythic Cat-Women of the Moon (Arthur Hilton, USA 1953) With great Lorena Velazquez the Mexican bomb queen of Mexican cinema in a nice douvble role of the cruel queen and her twin sister… A pure gem for B fans. 8/10
“Fedora” (Billy Wilder, France / West Germany 1978) Rewatched for the second time this year this wonderfull movie ! 10/10
“Hell Bound” (William J. Hole Jr., USA 1957) A nice small B-noir in which A criminal gang plots the robbery during quarantine of a ship carrying $2 million worth of surplus narcotics left over from World War II. But thing will go very wrong… 7,5/10
“Cop Hater” (William Berke, USA 1958) Another nice small B-noir with a nice plot about police detectives in an unnamed city during a massive heat wave investigate the seemingly random murders of policemen by what seems to be a maniac killer… but a big surprise at the end… 7,5/10
“The Killer is Loose” (Budd Boetticher, USA 1956) One of the early Budd Boetticher movie before he gets famous with his westerns. A twisted plot with an unhinged, deceptively mild-mannered bank robber escapes prison, seeking revenge on the cop who accidentally killed his wife during a gun battle when he arrested him some years before… 7,5/10
“Riot at Juvenile Prison” (Edward L. Cahn, USA 1959) A pure teen-movie of the 50’s. When the shootings of two juvenile inmates bring public protest, a psychologist is brought in to see if he can do anything to control the problems peacefully… he decides first to mixed up the boys of the prison with the girls of the neighbouring prison… Completely unbelievable. 6,5/10
“Miss Robin Crusoe” (Eugene Frenke, USA 1954) Colorfull adventure loosely adapted from Dafoe novel. In this one Robinson is the pretty redhead Robin (Amanda Blake) who saves from ferocious cannibal the pretty native girl Friday (Rosalind Hayes) but when another victim of a shipwreck arrives on Island, a tough male (George Nader) thing go wrong… Funny and a bit Camp ! 7/10
"Matango” (aka “Invasion of the Mushroom People”) (Ishirô Honda, Japan 1963) One of the best Honda movie in which a group of friends are sailing on the yacht when a storm blows. They soon land on a deserted island where they find a deserted, fungus covered wreck. They then find out that it was a research vessel examining the effects of radiation on plant and animal life. However, they also discover a strange fungus dubbed Matango… Very good 8/10
“Rat Pfink a Boo Boo” (Ray Dennis Steckler, USA 1966) Forget all your Batman, Spiderman and X-men movies and watch Rat Pfink a Boo Boo. The best super-heroe movies ever made… When Cee Bee the fiancé of famous rock star Lonnnie Lord is kidnapped by a gang of thieves the only hope is the famous super heroes Rat Pfink and his pal Boo Boo… Absolutly awesome 10/10
“Highschool Hellcats” (Edward Bernds, USA 1958) Another typical teen-movie from the 50’s… about the Hellcats, an all-female gang of girl terrorizing the schools by doing things like having a bad attitude toward their teachers and parents (very frightening!!) When Joyce, a new student, moves into the neighborhood, she draws the attention of The Hellcats. Desperate for acceptance and unhappy with her homelife, Joyce goes along with the gang, and is soon drinking, dancing and meeting boys… very dangerous !! 6/10
“The Lost Empire” (Jim Wynorski, USA 1985) First movie direted by Z grade master Jim Wynorski. After officer Rob Wolfe is killed trying to stop a gang of ninjas from robbing a jewelery store, his sister, officer Angel Wolfe, vows to avenge his death. Her investigation leads her to the mysterious Dr. Sin Do, who is supposedly in league with an undead wizard named Lee Chuck. The doctor is holding a martial arts tournament on a secret island fortress… Follow me ? total non sense but a bunch of pretty girls with big boobs ! With awesome Raven De La Croix, Melanie Vincz and Angela Aames… 3/10 for Z fans 10/10
“Zarak” (Terence Young, UK 1956) On the mountainous frontier between British India and Afghanistan, circa 1860s, Zarak Khan (Victor Mature in a good performance) kisses Salma (Anita Ekberg Awsome !!), the youngest wife of his father, Haji Khan. Outraged, his father orders Zarak to be flogged to death but spares his life at the urging of an elderly Mullah. Zarak now leaves his village and becomes a notorious outlaw, prompting the British to assign a Major Ingram to capture him… Good adventure movie full of colors ! 8/10
“Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze” (Michael Anderson, USA 1975) Producted by George Pal, this completely camp adaptation of the adventures of the famous super-heroe is especialy entertaining and very funny. Ultra kitsch ! 7/10
“Private Duty Nurses” (George Armitage, USA 1971) A « serious » Roger Corman production about the story of three nurses and thier problem of work, drug, racism and sex of course… Very cheap and poor… 4,5/10
“Condorman” (Charles Jarrott, UK 1981) Another super-hero movies for children… lot of action and non sense but still entertaining if you’re under 15… 6,5/10
“Port Sinister” (Harold Daniels, USA 1953) A rare small horror movie with amazing plot in which a 17th century Caribbean port rumored to have frequented by pirates rises from the ocean floor, where it came to rest after an earthquake many years before. A scientist wants to study it but some thieves also want the hidden Spanish main treasure hidden in the los city guarded by giant man-eater crabs… Amazing even if very cheaply made. 7/10
“Untamed Women” (W. Merle Connell, USA 1952) During World War II, an American bomber pilot is rescued after drifting at sea aboard a raft. After being administered truth serum, he tells the doctor a story of how he and the three survivors of his plane crash washed up on an island that was inhabited by a tribe of beautiful primitive cave-women, dinosaurs and a group of savage cavemen who are bent on abducting the women for breeding purposes. As you can imagine a very funny small B movie… 6/10
“The Cape Canaveral Monsters” (Phil Tucker, USA 1960) Another ultra bad movie form cult director Phil Tucker (Robot Monster)… In this one two amiesn takes possession of,the dead bodies of a couple killed in car accident and take refuge in an underground cave to attempt to sabotage the U.S. space program and kidnap some inhabitants of our planet… 4/10 for Z fans 10/10
“The Mexicali Kid” (Wallace Fox, USA 1938) A small B western from the Monogram with former singing cowboy Addison Randal who poses as Jack, looking for the killer of his brother. Hsaves the outlaw known as the Mexicali Kid who had collapsed on the desert... Not bad. 7/10
“Tombstone Terror” (Robert N. Bradbury, USA 1935) In this small B westrn Robert N. Bradbury directs onece more his son Bob Steele who comes back to his home ranch ruled by his twin brother who is in fact in business with crooked foreman to convoy stolen cattle accros the border… 6/10
“French Cancan” (Jean Renoir, France 1954) A Star is born in the French way… Awsome movie Very like 42nd Street and Moulin Rouge but with more talent in my own opinion. The filming and colors are awesome, the final French Cancan Show is amazing… 10/10
“Don Cesare di Bazan“ (Riccardo Freda, Italy 1942) An Early Freda movie, with capes and sword, lot of action and romance and a final sequences that annonce already the furtur master of gothic horror of I Vampiri… 7,5/10
“La ragazza in vetrina” (aka “The Girl in the Window”) (Luciano Emmer, France/Italy 1961) Very nice melodrama of a couple of Italian immigrant miners in Belgium (Lino ventura and Bernard Fresson) who go in Amsterdam to have good time but when the younger meet the beautiful Else, a prostitute behin a window, his life will change forever…. 8,5/10
“I Cannibali” (aka "The Cannibals") (Liliana Cavani, Italy 1970) Strange adaptation under psychotronic drugs of Sophocles’ Antigone. In a dictatorial country the bodies of the opponants killed during riot must rest on the pavement and not buried or the sentence will be death… A girl and a strange guy who speaks an unknown languages decide to bury the deads… Very strange… 7/10
“Mädchenjahre einer Königin” (aka “Victoria in Dover”) (Ernst Marischka, Austria 1954) Armless romance about the romanced first years of the reign of queen Victoria… With great Romy Schneider, nice costumes and settings. 7/10
“The Creeping Terror” (Vic Savage, USA 1964) And to finish 2014 a jewel of Z grade cinema… A spaship lands in a remote country in the US and an horrible creeping monster begins to devour people all around attacking campers, fisherman and the local dancehall… But what’s doing the local police !!! 3,5/10 for Z fans 10/10….
That’s all for 2014… 626 movies this year… a bit less than in 2013 but quite good… ;) Welcome to 2015 !!!
A nice beginning for 2015 with few small movies...
“Achtung! Banditi!” (Carlo Lizzani, Italy 1951) The fight of a group of Italian partisans during WWII who have to accomplish a perilous mission. Between them and the germans a group of Italian alpine troup may hav to chose their camp… not bad and quite realistic. 7,5/10
“La tratta delle bianche” (Luigi Comencini, Italy 1952) A film-noir all’italiana about a war of the gang on background of women smuggling and a pimp who organizes a dance marathon to force some girls to prostitution but the boyfriend of one girl doesn’t agry that much… 8,5/10
“Bloodlust!“ (Ralph Brooke, USA 1961) Another version of the classic “The Most Dangerous Game” in the B way. Not as bad as expected. 6/10
“Blonde Savage” (Steve Sekely, USA 1947) Pilot Steve Blake and pal Hoppy Owens are hired by diamond mine owner to discover the the village of the natives attacking his men. But there they dicover the existence of a pretty white chick in the village the true heiress of the mine… Fo B fans only 6,5/10
“Phantom Ranger” (Sam Newfield, USA 1938) A small B western in which a treasury department engraver is being held captive by a counterfeiting gang that wants him to make counterfeit plates for them… The government send the only agent who knows perfectly well the wild wild west… Tim McCoy ! 6/10
“Loser’s End” (Bernard B. Ray, USA 1935) Another poor B-western with Jack Perrin who rides into trouble when he meets up with Bill Meeker and his outlaw gang. Rescued from the gang's clutches by Don carlos, he joins forces with Carlos and with the help of Lolita who learns of the gang's next raid, they go after the culprits.
“Akitsu onsen” (Yoshishige Yoshida, Japan 1962) Very beautiful and sad melodrama. A love story who beginsjust after Japan lost the WWII and finish fourteen years later. During that time the two lovers would have meet only three times… Improbable ? perhaps but terribly effiscient… Even if an unusual movie for Yoshida. 8,5/10
“Rokudenashi” (aka “Good for Nothing”) (Yoshishige Yoshida, Japan 1960) A more typical Yoshida movie in which the son of a rich business man lives completely bored as a student with a group of parasites/friends. The are cruelly boring and decide to fake an attack to the secretary of father who carry each month an important cash envelope. But the secretary is a tough girl ad tells to one friend that he’s only “good for nothing”… then things will dramatically change… Excellent. 8/10
“The Secret Sex Lives of Romeo and Juliet” (Peter Perry Jr., USA 1969) Another nudie-cutie who is a sofcore parody of the famous play… very loosely adapted as you can imagine… 6/10
“Q” (Larry Cohen, USA 1982) A funny giant monster movie in which the famous flying serpent Quetzalcoatl attack the town eating many people… Davi Carradine is an inspector who have to investigate… funny one. 7/10
“La grande bouffe” (Marco Ferreri, France/Italy 1973) We proposed this excellent but very « thrash » comedy to our cineclub… just after the big meals of the new year’s day… was diffucukt for some people… 8,5/10
“Wolves of the Range” (Sam Newfield, USA 1943) An episode of the Lone Rider western série with Robert Livingston et Al St. John. Dorn a crooked saloon owner is after the rancher's land and is trying to stop Banker Brady from helping them. When his man Hammond kills Brady, there is a run on the bank. When Rocky volunteers to ride to the next town for money, he is ambushed by Dorn's men, loses his memory, and is jailed for supposedly stealing the money.... Some kind of Capra’s American Madness of the B’s… funny. 6,5/10
“Raiders of Red Gap” (Sam Newfield, USA 1943) A small western of the Lone Rider série (the last of the serie indeed) with Robert Livingston and Al St. John… The Lone Riders and his pal Fuzzy come to help some cattle rancher against a crooked gang of smugglers… A classic small B. 6/10
“Valley fo Terror” (Albert Herman, USA 1937) A very poor B western with Kermit Maynard as lead in which he finds himself in jail for rustling cattle. His buddy gets the idea to organize a lynch mob in the hopes of arranging his escape once the mob takes him out of jail. However, things don't quite work out the way he planned…
“Ruthless” (Edgar G. Ulmer, USA 1948) One of the rare A movie of Ulmer, the Orson Welles of the B’s… An excellent movie very similar to Wall Street or The Wolf of Wall Street in which a man destroy every thing and every body to rich the top in a financial way… Zachary Scott is fabulous. Excellent filming all in flashbacks, excellent photography, good actors. A must much ahead from it’s time indeed. 9/10
“The Other Love” (André DeToth, USA 1947) A poorly known DeToth movie and one of his few melodrama. Quite good with few amphasis and a great cast. Barbara Stanwick good as always and definitively the best actress ever, David Niven and Richard Conte also excellent. A classic story but very well told. 8/10
“The Crooked Way” (Robert Florey, Very good film-noir in which a war veteran Eddie Rice (John Payne excellent) comes back seriousely injured. Some years he leaves the army hospital without recovery his memory. The only things he knows is that he enrolled under a flase nanme in Los Angeles… He goes back to the town and soon discovers that he was a dangerous criminal… Very good. 8,5/10
“Chi wa kawaiteru” (aka “Blood Is Dry”) (Yoshishige Yoshida, Japan 1960) Excellent movie in which a man who tries to commit suicide because he was about to be fired from his job becomes the prey of puplicists who soon make him a mediatic star and icone… Terribly actual and powerfull at “reality-TV” era… 9/10
“Madeinusa” (Claudia Llosa, Peru / Spain 2006) A strange and weird movie. Because a bridge has been destroyed, a man has to stay in a remote Peruvian village lost in the puna juste during the holly week celebrations… During three days as Jesus is dead and wait for resurrection people are free to do every thing. The man meet young Madeinusa… Disturbing but interesting movie. 8/10
“Le rouge est mis” (aka “Speaking of Murder”) (Gilles Grangier, France 1957) A classic but quite good French gangsters and heist movie with Jean Gabin and Lino Ventura. Of course if all begins quite good for the gangsters things will soon go wrong… very wrong. 7,5/10
Then I continu my exploration of underground US cinema odf the 60's with some rare movies...
”Scyla” (Nick Millard, USA 1967) A strange small nudie of the west coast about a beach bum, Gregory, who spots the lovely Scyla sunbathing on the beach and immediately becomes infatuated with her. However, Gregory's possessive witch old flame Circe gets jealous when she finds out about his obsession with Scyla and concocts a magic potion to make the beautiful lady ugly. A very loose adaptation of ancient Greece myth… 7/10
”Oddo” (Nick Millard, USA 1967) Another strange rough nudie from Millard. Sort of avant-garde movie about the misfits viet-nam veterans who come back in a world they don’t recognize like Rolling Thunder or Rambo. A soldier, Alan, comes back in his hometown in San Francisco. He is filled with rage and appalled by the general decadence all around him, Alan violently lashes out at prostitutes, family members, and anyone else unfortunate enough to cross his angry and deadly path… very strange 7,5/10
”How I Got My Mink” (Nick Millard, USA 1969) This third Millard movie is less interesting than the two previous ones. A brother and sister decide to realize a movie about the loose sexual life of underground San Francisco. But soon they get involved in wild sex parties and experiments… 6/10
”Inside Miss Carter” (Billy Rey, USA 1970 A poor erotic movie about the classic story of naïve but hotcountry girl who comes to Hollywood to become a star but who is of courns abused by many men… 6/10
” Big Beaver Splits the Scene” (John Lamb, USA 1971) Another poor softcore porn with almost no plot. Millie and Suzie are two close female friends who live together in the same apartment complex. When the lovely ladies aren't engaging in torrid poolside lesbian liaisons, they are having sex with each other's husbands or gleefully participating in wild group orgies. Only interesting by the presence of great porn star John Holmes. 5/10
“Streets of Paris” (Anonymous, USA 1969) Another pointless soft porn from the vault in which two hot american chicks decides to visit Paris, the city of love… They won’t be disappointed… 4,5/10
“Trapped in the House” (Anonymous, USA 1970) Another poor sofporn movie in which a mother forbids to her daughter to see his boyfriend. So she invites her girl friends and the have a lesbian orgy. Then she invites her boyfriend disguised in gir and they have one orgy more… 4/10
“The Cheerleaders” (Paul Glickler, USA 1973) Quite funny and dumb sex-comedy about the adventures of a gang of very hot cheerleaders who recruit a new girl Jeanny (excellent Stephanie Fondue) who needs some initiations… 7/10
“Hideout in the Sun“ (Doris Wishman, USA 1960) The first movie of great director Doris Whishman in which two brother kidnap a girl after bank robbery and who have to hide in the nudist camp where she’s a member… 7/10
“Mambo Burlesk“ ( aka “Tijuana After Midnite”) (Phil Tucker, USA 1954) A poor burlesque movie directed by cult director Phil Tucker (Robot Monster). 4,5/10
“Letter from an Unknown Woman” (Max Ophüls, USA 1948) I rewatched with great pleasure this masterpiece of Max Ophüls, certainly his best work in the US. 10/10
“Vier minuten” (aka “Four Minutes”) (Chris Kraus, Germany 2006) Quite interesting idea but Chris Kraus wan’t to tell us much too much so the movie becomes indigestible if you add the actors who are good but also act too much... By the way a good soundtrack that saves much of the movie. 6,5/10
“Fantasmi a Roma” (aka “Phantoms in Rome”) (Antonio Pietrangeli, Italy 1961) Delightful small fantasy comedy. Some ghosts lives peacefully in an old mansion in Rome. But when the old count dies his young heir want to sell the mansion to crooked estate agent… The ghosts have to react if they want to save their home… 8,5/10
“Hearts of Humanity” (Christy Cabanne, USA 1932) Despite a cruel lack of means this little drama is quite good about the son of a cop, Shandy, who is adopted by Sol the jewish owner of an antic shop after his father is murdered. The other son of Sol is quite a bad guy and Shandy always try to help him… but get also involved in bad affairs… 7/10
“Range Warfare” (S. Roy Luby, USA 1934) A small B western of the Reb and Rebel serie with Reb Russell. He’s certainly not a good actor but the whol is entertaining… 6/10
“Arizona Terror” (Phil Rosen, USA 1931) A good B-western with great Ken Maynard in which croocked Captain Porter, who poses as an army officer, schemes to buy livestock and then has his men show up later to kill the buyer and retrieve the money… 7/10
“La corona di ferro“ (Alessandro Blasetti, Italy 1941) An excellent early heroic-fantasy movie about the story of a magic supposedly made from a nail out of the Cross of Christ and the metal of Roman swords, becomes a legend and a symbol of justice… The crown buries itself in every country where ther is unjustice till the vilains are punished… A king who killed his brother to get the trone organizes a great tournament to decide who’ll mary his daughter… Very good movie 8/10
“Arizona Gunfighter” (Sam Newfield, USA 1937) A nice small B western with Bob Steele as Colt who kills the men that murdered his father, he escapes his pursuers and joins Wolf and his outlaw gang. After two years Wolf breaks up the gang, deeds his ranch to Colt, and turns himself in. Now an honest rancher, things are going fine for Colt until Wolf's old gang shows up under a new leader. Colt get the Governor to release Wolf claiming the two of them can bring in the gang.... 6,5/10
“The Kid Ranger” (Robert N. Bradbury, USA 1936) Another small B western with Bob Steele directed by his father Robert N. Bradbury. In this one Bob Steele is Ranger Ray who plans to marry stage driver Bill Mason's daughter Mary. Unknown to Mary, twenty years earlier when he was Sheriff Mason had to kill her father. Brent was there at the time and now he reappears. To keep the secret, he forces Mason to help him rob the stage…. 6/10
“Unashamed: A Romance” (Peter McConville, USA 1938) Amazing small exploitation nudie which deals with the very sad story of Rae Lane entices her hypochondriac boss to come to a nudist camp in the hopes of winning his heart… But as a friend tells her, if he doesn’t care at her it’s not for medical reason but because she’s got some indian blood in her veins and because she doesn’t belong to the same social class as him… She refuses to believe him and thing begins quite well for her until young socialite Barbara Pounds enter the camp… A very strong and sad movie which deals with many forbidden themes of the codes… 8/10
“Cosmo Jones, Crime Smasher” (James Tinling, USA 1943) A nice crime-comedy adapted from a riadio show with Mantan Moreland… 6,5/10
“Hôtel Continental” (Christy Cabanne, USA 1932) A good small crime comedy about a posh hotel which is about to close its doors forever. A paroled convict comes back to the hotel to find stolen funds he hid there years earlier. He saves a woman from suicide, unaware that she has been hired by crooks to spirit the loot away from him. This early Tiffany talkie is pretty good…with pretty Peggy Shannon. 6,5/10
“Le salaire de la peur” (aka ”The Wages of Fear”) (Henri-Georges Clouzot, France 1953) Rewatched this true masterpiece of french cinema. But every body knows it. 10/10
“Sorcerer“ (William Friedkin, USA 1977) If this one doesn’t reach the level of it’s predecessor it’s a really good movie with some impressive moments and not only a simple remake. 9/10
That's all for the moment... this week we organize our small festival with lots of movies to come soon...
Last week we had our small festival at our cineclub... some old movies and some new ones... These are the movies I managed to watch...
“Change pas de main“ (Paul Vecchiali, France 1975) An early French soft-porn movie about a woman who learns that she will be soon minister in the French government and is blackmailed by a man who shows her a movie with her son making porn. The woman hires a couple of female detective to investigate… Strange and violent porn with a bunch of murders quite good indeed. 7/10
“Curucu, Beast of the Amazon“ (Curt Siodmak, USA 1956) It was great pleasure and a true chance to watch this movie in it’s original eastmancolor and widescreen format. Very camp and cheezy movie but enjoyable. 7,5/10
“The Hills Have Eyes” (Wes Craven, USA 1977) Re-watched on silver screen this true classic. Great fun ! 8/10
“Deep Throat” (Gerard Damiano, USA 1972) Watching porn on silver screen in 35 mm has become rare so it was great pleasure to watch this “historical” movie in perfect condition on a pretty good copy. The movie is pretty lame but has still it’s moment and some cult quotes… 7/10
“Man in the Shadow” (Jack Arnold, USA 1957) Poorly known movie of Jack Arnold with Orson welles in great need of money in the cast. A good even if classic story of the sheriff (Jeff Chandler) straight in his boots who face the the big rancher (Orson Welles) after the murder of a poor mexican worker… 7,5/10
“Uchu kara no messeji” (aka “Message from Space”) (Kinji Fukasaku, Japan 1978) Re-watched this true japanese Star-War withgreat pleasure. Armless and cheap but enjoyable pictures. 7,5/10
“Il mondo di Yor” (aka. “Yor, the Hunter of the Future”) (Antonio Margheriti, Italy 1983) Hilarious post atomic movie in a world which regress at the stone age Yor a strong warrior is carrying a strange jewel and looks very different. He decides to find his origins… It was great pleasure to finish the festival with this hilarious movie in glorious French dubbed version ! Everybody laughted a lot. 4/10 for Z grade fans 10/10
We had also a conpetition with recent movies :
“Der Samurai” (Till Kleinert, Germany 2014) Another version of the wolf man story on background of homosexuality and with a samourai sword in a remote german town…you see ? The movie won the critic price of the festival. I personaly found it a bit dumb and ridiculous at some moment. 5/10
“Horsehead“ (Romain Basset, France 2014) Almost all what I dislike in today’s movies. All the clichés of horror movies put together in a pointless story. Very nice images, well done, but deffinitivelly empty. Nice pictures never make a movie. 2/10
“Dealer“ (Jean Luc Herbulot, France 2014) Very nice crime and drug movie in a "Pusher" way but with a nice touch of black humour an cynicism. A good one. 8/10
“Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films” (Mark Hartley, Australia | USA | Israel | UK, 2014) Excellent documentary about the mythic production company of movies Cannon films. Alternating Cassavetes or Zeffirelli movies with Chuck Noris ones and Death Wish 32 those guys were movies geeks… A must to see to all 80’s cinema lovers. 8/10
“Categorie X” (Frederic Ambroisine, France 2014) A documentary and some kind of making-of of Les Caresses de l’aube, the last movie of porn producer/director Jack Tyler aka Emmanuel Silvestre. He tries to tell us hat he’s doing intelligent porn with serious script and so on but doesn’t seem to consider the public reached by his work… Quite funny. 6/10
That’s all for 2015’s edition… rendez-vous next year…
“La brune et moi” (Philippe Puicouyoul, France 1981) The cult french movie on the post-punk génération. A nice musical with great soundtrack of French bands like Artefacts, Dogs, Taxi Girl… A rich business man falls in love for young punk and decides to make her become a star… A curiosity. 7,5/10
“Night Train to Terror“ (John Carr, Phillip Marshak, Tom McGowan, Jay Schlossberg-Cohen, Gregg C. Tallas, USA 1985) A weird movie produced by Philip Yordan at the end of his carrier and using extensive parts of previous horror movies more or less finished or only released on video tapes… the whole is pretty lame but funny and watchable… for Z fans only. 4/10
“Quintet” (Robert Altman, USA 1979) Quite strange but very interesting Altman movie. His only Sci-Fi one and the only Sci-Fi movie of Paul Newman. A great one but the rhythm very calm and slow will certainly discourage many. 8/10
“Behind the Mask” (Phil Karson, USA 1945) A pretty good small crime B movie with lot of humour and clichés. But nice filming of Karlson who’ll be famous a bit later on films noir. Already quite obvious in this small one. 6,5/10
“Le Doulos” (Jean-Pierre Melville, France 1962) Another excellent crime movie from Melville with lot of twists in the plots and great filming. Excellent. 9/10
“The Limits of Control” (Jim Jarmusch, USA | Japan 2009) Quite not bad movie, not as bad as some people say. Of course it’s very slow but quite inventive and with a nice reflection on the meaning of human activity in all it’s dimentions… nice photography tooo. 7,5/10
“Bighouse US.A.” (Howard W. Koch, USA 1955) A nice crime movie made on a very documentary styla about a guy who kidnap a child, get the money and kills his hostage. He’s put in prison but because lack of evidences only for exorsion, because neighter the child body nor most of the ranson are found. There he meets some tough guy who plan a prisonbreack and who kidnap him in order to get back the money… Quite good one with good cast : Broderick Crawford, Chalrs Bronson, Lon Chaney Jr… 7,5/10
“Le samouraï” (Jean-Pierre Melville, France/Italy, 1967) We proposed this wonderfull movie at our cineclub… but everybod knows it. The more I watch it the more I like it… 10/10
First some great productions of the mythic Cannon :D (except the first one...)
“The Exterminator” (James Glickenhaus, USA 1980) Two friends, Michael and John, come back from Viet-Nam and begin a new life but one day Michael is badly injured by young delinquents and then John decides to make self justice… Inspector James Dalton must stop him… Not as bad as expected but without any surprise. 7/10
“American Ninja 5” (Bob Bralver, USA 1993) The last episode of the American Nija serie is certainly bad… a movie for children indeed. The daughter rof a scientist is kidnapped by crooked businessman and evil dictator helped by a bunch of colorfull ninjas… American Ninja (David Bradley),helped by young boy will save her… 5/10
“Invasion U.S.A.” (Joseph Zito, USA 1985) When U.S.A. are invaded by a bunch of terrorist only ONE man can save the country CHUCK NORRIS !!! America wasn't ready...but HE was! Hilarious movie… 4,5/10 for Z fans 10/10
“The Delta Force” (Menahem Golan, Israel/USA, 1986) A 707 airplane is hijacked by Lebanese terrorists. The terrorists demand that the pilot take them to Beirut… Only the Delta Force leade by CHUCK NORRIS and LEE MARVIN can save the world one more… and they will !!! Another hilarious movie from the Cannon… Excellent. 5/10 for Z grade fans 10/10
“Captain America” (Albert Pyun, USA 1990) This version is quite poor and less funny than the 1976 TV ones and less fun than the 1943 serial (but luckyly as bad as the modern ones). But it’s quite faithfull to the original. Acting and filming are poor indeed but funny. 6/10
“Death Wish 4: The Crackdown” (J. Lee Thompson, USA 1987) In this opus, our lonesome avenger Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) will eliminate a buch of drug smugglers gangs… Another very good Cannon movie looks very like today’s movies… you know the ones with the good guy who kills the bad ones... 5,5/10
“Le quai des brumes” (Marcel Carné, France 1938) Rewatched with great pleasur this wonderfull movie… Jean Gabin, Michèle Morgan… “t’as d’beaux yeux tu sais…” What else ? 10/10
“Mr. Klein” (Joseph Losey, France 1976) We proposed this great movie at outr cineclub. The very complex treatment adopted by Losey make the spectators have a nice and long discussion after the movie… was great ! 9/10
“Blutjunge Verführerinnen” (aka “Young Seducers”) (Erwin C. Dietrich, Switzerland/West Germany 1971) Swiss cinma is a very nauthy one so I decide to begin an exploration of the hidden face of this alpine cinema. In this one some journalists tells short hot stories of young students in heat… Funny. 6,5/10
“Ich - Ein Groupie” (aka “Me, a Groupie”) (Erwin C. Dietrich, Jack Hill, West Germany/Switzerland, 1970) Two hot girls become groupies of a rock band after a hot night with the members of the group. They decide to follow them to Berlin. But in Amsterdam they are broke and decide to make drug smuggling with Zurich to earn enough money… 6/10
“Der Teufel in Miss Jonas” (Erwin C. Dietrich, Switzerland 1976) Miss Jonas is damn hot and one day dies by mistake… so the devil send her back to earth for some days more… just enough to have some more hot experiences… 6,5/10
Soon some other alpine jewels...
“De dødes tjern” (aka “The Lake of the Dead”) (Kåre Bergstrøm, Norway 1958) Excellent Nordic thriller on fantasy background. Some friends decide to spend some days of vacation in a cabin near a lake. On arrival the freidn they had to meet has disappeared… A strange legend also occurs about people mysteriously drowning in the lake… 8,5/10
“Casus Kiran” (aka “Spy Smasher”) (Yilmaz Atadeniz, Turkey 1968) Another wonderful Turkish super-heroe movie. In this one Spysmasher and his girl Sevda are fighting a dangerous gang of spies and counterfeiters… Lot of actions and non-sense as usual... 6,5/10
“Flavia, la monaca musulmana” (aka “Flavia the Heretic”) (Gianfranco Mingozzi, Frace/Italy 1974) Weird movie about a nun, Flavia (wonderful Florinda Bolkan) decide to rebel against the cruel rules of a man’s world… when Saracen invade the place she thinks it’s an opportunity to emancipate… Note also the wonderfull soundtrack of Nicola Piovani. 7/10
“The Sleeping Tiger” (Joseph Losey, UK 1954) The first collaboration of Losey with Dirk Borgarde. In this one Bogarde is a young delinquent who is “invited” by a psychiatrist to live in his house to cure… but soon the young guy falls in love with the wife of the doctor and they decide to run away… 8/10
First some episodes of the Lone Rider western serie of the PRC...
“Border Round-Up” (Sam Newfield, USA 1942) The 10th episode of the Lone Rider série in this one our heroe and his pal Fuzzy face a crooked banker Masters who learns from rancher Jeff Sloane that he and his partner, Sourdough, have discovered a gold mine. Masters has his henchman Blackie and his gang, kill Sourdough and take Sloane a prisoner to force him to reveal the location of the gold strike… 6,5/10
“The Lone Rider in Texas Justice” (Sam Newfield, USA 1942) The 9th movie of the Lone Rider serie. In this one, our heroes find rancher Jack Stewart who, after innocently being in jail for cattle rustling, is on his way back to his ranch and daughter Kate. He is stopped by some ranchers who were victims of the rustlers and, when he refuses to leave the territory, they attempt to summarily hang him… 6,5/10
“Overland Stagecoach“ ((Sam Newfield, USA 1942) 7th episode of the adventures of the Lone Rider. In this one The Lone Rider and his pal Fuzzy Kent a crooker business man has started a feud between the approaching railroad and a stage company to get control of the later. To help out, Fuzzy sends for his friend Tom Cameron, the Lone Rider. But Kent has installed a secret compartment on the stage where his man can hide and he soon has both Tom and Fuzzy wanted for murder… 6,5/10
“The Lone Rider Rides On“(Sam Newfield, USA 1941) First of the 17 episodes of the Lone Rider serie at PRC with George Houston and then Bob Livingston as Tom cameron the Lone Rider who is after the man that killed his parents when he was a boy. Obtaining a deed from a family killed just like his, he runs into trouble with Mitchell whose men committed the murder. Accused of the murder by Mitchell, he is quickly tried and convicted and the Judge he recognizes as the man he is looking for… 7/10
Then some other stuff...
“A Time to Love and a Time to Die” (Douglas Sirk, USA 1958) Rewatched with much pleasure this very good melodrama by Douglas Sirk. Certainly one of his best work. 9/10
“Les bronzés font du ski" (Patrice Leconte, France 1975) Very funny and classic french comedy. Always funny even after many viewings… 8/10
“The Guard“ (John Michael McDonagh, Ireland 2011) Strange an funny Irish movie with lot of black humour. Brendan Gleeson is excellent. 8/10
“L’eclisse” (Michelangelo Antonioni, Italy/France 1962) We proposed this classic at our cineclub. Huge filming and a beautiful Monica Vitti. Strong evocation of pointless times. Was great to watch it gain on the wide screen… 9/10
“Rapture” (John Guillermin, France/USA 1965) Wonderful movie about coming-out age of a savage young girl (Patricia Gozzi absolutely amazing) in a remote village on fench Brittany coast. We all know John Guillermin for his blockbusters but he proves here that he also can be a great director, well helped her by a wonderful phtography. 10/10
“The Notorious Cleopatra” (Peter Perry Jr., USA 1970) A free evocation of the famous love life of the famous Cleopatra, Caesar and Marc-Anthony. Loray White is very pretty and hot in this funny nudie. 6,5/10
“Strange Invaders” (Michael Laughlin, USA 1983) A kind homage to the sci-fi of the 50’s with a nice story of invaders coming to earth in the 50’s in a small village and taking the place of the local inhabitants… 30 years later an entomologist wants to visit a lost relative in the village…. Gentle movie. 7/10
“La melodía misteriosa” (aka “The Mysterious Melody”) (Juan Fortuny, France/Spain 1956) A nice French ‘B-movie’ about the mysterious murder of a violin maker. A couple of French policemen are on the case between Paris Barcelona and Madrid… note the presence of Mick Micheyl th a famous French singer at the time and the participation of Jesus Franco to the script. 7/10
“Du Guesclin” (Bernard de Latour, France 1949) Historical movie about the famous French knight Bertrand Du Guesclin and his fight against English, Burgondy and Navarra king… Nice settings and costumes for this poorly known French epic… 7,5/10
“Guns at Batasi” (John Guillermin, UK 1964) Another fine discovery from early carrier of John Guillermin. An old fashioned fron 19th century sergeant-major (Richard Attenborough excellent) is quite lost and ridiculous in the post-decolonisation british army. He’s is in a brittish base in an African country in great troubles with multiple rebellions. Son the base is surrounded by rebel troops and he takes things in charge… 8/10
“Blutjunge Verführerinnen 2” (Erwin C. Dietrich, Switzerland 1972) Second episode of the serie wich as usual deals with some short stories of very hot young girls in various situations… very pretty gals all along… 6/10
“Stanley and Livingstone” (Henry King, Otto Brower, USA 1939) The story of newspaperman Stanley expedition to find famous doctor Linvingstone in the jungle. Spencer Tracy is quite convincing in his role but as we are in American film the trial part of the movie is quite long. The African part of the movie was filmed by Otto Brower while Henry King and the actors remained in Hollywood… 7,5/10
“Les orgueilleux” (aka ”The Proud Ones”) (Yves Allégret, Rafael E. Portas, France/Mexico 1953) A nice coproduction of Frnace and Mexico at his golden age for cinema. A good adaptation of Jean-Paul Sartre novel much in relation with Albert Camus’ famous novel The Pleague. After her husband died from meningitis a woman is trapped in quarantine in a small Mexican village. There she meets a young doctor who became an alkoolic after his wife died. Michèle Morgan and Gérard Philippe are great. 8,5/10
“The Party“ (Blake Edwards, USA 1968) I rewatched the great comedy with some friends and as usual we laugh a lot. 10/10
“Thieves Like Us“ (Robert Altman, USA 1973) Quite faithful adaptation of the great eponymous novel by Edward Anderson even if the ending is a bit different (the girl dies also in the novel). Very different than Anthony Mann’s adaptation as They Live By Night (1949) but quite interesting and a great reconstruction of the atmosphere of the 30’s… 8/10
“Hellbound“ (Aaron Norris, USA 1994) Another great Cannon production in which two Chicago cops must investigate after the murder of a rabbi. They are sent to Israel and must face supernatural phenomenons… With great Chuck Norris as good and tough as usual… 5,5/10
“Le facteur de St. Tropez” (Richard Balducci, France 1983) Another great French comedy with amazing Paul Préboist as the St. Tropez postman who is an ecologist who fight agains all crooked businessmen of the aera… truly pathetic… 3/10
“King Solomon's Mines“ (J. Lee Thompson, USA 1983) The Cannon clone of Indiana Jones, Alan Quatermain is here with pretty Sharon Stone to search her lost father and the King Solomon’s legendary mines… full of action and adventures in this armless movie. 7/10
“Madam Satan“ (Cecil B. DeMille, USA 1930) Early talkie for Cecil B. DeMille and a good one about the inprobable story of an adandonned wife who will re-conquer her hiusbant by impersonating a mysterious vamp Madam Satan. If the beginning is quite talkie all the second part of the movie is simply amazing ! 8/10
“The Mouse on the Moon” (Richard Lester, UK 1963) The very funny sequel of the Mouse that Roared. Here, we go baack to the Tiny Country of Grand Fenwick lost in the Alps which has a hot water problem in the castle. To get the money necessary to put in a new set of plumbing, prim minister requests foreign aid from the U.S. arguing for Space Research. The Russians then send aid as well to show that they too are for the internationalization of space. While the grand Duke is dreaming of hot baths, their one scientist is slapping together a rocket… But Vincent, the son of the prime minister hs a great dream… becoming an astronaut… Great. 8/10
“Forced Landing” (Gordon Wiles, USA 1941) In an unknown exotic country a crooked colonel and his pals steal the payroll of the workers of a mine… an American pilot is soon involved in the case and also falls in love with colonel’s fiancéed. The first movie of Eva Gabor the sister of notorious Zsa-Zsa Gabor. 6/10
“Heroes in Blue” (William Watson, USA 1939) A classic story of two brothers one is a thief, the other one a cop… Crime doesn’t pay you know… A good small B. 6/10
“Bunco Squad” (Herbert I. Leeds, USA 1950) Interresting B noir in whichthe members of a little-known section of the Los Angeles Police Department are assigned solely to checking on the activities of fortune tellers, swamis, palmists, and other occult societies… 7/10
“The Threat” (Felix E. Feist, USA 1949) Interresting small B noir in which several inmates escape...including killer Arnold Kluger, who seeks revenge on the detective and district attorney who convicted him. Despite precautions, the two men are soon kinapped by Kluger, together with showgirl Carol whom he suspects of informing on him. Gret performance of Charles McGraw as Kluger. 7/10
“Ghare-Baire” (aka “The House and the World”) (Satyajit Ray, India 1984) Excellent Ray movie in which a woman is recalling the events that molded her perspective on the world. Years ago, her husband, a wealthy Western-educated landowner, challenged tradition by providing her with schooling, and inviting her out of the seclusion in which married women were kept, to the consternation of more conservative relatives. Meeting her husband's visiting friend from college, a leader of an economic rebellion against the British, she takes up his political cause, despite her husband’s convictions… 9/10
“Mahanagar” (aka “The Big City”) (Satyajit Ray, India 1963) Another masterpiece of Ray but it’s not a surprise indeed… Bhambal supports his wife Arati, his parents, and two children. Money is tight, so Arati goes to work. She's successful and enjoys it, but this untraditional step throws the household into chaos: her in-laws initiate a "cold war" of silence and disapproval. When Bhambal loses his job, he must accept that Arati’s job is now essential… Wondeful love story on social and economical background. As usual, with tiny things Ray manages to make a wonderful work… 10/10
“The Show” (Tod Browning, USA 1926) Amazing movie sort of prequel of Freaks by amazing director Tod Browning… In Budapest, sideshow performers experiment love, hete, greed and murder… Amazing cinematography and very inventive filming… 8,5/10
“The Snorkel” (Guy Green, UK 1958) Even if the main plottwist is physicaly impossible a great thriller nicely filmed and with good acting. 8/10
“Patty” (aka “The Case of Patty Smith”) (Leo A. Handel, USA 1962) A very moving movie about a young girl who get pregnant after being raped by a band o thigs and who desperatly find a way of abortion but all the society seems to be against her... Excellent even if very low budget. 8,5/10
“His Majesty O'Keefe” (Byron Haskin, Burt Lancaster, USA 1954) Another great adventure movie with Lancaster at his best. Even if a bit less good a than the The Flame and the Arrow or the Crimson Pirate, a great moment of adventures in the south seas in a Lord jim way… 7,5/10
“Crime et chatiment” (aka “Crime and Punishment“) (Georges Lampin, France 1956) Another adaptation of the famous Dostoevsky’s novel transposed in the present time. Nice acting of the couple Marina Vlady and Robert Hossein who actually married during the filming… Huge cast with also Lino Ventura, Jean Gabin, Bernard Blier… 8/10
“The Wonderful Country” (Robert Parrish, USA 1959) Having fled to Mexico from the U.S. many years ago for killing his father's murderer, Martin Brady travels to Texas to broker an arms deal for his Mexican boss, strongman Governor Cipriano Castro. Very interesting western with unusual Robert Mitchum and pretty touching Julie London. Nice filming of Robert Parrish. 8/10
“The Touch of Flesh” (R. John Hugh, USA 1960) Completely weird movie about a rich girl who get pregnant after an affair with poor guy… She wants to abort but he want to keep the child… she soon becomes completely crazy… Amazing ending for this true exploitation jewel !
“Bewitched” (Arch Oboler, 1945) An early thriller about multiple personalities. A young woman has two personalities and who kills her boyfienrd. An attorney who is now in lave with her and an old psychistrist will help her. Some good moment even if now a bit dated. 6,5/10
“La novia ensangrentada” (aka “The Bloody Bride”) (Vicente Aranda, Spain 1972) Quite good small horror Spanish movie about a young bride frightened by sexual fantasies of her husband and who get seduced by the ghost of Carmilla an ancestor of her husband… 7/10
“The Glass Key” (Stuart Heisler, USA 1942) Rewatched with much pleasure this classic of film noir adapted from great Dashiell Hammet novel (I read all his stuff…) with beautifull Veronica Lake !! 8,5/10
“Les amants maudits” (Willy Rozier, France 1952) A French crime movie about the ‘true’ life of Pierrot le Fou a mad gangster of the 40’s… Quite cheap but it still has it’s moments 7/10
“Les amours imaginaires” (aka “Heartbeats”) (Xavier Dolan, Canada 2010) We proposed this nice movie at our cinéclub… If I felt hardly concerned by the movie, there was some nce and interesting findings in this movie. 7,5/10
“Quai des orfèvres “ (Henri-Georges Clouzot, France 1947) Rewatched with much pleasure this classic french crime movie, great screenplay, great filming, huge cast… a true classic. 9/10
“The Blue Dahlia “ (George Marshall, USA 1946) Another great film noir with Wonderful Veronica Lake as femme fatale… but is she ? Alan Ladd and William Bendix are good too. A classic. 8/10
“Gasu ningen dai 1 gô “ (aka “The Human Vapor”) (Ishirô Honda, Japan, 1960) Another good movie from Ishiro Honda mixing with talent Sci-Fi, romance and crime movie on traditional dance background. A man become a gas monster after experiment turned wrong in love with the art of a dencer he will do everything to allow her to make a new dance show in the best theatre… 7,5/10
“Béru et ses dames” (Guy Lefranc, France 1968) A crime/comedy movie adapted from the characters created by famous novelist Frederic Dard San Antonio and his pal Bérurrier get involved in a drug smuggling and thing become complicated when Bérurier inherits from a brothel… 6,5/10
“Les félins” (René Clément, France 1964) A French gigolo (Alain Delon) is hunted on the French Riviera by killer from New York mafia after he was caught with the girl of a notorious godfather. He takes refugee in the house of a beautiful widow and her cousin… but is the place realy safe ? Nice plot and twists in this good thriller. 8/10
“Dossier 1413” (Alfred Rode, France 1962) A French crime B movie in which a detective investigates the grisly murder of a woman. The trail leads him to dope peddling, blackmail, and financial spying. Most notable to be the first appearance on screen of famous French singer Johnny Hallyday !! 7/10
“Kôhî jikô” (aka “Café Lumière“) (Hsiao-Hsien Hou, Japan / Taiwan, 2003) We proposed this nice movie at our cineclub. An homage to Ozu cinema. Quite good even if nobody can even dream to reach the art of the master. 7/10
“The Chalk Garden“ (Ronald Neame, UK/USA 1964) A grandmother seeks a governess for her 16 year old granddaughter, Laurel, who manages to drive away each and every one so far by exposing their past, with a record of three in one week! When an applicant with a mysterious past manages to get the job, Laurel vows to expose her… Surprinsingly good despite the subject. Excellent script and huge acting. 9/10
“Timeslip“ (Ken Hughes, UK 1955) A strange Sci-Fi movie in wich an atomic scientist is found floating in a river with a bullet in his back and a radioactive halo around his body. The radioactivity has put him seven-and-a-half seconds ahead of us in time…. Unusual small movie… 7,5/10
“Classe tous risques“ (Claude Sautet, France 1960) Another nice French film-noir about Abel Davis is a criminal, hunted in Italy. The police are closing in, so he and his pal Raymond arrange to flee back to France with Abel's wife, Thérèse, and their two young sons. Here, former friends have become respectable and don’t want to help him direcly so they send a hired gun to help Abel…. Very good. 8,5/10
“The Glory Guys“ (Arnold Laven, Sam Peckinpah, USA 1965) This un-credited Peckinpah western is sort of preparation for movies like Major Dundee. A colonel drunk of power takes many risks to be the sole winner of a battle against Indians, he send to a certain death two of his officers who are furthermore in love with the same woman. Nice one even if construction in two clearly separated parts is quite suprprising. 7,5/10
“Law of the Saddle“ (Melville De Lay, USA 1943) The only episode of the serie of the Lone Rider not directed by Sam Newfield. In this one our hero and his pal Fuzzy fight against crooked Kinney who want to be elected shérif to continue to racket the town… 6/10
“Wild Horse Rustlers“ (Sam Newfield, USA 1943) Another adventure of the Lone Rider and his pal Fuzzy. Here they have to face some Nazis agents who want to kill horses which must be sold to US. Cavalry… 5/10
“The Black Dahlia“ (Brian De Palma, USA 2006) Difficult task to adapt Ellroy novel and De Palma failed. Even if direction is quite typical of his’ art, the story is confuse wants to tell more than the book which was already complex enough… Greta casting but bad use of it. A deception. 6,5/10
“Criss Cross“ (Robert Siodmak, USA 1949) Great adaptation of Don Tracy’s novel even if quite different from the original. Nice filming huge acting of the couple Lancaster/De Carlo who is beautiful. A very good and classic of Noir . 9/10
“An Inspector Calls“ (Guy Hamilton, UK 1954) Very nice whodunit with very unexpected ending with a very nice touch of fantasy. Adapted from a well known play in which an upper crust English family dinner is interrupted by a police inspector who brings news that a girl known to everyone present has died in suspicious circumstances… 8/10
“Splendor in the Grass“ (Elia Kazan, USA 1961) Certainly one of the best Kazan’s movie (perhaps the best). We proposed it at our cineclub and the discussion was very interesting. A great one I loved to watch once more… 10/10
“Along the Rio Grande“ (Edward Killy, USA 1941) A small B western made by Tim Hold, the cowboy of the RKO during the 40’s… Tim is here Jeff and with his two pals Smokey and Whopper try to help their boss Pop Edwards, they find themselves in jail for robbery. During that time Pop is murdered… 6,5/10
“Pepermint Frappé” (Carlos Saura, Sapin 1967) Watched this excellent movie on screen. Saura makes a great homage to Bunuel’s cinema in this twisted story of perverted bourgeoisie… very nice 8/10
“The Bandit Trail” (Edward Killy, USA 1941) Another small B western with Tim Holt as Steve the son of rancher Tom killed trying to stop the sheriff and his poses coming to get a claim. After Steve learns of his father's death, he is reluctantly persuaded by his Uncle Red to help rob the local bank. A good small B with much unprobable plot but enjoying. 6/10
“Gold of the Seven Saints“ (Gordon Douglas, USA 1961) Fur-trapper Shawn Garrett gets out of a horse-stealing charge in a small, frontier town by agreeing to buy the horse with a gold nugget. This nugget attracts the attention of a man named McCracken who, with his gang, secretly follows Garrett and his friend Jim Rainbolt across the desert in the hope of finding the source of his gold. A nice B western with great couple of actors Clint Walker and Roger Moore. Nice landscapes well filmed by Gordon Douglas the cult director of “Them!”… 7,5/10
“Fort Dobbs” (Gordon Douglas, USA 1958) Another nice western by Gordon Douglas, a director who should be watched with more attention. Another well fimmer western with handsome Clint Walker as Gar Davis, accused of murder and who after having eluded a posse, a wanted man rescues a woman and her young son from a Comanche attack. He then escorts them to the presumed safety of a U.S. Cavalry fort. rouble develops along the way when the woman (Virginia Mayo very good) comes to believe that her rescuer was responsible for the recent death of her husband. 7,5/10
“Robbers of the Range” (Edward Killy, USA 1941) Another small B western of the RKO with stusio’s western star Tim Holt as rancher Jim Drummond who refuses to sell his ranch to a land agent named Greely. The latter with Monk and Blackie, henchmen of the railroad purchasing agent, Rankin, frame Jim for the murder of rancher Williams and Jim is arrested and sent to Blue Mesa for trial…. 6,5/10
“Dude Cowboy” (David Howard, USA 1941) In this small B western Famous western star Tim Holt is a federal agent, Terry McVey, posing as a guest at the Silver Bar Dude Ranch who nvestigates the disappearance of noted engraver Frank Adams who is being forced to produce counterfeit bills by the ranch owner, Gordon West…. 7/10
“Psycho” (Alfred Hitchcock, USA 1960) Rewatched this one with much pleasure, certainly one of Hitch’s best. 10/10
“Titus” (Charlie Cattrall, UK 2013) We proposed this movie at ou cineclub… It’s the first time it was in theatre in France. A dark and beautiful story about Titus is a modern-day African American jazz musician, living in London and trying to come to terms with his troubled past. When his daughter comes from the US he will have to face sme decisions…. But with very few time. Nice filming even if some imperfzctions for a first movie. Very welle acted by Ron Cephas Jones and Jasmine Cephas Jones who are also father and daughter in real life. 8,5/10
“Tarzan and the Mermaids” (Robert Florey, USA 1949) The Last Tarzan with Johnny Weissmuller. This one has been filmed in Mexico and with the great help (very easily regognizable indeed) of the famous Mexican photographer Gabriel Figueroa. In this one the high priest is trying to force a young girl to marry an evil pearl trader posing as the god Balu. She escapes, is recaptured and is finally rescued by Tarzan and Jane who reunite her with her chosen fiancé… Nice indeed. 7,5/10
“Come On Danger” (Edward Killy, USA 1942) Another nice RKO western with Tim Holt who is ranger Jack Mason who is sent to Manzanita to bring in Ann Jordan, head of the Jordan gang, reputed to have murdered a rancher and stolen his herd… 7/10
“Hitokiri” (Ideo Gosha, Japan 1969) I was very lucky to watch this wonderful cult movie on the wide screen. The dark and doomed story odf a destitute ronin allies himself with an established clan, but its ruthless leader tries to turn him into a mindless killer… Wonderfull sword movie. 9/10
“Spoorloos“ (George Sluizer, Netherlands / France, 1988) A frightening serial killer movie in witch Rex and Saskia are on holiday, a young couple in love. They stop at a busy service station and Saskia disappears. Rex dedicates the next three years trying to find her. Then he receives some postcards from her abductor, who promises to reveal what has happened to Saskia. The abductor, Raymond Lemorne, is a chilling character to whom Rex is drawn by his intense desire to learn the truth behind his lovers disappearance…; very good even if a bit over rated. 7,5/10
“Una lucertola con la pelle di donna” (aka “A Lizard in a Woman's Skin“) (Lucio Fulci, Italy / Spain / France 1971) An eccelent giallo of Lucio Fulci in which a young woman is accused of murdering her debauched neighbor after dreaming it. Was she set up, or did she really do it? 8/10
“Mahakaal“ (aka “The Monster“) (Shyam Ramsay, Tulsi Ramsay, India 1993) The bolllywood remake of Nightmare on Elmstreet. Ultra cheap and ridiculous but very enjoyable at the end. 6,5/10
I'm a bit late in my posts there... try to write more quick !!
Some movies I watched those last weeks...
“Kiss of the Spider Woman” (Hector Babenco, Brazil/USA 1985) We proposed this movie at our cineclub. A political prisoner ant a trans individual are cellemates in a south American prison. Indeed the trans is sent by the regime to try to get informations… the two guys become soon very close… Not bat at all even if some clichés. 8/10
“Pirates of the Prairie” (Howard Bretherton, USA 1942) Another small B western with Tim Holt and his pal Ike who are in trouble when they get involved in a fight between two small towns Spencerville and East Spencerville, separated by a dry gulch and a feud…. Not bad 6,5/10
“Fighting Frontier” (Lambert Hillyer, USA 1943) Another small western of Tim Holt at the RKO? Here, Holt is Kit Russell an appointed special investigator who has infiltrated a local robber gang ostensibly led by Snap… Classic small B but well made 7/10
“Bandit Ranger” (Lesley Selander, USA 1942) In this other small B western of RKO Tim Holt is a rancher, Clay Travers, who finds and brings in the body of ranger Frank Mattison, murdered on the road to Trail City... He has to find the true culprit before being accused of the murder… 6,5/10
“Tombstone Canyon” (Alan James, USA 1932) A curious B western with great Ken Maynard who hears the cry of the weird masked "phantom" when he enters mysterious Tombstone Canyon. The mystery thickens when Maynard discovers a man with a key to his past has been murdered by the phantom… Quite unusual B very good 7/10
“Vanishing Riders” (Robert F. Hill, USA 1935) A small B western with Bill Cody (no relation with Buffalo Bill) who poses as sheriff Bill Jones who , in the line of duty, kills outlaw Joe Land and adopts his young son, Tim. They come upon a former silver boomtown, reputed to be haunted, whose only inhabitant is Hiram McDuff, a friend of Bill's…. They will use this legend to fight a dangerous gang of smugglers… 6,5/10
“The Rawhide Terror” (Bruce M. Mitchell, Jack Nelson, USA 1934) A strang B western with Art Mix (the true one) who impersonate a good guy involved in a mysterious serie of murders commited by the mysterious Rawhide Terror… Ultra poor small B 6/10
“Wild Horse Phantom” (Sam Newfield, USA 1944) Another movie of the PRC’s Bill Carson serie with Bustrer Crtabbe and Al St. John. In this one Bill Carson gets the Governor permission to let Daggett and his gang escape from prison in hopes that they will lead him to the money they got when they robbed the bank. Billy and Fuzzy trail the gang to an old mine… 6,5/10
“Bel Ami” (Declan Donnellan, Nick Ormerod, UK | Italy, 2012)7 Rdiculous adaptation of the famous novel…. Which show us Bel Ami as a serial fucker… Actors act as if they were playing in Twilight or other teen movie. Simply pathetic… Barely could reach the end of this crap. Poor Maupassant he certainly not deserved it. People should have more respect for great works. 2/10
“One in a Million” (aka ”Dangerous Appointment”) (Frank R. Strayer, USA 1935) A small B romantic melodrama in which a good-girl Dorothy Brooks is being summoned to the apartment of her department store boss, Mr. Dickman, who accuses her of stealing lingerie from the store, but if she will be nice and kiss him, he won't turn her in. She shoves him away and he tumbles (off-camera, of course) out of the second story window. Dorothy flees with the aid of her friend, Kitty Kennedy… 6/10
“Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus gli invincibili“ (Giorgio Capitani, France /Italy / Spain, 1964) A mix of comedy and sword of sandals in this one which get together all the stars of the genre. Some kind of All star games ! The whole is not very interrestong at the end with few good moments. 6/10
“Il bandito“ (Alberto Lattuada, Italy 1946) A nice dram in which Ernesto, a soldier prisoner in Germany, comes back home after the war… his house is destroyed, his mother dead and he discovers that his sister is a prostitute. He tries to free her but she’s killed. He kills a man, meet a femme-fatale and becomes a mob. He then runs to his doomed destiny. Great one 8/10
“The Lost Moment » (Martin Gabel, USA 1947) Poorly know movie and the only one of Gabel as a director. He was a famous actor. A nice and dark adaptation of the famous Henry James Novel set in Venice. And one of the first great role for Susan Hayward. Excellent. 8,5/10
“Desiderio” (Marcello Pagliero, Roberto Rossellini, Italy 1943) Another very nice and sad melodrama about a prostitute who falls in love with a nice horticulturist. She decides to leave the town and go back to her perents and village waiting for him to join her after he finishes his work in town. But in the village her reputation and former lovers will push her to fatal endind… 8/10
“Panamint’s Bad Man” (Ray Taylor, USA 1938) A small B singing western with poorly known Smith Ballew who, is Larry receiving an assignment to go to Panamint to round up a gang of outlaws, and who puts on the belt buckle of the recently captured notorious outlaw Blackjack Deavers… This gets the attention of King Gorman whom Larry recognizes as the boss of the outlaws…. 6,5/10
“Western Gold” (Howard Bretherton, USA 1937) Another nice small B singing western with Smith Ballew who is Bill Gibson who is send personally by president Lincoln to the west during civil war to see if he can stop the holdups of the needed shipments of gold…. 6,5/10
“Great Stagecoach Robbery” (Lesley Selander, USA 1945) A small B western of the Red Ryder/Little Beaver serie of Republic Pictures with Bill Elliott as the famous comic strip Heroe. In this one Red and his aunt, The Duchess, are operating a stage line in the 1890's in Blue Springs. Con Hollister, released from prison and reformed, plans to return the $150,000 loot taken in a stagecoach holdup five years previous…. 6/10
“Phantom of the Plains” (Lesley Selander, USA 1945) Another Red Ryder B western with Bill Elliott and his young pal Little Beaver who return to Blue Springs and learn that the Duchess, Red's aunt, is going to sell her stagecoach line and marry a snooty Englishman Talbot Champneys, who is really Fancy Charlie, who has the nasty habit of marrying rich women and then killing them for their fortune…. 6/10
“To Have and Have Not” (Howard Hawks, USA 1944) Rewatched with much pleasure this great classic…. 9,5/10
“Miranda” (Ken Annakin, UK 1948) A very funny small comedy in which a young married physician out on a fishing holiday ends up being saved by a mermaid, who intends to keep him her prisoner. She then offers to release him if he will take her to see London, which leads to a number of humorous and romantic entanglements as the mermaid entices several unmarried men who live near the physician and his wife… Very funny and with a great and beautiful Glynis Jones. 8/10
“The Front Page” (Billy Wilder, USA 1974) Rewathced with much pleasure this nice remake of Howard Hawk’s His Girl Friday. Not as good as the original but still very good 8,5/10.
“My Dog Shep” (Ford Beebe, USA 1946) A classic story of friendship between a young orphan and a dog. With great canine actor Flame, a star in the 30’s… 6/10
“Shep Comes Home” (Ford Beebe, USA 1948) A story almost similar as the one of My Dog Shep and always with dog star Flame. 6/10
“Three Days of the Condor” (Sidney Pollack, USA 1974) We proposed this excellent movie at our cineclub… I rewatcehd it with great pleasure. 8,5/10
“La fiancée des ténèbres“ (Serge de Poligny, France 1945) A strange story of love in the city of Carcassone. The filming on location is the most interesting thing here. The story is a bitr confuse even if with some originality. Sylvie, a girl who believes she is cursed having seen her two lovers die in tragic circumstances, lives in Carcassonne, with her adoptive guardian, Mr. Toulzac. This one, a retired school teacher, has a passion: to discover the secret of the Cathars… 6,5/10
“Der Chef wünscht keine Zeugen“ (aka “No Survivors Please“) (Hans Albin, Peter Berneis, West Germany 1964) Even if very cheaply made an interesting Sci-Fi movie in which aliens attempt to take over the Earth by taking over the bodies of humans at the moment of their death, and using them as tools for their invasion plans… 7/10
“François Villon” (André Zwoboda, France 1945) Free adaptation of the dissolute life of the famous French middle age poet. Serge Reggiani is quite convincing but the whole lacks of intensity. The movie is part of some pictures made just after WWII and gloryfying famous french historical characters... and the "message" is often more pregent than the quality of the movie itself. 6,5/10
“The Gladiator” (Edward Sedgwick, USA 1938) A small comedy with famous actor Joe E. Brown as Hugo Kipp who returns to college and is talked into joining he football team and is a real joke on the team, until he is given a drug that gives him super strength…. 7/10
“Wide Open Faces” (Kurt Neumann, USA 1938) Another small comedy with Joe E. Brown as Wilbur Meek a barman who aids to capture dangerous criminal Duke Temple who has hidden money in a inn just before being arrested… Willbur will help the owners of the Inn when criminals from all the country converge there to find the money… 7/10
“Flirting with Fate” (Frank McDonald, USA 1938) Another small comedy with Joe E. Brown who is Dan Dixon leader of a show troup which is travelling to Paraguay. Dan is all set to be booked in the theatres controlled by Don Luis Garcia until the latter discovers Dan is the man who caused him much trouble in a muddy incident on the highway. Things go from bad to badder when local bandito Sancho Ramirez falls in love with one of the show girls, Charlita…. 6/10
“Jeremiah Johnson” (Sydney Pollack, USA 1972) Re watched with extreme pleasure this wonderfull ode to nature and freedom… 9/10
“Earthworm Tractors” (Ray Enright, USA 1936) Another small Comedy with Joe E. Brown as Alexander Botts is a self-described natural born salesman and master mechanic, who is trying to make a big sale of Earthworm tractors to grouchy lumberman Johnson. Since Botts doesn't really know anything about tractors, and since the old-fashioned Johnson is opposed to tractors of any kind, it isn't going to be an easy sell. But Botts perseveres, encouraged by Johnson's daughter…. 7/10
“The Assassination of Richard Nixon” (Niels Mueller, USA 2004) We proposed this movie at our cineclub. Adapted from true events this is an unuual movie with great Sean Penn. Interresting even if not perfect. 7,5/10
“Small Town Boy” (Glenn Tryon, USA 1937) Henry Armstrong is a nice guy who still believes in the maxim that "honesty is the best policy". But he lacks of money for marrying Molly and buying a little home, and his is also threatened with the loss of the petty job he has had for four years with old Curtis French, Molly's uncle, because he can not sell enough insurance policies. And, then, he finds a thousand dollar bill. His honesty makes him advertise the find, but no one claims the money…. A mad story begins… A funny small B comedy 6,5/10
“The Murder in the Museum” (Melville Shyer, USA 1934) This movie can be considered as the Freaks of the poor. When a city councilman is murdered while investigating allegations of drug dealing going on a a somewhat disreputable sideshow, the daughter of the chief suspect teams up with a newspaper reporter to find the real killer. 6,5/10
“Miraculous Journey” (Sam Newfield, USA 1948) This one is the remake of the poor of the already cheap but excellent John Farrow’s Five Came Back in 1939. A group is lost in the jungle after their plane crashes… They have to learn to leave together. 6/10
“Rollin’ Westward” (Albert Herman, USA 1939) A small B western with Tex Ritter directed by veterant Albert Herman. In this one Tex is Tex Ramsey a cowboy who helps a pretty young woman and her father in their fight against land-grabbers who are trying to swindle them out of their cattle ranch…. 6/10
“Rollin’ Home to Texas” (Albert Herman, USA 1940) In this small B western tex Ritter as Tex Reed and his pal Slim are asked by the warden of the Desert Wells Penitentiary to check the series of bank robberies which have been committed by escaped convicts… 6/10
“Mogambo” (John Ford, USA 1953) This is the remake of the famous Red Dust directed by Victor Flemming in 1932 with a young Clark Gabble in the dame role and a sulfurous Jean Harlow replaced here by Ava Gardner. Unfortunatly all the pre-code strength of Red Dust is gone here… And it’s not an insult to Ford to say that the original is much better. 7/10
“Haunted House” (Robert F. McGowan, USA 1940) A small Old ark House with two teenagers invstigating to prove the innocence of a poor guy accused of murder… Quite funny. 6,5/10
“Union Pacific” (Cecil B. DeMille, USA 1939) Excellent railroad western by DeMille with ^great couple Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McRea. Huge filming sometimes very strangle view angles. 8,5/10
“Ore wa matteru ze” (aka “I Am Waiting”) (Koreyoshi Kurahara, Japan 1957) An poorly known film noir from the Nikkatsu about the love story of Jôji is an ex boxer who meets Saeko, a singer whose voice is gone, one night by a pier where she may be thinking of suicide. He invites her to his café, and perhaps he will rescue her from the cabaret where she's under contract to a vicious mob leader… 8/10
“Sabita naifu” (aka “Rusty Knife“) (Toshio Masuda, Japan, 1958) In a japanese boom town by the sea a persistent district attorney wants to arrest and convict Katsumata a self-confident thug. He gets an anonymous letter about the suicide five years' before of a city council member. Evidence about the case leads him to Tachibana a man struggling to go straight after involvement with the mob and a prison sentence for killing the man responsible for the rape and suicide of his fiancé… 8,5/10
“The Parallax View” (Alan J. Pakula USA, 1973) We proposed this excellent paranoid and frightening movie to our cinecleub. Good screenplay and good acting of Warren Beatty. 8,5/10
“The Lone Wolf Returns” (Roy William Neill, USA 1935) Firs of the movie made by Columbia with the characeur of the debonaire jewel thief/detective the Lone Wolf. Melvyn Douglas is the Wilof in this first episode… quite entertaining small detective movie. 6,5/10
“Iron Man 3” (Shane Black, 2013) How can these complete non sense have 7,3 on IMDb ? that’s a mystery. The “movie” is ridiculous and senseless from beginning to end. They must pay people… no other explanation… 1,5/10
“Shock” (Roy Pomeroy, USA 1934) Very poorly known war melodrama made by very poorly known director with poor budget. A classic story in which Captain Bob Hayworth, his brother Lieutenant Gilroy Hayworth and Captain Derek Marbury are in a World-War I trenches in France. Bob resents Marbury greatly as the latter had married Lucy Neville. Ordered to go on a night patrol, Gilroy committed suicide rather than face his fear. Bob and Derek arrange it to appear that Bob had been killed by a shell-burst… 6,5/10
“Should a Girl Marry?” (Lambert Hillyer, USA 1939) Gentle and armless romance about Margaret, an adopted young girl about to marry a young physician, Robert Benson, learns that she was born in prison and that her real mother, a convict, has just died there. A blackmailer gains possession of this information and tries to make Benson pay for his silence… Quite good indeed with nice Anne Nagel. 6,5/10
“Jungle Woman” (Reginald Le Borg, USA 1944) Jungle Wioman is the poor sequel of Captive Wild Woman directed by Edward Dmytryk the previous year. In this one, Paula the ape woman (Beautiful Acquanetta) is alive and well, and running around a creepy old sanitarium run by the kindly Dr. Fletcher (J. Carrol Naish), also reverting to her true gorilla form every once in a while to kill somebody… 6/10
“The Lady from Shanghai” (Orson Welles, USA 1947) Rewatched with much pleasure this tru classic with this nforgettable final scene… 10/10
“Touch of Evil” (Orson Welles, USA 1958) Rewatche for the fifth time this masterpiece of Weeles and always with the same pleasure… Amazing and amazing. 10/10
“Forgotten Women” (Richard Thorpe, USA 1931) Another small B frome the pre-code work of Thorpe before he becomes famous with Tarzna movies… A nice drama in the world of cinema. A young actress Pat and an older one Fern try to get success in the movie industry. Thanks to Fern, Jimmy Burke, a journalist, and Pat boyfriend becomes famous and soon forget his girl in the arms of a richer one… 6,5/10
“Gambling Sex” (Fred C. Newmeyer, USA 1932) A wealthy young socialite inherits from her father and thank to ruthless advisor gets the gambling bug, and soon it goes from being just a fun pastime to an addiction, and she begins to lose more and more of her fortune… Does the good guy who is in love with her manage to cure her ? Pretty Ruth Hall is the only interest of the poor B movie. 5,5/10
“Hitch” (Andy Tennant, USA 2005) A classic dat movie with Will Smith nothing very new neither subversive in this totly politicaly correct and conservative romance. 6/10.
“Sono gosôsha wo nerae: 'Jûsangô taihisen' yori” (aka “Take Aim at the Police Van”) Another nice noir from the Nikkatsu in which a sharpshooter kills two prisoners in a police van at night. The guard on the van is suspended for six months; he's Tamon, an upright, modest man. He begins his own investigation into the murders. Who were the victims, who are their relatives and girlfriends, who else was on the van that night? 8,5/10
“Kenjû zankoku monogatari” (aka “Cruel Gun Story”) (Takumi Furukawa, Japan 1964) A famous thief is hired by a mob just after being released from jail to run a great attack on an armored truck full of money… But things never go as expected further more with double or triple crossing… famous one. 8,5/10
“Koruto wa ore no pasupooto” (aka “A Colt Is My Passport”) (Takashi Nomura, Japan 1967) Another amazing noir from Japan visualy impressive about Kamimura a hit man who takes a job to kill a mob boss who's gotten greedy. The rival gang lord who hires Kamimura and his driver Shun pays them and sets them up in a hotel for a night while arranging safe passage on a ship... Excellent ! Like a sword or samourai movie pur in the present time. 9/10
“Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events” (Brad Silberling, 2004) It’s made like a Tim Burton movie and like the last movies of Burton it’s no very interesting if you’re not under twelve… 5/10
“Nóz w wodzie” (Roman Polanski, Poland 1962) We proposed this excellent movie, the first of Polanski… Visualy impressive a dark and cynical story of initiation… 9/10
“Fargo“ (Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, USA 1996) Rewatched with great pleasure one of my favourite Cohen Brothers’ movie. 9/10
“Yogoto no yume” (aka ‘Every-Night Dreams”) (Mikio Naruse, Japan 1933) A marvelous silent Naruse about a single mother works tirelessly as a Ginza bar hostess to ensure a better life for her young son until her long-lost husband returns… He left es a coward unable to tke any responsibility… she pardons him but has he really changed ? Very clever movie like the two other one the maturity of the treatment must be compared to American cinema at the same time it’s impressive. 8,5/10
“Kimi to wakarete” (aka “Apart from You”) (Mikio Naruse, Japan 1933) An old Geisha works hard to pay the studies of his son. But the later is ashamed of her and reject her. She finds help in a young collegue who also makes this job to support her numerous family. The young geisha soon try to bring them back together… Just excellent silent movie 9/10
“Nasanunaka” (aka “No Blood Relation”) (Mikio Naruse, Japan 1932) An actress comes back to Japan rom the US after she became a famous star. To do that she had to abandon her little girl as a baby. She has been bred in a gentle faily who becomes in trouble because of the financial crisis… The actress comes back only to get back her daughter… A very fine film very moving. 8/10
“Barton Fink” (Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, USA 1996) Not my favoutite Cohens’ I movie find a bit dull but still a good one and a ferocious sight at Hollywood… 7,5/10
So... after a long summer in the mountains I come back to town and civilization (?). Even if far away form anything I could watch some movies during those months....
“Return of the Ape Man” (Phil Rosen, USA 1944) Not a sequel of the Ape man but in this one, Lugosi and John Carradine bring back to life a prehistoric man who goes on rampage… For B fans only. 6,5/10
“Hakuchû no tôrima” (Nagisa Ôshima, Japan 1966) Ultra realistic portrait of a rapist through the point of views of his wife and one of his’ victim. Huge filming and an disturbing movie. Great 8,5/10
“Pouic-Pouic “ (Jean Girault, France 1963) A classic french comedy with Louis de Funès and Mireille Darc. Nothing very original but amusing. 7/10
“Kong shan ling yu” (aka “Raining in the Mountain”) (King Hu, Hong Kong-Taiwan 1979) A classic of Honk-Kong sword movies. I’m not a great fan of such cinema but worth of watching. 7/10
“The Lion Has Wings” (Adrian Brunel, Brian Desmond Hurst, Michael Powell, Alexander Korda, UK 1939) A war propaganda movie mostly a documentary about the UK army and it’s hability to face Htler’s madness. A curiosity. 7/10
“Etsuraku” (Nagisa Ôshima, Japan 1965) After comminting a murder Atsuki is contacted by a man who has to go to jail because of embezzled money. As he only have few years to be in jail he asks Atsuki to keep the money until he’s released because he witnessed the murder. Atsuki first resits the temptation but then decides to spend all the money in luxury and then commit suicide… Great and weird as usual with Oshima. 8/10
“El cochecito” (Marco Ferreri, Spain 1960) Don Anselmo Proharan is a very old man boring between his room and the visits in the cemetery… When his old paraplegic friend Don Lucas gets a brand new motorized wheelchair Don Anselmo get obsessed to get one by any means… Excellent and very cynical dark comedy a great and in some ways frightening movie !! 9/10
"Vynález zkázy” (Karel Zeman, Czechoslovakia 1958) It was a great pleasure to watch this wonderfull Jules Verne’s adaptation in a brand new copy. 8/10
“Il viale della speranza” (Dino Rizzi, Italy 1953) Poorly known Rizzi movie a bitter sweet comedy about the hopes and deceptions of a group of friends who try to have a carrier in cinema in cinecitta… Very nice ! 8/10
"Coogan's Bluff" (Don Siegel, USA 1968) Rewatched this great collaboration between Eastwood and one of his master Don Siegel… 7,5/10
"Play Misty for Me" (Clint Eastwood, USA 1971) Rewatched with pleasure this first Eastwood direction effort. A quite simple but effiscient thriller. 7,5/10
“Babo 73” (Robert Downey Sr., USA 1964) Strange underground movie about the tribulations of a brand new elected president and his government… completely weird. 7/10
“Der Tiger von Eschnapur” (Fritz Lang, France / Italy / West Germany 1959)
“Das indische Grabmal” (Fritz Lang, France / Italy / West Germany 1959)
I rewatched on TV those two great adventure movies, not the best Lang’s work but fully entertaining and with some very nice sequences…. 8/10
"En cas de malheur" (Claude Autant-Lara, France 1958) After he helped a young girl (Brigitte Bardot) not to go in jail an old and famous lawyer (Jean Gabin) falls in love with her… Things then go more and more difficult… Good directing and acting. 7,5/10
"Marathon Man" (John Schlesinger, USA 1976) Rewatched this classic on tv… was fun. But every body knows it. 8,5/10
"The Command" (David Butler, USA 1954) Poorly known western about a doctor of the US cavalry who becomes commandant of a group of soldiers as the former captain dies. The unexperienced officer will have to face many perils to accomplish a difficult mission. Quite a good western. 7,5/10
"Operation Third Form" (David Eady, UK 1966) A nice little movie from the Children Film Foundation in which the little Dick has gotten into trouble after breaking a window at school accidentally, and the headmaster has ordered him to go to his office the next day. But his troubles are not over, because once he gets home he realises he's forgotten to bring his homework with him and has to return to the school in the hope that it's still open. Meanwhile, rag and bone man Paddy has been told by his boss Skinner (not to take his horse to collect a batch of junk from the school, and to take the lorry instead - his path will cross with Dick's…. very funny small movie… 7/10
"The Salvage Gang" (John Krish, UK 1958) Another BBF movie in which young Pat needs a hutch for her pet rabbit, and her friends are building one for her, but when Kim tries to remove the overhanging ends with her father's saw, he ends up bending its teeth. Mortified, the four of them try to plan their next move: the best thing to do is to buy a new saw and hope he never notices the difference, but the trouble there is that thet don't have any spare money. Then a brainwave strikes them: how about they find jobs to drum up the cash? Very amusing little movie 7,5/10
"La bimba di Satana" (aka “Satan’s Baby Doll”) (Mario Bianchi, Italy, 1982) A poor horror movie from Italy, certainly not the best in the genre. 5/10
"Papaya dei Caraibi" (aka “Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals”) (Joe D'Amato, Italy 1978) A weird erotic/horror movie in which beautiful Papaya (pretty Melissa Chimenti) emasculates her male victims… with her teeth, in order to stop a company to remove a native cannibal tribe from it’s land… Follow me ?? 6/10
"Bad Girls from Mars" (Fred Olen Ray, USA 1990) Z grade movie sometimes funny but not very often. Pretty booby gals by the way. The only interrest in this movie. 5/10
"No More Excuses" (Robert Downey Sr., USA 1968) Weird movie about the tribulations of a soldier of the civil war who comes back in present… 6,5/10
"Chafed Elbows" (Robert Downey Sr., USA 1966) Ultra weird movie in which a welfare recipient has an incestuous relation with his mother and finaly marries her after many adventures… completely insane but much enjoying indeed ! 7/10
"I, Marquis de Sade" (Richard Hilliard, USA 1967) A strange vison of the work of Marquis de Sade in a movie long considered as lost. It’s a transposition to modern time of the stories of the Marquis but not very faithfull… and with a twisted end. Quite some nice filming. 7/10
"Frontier Marshall" (Allan Dwan, USA 1939) A nice western with an early adapation of the famous OK Corral story with Randolph Scott as Wyatt Earp and Cesar Romaero as Doc Hallyday, both very good as the film is. 8/10
"Five Guns West" (Roger Corman, USA 1955) Roger Corman directed some cheap westerns at the beginning of his great carrier, Five Guns West is among the best. Five desperate outlaws arrive at a stage station to await a gold shipment they plan to rob and take in hostages the owner and his daughter… 7/10
"Suez" (Allan Dwan, USA 1938) Great spectacle and lot of means for famous director Allan Dwan in this exotic adventures movie about the life of Ferdinand de Lesseps (Tyron Power) and his struggle to built the Suez Canal… nice performance of Anabella and Loretta Young and an impressive sequence of storm in the desert. 8/10
"The Body Beneath" (Andy Milligan, USA 1970) Reverend Alexander Algernon Ford returns to England to reopen the Old Souls Church. But, Reverend Ford turns out to be a vampire disguising himself as a minister. Another great weird and sick movie from cult director Andy Milligna… 5,5/10
"Guru, the Mad Monk" (Andy Milligan, USA 1970) Continue to explore the deranged art of Andy Milligzan… in this one, the most understandable movie of Milligan, Guru a mad monk use all the cruelty you can imagin during inquisition… 5/10
“Hot Cars” (Don McDougall, USA 1956) Very interesting smal Noir in which Nick Dunn doesn't want to be mixed up in a stolen car ring operating out of a chain of car dealerships in Culver City but Nick his son needs an expensive operation. When detective Davenport comes snooping around about some hot cars, and later turns up dead, Nick's fortunes take a turn for the worse.... Nice filming in the suburbs and a nice vision of the US society of the 50’s… 8/10
“What Do You Say to a Naked Lady?” (Allen Funt, USA 1970) An experimental movie in which the director, in a pure documentary style, tries to film the reactions of people meeting a naked lady in different circumstances. 6,5/10
“Minato no nihonmusume” (aka “Japanese Girls at the Harbor”) (Hiroshi Shimizu, Japan 1933) Very nice movie very well filmed and directed by a poorly known director. The story of two schoolgirls who are friend and who’ll have very different lives… 8,5/10
“Arigatô-san” (aka “Mr. Thank You”) (Hiroshi Shimizu, Japan 1936) Mr Thank You is a very polite bus driver. The movie is about the crossing lives of people using the bus. Excellent. 8,5/10
"Anma to onna" ( aka “The Masseurs and the Lady”) (Hiroshi Shimizu, Japan, 1938) Two blind masseurs Toku and Fuku walk to a mountain retreat to work for the season. The film follows Toku and his interactions with his blind colleagues and various guests from the inns. But then he becomes attracted by a mysterious woman… delightfull movie out of time…. 8/10
“Kanzashi” (aka “Ornamental Hairpin”) (Hiroshi Shimizu, Japan 1941) Nanmura, a soldier on leave, steps on an ornamental hairpin in the public bath at the inn. Emi writes to the inn saying she has lost a hairpin and, when she discovers that it injured Nanmura, returns to apologize… another very touching movie taking place in the same place as the previous one… 8,5/10
“The Big Caper” (Robert Stevens, USA 197) Another nice small late noir and a good adaptation of the (very good) eponymous novel of Lionel White and one’s of Rory Calhoun best performance. con man in debt and down on his luck comes up with what he thinks is the perfect caper-robbing a small-town bank that keeps a lot of money on hand because of the payroll of a nearby army base. He convinces a vicious crime boss to bankroll his scheme, but when he and his boss' girl move into the town to make preparations for the heist, he begins to have second thoughts about the whole thing 8/10
“Kyônetsu no kisetsu” (aka “The Warped Ones”) (Koreyoshi Kurahara, Japan 1960) The Warped Ones can be watched as the Japanese A bout de Souffle mixed up with strong sexual background. A young guy just released from jail go on rampage with some friends until he meets the guy who sent him in prison. He kidnaps his girlfriend and decides to rape her… Amazing filming under an omnipresent burning sun… huge ! 9/10
"Aru kyôhaku" (aka “Intimidation”) (Koreyoshi Kurahara, Japan 1960) A nice small japanese film noir with very nice twisted plot… some nice filming too. 8/10
“Skazka o tsare Saltane” (aka “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”) (Aleksandr Ptushko, SSSR 1967) Another great fairy tales of master Aleksandr Ptushko in which the tsar Saltan is forced to abandoned his wife and kid to a certain death… but thanks to a nice fairy they survive and start a new life…. 8/10
“Sudba cheloveka” (aka “The Destiny of a Man”) (Sergei Bondarchuk, SSSR 1959) Strong movie adapted from a famous novel about the extraordinary destiny of a soldier of the red alrmy during WWII… nice filming and a deep humanity in this movie. 9/10
“Mariya-iskusnitsa” (aka “Maria, the Wonderful Weaver”) (Aleksandr Rou, SSSR 1960) Another nice Russian Fairy Tale in which a boy helped by a gentle soldier tries to find her mother kidnapped by an evil king of the underseas… 7,5/10
“Dzhamilya” (Irina Poplavskaya, Sergei Yutkevich, SSSR 1969) Dzhamiliya lives in a kirghizian village. She follows their parents' orders when she marries a man without loving him. Then World War II breaks out and her new husband has to leave the village. While being alone Dzhamiliya meets the returning injured soldier Daniyar and falls in love with him. Just an excellent movie with huge filming and and marvelous actress Natalya Arinbasarova… 9/10
“Volshebnaya lampa Aladdina” (aka “Aladdin's Magic Lamp”) (Boris Rytsarev, SSSR 1967) A strange adaptation of the famous tale in an humoristic way not very good story but amazing filming and settings ! 7,5/10
“Violent Midnight” (Richard Hilliard, USA 1963) A violent crime movie in which Elliot Freeman, a war hero turned painter, is suspected of sadistically murdering two beautiful young women because of an history of congenital mental illness in his family… but is he really cursed ? quite good B movie. 7,5/10
“Lost Lagoon” (John Rawlins, USA 1958) Presumed to be lost at sea during a tropical storm, Charlie Walker washes up on a small island in the Bahamas and encounters Elizabeth, a lovely younger woman. As their partnership, and love story, develop, an insurance investigator seeks Charlie…
“Me, bebia, Iliko da Ilarioni” (aka “Me, Grandma, Iliko and Ilarion”) (Tengiz Abuladze, SSSR 1962) Another great movie of director Tengiz Abuladze. The picaresque lives of the young Zurico, raised by his old grand mother and with the help of his uncle Iliko and friend Ilarion… huge filming and deep humanity in this very touching and sometimes very funny movie. 9,5/10
“Giperboloid inzhenera Garina” (aka “The Hyperboloid of Engineer Garin” (Aleksandr Gintsburg, SSSR 1965) Ultra strange movie some kind of mix of Jules Verne’s sci-fi novels, crime movies of the 30’s and noir… A mad scientist created the Hypeboloïd some kind of powerful raygun and decides to use it to become the master of the world…. Amazing filming and a complete weird story. 8/10
“Alenkiy tsvetochek” (aka “The Scarlet Flower”) (Irina Povolotskaya, SSSR 1978) Another nice fairy tale inspired by the Beauty and the Beast. Nice filming and huge settings…. 8/10
“Sea Devils” (Joseph Levering, USA 1931) A man wrongly accused of murder escape from jail and take refugee on a departing boat. But soon he realizes tha thte true murderer is also in the crew… An early talky with Molly O’Day. 6,5/10
“I Love a Mystery” (Henry Levin, USA 1945) Adapted from a famous radio show an excellent thriller with a twisted and twisted plot. Despite a quite poor acting a very good mystery movie. 7,5/10
“Timber War” (Sam Newfield, USA 1935) A western starring Kermit Maynard the brother of famous Ken Maynard. Kermit starred in a serie of western made for famous producer Maurice Conn in the 30’s In this one he’s mistaken for the boss of a lumber mill and has to fight the crooked manager instead of the drunken owner. Quite good with some filming on location. 6,5/10
“Wild Horse Round-Up” (Alan James, USA 1936) Another collaboration Mauric Conn/Kermit Mayanrd. In this one Kermit helps Ruth and his little son Dickie to figth a crooked lawyer who tries to buy all the ranch of Wild Horse Valley in order to sell it to the railroad company… 6/10
“Headin’ North” (John P. McCarthy, USA 1930) Another B western with Bob Steele who, having helped his father escape the law, Jim Curtis heads north with the Marshal chasing him. He and his pal Snicker elude the Marshall by changing clothes with two actors. Now forced to do vaudeville skits, Jim finds the man responsible for his and his father's problem working in the same saloon… quite funny small early talkie western. 6,5/10
“Pinto Canyon” (Bernard B. Ray, USA 1940) In this small B western, Bob Steele is sheriff Bob Hall who get Pete Childers, a dangerous killer assigned to his deputy… Hardy Keller, wanted for murder, is hiding on a ranch own by Bob's sweetheart, Helen Jones and her brother Fred. Childers is working with Farley, a crooked cattle dealer. After Childers wantonly shoots down the surrendering Kellar, Bob beats him up and fires him… 6/10
“Ogon, voda i... mednye truby” (Aleksandr Rou, SSSR 1968) Alyonushka the girlfriend of Vasya is kidnapped by evil immortal Kashchej who wants her to mary him. Vasya will have to struggle a lot to get he sweetheart back and defeat the evil Kashchej. 7/10
“Kashchey bessmertnyy“ (Aleksandr Rou, SSSR 1945) Another early fairy tale movie involving Kashchej the immortal. In this one he also kidnaps the girl of proud knight Nikita Kozhemjaka who wil also struggle a lot with the help of his friend Bulat Balagur to defeat the monster and get back his love… vey nice fiming 8/10
“Prends-moi de force” (Jean-Marie Pallardy, France 1978) A classic french porn of the 70’s with a young Brigitte Lahaie in one of her early movie. In this one, in a small French village, a mysterious rapist attacks all the pretty gals of the area. They seems to love afeter all but men of the place don’t seem to appreciate. Furthermore some American have just arrived in the area and make perfect suspects…. For fans of a dead genre. 6/10
“Pénétrations méditerranéennes” (Jean-Marie Pallardy, France 1980) No plot in this small french porn… Girls are pretty especialy porn star Brigitte Lahaie at her best !! 5/10
“The Burning Hills” (Stuart Heisler, USA 1956) Nice western with Tab Hunter who want to seek revenge on the men ho killed his brother and who become the prey of the killers but who will tiumph thanks to the help of mexiacan girl (Natalie Wood). Nice filmed with excellent opening sequence like a film-noir… 7,5/10
“Body-body à Bangkok“ (Jean-Marie Pallardy, France 1981) Anothr French porn with great Brigitte Lahaie with tiny plot about spy ring in Bangkock… 4,5/10
“Million Dollar Haul” (Albert Herman, USA 1935) A small crime movie with Tarzan the police dog a bit slow and not very good acting except Tarzan of course… ;) 6/10
“Finist - Yasnyy sokol” (aka “Finest, the Brave Falcon”) (Gennadiy Vasilev, SSSR 1976) Another nice fairy tale “à la Aleksandr Rou” but a bit more heavy especialy the nationalist speech which is a bit pacjhydermic here… Finist is some kind of medieval super heros who save his country from the hordes of evil magician… 7/10
“Nikui an-chikushô” (aka “I Hate But Love”) (Koreyoshi Kurahara, Japan 1962) Excellent movie mixing in a very original way love, road movie, stong satire against medias. Filmed without any break the story of a famous tv and radio star who suddenly decides to give a real sens to his life by helping a girl to drive a jeep through Jaan to a remote village to a doctor who seriousel need it… He left everything behind including his manager who is also his girlfried !! She’ll have to struggle to get his love back… 9/10
“Khareba da Gogia” (Giorgi Shengelaia, SSSR/Georgia 1987) Another masterpiece of Georgian cinema, the story of a group of thieves who fight again Russian invaders… wonderful filming and nice acting and great mix of aventure, deep humanity and friendship and a touch of noir… 8,5/10
“Faster Pussycat Kill! Kill!” (Russ Meyer, USA 1965) I re-watched with some friend this true gem of exploitation cinema, the Best Russ Meyer effort without contest… 10/10
“Tanks a Million” (Fred Guiol, USA 1941) A funny Al roach coledy with Willian Tracy as his reoccurring character Dodo Doubleday who is here as newly engaged in the army and who takes the place of a colonel by accident… 6,5/10
“Playthings of Desire” ‘George Melford, USA 1933) A small B crime movie with a young Linda Watkins more known for her carrier on the small screen… 6/10.
“Tom Thumb” (George Pal, USA 1958) After he met a fairy in the wood an old couple discover the nex morning a tiny guy they call Tom and who get soon involved with a couple of thieves who want to use him to commit robbery. Nice movie of fantasy specialist George pal with great dance parts… 7/10
“Ai no kawaka” / “Thirst for Love” (Koreyoshi Kurahara, Japan 1967) A dark tale of frustration and perversion. After the death of her husband a woman becomes the mistress of the father of the dead and lives with all the rest of the family who are just parasites of the old man… soon she’s strongly disturbed by the sight of the gardener… Lady Chatterley’s lover in a complete radical way… excellent. 9/10
“Gangs of New York” (James Cruze, USA 1938) This first adaptation of the famous novl was written by Samuel Fullerbut due to strong censorship it script was strongly mutilated… In this one the undercover cop Rocky Thorpe infiltrates a crime syndicate being run by the incarcerated mob boss John Franklin. Franklin conducts his business via a short-wave radio concealed in his cell. One day Franklin is caught and placed in solitary confinement. Thorpe, Franklin's physical double, takes his place. A good small B. 6/10
“The Secrets of Wu Sin” (Richard Thorpe, USA 1932) A small B about a murder mystery around the smuggling of illegal Chinese aliens into America through Chinatown…. 6/10
“The Law of the Tong” (Oliver Drake, USA 1931) This small movie can be watched as the B-version of the famous Cecil B Demille’s The Cheat. A young and poor girl get involved in a love affair with rich and cultivated leader of the Tongs in Chinatown… 6/10...