“The Pawnbroker” (Sidney Lumet, USA 1965) A Jewish pawnbroker, victim of Nazi persecution, loses all faith in his fellow man until he realizes too late the tragedy of his actions. Sunk in a non life or a parody of life devoid of any humanity, lost in the camp, the hard return to life of a man… Disturbing and moving… just wonderful. 10/10
”Insiang” (Lino Brocka, Philippines 1968) he first Filipino film to show at the Cannes Film Festival is set in the slums of Manila. A beautiful girl gets raped by her mother's lover, and then learns how to exact revenge. A dark voyage in the downtown of Manilla and a dark tale of revenge…. Just excellent…. 9/10
”Le trou normand” (aka ”Crazy Love”) (Jean Boyer, France 1952) A gentle but naive guy will inherit the hotel of his uncle only if he gets his school certificate… so he must go back to school with 12 years old children… But a aunt and her beautifull daughter want also the heritage… Quite porr comedy with Borvil and Brigitte Bardot even if it has it’s moments… 6,5/10
”Charulata” (Satyajit Ray, India 1964) We proposed this masterpiece of cinema at our cineclub and we had a nice disxussion after the movie. I ejoy a lot to watch it once more… One of my all times favorite ! 10/10
”The Party” (Blake Edwards, USA 1968) I rewached this excellent comedy another time… always so funny ! 9/10
”Per un pugno di dollari” (”A Fistfull of Dollars”) (Sergio Leone Italy/Spain/West Germany, 1964) I reawatched with great pleasure the first opus of the dollars trilogy ! 8/10
”That Nazty Nuisance” (Glenn Tryon, USA 1943) This little comedy ridulizes Hitler Mussolini and thier friends. This is part od a serie of little comedy the famous producer Hal Rpach made as war effort. A curiosity, sometimes funny. 6/10
”Tikhiy Don” (aka ”The Quiet Don”) (Sergei Gerasimov, SSSR 1957) A movie about the life of Don Cossacs in a village in southern Russia between 1912 and 1922. The leading character Grigori Melekhov is a rugged Cossac, who is torn between his first and true love Aksiniya, and his wife Natalya. Grigori Melekhov's personal life is shown as a rough journey through the experience of World War One, the Russian Revolution, and the following Civil War. The Cossacs are shown as traditional farmers and warriors, who are suffering through the most dramatic events in the history of Russia. The movie is almost six hours long but what a great epic story that only soviet could deliver… Wonderful acting and fiming. 9/10
”The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" (Eugene Lourié, USA 1953) I Enjoy a lot to wach egain this nice little movie on the silver screen ! Good immersion into past… 8/10
”Sammy Going South” (Alexandrer Mackendrick, UK 1963) Ten year old Sammy travels 4500 miles on his own from the Suez Canal to Durban, South Africa. It’s poorly known but One of the most important thema of Mackendrik cinema is childhood and the difficulty of being a child in an andult world… He directed not least than three movies about that subject among the 11 he derected… Sammy Going Southis the second one and he excellent… all along his amazing journey, Sammy wil meet many adults, some very shorly, some other longer, some will be friendly, some other less… Nice direction and acting and beaufful landscape of a lost Africa… A great movie about childhood but not especialy for children… 9/10
”Doctor Mordrid” (Albert Band, Charles Band, USA 1992) An unspeakable evil has come into our dimension and wants to rule over Earth, and only a mysterious sorceror known as Doctor Mordrid can stop him. Some kind of early Super Heroe movie but a bit lame and the main actor is quite inexpressive… 5,5/10
”There Was a Crooked Man... ” (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, USA 1970) Paris Pitman, Jr. is a charming but totally ruthless criminal who’s is sent to a remote Arizona prison. He enlists the help of his cellmates in an escape attempt with the promise of sharing his hidden loot. At the same time new warden with libera views try t reform the prison and try to get help from Pitman… I watched it for a long time… I find it better now than before… 8/10
”Sassy Sue” (Bethel Buckalew, USA 1973) Pa, a moonshining chicken farmer, is worried that his dim-witted son Junior is becoming way more attracted to their cow Sassy Sue than he should be, so he sets out to gather up all the nubile young farmgirls in the area and get them to show Junior what he's missing. Just amazing ! Very big boobed Colleen Brennan stars in this little countryside erotic comedy. This amazing actress is only a the beginning of a very rich carrier in erotic cinema. 4/10
”La noche de los brujos” (aka “The Night od the Sorcerers”) (Amando de Ossorio, Spain 1974) A team of researchers travel into the African jungle to study the mysterious disappearance of elephants in the area. Instead they discover a tribe of voodoo-zombies who rise from the ground, capture the women, whip them and slice their heads off on an altar. The women return as vampires who look for more women to kill. Quiet poor horror movie even if from Ossorio. 5,5/10
“All About Eve” (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, USA 1958) Aspiring actress Eve Harrington maneuvers her way into the lives of Broadway star Margo Channing, playwright Lloyd Richards and director Bill Sampson. This classic story of ambition and betrayal has become part of American folklore. Bette Davis claims to have based her character on the persona of film actress Talullah Bankhead. Davis' line "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night" is legendary, but, in fact, all of the film's dialog sparkles with equal brilliance. I rewatched this masterpiece with much pleasure… 10/10
"The Big Doll House" (Jack Hill, Philippines / USA 1971) Beautiful women prisoners are abused in a Philippine prison, until 5 of them plot an escape by taking the evil female warden hostage with the reluctant help of 2 male fruit vendors. Great cast of pretty gals in this hopeless Girls in cage movie… Judith Brown, Pam Grier, Pat Woodell and son on… 6/10
"Gone with the Wind" (Victor Fleming, USA 1939) Rewatched it with great pleasure… Great 9/10
"The Big Bird Cage" (Jack Hill, Philippines /USA 1972) Terry, a social-climbing young woman accidentally gets caught up in the activities of two revolutionaries, Blossom and Django, and finds herself in a concentration camp for women. In the center of the camp is a towering wooden machine ("The Big Bird Cage") in which the women risk their lives processing sugar as the evil warden looks on. The prisoners are subjected to sadistic cruelty from the guards and fellow prisoners, and all attempts at escape are dealt with...permanently.Third opus of Jack Hill’s women in cage serie with a very similar cast as The Big Doll House… The story is also few different… and girls Pam Grier, Anitra Ford (Terry), Candice Roman… are still pretty ! 6/10
"Doctor Zhivago" (David Lean, USA/Italy/UK 1965) It was long time ago I didn’t watche this Lea n’ classic… A bd reputation for this movie but it’s geat anyway… 9/10
"The Mouse That Roared" (Jack Arnold, UK 1959) I rewatched this nice and strange little comedy with much pleasue… Vey unny with great Peter Sellers… 8/10
"Rapture" (John Guillermain, France/USA, 1965) What to say… 10/10
"Where the Boys Are" (Henry Levin, USA 1960) Merritt, Melanie, Tuggle and Angie are four Midwestern college co-eds who travel to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for their spring vacation and we follow the episodic series of adventures and romance they all get into with some college guys they meet. A strange Spingbreack movie more serious than it is announced… Actress loo pretty but the male students are well in thiers 40’s for most of them ! so funny ! More interrestng than expected… 7/10
"Mollenard" (Robert Siodmak, France 1938) Captain Mollenard is some kind of an weapons smuggler in China. He is loved by his men but hated by his wife who is very happy to know him far away most of the time… She raised her children in this hate and wants to make them as her image… But one day the compay is fed up with Mollenard way of living and decide to make him stay at shore for six months… Very good Harry Baur as Molenard in this strange mix of adventure movie and drama… Nice French effort of Siodmak before he must leave to he US… 8/10
That's all for 2017... Quite few movies this year... only 370 ! Happy 2018 to all of you !
Hi Kinoute ! Yes, 370 is few... Some years I watched more than 600 !! And thanks to you, Asmodai and MisterZob for the great job on the site ! Good luck for 2018 !!!
“The Gentlemen League” (Basil Dearden, UK 1960 A disgruntled veteran recruits a group of disgraced colleagues to perform a bank robbery with military precision. A quite good heist movie adapted from John Boland’s novel… Nice acting and phtography. A certain source of inspiration for lots of other movies… 8/10
“Inspecteur Labavure” (aka “Inspector Blunder”) (Claude Zidi, France 1980) The clumsy son of a deceased police hero joins the police and his task is to protect a reporter from the most famous gangster of Paris. Quite funny comedy even if not very fine with Coluche and Gerard Depardieu… Armelss. 6,5/10
“Le dimanche de la vie“ (aka “The Saturday of Life”) (Jean Herman, France 1967) After five years in the army, Valentin Brû marry a haberdasher. They move to Paris, where Valentin sells frames, while his wife becomes fortune teller. One day, Valentin replaces her, and predict a terrible event which will happen. Adapted from a novel by Raymond Queneau by a famous director offrench popular cinema. A strange movie indeed mixing reality, fantasy, dream… A curiosity 7/10
“Little Women“ (Mervyn LeRoy, USA 1949) Rewatched this one on TV with much pleasure… 8,5/10
“La morte vivante“ (aka “The Living Deadgirl“) (Jean Rollin, France 1982) Due to an earthquake and chemical wastes, a deadgirl comes back to live hungry of fresh blood… her only contact with real world is the “sister in blood” of her childhood… Another strang Rollin movie mix of eroticism and gore… for fans with a great final climax. 6,5/10
“Les deux orphelines“ (aka. “The Two Orphans”) (Ricardo Freda, France/Italy 1965) Two orhans are coming to Paris but Henriette is kidnapped by a lustful marquis and the other, Louise, by La Frocherd, Queen of the beggars… Hélène is rescued by handsome Roger de Vaudray. Bothe they decide to seek for Louise. Arless movie of Freda, certainly not his best work. 6,5/10
“The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (Peter Jackson, USA/New Zealand 2003) Rewatched this one… always so ridiculous… (shut your eyes and listen, you’ll undersatand what I mean!!) 3/10
“Polar” (Jacques Bral, France 1984) A private detective ponders another profession until a mysterious woman hires him to solve her roommate's murder. Adapted from a novel of famous French writer JeanPatrick Manchette the movie is interesting but a bit to speacky… 7/10
“Human Highway” (Neil Young, USA 1982) The new owner of a roadside diner stuck in a town built around an always leaking nuclear power plant plans to torch the place to collect insurance. However, an assortment of bizare characters and weird events gets in his way… The movie by Neil Young is very very strange and so, you’ll love it or you’ll hate it and find it ridiculous… At least a true curiosity. 8/10
“Echoes of Silence” (Peter Emanuel Goldman, USA 1965) Goldman follow the lives of a group of Beatnicks in Greenwich Village… Amazing movie typical of this new cinema, you think to early Cassavetes movies (Shadows, Faces) or early Scorcese (Who’s That Knocking… and Mean Streets)… Goldman, in this film without any dialogue, manages to film faces in a way you’ll won’t forget. Also a nice view of the nightlife in the Village during the golden age of the late 60’s… 8,5/10
“Le majordome” (aka “The Majordomo”) (Jean Delannoy, France 1965) Léopold (Paul Meurisse) is the majordomo of a well known judge and found of law’s studies. At night he becomes the judge of the underworld… One day he’s hired by a famous gangster for the heist of the century… Quite armless crime comedy with great Paul Meurisse. 6,5/10
“Les tontons flingueurs” (aka “Monsieur Gangster”) Georges Lautner, Fance 1963) I rewatched once more and always with so much fun this classic French comedy… 10/10
“Primitive London” (Arnold L. Miller, UK 1965) A mondo movie about the life in England in the 60’s, especuialy thre night world of Rockers, Beatnicks, nightclubers, strip-tease and so on… 6/10
“La noire de…” (aka “Black Girl”) (Ousmane Sembene, Senegal/France 1966) A Senegalese woman is eager to find a better life abroad. She takes a job as a governess for a French family, but finds her duties reduced to those of a maid after the family moves from Dakar to the south of France. In her new country, the woman is constantly made aware of her race and mistreated by her employers. Her hope for better times turns to disillusionment and she falls into isolation and despair. The harsh treatment leads her to consider suicide the only way out. The movie is a strong criticism of colonialism, postcolonialism and also the illusions of black people searching a beter life in the “white world”. A cruel but nice movie. 8,5/10
That's all for today... a good beginning indeed...
“Le coup de grâce“ (Jean Cayrol, Claude Durand, Canada / France, 1965) During WWII, Bruno has given many people away to the Gestapo. Now, 25 years after, with a new face given by plastic surgery, he is back and becomes friend with his victims' relatives or friends. Curious movie, produced by cult producer/irector Emile Couzinet and of cours set in Bordeaux, the native town of Couzinet. A strange story of love and revenge… 7/10
“Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro” (aka “Eyeball”) (Umberto Lenzi, Italy/Spain 1975) In Barcelona, a maniac killer in a red cape and hood is killing off American (pretty) tourists on a tour bus by gouging out their eyeballs. A quite poor giallo, very speaky. Only for fans of the genre. 6,5/10
"The Naked Flame" (Larry Matanski, Canada 1964) A Doukhobor sect in Northern Alberta tries to prevent the wedding of a Russian girl to a Canadian. Adapted from true events the movie is very strange, on the narrow edge… a true curiosity… 6,5/10
"Pospy Pop" (Jean Herman, France / Italy / Venezuela 1971) Popsy double-crosses her older partner Silva. Silva has arranged to divert diamonds from a large corporate-run diamond mine in the South American jungle, and Popsy does her "pop" wrong as they are both pursued by police. Claudia Cardinale is damn hot but she can’t save the movie… 5,5/10
"Vanishing Point" (Richard C. Sarafian, UK/USA 1971) I rewatched this one with so much pleasure… 10/10
"Candy Goes to Hollywood" (Gail Palmer, USA 1979) Gail Palmer's thoroughly entertaining sequel to the "Candy" original. Candy comes to Hollywood and is immediately pounced upon by a wacky talent agent. She becomes the sexual toast of Tinseltown. One of the very best first hours ever produced, in that it is either no-stop comedy or great sex action all the way. After that, there is total action to the end, including the mandatory Hollywood orgy scene. An all star cast helps this clever show biz lampoon of "The Gong Show," "The Tonight Show," MGM Studios, etc. An absolutely superior sex comedy!A quite good little porn from golden age… 6,5/10
"All Babe Network" (Dean McKendrick, USA 2013) A failing TV Station is revitalized when their Reality Show, Hoax Hunter, goes topless in search of Bigfoot.Mary Carey is a huge boobed double of famous singer Maria Carey… And the movie is bad. 3/10
"Les combinards" (Juan Estelrich, Riccardo Pazzaglia, Jean-Claude Roy, France, Italy, Spain 1966) A small movie made of three parts… In Spain, two crooks make a well-to-do peasant believe that owning a streetcar is very lucrative;a bit repetitive,inferior to the before-mentioned short. In Italy a lazy man would like to stay in a comfortable hospital where he is well fed but he is not ill anymore.So he pretends he is,the press picks up the story of the "poor sick lad who is denied a bed in a hospital" even politicians try to cash in on the situation… In France, Two lazy men join with an unscrupulous woman to "help" lonely hearts find their soul mate and they actually want to take advantage of rich women's gullibility… A routine frenc comedy… 6/10
"L’ibis rouge" (Jean-Pierre Mocky, France 1975) Forty eight hours in an area around a Parisian canal where a former Tango champion meets a killer. A quite good Mocky with some great French actors… 7/10
"The Quatermass Xperiment" (Val Guest, UK 1955) A missile, launched by the team led by Prof. Quatermass, lands in the English countryside. Of the three members of the crew, two have mysteriously disappeared. The third one, barely alive, undergoes an horrible metamorphosis turning into a monstrous "thing". When he breaks out and, chased in vain by inspector Lomax, starts killing humans and animals to feed his transformation, Quatermass realizes that this is the way chosen by an alien form of life to invade the Earth. I enjoy a lot to watch this on eon the silver screen… 7/10
"Chaussette surprise" (Jean-François Davy, France 1978) Another great french comedy… 3/10
"The Unforgiven" (John Huston, USA 1960) We proposed this one at our cineclub… Great to watch it again… 8/10
"Poussez-pas grand-père dans les cactus" (Jean-Claude Dague, France 1969) Another great french comedy… 3/10
"36 Quai des Orfèvres" (aka "36th Precinct") (Olivier Marchal, France 2004) In the underbelly of the Parisian criminal world, the Police are frustrated by a gang committing a series of violent robberies. Leo Vrinks and Denis Klein are two cops seeking promotion, and the imminent departure of the Chief sets the scene for them to compete for the vacant throne. The competition between them becomes increasingly ruthless and blurs the usual lines of morality, until there seems no difference between the police and the criminals they chase. Vrinks, meeting with a source, becomes involved with a murder. Klein seizes the opportunity to up the ante and arranges for the arrest of Vrinks, but when he goes further and viciously involves Vrinks' wife, Camille, revenge is inevitable. Not bad even if almost improbable… 6,5/10
"The Maltese Falcon" (John Huston, 1941) We proposed this one at ou cineclub, much pleasure to watdh it on the silver screen…10/10
We organized the tenth edition of the Festival des Maudits Films in Grenoble... It was the ocasion to watch some good (and lesss good!) movies...
“Edge of Sanity“ (Gérard Kikoïne, UK/France/Hungary/USA, 1989) When Henry Jekyll's experiments with cocaine have gotten out of control, he transforms into the hideous Jack Hyde. As Hyde he searches the London streets at night for his prey in whorehouses and opium dens. The police can't catch him, he has nothing to lose but his mind... A curious mix of Jeckyll and Jack the Ripper and a mix of Victorian settings and 80’s mood… Anthony Perkins makes perhaps a bit too much but is quite good. A curiosity. Gerad Kikoïne, former famous porn director of the golden age was here to talk about the movie and his autobiographic book just released… 7/10
“Beat Street“ (Stan Lathan, USA 1984) An aspiring DJ, from the South Bronx, and his best friend, a promoter, try to get into show business by exposing people to hip-hop music and culture. Produced by famous singer Harry Bellafonte who also composed part of the soundtrack Beat Street is the first feature about Hip Hop culture… Even if the plot is full of clichés a nice dive in the lost time of our youth… 7/10
“Leave Her to Heaven“ (John M. Stahl, USA 1945) A writer falls in love with a young socialite and they are married soon after, but her obsessive love for him threatens to be the undoing of both them and everyone else around them. We enjoyed a lot the copy form Toulouse Cinémathèque of this great movie in awesome technicolor. Gene Tierney is amazing. 8,5/10
“Streets of Fire“ (Walter Hill, USA 1984) A mercenary is hired to rescue his ex-girlfriend, a singer who has been kidnapped by a motorcycle gang. Pure 80’s movie full of clichés and music ! The plot is a bit ridiculous but owho cares ? Music souds good ! 6,5/10
“The Terror“ (Roger Corman Francis Ford Coppola, Jack Hale, Monte Hellman, Jack Hill, Dennis Jakob, Jack Nicholson, USA 1963) A young officer in Napoleon's Army pursues a mysterious woman to the castle of an elderly Baron. It was a pure pleasure to watch this one on screen in a awesome 35 mm copy… 7/10
“Frankenhooker” (Frank Henenlotter, USA 1990) A medical student sets out to recreate his decapitated fiancée by building her a new body made of Manhattan street prostitutes. I rewatched this well known Z grade movie with much fun in an amazing dubbed version which makes it much more funnier… 3/10 10/10 for Z grade fans…
“Performance” (Donald Cammell, Nicolas Roeg, UK 1970) Chas, a violent and psychotic East London gangster needs a place to lie low after a hit that should never have been carried out. He finds the perfect cover in the form of guest house run by the mysterious Mr. Turner, a one-time rock superstar, who is looking for the right spark to rekindle his faded talent. Amazing doomed movie still powerful. 7,5/10
“Angustia” (Bigas Luna, Spain 1987) A controlling mother uses telepathic powers to send her middle-aged son on a killing spree. The first movie of Bigs Lna works good ased on the classic gimmick of movie in the movie and the mix of fiction and reality… 7/10
“Nightmare” (Freddie Francis, UK 1964) anet is a young student at a private school; her nights are troubled by horrible dreams in which she sees her mother, who is in fact locked in an insane asylum, haunting her. Expelled because of her persistent nightmares, Janet is sent home where the nightmares continue. Good little crime/horror movie with nice twist at the end and of course wonderful b/w photography by a master of the genre… 7,5/10
“KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park” (Gordon Hessler, USA 1978) KISS, the rock band is made up of superheroes, battles an evil inventor who has plans for destruction at a California amusement park…. As you can imagine the movie is ridiculous… 2/10 for Z grade fans 10/10 or more…
“The Punisher” (Mark Goldblatt, USA 1989) When Frank Castle's family is murdered by criminals, he wages war on crime as a vigilante assassin known only as The Punisher. An early Marvel ovie almost forgotten. We had some intrviews especialy made for the festival by Goldblat and Dolph Lundgren (who plays the Punisher) it was great fun to watch this… As all marvel movies the script is lame but here at lest we laugh a lot… 5/10 for Z grade fans 10/10
“Dead Heat” (Mark Goldblatt, USA 1988) Two policemen are brought back to life to chase down supernatural criminals. Excelent Z grade movie Treat Williams and Joe Piscopo are very good (in a Z grade way of course!!!) A big laugh to finish this tenth edition… Perhaps another one in 2018 ?? who knows ??
” Chikyû Bôeigun” (aka “The Mysterians”) (Ishirô Honda, Japan 1957) Aliens arrive on Earth and ask permission to be given a certain tract of land for their people to live on. But when they are discovered to be invaders, responsible for the giant robot that is destroying cities, the armed forces attempt to stop them with every weapon available.
“Espions à l'affût” (aka “Heat of Midnight”) (Max Pecas, France 1958) A man is injured after stealing some diamonds and kill a man in selfdefense. He takes shelter at her former lover Fabienne big house. A private detective, police and killers are after him… Fabienne lives with Cybil her lover and things begins to be complicated… An early Ma x Pecas movie, before he sunk into bd comedy and was still ambucious… Even if the script is quite confuse, the movie is quite well filmed… For fans of obscure movies… 6,5/10
“Mille Milliards de dollars“ (Henri Verneuil, France 1982) A young journalist stumbles across something much more sinister than a simple suicide in the death of a politician - the death seems to be an assassination contrived by an American multinational company intent on taking over several French industries. The journalist's objective is to garner enough evidence to expose the American corporation for what it really is, before French companies start disappearing - and before any more corpses accumulate, including his own. Quite interesting movie classic of the era with conspiracy background, the courageous journalist,… 8/10
“Le regine” (Tonino Cervi, France/Italy 1970) A young hippie kills a man, and seeks refuge at the lakeside house of three beautiful sisters, who seem to be hiding a dark secret. A curious erotic/horror movie very peacefull and quiet till a gory and brutal ending… not bad at all 6,5/10
“Lady, Stay Dead“ (Terry Bourke, Australia 1981) A Young woman is looking after her sister's house, unaware that her sister and neighbor have been murdered by their handyman who also happens to be a serial killer. Another sick movie of serial killer… this one is very difficult to kil and revive at least three or for time dipite a number of bullets in body funny ! 6/10
“I fidanzati“ (aka “The Fiances”) (Ermanno Olmi, Italy 1963) In the industrial North, Giovanni is a skilled factory worker offered a promotion if he'll go to Sicily for 18 months to assist in a new department. His impending absence strains his already nearly wordless relationship with Liliana, his fiancée. Will their love survive ? Now, they can’t make such movie anymore, so simple and so deep love story. Just Great ! 9,5/10
“Mississipi Burning“ (Alan Parker, USA 1988) Two F.B.I. Agents, with wildly different styles, arrive in Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of some civil rights activists. I watched if at its release in the 80’s… 8,5/10
No rating for Mississippi Burning? And have you considered leaving your short reviews as a shout on the movie page, for those users that don't follow the forum or don't want to look through all 51 pages of the topic ;)
Since you always provided the title, the year, and the rating, I'm pretty sure I can make you a little script that will import your old reviews posted here automatically if you want. Minus the "very short" reviews though ;)
“Les gros malins“ (Raymond Leboursier, France 1969) A butcher takes certain sleeping pill and dreams of horse races… and gess the winners… His life is going to change… Another poor french comedy with classic actors of the genre, Jean Carmet, Michel Galabru, Francis Blanche… Only for fans 4,5/10
“Les gorilles“ (Jean Girault, France 1964) Two lazy guys are working at the airport and by accident lose a suitcase… Thier boss asks them to find it back within the two next days… They have to visit all the passagers of the flight from Teheran… Dary Cowl and Francis Blanche can go on rampage… Quite poor comedy for Jean Girault usualy more inspired… Interresting oly for the all star casting of French comedy actors… 6/10
“Il posto” (Ermanno Olmi, Italy 1961) Against all expectations young Domenico manages to get a job in a big society as a clerk. He also meets a young girl at the job… Things could be perfect but this new life in the big city can also be full of disillusions… Like in The Fiancés, Ermanno Olmi explores the delicate way of emotions on a strong social background of lower class working heroes… A very fine and moving treatment of very simple things… Excelent. 9/10
“The Orgy at Lil’s Place” (Jerald Intrator, USA 1963) Ann, becomes a nude model for a NY artist to earn some money for her actual interests. Things start off great, but as she's slowly introduced to the sleazier side of the scene, she begins wondering whether she should quit. Quite pretty little nudie (with few nude indeed). Classy filmed with gorgeous B/W and great Del Tenney as an assistant director… Another great restoration by Vinegar Syndrome… 7/10
“Le silencieux” (Claude Pinoteau, France 1973) Who is Anton Haliakov, who has just been abducted by the M.I.5 in London? A Soviet scientist apparently. But sixteen years before the man had another identity, Clément Tibère, and another nationality, French. So what led him to become Russian and to change identity? And why are the British secret services interested in him? A classic spy movie of Cold War times. Lino Ventura is good int eh main role…. 7,5/10
“Total Recall” (Paul Verhoeven, USA 1990) When a man goes for virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real - or does he? I rewatched this little adaptation of K. Dick universe wih much fun… but perhaps the movie, unlike the book, is going older… 8/10
“Self/Less” (Tarsem Singh, USA 2015) An extremely wealthy man, dying from cancer, undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness into the body of a healthy young man. But all is not as it seems when he starts to uncover the mystery of the body's origin and the organization that will kill to protect its cause. A good plot idea and a movie with some good moments but although very predictable in many ways… 6/10
“L’étrange désir de Monsieur Bard” (Géza von Radványi, France 1954) A terminally ill Mr. Bard, a casino bus driver forced to quit his job, miraculously wins a fortune playing roulette. Instantly becoming a millionaire, he wants to fulfill his life's dream: to become a father. This plan is opposed by his greedy relatives who would go any low to take this money away from him. They are being led by a small-time crook. Mr. Bard's natural shyness and good heart lead him to the journey of self-exploration and finding his true love. Stange little fable with amazing Michel Simon… The movie has some almost fantasy parts… A curious movie to discover. 7/10
“Arsenic and Old Laces” (Frank Capra, USA 1944) Rewathed this one with much pleasure and laughs… But everybody knows it; 10/10
“Un homme qui dort“ (Bernard Queysann, France 1974) A 25-year-old male student in Paris becomes indifferent to the world around him, and subsequently feels a strong sense of alienation and hopelessness.The wonderful text of Georges Perec performed on screen he says himself… A stuning and wonderfull cinematographic experiment… 9/10
“Le paradis“ (Alain Cavalier, France 2014) The death of a little bird and it’s burial in a remote small wood force the director Alain Cavalier to have a reflexion about life, death, faith and God… Cavalier is an atypical director who delivers us a strange object once more. 7/10
“Droit dans le mûr“ (aka ” Straight into the Wall”) (Pierre Richard, France 1997) Romain was a famous actor but his shows now do not mak laugth anybody… Furthermore his wife is leaving him and he’s soon ruined… Only his sister gives him a chance in Cyrano she’s directing in an obscure theater in Paris’ suburbs… Pierre Richard put himself on stage in this movie. His carrier was actually going straight in the wall, as the movie daes… 4/10.
“La ville bidon” (Jacques Baratier, France 1971) A group of people resists to galloping urbanisme in the Paris’ suburbs… The film was made several times and banned from French audience because it was a to strong criticism of the absurdity of urbanism. Very interesting and controvertial. Bernadette Lafond is good. 8/10
“Ne nous fâchons pas“ (Georges Lautner, France 1966) Antoine helps two former acquaintances escape the country, who repay him with a debt transfer. All he has to do is collect from some Léonard Michalon, but for that he will have to go into much trouble to keep the man alive. A little crime comedy with Lino Ventura, Jean Lefebvre and Mireille Darc… Not Lautner’s best so far but entertaining… 7/10
“Goupi mains rouges“ (“It Happened at the Inn”) (Jacques Becker, France 1943) In a french lost village an old woman is killed and her savings stolen. Several members of her family, all called:"Goupi-Something", are suspected. Great rural drama with greediness, jealousy… Just great. 8,5/10
“Quatorze juillet“ (René Clair, France 1933) Jean is a young cab driver. Anna, a flower-girl neighbour, is in love with him. But he is still thinking to Pola, who just left him. Jean asks her to the bal. Many events will disturb this arising love. Clairs films a forgotten Paris with grace and simplicity. Small stories of small people in the great city… Just excellent. 8,5/10
“Le champignon“ (Marc Simenon, Italy/France 1970) A young physician becomes lonely when his workaholic wife ignores him to concentrate on her professional career. He is befriended by an older female artist who is fond of hallucinogenic mushrooms. When his wife is late for their anniversary celebration, he drinks and takes mushrooms with the artist. He wakes up to find she has died and is fearful he may have accidentally killed her. A strange movie on a screenplay by Alphons Boudard and Marc Simenon, the son of Georges… The whole is not very convincing and the main interest is the presence of Mylène Demongeot and mainly Jean-Claude Bouillon very well known in France for his role of inspecteur Valentin oin the famous TV serie Les Brigades du Tigre. ! A curiosity. 6,5/10
“Back in the Saddle“ (Lew landers, USA 1941) After Gene discovers copper on his ranch, Bennett tries to get control of the fortune by framing him in a jail-break. Another occasion to listen to Gene singing noce little songs… 6,5/10
“Agony of Love“ (William Rotsler, USA 1966) A bored housewife rents an apartment where she indulges in all of her sexual fantasies. The true story of a desperate housewife… Another nice little nudie with nice filming. Big boobed Pat Barrington is absolutely gorgeous… 7/10
“The Legend of Tom Dooley“ (Ted Post, USA 1959) Tom Dooley and Country Boy are on the run after killing an enemy soldier not knowing the war is over. The Command refuses to give them some slack for making this tragic but honest mistake and sends a lawman after them. Losely adapted from tru events that inspired the famous song, this little B western is quite interesting despite the lack of budget. It’s also much fun to See a young Michael Landon in a feature movie… Ted Post is at the beginning of his director carrier as a director. He’s mosly known for one of the best movie about Viet-Nam ever made : Go Tell the Spartans in 1978… 7,5/10
“A Dangerous Game“ (John Rawlins, USA 1941) Detectives Dick Williams and Andy McAllister find themselves trying to solve several crimes at an isolated mentally-ill hospital, where the patients range from slightly daffy to criminally insane, and they don't know which is which. A gang is out to steal a fortune inherited by one of the patients and, before Dick and Andy solve the case, several patients are transferred to the cemetery. And 'tiddlie-winks" are indeed involved. A little crime comedy for the B service of Univesal. For B fans only 6/10
"Harmon of Michigan" (Charles Barton, USA 1941) The movie is loosely adapted from the life of Tom Harmon, # 98 for the Michigan Wolverines, TH eclassic stor of the youg trainer who think he can change the world and not listen to to oldtimers and those who love him and who’ll find redeption. For B fans only. 6/10
"S.O.S. Tidal Wave" (John H. Auer, USA 1939) S.O.S. Tidal Wave is both a political thriller and one of the earliest examples of the disaster film genre. The corrupt Clifford Farrow, his sights set on winning the New York City mayoral race with backing from the nefarious political boss Melvin Sutter, sees the world as his oyster.That’s until stalwart television journalist Jeff Shannon unmasks a system that would place the unscrupulous and unqualified Farrow into power. S.O.S. Tidal Wave remains true to its crime thriller roots until a very surprising twist. Farrow and Sutter, using stock horror film footage of a tsunami-like tidal wave, try to convince an unsuspecting public that the killer wave is about to hit New York, thereby throwing voters into a War of the Worlds-type panic…. Will Jeff be able to convince the public of this hoax in time to save the election? During a long period the stockshots of Deluge (1932) used in the movie were the last trace of this movie before two copies were discovered within a few months… A curious movie for fans of strang B’s… 6,5/10
"Herostratus" (Don Levy, UK 1967) When Max, a young poet hires a marketing company to turn his suicide-by-jumping into a mass-media spectacle, he finds that his subversive intentions are quickly diluted into a reactionary gesture, and his motivations are revealed as a desperate attempt to seek attention through celebrity. Ultra eird and arty movie. A true movie experiment and still accurate background…. Becoming famous by every way is sadely more and more the holly grail for more and more people… 8/10
“Es geschah am hellichten Tag” (“It Happened in Broad Daylight”) (Ladislao Vajda, Switzerlan/West Germany/Spain 1958) Having doubts about the guilt of the obvious suspect in the murder of an eight year old girl, a police detective decides to investigate the case on his own. A nice and cruel crime movie… Michel Simon as the wrongy accused guy is great… 8/10
"Arizona Legion" (David Howard, USA 1939) This region of Arizona is lawless. Even when the criminal are captured, they are acquitted by the jury or the witness takes a sudden illness. Boone is a hard drinking, shoot up the town cowboy who is trying to get in with the Dutton gang. As yet, he is unsuccessful and his actions cause Lettie to break off their engagement. But Boone is undercover. He is the Captain of the Arizona Rangers - 14 men dedicated to the end of the outlaws. While he saves stages and stops bank robberies, he has not yet been found the secret leader of the gang. A nice little western staring great George O’Brien… 7/10
"Bullet Code" (David Howard, USA 1940) Rancher Steve Condon, in a fight with rustlers is led to believe he has killed one of his own cowhands, Bud Mathews. Actually it was a bullet from the rustler leader, Cass Clantine, that brought Mathews down. Repentant, Steve, with his pal, Pop Norton, leaves for Encintas, where Bud's family lives. Arriving there, he learns that cowhands don't stay long at the Mathews Ranch, the Cicrle M. Steve and Pop meet John Mathews and his daughter Molly and are hired as punchers. Steve decides to postpone his disclosure that he killed Bud… Another small oather for George O’Brien… juste good little western… 6,5/10
"Lawless Valley" (David Howard, USA 1938) Serving a five year sentence for robbing a stage, Larry Rhodes is paroled early and returns to his hometown bent on clearing himself and discovering the identity of his father's killer. Things get more complicated when he learns that his former girlfriend, whom he still loves, is scheduled to be married to the local land baron's son. Before WWII George O’Brien was RKO’s Cowboy heroe… When he cam back he was replced by Tim Holt… But John Frd, his friend, never forget him… 7/10
"Escape from Crime" (D. Ross Lederman, USA 1942) Red O'Hara, just released from prison after serving an unjust sentence on a frame engineered by Dude Merrill, leaves his wife Molly and tries unsuccessfully to land a news photographer's job. He finally gets a position after photographing a bank robbery, and tops this later by catching Dude in the midst of a crime and preventing the killing of a detective. Nice little B crime movie with good plot… 7/10
"Joe Smith, American" (Richard Thorpe, USA 1942) Joe Smith is an average American citizen, working in an aircraft factory. He has access to the plans for a new bomb-sight and is kidnapped by enemy agents who unsuccessfully torture him to get him to betray his country. He escapes and leads the FBI to his captors. A pure propaganda movie… For fans of a lost time and a lost cinema… 6/10
"Pier 5, Havana" (Edward L. Cahn, USA 1959) A Yank comes to Havana in search of an old friend who disappeared during the Cuban Revolution, and discovers a group of Batista sympathizers plotting to overturn Castro. Certainy the only pro-Castro movie of Amerian Cinema ! Cameron Mitchell is convincing… 7/10
"The Fighting Stallion" (Robert Emmett Tansey, USA 1950) Released from a navy hospital following WW II, Lon Evans learns that he faces eventual blindness and returns to his Wyoming ranch. He sees a beautiful white stallion named Starlight and his cowhands Lem and Yancy say he is a killer and cannot be trained. Lon disproves this by training the stallion to act as his guide in preparation for his future blindness. He meets Jeanne Barton, who is staying at a nearby dude ranch and they fall in love, but Lon, knowing that he is going blind, decides he cannot marry Jeanne, and avoids her. A wild black stallion that also roams on Lon's ranch jumps in the corral and kills Lon's pinto stallion. Nice little family and feel goo western… 6,5/10
"Les adieux à la reine" (Farewell, My Queen) (Benoît Jacquot, France/Spain, 2012) A look at the relationship between Marie Antoinette and one of her readers during the first days of the French Revolution… So so movie more speculative than other… 6,5/10
“Bullit“ (Peter Yates, USA 1968) Rewatched with much pleasure this classic… Great ! But everybody knows it… 10/10
“Cattle Empire“ (Charles Marquis Warren, USA 1958) After serving a five year prison sentence for allowing his men to destroy a town in a drunken spree, a trail boss is hired by the same town's leading citizen to drive their cattle to Fort Clemson. Complicating matters, a rival cattle baron also hires the cattle driver to lead his herd. A classic western made for Joel McCrea as the right ans straight guy who’ll make his way despite all ambushes 7/10
“Fort Courageous“ (Lesley Selander, USA 1965) An ex-cavalry sergeant, being escorted to prison after being convicted of a crime he didn't commit, finds himself leading the remnants of a unit that has been under Indian attack at a fort. The commanding officer has been killed, the Indians vastly outnumber them, and the only bargaining chip they have is the fact that they have captured the Indian chief's son. A small B western by a master of the genre bur not it’s best movie at all… 7/10
“Elser“ (Oliver Hirschbiegel, Germany 2015) In November 1939, Georg Elser's attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler fails, and he is arrested. During his confinement, he recalls the events leading up to his plot and his reasons for deciding to take such drastic action. Avery stong and nterresting story worth watching. Direction and acting are unfortunately ordinary. 7,5/10
“Le faucon“ (aka “The Hawk“) (Paul Boujenah, France 1983) o call "the hawk";but his wife perished in a car crash ,and his daughter went into coma.He has become a human wreck ,the ghost of himself.Gus,the killer he tracked the very day his wife died reappears and commits more crimes ;Frank the Hawk wakes up:the hunt begins and will last the whole film :in the streets ,in the country,in a disused factory ;disowned by his superiors ,he carries on and ....miracles still happen. Just hilarious a pure French So Bad That it’s Good… Francis Huster is just pathetic (as usual ??) For fans of extreme bad cinema…. 2/10 or 10/10 it depends ;)
"Letyat zhuravli" (aka "The Cranes are Flying") (Mikhail Kalatozov CCCP, 1957) I rewatched this one with always so much pleasure… 10/10
“Utu“ (Geoff Murphy, New Zealand 1984) In New Zealand in the 1860s the native Maori people fought the British colonials to keep the land guaranteed to them by treaty. The warrior Te Wheke fights for the British until betrayal leads him to seek utu (revenge). The settler Williamson in turn seeks revenge after Te Wheke attacks his homestead. Meanwhile Wiremu, an officer for the British, seems to think that resistance is futile. Adapted from true events an unusual and great movie with strong characters, good acting and nc e filming. 8,5/10
“Un homme à abattre“ (Philippe Condroyer, France / Spain 1967) Barcelona, 1967. Hans Fromm, a German-born architect, lives an well-ordered everyday life. He has become the target of an antifascist death squad though. Indeed their leader, Julius, whose brother was killed by Schmidt, a merciless S.S., believes, without being absolutely certain, that Fromm and Schmidt are the same man. The team, whose other members are Georges, the son of a deportee liquidated by Schmidt craving for action, Raphaël, a mercenary type, Nils, the photographer and Romain, watch Fromm's every move until Julius, convinced at last that the quiet German is their man, gives the green light for the operation. A classic small thriller… Condroyer made only three movies the most famous is Tintin et les oranges bleues 7/10
“Deux hommes dans la ville“ (José Giovani, France 1973) A former bank robber is released after 10 years in prison. He gets help from a social-worker, but gets harassed by an old cop from his past. If not very fine, (Gabin and Delon overact all along) a good and clear prosecution against death sentence. 6,5/10
“Pas de problème! “ (aka “No Problem ! “) (Georges Lautner, France 1975) Following a car chase and shootout, a man stumbles into a girl's apartment and dies. Frantic to be rid of this encumbrance, and wishing to avoid getting involved with the police, the girl finds a willing lad in a bar who will help her with her predicament. He loads the body into the back of his father's car. Of course father comes back and drives with the car… Despite Lautner the comedy is quite dull… 6/10
“The Last Voyage“ (Andrew L. Stone, USA 1960) Cliff Henderson and his family are traveling aboard the SS Claridon en route to Japan. The Claridon is an old ship, on its last voyage before heading to the scrap heap. An explosion in the engine room weakens the hull and the ship is now taking on more water that the bilge pumps can deal with. The Captain seems to have difficulty accepting that his ship will sink. Henderson's wife Laurie is severely injured and trapped under a fallen beam. Despite little budget a very descent wrecking movie perhaps more realistic than most others… and with nice cast : Robert Stack, Dorothy, George Sanders, Edmond O'Brien, Woody Strode… 7,5/10
“Dernière domicile connu“ (José Giovani, France/Italy 1970) Police inspector Léonetti, a tough, efficient policeman, has been sent to a second-rate police station after being reprimanded. There he is given a partner, young and beautiful Jeanne Dumas. The duo are soon assigned a very difficult mission: to find a man whose evidence is instrumental in convicting a murderer. They start searching throughout Paris... A good rench Thriller with desperate ending… Quite good 7,5/10
“Le couperet“ (Costa Gavras, France 2004) A chemist (Garcia) loses his job to outsourcing. Two years later and still jobless, he hits on a solution: to genuinely eliminate his competition. A dark and ferocious comedy about competiton in our modern society… José Garcia is excellent. 8/10
“La città si difende“ (Pietro Germi, Italy 1949) Four criminals commit a robbery at a soccer stadium, and then split up to try to hide separately from the police. Strangy similar to Kubrick’s The Killing… A very nice Italian film-noir… 8/10
“Du mou dans la gâchette“ (Louis Grospierre, France/Italie, 1967) Two provincial professional killers go to Paris to get contract by a big hodlum… After "Les tontons flingueurs", a bunch of movies on the same thema were made but none overtoped the original and certainly not this one. Despite the presence of Bernard Blier, Jean Lefebvre and Francis Blanche the comedy is barely funny. 5/10
“Crash Landing“ (Fred F. Sears, USA 1958) Airplane passengers prepare for a crash landing in the ocean. Adapted from true events and using the same sets as the Zero Hours, a honnest small B movie. 7/10
“Romarin“ (André Hugon, France 1937) Tonin is a notorious fisherman in a small village near Marseilles. He’s also a famous womanizer. When the yatch of a wealthy Russian countess comes in the small port our braggart soon fall for the stranger… Hugon unlike Pagnol made most his movies around Marseilles but his not has good. But the whole is still enjoyable if you’re in the mood… 6,5/10
“L’affaire du Grand Hôtel“ (André Hugon, France 1946) In Marseilles, Tonin, a local fisherman and womanizer spy some wreckrobbers around If’s castle recently arrived in town… At the same time a double murder is commited in the Grand Hotel on the vVieux-Port… are both affairs linked ?? Another provincial movie by Andre Hugon… For fans. 6,5/10
“Chayka“ (aka “The Seagull“) (Yuli Karasik, SSSR 1972) A group of friends and relations gather at a country estate to see the first performance of an experimental play written and staged by the young man of the house, Konstantin, an aspiring writer who dreams of bringing new forms to the theatre. A very nice and quite faithful adaptation of the famous Chekov’s Pplay ! Great and cruel. 8,5/10
“Trois hommes à abattre“ (Jacques Deray, France 1980) After he helped one night a man victim of a carcrash, a professional poker player is hunted by killers… Another movie made by Delon for Delon… not original at all but entertaining… 6,5/10
“Damage“ (Louis Malle, UK/France 1992) A member of Parliament (Irons) falls passionately in love with his son's fiancée. They pursue their affair with obsessive abandon despite the dangers of discovery and what it would do to his complacent life and his son. Completely obsessed, he wants to give up his current lifestyle to be with her. She has no intention of allowing him to do this, preferring to have her marriage to the son as a cover. They are eventually discovered, and must deal with the damage. Based on the novel by Josephine Hart. It’s certainly not Malle’s Best movie but ven a weak movie of this directo ris worth watching. 7/10
“Cet obscur objet du désir“ (Luis Buñuel, France/Spain 1977) Recounted in flashback are the romantic perils of Mathieu, a middle-aged French sophisticate as he falls for his nineteen year-old former chambermaid Conchita. The las Bunuel movie… still so good. 8,5/10
“Les misérables” (Jean-Paul Le Chanois, Germany / France / Italy 1958) Jean Valjean, convicted of a minor crime, spends the rest of his life being pursued by a cruel and unrelenting policeman, Javert. This colourful adaptation of the classic Hugo’s novel is one of the best. Big budget, great cast (Jean Gabin, Bourvil, Bernard Blier,…) 8/10
"Sin You Sinners (Anthony Farrar, Joseph W. Sarno, USA 1963) A stripper/fortune teller uses a magical Haitian amulet to keep young, and in so doing forces others to kill for her. Curious small nudie few few nudity indeed and a strange touch of fantasy and horror. A curiosity. For fans only. 7/10
"The Sons of Katie Elder" (Henry Hathaway, USA 1965) The Elder boys return to Clearwater, Texas for their Mother's funeral. John the eldest is a well known gunfighter and trouble follows him wherever he goes. The boys try to get back their ranch from the town's gunsmith who won it from their father in a card game at which he was shortly murdered after, but not before getting through the troubles that come with the Elders name. Classic western with tough guys with big hearts, the type of character made for John Wayne… 7,5/10
"Noches de Casablanca" (aka "Casablanca, Nest of Spies") (Henry Decoin, Spain/France/Italy, 1963) Casablanca 1942. While French Police Chief Maurice Desjardins is busy having careless fun with some loose girls, members of the French Resistance kill a man at the harbor and steal his briefcase full of important documents from the Third Reich. At an apartment building in the distance, Andre Kuhn watches the whole operation through his powerful binoculars. He is posing as a businessman but actually working as a spy for the Germans a fact totally ignored by his live-in girlfriend Teresa Villar, a beautiful Spanish singer who works at El Dorado Night Club. Andre telephones Max von Stauffen, the head of German Intelligence in Casablanca, to inform him of what he has just witnessed. Max tells him to stay put until he arrives in order to get the information personally but, by the time he reaches Andres apartment, he finds him dead with a gun shot on his temple. The Swan song for Henri Decoin, and certainly not his best movie at all. A small crime movie vehicle to the snging star Sara Montiel… 6/10
Then I went to the Hallucination Collectives festival in Lyon... the occsaion to watch some poorly known movies on the screen...
"Zirneklis" (aka" Spider") (Vasili Mass, Latvia/CCCP 1992) A very Freudian psycho-sexual drama following a young beauty Vita, modeling for a painting of Virgin Mary. At her first visit to the studio of the shady artist Albert, Vita is caught in the net of his sinister universe. In a visually stunning sequence personages of Albert's paintings come to life and attack Vita. The girl breaks away only to realize she's now in the toils of some dark forces. Albert senses the awakening of Vita's libido, and by night occurs in the form of a giant spider and sexually possesses her. The film builds up to the final battle between good and evil, played out against Vita's sexual self-exploration. The first Movie released in independent Latvia… A true curiosity… 6,5/10
"Liquid Sky" (Slava Tsukerman, USA 1982) Invisible aliens in a tiny flying saucer come to Earth looking for heroin. They land on top of a New York apartment inhabited by a drug dealer and her female, androgynous, bisexual nymphomaniac lover, a fashion model. The aliens soon find the human pheromones created in the brain during orgasm preferable to heroin, and the model's casual sex partners begin to disappear. Incredible plot for an incredible movie… All the post punk culture here, very fashioned movie stylish but completely psychotronic… a true curiosity… 7/10
"Hungry Wives" (George A. Romero, USA 1972) A bored, unhappy suburban housewife gets mixed up in witchcraft and murder. A strange Romero’s movie. Not his best at all but it has some good momets… 6,5/10
"Symptoms" (José Ramón Larraz, UK 1974) Rewatched this one on the silver screen… Great Angela Pleasance is terrifying… 8,5/10
"Nana" (Christian-Jaque, France 1955) Nana is a stage actress of questionable talent. Nevertheless, she is a huge hit and the men of Paris adore her. She is clearly a prostitute becoming the mistress of the rich and powerful. The Count Muffat a champion of traditional values and family, under the influence of Nana, he's a hypocrite and libertine. And, during the course of his fling with Nana, you see that every man who comes under her spell is somehow ruined. This adaptation of famous Zola”s novel lacks the strong politic criticism of Napoleon III regime and insist more on the moral and material ruin of Nana’s lovers but Martine Carol is a wonderful Nana… 7,5/10
"Sortilège" (Christian-Jaque, France 1945) The story begins with the murder of a horse trader, which sets free a black stallion that roams through the snow and the village terrifying the people as it gallops. A magnifiscent movie perfectly filmed with some haunting moent. A very modern acting for Lucien Coëdel as the Mad Campanier, the murderer… If you liked the assassination of Santa Claus by Christian-Jaque you’ll prefer this one… A true discovery… 9/10
"La mariée était en noir" (aka "The Bride Wore Black") (François Truffaut, France 1968) Julie Kohler is prevented from suicide by her mother. She leaves the town. She will track down, charm and kill five men who do not know her. What is her goal? What is her purpose? We proposed this movie at our Cineclub… Truffaut’s homage to Hitchcock; Great. 8/10
"Baie des anges" (Aka "Bay of Angels") (Jacques Demy, France 1963) Jean is a clerk in a bank. His colleague Caron is a gambler and gives him the virus. In the casinos, Jean meets Jackie. Their love affair will follow their luck at the roulette. Nice movie aout gambling and playing… Visualy very interrestng a nice movie that we proposed at our cine-club… 8/10
"Le journal d‘une femme de chambre" (aka"Diary of a Chambermaid") (Luis Buñuel, France 1964) Celestine, the chambermaid, has new job on the country. The Monteils, who she works for are a group of strange people. The wife is frigid, her husband is always hunting (both animals and women) and her father is a shoe-fetishist. Joseph, the farm-labourer is a fascist and sexually attracted to Celestine. Celestine settles herself and talks to the neighbour, an ex-officer, who likes damaging his neighbour's things. After the death of the old man, she quits her job, but because of the rape and murder of a child 'Little Claire' she decides to stay, believing that Joseph is the murderer. To get his confession she sleeps with him and promises to marry him. In spite of her engagement she fakes evidence to implicate him in the murder. He is arrested, but is released because the evidence is inconclusive. She marries the ex-officer and takes on a housewife role similar to that of Madame Monteil. A very effective and ferocious adaptation of Mirbeau’s novel. Certainly the best. Jeanne Moreau is very good. 8,5/10
"Frisco Waterfront" (Arthur Lubin, Joseph Santley, USA 1935) As California gubernatorial candidate Burton is about to cast his vote a truck crashes into the polling booth, critically injuring him and his opponent. A flashback traces his career from unemployed veteran to dockworker to lawyer. A side thread traces his tortured relationship with his wife. Nice small B movie for fans… 6/10
"Les diaboliques" (Henri-Georges Clouzot, France 1955° Rewatched once more this one with great pleasure. 10/10
"Kiliç Aslan" (aka "The Sword and the Claw") (Natuk Baytan, Turkey / United Kingdom, 1979) When the king is murdered, his baby son and heir is hidden in the forest where he is abducted and raised by a pride of lions. As an adult he uses his beastly strength and claw-like hands to take revenge against the new king and his armies. An excellet so bad that’s it”s good like only Turkey can give us… For fans. 2/10 or 10/10…
"Psychos in Love" (Gorman Bechard, USA 1987) A strip-joint owner and a manicurist find that they have many things in common, the foremost being that they are psychotic serial killers. They fall in love and are happy being the family .. A small gory movie foe fas… 6/10
"Evil Toons" (Fred Olen Ray, USA 1992) Burt has a cleaning company and hires four women to clean an isolated house. They find an old book, a dagger and a soul shred and when one of them, Megan, reads an incantation, she unleashes an evil beast in our world. Nice little horror movie with David Carradine… 6,5/10
"Les fruits de la passion" (Shûji Terayama France | Japan) A girl loves a rich and much older man (played by Kinski). She is willing to do everything he wants to show her love, but he is playing a sick game with her. As part of this game he sends her to a Chinese brothel. A poor young boy sees her and falls in love with her. To get the money needed to sleep with her, he joins "the revolution". Additionally the movie shows the fate of some of the other prostitutes. Strongly erotic movie with Klaus Kinski hard fucking Arielle Dombasle… for fan of perversion;.. 6,5/10
"Prestuplenie i nakazanie" (aka "Crime and Punishment") (Lev Kulidzhanov, CCCP 1970) Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-law student, kills an old pawnbroker and her sister, perhaps for money, perhaps to prove a theory about being above the law. He comes to police attention through normal procedures (he was the victim's client), but his outbursts make him the prime suspect of the clever Porfiry. Meanwhile, life swirls around Raskolnikov: his mother and sister come to the city followed by two older men seeking his sister's hand; he meets a drunken clerk who is then killed in a traffic accident, and he falls in love with the man's daughter, Sonia, a young prostitute. She urges him to confess, promising to follow him to Siberia. Certainly the best adaptation of the famous novel of Fyodor Dostoevsky. 9/10
"The Phantom Planet" (William Marshall, USA 1961) After an invisible asteroid draws an astronaut and his ship to its surface, he is miniaturized by the phantom planet's exotic atmosphere. Nice little Sci Fi movie of the golden age of the genre… 6,5/10
"ο μικρός δραπέτης" (aka "The Young Runaway") (Stavros Tsiolis, Greece 1969) A boy escapes from the reformatory and hides in a young girl's house. Wonderful little movie about childhood, love… 9/10
"The Wonderful Country" (Robert Parrish, USA 1959) I rewatched this one with much pleasure… an unusual western indeed and a great Robert Mtchum. 8/10
"Osenniye kolokola" (aka. "Bells of Autumn") (Vladimir Gorikker, CCCP 1979) A prince look after his princess and faces many adventures… A fairy tales mixing many classic fairy tales… Nice. 7/10
"Blood Mania" 'Robert Vincent O'Neill, USA 1970) A sex-crazed nympho helps speed along her father's death so she can use the inheritance to help out her depraved boyfriend. A small B horror movie… for fans. 6/10
"Suspiria" (Dario Argento, Italy 1977) An American newcomer to a prestigious German ballet academy comes to realize that the school is a front for something sinister amid a series of grisly murders. Rewatched this true classic with pleasure… 8/10
"Le mani sulla città" (aka "Hands Over the City") (Francesco Rosi, Italy 1963) Prior to a city council election, the collapse of a building leaves a land developer and his political backers defending themselves against a scandal. We proposed this classic to our Cineclub… the discussion was very terresting. 8,5/10
"Notre Dame de Paris" (Jean Delannoy, France | Italy 1956) Paris, 1482. Today is the festival of the fools, taking place like each year in the square outside Cathedral Notre Dame. Among jugglers and other entertainers, Esmeralda, a sensuous gypsy, performs a bewitching dance in front of delighted spectators. From up in a tower of the cathedral, Frollo, an alchemist, gazes at her lustfully. Later in the night, Frollo orders Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer and his faithful servant, to kidnap Esmeralda. But when the ugly freak comes close to her is touched by the young woman's beauty... Colorful adaptation of the Hugo’s novel… Not bad 7,5/10
"Inside Llewyn Davis" (Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, USA 2013) A week in the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961. Not Cohen’s best but still good… 7,5/10
"La Corruzione" (Mauro Bolognini, France/Italy, 1963) The young son of a wealthy industrialist eschews the material pleasures of life and decides to enter the priesthood. His father wishes his son to follow in his footsteps and recruits his young girlfriend to help change his mind. The girl seduces the inexperienced lad, and he quickly falls prey to the material and sexual pleasures of the flesh. We proposed this one to our coneclub… A desperate movie about the arising of a new society… 8/10
"The Sea Bat" (Lionel Barrymore, Wesley Ruggles USA 1930) The West Indies island of Portuga exists mainly for sponge diving. But the best area of collection is frequented by a very large manta ray. Nina loses her brother to the creature and is comforted by a newly arrived minister, who seems very interested in an old poster offering a reward for a convict recently escaped from nearby Devil's Island. More deaths attributed to the sea bat follow before Nina resolves her feelings for her comforter. Nice little adventure movie… 6,5/10
"Si le vent te fait peur" ("if the Wind Frighten You") (Emile Degelin, Belgium 196) A brother and sister spend some hollydays in a tent on the dunes near the sea… Thier relation is clearly oncestuous… A curious movie ahead from it’s time dealing with strong taboo… 7/10
"Neobychainye priklyucheniya mistera Vesta v strane bolshevikov" (aka "The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks") (Lev Kuleshov, CCCP 1924) The film chronicles the adventures of an American, "Mr. West," and his faithful bodyguard and servant Jeddie, as they visit the land of the horrible, evil Bolsheviks. Through various mishaps, Mr. West discovers that the Soviets are actually quite remarkable people, and, by the end of the film, his opinion of them has changed to one of glowing admiration! Funny lttle comedy by famous director Lev Kuleshov and numerous further great directors as Vsevolod Pudovkin or Boris Barnet. 7,5/10
"Vassa" (Gleb Panfilov, CCCP 1983) Ruthless millionaire Vassa Zheleznova is the head of a wealthy entrepreneurial family. She can do anything to protect its reputation, even push her husband to suicide.Nice adaption of Gorky’s play… A difficult movie. 7,5/10
"Sluzhili dva tovarishcha" (aka "Two Camrads Were Serving") (Yevgeni Karelov, CCCP 1968) Set during the last days of the civil war that followed the Russian Revolution. The Crimea Peninsula is the last stronghold of the White Guard, and the Red Army is planning the final assault. The first story line of the movie follows two Red Army soldiers: unlikely friends Nekrasov and Karyakin. The second story line is about a White Guard officer Brusentsov who is devoted to Russia and his cause but sees it being destroyed day by day. Very nice war movie some times touching, sometimes funny, sometimes spectacular… 8,5/10
"The Man Who Died Twice" (Joseph Kane, USA 1958) A nightclub singer loses her husband in an automobile accident, and soon afterward witnesses the murders of two narcotics agents, and suffers a nervous breakdown. The police come to believe that all three murders are related, as they had suspected her husband was involved in a heroin smuggling ring, and now they think she may have been involved in it - especially after they find a large stash of heroin hidden in her apartment. Unusual movie for Joe Kane, the famous western director. Nice little movie… 6,5/10
"The Psychopath" (Freddie Francis, UK 1966) Four men who were involved in the investigation of a German millionaire at the end of the Second World War are found murdered with tiny dolls left next to their corpses. Nice little horror movie from Amicus with nice setings and filming by Freddie Francis, the famous operator… 7/10
"Marseille" (Angela Schanelec, Germany 2004) Marseille describes an interlude in the life of young Berlin photographer Sophie. Wanting a change, Sophie does an apartment swap, so she can go photograph the city of Marseille, and most of all get away from Berlin. Simple movie and some nice views of Marseille… 7/10
"The Captive City" (Robert Wise, USA 1952) A small town newspaperman's investigation into a local bookie operation turns up a web of organized crime. A classic tale of a courageous newspaperman fighting the corruted society and the crime… Not Bad. 7/10
"Johnny Guitar" (Nicholas Ray, USA 1954) After helping a wounded gang member, a strong-willed female saloon owner is wrongly suspected of murder and bank robbery by a lynch mob. Rewatched once more ths true classic. 10/10
"Sleuth" (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, UK/USA 1972) A man who loves games and theater invites his wife's lover to meet him, setting up a battle of wits with potentially deadly results. Rewatched this one with much pleasure even if with less surprise…. ;) 10/10
"The Angry Red Planet" (Ibn Melchior, USA 1959) The first spaceship to Mars, presumed lost, is found in space and brought back to Earth by remote control. Only two from an initial crew of four are still alive, but one is unconscious due to an attached alien growth, while the other is traumatized, blocking out all memory of what happened. In hopes to save the unconscious crewman, the amnesiac is interrogated back into remembering. Those in charge thereby learn of the terrible dangers awaiting anyone venturing into the spooky, ruddy stillness of the very alien Martian ecosystem. A true classic of the Sci Fi of the 50’s. I rewatched this one in abrand new widescreen copy… great. 7/10
"La Bonzesse" (François Jouffa, France 1974) Beatrice is a bored philosophy student who decides, by game and for economic necessity, to become a prostitute… She then meet a man and have a romace but soon her she also finds her new life boring… A small erotic movie like many were made at that ime. Great dialogs like « This client just comes to lick cum on a cunt… » For fans of a lost cinema. 6/10
"Rue des Cascades" (Maurice Delbez, France 1964) A young brat lives in a popular part of Paris with his mother whose companion is a kind athletic black man. A true popular movie witch deals cleverly with racism, interatial love and lfe in popular areas of Paris… a lost world is moving in front of us very finely filmed a bit like Robert Doisneau’s phtographies… 8,5/10
"La proprietà non è più un furto" (aka "Property Is No Longer a Theft") (Elio Petri, France Italy 1973) A bank cashier, who's allergic to banknotes, quits his job after an armed robbery. He decides to start a new life, as a thief. He starts by targeting a popular former client, a butcher. But being a neurotic Marxist has its drawbacks. A very cruel fable about money… After Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto (aout politic) and La classe operaia va in paradiso (about work) Pietri finishes his terrifying trilogy about society… A great one. 8/10
"Les têtes brûlées" (aka "The Hotheads") (Willy Rozier, France 1967) During French Algery war a group of truck drivers are manipulated by secret services to bring trucks and explosives in an oasis… A quite good adventure movie with unexpected end and quite good cast. Without pretention but entertaining despite few means. 7/10
"A mezzanotte va la ronda del piacere" (aka. "The Immortal Bachelor") (Marcello Fondato, Italy 1975) Tina is on trial for the murder of her lover, Gino. The violent nature of their relationship, revealed in the trial, seems to make obvious that she accidentally killed him during a fight. The lone female jury member compares her life to Tina's and, believing her to be innocent, sets out on her own to find a missing witness that can prove Tina's innocence. A ferocious dark comedy about love relation and a critic f the bourgeoisy… Claudia Cardinale and mainly Monica Viti are great… 7/10
"Kramer vs. Kramer" (Robert Benton, USA 1979) Ted Kramer's wife leaves her husband, allowing for a lost bond to be rediscovered between Ted and his son, Billy. But a heated custody battle ensues over the divorced couple's son, deepening the wounds left by the separation.rewatched this 5 oscars one with much pleasure... 8,5/10
"The Count of Monte Cristo" (Rowland. V. Lee, USA 1934) Edmond Dantes is imprisoned in the Chateau d'If without trial, for carrying a message from Napoleon in exile on Elba. After being told that he died in prison, his fiancé Mercedes is forced to marry his rival Count Mondego. Twenty years later, Dantes escapes with the help of the Abbe Faria, who leaves him the treasure of Monte Cristo. Dantes, now called the Count of Monte Cristo, plans his revenge on the three who framed him. A nce little adaptation even if not fully faithfull to the novel. Great acing of Robert Donat at his best… 8/10
"Sharky's Machine" (Burt Reynolds, USA 1981) Tom Sharky is a narcotics cop in Atlanta who's demoted to vice after a botched bust. In the depths of this lowly division, while investigating a high-dollar prostitution ring, Sharky stumbles across a mob murder with government ties, and responds by assembling his downtrodden fellow investigators (Sharky's "machine") to find the leaders and bring them to justice before they kill off all his partners and witnesses, including Sharky himself. Despite some part uninteresting and some plot hole the movie is made by and for Burt Reynolds… Nice photography and some god violent sequences. 7,5/10
"Ying zi shen bian" (aka "Shadow of Whip") (Wei Lo, Hong Kong 1971) Whether single-handedly fighting sixteen bandits, avenging her father's death, or solving multiple murders, our heroine shows why she's Hong Kong's number one sword - and whip - woman! A very entertinng Shaw Brothers movie with al the ingredients of the genre… 7,5/10
"Erendira" (Ruy Guerra, Mexico / West Germany, 1983) While Erendira, a beautiful teenage girl, has a surreal mystical vision, her grandmother's house catches on fire and burns to the ground. Her grandmother holds Erendira responsible and, in order to extract restitution from the girl, forces her into prostitution. Erendira's surreal mystical experiences continue while her grandmother grows rich from exploiting her. A curious movie selected for Cannes( fertival in 1983 but which won nothing… A curiosity. 7/10
"The Durango Kid" (Lambert Hyllier, USA 1940) Bill Lowry returns just as his father is killed. He suspects Ballard and in the guise of the Durango Kid, starts robbing him. He gives the money to the burned out homesteaders but Ballard catches Nancy with the money. Ballard suspects Lowry is the Kid and tells him he has retrieved the money. Thinking the Kid will try to get the money back, he sets a trap for him. First entry for Charles Starrett as te Durango Kid… Columbia will revive the characters few years after to replace an Old Tim McCoy as cowboy star of the company. Starrett will make more than 50 movies as the Durango Kid and becom a Matenee star… THIs entry is more serous than the folowng ones and is a good small B and singing western ! A good one 7,5/10
That was a long time... some movie from the vault...
"Adieu poulet" (aka "The French Detective") (Pierre Granier-Deferre, France 1975) When political thugs murder an opponent's volunteer and also kill a cop, chief inspector Verjeat believes the politician who hired them is as guilty as the murderous goon. Verjeat's pursuit of the councilman, Lardatte, gets him a warning from his superiors. When he embarrasses Lardatte while disarming a hostage (the dead volunteer's father), Verjeat is told he's being transferred within a week. He speeds up his hunt for the goon and, with Lefévre, one of his young detectives, he engineers a complicated scheme to buy more time before the transfer. How should Verjeat play out his values of honor and duty? A classic and solid crime movie with typical backgrounfd of the era, political corruption an riht cops with their own rules… Dewaere ad Ventura are good. 8/10
"Dawn on the Great Divide" (Howard Bretherton, USA 1942) Buck Roberts is leading a wagon train of railroad supplies and Jim Corkle and his henchman Loder are out to stop them by using white men dressed as Indians for the attacks. A routine sall western for Buck Jones Quite entertaining. 6/10
"Silver Spurs" (Joseph Kane, USA 1943) Roy's boss has inherited a very large ranch but the will keeps him from selling it although his widow could. Lucky Miller is out to get control of the ranch so he has a girl come west to marry him. Then after the wedding he has his henchman kill the owner. Roy is nearby and when the murder gun is switched with his, Roy finds himself in jail. A small B western with Roy Rogers set in the present and directed by a master of the genre. Funny. 6/10
"Homesteaders of Paradise Valley" (R.G. Springsteen, USA 1947) Red Ryder convinces homesteaders to settle in Paradise Valley. Business men in nearby Central City want control of the valley and water supply and propose to build a dam for half interest in the land. They use Red to generate interest in the dam but when the dam is completed, they rig the stockholder's meeting so Central City will get the water. The homesteaders then go after Red whom they think is responsilble. Another aventure pf Red Ryder and Little Beaver. Ala Lane is as monolithic as usual but the whole is fun as often in the serie. 6/10
"Birthright" (Bill Clifford, USA 1951) Chicken farmer John Lloyd learns the importance of blood tests when he gives his pregnant wife a dose of the clap after a one-night fling with a lonely waitress. Shot in Harmony, Georgia, with a cast of non-professionals and produced in association with the Georgia Department of Health, Birthright originally began as a serious educational film but took a detour into degradation. This movie was first produced by many very serious staff like the Columbia University, the Georgia Department of Public Health, the Hall County Health Department and the Southern Educational Film Production Service Inc. It entended to be an educational movie bout the danger of VD but becomes soon a ^pure small exploitation movie. Fun.. 6,5/10
"King Dinosaur" (Bert I. Gordon, USA 1955) A new planet moves into our solar system and four scientists (two couples) are sent to explore Planet Nova. In between romantic interludes, the cast faces an iguana masquerading as a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Mr. Bik aka Bert I Gordon makes her certainly his cheapest movie. A pure Z grade movie no TRex but a blue screen and an iguana, no dinosaur at all indeed a planet which look strangly to a Californian cuntryside… Lurid dialogs and son on… 2/10 or for Z Grade Fans 10/10
"Six She’s and a He" (Richard S. Flink, USA 1963) A soldier stranded on a desert island is captured by a tribe of sadistic women who torture and mutilate the men who oppose them. Released just after Lewis’ Bloodfeast, the early gore movie is quite effective in it’s genre;.. the girls are as cruel as pretty… A curiosity. The only copy is far from complete but it’snot too disturbing. 7/10
"The Zodiac Killer" (Tom Hanson, USA 1971) The San Francisco area is beset by a series of seemingly random murders without motive or pattern. The police are taunted by phone calls and letters. Could the maniac be the violent, truck driver, or the seemingly mild-mannered mailman, or even a cop? The Zodiac Killer was a serial killer who operated in northern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The killer's identity remains unknown. The Zodiac murdered four men and three women victims between December 1968 and October 1969. The killer originated the name "Zodiac" in a series of taunting letters sent to the local Bay Area press. These letters included four cryptograms (or ciphers). Of the four cryptograms sent, only one has been definitively solved. Suspects have been named by law enforcement and amateur investigators, but no conclusive evidence has surfaced. The case was closed but In 2007 the case was reopened for the investigation. First adaptation of those true events this one is very close frome the end of the true murders and despite the very cheap direction is quite interesting in it’s depiction o a sick mmind. 7/10
"The Sex Killer" (Barry Mahon, USA 1967) A loner who works in a mannequin factory stalks and strangles women in Times Square. A very cheap nudie but girls are pretty. Bary Mahon was a specialist of rough nudies butwas more inspired in movies such as "The Beast That Killed Women" or "Prostitutes Protective Society" for examples… 6/10
"Zero in and Scream" (Lee Frost, USA 1971) A lonely man, tired of being rejected by women, gets ahold of a rifle and prowls the Hollywood hills, picking off rich couples. A curious slasher movie with great character of gun maniac . Lee Frost is one of the king of the B’s that gave us asterpieces like Chain Gang Women, The Black Gestapo, The Thing with Two Heads and so on… Nice little movie with lot of underwater sex for fans. 7/10
"Setenta veces siete" (aka "The Female") (Leopoldo Torre Nilsson, Argentina 1962) Melodrama about a prostitute who remembers her ill-fated romances. Surprisigly very good movie well acted and filmed. The very slow pace, the editing with the numerous flashbacks is very clever. A true curiosity 8/10.
"Fuego" (Armando Bo, Argentina 1969) A nymphomaniac can't get satisfaction from any single man or woman. A weird story of nymphomaniac girl who can’t have normal life despite all her efforts… Quite cheap movie but Isabel Sarli is gorgeous. 5,5/10
"John Wick" (Chad Stahelski, David Leitch, USA 2014) An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that killed his dog and took everything from him. Hi, Hi, Hi… just ridiculous. Seriously, how can they get money and two directors to make such crap (and two sequels!!!)… pure pity. 0,5/10
"The Miracle Worker" (Arthur Penn, USA 1962) Rewatched this one with muche pleasure… still excellent10/10
"The Swimmer (Frank Perry, Sydney Pollack, 1968) Another great movie I watched for the fifth or sixth time… still the most amazing vison of hell ever filmed… 10/10
"The Animal" (Lee Frost, USA 1968) This story is based on facts taken from authenticated newspaper files. What truly motivated Ted Andrews is not clearly known although a childhood filled with depression, hate for his mother, and a lonely adult life seeded with migraine headaches was a possible start. Through the use of his telephone and a high powered telescope he terrorized his neighborhood. He peered into the private lives of people who never dreamed he was watching and what he saw only heightened his desire for perversion. Finally he became obsessed with one woman, a woman of dignity and station, of wealth and security. His plan - step by step was to degrade her, to bring her down to his level of existence, and to make her an animal. He convinces her that he will kill her ten year old son if she doesn't cooperate with him. As a result she agrees to perform for him before his telescope. He later forces her to meet him at a motel where he completes his act of degradation. The ending is as shocking as the opening. Surpisingly good thrash nudie from a director who’ll become a king of bizzare and underground cinema with movies such as Hot Spur, The Pick-Up, Zeron In And Scream, The Thing with Two Heads or the Black Gestapo… A true curiosity 7/10
"Invasion" (Alan Bridges, UK 1965) An alien spaceship crashes near a rural hospital. When the alien is taken to the hospital, a mysterious force field suddenly appears around it. A curious small sci-fi movie from the vault quite interesting and not badly filming. 6,5/10
"The Man in the Iron Mask" (James Whale, USA 1939) Despotic King Louis XIV discovers he has a twin brother who has grown up under the tutelage of his foster father, the patriotic musketeer D'Artagnan. Very nice adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’s novel. The gothic style of Whale is perfect with this movie. 8/10
"Daimajin" (Kimiyoshi Yasuda, Japan 1966) A samurai lord of a once peaceful village was murdered by one of his own men. The traitor then claims the throne, forcing the lord's two small children to flee into the woods, where they conceal themselves near the huge stone statue of Daimajin, the god of their village. After 10 years, the new samurai lord was proven to be very brutal and merciless towards the villagers, showing off his authority to no limits. Great first episode for the serie. 7/10
"La casa sperduta nel parco" (aka ‘House on the Edge of th Park’) (Ruggero Deodato, Italy 1980) Two low-life punks invite themselves to a party at a posh villa and after being taunted by their snobbish hosts, hold everyone hostage and subject them to various forms of torture and mayhem. It begins with a good idea but the narration is dull and boring… 5/10
"The Guyver" (Screaming Mad George, Steve Wang, Japan/USA 1991) A young man discovers a mechanical device that merges with his own body, turning him into a cyborg superhero. When strange creatures start appearing, trying to take the device back, he begins to uncover a secret plot to genetically engineer terrifying monsters. This US attempt to make a jamanese movie is quite a pure mess. 4,5/10
"C’mon Baby Light My Fire" (Lou Campa, USA 1969) A pretty young anti-marijuana activist is kidnapped by a drug ring, which is determined to teach her a lesson by degrading and violating her in every way possible. A quite rough nudie from the vault… not bad even if sometimes ridiculous. 6,5/10
"Sins of Rachel" (Dick Fontaine, USA 1972) A woman is found murdered. The prime suspect is her timid son. She had an unhealthy fixation with him and he snapped when it became too unbearable. However, he swears he didn't do it. A police inspector must piece the clues together. A curious peace of thrash ciména… 6/10
"Pamela, Pamela, You are…" (William Rose, USA 1968) A lonely housewife becomes a prostitute…. But thing will go wrong. Another quite good nudie from the vault. Elaine Edwards as Pamela the lonely wife is quite good with nice boobs. 6,5/10
"Maldonne" (Didier Fayolle, France 2018) (short) A girl is murdered in her appartment. The murderer was obviously lookin for something he didn’t find… did he even kill the right person ? I saw the première of the litle short crime movie at our university. Was reat fun to meet all the staff… 7/10
"Surf Nazis Must Die" (Peter George, USA 1987) When the son of a gun-wielding woman is murdered by neo-Nazi surf punks in the post-apocalyptic future, his Mama hunts them down for some bloodthirsty revenge. Yea…it’s bad. But Guilty fun too… 3/10 for fans of Z grade muche more… Well, it’ as bad as I remembered… 4/10
"Appointment with Death" (Michael Winner, USA 1988) When a former prison wardress who dominates the lives of her three adult stepchildren and her daughter is found dead at an archaeological dig near the Dead Sea, there are a great many suspects. Certainly not the best adaptation of an Agatha Christie’s novel but worth watching mostly for the cast… 6,5/10
"Alexis Zorbas" (Michael Cacoyannis, Geece/USA 1964) An uptight English writer travelling to Crete, on a matter of business, finds his life changed forever when he meets the gregarious Alexis Zorba. It was so long time ago I didn’t wathed this movie. Su funny and so cruel also. A great and unforgettable performance of Anthony Quinn… Just great 8,5/10
"Unbreackable" (M. Night Shyamalan, USA 2000) A man learns something extraordinary about himself after a devastating accident. This movie is surfing on the success of M. Shyamalan previous (and sole) success The Sixth Sense so he uses some kind of the same recepe here but of course with less success this time. But if you consider what he did later in his carreer at least it’s still watchable. 6/10
"The Little Fugitive" (Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, Ruth Orkin, USA 1953) Young boy fears he shot his older brother who is only faking. Young boy runs away to Coney Island, a crowded beach resort, gets money by returning soda pop bottles for their deposits. I watched once more this little jewel of avant-garde cnéma… Just Great 9/10
"The Town That Dreaded Sundown" (Charles B. Pierce, USA 1976) Set in the late 40's the residents of Texarkana, Texas are left terrorized by a mysterious hooded killer who is stalking victims during the evening and leaving the local police at a loss. This poorly known movie I a reat mix of slasher and classic crime movie. Adapted from true events a frightening story well filmed and narrated. The note on Imdb is quite low...maybe because it's a too realistic slasher/serial killer movie 8,5/10
"Le Train" (Pierre Granier-Deferre, France/Italy 1973) Two people, a Frenchman Julien Maroyeur (Jean-Louis Trintignant) and a Jewish German woman Anna Kupfer (Romy Schneider) met on a train while escaping the German army entering France. Excellent drama, the last ten minutes are just awesome and the ending devastating. Great. 8,5/10
"Im Schloß der blutigen Begierde" (Adrian Hoven, West Germany 1968) In an ancient castle, a mad scientist is trying to revive his dead daughter by an operation, but there are certain body parts he needs that he can't get. His problem is solved when a group of drunken party-goers stumble into his castle. This little horror flick is not very frightening and a bit too talky. Otherwise, girls are pretty. Michel Lemoine as the Baron Brack he is spaced-out as usual… 5/10
"Tirez sur le pianiste" (aka "shoot the piano player") (François Truffaut, France 1960) Charlie Kohler is a piano player in a bar. The waitress Lena is in love with him. One of Charlie's brother, Chico, a crook, takes refuge in the bar because he is chased by two gangsters, Momo and Ernest. We will discover that Charlie's real name is Edouard Saroyan, once a virtuose who gives up after his wife's suicide. Charlie now has to deal wih Chico, Ernest, Momo, Fido (his youngest brother who lives with him), and Lena... I watched once more this classic homage to film-noir by Truffaut after the sad death of Charles Aznavour… Great 8,5/10
"Un taxi pour Tobrouk" (aka "Taxi for Tobruk") (Denys de La Patellière France | Spain | West Germany, 1961) During World War II, French Commandos join forces with a German officer in order to survive the African desert. Great war movie with huge cast and another homage to Charles Aznavour. I hadn’t wathed this one for a long time and it was great. 8/10
"La nouvelle vie de Paul Sneijder" (Thomas Vincent,2016) Following a rare accident, Paul Sneijder opened his eyes to the reality of his life as a "senior manager" in Montreal: his work no longer interested him, his wife annoyed him and deceived him, his two sons despised him ... How can we continue to live under these conditions? Starting with a change of profession: dog walker for example! Will his relatives accept this change that will turn him into a free man? The movie is sometimes interesting but the whole is quite slow… 6,5/10
I was in Lyon's festval last october and watched some interesting movies...
"Moskva slezam ne verit" (aka "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears") (Vladimir Menshov, SSSR 1980) This is a life story of three girlfriends from youth to autumn ages. Their dreams and wishes, love, disillusions. Different careers. And big late love. Very interesting movie which was a blockbuster in SSSR at it’s release. A very nice women’s movie running for almost an half of century. 8,5/10
"Rattle of a Simple Man" (Muriel Box, UK 1964) When a group of northern soccer fans are down in London for the Cup Final one of their number winds up with a lady of the night. As they talk, the unsophisticated and naive lad starts to believe he has found true love. A quite good idea and a clever movie at some points but Harry H. Corbett overact soooo much that it almost ruins the movie. 6/10
"Saint Jack" (Peter Bogdanovich, USA 1979) Jack Flowers, an American hustler in early 1970s Singapore, dreams of building a fortune by running a brothel and returning to the States to lead a life of luxury. Great movie about a character and one of the best performances of Ben Gazzara. 8/10
"Long men kezhan" (aka “Dragon Inn”) (King Hu, Taiwan, Hong-Kong, 1967) When the children of an executed General are pursued in 1457 China, some heroic martial arts swordsmen intervene. Excellent sword movie, certainly a source of inspitation for Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight… 8,5/10
"Black Hand" (Richard Thorpe, USA 1950) Now grown-up, Johnny Columbo returns to New York from Italy having sworn a vendetta against the Black Hand who killed his father years earlier. Becoming romantically involved with a girl from school and meeting up with an honest cop also fighting the gangs, Columbo starts to wonder if there may be legal ways to defeat them. I re-watched this small movie on the siver screen with much pleasure… Xith Gene Kellyin an unusual role. 7,5/10
"Hannibál tanár úr" (aka "Professor Hannibal") (Zoltán Fábri, Hungary 1956) When a Latin teacher publishes an essay on the Carthaginian General Hannibal, he is quickly hailed as a celebrity genius, but in reality has become an unwitting pawn of far-right politicians. As every Frabri’s movie it’s just excellent a ferocious criticism of communism and all totalitarism. 10/10
"Kvarteret Korpen" (aka "Raven's End") (Bo Widerberg, Sweden 1963) An aspiring young writer lives in a bleak working class block in the late 1930s. This early Widerberg’s movie is a splendid exploration of life's essence, beyond illusions, images or hope. Definition of errors and lost of dreams. Definition of angry days in a empty existence. Very profound and bitter, mixture of dust and ashes, anatomy of a little world for who the future is only a myth. 9/10
"Remparts d’argile" (aka "Walls of Clay") (Jean-Louis Bertuccelli, France/Algeria, 1970) In an Algerian village, the workers of a salt mine go on strike because of low wages. The owner calls the army to control the men, but a young woman cuts off the water to force the troops to retreat. This movie is adapted from true events that occurred in Tunisia some years earlier. Much better than the IMDb note suggests it. 8,5/10
"Three Little Words" (Richard Thorpe, USA 1950) The story of the successful Tin Pan Alley songwriting team of Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby is told loosely and lightheartedly. A classic little musical/biopic with great performance of Fred Astaire as usual. 6,5/10
"Prípad Barnabás Kos" (Peter Solan, Czechoslovakia 1965) Barnabás Kos is a poor and bad triange player but who is completelyinfluatated by his art and think triangle is a very important instrument. The othorities decides to mae him the director of the national orchestra hopping being quiet thant to his stupidity… he soon becomes a terrible dictator. Absolutly amazing movie about absurdity of totalitarism. Simply excellent. 10/10
"On an Island with You" (Richard Thorpe, USA 1948) While shooting on location in the South Pacific, a movie star is pursued by a handsome Naval officer who is convinced she is the girl for him. A classic small musical ith some aquatic dances… Esther Williams is cute. 6,5/10
"The Prisoner of Zenda" (Richard Thorpe, USA 1952) An Englishman vacationing in a Ruritarian kingdom is recruited to impersonate his cousin, the soon-to-be-crowned king when the monarch is drugged and kidnapped. A colorful and suspenseful adenure movie full of action ! 7,5/10
"Kong shan ling yu" (aka "Raining in the mountain") (King Hu, Taiwan | Hong Kong, 1979) An esquire and a General eyes a priceless handwritten scroll by Tripitaka, held in a Temple library. The Abbot of the Temple selects his successor. Rewatched this one on the silverscreen. Great 8/10
"Simon et Laura" (Muriel Box, UK 1955) In the 1950's days of only BBC television, a wet-behind-the-ears producer has the idea of basing a family drama series on a real-life happily married actor couple. Unfortunately he chooses the Fosters, who need the money and so do the show. Actors they may be, but happily married they most surely are not. Very funny little comedy and a good look at the sall world of reality TV ! Certainly Box’s best effort. 8/10
"This other Eden" (Muriel Box, Ireland 1959) A small town plans to erect a monument in memory of a IRA rebel during the 1920's. The son of the English Colonel who killed the rebel objects. A quite interesting look at the irish problem. A pleasant comedy… but is it really a comedy ? 7/10
"The General" (Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton, USA 1926) When Union spies steal an engineer's beloved locomotive, he pursues it single-handedly and straight through enemy lines. It was great pleasure to watche this movie in a brand new restored version. Great ! 9/10
"Walkower" (Jerzy Skolimowski, Poland 1965) A young boxer Andrzej Leszczyc not only has to face a tough boxing opponent but needs to make some serious personal and professional choices. This was the première of the brand new restored version of this movie with the presence of the director imself. A strange and artistically interesting mix of sport (Skolimowski was himself a boxer) and social drama. 8/10
"Les intrigantes" (Henri Decoin, France 1954) Paul Rémi, the well-known theater director, was accused by his secretary, Andrieux, of having pushed his associate Bazine from a footbridge situated twelve meters above the stage. Advised by his wife Mona, he hides in a psychiatric hospital. A classic crimemovie with some good twists. The action takes place in a theater and it give a good mood to the movie. 7,5/10
"Heidi" (Alain Gsponer, Germany/Switzerland/South Africa 2015) Everybdy knows the story. The movie is quite faithful to the previous versions and so is not bad at all. 7/10
"Austerlitz" (Abel Gance, France / Italy / Liechtenstein / Yugoslavia, 1960) Another of Napoleon's adventures in this epic reconstruction of the battle of Austerlitz, where he had the greatest victory of his career, over the Russians. Great movie ful of sound and fury and colors ! Costumes and settings are amazing despite a certain lack of budget Gance makes an awesome work there. The cast is also excellet. 8/10
"The She Beast" (Michael Reeves, Italy / United Kingdom, 1966) A young woman is driving alongside a lake. She has an accident and the car plunges into the water. Her body is then possessed by the spirit of an 18th-century witch who was killed by local villagers, and is bent on avenging herself on them. A very poor Hammer-like movie. 4,5/10
"Duvidha" (Mani Kaul, India 1973) Film is Based on Duvidha by Vijayadan Detha, it's about merchant's son, whose relationship with his young bride, Lachhi is thwarted by his work and a ghost who falls in love with her, resulting in the ghost soon impersonating the husband.This film is very interesting mixing love story with fantasy. Very nice work on picture and filming too. 8/10
"Mindwarp" (Steve Barnett, USA 1992) In post-apocalyptic 2037, Judy rebels against the AI-ruled utopia where people live in a happy VR simulation. She's exiled to a post-nuclear wasteland where she meets drifter Stover. Mutated cannibals capture them for their leader Seer. Clasic little sci-fi movie with lot of gore. 6/10
" La chute de la maison Usher" (aka "The Fall of the House of Usher") (Jean Epstein, France 1926) Allan visits the sinister Usher family mansion, where his friend Roderick is painting a portrait of his sickly wife Madeline. The portrait seems to be draining the life out of Madeline, slowly leading to her death. A true classic of the French “arty cinema” of the ate 20’s… Excellent. 8,5/10
"Kurutta ippêji" (aka « A Page of Madness ») (Teinosuke Kinugasa, Japoan 1926) A man takes a job at an asylum with hopes of freeing his imprisoned wife. A complete surrealistic tale and an amazing cinema for that time… completely amazing. 8/10
"Last of the Redmen" (George Sherman, USA 1947) A retelling of The Last of the Mohicans with just enough changes to qualify for a different title. Major Heyward and Hawk-Eye escort three children of an officer to safety during the French and Indian War. The addition of young Davy created several misadventures that enlivened the journey. Freely adaped from Cooper famous novel, a quite good small B-western from the vault. Buster Crabbe as the villain id good. 7/10
"Nostos; il ritorno" (aka “Nostos: The Return”) (Franco Piavoli, Italy 1989) At the end of the war, Odysseus, the wandering hero, with his companions begins his sail back home to the Mediterranean. The conclusion of his adventure is delayed by many natural obstacles and he takes an internal journey of fleeting memories of his childhood, his parents, love for a beautiful girl, nostalgia for the past, regret for what he did, and the deep silence that envelops everything. He confronts the most terrible loneliness following a shipwreck in which all the comrades perish. Avery nice and quiet vision of the Odyssey… Very good. 8,5/10
"Il pianeta azzurro" (“The Blue Planet”) (Franco Piavoli, Italy 1982) The passage of time in different dimensions illustrated by biological evolution, the changing seasons and the everyday moments of human life. Nice documentary with lot of poetry about a subject which may become a major threat for the future : water. 8/10
"Sans mobile apparent" (Philippe Labro, France Italy, 1971) A strange series of murders are being committed in Nice on the French riviera. The commissionaire Carella is in charge and tries desperately to find a missing link between all of these murders. A quite solid crimemovie. 7,5/10
"Aaaaaaaah!" (Steve Oram, UK 2015) Ever imagined what life would be like if humans were apes in modern life? That is the portrayal in this deeply thought provoking mind boggle. A good idea but the whole is a bit childish and regressive. The perfect retarded teen movie ! 5,5/10
"Les tripes au soleil" (« Checkerboard ») (Claude Bernard-Aubert, France Italy 1959) The town of Cicada was rich before the dam was destroyed. Now it’s separated in two parts beteen whites and blacks. Bob invites a black girl and some black friends in the white part of the town. Other whites decide to beat hm making his father believe blacks did it… A curious movie by a curious director who made very engaged movies (against war, racism) before making porn. 7/10 , "Les lâches vivent d'espoir" (aka "My Baby Is Black!") (Claude Bernard-Aubert, France Italy 1961) The difficult love story of a black in white couple in the Paris of the 50’s… Interrestng little movie about ordinay racism. 7,5/10
"The Evil" (Gus Trikonis, USA 1978) A doctor buys a Civil War era dilapidated mansion, and hires a few friends to fix it up, but the mansion hides a deadly secret. Small little movie about haunted house possessed by the Devil… Not bad at all. 6,5/10
"Independence Day: Resurgence" (Roland Emmerich, USA 2016) Two decades after the first Independence Day invasion, Earth is faced with a new extra-Solar threat. But will mankind's new space defenses be enough? The first opus wasn’t very good why should the second one be better… none. 3/10
"Bian fu chuan qi" (aka "Legend of the Bat") (Yuen Chor, Hong Kong, 1978) Once again we follow the ultimate playboy sword master, Chu Liu Hsiang, and his faithful friend, Yi Tien Hung, on another amazing adventure in Southeastern China. This time, our heroes make their way to a mysterious place called Bat Island, while meeting other travelers going to the exact same place. There are rumors that if you can afford it, then anyone can buy anything that they desire on this island. Once they finally reach Bat Island the craziness truly begins. Claasic bu quite well made movie with a good touch of fantasy… 7,5/10
"Leonor" (Juan Luis Buñue, France/Spain/Italy, 1975) A female vampire rises from her crypt every night in search of children as her victims. Unusual vamire movie but not fully convincing. 6,5/10
"Wonder Women" (Robert Vincent O'Neill, Philippines / United States 1973) Dr. Tsu is a brilliant surgeon with her own exotic island off the coast of Manila. Using her sexy, all-girl army of martial-arts experts, Tsu kidnaps some of the world's greatest athletes. She is able to transplant any body part, so she uses the athletes for spare parts to sell to the world's richest men. Mike Harber is a womanizing, wise-cracking insurance investigator for Lloyd's of London sent to Manila to investigate the disappearance of a jai-alai player, and becomes involved with Dr. Tsu's mad mission. A curious exploitation movie quit entertaining even if often bad acred and with plot holes… 6/10
"Vivre pour survivre" (Jean-Marie Pallardy, France / Turkey / United Kingdom 1985) When Bo was a child, a mysterious stranger sadistically murdered his parents. Only Bo and his sister, Ingrid survived the bloodshed. Now, twenty years later... Bo and his sister are grown up. They are now employees at a diamond mineshaft located in the desert. As mischievous as they are, they stumble upon the discovery of a legendary diamond, the "White Fire." However, this rapture for the diamond has provoked the angst of some short-tempered, not-so-nice villains. The quest to capture the most sought-out diamond in the world is afoot... A masterpiece of Z grand movie a ure moment of Gulity pleasure… A must to see for all fans of So Bab That It’s Good fans ! 2/10 oa 11/10 for fans…
"Borsalino" (Jacques Deray, France | Italy, 1970) During the 1930s, in Marseilles, France, two small time crooks work for local crime bosses until they decide to go into business for themselves. Quite good ganster movie Belmondo + Delon are quite good and the whole is set in Marseille…so… 8/10
"Borsalino & co" (Jacques Deray, France | Italy | West Germany 1974) It's the early 1930s. Working their way up the ladder largely on chutzpah, Roch Sifreddi and François Capella, who became best friends in their unlikely partnership, have risen to the top of the organized crime world in Marseilles. Shortly after reaching the top, Capella is murdered. Sifreddi eventually learns that the murder was orchestrated by international businessman Giovanni Volpone, new to Marseilles from Italy, he whose ultimate goal is to take control of the city in all aspects, legal and illegal. While Sifreddi sees Volpone's action as the start of a gangland war, Volpone has other thoughts in sending a longer lasting message to Sifreddi and others who may want to fill his shoes. Volpone has specific reasons for wanting Marseilles, it a war he will want to wage in most of the western world to reach his end goal. Standing by Sifreddi in this war is Lola, a former prostitute friend to both Sifreddi and Capella, she who was Capella's girlfriend at the time of his death, and ... This second opus is mostly Delon Movie made for Alain Delon… it’s much less interesting than the firstone… But Sil watchable… 7/10
"The Demolitionist" (Robert Kurtzman, USA 1995) A murdered police officer is brought back to life by a cold-hearted scientist to serve as "The Demolitionist", the ultimate crime-fighting weapon in a city overrun by criminals and internal.. Some kinfd of female Robcop… Classic, not very entertaining… 5,5/10
"Wheels of Fire" (Cirio H. Santiago USA | Philippines, 1985) In a postapocalyptic future, a ruthless vehicular gang called the Highway Warriors is conquering the wasteland through murder and plunder. During a raid, they kidnap the sister of a road warrior named Trace. He brings hell down upon them. Another Mad-Max movie of the poor…by the king of Phillipines’ Z ovie Ciro H. Santiag. Even if much predictable, it’s a quite entertaining movie. 6,5/10