"Frustration" (José Bénazéraf, France 1971)
Another good erotic movie by the pope of fench porn. A frustrated girl lives in an isolated farm with her sister and her husband. She imagines sexual relationships with her step brother and even her sister. 7/10

"Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Benh Zeitlin, USA 2012)
Nice movie about people who have chosen a certain way of life and just want not to change it even if condemned by the Erika hurricane (which has also a metaphoric value of course) and also condemned by the changing times. We follow the little girl Hushpuppy and her imaginative world who goes searching her mother while her father is dying. Nice movie. Remembered me in a different way John Waters’s Desperate Living… 8,5/10

"The Locket" (John Brahm, USA 1946)
Very nice psychological noir about a girl shell-shocked in her youth who push men to madness and even suicide. A very nice screenplay with a huge narrative contruction with three imbricate flashbacks,very nice photography too. 9/10

“The Cobweb” (Vincente Minnelli, USA 1955)
Wonderfull movie about the life in a psychiatric asylum which will be upset by a simple problem of… curtains. Then the delicate web of the existences of doctors and patients become very troubled… 8,5/10

“Background to Danger” (Raoul Walsch, USA 1943)
A fast and furious movie with a weird screenplay with some plot holes but very entertaining about a dark story of spies and counter spies, false documents, murders in Turkey during WWII. A sorte of pre-5 fingers. Not as good as Mankiewicz movie but not bad. 7,5/10

“I Bambini ci Gardano“ (aka "The Children Are Watching Us") (Vittorio De Sicca, Italy 1944)
Nice early work of De Sica, the destruction of a childhood by adults hypocrisy and lies. A child and his father are in great distress when the mother leaves with her lover. 9/10

“Días de pesca“ (aka “Fishing Days”) (Carlos Sorin, Argentina 2012)
After being sick because of alcohol a man takes some vacations to go fishing in a small port of Southern Patagonia, Purto Deseado. He also hopes to see his daughter he left many years before. I spent some days in this village some years ago, that was fun to me to see it again… The movie is very good, simple, quiet and moving. If you like minimalism and peaceful movies you’ll enjoy it. 9/10

“By the Sun’s Rays” (Charles Giblyn, USA 1914)
A short western which seems to be the first Lon Chaney mocvei watchable. Here he plays a clerk who betray his boos, the director of a gold mine to help thieves to attack gold convoys. A detective of the company will solve the case.

“The Fallen Sparrow” (Richard Wallace, USA 1943)
Nice propaganda movie. A man escaped from Franco’s prisons in Spain comes back to the US to discover that the friend who helped him to escape strangely died. It is told as an accident but more certainly a murder. But he soon discovers that some of his old friends may be involved. Nice filming of the is movie lke a Noir with great John Gerfield and Maureen O’Hara is beautiful. 8/10

“Victory” (Maurice Tourneur, USA 1919)
First adaptation of a Conrad novel, and first one for this classic story of a man who take with him a girl on his isolated island but some men are coming sure there is a treasure on the island. The happy ending here is different of the ending of the novel. Nice filming of Tourneur, very mdern for tha time. Lon Chaney as the mad bad guy is very good. Note that this is the only movie Conrad himself watched about his writing. 7,5/10

“Desperate Living” (John Waters, USA 1977)
A typical Water’s movie. In a city inhabited by all the thrash-people of the area, les bians will find redeption in killing and eating the cruel queen Carlotta. Bad taste at every scene. 7,5/10

“Mata Hari” (George Fitzmaurice, USA 1931)
The romanced life of the most mysterious famous spy in history. Greta Garbo as Mata Hari is beautiful. A Nice movie even if not that much faithful to history. 8/10

“All My Sons” (Irving Reis, USA 1948)
A gratmelodrama adapted from Athur Miller’s play. Strangly moving, the cmplex relationships between members of a family with dark secrets. Huge acting of Edward G. Robinson and Burt Lancasgter. 8,5/10

We organized with our cineclub a small festival this week it was the occasion for me to watch or re-watch some great and less great movies on screen...

“Escape from New York” (John Carpenter, USA 1981)
The first appearance of Snake Plissken on screen is very entertaining, nice atmosphere and good casting (Ernest Borgine, Lee van Cleef, Issac Hayes…). 8/10

“Escape from L.A.” (John Carpenter, USA 1996)
It’s a bit hard to watch this sequel after the first one. Much more mainstream and less interesting, more humour but not always funny indeed. 5,5/10

“The Devil-Doll” (Tod Browning, USA 1936)
Great Tod Brawning’s little movie mixing horror, romance and fantasy. Very nice sequences involving the dolls. A dark story of a man using reduced people to reach is revenge. The special effects are huge for that time. 8,5/10

“The Mystery of the Leaping Fish” (Christy Cabanne, John Emerson, USA 1916)
Written by Browning a complete delirium of a crazy detective Coke Ennyday (Douglas Fairbanks excellent) who takes heroin, cocain, alcool all day long and who’s involved in a case of opium smuggling… Completely hilarious and politicaly uncorrect… Excellent 8,5/10

“Ercole alla conquista di Atlantide” (aka “Hercules and the Captive Women”) (Vittorio Cottafavi, Italy/France, 1961)
Re-watched this excellent small sword and sandals movie about Hercule who goes to Atlantis to stop an invasion of Greece by Atlants. The cruel Queen Antinea buld an army of super-men thanks to a radio-active stone known as a drop of Unarus blood…. Reg Park makes a very dilettante Hercules… 7/10

“Le legioni di Cleopatra” (aka “Legions of the Nile”) , (Vittorio Cottafavi , France/Italy 1959)
Another interesting Cottafavi works, the story of the defeat of Marc' Antonio and Cleopatra against legions of Ottaviano. Even if a bit cheap (especialy fot the battle scenes) dialogs are good and characters are quite well depicted. Linda Cristal as Cleopatra is beautiful. 7/10

“Joshuu sasori: Dai-41 zakkyo-bô” (aka ”Female Convict Scorpion Jailhouse 41”) (Shunya Ito, Japan 1972)
Second episode of the serie and certainly the best. The dark and cruel story of a group of female prisonners escaping from jail and taking revenge on men in a desperate runaway. In the group there is the silencious, beautiful and merciless Sasori (Meiko Kaji absolutely wonderful). Excellent filming with a great mix of pure crudity and violence with very poetic sequences. Kaji only have two reply in the movie (and very short), but sings all the part. A nice one 8/10

"Electra Glide in Blue" (James William Guercio, USA 1973)
Re-wathced with lot of fun on the screen this excellent movie, sort of anti-easy rider. The cruel story of a police biker who’ll lost all his illusions… A nice depiction of a dying way of life, the one of the 50’s ans early 60’s face to the “Hippies” generation. Great. 9/10

“El proscrito del río Colorado” (aka “Django the Condemned”) (Maury Dexter, Spain 1969)
Incredibly bad movie using the name of Django in a complete different story involving two families in Mexico. Django (George Montgomery complety lost here) is a gringo escaped from texas who helpe the local general to keep order against Espada and his gang. Ridiculous acting and dialogues (further more I watched a dubbed version especialy ridiculous) the poor Gloria Cámara is especialy ridiculous. 3/10 but for Z fan a must to see, people laught sooo much a good moment fot the fan of the genre.

“Sukiyaki Western Django” (Takashi Miike, Japan 2007)
A sort of prequel of 1966 Corbucci’s masterpiece. Nice filming with lot of reference of Italian westerns in a Tarantino way (he makes a small appearance in the movie too). Interresting but not very good indeed. Some nice filming. You’ll like it if you’re a Tarantino lover. 6,5/10

I also watched this one (not on the festival...)

"The Grey" (Joe Carnahan, USA 2011)
A biological non-sense. If you know just a few wolves this movie is nonsense. Wolves are bigger than “normal” wolves, their behavior is not wolves’s behavior… This movie is also in contradiction with Darwin theories about evolution. If our ancestors were so stupid as the six guys in this movie, unable to defend again three or five wolves, humanity wouldn’t have survive and would have been quickly eliminated from the earth… Sorry but sometimes I had to laught a bit... otherwise nice landscapes. 4/10

"Danger Ahead" (Albert Herman, USA 1935)
After getting his money for his work the captain of a boat is attaqued by thieves. A journalist witnesses the scene and get back the money but must flee before he can give back the money. The thieves are after him now. A good small B from the vault. 6,5/10

"Danger Ahead" (Ralph Stub, USA 1940)
The sith adventures of Segent Renfrew of the Royal Mounted Police. In this one Renfrew must have to fight against a gang of thieves who stole gold after the sabotage and the disappearance of an armored car. The best episode of the serie. For B fans. 7/10

"Island of Lost Women" (Frank Tutle, USA 1959)
A radio speaker and his pilot crash on an isolated island where a mad scientist and his three beautiful daughters lives alone. Love and exotic adventures in this small B. 6/10

"Lena Rivers" (Phil Rosen, USA 1932)
Nice Powerty Row drama. The story of Lena Rivers abandoned when she was a child who come to live in her uncle’s farm. She fall in love with the son of the neigbouring farmer but her cousine is jealous and soon make some revelations about their ‘lost’ parents. A nice B with nice acting of the beautiful Charlotte Henry. One of the best movie of the prolific B director Phil Rosen. 7/10

"The Toll of the Sea" (Chester M. Franklin, USA 1922)
The first Technicolor movie ever made is the loose adaptation of Puccini’s classic work Madame Butterfly. Very moving and sad movie of an abandoned woman. Rcism and self-sacrifice are in the center of the movie. Anna May Wong, who was only 17 years old in this movie is wonderful. 8/10

"Taming the Wild" (Robert F. Hill, USA 1936)
A poor B about a young socialite who drives her family crazy with her crazy life. She soon become attracted by a notorious mob. Her best friend and lawyer will have to make things to change. 6/10

"Her Secret" (Warren Millais, USA 1933)
An independent B movie about a young rich boy who drink too much and finish one more time in jail. His father send him working in a gas station. He meets a nice girl fron Georgia who owns the small café across the road. 6/10

"Shifting Sands" (Albert Parker, USA 1918)
Nice movie with the great Gloria Swanson as a painter without any success who’s victim of blackmail by a frustrated lover. During his prison time her sister who was sick, dies. She’s now alone but soon marry a rich guy. But the blackmailer wants more and comes back to her… 7,5/10

"Seven Thieves" (Henry Hathaway, USA 1960)
Some kind of prequel of Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven and sequels… A group of seven unassorted thieves plans to rob the greatest Monte-Carlo’s casino. Great cast and directing by Hathaway. 8/10

"New York Confidential" (Russell Rouse, USA 1955)
A very dark and violent mob movie with huge cast Richard Conte, Broderick Crawford, Anne Bancroft. The fall of a godfather and her best friend No pity and no hope in this very powerfull movie. 8,5/10

"Aranyer Din Ratri" (aka “Days and Nights in the Forest”) (Satyajit Ray, India 1957)
A group of four friends leave Calcutta for a few days in the country. The y will discover themselves and entire parts of the Indian society thanks to the women they’ll meet there. Once more with this so tiny and simple plot Ray deserves a wonderfull movie which speack at the same time to heart and intelligence as usual. A fine depiction to the changes and contradictions in Indian society and the discovery of their own personalities by the heros thanks to different women also symbolizing the different faces of Indian society. Great art 9/10

Few movies thoses days...

"Montana" (Ray Enright, Raoul Walsh, USA 1950)
Nice western in huge Technicolor about the fight between an Australian sheep-man (Errol Flynn) and Cattle barons (Alexis Smith and Douglas Kennedy) in Montana. Nice little western. 7,5/10

"Annie Hall" (Woody Allen, USA 1977)
On screen re-watched with much fun one of my favourite Woody Allen movie, his first “serious comedy” very funny but also a nice reflection about sexuality and love. 8,5/10

"Sorry, Wrong Number" (Anatole Litvak, USA 1948)
Incredible film noir about a woman who can’t leave her bed. One day, as she try to call her husband the operator gives her a wrong number, and she listen to a conversation between two men about the murder of a woman, calling other people she soon discover she might be the victim… Very dark and pessimistic movie, incredible plot great acting of Barbarz Stanwyck and great direction of Litvak another great forgotten director. 9,5/10

"The Seventh Cross" (Fred Zinnemann, USA 1944)
Very nice propaganda movie about seven german prisoners in a concentration camp before WWII. They managed to escape. The chief of the camp put seven crosses in the camp awaiting the seven prisonners… one will remain… Excellent movie, nice directing and narration by the first dead man, nice acting of Spencer Tracy. 9/10

"The Lineup" (Don Siegel, USA 1958)
Not a second to lose in this frenetic tremendous latre Film Noir. Made in a very realistic way by a great Don Siegel, huge acting of Ellie Wallash as the mad killer. A dark story of drug smuggling involving innocent passengers of transpacific boats… 8,5/10

"The Sniper" (Edward Dmytryk, USA 1952)
Dmytrik’s return after his blacklist problems and a great one. One of the first movie dealing with serial killer (see also Fleisher’s “Follow Me Queitly”). Bur here no fascination for the killer who his clearly shown simply as a sick man. And the message here is clear. Great acting of Arthur Franz. 8,5/10

"5 Against the House" (Phil Carlson, USA 1955)
A group of students bet they can rob the biggest Reno’s Casino after they eard a policeman saying it’s impossible. But soon, things are going to far and what began as a game could finish very badly… Not the best Karlson movie but nice. Kim Novak is beautiful. 7,5/10

"Murder By Contract" (Irving Lerner, USA 1958)
Poorly known masterpiece. Excellent movie some kind of prequel of the wonderful Le Samouraï with Alain Delon or Blast of Silence. A cold-blood killer become quickly one of the most famous hired gun of the US, but one day he has to kill a woman he’s a bit destabilized because women are unpredictable. And indeed, he misses two times to kill her. But are women the only who are not predictable ? Excellent movie with a complete strange soundtrack, great acting and plot. 8,5/10

to be continued...

Silver Linings Playbook: Bah, I was expecting so much more from this one. It's not a bad film, I laughed at some parts, but I also found it really predictable and sometimes silly. I don't know if that' because I was not in the mood when I watched it, but I really don't get the Oscar nomination, of all the nominees I watched, it was the one I liked the least. Lawrence was ok, but I do think Emanuelle Riva's work on Amour was much better (I haven't watched Zero Dark Thirty though)... Anyway, back to the film: 6,5/10

Then some other stuff...

"Kid Galahad" (Michael Curtiz, USA 1937)
Nice movie about the rise of a young naive boxer Kid Galahad in a world of crime, cheting and murder… Great acting of Bete Davis, Edward G. Robinson and Humphrey Bogart. 8/10

"The Bold Cabalero" (Wells Root, USA 1936)
The first speacking en the first Zorro movie in color. A cheap Republic Picture production with Bob Livingston as Zorro fighting the despotic Commandante Golle who secretly murdered the governor accusing Zorro of the crime. Note that’s the only Zorro movie with the hero wearing a mask covering hs entire face like the original Zorro.. All other movies will adopt the Douglas Fairbanks mask he har in the Mark of Zorro. For B fans only 6,5/10

"Gloria" (John Cassavetes, USA 1980)
On screen re-watched this quite good movie. It is not Cassavetes best movie so far but Gena Rowlands is excellent as usual. 7,5/10

" Uncle Tom’s Cabin" (Harry A. Pollard, USA 1927)
One of the moste expensive movie of the silent era, and a great one. Even if not always faithful to the book, the movie is still very moving and it’s message, even if a bit cliché and cheap for today, lmight have been very strong and clear in the 20’s. Huge settings, huge filming, good acting. The scene of the chase on the frozen river is simply AMAZING, one of the most awesome sequence ever made. A gret one 9/10

"The Purple Mask" (H. Bruce Humberstone, USA 1955°
During the reign of napoleon’s terror in France some courageous royalists are in a secret resistance. Their charismatic leader ids the mysterious Purple Mask (Tony Curtis). Enjoyable armless adventure movie full of action and color. The Universal copy distributed is mutilated, the scope adapted fir TV… sad. Nice acting of Curtis. 7/10

"Possesed" (Curtis Bernhardt, USA 1947)
Curtis Bernhardt’s best movie a dark story of a possessive woman who become mad until murder. Nice filming (the introducing sequence is excellent), great acting of Joan Crawford. 9/10

"Supernatural" (Victor Halperin, 1933)
Excellent Early Carole Lombard movie, a woman who strangled her lovers is condemned to electric chair. Her body is used for experiment by a mad scientist and the spirit of the dead goes into Roma’s body (Craole Lombard) to kill the last lover she failed to. Even if low budget, still impressive small horror movie. 7,5/10

"The Story of Temple Drake" (Stephen Roberts, USA 1933)
All attempts to put William Faulkner’s novel and universe on screen have failed or almost so, except perhaps this one which is certainly the best one. In the pre-code time it was still possible to make movies about rape or with strong sexual content so that’s one of the explanation. Adapted from the excellent novel Sanctuary, this little B movie from the Paramount succeeds in reproducing the armosphere of Faulkner’s world, thanks to the (unknown) director and the huge photographu of Karl Struss. Miriam Hopkins as Temple is convincing and Jack La Rue as Trigger is terrifying. 8/10

"Circus Girl" (John H. Auer, USA 1937)
A poor B movie about a love triangle in a circus involving three aerialists. One is jealous and will try to kill his rival in an “accident”. For B fans only 6/10

"Angels with Dirty Faces" (Michael Curtiz, USA 1938)
One of the numerous movie James Cagney and Pat O'Brien made together. Here, Cagney is a bad guy, Rocky, who is released from jail after many years and who come back to see his rotten lawyer (Humfrey Bogart). He meets his old friend (Pat O’Brien) who became (once more) a priest and care about the children of the area. But the young guys have only eyes for Rocky who’s now back on crime…. But things will go bad and Rocky will be condemned to electric Chair. Great one. 8,5/10

"The Adventures of Hajji Baba" (Don Weis, USA 1954)
Pure pleasure in technicolor. Some kind of archetypic adventure movie. In a Arabian Nights style the incredible adventure of Hajji, a simple barber who will mary the beautiful princess Fakzia. Lot of action, romance and humour too. Delightful. The only problem is the same as with The Purple Mask" wrong ratio for TV... But 9/10

Some movies...

"Now or Never" (Bernard B. Ray, USA 1935)
An acrobat is mistaken by a gang of thieves for a jewels seller. He escapres them and meet his “twin” who propose him to help. Typucal poor B with Jumpin’ Richard Tlamadge, the king of stuntmen in the 30’s… 6/10

"The Phantom of 42nd Street" (Albert Herman, USA 1945)
Entertaining small crime B movie about a serie of murders in a theatre. On every bodies a quot from a famous old play is found… A good small B 7/10

"Battleship" (Peter Berg, USA 2012)
$209 000 000 of budget for this one…. They did lot of such ridiculous Sci-Fi movies in the 50’s in a much better way and for 10,000 times less money…. And as I said it before at that time they knew they did crap… Some very laughtable dialogs make me give a very generous 2/10

"City of Missing Girls" (Elmer Clifton, USA 1941)
An old inspector want to solve this last case. Some girls mysteriously disappear and are found murdered. They all seems to be connected with a school of arts… Not bad B movie. 6,5/10

"City Without Men" (Sidney Salkow, USA 1943)
Tom is wrongly accused to be sold to Japanese secet agents. His girl Nacy (a pretty Linda Darnell) is convinced of his innocence and decide to live near the prison to help him. She went into a residence inhabited with wives or girlfriends of prisonners. One day she discovers they plan to make their men escape from jail… Nice small B. 6,5/10

"The Zero Hour" (Sidney Salkow, USA 1939)
A nice melodrama about theatre manager, Julian, who plan to marry his young pupil the promising actress Linda Marsh. But they have an accident and Julian lears he won’t be able to walk again. He decides to release Linda from her promise of wedding. But she chose to stay with him and soon become a star. One day she meets another man… Nice B melodrama with good acting of Otto Kruger and Frieda Inescort. 6,5/10

"Tomorrow We Live" (Edgar G. Ulmer, USA 1942)
A strang movie of Ulmer, the first he made for PRC before his masterpieces Bluebeard or Detour. A girl comes home after her studies to the bar owned by his old dad. She discovers he is involved in bad things with a thief, owner of a nightclub, the Phantom, who indeed is a very seductive man… 6,5/10

"The Jungle" (William Berke, USA/India 1952)
Filmed in india a nice adventure movie with a poor plot but nice filming and acting. An Indian pricness and an American hunter make an expedition to find the reason why elephants herds become crazy and attack villages. Some mammoths could be involved… 7/10

"Le orme" (aka “Footprints”) (Luigi Bazzoni, Mario Fanelli, Italy 1975)
An amazing forgotten movie. Huge screeplay, huge filming. An ncredible tale about madness, dreams and paranoia. Florinda Bolkan is excellent. 9/10

Well, some movies last week...

“La 317ème section” (aka “317th Platoon “) (Pierre Schoendoerffer, France 1965)
On screen last night watched this great war movie about a French patrol walking across the jungle to reach a post during the end of Indochina war. Fine screenplay, nice acting and great photography. 8/10

“The Valley of Decision” (Tay Garnett, USA 1945)
A very nice melodrama on the steel factorybackground at the beginning of XXth century. Greer Garson and Gregory Peck are huge. 8/10

“The Lion Man” (John P. McCarthy, USA 1936)
Nice B-adventure movie adapted form an Edgar Rice Burroughs’s novel. Indeed, the screenplay is much like a desert Tarzan story. But nice filming on location even if cheaply made. 6,5/10

“Scared Stiff” (Frank McDonald, USA 1945)
A funny crime-comedy about a quiet chess journalist who get involved in a strange murder case in a winery… Typical poor B of the golden age. 6/10

“A Tale of Two Cities” (Jack Conway, Robert Z. Leonard, USA 1935)
Nice adaptation of the Dicken’s novel. Even if direction is not wonderful, it is a typical MGM work of the golden age with huge, settings, photography and hude acting of Ronald Coleman. The Scenes of the Bastille attack may have been directed by Lewton and Tourneur…. 8/10

“The Shadow of Silk Lennox” (Ray Kirkwood, Jack Nelson, USA 1935)
Ultra poor B movie with Lon Chaney Jr. still unknown in the role of the leader of a gang who have to struggle against police, and even his owm men to stay at the top… But of cours he has to fall. 5,5/10

“Paper Bullets” (Phil Rosen, USA 1941)
Another poor B movie but interesting about an orphan whose father wath shot in front of her who takes revenge as an adult by becoming the cief of the mobs of the town. But when she marry her old friend she had at the orphanage, an honest guy, she’ll discover it’s not so easy to retire… A good small B with a nice Joan Woodbury. 6,5/10

“The Small Back Room” (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, UK 1949)
Poorly known movie of the Archers. A strange movie about a scientist in the WWII London who is working for the army. One day minesweepers discover a new german bomb which explodes by simple contact, he has to work on it. By the way beyond the great war, he also have to fight agains his lack of confidence in himself and the loss of one leg that push him to drink… Excellent movie with great acting of David Farrar and Kathleen Byron. 8,5/10

“The Desert Rats” (Robert Wise, USA 1953)
Nice war movie about the battle of Tobruk during WWII. Nice casting (Richard Burton, James Mason, Robert Newton…) and huge photography of Ballard… 8/10

“West of Shanghai” (John Farrow, USA 1937)
A small B of the Warner with Boris Karloff as a Chinese General in rebellion again central government who attack a town and meets some American citizen. Complex relashionships begins to appear between the different characters… 7/10

"The Invisible Menace” (John Farrow, USA 1938)
Another B movie from the Warner with Karloff. In this one a murder is commited in a Base of the Navy on an isolated Island. Karloff is a scientist, formerly accused by the victim. The invesigators are sure they have the murderer but things are not so simple…

“Devil's Island” (William Clemens, USA 1939)
Banned from France, this excellent B-movie with once more Boris Karloff is about the French penitenciary colony of the Devil’s Island, one of the most unhuman jil ever at the beginning of the XX century. A doctor is wrongly condemned and send to the Devil’s Island where he must face the cruelty of the warden… 8/10

“Larceny, Inc.” (Lloyd Bacon, USA 1942)
Bacon is not a great director (but watch Marked Women) but he always had good script and good actors (and good choregraphers for his musicals). It’s the case here with a nice crime-comedy sometimes very funny with good acting of Edward G. Robinson, Broderick Crawford and Edward Brophy who are hilarious and a young Anthony Quinn as the bad guy… 7,5/10

“The Little Giant” (Roy Del Ruth, USA 1933)
After the success of Little Caesar, Edward G. Robinson stars in this comedy version of the famous gangster movie. A famous gangster of Chicago wants to retire quietly on the westcoast after the end of prohibition but now he becomes the victim of gangsters of the high society… 8/10

the others...

"Katia" (Robert Siodmak, France 1959)
Historical movie of Robert Siodmak in his European years. Not the best he did indeed but worth of watching. Some nice sequences. And of course a beautiful Romy Schneider as a princess… 7/10

"Law and Order" (Nathan Juran, USA 1953)
A nice western with Ronald Reagan as a monolithic marshall who will bring law and order in a small town in his own personal way… Nice ! 7,5/10

"The Boogie Man Will Get You" (Lew Landers, USA 1942)
A very funny horror comedy with Karloff and Peter Lorre. Karloff is an old scientist who wants to create a superman but he always failed. The body of the previous experiments are in the celar of the inn he just sold to a pretty and naive girl and where he continues his experiments… Very funny with twisted ending. 7/10

"Fort Massacre" (Joseph M. Newman, USA 1958)
Excellent western with Joel McCrea as a mad sergent who will lead a group of soldiers, the only survivors of an indian attack to a sinister village in a cliff and to death… Excellent filming all on location with nice use of landscapes and technicolor. 8,5/10

"Tell Me Lies" (Peter Brook, UK 1967)
On screen I watched this great movie adapted from the play US. A great reflection on Viet Man war in the London of the 60’s. 8,5/10

"Finis Terrae" (Jean Epstein, France 1929)
In Brittany, four men are collecting and burning kelp to produce soda. They have to spent three months there. But one day, one of the sailor is injured and begins to be very sick. One of the men decides to bring him back to the main Island despite he has to cross a very dangerous current without any wind. At the same time people on the main island begin to be unquiet. Simple and nice story, wonderful filming of Epstein in his last silent movie can be also watched as a documentary about lost way of life, lost people, lost work.... 8,5/10

"Le monte-charge" (Marcel Bluwal, France 1962)
Incredible thriller with tricky and twisted screenplay adapted from a Frederic Dard novel. Huge filming and acting. A must. 9/10

"The Naked Dawn" (Edgar G. Ulmer, USA 1955)
A deep metaphysical western (but it is not a western) about the promise land, greediness, and so many other things. Made with almost nothing as usual by the great Ulmer a wonderful movie 9,5/10

"Way of a Gaucho" (Jacques Tourneur, USA 1952)
Very nice movie set in Argentina in wonderful landscapes. The story of a desertor who had to go in the army after a murder. He escapes and become the leader of rebels who are fitghting against the building of rail roads through the pampa defending the ancient way of living of the gauchos…. Nice movie of Jacques Tourneur once more… 8/10

Very few movies those last days...

“Gli ultimi giorni di Pompei” (aka”The Last Days of Pompei”) (Marcel L'Herbier, Paolo Moffa, France / Italy 1959)
An early sword and Sandals movie with great cast Micheline Presle, Georges Marchal and Marcel Herrand. a Roman lady Hélène meets and falls in love with a young Greek man Lysias. He is betrothed to another woman who, to win him back, acquires a potion to make him love only her. The potion was prepared by the Egyptian priest, Arbax, who has a grudge against Lysias, and is not what it seems, it is intended to drive whoever takes it insane. Hélène's new slave is also in love with Lysias. She steals the potion and gives it to Lysias, who hurries away in a mad rage. When the slave girl confronts Arbax, she is killed by the evil priest, and Lysias is charged with her murder. Not badly made but of course for the (rare) fans of the genre 7,5/10

“This Land Is Mine” (Jean Renoir, USA 1943)
Very nice propaganda movie made during WWII about French resistance and collaboration. The simple and obvious view of Renoir made the film have a bad reception infrance after war. Indeed if sometimes a bit too talky (especialy at the end) a very nice one with great acting of Charles Laughton (as usual) and a nice Maureen O’Hara. 8,5/10

“Divine“ (Max Ophüls, Fance 1935)
A naive gril from the country comes to town with a friend who’s a dancer in cabaret. She will discover a world of vice and hypocrisy and even being involved in a drug smuggling. The first screenplay of the famous French writer Colette and a poorly known movie from Ophüls. Not bad 7,5/10

“Le dernier des six“ (Georges Lacombe, France 1941)
Nice adaptation of the famous crime novel of Stanislas-André Steeman by Henri-Georges Clouzot who wrote the script. Six friends earn some money at the races and then share the whole and goe through the world. They promise to meet again five years later to share all what they’ll earn. Five years later they are coming back to Paris with diverse successes or misfortunes but suddently some of them get murdered… 8/10

“Waterloo Bridge” (Mervyn LeRoy, USA 1941)
The remake of the famous James Whale’s movie of 1931. Here the pre-code aspects are far away and the adaptation of LeRoy is more loose than Whale’s one which was more faithful to the play. LeRoy centers all the movie around the couple and the love story erasing all social aspects. The result is a memorable melodrama with an unforgatable couple Robert Taylor and the sublime Vivien Leigh… and an unforgatable waltz in darkness. 8,5/10

“Texas Killing Fields” (Ami Canaan Mann, USA 2012)
Adapted loosely from a true story, the movie looks like a long episode of a tv serie, as often today, the editing is a bit confuse but the whole is watchable. 7/10

“La vérité si je mens! 2“ (Thomas Gilou, France 2001)
A french jewish comedy with lot of humour for those who taste it. I’m not very fond with this kind of humour with people only finding happyness in business, money, girls and cars… Too up to date for me, so… 5/10

to be continued...

@RDPL55 : I'm a big fan of Victor Erice. It's a shame he directed only three feature films so far. If you haven't watched El Sur and El Sol Del Membrillo so far, you should absolutely try to get hand of those. Very recommended.

"Superman" (Spencer Gordon Bennet, Thomas Carr, USA 1948)
Delightful original serial with lot of action and sudden developments. Very entertaining. Kirk Alyn as Clark Kent / Superman is quite good and Noel Neill as Lois lane is pretty ! A must for B fans 7,5/10

"Fog island" (Terry O. Morse, USA 1945)
A small B-Whodunit which is mostly interesting by the meeting of two kings of the B’s George Zucco and Lionel Atwill. A dark tale of revenge and secret passages… 6,5/10

"The Monster Walks" (Frank R. Strayer, USA 1932)
A classic whodunit about a mad supposedly paralityc uncle who want to murder his niece to get the money of his dead brother he already push to death. For B fans only. 6/10

"Borrowed Wives" (Frank R. Strayer, USA 1930)
A very funny romantic comedy : A man has 24 hours to get married to get back the inheritance of his grandfather, otherwise his uncle get all the money… this on is ready to do everything to get back the money… A small and funny whodunit for B fans 6/10

"Mystery in Mexico" (Robert Wise, USA 1948)
An early Robert Wise movie about an insurance detective, Steve, who is sent to Mecico City after one of his colleague disappear with a very expensive necklace. Her sister goes to Mexico to join him, Steve follow her in the plane and become quickly a good friend of her… No bad small B. 7/10

"Buck Rogers" (Ford Beebe, Saul A. Goodkind, USA 1939)
A very entertaining serial about the adventures of one of the first super sci-fi heros, Buck Rogers. Buster Crabbe takes the role as he did for Flash Godon. It's fun to watch all the ideas George Lucas took from this one for Star Wars... 7/10

"Thunder Over Texas" (Edgar G. Ulmer, USA 1934)
A poorly knwn wester of Ulmer, about the story of a tiny little girl who lost her father kille dby a crooked banker who want plans from railroads which are ready to be build in order to buy some land... A strang movie with a screenplay of the future Mrs Ulmer, still Mrs Alexander at that time... Alexander who's the producer of the movie... follow me ? For Ulmer and B fans only 7/10

"Teenage Zombies" (Jerry Warren, USA 1959)
A Z grade movie of one of the king of the genre. I think that if Ed Wood was declared the worst director evec it's just because they forgot Jerry Warren... 3/10 for Z fans 10/10

"Violent Saturday" (Richard Fleischer, USA 1955)
Wonderfull crime movie about a bank robberry in a small town. But as they are preparing the attack of the bank the three thieves discover different parts of the life of th citizen's life. The spectator is involved in many small stories that will all meet in the bank attack... excellent filming great casting... 9/10

"Il canto della vita" (Carmine Gallone, Italy, 1945)
Nice movie with strong naturalisme and realism like in Visconti' s Ossessione. A drama about a girl who one night makes love wiith the son of her boss who then let her with baby and marry another rich girl. Then thing are going wrong when the man realize he can't have baby with his new wife, Alida Valli is beautiful... 8/10

"Yoidore tenshi" (Akira Kurosawa, Japan 1948)
the seventh movie of Kurosawa and the first he declared to have directed freely. Mifune is excellent as usual, strng story of love and death in a post war tokyo. A young Yakusa discovers he has tuberculosis but refuses to be cured despite the proposal of a drunken but very friendly doctor... 9/10

Then I watched the full serie of the six RKO films about the reoccuring hero Dr. Christian. He's a nice and gentle doctor in a small Minnesota town, River's End and helps the citizen to cure diseases of the body but also from the mind and heart...

"Meet Dr. Christian" (Bernard Vorhaus, USA 1939)
In this first episode Christian must convinc the major to buld an hospital. The major is a bit reluctant till his little girl his badly injured 7/10

"The Courageous Dr. Christian" (Bernard Vorhaus, USA 1940)
Some homeless people are living in powerty just near River's End. Christian decide to built an asylum in town. The citizens disagree but the courage of the homeless people during an epidemy of meningitis will make them change. 7,5/10

"Dr. Christian Meets the Women" (William C. McGann, USA 1940)
A charlatan promises to all River's End's Women to lose weight with magic pills... despite Christian's warning it's a success, but one day a girl becomes very badly ill... 7/10

"Remedy for Riches" (Erle C. Kenton, USA 1940)
A young rich boy comes to buy a place to build an hotel. During the building workers discover oil ! The town is rich. But Dr. Christian suspects the young fellow to be a crook... 6,5/10

"Melody for Three" (Erle C. Kenton, USA 1941)
A young violin prodigy lives with her mother (Fay Wray) and lost mysteriously his father. One day a small airplane crash in River's End. Christian realize the wounded man is the father... Will the couple be united once more ? 6,5/10

"They Meet Again" (Erle C. Kenton, USA 1941)
A little girl with a huge voice has her birthday party by Dr. Christian's house. But her father is arrested for robbery. But of course he's the wrong man. Christian must have to foind the real thief ot the little girl will die of depair. 6/10

@Asmodai !
Impossible, or perhaps was he tied on a chair by naughty people and suffered a thousand deaths... :(
In my opinion you're mistaken with The Black Knight directed in the UK by Percy Nash in 1916... ;)

At Least ! Or Poison Ivy.... (she could have tied him easyly with all her branches...)

By the way... Some movies I Watched those last days....

"Seven Doors to Death" (Elmer Clifton, USA 1944)
Another B-crime about the murder of a storekeeper in a courtyard. There are six other shops in the courtyard ans a strange gardener… The culprit is certainly among them… for B fans 6,5/10

"Something Wild" (Jack Garfein, USA 1961)
A strange and difficult movie about a girl who’s raped and who can’t tell anything to anybody. She leaves her parents and studies and take a poor job… One day she meets another lost soul who confines her in his apartment… A strange relationship between them begins to rise… Huge story and huge filming and a complete actor’s studio way of acting. 8,5/10

"Dark Waters" (Andre DeToth, USA 1944)
A nice crime/mystery movie in the bayou by the great Andre DeToth and A beautiful Merle Oberon. A curiosity. 8/10

"Lily Turner" (William A. Wellman, USA 1933)
Another Great Pre-Code movie from William Wellman showing that in hard times like the great depression one, it’s always harder when you’re a woman. The sad story of Lilly Turner played by the excellent Ruth Chaterton with a very unexpected and sad ending in a pure pre-code way… 9/10

"The Mad Magician" (John Brahm, USA 1954)
A poorly known movie of the great Vincent Price but certainly one of his best acting performance as the brave magician becoming completely mad an murderous because of reoccurng frustration… Nive filming of John Brahm. 8/10

"The Magician" (Rex Ingram, USA 1926)
An interesting early mad-doctor movie about a mad alchemist who want to create life… But he needs the blood of a young blonde virgin… Paul Wegener as haddo the magician is terrifying ! Nice filming of Ingram. 8/10

"Hellgate" (Charles Marquis Warren, USA 1952)
Excellent and unusual western about an ex-private of the Union who is accused of treason and put in the terrible jain of Hellgate, where celles are caves lost in the desert… Sterling Hayden is excellent… Very nice filming of Warren a specialist of (good) B-westerns. 8/10

"Two O’Clock Courage" (Anthony Mann, USA 1945)
One of the first movie of Anthony Mann with ahuge screenplay about a man who lost his memory and who become involved in the murder of a Theatre Producer… He’s helped by the cute driver of a cab… 8,5/10

"Five Came Back" (John Farrow, USA 1939)
Very nice B-movie about eleven people who crash with their plane in the Amazonian jungle. They first have to learn to survive and they discover eachothers and themselves… But when the plane is ready to fly again, only five can leave…. A very good B. 8/10

"The Half Naked Truth" (Gregory La Cava, USA 1932)
A nice Pre-code comedy about Bates (Lee tracy very good) who becomes the manager of the Mexiacan Bomb Teresita (Lupe Velez delightful). Hes uses trick and lies to make people believe she’s a Turkish princes… It works and she become a star but soon leaves him “for her carreer” he promises to make her fall, and did it by creating with the maid of the hotel a strange sect of nudists with a great priestress (the maid) the buzz is terrible and she becomes a star and Teresita is abandoned…. But love is a strange thing you know… A quitefunny comedy in a pure pre-code Way (see the arrival of the nudists in town completely crazy or the interview of the priestress hilarious…) 7,5/10

"Beggars in Ermine" (Phil Rosen, 1934)
A poor B movie with Lionel Atwill as a steel Tyccon ruined by her lawyer and his best friend who become a Beggar but meet a Blind Man with lot of ideas. Together they will recover what our Hero lost… for B fans 6/10

the others...

“Danger Flight” (Howard Bretherton, USA 1939)
An adventure of the comic strip hero Tailspin Tommy Tompkins who’ll have to fight a gang of crook who attack payroll delivery… for B fans 6/10

“Confessions of a Vice Baron” (S. Roy Luby, William A. O'Connor, Melville Shyer, Herman E. Webber, USA 1943)
Another weird movie. The day before his execution a notorious bad man confess his life to the warden of his prison. He explains how the rich guys from the Balkans coming to US to find a wife will become a gigolo, then an abortionist doctor, then provide girls to prostitution and finaly a murderer… The movie is just a compilation of previous exploitation movies and the pretext to show nudity. 5,5/10

“The Crimson Romance” (David Howard, USA 1934)
A nice pacifist movie. As WWI as begun in Europe. Two friends Bob an american and his friend Fred, born in germany are working in an plane factory for the allies. When Fred is fired Bob leaves too. But they can’t find any job now. Fred decides to go back to Europe and fight for Germany. Bob goes with him. They both fall in love with a nurse Alida. The captain of their escadrille Wolters is very suspicious and when USA enter the war Bob must escape to the allies… Even if poorly made interesting small B. 7/10

“La journée de la jupe“ (Jean-Paul Lilienfeld, France 2008)
Less politicaly correct than the over rated “Entre les murs” (Laurent Cantet, 2008). This firstly made for TV movie is despite some clihées much more interesting and real (in it’s approach and questioning) than “Entre les murs” and I think much more interesting indeed, asking good questions even if predictable. 8/10

“Mutant Aliens“ (Bill Plymton, USA 2001)
We proposed this nice anime movie of the great Plymton in a pure Tex Avery way Plymton deliver us a simple but efficient story about revenge but also difference in his typical crude end direct way. Far form pre-teen pixars and Disney of course… 8/10

"The Drag-Net“ (Vin Moore, USA 1936)
A poor B of the Burroughs-Tarzan Pictures Inc. about a play boy who just think to party who’s senf by his father to be the assistant of a District Atorney. The unexperienced young attorney will have to fight agains dangerous crooks but will be helped by a cute journalist… For B fans. 6/10

“Midnight Phantom“ (Bernard B. Ray, USA 1935)
A newly hired police chief vows to clean up a notoriously corrupt police department. When he is murdered, investigators find that there is no shortage of suspects, most of them being fellow cops. For B fans only. 6/10

“Paradise Express“ (Joseph Kane, USA 1937)
A small Railroad Company is pushed out of business by a truck company owned by mobs. A new maneger comes to help the old owner to save the company. But the mobs don’t agry. Of course ou hero will fall in love with the grand daughter of the old man… A nice small B for fans. 6/10

“Miss V from Moskow” (Albert Herman, USA 1942)
A B-grade war effort about a soviet agent sent in Paris to get informations about the german submarine forces. She soon discover that they plan to attack a convoy of supply send by the US to USSR… This movie is typical of the short period of friendship between USSR and US during WWII, a curiosity that won’t survive very long time… 6,5/10

to be continued...

Some movies this last week...

"Thunderbird 6" (David Lane, USA 1968)
One of the two original features made in the 60’s. An entertaining movie for kids, vey well made with those wonderful puppets. Great work on settings and animations (and with no computer!). 7/10

"Edge of the City" (Martin Ritt, USA 1957)
Excellent movie close to Kazan's "on the waterfront" about the strong friendship between a man with a dark secret past (John Cassavetes) and a coloured docker (Sidney Poitier). They’ll have to face many adversities till the drama. Great filming and acting 8/10

"Make Way for Tomorrow" (Leo McCarey, USA 1937)
The favourite movie of Leo McCarey and it’s more personal. Certainly his best and his greatest failure with the critics and the public. It costs him his contracy with Paramount indeed. A difficult theme : a couple of elderly parents must live separated in both of their children… but soon cohabitation becomes difficult… Very fine and moving movie. 9/10

"Prime Cut" (Michael Ritchie, USA 1972)
Completely weird movie about a killer (Lee Marvin) hired by a godfather in Chicago to get back money from another crook settled in the deep country in Kansas (Gene Hackman). The citizens meets the rednecks in a bloody rendezvous… Crazy screenplay, very good filming excellent acting and the first movie of Sissy Spacek. Very good 8/10

"A Day of Fury" (Harmon Jones, USA 1956)
Strange B western strongly metaphoric and prefiguring crepuscular westerns of the 70’s. A gunfighter comes in a small quiet town and during 24 hours will bring the chaos revealing what realy hides behind clean frontages and minds. Only the marshal seems to afraid him. The metaphor of the corruptor, the devil, appears clearly here… A very original one. 8/10

"Wings of the Hawk" (Budd Boetticher, USA 1953)
A small western of Boetticher, not his best indeed but worth of watching. The selfish boss of th gold mine in Mexico (Van Heflin) get involved in the Mexican revolution when cruel colonel Ruiz wants to get his mine. He flees and join the rebels leaded by the beautiful Raquel Nogueira (Julie Adams). 7/10

"Siren of Atlantis" (Gregg C. Tallas, John Brahm, USA 1949)
Nice adaptation of the famous Pierre Benoît novel : L’Atlantide with international cast. Maria Montez is a beautiful Antinea and Jean-Pierre Aumont an handsome St. Avit. Even if less faithfull than the Jacques Feyder’s version of 1921 and 1932’s Pabst one it’s worth of watching. 7,5/10

"Le salaire de la peur" (Henri-Georges Clouzot, France/Italy, 1953)
Re-wathed on screen this wonderfull classic but everyone knows it… 9,5/10

"L’heure de la vérité" (Henri Calef, France/Israel, 1965)
A nazi war criminal takes the identity of one of his victim and hides in israel. He married a jewish girl who is waiting a baby. But a young amareican journalist makes a survey about the concentration camp where he was supposed to be… Excellent movie with great acting of Karlheinz Böhm. 8,5/10

"Camille" (George Cukor, USA 1936)
Great adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas’s novel with a mythic couple Greata Garbo Robert Taylor. The impossible love story between a young and handsome young man and a courtesan sick of tuberculosis. 9,5/10

"Unknown World" (Terry O. Morse, USA 1951)
A loose adaptation of Jules Vernes Novel Voyage to the center of the earth mixed up with atomic fear of the 50’s makes this small B interesting . Even if cheaply made, worth of watching. 7/10

"Tango Bar" (John Reinhardt, USA 1935)
A Spanish language movie made by the Paramount for south American public. A mix of comedy and crime cheap script but the occasion to watch and listen to the great great Carlos Gardel singing and dancing tango… For fans only 6,5/10.

to be continued... Tomorrow !

The last movie you'll see is the one I've directed myself.
Each shot could be a WTM snap.

Enjoy !

Some movies those last days...

"Manon" (Henri-Georges Clouzot, France 1949)
Great adaptation of Manon lescaux, the famous novel of l’Abbé Prévost. Very nice filming, srong acting. The redemption movie for Clouzot after WWII. 9/10

"Two Weeks in Another Town" (Vincente Minnelli, USA 1962)
Minelli gives us another much underated masterpiece, certainly too much cynicism and despair in this movie to be accepted. A clever vision of what was going on with cinema in the 60’s. Huge acting of Edward G. Robinson and Kirk Douglas, Cyd Charisse rarely so beautifull. The final sequence in the mad car is awsome... 9/10

"The Phantom Empire" (Otto Brower, B. Reeves Eason, USA 1935)
Complete weird Serial the only Sci-Fi Western Musical ever made. Gene Autry (Gene Autry) is a singing cowboy who must make every day his radio show at radio Ranch, otherwise he’ll lost the ranch. Some crooked scientist dicover radium under Radio Ranch and would like Autry and his friends go. Indeed Autry soon discover that the lost Altantis civilization is just 30000 feet under Radio Ranch but Queen Tika from Murania doesn’t want surfacers discover his civilization… Incredible serial from the vault delightfull for a B fan 8/10

"Island Captives" (Glenn Kershner, USA 1937)
A very poor exotic adventure movie involving a shipwreck, smuglers, fruits plantation, love triangle.. For Bfans only 6/10

"Freckles Comes Home" (Jean Yarbrough, USA 1942)
A very funny comedy with Mantan Moreland saving once more the movie. A young student get involved with thieves who want to attack the local bank and invest money in the building of an Highway… For B fans 6,5/10

"Mark of the Spur" (J.P. McGowan, USA 1932)
A poor routine B western about a cowboy who is wrongly accused of robbery by the false son of his boss. For B fans (5,5/10)

"Devil on Wheels" (Crane Wilbur, USA 1947)
An educational Teen movie about the danger of speed on the road. At that time 37,000 people were dying on the roads in car accidents in US. Here the funny element is that the parents don’t give the good example so their children who get involved in lethal accident… For B fans 6,5/10

"A Virgin in Hollywood" (Klaytan W. Kirby, USA 1953)
A poor sexploitation movie of the beginning of the 50’s, lot of binkinis and lascivious poses but of course no breasts neither butts (too soon). A naïve journalist of a small town goes to Hollywood to write articles about underground world of stars… 5/10

"Reckless Decision" (?? USA 1933)
This sexploitation movie uses indeed most of the time shots from a small pre-code movie Marriage on Approval directed by Howard Higgin the same year. There is another version with different story ! And this is absolutely not clear on IMdB who gives the cast for the two versions, TCM Db gives the plot of the other story… By the way the movie is about parents who are too severe with their girls and don’t let her have a free sexual life. There is great danger into it. It can ruin their lives… for example she can get drunk and marry and have all forgotten the next day ! A pure exploitation one. 6/10

"Wolf Call" (George Waggner, USA 1939)
Nice small adventure/romance losely adapted from Jack London (The Call of Wilderness…) A young man is send to Canada by his mining tycoon father to estimate the quality of an uranium mine. But there he must face the crooked manager who want his father to sell the mine to other company. He also meets a nice indian girl. With his faithfull dog Smokey he will have many adventures. Not bad at all even if low budget. 7/10

"I Accuse My Parents" (Sam Newfield, USA 1944)
Incredible movie about a young guy accused of murder who accuses his parents at trial. He says it’s their fault if he becomes a delinquent because they let him alone. Yes it’s a bad one but not as bad as many poor Bs of the time. The very low note on Imdb is due to the fact that most of the people might have watch the MST3K version. 5/10

The others...

“Sucide Squad” (Bernard B. Ray, USA 1935)
Poor B movie about a taxi driver in love with the daughter of the chief of the firemen… He will have to prov his courage to keep the belle. 6/10

“Buried Alive” (Victor Halperin, USA 1939)
The nurse of a state Prison will have to prove the innocence of the convict she is in love with… Before the death sentence. For B fans. 6,5/10

“The Egyptian “(Michael Curtiz, USA 1954)
Glorious sword ans sandals movie. The screenplay I a bit poor but huge filming and casting : Gene Tierney, Victore Mature… 7,5/10

“Elephant Boy” (Robert J. Flaherty, Zoltan Korda, UK 1937)
The firs film of the famous Sabu. The story of a boy and his elephant during a glorious hunting party to find wild elephants in the jungle. Nice filming of Kordan and Flaherty. 7,5/10

“Le père Goriot” (Robert Vernay, France 1945)
Nice adaptation of Balzac famous novel. Good acting even if the story would have desserved a better treatment. 7,5/10

“Spook Town” (Elmer Clifton, USA 1944)
A poor B western of the PRC with the trio of the Texas Rangers involved in the robbery of a bank and mysterious events in a ghost town. For B fans 6/10

“Love, Honor and Oh Baby!” (Charles Lamont, USA 1940)
The classic story of a desperate man who hires a killer to kill him but who after an accident loses his memory and meets a pretty girl… 6,5/10

“The Hunger Games” (Gary Ross, USA 2012)
Useless and poor plagiarism of Battle Royale (Kinji Fukasaku, 2000) for American teens audience. 7,2 on ImdB simply impossible to understand. In the same thema you can watch Le prix du danger (Yves Boisset, 1983) more interesting and La Decima vittima (Elio Petri, 1965) with Marcello Mastrioani and Ursula Andress much more fun ! 2/10

That's all for today...

So, I watched few movies during my field season lost in the mountains... but some...

"The Soul of a Monster" (Will Jason, USA 1944)
The wife of a dying surgeon calls evil forces to save her husband. Soon a strange woman Lilyan (Rose Hobarf very good) appears and saves him. Soon the surgeon leaves his wife and is under the control of Lylian. He soon realizes that Lylian want his soul in exchange for let him living. Quite good small B form the Columbia. 6,5/10


"The Man Between" (Carol Reed, UK 1953)
Berlin, during the early post WWII background. the British Susanne Mallison travels to visit his brother Martin who marries german Bettina. Susanne and Bettina mmets Ivi Kern (James Mason) a strange man from east Berlin who works for the soviets… He proposes Susanne to visit Berlin. Both fall in love and are involved in dangerous network of people bringing back people to the western side of the city… very good 8/10

"The Blood of the Vampire" (Henry Cass, UK 1958)
Dr. Callistratus makes research on blood cells and is accused of vampirism and killed. But with the help of a corrupt surgeon and his freaks assistant Carl he comes back to life but need fresh blood transfusion to survive…. Nice and terrifying transposition of the Dracula myth… 7/10

"The Missing Juror" (Budd Boetticher, USA 1944)
An early Budd Boetticher movie before he becomes famous with his westerns. After a trial where a man has been brought to death, the jurors begins to die one by one… A difficult case for the journalist who get involved in a love affair with Alice Hill one of the juror… A nice small B noir. 6,5/10

"Escape in the Fog" (Budd Boetticher, USA 1945)
Eileen Carr is a nurse who recovers after nervous breackdown. She makes dreams of a man being killed on a bridge. When she awakes and meets in the hospital Paul Devon and realizes that he’s the man in her dream… Very good small B noir with the excellent Nina Foch. 7/10

"The Thief" (Russell Rouse, USA 1952)
Very strange cold-war movie without any dialogs. Not a word is prounounced during all the movie. The story of a nuclear scientist involved in spy network and sells plans to a foreign country… But soon a member of the network, is accidentaly killed and things go wrong… 7,5/10

"The Mask of Dimitrios" (Jean Negulesco, USA 1944)
Excellent movie with Peter Lorre as a dutch writer who become involved in the investigation of the life of a famous agent Dimitrios Macropoulos (Zachary Scott excellent) supposed to be dead… He meets Mr. Peters (Sydney Greenstreet) an ex-associate of Dimitrios spoiled by him and who doesn’t seem to believe he’s dead… Excellent movie running thoughout Europe between the wars… 8,5/10

"Blind Alley" (Charles Vidor, USA 1939)
A dangerous murderer escapes from jail and kidnaps with his friends a famous psychiatrist and his family in order to wait the boat that will drive them to Mexico… But the boat doesn’t come… very interesting small B form the Columbia on Freudian background with a huge sequence of nightmare. 7,5/10

"Linda" (Dorothy Davenport, USA 1929)
This small silent movie deals with a young woman who is forced to marry an older but gentle man. But she’s in love with a young doctor. Nice drama of a director mostly known for her exploitation movies like The Road to Ruin or Sucker Money… 7/10

I also finished the Perry Mason movie series with the four last epidoes...

"The Case of the Lucky Legs" (Archie Mayo, USA 1935)
Another adventure of the famous lawyer Perry Mason with Warren William in the leading role. Margie wins a Lucky Legs Contest but the promoter leaves town before paying the price… Mr. Bradburry, suitor of Margie Hires Perry to find the promoter… But soon murder is commited… good second episode of the serie. 6,5/10

"The Case of the Velvet Claws" (William Clemens, USA 1936)
Perry Mason and his secretary Della Street finaly marriy in this forth episode of the adventures of the famous lawyer. But Perry is kidnapped by a woman. She wants him to stop a story that is coming out in the trash newspaper 'Spicy Bits' about her and an politician Peter Milner…. 6,5/10

"The Case of the Black Cat" (William C. McGann, Alan Crosland, USA 1936)
In this episode perry Mason, now played by Ricardo Cortez instead of Warren Williams, will have to investigate in a dark story of inheritance and murder. A good one. 6,5/10

"The Case of the Stuttering Bishop" (William Clemens, USA 1937)
In the last episode of the serie Donald Woods replaces Ricardo Cortez as Perry Mason. A bishop comes from Australia to ask Perry to find the true heiress of an old friend. He suspects an impostor to have taken the place of the true one… 6/10

to be continued...

Then I begin to watch the 12 movies of the Bomba Serie...

"Bomba, the Jungle Boy" (Ford Beebe, USA 1949)
First of the twelve movies about Bomba, the jungle boy… the tarzan of the Powerty Row, played by Johnny Sheffield who played Boy in the Weissmuller’s tarzan movies… In this one Bomba will help a photographer and his daughter to escape the numerous dangers of the jungle. 6,5/10

"Bomba on Panther Island" (Ford Beebe, USA 1949)
In ht second episode of it’s adventures, Bomba is tracking a murderous black panther and helps the inexperiented farmer Roberts to create a plantation. 6/10

"The Lost Volcano" (Ford Beebe, USA 1950)
In this third episode, Bomba will have to save a child kidnapped by thieves who want him to guide them to a hidden city near a volcano, full of jewels. 6,5/10

"Bomba and the Hidden City" (Ford Beebe, 1950)
In this fourth episode Bomba will fight the cruel emir Hassan who killed the previous Emir. Bomba will have to prove it and help the daughter of the pervious emir to get her inheritance… 6/10

Then some other oldies...

"Strangers in the Night" (Anthony Mann, USA 1944)
First appearance of Mann in the Film Noir, this one deals with a mentaly disturbrd eldery woman who creates the girl she never had and traps an ex-marines who comes back from war… A good small B to discover 7/10

"Ladies they Talk About" (Howard Bretherton William Keighley, USA 1933)
A very nice pre-code prison drama with a great performance of Barbara Stanwyck who deffinitivlely proves here she can play everything with great talent. 8/10

"Red Dust" (Victor Flemming, USA 1932)
Wonderfull exotic adventure movie in a studio jungle. A love square between a rough plantation manager (Clark Gabble) a prostitude (Jean Harlow absolutely fabulous), a high society woman (Mary Astor) and her husband (Gene Raymond). A pure pre-code movie with crude dialogs and strongly erotic scenes (see for examp;e the cult scene of the shower…). 8,5/10

"Possessed" (Clarence Brown, USA 1931)
Very nice melodrama with Joan Crawford and Clak Gable. A young girl fron the country becomes a gold digger and falls in love with a famous lawyer who wants to be governor… But he refuses to marry her because of previous bitter experiences… 8,5/10

"One Way passage" (Tay Garnett,USA 1932)
Wonderfull cmedy/drama about the meeting in a boat of a man comdamned to be hanged at it’s arrival in the US and a woman who has only fexw weeks to live… They fall in love but are unable to confess their terrible secret. A classic. 8,5/10

"Miss Pinkerton" (Lloyd Bacon, USA 1932)
Very funny parody of the whodunit and old dark house movies with the great Joan Blondell as a nurse engaged by the police to investigates in a dark mansion about a mysterious suicide which may be murder… 7,5/10

"The Doorway to Hell" (Archie Mayo, 1930)
One of the first gangster movie by Mayo whith a young Lew Ayers as a godfather who decides to retires and writes his memories. But as his empire he left to his friend Mileaway (James Cagney) is falling apart some tries to make him coming back by kidnapping his young brother who dies accidentaly. Now he will come back but for revenge. Very interesting movie 8/10

"The Mind Reader" (Roy Del Ruth, USA 1933)
During the depression a man decides to become the great Chandra a Mind Reader. Of course it’s fake but thing will go to far… In this pre-code movie on a background of comedy and romance the clear demonstration of the effects of the depression on people, generating swindle exploiting the credulity generated by powerty and despair. A nice one… 7,5/10

To be continued...

You get lost in the mountains somewhere and you watch movies?! No hunting for bears, checking caves for bats and catching thousands of beetles to study?