I'm a bit more than 2100 m high... but as you can see no forest, no caves and not a lot of houses for bats... and yeah, lot of marmots, Ibex, chamois, hares and many rodents... and many birds... among them eagles, vultures and even lammergeyers and ptarmigans... but maily flowers ;)

Those lammergeyers are part of a reintroduction population, though.. Some people who play the birding game can't "count" them because of this ;) Personally, I don't give a crap when they are born in the wild.

Some movies I saw sinc I'm back to the plain...

"Flirtation" (Leo Birinsky, USA 1934)
In this small B, the classic thema of the country Guy who goes to town and meets a girl who works as a dancer. Indeed his dog has also some love adventures in the city. For B Fans 5,5/10

"Ferocious" Pal (Spencer Gordon Bennet, USA 1934)
The second adventure of the famous dog Kazan. In this one Kazan will help the hero wrongly accused of murder to find the real culprit. For B fans 6/10

"The Crusader" (Frank R. Strayer, 1932)
Nice small B movie about justice and journalism… An attorney put to electric chair a woman who claims having killing because of passion. A newspaperman accuse him of cruelty and discover that the sister of the attorney may be involved in a similar case of murder. 7/10

"Chained for Life" (Harry L. Fraser, USA 1951)
One of the weirdest plot ever. Two Siamese sisters are on trial. One of the two killed the fiancée of the other as she was asleep… Can one only of the Siamese twins be condemned… Strange end somewhat sad movie with the real siaamese twins the Hamilton sisters who had indeed a very sad life… Some parts of the movie are clearly inspired from their true life… A pure exploitation curiosity 7/10

"The Pace that Kills" (aka “The Cocaine Fiends” aka “Cocaine Madness”) (William A. O'Connor, USA 1935)
Another exploitation movie about a country girls who follows a dealer from the big city and becomes a drug addict… Another B exploitation movie of the 30’s… For B fans only 5,5/10

"Female Fugitive" (William Nigh, USA 1938)
A woman, unaware of the truck hijacking activities of her husband get involved in a case of a policeman murder. She will have to prove her innocence. For B fans 6,5/10

"Escort Girl" (Edward E. Kaye, 1941)
Another small exploitation B from the vault in which a young girl discovers that her mother in involved in an escort bureau who sells girls and guy to rich people. But soon she falls in live with an escort buddy… For B fans 5/10

"Test Tube Babies" (W. Merle Connell, 1948)
A complete weird movie which is only an excuse for showing the nice legs of Doroty Duke as Cathy who discovers that her husband is sterile and they have to use artificial insemination… 4/10

"Ten Nights in a Bar-Room" (William A. O'Connor, 1931)
A nice small B about the danger of drinking…. 6,5/10

"Omoo-Omoo the Shark God" (Leon Leonard, 1949)
A weird exotic adventure movie inspired from Hermann Melville (very slightly indeed) A strange story of a captain doomed after having stolen the eyes of Omoo the shark god on an island. Those eyes are two enormous black pearls… 6/10

"Mad Youth" (Melville Shyer, USA 1940)
A daughter fall in love with the escort guy of her mother… She’s forced to leave home and become a prostitute… Another Poor B exploitation B from the vault… 5/10

"Gambling with Souls" (Elmer Clifton, USA 1936)
A woman discovers the danger of gambling and become a prostitute after she lost all her money. Another educational B movie from the vault. 5/10

"Wild Weed" (Sam Newfield, USA 1949)
A chorus girl's career is ruined and her brother is driven to suicide when she starts smoking marijuana. Very interesting B with the beautifull Lila Leeds who was arrested the year before with Robert Mitchum in a…. marijuana party. Her carrier was then ruined… not the one of Mitchum on the contrary. Once more the illustration that it’s harder when you’re a woman in a man’s world… The movie in itself is not as bad as expected especially thanx to Lila Leeds performance. 6,5/10

"The Terror of Tiny Town" (Sam Newfield, USA 1938)
The only western-musical exclusively played by dwarves…. No need to say more. 4/10

"Sex Madness" (Dwain Esper, USA 1938)
Directed by the mythic Espers this movie deals with the rare thema of Syphillis and quite directly. Very transgressive for it’s time, a pure curiosity… 5/10

To be continued...

Other movies I watched those last days...

"Terrain Vague" (aka "Wasteland") (Marcel Carné, France / Italy, 1960)
A poorly known movie of Marcel Carné about a gang of teenagers in a poor suburbs of Paris. They meet in a wasteland and share their bore… The leader is a tough girl who can’t confess her lfeelings to the guy she loves… Very interesting movie with good social background. 8/10

"Tess" (Roman Polanski (France/UK 1984)
I re-watched with much pleasure this wonderful melodrama. Very nice filming. 8,5/10

"Jewel Robbery" (William Dieterle, USA 1932)
A very funny and cynic comedy about a gentleman-robber (William Powell) who meets a pretty and rich countess during a robbery in Vienna. They of course fall in love… Very nice pre-code movie. 8/10

"While New York Sleeps" (H. Bruce Humberstone, USA 1938)
A small crime movie about a newspaperman and his photographer investigating in a case of murder of bond-carriers. During his investigation he will meet a nice dancer in a club… For B fans only 6/10

"Entre onze heures et minuit" (aka "Between Eleven and Midnight") (Henri Decoin, France 1949)
Excellent french crime movie with an excellent Louis Jouvet as a policeman who discovers the body of a counterfeiter who looks exactly like his twin brother. As he’s investigating in the room of the victim he decides to take his place… 8,5/10

"Lawyer Man" (William Dieterle, USA 1932)
Nice pre-code comedy about a poor lawyer (William Powell) who one day defends a guy from his disctrict against a famous attorney and wins… Now a new carrier makes him a rich lawyer. But he’ll get involved in serious trouble with blackmail… He will be helped by his faithful secretary (Joan Blondell)… Very funny and cynic comedy. 8/10

"Ombline" (Stéphane Cazes, France / Belgium, 2012)
Nice acting of Mélanie Thierry in this prison drama but too much clichés and not enough commitment in this movie to make it very interesting. The story of a young tough girl comdamned to prison after a fight and who discover she’s pregnant. She’s at first allowed to care about her baby but then must let him go in another family till she get released… 7/10

"Sylvie et le fantôme" (Claude Autant-Lara, France 1946)
Lot of poetry is this small ferytale movie about a young girl who lives in a castle and imagines the existence of a phantom of a famous and beautiful hunter on a painting. His father must sell the painting and to confort her imagine to hire some guys to play the role of the phantom. When the real Phantom learns about it, he decides to step in… 7,5/10

"Woman’s Secret" (Nicholas Ray, USA 1949)
A woman accuse herself for an attempt of murder. Some of his friends are sure she’s innocent but they’ll have to prove it against her will. Nice film-noir with great Maureen O’Hara and Gloria Grahame. 8/10

"Flying Fists" (Robert F. Hill, USA 1937)
A small B movie about an ex-boxer who discover a very strong lumberjack and make him a champ. But soon the new champ get involved in rigged fights… For B fans only. 6/10

"Love in the Afternoon" (Billy Wilder, USA 1957)
Re-watched with much fun this classic Wilder comedy made in a pure Lubitsch way… Audrey Hepburn is simply delightful 9/10

"Tomorrow is Another Day" (Felix E. Feist, USA 1951)
An ex-convict who almost know nothing about the world outside is soon forced to run aay with a girl who tell him he commited a murder she commited. Nice noir with happy ending for one time… 8/10

"Outlaw Deputy" (Otto Brower, USA 1935)
A small B western with the great TimMcCoy who is an ex-bandit who becomes deputy ti fight the gang of a crooked busineeman. 5,5/10

"West of Rainbow’s End" (Alan James, USA 1938)
Another small B western with Tim McCoy. In this one he’s a detective of a railroad company who investigates on mysterious robberies of postal trains and murders of cowboys in a ranch at Rainbow’s End… For B fans only. 6/10

"Hard to Handle" (Mervyn LeRoy, USA 1933)
A very cynic comedy about a smart guy who becomes a tycoon of advertising by abusing people’s credulity. But as fast he rose as fast he could fall… 8/10

"The Guilt of Janet Ames" (Henry Levin, USA 1947)
Very strange psychological film-noir about a girl searching for revenge for the death of her husband during war who sacrifices his own life to save five other guys. Sh wants to prove herself that their lives wasn’t woth to be saved. But one day she’s got an accident and remains unable to walk again. One of the five guys comes and is sure it’s psychological and try to cure her by hypnosis… Strange movie indeed but interrsting and with nice filming. 7,5/10

to be continued..

i Watched Iron Man 3.
http://www.muvi.com

“Seven Keys to Baldpate” (Reginald Barker, USA 1930)
The novel and the play have been at least adapted six times on the screen this one is the first speaking version filmed by RKO. The movie is faythfull to the play and less to the novel especially in its’ twisted ending. Richard Dix is quite good 7/10

“Seven Keys to Baldpate” (William Hamilton, Edward Killy, USA 1935)
This second speaking adaptation of the novel and the plays is more filmed in a old dark house way and more faithfull to the novel. 6,5/10

“Seven Keys to Baldpate” (Lew Landers, USA 1947)
The last RKO adaptation of Seven Keys to Baldpate is made ten years after the previous one and the difference is quite important. This version is filmed in a pure noirish way with lot of gunshots and even femme-fatale. It’s the less faithfull version toward the original novel but quite interesting 7/10

“Thunder in the Pines” (Robert Gordon, USA 1948)
A funny small comedy with the furure Superman George Reeves and the ex-Dick Tracy Ralph Byrd. A couple of lumberjacks tries to seduce the sam golddigger girl who will marry a third one… 7/10

“Jungle Goddess” (Lewis D. Collins, USA 1948)
A small B jungle adventure with George Reeves and Ralph Byrd who discover a lost woman who became the white goddess of a native tribe. For B fans only. 6/10

“Island of Doomed Men” (Charles Barton, USA 1940)
A Columbia B movie whit a thema very near Devil’s Island featuring Boris Karloff. Here Peter Lorre is a mad guy who recruits ex-convict on parole to make them work till death in his island… An agent infiltrate the place… 6,5/10

“Plein Soleil” (René Clément, France/Italy 1960)
Excellent Clément movie. An unusual thriller about murder and substitution of identity. Huge filming and a great Alain Delon. 8,5/10

“Twelve Angry Men” (Sidney Lumet, USA 1957)
I re-watched with much fun this very good movie. But everybody knows it. 9/10

“The Wind” (Victor Sjöström, USA 1928)
I rewatched with so much fun this wonderfull movie. Certainly one of the best movies of the silent era. 10/10

“The Big Chase” (Arthur Hilton, Robert L. Lippert Jr., USA 1954)
A small B-noir from Lippert Pictures using large amount of footages of a previous 36D short to make this movie about the chase of a policeman after a gang all across the town using car, boat, helicopter… For B fans only 6/10

“Danger Zone” (William Berke, USA 1951)
A small two part movie about a detective and his drunk pal who solve difficult cases. This movie (and two others) were produced by Lippert pictures to be used later as 26 minutes episodes for a TV serie… The economy of B’s… 6/10

“David Harding, Counterspy” (Ray Nazarro, USA 1950)
A nice small cold war B movie about a dangerous group of spy for a foreign country who tries to steal plans for secret weaopons by infiltrating factories… 7/10

“Alimony Madness” (B. Reeves Eason, USA 1933)
A strange and weird movie about a man pushed to ruin after the 1929 crack because he has to pay alimony to his ex-wife who spend the money for her Pekingese… The new girl of the man going mad kills the ex-wife and goes on trial… A strange B for connoisseur 7/10

other movies of those last weeks...

“Border Guns” (Robert J. Horner, Jack Nelson, USA 1934)
A small B western with great Bill Cody who as a marshal is in charge to infiltrate a smuggling gang. But a love triangle will make the things go in a different way as expected… for B fans 6/10

“Lightning Carson Rides Again” (Sam Newfield, USA 1938)
In this small B western, the great Tim McCoy is Lightning Bill Carson who investigates to prove the innocence of his nephew wrongly accused of murder. For B fans 5,5/10

“Song of the trail” (Russell Hopton, USA 1936)
In this small B western Kermit Maynard is Jim Carter and has to help the old Dan Hobson who has benne cheated in a poker game and lost his mine. 6/10

“The Lone Rider in Ghost Town” (Sam Newfield, USA 1941)
In theis episode the Lone Rider (Tom Cameron) and his apl Fuzzy (Al St. John) investigate a ghost town where they find the entrance of a secret gold mine and a gang which terrorize the country. For B fans 6/10

“Phantom Thunderbolt” (Alan James, USA 1933)
In this small B western the Thunderbold Kid (Ken Maynard) will help the citizens of a small town to fight a gang who terrorize the region because they don’t want a railroad to go through the town. Very nice small B 7/10

“Ryan's Daughter” (David Lean, UK 1970)
Very nice movie of Lean with huge filming and nice acting of Robert Mitchum eand Sarah Miles. 9/10

“So Dark the Night” (Joseph H. Lewis, USA 1946)
A huge Noir by Lewis transposed in the French countryside. A policeman takes some vacation in the country and fall in love with the daughter of the Inn manager. But soon she’s murdered and ther her previous an jalous local fiancé too… Our inspector investigates till the inbelievable conclusion… Excellent 8,5/10

“Lightning Strikes West” (Harry L. Fraser, 1940)
In this small western Ken Maynard is Lighting Ken Morgan investigate after dangerous Butch Taggard escaped from jail to recover the hidden gold he stole some years ago… 6/10

“Le samouraï“ (Jean-Pierre Melville, France/Italy 1967)
Excellent film-noir with an huge Alain Delon. “Il N'y a pas De Plus Profonde Solitude Que Celle Du Samourai » as it is said at the beginning of the movie and Melville tells it right. 9/10

“A Man Betrayed” (John H. Auer, USA 1936)
A small B about a missionary who comes back to the US and who’ll have to prove the innocence of his brother in the murder of a crooked businessman. 6/10

“Inside the Law” (Hamilton MacFadden, 1942)
A group of thieves want to retire in Californy but they find the drunk new manager of a bank and decide to take his place and infiltrate the bank, which is almost moneyless. Now their mission is to make the bank rich in order to stel it ! A nice small crime comedy. 6/10

“The Fighting Deputy” (Sam Newfield, USA 1937)
Tom Bentley (Fred Scott) is the sheriff of a small town. He wants to mary Alice but shewants him to quit this job. But when Tom’s father is killed during the wedding Tommust get back his badge… For B fans 6/10

to be continued...

The last ones...

“Gallant Lady” (William Beaudine, USA 1942)
Rosemary Walsh is a doctor wrongly accused of murder who escape from jail taken as an hostage by other prisonners who then let her go. The meets a nice doctor Stave who decides to help her. They soon fall in love… 6,5/10

“Confidential” (Edward L. Cahn, USA 1935)
Nice early Cahn movie about a Federal agent who seeks to avenge the murder of his friend by going undercover in a numbers racket. Of course things won’t go as expected… 6/10

“Girl on the Run” (Arthur J. Beckhard, Joseph Lee, USA 1953)
A strange B-noir about a man wrongly accused of the murder of his editor who hides in a funfair where he knows he can find clues… A strange movie to discover 6,5/10

“Mille milliard de dollars” (Henri Verneuil, France 1982)
A classic story of a journalist (Patrick Dewaere) who discover a big financial plot with an American trust who doesn’t want anybody to discover files proving they had a double play during WWII. Not bad. 7,5/10

“Rebecca” (Alfred Hitchcock, USA 1940)
Re-watched with pleasure this classic that everybody knows. 9/10

”Docks of San Francisco” (George B. Seitz, USA 1932)
Very nice B-drama about a girl Belle (Mary Nolan, excellent) who’s the girl of a dangerous crook Vance (John Davidson) and who’ll desperately try to find redemption…. 7/10

“Malay Nights” (E. Mason Hopper, USA 1932)
Another nice B-drama about a poor girl who mary the owner of a pearl bed in a malay island. His ex-boyfriend comes an beats her. While she’s at the hospital her husband thinkink she had abandoned their child takes him to his island. Out of the hospital she only want to see her son again… 6,5/10

“Roar of the Press” (Phil Rosen, USA 1941)
A famous reporter goes on honey moon but soon he sees he man falling from a buiding, a new scoop for him… But job or honeymoon is a difficult choice… 6/10

Then I watched the three MGM movies involving the famous detective character Nick Carter plyed by a great Walter Pidgeon who can be watched as James Bond’s ancestor.

“NickCarter,Master Detective” (Jacques Tourneur, USA 1939)
This early Tourneur movie is a small B full of action. In this first episode detective Nick Carter is brought in to foil spies at the Radex Airplane Factory, where a new fighter plane is under manufacture. 7/10

“Phantom Raiders” (Jacques Tourneur, USA 1940)
In this one Nick carter (Walter Pidgeon) has to investigate about mysterious rash of cargo ship sinkings in Panama which leads insurers of London to hire him. The thieves use bombs activated from a distance by radio in a pure James Bond Way… 7/10

“Sky Murder” (George B. Seitz, USA 1940)
In this movie a suspected spy is murdered during flight. The suspect is a beaitifull model who is blackmailed by a spy ring… 6,5/10

“The Honeymoon Killers” (Leonard Kastle, USA 1969)
At our cineclub we proposed this excellent movie. Much of the spectators discovered this movie and enjoyed a lot. 8,5/10

The a small serie of western involving Jimmy Wakely the last singing cowboy

“Oklahoma Blue” (Lambert Hillyer, USA 1948)
In this one Jimmy and his pal Cannonball will fight a gang who doesn(t want the railroad to go through the town of Rainbow’s End. This is a partial remake of Phamtom Thunderbold (1932)

“Cowbboy Cavalier” (Derwin Abrahams, USA 1948)
In this one Jimmy and Cannonball help the owner of a stage and freight line to fight smugglers who attack the convoys. 6,5/10

“Partners of the Sunset” (Lambert Hillyer, USA 1948)
Jimmy and Cannonball try to help the son of a farmer who believes that the brand new (nd young) bride of his father is a gold-digger. When his father fired him he associates with thieves… 6,5/10

"Gun Law Justice” (Lambert Hillyer, USA 1949)
Jimmy and Cannonball helps Hank Cardigan an ex-convicts to get a job and a normal life but Hank’s ex-pals have a different point of view. 6,5/10

Then some B-westerns staring the great Johnny Mack Brown…

“Outlaw Gold” (Wallace Fox, USA 1950)
Marshal Johnny Mack Brown investigates about gold smuggling across the Mexican border 6/10

“Man from Sonora” (Lewis D. Collins, USA 1951)
Marshal Johnny Mack Brown investigate on the gang leaded by Hooper a rich farmer who attackwith his gang the gold and money shipment of the local bank and then borrows money to the banker… 6/10

“Oklahoma Justice” (Lewis D. Collins, USA 1951)
Marshal Johnny Mack Brown poese as a dangerous bandit to discover the real leader of a mysterious gang headed in secret by old Ma Posey… 6,5/10

“Texas Lawmen” (Lewis D. Collins, USA 1951)
Marshal Johnny Mack Brown helps a new sheriff to fight a gang of robbers. But the sheriff was also a thief when he was young and is blackmailed by the gang leader who knows the trueth… 6/10

That's all for today... Next week in Lyon's festival...

I just came back from my local cinema where they show a George Cukor retrospective this month.

"Born Yesterday" (George Cukor, USA 1950)
A criminal businessman (Broderick Crawford) wants his "dumb blonde" fiance (Judy Holliday) to get smarter so as to be representable in society. Therefore, he hires a journalist to tutor her (William Holden) but he will not like the result at all.
I must say, this is one of the funniest movies I watched recently. Quite an unusual story (for a romcom) goes along with brilliant acting. Judy Holiday is just spot-on perfect in this role. (9/10)
There is one scene where they play cards which really stands out. Hilarious! You can watch it here: https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1162215541579

Hi @fungus ! Looks great !! What other Cukor did you watched in this retrospective ??

Then two early Henri Verneuil movies...

“Les amants du Tage“ (aka “Lovers' Net“) (Henri Verneuil, France 1955)
Nice early movie of Henri Verneuil with great acting of Françoise Arnoul, Daniel Gelin and an impressive Trevor Howard as the frightening inspector tracing for years the beautiful murderer of her rich husband he knows guilty although she was declared innoncent. 8/10

“Des gens sans importance“ (aka “People of No Importance“) (Henri Verneuil, France 1956)
Certainly one of the best movie of Verneuil. The tragic love story of a young maid workin in a restaurant (Françoise Arnoul) and an old truckdriver (Jean Gabin) 9/10

A nice serie about the transition between silent and talking cinema

“Lonesome“ (Pál Fejös, USA 1928)
Nice late silent movie about two young lonesome lovers who meet in the madness of Coney Island and then get lost in the crowd without any way to meet again but… 8,5/10

“Ze soboty na nedeli“ (aka “From Saturday to Sunday”) (Gustav Machatý, Czechoslovakia /Austria, 1931)
Nice early tlaky of eastern cinema, the adventures of Magda a young secretary during the night from Saturday to Sunday... An excellent movie showing the new possibilities of talking movie with excellent and very modern acting. 8/10

“The Jazz Singer“ (Alan Crosland, USA 1927)
For the first time in the world the brand new restored copy of the first talking movie… A good one 8/10

“Dans la nuit“ (Charles Vanel, France 1929)
One of the last french silent movie made in France. A dark tale of love and murder in a small French village where people are working in mines… just the ending is a bit disappointing. The only movie directed by the famous French actor Charles Vanel. 8/10

Then some other movies...

“8 Million Ways to Die“ (Hal Ashby, USA 1986)
The last movie of Hal Ashby, certainly not his best. A typical crime movie of the 80’s with a “Fuck” every two words or almost so. With a young Jeff Bridges a ridiculous Andy Garcia a cute Rosanna Arquette and a hot Alexandra Paul. But not as bad as I expected. 6/10

“Une femme douce“ (aka “A Gentle Creature”) (Robert Bresson, France 1969)
A Bresson’s classic with Dominique Sanda. The chronic of the death of a young girl who marries a young middle-class pawnbroker. But soon she get bored and then begins a slow agony till suicide… 9/10

“High School Confidential!” (Jack Arnold, USA 1958)
A Z grade movie presented by QT himself. Very funny and weird with excellent and hilarious dialogs… for Z grad fans 8/10 for others much less…

“Le bonheur“ (Marcel L'Herbier, France 1935)
Powerful and surprisingly extremely modern movie of L’Herbier about an anarchist (Charles Boyer awsome) who tries to kill a singer (Gaby Morlay) only because she’s well known. Then a strange trial begins and a complex and wonderful love story begins… Excellent 9/10

"Les amours de minuit“ (aka “The Lovers of Midnight“) (Augusto Genina, Marc Allégret, France 1931)
An interesting early french talky which clearly shows some parts directly influenced by silent movie (editing, shooting angles, and some parts where you clearly can see director and actors searching to find their way with the new possibilities offered by talking cinema. A movie to discover. 8/10

“Roma, città aperta“ (aka “Rome, Open City”) (Roberto Rossellini, Italy 1945)
I rewatched this classic in a new restored copy. Great. 9,5/10

“Une si jolie petite plage“ (aka “ Riptide“) (Yves Allégret, France/Netherlands 1949)
Certainly the best movie of the trilogy of despair that Allégret directed at the end of the 40’s. A dark story of a man (Gérard Philippe in its best performance ever) who hides in a sordid hotel in a blasted land along the sea… Awsome 9,5/10

“Gli ultimi“ (aka “The Last“ )(Vito Pandolfi, Italy 1963)
A true discovery. The rural exodus in the Italian Friuli seen through the eyes of a child… wonderfull movie with non professional actirs who are simply amazing…. A sumptuous photography too… 9/10

The festival was also the way to meet some well known people like Quantin Tarantino (a bit fatty in those days...) Uma Thurman, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Françoise Arnoul, Dominique Sanda and of course Peggy Cummins... And many others... Rendez-vous in 2014 for the sixth edition...

@RDPL55 : Until now, I also did watch "Dinner at Eight" (George Cukor, USA 1933)
The movie follows different characters which all are invited to the same dinner party, and everybody has something to hide. Great movie with a very interesting storyline (8/10)

I hope I can watch some more of the retrospective in the next few weeks.

There is another retrospective running in the same cinema at the same time. It's about French movies from the 20s. Unfortunately, I couldn't make time for that so far. A shame. Maybe you want to look at the program, I'm sure you have watched most of it (for me it's only "L'argent"):
http://www.filmpodium.ch/Programm/ReiheInfo.aspx?t=1&r=13

@doooom, yes, she was there and I must admit it was for me a wonderful moment of emotion to see her... She's 87 now but still has her bright blue eyes !

the other movies I watched recently...

“The Back Page” (Anton Lorenze, USA 1934)
A young journalist decides to go go to work in the newspaper of a ltltle towne after her editor reject one of her article. She makes the paper successful and get involved in a strange story of oil wells… For B fans 6,5/10

“Behind the Green Light” (Christy Cabanne, USA 1935)
Loosely adapted from the autobiography of famous police rofficer Cornelius W. Willemse, this small B tells the story of a cop involved in a dark story and who arrest guys who are released by his girlfriend who works for a crooked attorney until her father is killed…. For B fans 6/10

“Arson Gang Busters” (Joseph Kane, USA 1938)
A small B movie about a fireman who infiltrate an arson gang after his best friend died in a fire. A movie directed by western director Joe Kane and with furure wester star Bob Livingston and Jack La Rue as the villain as usual. Jackie Moran ex star-child is also here. For B fans only. 6/19

“X Marks the Spot” (George Sherman, USA 1942)
This small Republic crime movie is about tires smuggling during WWII. A courageous police detective will have to investigate about the dangerous gang and discover who murderer his old friend. He will be helped by a nice radio disk jockey Linda and his colleague Bill. But… Quite good screenplay with a nice twisted endeing and good direction of Sherman despite few means. 7/10

“Lawless Land” (Albert Ray, USA 1937)
A smallB western with Johnny Mack Brown as ranger Jeff Hayden who investigates about the murder of an old rancher and will have to help her daughter to escape a greedy businessman and murderer indeed. 6/10

“The Power and the Glory” (William K. Howard, USA 1933)
Excellent but poorly known movie written by Preston Sturges and which initiates the narratage movement? Even if now forgotten this word (narration+ montage) illustrate a type of narration with flashback and a narrator? This movie is about the story of the rise and fall of a railroad tycoon which is narrated by his best friend after his death by suicide. The movie begins with the burial and gives many flashbacks in a random succession, without linearity. The same year another more complex movie will be produced the wonderful “The Sin of Nora Moran” (Phil Goldstone). Both of them had a great influence on Orson Welles workon Citizen Kane ten years later. (Wells clearly declared that he watched at least the Sin of Nora Moran). A rarity to discover with a very good Spencer Tracy. 9/10

“Gewalt! Gewalt: shojo geba-geba” (Kôji Wakamatsu, Japan 1969)
A strange an weird movie which belongs to the “Pink” movement of Japanese cinema, mixing strong erotism and crude violence. This one is especialy beautiful. 8/10

“Find the Blackmailer” (D. Ross Lederman, USA 1943)
A small B produced by the Warner. It can be seen as a light parody of the Matese Falcon in which a very ‘cool’ detective and his secretary are looking for a a vanishing crow who can speak... and who knows some secrets… A good small B. 6,5/10

“The Smiling Ghost” (Lewis Seiler, USA 1941
A nice small old dark house very funny about an heiress seems to be cursed as each of her intended grooms meets with a horrible end. Her grandmother engage a jobless ingenieur to ‘play’ the fiancée in order to trap the killer… 6,5/10

“The Hidden Hand” (Benjamin Stoloff, USA 1942)
Excellent small old dark house movie produced par the B department of the Warner. A mad killer escapes from asylum and takes refuge to the house of her sister. Together they decide to trap their relatives (mostly nephews and their wives) because they only think to get their money… Trully funny small B. 7/10

To be continued...

“Tôkyô boshoku” (aka “Tokyo Twilight”) (Yasujirô Ozu, Japan 1957)
Excellent Ozu movie and certainly it’s darkest one. Also his last b/w movie but all the art of Ozu his here in this dark story of a girl raised by her lonely father who get pregnant and practice abortion. 9/10

“Thomas l'imposteur“ (Georges Franju, France 1965)
Adapterd from a Jean Cocteau Novel. The story of a young orphan who is 16 years old during WWI. He takes the dentity of the nephew of a well known general to enter a red cross convoy and meet a rich countess. Lot of poetry on tragic background in this nice Franju movie… 8/10

“Retour à l'aube“ (Henri Decoin, France 1938)
Nice Henri Decoin movie with a young and beautifum Danielle Darrieux. A naïve country girl iun hungary learns that and old aunt died in Budapest. She has to go in the big city to see the lawyers and get som money. But the city is a place of many tentations… 7,5/10

“Bulldog Drummond Escapes“ (James P. Hogan, USA 1937)
In this episode of the serie Hugh ‘Bulldog’ Drummond becomes a prisoner when he intents to protect a beautiful heiress of an espionage organization. As in all episodes lot of action and a good dose of humour. 6,5/10

“Bulldog Drummond Comes Back” (Louis King, USA 1937)
In this one Phyllis, the girlfriend Hugh ‘Bulldog’ Drummond has been kidnapped by an enemy of Drummond who seeks revenge. For B fans only 7/10

“Bulldog Drummond’s Bride” (James P. Hogan, USA 1939)
A bank-robbery in London prevents, one mor time, the marriage of Bulldog Drummond with his girlfriend Phyllis. They finaly will after a big chase up to France ! For B fns 7/10

“Condemned to Live” (Frank R. Strayer, USA 1935)
A nice vampire tale with a creenplay very similar to the Vampire Bat also directed by Strayer some years before. The story of a man cursed who transform in a vampire and then forgets everything… Nice small B. 7/10

“Fargo” (Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, USA 1996)
Rewatched with fun this movie but was a bit less anthousiatic as the first time with this Cohen movie, contrary to Thr Big Lebowsky I watch always with the same pleasure… 8/10

“Rambo: First Blood Part II" (George P. Cosmatos, USA 1985)
Very funny indeed, I would say Camp and Kitch in much respects… a good expensive B movie. 6,5/10

“Rambo III” (Peter MacDonald, USA 1988)
The weekest of the serie…. Sometimes laughtable. 4,5/10

“Offret” (aka “The Sacrifice”) (Andrei Tarkovsky, France/Sweden/UK, 1986)
We proposed the last Tarkowky’s movie at our cineclub. And there was quite lot of people to watch this dark tale… And I much appreciate to watch it again... 9/10

“Maciste all'inferno” (aka “Maciste in Hell“) (Guido Brignone, Italy 1926)
I watched this excellent silent movie (certainly the best Maciste movie) with lot of fun and with a concert with a small orchestra of 16 musicians… very good 8/10.

the others...

“Human Targets” (J.P. McGowan, USA 1932)
In this small B western Buzz Barton will have to fight a gang of thieves and escape the sheriff who believes he’s guilty of a murder and robbery… for B fans 6,5/10

“Frontier Outlaws” (Sam Newfield, USA 1944)
A poor B western with Buster Crabbe posing as Billy Carson a brave gold miner who gets in trouble with a noxious gang… 5,5/10

“The Mysterious Rider” (Sam Newfield, USA 1942)
Another ultra-poor B western of the PRC with Buster Crabbe posing this time as Billy The Kid who’ll get in muche troubles with his pal Fuzzy… 5/10

“Under Texas Skies” (J.P. McGowan, USA 1930)
A very interesting early talky western with Bob Custer who’s a secret agent investigating about the disappearance of an officer of the US cavalery who cames to buy some horses for the army… Formaly perfectly inbetwween silent and talking westerns… 7/10

“Riders of the North” (J.P. McGowan, USA 1931)
Bob Custer poses as a Mountie in this small and poor B movie. He will investigate about the murtder of two trappers and try to prove that the brother of his girlfriend has been wrongly accused fo the murder… 6/10

“Muerte de un ciclista” (aka "Death of a Cyclist") (Juan Antonio Bardem, Spain/Italy 1955)
Excellent movie about an illegitimate couple in the spain of Franco who one day has an accident. They hurt a cyclist and leave him dying. Soon the girl get suspiciopus when a friend of her begins to blackmail her… Wonderfull acting filming and editing… Excellent. 9/10

“Paris n'existe pas” (Robert Benayoun, France 1969)
A strang and weird movie about a guy who one day smoke a strange cigarette at a party and then begins to see the future and the past… Then things go worse and worse with his girlfriend. Soemwhat surrealistic movie but a bit disappointing. 7/10

“Seven Days to Noon” (John Boulting, Roy Boulting, UK 1950)
Excellent post-war thriller about a mad scientist who steal a H bomb in a secret lab and put it in the center of London. He then launch an ultimatum. The Government must stop all nuclear research or the bomn will destroy London in exactly seven days… Excellent suspense, great movie. 8,5/10

“Two Girls for a Madman” (Stanley H. Brassloff, USA 1968)
A pure sexploitation roughty of the 60’s. A mad sexual maniac attacks two dancers… for B fans only 5,5/10

“Mr. Mari's Girls” (William K. Hennigar, USA 1968)
Mister Mary is a strange man who never leave his apartment but many nice girls involved in strange and weird stories are coming to him… A strang sexploitation movie with drug, interacial rape, homosexual wedding and so on… for B fans only 5/10

“Bôryoku gai” (aka “Violent Streets”) (Hideo Gosha, Japan 1974)
A very violent crimemovie for it’s tilme. Very nice screenplay and filming. 8/10

“Letyat zhuravli" (aka “When Cranes are Flying”) (Mikhail Kalatozov, SSSR 1957)
At our cineclub we proposed this true classic. People enjoyed very much and the discutions push us very late in the night. But everybody knows it. 10/10

That's all for the moment....

Then, I continue my exploration of dark sides of cinema by some pure exemples of underground exploitation movies of the 60's...

“Tortured Females” (Arch Hudson, USA 1968)
Mr. Big and Karl are leaders of a white slave smuggling, they kidnbap and torture innocent girls and send them. One day Helen escapes, join the local sheriff and tells him her story… Pure roughty-nudie of the 60’s with lot of torture and bondage scenes… for exploitation movies fans only 5,5/10

“The Ghastly Ones” (Andy Milligan, 1968)
Directed by the cult New York director Andy Milligan, the ghastly one is a very gory and nudie movie involving three couple who must stay in a house three days before the last wills of the father of the three women being open. But suddently they begin to be killed… 1000% pure exploitation for this weird and sick movie… 6,5/10

“Seeds” (Andy Milligan, USA 1968)
Another exploitation gem by the great Andy Milligan in which an alcoholic matriarch terrorizes her spoiled, grown-up children during a family meeting where one of them flips out and begins killing all of them to get back at years of neglect and abuse. Another great sick and disturbed movie from Milligan. 6/10

“Alice in Acideland” (John Donne, USA 1969)
Alice and Kathy discover sex and drug with the help of Frieda… But taking too much drug can drive you to madnesss. This is the sad experience that will have to face Helen. Directed in b/w and in color for the hallucination scenes, a pure exploitation movie with apocalyptic ending… 6,5/10

“Smoke and Flesh” (Joseph Mangine, USA 1968)
Another exploitation movie about sex and drugs in which Turk, a "cool swinger", throws and wild sex and drugs party, but has trouble when three hoodlum friends of his crash the party and Turk resorts to drastic measures to remove them from the festivities. Very good filming for this one with many impressive moments despite a poor screenplay. 6,5/10

“Satan in High Heels” (Jerald Intrator, USA 1962)
Interresting mix of exploitation and film noir. The story of a dancer (the huuuge Stacey Kane) who steal money from her ex-husband, a junkie, to go to New York and get her chance. She will doo everything to get a good job even to have an affair with the boss of a cabaret and his son at the same time. She will push men to madness and crime… Interresting small B movie. 7/10

“The Wild and the Naked” (Stan Roberts, USA 1962)
Paulette (Tanya French), a nude model from France, has recently settled in the United States with her husband, a photographer... They soon got involved with a sex-maniac and many wild women… For exploitation fans only… 5/10

“The Love Cult” (Barry Mahon, USA 1966)
A magician/hypnotist gets the idea that he can make more money (and have a better time) by starting a sex cult than by continuing his magic act… But of course thing will go bad, till murder… 5,5/10

“Mundo Depravados” (Herb Jeffries, USA 1967)
Two police detectives are assigned to investigate the murders of several young women at a health club a pure exploitation roughty-nudie with a sadistic killer… 5,5/10

“The Ultimate Degenerate”
A dangerous mad man in wheelchair kidnaps, drugs, photographs & tortures women he meets by personal ads. He soon projects to kill one… Completely weird movie with huge filming and great music score… for exploitation fans 6/10

“The Lusting Hours” (John Amero, Lem Amero, USA 1967)
In this budget-less movie made as a documentary, the directors show us some ways of lust in modern society, from prostitution in rural towns to the work of a pornographer… 5/10

“In Hot Blood” (Joel Landwehr, USA 1968)
Ultra poor roughty-nudie about a girl who become a model for a photographer and who begins to make nude photos. Then she get involved in a drug affair befor the final blood bath… pure exploitation.6/10

That all for this week...

other movies...

“Port of Lost Dreams” (Frank R. Strayer, USA 1934)
A nice small B about a girl (Lola Lane) who is pursued by the police and takes shelter in the boat of William Boyd, they fall in love, mary, and have a baby. But the past of the girl will endangered their new life. A good one. 6,5/10

“Phantom of the Desert” (Harry S. Webb, USA 1930)
A nice small western with Jack Perrin in which horses are being stolen by a white stallion known as "Phantom”A cowboy sets out to find who's behind it. 6,5/10

“Desert Justice” (William Berke, USA 1936)
A gang of bank robbers holes up at a cowboy's ranch. One of the robbers turns out to be his brother. After the brother is killed by the gang, the cowboy tracks them across the desert. A strange modern western with Jack Perrin. 6/10

“Curfew Breakers” (Alexander J. Wells, USA 1957)
Another exploitation movie in which a policeman and the coach of the college will have to face a gang of dealers who drugs the local youth. 5,5/10

“The Flaming Teenage” (Charles Edwards, Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr., USA 1956)
A weird exploitation movie in which an alcoolical and druged fellow will find redemption in jail and become a preacher of the life of Jesus. Another religious and moralistic tale of the 50’s… for B fans 5/10 (made mostly with footages of a previously never relased 1945’s movie)

“Les Maudits“ (René Clément, France 1947)
Nice submarine drama in which a french doctor is kidnapeed in a nazi’s submarine travelling to south america as the third reich falls apart. Very good 8,5/10

“The Blood on Satan’s Claw” (Piers Haggard, UK 1971)
A strange satanic tale in the 17th century. A young guy pretents to have seen the devil but the local judge don’t believe him at first. But then, young people are driven crazy and are murdered, some strange ceremonies take place in an abandoned chuch in the woods… Creepy movie from the 70’s 7,5/10

“Summer Storm” (Douglas Sirk, USA 1944)
Nice adaptation of Anton Chekov short story a dramatic story of love just before the soviet revolution with great Linda Darnell and George Sanders. 8/10

“Hop-a-Long Cassidy” (Howard Bretherton, USA 1935)
First of the 66 movies of the Hoppy série with the great William Boyd. The longest serie ever made on screen. I get all the movies. It’s a new challenge for 2014 : watch all the Hopalong Cassidy movies !! By the way very good first one. Like all Paramount B’s, much over the others.7/10

“Shopworn” (Nick Grinde, USA 1932)
Kity Lane (Barbara Stanwyck) is a nice and honest waitress in a small restaurant after she looses her father in an accident. She falls in love with a student they want to mrry but the mother of the young man doesn’t want him to mary such a girl so, with the help of a judge she manages to pu Kitty in a reformatory house. Five years later, Kity has become one of the most popular dancer in the country and they meet again but now she wants to take revenge even if she’s always in love. Nice small pre-code drama. 8/10

to be continued...

“The Nightmare Before Christmas” (Henry Selick, USA 1993)
At our cineclub we proposed this movie for the youngest public. They enjoyed a lot this musical perhaps with too much music indeed, even for a musical. Otherwise well made computer movie. 7,5/10

“Jurassic Park III” (Joe Johnston, USA 2001)
Certainly the weekest of the franchise…. 4,5/10

“Drums Across the River” (Nathan Juran, USA 1954)
Another nice collaboration between Juran and Audie Murphy in wich Murphy is a man who must forget his hate for indians to get thier help to save the peace and avoid a new war because of greedy gold miners who want to invade the indian territory 7,5/10

“Port of Missing Girls” (Karl Brown, USA 1938)
Nice small B sort of mix between Docks of San Francisco (George B. Seitz, 1932) and Safe in Hell (William A. Wellman, 1931). A dancer witnesses a murder and becomes accused she take a refugee in the boat of a misogynic sailor who finaly carries her to an isolated island where all outlaws of the world take shelter from the law… With a young William Boyd before he becomes the great Hopalong Cassidy ! 6,5/10

“Furankenshutain no kaijû: Sanda tai Gaira” (aka “Frankenstein Conquers the World”) (Ishirô Honda, Japan 1966)
Another weird Japanes Sci-Fi in which nazi brong to japan the immortal heart of the Frankenstein Monster. But 15 years after the bombing of Hiroshima a strange wild boy haunt the town and become a giant Frankenstein monster. A t the same time Baragon, a Godzilla like monster rise frome the depth of the sea… For fans 6,5/10

“Wichita” (Jacques Tourneur, USA 1955)
A very nice western loosely adapted from the life of Wyatt Earp (Joel McRea excellent) who will restore law and order in the booming town of Wichita. 8/10

“Graft” (Christy Cabanne, USA 1931)
A small crime movie about a reporter Dustin (Regis Toomey) who investigates the murder of the district attorney and stumbles into a plot involving a kidnapping and a crooked election. With Boris Karloff before he becomes famous… 6,5/10

“Daugther of Shanghai” (Robert Florey, USA 1937)
A nice effort of cinema to put asiatic actors in the leading roles here with the talentuous Ana May Wong as the daughter of a marchant who is murdered by human smugglers. She decides to investigate on her own because she find the inspector Kim Lee (Philip Ahn) not very able to do so… A good small B for the great Paramount 7/10

“Jack Reacher” (Christopher McQuarrie, USA 2012)
Another action/crime movie without great interest… the plot is not bad but nothing very special and new here… 6/10

“The Missing Corpse” (Albert Herman, USA 1945)
A nice small and cheap comedy of the PRC about the manager of a newspaper completely ignored by his family who get involved in a murder case when he finds the body of the director of the rival paper in his car… 6,5/10

“Aniki Bóbó“ (Manoel de Oliveira, Portugal, 1942)
Wonderful movie about childhood. We follow the life of a gang of children in the streets of Porto… Excellent 9/10

“Michael Shayne: Private Detective” (Eugene Forde, USA 1940)
The first of the Michael Shayne serie with Lloyd Nolan as the famous private detective. In this one Shayne is hired by a racetrack bigwig to guard his compulsive gambler daughter. When her boyfriend is murdered, Shayne gets blamed for the murder… 7/10

“The Man Who Wouldn't Die” (Herbert I. Leeds, USA 1942)
In this episode of the adventures of the detective Michel Shayne, Dudley Wolff, his secretary Alfred Dunning, and his doctor, Haggard, bury a body in the estate cemetery. At the house, Wolff's daughter Catherine arrives unexpectedly and tells her step-mother Anne Wolff that she has just been married to Roger Blake who will be along in a few days. But when Catherin is attaked by a ‘ghost’ she hires Shayne and make people believe he’s her husband… 7/10

“Sleepers West” (Eugene Forde, USA 1941)
In this episode the famous detective Michael Shayne is on a train headed for San Francisco with a surprise witness whom many on board would like to keep from testifying at a murder trial…. A good smal train movie. 7/10

“Manhattan Tower” (Frank R. Strayer, USA 1932)
Very interesting small B about the lives of the residents of a Manhattan apartment building are intertwined with the actions of a crooked investor. The entire movie takes place in the tower. That makes it very unusual. 6,5/10

“The Devil’s Daughter (Arthur H. Leonard, USA 1939)
After her studies in the US a girl comes back to Jamaica to work with her sister in her banana plantation. But the sister, who is also a voodoo priestrss doesn’t agree to share the plantation… A small all black casting moie from the 30’s. 5/10
The last movies of 2013...

“Chloe, Love Is Calling You” (Marshall Neilan, USA 1934)
An obscure voodoo movie in wich a voodoo priestress, Mandy come back in the bayou to takes revenge on the man she thought killed her husband fifteen years earlier. The comes with her mixed-race or supposed so girl Chloe and her assistant Jim… 5/10

“La folie des grandeurs” (aka "Delusions of Grandeur") (Gérard Oury, France 1971)
Very pleasant and sometimes very funny comedy well made and acted. For all the family. 8/10

“The Swap and How They Make It” (Joseph W. Sarno, 1966)
Two bored suburban housewives, neglected by their workaholic husbands, take on a couple of college kids for kicks, then decide to join a wife-swapping club. Complications arise when love, jealousy and resentment arise. 6,5/10

“Sin in the Suburbs” (Joseph W. Sarno, USA 1964)
A “serious” nudie from the 60’s by a master of the genre Joe Sarno. After discovering that her mother is involved in an adulterous affair, a pretty high school student seeks help from a neighbor. While their trusting bond grows into a deep relationship, a secret sex club for the area's pleasure-seeking women is started. Soon, Mom discovers that her daughter is a member! 7/10

“War Horse“ (Steven Spielberg, USA 2011)
Quite a good one even if very predictable story and some improbable events its nicely made in a kind of old fashioned way. 7,5/10

“Baron Prásil” (aka “The Fabulous Baron Munchausen”) (Karel Zeman, Czechoslovakia 1962)
Wonderful (and free) adaptation of the famous adventures of the baron of Munchausen. At CGI time a lesson in movie making… 9/10

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (Peter Jackson, USA 2012)
Level 1 : They run they run they fight go to level 2 : they run they run they fight go to level 3 : they run… Made and thought like a video game, targeted for the same public it’s an uninteresting movie despite bunch of CGI iamges and effects. I know it’s fantasy but it’s certainly not a reason to do any old things… By the way those incoherences mixed with pseudo-esoterical speech is sometimes very funny and laughtable !! 4/10

That was all for 2013... 652 movies this year... Hope to watch as much in 2014 and wish to all of you many nice movies for the new year !!!

@Timpap, fortunatly I watched it on TV... so no Snapshot of the Hobbit... :)

A good beginning for 2014 with few movies....

Some classics for the beginning....

“Modern Times” (Charles Chaplin, USA 1936)
Rewatched it with much fun. 10/10

“The Kid” (Charles Chaplin, USA 1921)
Rewatched also this one…. Excellent. 8,5/10

“Les Misérables” (Richard Boleslawski, George Stevens, USA 1935)
This 1935 adaptation of the famous Victor Hugo’s nove lis certainly the best in the speacking era after the Raymond Bernard’s one made one year earlier. The direction is good and Greg Toland at the photography did a great work. Fredric March as Valjean is convincing and Charles Laughton as the maniac cop Javert is awesome. 9/10

“Les Miserables” (Lewis Milestone, USA 1952)
This adaptation is less interrestong than the 1935 one, less inventive and more conventional despite a convincing interpretation of Michael Rennie as jean Valjean. 7,5/10

“Cesta do praveku” ((Karel Zeman, Czechoslovakia 1955)
Excellent fantasy movie about a group of children who go back to prehistoric era after having found a fossil of trilobite they enter in a cave and begins a long travel through the different eras… Another masterpiece of Karel Zeman. 8/10

“Metropolis” (Fritz Lang, Germany 1927)
We proposed this classic at our cineclub. Always a pleasure to watch it on screen in it’s long “director’s cut” version. 9,5/10

Then back to the US underground cinema from the 60's with some twisted movies...

“Rent-a-Girl” (William Rose, USA 1965)
A young girl tries to find a job at a model agency and discovers it is just a prostitution ring. For B fans only 6/10

“Aroused” (Anton Holden, USA 1966)
A quite good and dirty rough nudie of the 60’s in a good noirish style. Some prostitutes are killed by a maniac police and also other prostitutes are on the track… well filmed underground movie. 7/10

“Help Wanted Female” (John Hayes, USA 1968)
A sick rough nudie from the vault telling the story of a guy who invites a streapteaser to his home and takes LSD, it makes him talk too much and the girl learns that he his a sick maniac murderer… not bad 7/10

“Doctor Sex” (Ted V. Mikels, USA 1964)
This movie is the story of some patients of a famous psychiatrist, Dr. Sex who come to visit him because they all have some sexual troubles. The movie is then the vehicle to some strip-teases and other small scenes before the ending where we realize that Dr. Sex is also mad. For B fans 5/10

“The Sadstic Hypnotist” (Greg Corarito, USA 1969)
A poor guy comes to a strange house after a car crash and becomes captive of a SM mistress who is also an hypnotist, she transforms a salesgirl into a go-go dancer, a lesbian into a nymphomaniac girl and so on. She enslaves our poor guy but things change when a mad sexual pervert escapes from asylum, enters the house and finds the LSD hidden in it… a complete weird nudie from the vault. 5,5/10

The great japanese company Shochiku who produced all Ozu's movies, or almost so, did some few Horro/Sci-Fi movies at the end of the 60's... They are quite good and original :

“Kyuketsuki Gokemidoro” (aka “Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell”) (Hajime Satô, Japan 1968)
A very nice horror/sci-fi movie in some kind of Fulci way in which the passagers of a plane have to face an evil alien blob-like after a crash. The alien can takes control of the body and soul of it’s victims and transform them in a blood thirsty vampire… 7,5/10

”Uchû daikaijû Girara” (aka “The X from Outer Space”) (Kazui Nihonmatsu, Japan 1967)
After a trip to Mars, some astronauts come back with some spores on their spaceship. The spore soon develops in a giant destructive monster Gillala… For Japanes Sci-Fi fans a must !! 7/10

“Kyûketsu dokuro-sen” (aka “The Living Skeleton”) (Hiroshi Matsuno, Japan 1968)
Excellent horror movie about ghosts and revenge from beyond the grave looking a bit like Kwaidan (Masaki Kobayashi, 1964) mixed with the ghost ship… Excellent filming too 8/10

“Konchû daisensô” (aka “War of the Insects” / “Genocide”) (Kazui Nihonmatsu, Japan 1968)
On an isolated island insects begin to be involved in strange phenomenons, attacking people and planes. One day they attack an American plane carrying a A-bomb… Soon a scientist discover that insects have decided to exterminate human race because of the danger of atomic energy… A strange little sci-fi movie. 7/10

Some movies this week...

"Sex" (Fred Niblo, USA 1920)
Early exploitation movie with one of the first Vamp of the cinema Louise Glaum who plays a dancer who have free sex with a lot of men, she push even one of them to divorce but finaly marry a very rich guy. Some years llater the same misadventure may happen to her… Not bad. 7,5/10

"Come On, Tarzan" (Alan James, USA 1932)
In this movie, Frazier and his gang are rustling horses for butchery but a wild stallion, Tarzan releses the horses; Ken Benson (Ken Maynard) the owner of a ranch want to protect Tarzan… A small Bwestern very similar to Phatom of the Desert (Harry S. Webb, 1930) with Jack Perrin. 6,5/10

"Tracy Rides" (Harry S. Webb, USA 1935)
A small B western with the great Tom Tyler about the fight between cattles owners an sheperders a bit like in 1950’s Montana directed by Ray Enright and Raoul Walsh and with Errol Flynn… 6,5/10

"Pinto Rustlers" (Harry S. Webb, USA 1936)
Another B western with Tom Tyller in which Tom is a sherif who infiltrates a gang of thieves… For B fans 6/10

"Fighting Pioneers" (Harry L. Fraser, USA 1935)
A smell B-western with Rex Bell in wich a convoy of settlers, attacked by Indians, is secured by cavalry. Lieutenant Bentley (Rex Bell) discover that the riffles of the Indians are army riffles which were stolen some weeks ago…. Not bad B movie 6,5/10

"Crashin’ Broadway" (John P. McCarthy, USA 1932)
A troup of actors, not very good, finish in a small village in the west. There, the theatre as been burned down… they’lll have to find the culprits… George 'Gabby' Hayes as the sidekick is excellent playing two roles here… 6,5/10

"The Fugitive" (Harry L. Fraser, USA 1933)
Another small B western with Rex Bell who is a federal agent who is put in jail and escpaes with a convict who is supposed to be the only one who knows where a half a million dollars of a train robbery are hidden… For B fans 6,5/10

"Gunfire" (Harry L. Fraser, USA 1934)
In this one Rex Bell is a rancher, Jerry Dumbar who’ll have to defend his ranch against the crooked neighbouring ranchers… 6,5/10

"Life of Pi" (Ang Lee, USA/Taiwan/UK 2012)
In this movie full of supermarket and teenage (newage ??) philosophy we discover that with faith you can do everything, and that with CGI too… except perhaps a good movie… Boring. 4,5/10

"The Divorcee" (Robert Z. Leonard, USA 1930)
A nice pre-code movie in which after three years of wedding, Jerry (Norma Shearer) lears that her husband (Ted) Chester Morris had an adventure with another woman, he f course, says that it’s not important and that he still loves her. Butt when she has also an adventure with another man he does’nt react the same way and asks for divorce of course… even if now very classic it was’nt the case at that time and especialy because after divorce Norma Shearer (excellent) becomes a free wife having many adventures… there are many other aspects of the movie (they both work in the couple, sexual allusion very numerous..) that will soon disappear in Hollywood cinema… interesting 8/10

"Passion" (Brian De Palma, USA 2012)
IEven if the movie is not as bad as some people say, it’s not a good movie… it’s sad to see that many great directors have abandonned all ambitions and courage : Brian De Palma, Ridley Scott and even Martin Scorsese (see below)

"Casque d’Or" (Jacques Becker, France 1952)
Wonderful drama. A very simple and sad story but it’s so well made and acted that it becomes a masterpiece. A re-watched it with so much pleasure… 9/10

"She-Man: A Story of Fixation" (Bob Clark, USA 1967)
So : a tough ex-marine is blackmailed by a transexual Dominita. He becomes her private maid and is forced to take pills that gradualy transforms him in a transsexual. But he falls in love with Dominita secretary who is a lesbian and who of course prefers him as her… (follow ??) then the both becomes the leaders of all the transsexuals and transvestites dominated by Dominita and they runs a riot… Incredibly bad movie a perfect example of SO Bad That It’s Good !!! 2/10 for Z fans 100/10 !!!

"Jud Süß" (aka "The Jew Suess") (Veit Harlan, Germany 1940)
In this notorious Nazi propaganda historical costume melodrama, a conniving, ambitious Jewish businessman becomes the finance minister of Bade Wurtenberg and pushe the land to ruin… but “Good germans” will stop him after all his crime. Terrible document for all fans of cinema history with very noxious background. 7,5/10

"The Wolf of Wall Street" (Martin Scorsese, USA 2013)
Very disappointing movie, even if Caprio seems to enjoy a lot it’s a boring succession of drug sex and money movie… perhaps in the air but simply boring an repetivie (3 hours!!!) hardly funny sometimes… 6/10

Last Week we organized our small festival of "doomed movies" we proposed the following stuff to a numerous public....

“Perdita Durango“ (Álex de la Iglesia, Mexico 1997)
The opening movie for our festival is a sick movie about a couple kidnaping a random couple, rape them and then decides to kill them on background of embryos smuggling… For sordid movies fans. 6,5/10

“Outrage“ (Ida Lupino, USA 1950)
A rarity. The movie directed and partly written by the great Ida Lupino. The story f a girl who is fleeing away after being raped. She tries to rebuild alone in a small country community and with the help of a priest. A good small B. 7,5/10

“Kingu Kongu tai Gojira“ (aka “King Kong vs. Godzilla“) (Ishirô Honda, Japan 1962)
I rewatched with pleasure this camp and kitsch japanese giant monster movie directed by the master of the genre Ishirô Honda. Just fu. 7/10

“Nippon chinbotsu“ (aka “Tidal Wave“) (Shirô Moritani, Japan 1973)
Very (unvoluntary) funny movie indeed with an interresting plot dealing with the complet submersion of Japn due to extensive geological phenomenons, some kind of Altantis of the modern times… An enjoyable curiosity. 7/10

“L'orribile segreto del Dr. Hichcock“ (aka. “The Horrible Dr. Hichcock”) (Riccardo Freda, Italy 1962)
Nice atmospheric horror movie of Freda with a nice work on photography. With the queen of the genre Barbara Steele. 7/10

“Killer Klowns from Outer Space“ (Stephen Chiodo, USA 1988)
A funny (even a bit heavy) parody of gory and Sci-fi movies. Even if bad some very good gags. 6/10 for Z grade fans 10/10.

“La route de Salina“ (Georges Lautner, France / Italy 1970)
Very unsual Lautner movie which make us regret he was only considered for his comedy. A dark tale of a young man who takes the place of another and came to his family who lives in a lost oil station along Salina’s road… Very atmospheric and moody movie. Some huge landscapes very well used. Also one of the last appearance of Rita Hayworth on the screen. A true discovery. 8,5/10

We finished with a grindhouse night....

“The Toxic Avenger” (Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman, USA 1984)
Rewatch with fun this anarchic horror parody of the Troma Team, certainly one of their best efforts. 7/10

“Alligator” (Lewis Teague, USA 1980)
A pure Corman production. The story of a baby alligator who is thrown in the gutters of a big town near a lab who works on growth hormons… follow me ? You’re right… 12 years later… Classic but fun. 6,5/10

Hope the 7th edition will be as successful

The festival let me few time to watch other movies but some...

“Die sieben Männer der Sumuru“ (aka “The Girl from Rio“) (Jesus Franco, West Germany, USA Spain, 1969)
Alphaville in Jesss Franco’s Way. A secret agent enter Femina the futuristic city inhabited only by women and ruled by the beautifull and cruel Sumuru… With George Sanders in one of his las movies.

“La comtesse perverse “ (aka "Countess Perverse") (Jesus Franco, France 1974)
The remake of the Most Dangerous Game by the great Jess Franco. The countess Ivana Zarroff (Alice Arno) hunts completely naked some pretty girls (naked too) and then roast them with her husband (Howard Vernon)… one day a young girl, Silvia (Lina Romay) is supposed to be the next prey but things will go wrong… For Franco’s fans a must. 7/10

“Diary of a Swinger” (John Amero, Lem Amero, USA 1967)
Another nudie of the 60’s but more psychological than erotic. The story of acountry girl who comes to New York after being raped in her father’s farm. She will become a famous model but will face many disillusions. 6/10

And then rewatched on tv those clasic of the western...

“Last Train from Gun Hill“ (John Sturges, USA 1959)
Rewatched this excellent western with much fun with a nice face to face of Kik Douglas and Anthony Quinn. 8/10

“Shane” (George Stevens, USA 1953)
I rewatched with much pleasure this western with almost a B-cating which became a classic. Great 8,5/10

“Red River” (Howard Hawks, Arthur Rosson, USA 1948)
Another masterpiece of the western with John Wayne and Montgomery Clift with still althe phantasms of Hawks… Great 9/10

That's all for the last week...

I've seen an incredible movie, last night : Final Cut: Hölgyeim és uraim (Final Cut : Ladies & Gentlemen) by György Pálfi
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2243299/
ULTIMATE WhatTheMovie's ledengary movie EVER !
More than 450 classics movie's sequences edited in this mashup love story : only 2 films chosen by director.
Film shown only in Festivals, 'cause the rights from the different movies are impossible to negociate. So the movie will never be in theaters of released on DVD. So sad, but it's part of the legend, already...
I hope you will see it one day !
Here is a small trailer :