“Geisha Girl” (George P. Breakston, C. Ray Stahl, USA 1952) In this small B comedy Rocky" Wilson and his sidekick, Archer McGregor, American soldiers en route home from Korea, stop over in Tokyo. They instantly get involved in a sabotage plot and, inadvertently, end up in the possession of some highly-explosive pills. But, with the help of Peggy Barnes, an American airlines hostess, and a crazy magician with hypnotic powers, they put an end to a scheme to take over the world. The movie is shot entirely in occupied Japan… and don’t escapes to ridiculous clichés… 5,5/10
“Samurai” (Raymond Cannon, USA 1945) Another racist anti-japanese movie in wich a Japanese orphan raised in the us by gentle American becomes a mercyfull columnist in the US with the project of organizing the revolt of all Japanese-american… 4/10
“The Sheik Steps Out” (Irving Pichel, USA 1937) This movie was made in order to revive the carrier of famous Ramon Novarro (the first Ben-Hur) but this exotic romantic comedy is barely funny… and failed. 6/10
“Hobgoblins” (Rick Sloane, USA 1988) Ultra bad movie surfing on the Gremlins hit it tries to be a comedy but it’s terrible… 1/10
“Vigilantes of Boomtown” (R.G. Springsteen, USA 1947) Another adventure of Red Ryder and his young indian pal Little Beaver. In this one the ranch of Red Ryder and his aunt, The Duchess, is being used as the training site for "Gentleman Jim" Corbett for his upcoming fight in Carson City, Nevada for the heavyweight championship against Bob Fitzsimmons. Very loosely adapted from the life of the real Gentleman Jim… 6/10
298°) “Stagecoach to Denver” (R.G. Springsteen, USA 1946) Another adventure of Red Ryder in witcj a crooked lawyer has the stagecoach wrecked killing the commissioner so his phony replacement can alter land survey of a nice rencher. When Red Ryder exposes the survey hoax, the lawyer has his stooge sheriff put Red in jail… For B fans 6/10
“Social Error” (Harry L. Fraser, USA 1935) A small B movie with David Sharpe in witch he is a wild college student who gets in fights, steals cars, is caught by the police and finally expelled from college. Later on, though, he comes to the aid of a kidnapped heiress… 6/10
“West of Cheyenne” (Harry S. Webb, USA 1931) A small B western with Tom Tyler who gets his father accused of murder. Then, Tom heads after the real murderer who lives in a town of outlaws where no one is allowed in or out. To gain entry he poses as an escaping outlaw with his sidekick Banty posing as the pursuing lawman… 6,5/10
“Atomic College” (Richard W. Haines, Lloyd Kaufman, USA 1986) Another troma masterpiece. In Tromaville Warren and Chrissy, two students, notice some strange things happening around their high school. They begin to suspect that something is going wrong at the nuclear plant next door… Ultra trashy movie but ridiculous enough to be fun. 6,5/10
“Rawhide Mail”. (Bernard B. Ray, USA 1934) A small B western with Jack Perrin as an undercover lawman with his two pals, Pedro and "Judge" who, after driving off a couple of stagecoach bandits, are thanked by Nora Hastings for saving her life. She is en route to Rawhide to take over a saloon willed to her.
“The Tattooed Stanger” (Edward Montagne, USA 1950) A nice little film noir in wich the body of an unknown woman is discovered in a stolen car abandoned in Central Park, and the only clue the detectives on the case have to work from is the tattoo on her arm, and the fact that someone tried to deface the corpse to remove the evidence…. Filmed in an almost documentary style looks very like some modern TV series… 7,5/10
“The Crooked Trail” (S. Roy Luby, USA 1936) A small western with Johnny Mack Brown and Lucile Browne. In this one Brown is Jim Blake who saves Harve Tarlton's life, they become partners in a gold mining claim. After a while Harve reverts to his outlaw way of life and everyone but Jim seems to know that Harve is bad but Jim merely thinks he needs a chance to go straight… For B fans 5,5/10
“Thor: The Dark World” (Alan Taylor, USA 2013) Mix a bit of everything (super-heros, sci-fi, fantasy and what you wish) and you get this ridiculous crap… 2/10
“Down Three Dark Streets” (Arnold Laven, USA 1954) A nice film noir once more filmed like a documentary which deals with FBI Agent Zack Stewart who gets killed and John Ripley, his boss who takes over the three cases Stewart was working on, hoping one will lead to his killer… 7/10
“Return to Treasure Island” (Ewald André Dupont, USA 1954) Quite poor adventure movie in which american academic Clive Stone is conducting research on pirate lore for a book. Part of that lore includes pirate Captain Flint of "Treasure Island" fame having hidden some piratical treasure on the island over two hundred years ago. As such, Clive writes to Jamesina 'Jamie' Hawkins, a direct descendant of Jim Hawkins and the current proprietor of the Admiral Ben Bow Inn, to inquire about some of her possessions, namely a map and a bible, which he believes are clues to the hidden treasure… 6/10
“Boothill Brigade” (Sam Newfield, USA 1937) Another small B western with Johnny Mack Brown in wiche a crooker rancher fires all his men and hires gumen to put other ranchers off their land… Lont, the honest fiancé of the crooked rancher’s daughter is in a difficult position… 6/10
“Burry Me Not on the Lone Prairie” (Ray Taylor, USA 1941) In this small B western, Johnny Mack Brown is a young mining engineer who’s set out to catch the killers of both his brother and a beautiful young girl's father. 6/10
“The Lone Star Trail” (Ray Taylor, USA 1943) Rancher Blaze Barker returns to Dead Falls after being framed by land-grabbers and spending two years in jail. Paroled, he can't wear a gun, but is aided by Marshal Fargo Steele to find the real culprits… Interrestin B western with great cast with Johnny Mack Brown as Barker, Tex Ritter as Fargo and a young Robert Mitchum as one of the bad guys… Not also the presence of former western Star Art Mix… A good small B 6,5/10
“Femmine infernali” (Aka “Escape from Hell”) (Edoardo Mulargia, Italy/Spain 1980) A very poor women in prison movie with a classic plot. A women's prison camp is located deep in the tropical rain forest. Sadistic guards and a warden from hell make life almost unbearable for the inmates, and any infraction of the rules is dealt with swiftly and savagely. The camp doctor is horrified by what he sees happening, and drinks heavily to push the horror away. Finally the inmates enlist the help of the doctor to escape…. 4/10
“Demir pençe (korsan adam)” / “Iron Claw the Pirate” (Çetin Inanç, Turkey, 1969) Another great Turkish super-heroe movies (definitively the best cinema for the genre…) in this one Iron claw and his girly pal Mite fight the dreadfull fantomas and his girly pal the Countes… just excellent. 8/10 !!
I then explore the cinema of forgotten french director Luc Moullet... A strane universe indeed...
“Brigitte et Brigitte“ (aka “Brigitte and Brigitte“) (Luc Moullet, France 1966) A small movie about two girls coming from thier small villages in the mountains (Pyrenees and Alps) to study in Paris at the Sorbonne. We follow their adventures in the big city in a changing society… very funny… and clever. 7,5/10
“Les contrebandières“ (aka “The Smugglers“) (Luc Moullet, France 1968) Set in the southern Alps a very strange movie about two young smugglers in love with a man who is in fact a crooked customs official… A curiosity… 7/10
“Une aventure de Billy le Kid“ (Luc Moullet, France 1971) Anither strange western set in the southern Alps in France in which Jean-Pierre Léaud as Bily the Kid pursued by sheriff after attacking a stagecoach and who meets Ann a mysterious woman he falls in love with. But Ann is secretly there to kill him because her husband was killed by Billy before… ultra weird movie. 7/10
“Genèse d'un repas“ (aka “Origins of a Meal“) (Luc Moullet, France 1979) Amazing documentary about the genesis of the part of a meal : a tin can of tuna, the eggs of an omelette and a banana… Amazing and terrible vison of the food industry and agriculture throughout the world… and you know… nothing has changed… that’s the most terrible lesson of this excellent movie. 8,5/10
“Anatomie d'un rapport“ (Luc Moullet, France 1976) A couple of intellectuals disserts on the reason they can’t get satisfaction in thier sexual relations… sounds funny but terribly accurate… was rated X at the time… 8/10
“Les sièges de l'Alcazar“ (Luc Moullet, France 1989) A nice small homage to cinephily in this small movie about the impossible love story between a journalist of Les Cahier du Cinéma and a girl working for Positif the hatred rival newspaper… 7/10
“L'homme des roubines“ (Gérard Courant, France 2001) A documentary about Luc Moulet and the places in southern Alps where he made most of his films…. Interesting and definitively a strange filmmaker… 6,5/10
“Maigret a Pigalle“ (Mario Landi, USA 1966) A poorly known adapation odf Simenon’s novel with Gino Cervi as Maigret in the obscure story of the double murder o a prostitute and a countess on background of striptease clubs… 6,5/10
“Peer Gynt“ (David Bradley, USA 1941) A weird 16 mm silent movie adapatation of Ibsen story just with the music of Grieg…. Amazing and the first apparition on screen of a 17 years old Charlton heston… a curiosity. 7/10
“Le chaînon manquant“ (Picha, Belgium / France 1980) After tarzoon the Sham o the Jungle, Picha makes this weird anime movie about the first man on earth… and all the consequences of this apparition… not as good as tarzoon but some good moments. 7/10
“A Lady Without a Passport” (Joseph H. Lewis, USA 1954) A nice crime movie about human smuggling between Cuba and the US. Fun to see a movie set in La Habana before relation between the two countries will make it impossible… 7,5/10
“Cry Vengeance” (Mark Stevens, USA 1954) Anotjer nice small Film noir in wiche a former cop is released from jail after being framed for a crime he dis not commit. Furthermore his wife and child were killed and he’s been disfigured when his car exploded. He’s sure that the culprit is a ritired mob who lives in Alaska with his little daughter… Very good. 8/10
“Jaws” (Steven Spielberg, USA 1975) We proposed the classic at our cineclub… Was very fun to watch it on the silver scree… 9/10
“Zubekô banchô: yume wa yoru hiraku” (aka “Tokyo Bad Girls”) (Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, Japan 1970) Four young delinquents escape from a girl prison and then go to Tokyo and work in the club of a Madam. They must fight a gang of mobs who want o by the place at any price… A quite violentpink movie with very pretty Reiko Oshida. 6,5/10
“Happy End” (Oldrich Lipský, Czechoslovakia 1967) Absolute masterpiece of weird cinema. The movie is completely running backwards !! even the dialogues… A man is beheded by guillotine then is put in prison then juged and then released and then… absolutely hilarious movie… a bit like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button but much better. 8,5/10
“Sukeban” (aka “Girl Boss Revenge: Sukeban”) (Noribumi Suzuki, Japan 1973) In this violent pink movie, girls escape from a police truck and then get involved in a war of mobs gangs and other girly gangs… 6/10
“Ashug-Karibi” (Sergei Parajanov, Dodo Abashidze, SSSR 1988) Wandering minstrel Ashik Kerib falls in love with a rich merchant's daughter, but is spurned by her father and forced to roam the world for a thousand and one nights - but not before he's got the daughter to promise not to marry till his return. It's told in typical Paradjanov style overlaid with Armenian folksongs…. Great filming and lot of poetry in this movie… 8/10
“Vasilisa prekrasnaya” ( aka “Vasilisa the Beautiful”) (Aleksandr Rou, SSSR 1940) Another wonderful fairytale in the unique Russian way… the story ofa courageous young ma who must kill the infamous dragon who want to marry the girl he is in love with…. 8/10
“Chotard & Cie.” (Jean Renoir, France 1933) A small french comedy in wiche a rich marchant (Fernand Charpin in a Raimu way…) finaly accepts that is daughter marry a poet…. Things of cours go wrong until the young man get a famous price for his poen and get famous… 7/10
“Framed“ (George Archainbaud, USA 1933) A nice crime movie in wich Rose Manning, the daughter of a racketeer who has just been killed in a shoot-out is undergoing a hard third-degree grilling from police inspector Butch McArthur, and she leaves with a desire for revenge against McArthur. Five years later she is a hostess in a nightclub, and still surrounded by gangsters. She falls hard for a young man named Jimmy, and does not realize he is the son of the man she hates. 7/10
“Poulet au vinaigre“ (Claude Chabrol, France 1985) Rewatched this great adaptation ofSimenon’s novel by Chabrol… In a small provincial town some murders are commitd… Great filming and acing of Jean Poiréa dn all the cynisism o Chabrol make it very good. 8/10
I then was to Lyon's cinema festival... was the ocasion to see some famous people like Martin Scorsese, Salma hayek, Max von Sydow, Sophia Loren, Dario and Asia Argento... but also the occasion to watch lot of good movies...
“Zemlya“ (Alexandr Dovjenko, SSSR 1930) I rewatched this classic of soviet cinema on the silver screen and with a piano concert… was great 8/10
“Law and Order“ (Edward L. Cahn, USA 1932) A poorly known western an one of the first adapatation of the famous Tombstone/OK Corral Story and adapted frome the noval of William R. Burnett written just after the real Wyatt Earp died in 1929… Edward L. Cahn is better known for the Sci-Fi movies of the 50’s but was quite good director in early 30’s… This version is quite dark and pessimistic and the final gunfight is great ! 7,5/10
“Szegénylegények“ (aka “The Round-Up”) (Miklós Jancsó Hungary 1966) In Hungary, the national movement led by Kossuth has been crushed and the Austrian hegemony re-established, but partisans carry on with violent actions. In order to root out the guerilla, the army rounds up suspects and jails them in an isolated fort. The authorities do not have the identity of the guerilla leaders, who are supposed to be present among the prisoners… Huge filming and photography as usual with Jancsó ans, as usual a dark sight on human condition… 9/10
“Al-mummia“ ( aka “The Night of Counting the Years”) (Chadi Abdel Salam, Egypt 1969) Impressive movie based on a true story: in 1881, when precious artifacts began showing up at market, it was discovered that members of the ancient Horbat tribe were secretly raiding Deir al-Bahari, the site of a legendary cache of royal mummies. The tribe had little livelihood other than selling antiquities, putting them in conflict with the Egyptian government's Antiquities Organization… great filming and photography and also a movie that clearly shows the questioning of a people stuck between an omnipresent past and things to come… 9/10
Watched some early Kurosawa movies...
“Ichiban utsukushiku“ (aka “The Most Beautiful”) (Akira Kurosawa Japan 1944) During World War II, the management of a war industry of optical instruments for weapons requests an effort from the workers to increase the productivity during four months. The target for male workers is an increase of 100% of the production, but the female workers, led by the dedicated Tsuru Watanabe, ask the direction to surpass their goal from 50% to 70%. During the period, the women have to overcome illness and their personal problems to complete their quota. Clearly a little Kurosawa movie and a pure propaganda film. By the way, the point of view chosen by Kursawa is very interesting (the womens’ one) and helps the movie to be more acceptable. 7/10
“Tora no o wo fumu otokotachi“ ( aka “The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail “) (Akira Kurosawa Japan 1945) A small “B-movie” for Kurosawa adapted from a popular kabuki play and some kind of apology of the use of trick duing war. A faous prince and his pals disguise as monk to cross a border guarded by enemies… 7/10
“Subarashiki nichiyôbi“ (Akira Kurosawa, Japan 1947) Yuzo and his fiancée Masako spend their Sunday afternoon together, trying to have a good time on just thirty-five yen. They manage to have many small adventures, especially because Masako's optimism and belief in dreams is able to lift Yuzo from his realistic despair…. Very nice andmoving look at post war Japan through the wandering of the young lovers… very good 8,5/10
Then some Duvivier's movies... definitively one of the greatest french director...
“David Golder“ (Julien Duvivier, France 1931) The first talky of Great director Julien Duvivier. A famous millionair jewish banker and trader David Golder is exploited by his cupid wife who only think to dispend money again and again… Golder only accept this because of his daughter he deeply loves… But one day he has an heart attack and decides to stop all despite her desperate wife… He decide to give all his forturne to his daughter but his wife announce him that she’s not from him… Great and dark drama as usual with Duvivier… 8,5/10
“La belle équipe“ ( aka “They Were Five”) (Julien Duvivier, France 1936) Five jobless friends win a great lotery price and decide to build together a “guinguette” (some kind of place people come on Sunday to dance, eat and drink along a river…). Thing will go wrong especially when the cupid, but also beautifull, ex-wife of one of the guy come and want her share of the price too… Another great drama on background of social mutations in 30’s France… 8,5/10
“Un carnet de bal“ ( aka “Dance Program“) (Julien Duvivier, France 1937) A young widow finds the dance card of her firs ball as she was 16… she decides to find all the men who danced with her that evening… Extremely moving and well filmed drama. 9/10
Then a nice selction of Larissa Chepitko a great soviet director, she was the wife of Elem Klomov by died too soon in a car accident... Her movies are beautiful and as happy as those of her hisband...
“Znoy“ (aka “Heat“) (Larissa Chepitko, SSSR 1963) First movie for Shepitko and first masterpiece. A group of wokers lost in the Kirghiz steppe spend time to plow desert range… a young worker comes and all the fragile equilibrium of the group is threatened… 8,5/10
“Krylya“ (aka “Wings“) (Larissa Chepitko, SSSR 1966) Wings is a wonderful and moving woman portrait and also a nice analyse ot the destiny of ex- war heroes in a chaning world… Excellent… 8,5/10
“Nachalo nevedomogo veka“ (aka “Beginning of an Unknown Era”) (Larissa Chepitko, Andrei Smirnov SSSR 1967) It’ a movie with two stories. The first is about the war betawwen white en red after the socviet revolution… A group of white leaded by the mystic Angel kidnap a goup of red… In se second story a young ingeneer is send in the steppes eon central Asia to help the farmers threatened by severe drought to built a pump… 8/10
“Ty i ya“ ( aka “You and Me“) (Larissa Chepitko, SSSR 1971) The questioning and problems of a couple and some of their friends in the changing USSR of the 70’s… one of them famous doctor decide to leave friends and wife to engage in the red cross and become the docor on the contruction site of a big dam…. Very unusual soviet movie… 8/10
“Voskhozhdenie“ (aka “The Ascent“) (Larissa Chepitko, SSSR 1977) During WWII two Russian partisan are capture by germans… One of them follow a christic destiny as the other the destinu of Judas… Impressive…. 9/10
“Addio zio Tom “ (aka “Farewell Uncle Tom”) (Gualtiero Jacopetti, Franco Prosperi, Italy 1971) Outrageous mondo movie about slavery… Two Italian reporters make a survey of slavery in the deep south in the middle of XIX century. An outrageous movie made as documentary. Ultra thrash but enjoyable if you’re not to sensible… 7,5/10
“Battement de coeur“ (aka “Heartbeat”) (Henri Decoin, France 1940) Nice french movie with lot of action. An orphan girl comes o town and becomes a pickpocket… Sh’s caught by an ambassador who, instead of going to the polie, proposes to her to help him in stealing a photography that prove that his wife has a lover… 7/10
“Olivia“ (Jacqueline Audry, France 1951) Sort of sueal movie about homosexuality in a high class school for girls…. A true curiosity 8/10
Then some excellent mexican movies of the golden age...
“Distinto amanecer“ (aka “Another Dawn” (Julio Bracho, Mexico 1943) The disaffected wife of a failed civil servant, is thrilled to re-encounter Octavio, a former lover who is now a union activist on the run from a corrupt politician. Hoping to help him, she descends into the Mexican underworld, where she finds a purpose-and a thrill-missing from her married life…. Nice melodrama 8/10
“La otra“ ( aka “The Other One“) (Roberto Gavaldón, Mexico 1946) This movie has smilar plot as Dead Ringer starring bete Davis… two twin sisters have different destinies… one becomes rich, the other remain poor and one day decides to kil her sister and take her place…. Nice filming with huge pjhotography and a small touch of gothic horror… 8,5/10
“Aventurera“ (Alberto Gout, Mexico 1950) Left alone after her mother runs off with another man and her father kills himself, Elena attempts to make a new life for herself in a new city. Believing he's a friend, Elena goes to dinner with "Pretty Boy" Lucio, but he drugs her champagne and sells her to Rosaura, who runs a brothel out of her nightclub. Elena becomes a sensation as a dancer, but all the while she nurtures plans of revenge against those who have conspired against her. Despite the main actress who is more a dancer the whole is quite good with very nice plot of revenge… quite cruel for the times and a different vision of the man’s behavior beside women in a usualy more macho cinema. 8/10
“Assunta Spina“ (Gustavo Serena Francesca Bertini, Italy 1914) Ann early Italian melodrama set in the bay of Naples. Nice filming even if the plot is a classic love triangle… 7,5/10
“Westfront 1918“ (Georg Wilhelm Pabst, Germany 1930) The tragic destiny of four german soldiers on the western front during WWI. The first talky movie for Pabst. Good one. 8/10
And for the end two good Walsh movies...
“Wild Girl“ (Raoul Walsh USA 1932) A strang little “B-western” for Walsh but very interesting with much precode aspects and huge settings in the great Californy forests… 8/10
“Pursued“ (Raoul Walsh USA 1947) Certainly one of the best movies of Walsh, a great western built like a film-noir. A man is persued during all his life without knowing why… he waits people who want to kill him in the ruins of a ranch with his girlfriend… he tries to reunit all his souvenirs to understand… Amazing. 9/10
That all for the moment. It was a nice festival... perhaps a bit too much "people" but who cares ? The most important are movies and there was plenty !!
Thanks to all those who managed to read all this ! ;)
“Los monstruos del terror“ (aka “Dracula vs. Frankenstein”) (Tulio Demicheli, Hugo Fregonese, Eberhard Meichsner, Italy / Spain / West Germany 1970) Some aliens take control of the bodies of dead human scientists and decide to resurrect all the monsters (Dracula, Frankensteins, the mummy, the wolf-man…) to conquer the world… As you can imagine the movie is not a masterpiece but more a small jewel for Z grade fans. Of course with Paul Naschy as Waldemar Daninsky and the last movie of Michael Rennie who died soon after… (of shame ??). 4/10 for Z fans 10/10
“Vampyres“ (José Ramón Larraz, UK 1974) Marianne Morris (Fran), Anulka Dziubinska (Miriam) are two pretty lesbian vampyres who live in a dark mansion. They suck blood (but not only) of their unaware lovers…. 6/10
“La morte viene dal pianeta Aytin“ (aka “The Snow Devils“) (Antonio Margheriti, Italy 1967) Ultra kitsch Sci-Fi movie in wich some aliens looking like yetis or bigfeets have the nice project to use interstellar energy to enhance global warming… fortunately there is soon the Cop 21 in Paris… sorry, fortunately some couraeous guys destroy their base in the Himalaya and then take a rocket to Jupiter to destroy another base of aliens… 5/10, for Z fans 8/10
“Bananes mécaniques“ (Jean-François Davy, France 1973) First movie of the erotic comedy trilogy of director Jean-François Davy. In this one a guy is kidnaped by five beautiful nymphomaniac girls… what could have been a dream or heaven soon becomes a bit exhausting for the poor stallion… 6/10
“Jitsuroku Abe Sada” (aka “The True Story of Abe Sada) (Noboru Tanaka, Japan 1975) If this version is less known that Oshima’s one it is quite interesting because made before and for japanese audience. Junko Miyashita is excellent and beautiful as Abe Sada… 8/10
“Some Call It Loving” (James B. Harris, USA 1973) A weird and erotic adaptation of the sleeping beauty. A man buy a sleeping girl in a funfair and brings her to his manor. The beauty awakes and then is involved in some weird erotic games…. 6/10
“The Seven Year Itch” (Billy Wilder, USA 1955) We proposed this true classic at our cineclub… Great fun to watch it on the wide screen… Marilyn is wonderful. But everybody know it.. 8/10
Kongo” (William J. Cowen, USA 1932) This is a remake of West of Zanzibar and also one of the most insame movie of the pre-code era. From a wheelchair a handicapped white man (Walter Houston amazing!!) rules an area of Africa as a living god. He lives there with her lover Tula (Lupe Velez damn hot) He rules the local natives through superstition and stage magic and he rules the few white people through sadism, keeping them virtual prisoners. He lives for the day he can avenge himself horribly on the man who stole his wife and crushed his spine…. Strong and macabre stuff in a nearly forgotten horror film. To discover 8,5/10
“Thunderhoof” (Phil Karlson, USA 1948) Another forgotten jewel of the western… Rancher Scotty Mason goes into the Mexican desert-country in search of a wild horse Thunderhoof, and takes his young wife, Margarita and his hired-hand, The Kid. The Kid falls in love with Magarita before they have crossed the Texas border, and spends more time plotting to get rid of Scotty than he does horse-hunting… Amazing movie with only three actors and four horses and all filmed outdoor… a nice tour de force with quite complex characters. 8/10
“Untamed Africa” ( Wynant D. Hubbard, USA 1933) A weird travelogue in wich you join the Hubbard family - father, mother and two small children - on safari. Encounter giraffes, hippos, leopards and crocodiles; share the terror when a grass fire engulfs the Hubbards' camp; share the fun when pet monkeys join the expedition; and witness a hyena/lioness battle and a heart-stopping lion attack on the Hubbard's oxen… those kinf of false-documentaries were frequent in the thirties… some kind of ancestors of mondo movies… 5,5/10
“Scipione l'africano” (Carmine Gallone, Italy 1937) This propaganda movie from the fascist regime was to prepare Italy to the war against Lybia and Ethiopia… It recalls the glorious times when roman empire ruled the world espicialy north africa after its victory against Cartago. Amazing filming by the way and an amazing Francesca Braggiotti as queen Sophonisba 7/10
“Tumbling Tumbleweeds” (Joseph Kane, USA 1935) Famous western known to be the first made by Gene Autry as lead for Republic. Traveling with Doc Parker's medicine show, Gene finds his old friend Harry Brooks wounded and the Sheriff after him for murdering his father. Gene also sees that Craven and his gang are looking for Brooks. Finding clues that Craven was behind the murder, Gene has a plan utilizing the medicine show wagon that will trap the gang. Enjoyable small singing wesern with many stars of the genre Smiley Burnette, Lucile browne, George ‘Gabby’ Hayes, George Chesebro, Charles King… 7,5/10
“Carolina Moon” (Frank McDonald, USA 1937) Another small B western for Gene Autry in which he and and Frog Millhouse (Smiley Burnette) encounter Caroline Stanhope (June Storey) who has come to town with her father, Colonel Stanhope (Eddy Waller), to enter her horse in the rodeo, hoping to clear enough money to clear the mortgage on their home back in Carolina…. 6,5/10
“Prairie Moon” (Ralph Staub, USA 1938) The dying outlaw Barton gets Gene to be the guardian of his three boys. The three troublemakers arrive on the Barton ranch from Chicago where they soon uncover Welsh's smuggling operation located there. So Welsh adopts the boys and boots Autry out. Gene counters by bringing three other boys and getting the Judge to declare them to be the real Bartons… A script very near the one of Tumbling Tumbleweeds bt still enjoyable… 6,5/10
“Zolotye roga” (aka “The Golden Horns”) (Aleksandr Rou, SSSR 1973) Another nice Russian fairy tale with famous sorceress Baba Yaga. A long time ago a splendid deer with golden antlers lived in the woods, always protecting the poor and weak and disdaining evil. In a little village nearby the woods widow Yevdokya lived with her twin daughters Mashenka and Dashenka, her son and her old father. One day the girls observe robbers hunting the deer. Shortly after they are lured into the woods by forest spirits. Infuriated about their presence, witch Baba Yaga turns them into fawns. Meanwhile, Yevdokya searches for her daughters…. 7/10
“Evdokiya” (aka “Evdokia”) (Tatyana Lioznova, SSSR 1961) A very nice and moving feelgood movie about the life of a family from the civil war of 1917 to the years after WWII. Very nice filming, and intese performance of Lyudmila Khityaeva and Nikolay Lebedev. There are many movies dealing with such subject but this one is very good with quite few propaganda… 8/10
“Prenez la queue comme tout le monde“ (Jean-François Davy, France/Italy 1973) Philippe Gasté is the owner of a garage and has a very complicated sexual life… he must juggle wih all his mistresses anfd lovers… A very hard task for a single male… 5/10
“Shurayukihime” / “Lady Snowblood” (Toshiya Fujita, Japan 1973) Kill Bill but better. This is the movie which inspire QT for his famous movie. Yuki's family is nearly wiped out before she is born due to the machinations of a band of criminals. These criminals kidnap and brutalize her mother but leave her alive. Later her mother ends up in prison with only revenge to keep her alive. She creates an instrument for this revenge by purposefully getting pregnant. Though she dies in childbirth, she makes sure that the child will be raised as an assassin to kill the criminals who destroyed her family…. Excellent. 8,5/10
“Shura-yuki-hime: Urami Renga” / “Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance” (Toshiya Fujita, Japan 1974) The sequel is as usual less interesting than the first episode. In this one, Lady Snowblood (Shurayuki-hime) is caught by the police and sentenced to death for her crimes. As she is sent to the gallows she is rescued by the secret police who offer her a deal to assassinate some revolutionaries… Les interesting than the previous one but still enjoyable. 7/10
“Inside the Walls of Folsom Prison” (Crane Wilbur, USA 1951) In Folsom Prison (California) prior to its 1944 reformation make-over. Ben Rickey, the prison's sadistic old-school warden who believes that the prison system if for punishment rather than reformation, rules Folsom with an iron-hand. He highly resents his university-trained assistant, Mark Benson, who does not share Rickey's beliefs. Rickey, hoping the results will be disastrous, gives Benson permission to try his modern method…. Script looks ver Like the small B movie Men of St Quentin (William Beaudine, 1942) and is part o a serie of three refoerm/prison movies made by Warner through three decades. Interresting in a very crude documentary style. 7/10
“The Purple Gang” (Frank McDonald, USA 1959) A teen-age rat pack of the Detroit slums, the Purple Gang, headed by psychotic William Joseph "Honeyboy" Willard, teams with adult hijackers during prohibition and in three years controls the city's underworld. Detective Bill Harley is given a special assignment to break the gang. To intimidate Harley, Honeyboy and his chief henchman, Hank Smith, terrorize his pregnant wife, Gladys, who loses her baby and dies. . The gang moves in on the cleaning and dyeing industry, which calls in the Mafia for protection… This crime/noir is ultra violent for that time and is quite ahead for it’s time. Robert Blake is terrifying as the teen gang leader. Very good 8/10
“The Frozen Dead” (Herbert J. Leder, USA 1966) Ultra weird Sci-Fi movie in which a crazed scientist keeps the heads of Nazi war criminals alive until he can find appropriate bodies on which to attach them so he can revive the Third Reich. Dana Andrews as mad scientist is quite unusual in this weird mix of The Brain that Wouldn’t Die (Joseph Green, 1962) and The Madmen of Mandoras (David Bradley, 1963). A true curiosity. 7/10.
“La main noire“ (aka “The Black Hand“) (Max Pécas, France / Italy 1968) A spy movie in a ‘serious’ Max Pécas movie. A strange story of differetns spy rings and a secret organization the Black Hand who are trying to get some secret documents… 6,5/10
“Okasareta hakui” (aka “Violated Angels”) (Kôji Wakamatsu, Japan 1967) Another great movie of the most radical Japanese director. The stry of this one is adapted from true events which happened in the US. A man ontroduced himself in a nurse dormitory and rape and kill all the girls… 8/10
“Otoko goroshi onna goroshi: hadaka no zyudan” (aka “Naked Bullet”) (Kôji Wakamatsu, Japan 1969) A great parody of yakuza movies in a pink way and with lot of dark humour. Wakamatsu was once a yakusa so we can trust him… a cruel gang war with multiple betrayals in order to fond some drug and money. 8/10
“Fric-Frac“ (Maurice Lehmann, France 1939) Great movie with huge cast : Ferandel, Arletty and Michel Simon. A naïve guy (Ferandel) who works in a jewelry meets a croked couple of small thieves (Arletty and Simon)…. The filming was hard because Simon and Fernandel didn’t get on with each other. But the result is quite good. 8/10
“Mon curé chez les nudistes“ (Robert Thomas, France 1982) A cult french comedy about a priest sent by his bishop in a nudist camp to convert those pagans… The true French cinema, THE French cultural exception. 3/10 for Z Fans 20/10 !!!
“Q“ (Jean-François Davy, Belgium, France, Italy, 1974) The third and last erotic comedy of director Jean-François Davy. In a very near futuristic word the story of a group of friend who organize a brothel for women. Certainly the best of the serie. 7/10
“Mon curé chez les thaïlandaises“ (Robert Thomas, Frace 1983) The sequel of Mon curé chez les nudistes is simply amazing. A priest (Maurice Risch) inherits a brothel in thailand. The owners (Marion Game and Jacques Legras) try to make in believe it’s a girlschool. But the plane is hijacked and the passengers (Rich, Jacques Balutin as a scotish ambassador, Katia Tchenko a nymphomaniac teacher and Béatrice Philippe) are kidnapped by pirates of captain Iron-Head (Darry Cowl ) and then sold to a general (Daniel Prévost) leading a group of rebels… Simpli amazing… 2/10 for Z fans 20/10.
“Soapbox Derby“Darcy Conyers, UK 1958) Another nice little movie about two rival children's gangs in London decide to hold a soapbox derby. 7,5/10
“Putney Swope“ (Robert Downey Sr., USA 1969) At the opposite of his son, Robert Downey Sr. has something to say. This movie, his most famous, is a dark satire in which the token black man on the executive board of an advertising firm is accidentally put in charge. Renaming the business "Truth and Soul, Inc.", he replaces the tight regime of monied white ad men with his militant brothers. Soon afterwards, however, the power that comes with its position takes its toll on Putney... Excellent. 8,5/10
“Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight” (Robert Downey Sr., USA 1975) A complete and intentionnaly impossible to understand comedy filmed in a experimental way as a succession of small sketches. 7/10
“The Appartment” (Billy Wilder, USA 1960) We proposed this classic to our cineclub. Everybody enjoy a lot. But you all know it of course. 8,5/10
“Roar” (Noel Marshall, USA 1981) “The most dangerous movie ever made” indeed, more than 150 lions, tiger and other panthers were used in this movie and many people were injured. Produced, written, acted, directed by Noel Marshall (Tippi Hedren’s husband at that time). The movie is impressive bu the story a bit pointless : ravening jungle beasts assemble in flocks to invade an otherwise quiet home where they chase humans up and down stairways and from one room to another. A bit boring. 6/10
“La corruzione” (aka “The Corruption”) (Mauro Bolognini, France/Italy,1963) A young boy wants to become a priest but his father, a rich editor, wants him to take his succession. So he decides to corrupt his son mainly with the help of his tramp, the beautiful Adriana, played by a beautiful Rosanna Schiaffino a famous Italian sex-bomb of that time. The apocalyptic ending of the movie in a dancehall is amazing. 8,5/10
“Chamber of Horrors” (Hy Averback, USA 1966) A movie which can’t chose between comedy and horror in which a one-handed madman (he lost the hand while escaping a hanging) uses various detachable devices as murder weapons to gain revenge on those he believes have wronged him. Patrick O'Neal as the mad man is good. 6,5/10...
“Cette nuit là… “ (Maurice Cazeneuve, France 1958) Under-rated film noir « à la française » with celver plot and uneven characters. Jean, who is the artistic director of a fashion magazine, is married to a very pretty cover girl, Sylvie. They both work for André Reverdy, a very cynical man, who openly covets Sylvie. Jean, awfully jealous, can't put up with the situation. Persuaded that his young wife has given herself to his rival he goes and waits for Reverdy outside his bachelor flat. When he thinks he has killed him he realizes he killed an innocent… Soon he’s blackmailed. Mylène Demongeot as the caver girl is very pretty. 8/10
“Vidocq” (Jacques Daroy, France 1939) The early years of famous fench policeman Vidocq with great actor André Brulé. But the whole is quite slow and too speaky. 6,5/10
“Udzinarta mze” (aka “The Sun of the Sleepless”) (Temur Babluani, Georgia 1992) Amazin movie about a rejected doctor who cay on his researches about a way to cure cancer. He lives poorly with his family and goes to jail to see his son, a young and violent delinquent. Soon the son is released and decides to help his father, in his own way. Excellent movie about humanity and human relations. And a clever and hard look at the post-USSR eorgian society. 9/10
“The Kids Are All Right” (Lisa Cholodenko, USA 2010) As very often when a director is directly concerned in what’s he’s filming he always want to say a lot of things and failed. It’s the case here o a subject which could have been interesting, it becomes boring and predictable with many clichés and as often hysterical characters. 5,5/10
“Fly Me” (Cirio H. Santiago, Philippines / USA, 1973) Cirio H. Santiago is he pope of Philippian Z grade cinema. This movie is not an exeption. In this epic movie stewardesses fight ninja and kun-fu killers… 4/10
“The Arena” (Steve Carver, Italy/USA 1974) This Roger Corman’s production was meant to be the feminine Spartacus. Some pretty gals are captured throughout the world and force to bale in the arena. But soon the riot begins. Mainly interesting by his cast : Margaret Markov and beautiful Pam Grier. 6,5/10
“Qian mian mo nu” (aka “The Temptress with a Thousand Faces”) (Chang-hwa Jeong, Hong Kong 1969) I re-watched with huge pleasure this feminine Fantomas in the Shaw Brothers’ way. Pure guilty pleasure ! A must to see. 8/10
“La louve solitaire“ (Edouard Logereau, France/Italy, 1968) Made after the success of Bava’s Diabolik, this one is clearly not as good but remains quite entertaining. Françoise (Danièle Gaubert quite pretty) looks like a sexy kitten by day, but is a silent she-wolf by night, making very clever robberies of gold jewels. Despite the interest, and competition, from Bruno, she ends a lonely she-wolf… One day she’s caught and is hired by secret services for a special mission. 7/10
“Wicked, Wicked” (Richard L. Bare, USA 1973) Filmed entirely in duo-vision. The entire feature employs the split-screen technique as used in parts of Brian De Palma's Sisters that same year. As a handyman at a seacoast hotel, Randolph Roberts wears a monster mask while he kills and dismembers women with blond hair. Much under-rated. 7,5/10
“Le gardian” (Jean de Marguenat, France 1946) An interesing drama/musical which takes place in the french Camargue. Renaud (Tino Rossi) is a handsome guy who’s going to mary Livette. But one day he’s doomed when he meet the hot gypsy Zinzara. Then the fatal issue is inevitable. Zinzara is played by beautiful Lilia Vetti who will becomes Tno Rossi’s wife just after this movie… Quite good 7,5/10
“La lumière d’en face” (Georges Lacombe, France 1955) Nice mélodrame set in southern France. A truckdriver becomes impotent after an accident. He decides to run a small restaurant near a gas station with his beautiful wife who becomes quickly the pre of men’s lust. Quite good with young Brigitte Bardot just before “Et Dieu créa la femme” 7,5/10
“Les onze mille verges“ (Eric Lipmann, France 1975) Quite weak adaptation of famous erotic novel by Guillaume Appolinaire. A serie of erotic sketches through the life of a libertine. 6,5/10
“Le chien jaune“ (aka “The Yellow Dog“) (Jean Tarride, France 1932) An very early adaptation of a Maigret novel of Georges Simenon. In a remote village in Bittany, some murders are commited. The only link between them is the presence of a yellow dog on the scenee of the crimes… Quite a good one. 7,5/10
“Las ratas no duermen de noche“ (aka “Crimson“) (Juan Fortuny france/Spain, 1973) A mad doctor performs a head transplant on an injured criminal, to protect his family and which results in him being even more dangerous and murderous than before. A poor Frankenstein-like movie with Paul Nachy as usual. 5,5/10
“Le pays sans étoiles“ (aka “The Land without Stars“) (Georges Lacombe, France 1946) Simon's life is troubled by images of a crime which happened a hundred years ago. While traveling in south France, he finds the landscape familiar as in his dreams. There he meets Catherine and fall in love with her but he realizes she looks very lijke the main protagonist of his dream. A rar incursion of French cinema in the fantasy at that time. Quite a good one with young Gerard Philippe and Pierre Brasseur and rety Jany Holt. 7,5/10
“Cover Girl Models“ (Cirio H. Santiago Philippines / USA, 1975) In this poor movie, some models are making a photo shoot in Philipines and are involved in a spy ring looking for microfilm hidden in a dress. 4,5/10
“Man of Aran“ (Robert Flaherty, UK 1934) We proposed this very nice movie at our cineclub. It was great fun ti watch it on the silver screen. 8/10
“Chikubi ni piasu o shita onna” (aka “the woman with pirced nipples”) Shôgorô Nishimura, Japan 1983) A young girl is seduced by a wealthy man and then get involved in more and more weird erotic games. Well filmed and quite very perverted pink movie. 7,5/10
“Tenshi no kôkotsu” (aka “Extasy of the Angels”) (Kôji Wakamatsu, Japan 1972) A group of young extreme left wing students rob some explosvies in an army center but soon, there in tensions and conflict between two groups of activists abou the stolen bombs and the use of it. Another great radical movie from akamatsu 8/10
“Blutjunge Verführerinnen 3. Teil” (Erwin C. Dietrich, Switzerland 1972) Third part of this erotic swiss rilogy with gorgeous Ingrid Steeger. As in the former ones a serie of small erotic sketches with pretty babes and usty guys… 6,5/10
“Seizoku” / “Sex Jack” (Kôji Wakamatsu, Japan 1970) Pursued by the police a group of extreme left wing students takes shelter in the apartment of a young thief. There, they have to wait and wait again between quarrels and sex. But who’s exactly this young guy ? Excellent 8,5/10
“Kyôsô jôshi-kô” / “Running in Madness, Dying in Love” (Kôji Wakamatsu, Japan 1969) A young activist confront his brother a cop. The wife of the former kill her husband. The couple now is forced to run away throughout Japan to escape the police. Excellent. 9/10
“Gendai kôshoku-den: Teroru no kisetsu” / “Season of Terror” (Kôji Wakamatsu, Japan 1969) The police decides to spy a young activist who lives shut off in an appatment with two girls. They put a microphone in the apartment and begin to listen. But the guy seems only interested in having sex orgy with the two girls. Excellent. 8,5/10
“Ratboy” (Sondra Locke, USA 1986) A physically deformed and somewhat feral teenager whose face looks like the snout of a rodent lives in solitude and misery in a city dump. Two rednecks come across his lair and kidnap him. They inform the papers about their find in case someone might want to see or interview the "Ratboy". Only Nikki, a bored fired window dresser pretending to be a reporter shows up. She wants to profit off of the child as well, so she calls the cops who arrest the rednecks and she takes the child with her to her flat. She and her two dummy brothers try to think of a way to profit on the boy, but he tends to get easily agitated and depressed and no one wants anything to do with him except possibly hurt him emotionally or even physically. A weird movie about difference and greediness. 7/10
“Une manche et la belle” (Hanry Verneuil, France 1957) A pooly known Verneuil movie adapted from a novel from James Hadley Chase. Betty Farnwell, a rich widow living in Nice, decides to marry Philippe, a good-looking but self-interested man. No sooner has he got married than he meets bewitching young Eve, Betty's niece, and falls for her. Eve becomes his lover but the trouble is that she happens to be as calculating as he is. As a result she plans to marry a rich young man as Philippe is bound by the ties of marriage. Philippe can't stand such a prospect and decides, with the complicity of the young woman, to murder Betty... 7,5/10
“Divergent” (Neil Burger, USA 2014) Another ridiculous movie for teens in the “be different but be a good girl” way. Full of non sense and clichés as usual and nice CGI for video ames geeks. 2,5/10
“Les p’tites têtes“ (Bernard Ménez, France 1982) Super-pathétic french comedy wih huge cast : Bernard Menez, Robet Castel, Nicole Calfan, Maurice Rich… for French cinema lovers a must to see. 2/10 for Z fans 8/10
“I Married a Which” (René Clair USA 1942) I re-watched with great great pleasure this delightful liht comedy with lovely Veronica Lake as the most lovely whitch of all times ! 9/10
“Lacombe Lucien” (Louis Malle, France 1974) We proposed this axecellent but hard movie to our cineclub. It was very controversial at it’s time and een today, the discussion around the movie was very animated. 9/10
“The Wolf of Wall Street“ (Martin Scorcese, USA 2013) I tried to watch it once more to see if I found it better. No, allways as boring as the firs time. Sad. 6/10
"Kashin no irezumi: ureta tsubo" (aka “Tattooed Flower Vase”) (Masaru Konuma, Japan 1976) Ms. Yoshino - respectable lady and attractive widow leads a quiet peaceful life with his teenage daughter Takako . However, their life changes radically when fate confronts both with Hideo - young attractive guy truly romantic nature . Spending time with Takako , he nevertheless feels more attracted to her mother , and this momentum is mutual - he brings up Lady Yoshino ecstatic frenzy, because appearance is reminiscent of his late father - kabuki actors , with whom he had a long affair at last ... Very strong eroticism in this violent and dark Pink. Nice one 7,5/10
"Dora... la frénésie du plaisir" (Willy Rozier, France 1976) A poor softporn movie from underground drecto Willy Rozier. A safari(s guide fall in love with wife of a submissive and peeping husband. Bud the girl of the guide uses black African magic to get her man back, by all means. 5/10
"Claude et Greta" (Max Pecas, France 1970) The only way of life for a girl is to be heterosexual and get maried. That’s the very progressive thesis defended by this movie. Greta, a Swedish student comes to Paris with a view to making it there. But comely and friendly as she is, she soon becomes the prey of all the rutting males around. To run away from their horde she finds refuge in the arms of Claude, a rich educated lesbian girl. Happy at the beginning she gradually feels oppressed on account of the possessiveness of her mistress. One day she meets Jean and falls in love with him. But Jean is a bisexual and is at present the model and lover of a celebrated homosexual artist, Mathias Decas... Despite an ultraconservative and homophobic narrative, some nice filming can’t save the movie. 4,5/10
"Yu pu tuan: Tou qing bao jian" / "Sex and Zen" (Michael Mak, Hong-Kong 1991) Funny even if a bit pachydermic sex comedy about a pretty guy who have little cock. A mad friend perform a transplant on him with a horse dick… sure things are now different… Huge photography 6,5/10
"Il medaglione insanguinato" / "The Night Child" (Massimo Dallamano Italy/UK 1975) This little horror movie is in direct line after Friedkin’s Exorcist. A chils commit muders, possessed by a mysterious locket. Not bad in it’s genre. 7,5/10
"Village of the Giants" (Bert I. Gordon, USA 1965) Another movie from the specialist f the big things Bert I. Gordon. In this one a young mad scientist creat a substance that make you grow like a giant in few seconds. A goup of beatnicks decides to rule the town without the adults after stealing and eating the magic gelly. Willthey rule the world ? A bit ridiculous but great sountrack all along. For B fans only 6/10
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” (Peter Jackson, New Zealand | USA 2014) Usually in the lord of the ring and hobbit movies people run run run then fight, then run, run run, then fight, then run… her Peter Jackson wants to reach a definitive(I hope so) uncluttered style. They just fight. Nice gci for vdeo games geeks, otherwise without any interest even if you’re a dwarf. 3/10
"The Maze Runner" (Wes Ball, USA 2014) Another movie where people run and fight. 3,5/10
“Terminator Salvation“ (McG, USA 2009) Schwarzy, please come back ! 3/10
“Ca va faire mal“ (Jean-François Davy, France 1982) Another pathetic french comedy by the master François Davy. The director of a cinema studio get a tax audit and is broke. He decide to make a “sex” movie to save his studio. A guy promise him amoney to produce the movie but in fact the guy is a robber who comes injured at the studio with the money and die… 3,5/10
"Black Market Babies" (William Beaudine, USA 1945) Very unusual movie about a very dramatic problem. The black market of babies in the us from unwed mothers. The adoption laws were very strict at that time and between 3 and 4% of the births were from unwed mothers. And then, to avoid scandal or else many used abortion or chosed to abandon childs, som made money with it allowing some couple to adopt children. Even if cheap small Monogram B the only movie about those things ever made. Worht watching. 7/10
"I Escpared from the Guestapo" (Harold Young, USA 1943) A propaganda movie in wich a convict escapes from jail thanks to Nazi spies and get involved in a counterfeit of mony and bonds. Realizing that they want to ruin the US he decide to fight them. 6,5/10
"A High Wind in Jamaica" (Alexander Mackendrick, USA 1965) We proposed this nice movie at our cine-club last night. I love this movi and the discussion was intense because some didn’t like it at all. 9/10
Yeah, he eard me. In fact, even in this one he makes a small appearance even if it's a fake schwartzy... :) Indeed I could also say " A movie where people run run run and fight and run..." It matches with most of this kind of stuff... :D
“Visa pour l’enfer“ (Alfred Rode, France 1959) Nice little french B crime movie. A man escapes from jail, finds his ex-girl friend and ask her to help him escape to Spain. Interresting because set almost entirely in the Calanques near Marseille. 7/10
“Canibal” (Manuel Martín Cuenca, France / Romania / Russia / Spain 2013) The most famous tailor form Granada is a serial killer who kill pretty girls and eats them. Things go wrong when the sister of his last victim comes around. Nice filming and acting in a very slow pace movie. A good one. 8/10
“Night of the Eagle” (Sidney Hayers, UK 1962) A frightening whitchcraft movie in wich a famous and paragmatic professor, descover that his wife uses witchcraft to rule his carrier. He ask her to stop with those stupid things bue soon things begin to go wrong. A niea atmospheric movie with amazing climax. 7,5/10
“The Sound and the Fury” (Martin Ritt, USA 1959) If you love Faulkner and have read the book (like me) you won’t like he movie. I’m surprised that Hollywood always managed to adapt Faulkner novels despite the code because the code itself makes it just impossible and with the exeption of the precode The Story of Temple Drake which is good, all other movies are failures and this one is no exeption. Joanne Woodward and Ethel Waters are good and Yul Brynner awful. 6,5/10
"Ikenie fujin" (Masaru Konuma, Japan 1974) A wife charges her husband with sexual battery. He escapes from the police and goes into hiding. Three years pass, she divorces him and tries to put the pieces of her life back in order when suddenly he returns. Obsessed with rage and hatred, he kidnaps her and brings her to a house in remote wooded area. There he disciplines her vehemently, subjecting her to increasingly shocking forms of sexual torture, tetherings, suspensions and humiliations. Astonishingly, through the rage and lust, the pair develop a relationship that pushes the boundaries of lurid passions and perverse obsessions. A quite good Pink movie with lot of bondage scenes. 7/10
"Miranda" (Tinto Brass, Italy 1985) Miranda is a beautiful woman who runs a local tavern. After the loss of her husband in WWII, she tries out a variety of men. Over the course of four seasons she meets four men: in Winter the rich old council; in Spring there is the young chauffeur; in Summer the American G.I.; and in Autumn, the servant of the Tavern. Now she has to make a decision, who would be the best lover as well husband. A quite good Brass movie with nice filming and beautiful gals. 7/10
"The River" (Jean Renoir, France / India / USA 1951) We proposed this classic at out cine-club. Watching those so nice colors on the wide screen was pure pleasure and I enjoy a lot to re-watch it. 8,5/10
"Future Fear" (Lewis Baumander, Canada / USA 1997) An able-bodied scientist has found a cure for the plague from outer space which has eradicated almost all life on the planet. A mad general who wants to repopulate the planet with a new race sends a special female assassin to take him out. Ultra kitch and camp for Z fans only. 3/10 for Z fans 8/10
"Les vécés étaient fermés de l’intérieur" (Patrice Leconte, France 1976) A crime-comedy adaped from the comics of Marcel Gotlib. Two policemen (Jean Rochefort and Coluche) investigate after the murder of au bus ticket inspector who was murdered as he was locked in his toilets… Sometimes funny. 7/10
" A toi de faire… Mignone" (Bernard Borderie, France / Italy 1963) The last adventure of Peter Cheney’s hero Lemmy Caution personified by Eddie Constantine. A nice cocktail of wisky, cigarettes, pretty gals and action. Much entertaining and funny. 7,5/10
"Le secret du chevalier d’Eon" (Jacqueline Audry, France / Italy 1959) Like many Audry’s movie a srange and ambiguous story about Geneviève de Beaumont a girl who’s raised as a boy under the mane of Charles Chevalier d'Éon. She/he become a famous soldier and soon get a dangerous mission. Desqguised as a countess Charles/Geneviève must reach the court of the Russian empress.Strange miw of romance oand adventure with a srong background of homosexuality. A strange movie. 7,5/10
"Frankenstein General Hospital" (Deborah Romare, USA 1988) Dr. Bob Frankenstein is the great-great grandson of Victor is working at a Los Angeles General Hospital. What his coworkers do not know, however, is that he has a laboratory and along with his dimwitted, two left-legged hunch-back Iggy, he intends to create the perfect human to succeed where his ancestors failed. However, as usual, the experiment goes wrong when Iggy steals the brain of a sex and food starved teenager instead of a brilliant mind, and the resulting Monster (wreaks havoc through General Hospital. As you can imagine it’s a fine and delightfum comedy. 5/10
"The Fiction Makers" (Roy Ward Baker, UK 1967) This movie is directly adapted from the TV serie of the Saint. A gang of thieves re-create the universe of a writer Amos Klein who describe a secret organization, the Sword in his novels. They decide to kidnap Klein to force him to help them to commit the biggest old-up of all times. But what they ignore is tha Amos Klein is in fact a girl Joyce Darling nd they kninap Simon Templar aka The Saint thinking he’s Amos and Joyce as his secretary… Armful action movie. 7/10
"Police des moeurs: Les filles de Saint Tropez" (Jean Rougeron, France 1987) The Niece of the german ambassador in France is kidnaped by a white Slavers ring. The screenplay is basic but bunch of damn hot pretty gals who are the only interest of the movie. 6/10
"Comme la lune" (Joël Séria, France 1977) Pouplard (Jean-Pierre Marielle) is a true Jer. H left her wife, chilsd and job to live as a parasite with a butcher who pay him everything just to fuck with her. But soon he meets an old friend who takes him his gal. Not discourage at all he decides to take another girl who of course soon make him cuckold with the young son of his best friend… Pouplar is definitively a loser and a jerk. Made wihe the same team as the famous Les galettes de Pont-Aven another ferocious sight at the French society. 7;5/10
"De quoi tu te mêles Daniela!" (Max Pécas, France / West Germany 1961) Beautiful Daniela (Elke Sommer, beautiful) is a model whosoon get involved in an international spy mystery and a race to certain microfilms hidden in a lipstick tube. Nice little crime movie with pretty gals directed by cutl director Max Pacas when he still managed to make movies. With also Cult Song Daniela sung by rock band Les Chausettes Noires. Quite a good small maovie 7,5/10
"Akai kami no onna" / "The Woman with Red Hairs" (Tatsumi Kumashiro, Japaj 1979) At his working place, Kozo and his colleague gangrape the boss' teenage daughter. Then, on the highway, he picks up a red-haired woman walking on the road back to his home. She ends up staying the night. Later, the woman reveals that she has left her husband and son, but refuses to divulge her name. On the other hand, the boss' daughter informs Kozo's colleague that she is pregnant. They decide to elope but, before that, he demands Kozo to let him have sex with the red-haired woman... Another Japanese pink but certainly not the best I’ve watched. 6,5/10
"Ichijo Sayuri: Nureta yokujo" / "Ichijo's Wet Lust" (Tatsumi Kumashiro, Japan 1972) He erotic adventures of Ichijo Sayuri a very famous stripper who wants to retire before police arrest her for sexual provocation beacause her show is very hot and famous throughout the country. But she must also face the jealousy of other girls… A quite weak pink despite some good and very hot sequences. 7/10
I'm late.. so the last movies I watched in 2015 !!
"Gremlins" (Joe Dante, USA 1984) I didn’t watched it since it’s release as I was a teen. So it was fun to watch it again on the wide sceen. 7,5/10
"Un martien à Paris" (Jean-Daniel Daninos, France 1961) Funny comedy of a martian (Darry Cowl), send to earth by martians to discover what love is. 6,5/10
"La nuit du Carrefour" (Jean Renoir, France 1932) Excellent adaptation of a Simenon novel. Inspector Maigret investigates on a strange crime of a diamond seller in his house on a crossroad where a strange couple of danish immigrates lives. There is also some other suspects, but all have a perfect alibi… 8/10
"L’assassinat du père-noël" (Roger Chapatte, Christian-Jaque, France 1942) In a remote small village in the mountains, on christmas evening people discover the body of a man disguised in santaclaus… The last movie of great actor Harry Baur before he was arrested by gestapo and mysteriously died. 8,5/10
" Christmas in Wonderland" (James Orr, USA 2007) A movie for kids… Good for my nephew. 5/10 (7/10 my nephex said)
"The Dalton Girls" (Reginald Le Borg, USA 1957) After their borthers were killed. The sisters of the famous gangsters go on rampage and ride to her fate… Quite a good small B western. 7,5/10
"L’horoscope" (Jean Girault, France 1978) Another ridiculous French comedy in wich some friends only lives following thier horoscope. 3,5/10
"L’assassin connait la musique" (Pierre Chenal, France 1963) Very good French crime/comedy in which a famous composer desperately wants to find silence… he’s ready to do everything to get it, even murder. 8/10
"L’exécutrice" (Michel Caputo, France 1986) A female cop (Brigitte Lahaie) is taking revenge from those who kidnapped and killed her young sister. 6,5/10
"L’inconnue de Hong-Kong" (Jacques Poitrenaud, France 1963) Strange crime movie with Serge Gainsbourg and Dalida, shot in Honk Kong. Some musicians get involved in a diamond smuggling affair.
"The Last Airbainder" (M. Night Shyamalan, 2010) Laughtable and ridiculous fantasy movie, even for childs. 3/10
"Chut!" (Jean-Pierre Mocky, France, 1972) Some savers are tricked by crooked bankers and corrupt politicians. A simple estate agent decides to find and denounce the culprits. As usual a ferocious comedy of Mocky with great Duphilo. 7/10
"Tartarin de Tarascon" (Francis Blanche, France 1962) Funny adaptation directed and acted by famous french comic Francis Blanche, of famous Alphonse Daudet Novel with great actors, Jacqueline Maiilan and Paul Prébois, Michel Galabru… 7/10
"Soldat Duroc, ça va être ta fête!" (Michel Gérard, France 1975) During WWII a french soldier escapes to reach his hometown to meet his girfiend. But at the same moment he’s urgently needed to lead a very difficult mission in a commando. Another pathetic French comedy as I like it. 3/10
"Simplet" (Fernandel, France 1942) Simplet (Fernandel) is a simple guy who lives in a happy village in french Provence. One day he’s fired from the village when people get infuriated with his strange behaviors. But soon, things begin to go wrong in the village. The only movie directed by Fernandel ! 7/10
"Qu’est-ce qui fait craquer les fille…" (Michel Vocoret, France 1982) A corrupt manager hires some guys to ruin the bussiness in the hotel where he works to ruin the owner and allow the boss of the neighbouring casino to by the luxuous hotel for peanuts. Ultra pathetic French comedy. A must to see. 2/10 and 10/10 for true French cinema lovers.
"Le dessous des cartes" (André Cayatte, France 1948) In a small village in the Alps, a man (Serge Reggiani) is wrongly accused by a corrupt policeman (Paul Meurisse) to have murder the rich husband of a woman he is in love with. 7,5/10
That's all for 2015... very few movies this year... only 473... I hope I'll do better in 2016... :)
I'm very late in my reviews... here ar ethe first for 2016...
"Les Jeunes Loups" (Marcel Carné, France/Italy, 1968) Poorly know, Carné Movie about two young people in rebleion against soiety who decodes to spend some time on the french riviera. But the young guy is an ambitious man with no qualm who is ready to do everything even being a gigolo to get money. The girl is more idealistic and think that ideals can rule her life. Some kind of testimony of a certain time and certain way of life of a certain youth.
"The Red Shoes" (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, UK 1948) Re-watched for the third time this wonderful movie always with the same pleasure… even more. The girl enjoy a lot too. 10/10
"Rapture" (John Guillermin, France/USA 1965) This was was by far my best movie for 2015 and I re-watched it with great pleasure too.. the girl either. 10/10
"Phèdre" (Terence Young, Pierre Jourdan, France 1968) This adaptation is more like filmed theatre but great settings and acting make this Racien classic all in alexandrine a pure jewel. On ly for lovers of great art. 8,5/10
"Totò, Eva e il pennello proibito" (Steno France / Italy / Spain 1959) Funny little comedy with Toto and Louis De Funès in witch the first one is a famous counterfeiter who paints fals Goya paontings and the second a famous speciamist of the painter… 7/10
"Land of Doom" (Peter Maris, USA 1986) Some kind of Mad max of the poor a strang movie in witch a rebel girl units with a lonesome man to try to find a land of peace in a sick post-apocalyptic world. 6,5/10
"Film d'amore e d'anarchia, ovvero 'stamattina alle 10 in via dei Fiori nella nota casa di tolleranza...'" (aka “Movie of Love and Anarchy”) (Lina Wertmüller, Italy 1973) A very long title for a long and great movie in which a young anarchist come to roma in a brothel to meet the leader of an antifascist group who want to murder Mussilini. He’s now in charche of the murder but leaves in the brothel waiting for the D. Day… But soon, he falls in love for one of the prostitute… Love or Duty tht’s the question. Politicaly engaged a great movie ! 8,5/10
"Le tunnel" (Curtis Bernhardt, Germany 1933) Poorly known movie of Jean Gabin and maybe his only sci-Fi one. In a close furure he’s a young American ingeneer who convinces rich businessmen to invest in the construction of a tunnel joining Europe to the US. But of course there is a traitor in the group… a curiosity. 7/10
"Westward the Women" (William A. Wellmann, USA 1950) We, proposed this great western to our cineclub. Most of our spectators didn’t watched it before and the discussion was very interesting indeed and everybody enjoyed it al lot.
"The Magnificient Seven" (John Sturges, USA 1954) We also proposed this one to our cineclub. Even if I watched it many times it was fun to watch it on silver screen. 8/10
"Le roi des cons" (Claude Confortès, France 1981) Georges Le Roi (Francis Perrin) is working at the factory, he’s not very clever but know how to speack to women to make her love him. A cever girl decisdes to use this talent to make busineess. Another great French comedy with screenplay adapted from Wolinsky (RIP) work. 5/10
"Messalina Venere imperatrice" (Vittorio Cottafavi, Italy 1960) A lose adaptationof the life of Messalina, the venimous queen who seduces men and then kill them only to satisfy her lust for power… 7/10
"Erik il vichingo" (Mario Caiano, Italy 1960) The story of Erik a courageous Viking who will discover America and sympathize with Indians. But because of traitors thing swill go wrong. 6,5/10
"Domenica d'agosto" Luciano Emmer, Italy 1950) A nice little movie avous the crossed destinies of some people on a sunny Sunday on the beach… 7,5/10
"Les nuits de Montmartre" (Pierre Franchi, France 1955) A small French crime movie in which a gentle bad guy and jewel robber get involved in a drug smuggling ring. Jean-Marc Thibaud as the bad guy is barely credible but the whol is armless enough to be entertaining. 7/10
"Entrée des artistes" (Marc Allégret, France 1938) A nice drama about some students who enter a famous actor’s school. They are full of illusions, of deception, joy;.. they fall in love and even comit murders… their teacher (Louis Jouvet) will have to solve this strange story… 7,5/10
"Dans l'eau... qui fait des bulles!... " (Maurice Delbez, France 1961) A strange crime comedy narrated by the victim.. The movie begins with the speech of a drown man who is discovered in the lake by a potential suspect who decides to hide the corpse… which is discovered by another potential suspect wwho decides… 7/10
"L'émir préfère les blondes" (Alain Payet France 1983) Ultra pathetic french comedy in wich a lecherous emir falls in love for a young blonde singer who is the girl of her producer. The emir and his harem decides to move in the producer’s house… Alain Payet is better known as John Love one of the most famous French hard core porn director ever. This movie is his only non porn effort… some people should only do what the can do well… 2,5/10
I continue the exploration of the US weird cinema from the 60's and early 70's... a good serie of obscure gems here...
"Marsha the Erotic Housewife" (Donald A. Davis, USA 1970) After discovering that her husband Greg has been having an adulterous affair with secretary Natalie, housewife Marsha decides to embark on a few illicit carnal misadventures of her own. 6/10
"For Single Swingers Only" (Donald A. Davis, USA 1968) "Uninhibited unmarrieds" Gracie and Gloria move into an apartment complex reserved For Single Swingers Only where the bed-hopping' neighbors include studs-in-residence Arty and Dave, the hot playmate Connie, and Ruth and the lesbian landlady. 6/10
"Her Odd Tastes" (Donald A. Davis, USA 1969) A woman's job as a sex researcher takes her all over the world and gets her into some difficult situations. 6,5/10
"Sweet Trash"(John Hayes, USA 1970) Down on his luck alcoholic longshoreman Michael Joseph Donovan finds himself in deep trouble after he racks up a huge debt to some vicious local mobsters. Donovan decides to go on the run, which only compounds the severity of his already dire situation. While on the lam Donovan has surreal encounters with various lusty ladies and colorful eccentrics from the slummy neighborhood he resides in. 6,5/10
"The Hangup" (John Hayes, USA 1969) Two vice cops get entangled in a web of prostitution, blackmail and murder. Things go wrong when one of them falls in love for a young prostitute… 6,5/10
"Judy" (David W. Hanson, George Meadows, USA 1970) A depraved sex killer preys on women of ill repute in the red light district area of Boston, Massachusetts. Hard-nosed maverick private detective Gunner Sloan gets hired by the wealthy Fairchild to find the psycho after the creep attacks Fairchild's daughter Regina. 6,5/10
"The Night Hustlers" (Bobby O'Donald, USA 1968) Two vice detectives swap stories about their various seamy arrests. A French novelist listens to said anecdotes so he can get fresh ideas for the latest book he's writing. Meanwhile, the novelist receives a barrage of phone calls from assorted lady friends throughout the course of the evening.6/10
"Bible!" (Wakefield Poole, USA 1974) An anthology film crafted from three stories from The Bible: First story is, of course, Adam & Eve. A nude Adam (Bo White) crawls and swims through odd rock formations (I suppose to simulate the birth canal) and eventually ends up on a beach. Eve eventually emerges from the sea and the two have sex. Next is the story of Bathsheba (Georgina Spelvin) and Uriah. Bathsheba, feeling ignored by her husband Uriah (Robert Benes) seeks the company of peeping tom David (John Horn). And last, Samson and Delilah: When Samson (Brahm van Zetten) murders one of Delilah's (Gloria Grant) dwarf friends, she vows revenge. 7/10
"The Blue Hour" (Sergei Goncharoff, Ron Nicholas, USA 1971) A young girl with a shady past travels to Los Angeles and finds herself getting mixed up in the seedy and dark underbelly of the city. Quite nicely filmed and a more serious movie as the usual stuff. 7/10
"One naked Night" (Albert T. Viola, USA 1965) The daughter of a prostitute who committed suicide travels to New York and moves into an apartment with some pinup models. Very beautifuly filmed in huge b/w. 7/10
"3 in a Towel" (Marty Rackum, USA 1969) Ladies man Romeo Bruno dallies with various attractive young gals on a lazy day in San Francisco. He bets he can sleep with ten different women during one day. Ultra hippie nudie with emancipated girls, pot and lot of free sex and group sex !! 7/10
"A Clockwork Blue" (Eric Jeffrey Haims, 1972) Bumbling Jewish mama's boy researcher Homer acquires a magical watch that enables him to go through time. While traveling through time Homer encounters such notable historical figures as Caesar, King Louis XVI, Eric the Red, and Thomas Cromwell. Meanwhile, a black man in heaven watches Homer's misadventures on a watermelon television. 6,5/10
"The Erotic Adventures of Zorro". (Robert Freeman, William Allen Castleman, France / USA / West Germany, 1972) An "adults only" retelling of the legend of Zorro in which our hero comes back from spain to free his people and espacialy the pretty gals of his people from the oppression of a gtax collector and a lecherous colonel…. A movie rated Z ! 6,5/10
"50,000 B.C." (William Rose, Arnold Drake, USA 1963) Loser Charlie Wishnick, locked out of his trailer home by his awful wife, ends up in a time machine that's disguised as a taxicab. Transported to 50,000 B.C., Charlie meets cavemen and cavewomen, many of which are often nude. He falls in love and is almost eaten by a giant… no more no less in this terrible erotic comedy. 6/10
First we organized our small festval at the end of January... it was fun to watch some obscure (and less obscure movies on the wide screen
"La main du diable" (Maurice Tourneur, France 1943) Watching once more this classic of french fantastic cinéma in 35 mm and on the silver screen was great pleasure. 8,5/10
"Megaforce" (Hal Needham, Hong Kong / USA 1982) Watching this amazing Z-grade blockbuster was an hilarious experiment, everybody enjoy a lot ! 2/10 for Z fans 10/10 and more !
"Turkey Shoot" (Brian Trenchard-Smith, Autralia 1982) Another so bad that it’s good. In a future world, people who don’t think in the official way are put in concentration camp and some hunting parties are organized. A very funny adaptation of the Moste Dangerous Game… 3/10 for Z fans 9/10
"The Secret Partner" (Basil Dearden, UK 1961) A wealthy London-based shipping magnate is blackmailed by an evil dentist which threatens to reveal an old case of fraud, while the dentist himself is threaten by a mysterious masked man. A nic small B police movie wih Stewart granger as he was ostracized from Hollywood and in search od a second carier in his homeland… An early Dearden too with great story with many plot twists and nice filming. 7,5/10
"Dark Star" (John Carpenter, USA 1974) The first movie of the master. A great parody of the previous Sci-Fi moies and the one to come too by great anticipation. 8/10
"Fantasmagorie" (Patrice Molinard, France 1963) A strange little movie with Edith Scob in a dark tale of vampire… 7,5/10
Few movies this year because I was absent two days during the week...
Some other movies I watched recently... perhaps it may help you ;)
"Broken Arrow" (Delmer Daves, USA 1950) We proposed this great western to our cine-club. It was great fun to watch it on the silver screen. 8/10
"Wife Wanted" (Phil Karlson, USA 1946) The last movie of great actress Kay Francis in wich she’s an ex-movie star, Carole Raymond, who invests in as a real estate partner of Jeff Caldwell. Actually, through his secretary, Nola Reed, Caldwell runs a matrimonial bureau and, with the aid of his associate, Lee Kirby they defraud and blackmail a large group of lonely poeple. Carole, unknowingly, is used as bait for one of their victims, Walter Desmond, who apparently commits suicide… Not Bad small Crime movie… 7,5/10
"Face of Fire" (Albert Band, USA/Sweden 1959) In a small American town, Dr. Ned Trescott and his family employ Monk Johnson as a handyman who is considered part of the family. Monk's fiancée, Bella, plans to marry him. One day, Monk hears clanging fire bells shattering : Trescott house is ablaze. Monk runs inside the burning house and fetches Jimmie. But Monk stumbles and falls burning his face. Firemen save Monk but his face is badly burned and remains grotesquely disfigured. But his brain also seems to be injured… Strange horro movie and also nice drama… 8/10
"Mort d’un pourri" (Georges Lautner, USA 1977) In the middle of the night, deputy Philippe Dubaye wakes up his old friend Xavier Maréchal with disturbing news: he has just killed Serrano, a racketeer with extant political connections. Serrano kept proofs of Dubaye's involvement in corrupt dealings and was poised to use them against the deputy. Xavier readily agrees to cover up for his old pal Philippe, but he soon runs into difficulties…. Produced by Alain Delon it’s quite a good political movie much better than most people say especialy in France. 8/10
"Rafles sur la ville" (Pierre Chenal, France 1958) Le Fondu, a famous gangster, escapes from the hospital where he was detained, killing an inspector in the process. The colleague of the deceased inspector, Paul Vardier, vows to avenge him. The task seems hopeless: Le Fondu has disappeared without a trace and nobody has a clue about his hide-out…. A good French fil-noir as they did well in the 50’s… 8/10
"Le Cousin Jules" (Dominique Benicheti, France 1972) The movie was filmed during five years. The daily life of an eldery blacksmith and his wife… who died during the filming… you then discover without anything being told the changes of Jules’s life… Just wonderful. 9,5/10
"Saving Private Ryan" (Steven Spielberg, USA 1998) I rewatched this movie for the third time. Even if the plot is sometime a bit unbelievable, the beginning is still amazingly effiscient and Spielberg is definitively a good director. 7,5/10
"Syskonbädd 1782" (Vilgot Sjöman, Sweden 1966) Sweden in 1782. A young nobleman, named Jacob (Per Oscarsson) returns from France to his home and cherished sister Charlotte (Bibi Andersson) who is engaged to Baron Alsameden (Jarl Kulle). The siblings close relationship becomes incestuous and with fear that the disclosure of Charlotte's pregnancy will make society view them as libertines, the lovers ultimately choose to part, Jacob decides to leave the country and Charlotte if left to marry the Baron. A nice story of incest with amazing Bibi Anderson and a gruesome ending… 8/10
"Street Scene" (King Vidor, USA 1930) In a hot summer afternoon in New York, Emma Jones gossips with other neighbors of her residential building about the affair of Mrs. Anna Maurrant and the milkman Steve Sankey. When the rude Mr. Frank Maurrant arrives, they change the subject. Meanwhile, their teenage daughter Rose Maurrant is sexually harassed by her boss Mr. Bert Easter; however, she likes her Jewish neighbor Sam that has a crush on her… wonderful drama adapted from a famous play and filmed deliberately by Vidor like a play. Beulah Bondy is amazing as the gossip and the final scenes are amazing. 9/10
"Quando gli uomini armarono la clava e... con le donne fecero din-don" (Bruno Corbucci, Italy 1971) Prehistoric cave-stud Ari wins lovely virgin Listra in a pig-catching contest, but their attempts at "Ding-Dong" keep getting interrupted by idiot battles between his tribe, The Cave Dwellers, and their neighbors, The Lake Dwellers. Annoyed that hubby would rather make war than Ding-Dong, Listra organizes the women of both tribes to go on strike and "abstain Ding-Dong" until the men stop fighting. Funny and loosely adapted from Aristophane’s Lysisthrata A typical erotic comedy from the 70’s part of a famous trilogy… 7/10
"The Lonely Sex" (Richard Hilliard, USA 1959) Another nice exploitation movie from the 60’s in wich a maniac kidnaps a young girl and holds her prisoner in a shack in the woods… Not bad even if Cheap… for B fans only. 6,5/10
"Anatomy of a Psycho" (Boris Petroff, USA 1961) Driven to the edge of insanity by the execution of his older brother, Chet is boiling over with hatred. After getting his face slashed in a senseless alley-way brawl, his paranoia begins to paint everyone around him as an enemy. He turns to his sweet younger sister, his slutty girlfriend, and even his old poker buddies for solace, but all of them have real or imagined links back to the ill-fated trial that condemned his brother, thus aggravating Chet's psychosis… Another small exploitation fliks from the vault. 6/10
"Lust for Freedom" (Eric Louzil, USA 1987) A former female cop is framed by corrupt police, acting in collusion with the local judge, and has to fight her way out of the pen, alone, against tough inmates, and the people in charge. Very bad thrash movie from the vault… Bad acting, bad filming… Almost like a moders blockbuster. 3/10
"Tarzan's Fight for Life" (H. Bruce Humberstone, USA 1958) Dr. Sturdy is trying to establish a modern hospital in the jungle. His efforts are strongly opposed by Futa, the witch doctor, and Ramo, a native warrior. There are kidnappings, a race against time for serum, capture of Tarzan, the struggle of modern medicine against magic. A cheap tarzan with Gordon Scott but mices colors and filming. 6,5/10
"Tarzan's Hidden Jungle" (Harold D. Schuster, USA 1955) Hunters trespass into Sukulu country, where animals are sacred, posing as photographers. Their work has the blessing of the U.N.'s Dr. Celliers, close friend of the Sukulu chief. The hunters send the animals across a river where they can be shot, and the natives throw the good doctor and his nurse into a lion pit. Tarzan ape-calls the animals to safety and rescues the medicos. The last B/W Tarzan’s movie the first with Gordon Scoott who’s not the best Tarzan as an actor but one of the most muscular one… Vera Miles is cute. 7,5/10
"Ercole contro i tiranni di Babilonia" (Domenico Paolella, Italy 1964) Hercules fight the three tyrants of Babylone to free the queen of Greece secretly hidden among slaves captured by babyloninas… Cheap Sword and Sandla movie but quite entertaining. 7/10
"Lac aux Dames" (Marc Allégret, France 1934) A handsome but penniless young man takes a summer job as a swimming instructor in a picturesque Alpine lake resort. He falls in love with a young heiress who is staying there with her father, but he also grabs the attention of tomboyish Puck who lives on the other side of the lake and who saves him from drowning one foggy night. Further havoc is caused by the arrival of Eric's old sweetheart whose husband is wanted by the police. Captivating and haunting atmosphere and amazing filming in this strange romance… 8,5/10
"Des femmes disparaissent" (Edouard Molinaro, France 1959) Pierre Rossi and Béatrice live in the same block of flats in Marseille and love each other. One night, Béatrice leaves her apartment. Pierre knows that his fiancée goes to a rendezvous, but she would not tell him more than just that. Worried, Pierre follows her but he is attacked and stolen his identity papers by two men, Tom and Nasol, on the payroll of Quaglio, one of the city's bosses. Later on, Quaglio kills Nasol and deposits the body in a garage, leaving Pierre's papers nearby. A good French crime movie with great acting of Philippe Clay as the mad killer… 8/10
" Le village perdu" (Christian Stengel, France 1947) In a remont village in the french Alps two people dies in strnage circonstances… Only Anglelique (Gaby Morlay) by many considered as a witch thinks that it could be murders… Soon some secrets kept for generations comes back to light… Not bad unknown movie. 7,5/10
"Tarzan and the Lost Safari" (H. Bruce Humberstone, USA/UK, 1957) Tarzan leads five passengers from a downed airplane out of the jungle. En route white hunter Hawkins tries to sell them to the Oparian chief. Captured by the Oparians and nearly sacrificed to their lion god, the party is again save by Tarzan.... The first Tarzan’s movie filmed in coler with Gordon Scott… 7/10
"Finalmente le mille e una notte" (Antonio Margheriti, Italy 1972) Sultan Ali Mamun has become inpotent. Three Storytellers try to excite him with three hot stories… 1/ Story of Sultan Samandal, considered by the best lover of his kindom until… . 2/ The Story Aladin wo cheats the husband of his lover by offering a flying carpet which brings every night his girl to him until… 3/ Princess Aziza promises to marry the guy who will make her love 13 times during one night ! But if the candidate fails, the price is his life… A young pretentious guy fearlessly propose to take his chance… Not always good but sometimes funny and with very hot gals… 6,5/10
"Section spéciale" (Costa Gavras, France 1975) n occupied France during the WWII, a German officer is murdered. The collaborationist Vichy government decides to pin the murder on six petty criminals. Loyal judges are called in to convict them as quickly as possible. Adapted from true events, a simply strong and effective movie. 9/10
"Tales of Robin Hood" (James Tinling, USA 1951) An outlaw and his band sally forth from their hideout in Sherwood Forest to do battle with the brutal Sheriff of Nottingham and his oppressive tax collectors, who are stripping the poor villagers of what little they have left. A small B version of the famous adventures of Robin Hood. Not bad at all despite the shot time (One hour!) and the lack of means. 7/10
"Les bidasses s’en vont en guerre" (Claude Zidi, France/Italy/West germany, 1974) To avoid marriage, four friends engage in the army… The segent Bellec is thier instructor… poor guy. Another great French comedy as true French cinemla lovers like it. 7/10
"Flesh" (Paul Morrissey, USA 1968) Geri (Geraldine Smith) ejects her husband Joe (Joe Dalessandro) from bed, and insists he go out on the streets to make some money for her girlfriend's abortion. This leads to Joe's various encounters with clients on the streets of New York City. Nice and strange movie with sexsymbol Joe Dallesandro… 7,5/10
"Jeckyll and Hyde Porfolio" (Eric Jeffrey Haims, USA 1971) A man commits a series of murders due to his dual personalities and his zodiac birth sign. Another rough nudie from the vault. Very Strange indeed. 6/10
"Death by Invitation" (Ken Friedman, USA 1971) Independent horror production with tiny budget and quite obscure. 5/10
"The Dungeon of Harrow" (Pat Boyette, USA 1962) A budget-less independent movie about a strange story of two men arriving on a mysterious island inhabited by an evil, sadistic count in a waterfront castle with his insane family members… Not as bad as expected. 6/10
"Santo en El tesoro de Drácula" (aka Santo and Dracula’s Treasure) (René Cardona, Mexico 1969) Mexican wrestler El Santo invents a time machine. After somebody uses the machine to find the hidden location of Drácula's treasure, El Santo must hunt down the vampire… Excellent entry in the Santo serie… 7/10
"Jungle Patrol" (Joseph M. Newman, USA 1948) There are few tru war B-movies and this one is a good exemple. An interesting small story of a group of pilots in New-Guinea during WWII… 7/10
"The Sky Bike" (Charles Frend, UK 1967) This Children's Film Foundation story is about Tom, a boy with his head in the clouds who wishes he could fly. But a chance encounter with a Mr Lovejoy at an abandoned airfield helps Tom realise his dream as the amateur inventor is out to build the first man powered flying machine - the Sky-Bike!
"Vous n’avez rien à declarer ?" (Clément Duhour, France 1959) Another great french comedy with Darry Cowl as Labaule a guy who will do verything to get the girl he loves even after she get merried with the man she loves… For tru French cinema lovers. 6/10
"The Dark Power" (Phil Smoot, USA 1985) A bad hooro movie only interresting because of the presence of Lash LaRue the famous western actor of the 40’s and the 50’s in one of his last picture… After an Indian medicine man dies, his house, which was built over the graves of four Indian sorcerers becomes a sorority home for a group of girls. Once the four Indians are awakened and terror ensues, a park ranger learns of the Indian's evil and plans to stop them. Pretty lame… 4/10 (for Lash!)
"The Power" (Byron Haskin, USA 1968) One by one members of a special project team are being killed by telekinesis - the ability to move things with the power of the mind alone. The race is to determine which of the remaining team members is the murderer and to stop them. Before Cronnenberg end Scanners (1981) there was Byron Haskin and The Power… don’t forget it. A nice surprise. 8/10
"La tentation de Barbizon" (Jean Stelli, France 1946) An unusual fantasy movie for french cinéma, an Angel (Simone Renant marvelous) and a devil comes to earth impersonating recently deceased people and decide to “ply” with a young couple who just get married… but the game may be not ending as the think it would be… A true discovery and a delightful comedy full of nice findings.. 8/10
"Grazie Zia" (aka “Come and Play with Me”) (Salvatore Samperi, Italy 1968) Young Alvise's body is paralyzed, or at least he thinks so. He is infatuated by his beautiful aunt Lea. What starts as innocent therapy and care soon develops into strange erotic and psychological battle between them. Sulfurous movie about incestuous relationships… 7,5/10
"Sammy’s Super T-Shirt" (Jeremy Summers, UK 1978) Another great small movie from the Children Film Foundation in wich a young boy's lucky t-shirt is transformed through a power surge and gives its wearer super-powers. But some greedy sicnetist are after him… 7,5/10
"Silent Raiders" (Richard Bartlett, USA 1954) A special unit is dispatched to Nazi-occupied territory just before the Normandy invasion in order to destroy a Greman communications center. A very budgetless war movie, produced, directed, and acted by Bartlett with Normandy looking very like Californy… but quite entertaining… 6/10
"The Boss Cowboy" (Victor Adamson, USA 1934) Dick Taylor (Buddy Roosevelt), ranch foreman, has a mess of trouble on his hands, with an unexpected dual romance on his hands while he’s trying to keep rustlers from stealing all the cattle. He 'kidnaps' his sweetheart,Mary Ross to keep her from taking a train back east, is chased by her father, Tom Ross but wins the confidence of both by rounding up the rustling gang, headed by the crooked foreman of this ranch. Entaining small B western from cult director/producer/actor… Victor Adamson !
"Reform School Girl" (Edward Bernds, USA 1957) A young man steals a car and ends up involved in a pedestrian fatality. The only witness is a girl he had just met. He threatens her life if she talks, so when she refuses to tell what she knows she is sent to reform school… Cheap small Teen movie B from the vault but quite watchable even if Bernds is mostly known for his "gigantic" movies ! 6,5/10
"Z" (Costa-Gavras, France/Algeria, 1969) In a mid-sized metropolis in a right-wing military led country, a pacifist organization, which supports the opposition party in the government, is planning on holding an anti-military, nuclear disarmament rally. The organization's charismatic leader - the deputy - is scheduled to arrive in the town from the capital the day of the rally. Beyond the problems arranging the rally due to the probable incitement of violence at such a rally, the organization learns of an unconfirmed report that there will be an attempt on the deputy's life. The rally does happen, after which a three-wheeled kamikaze runs over the deputy, who eventually passes away from his injuries. The official report is that the incident was a drunken accident. Refering from the coup d'état of the generals in Greece, a one sense strongly political movie you don’t see anymore now… But is it really a good thing… not sure. 9/10
"Les compagnes de la nuit" (Ralph Habib, France, 1953) A young and beautifull girl (Françoise Arnoul wonderful) falls into prostitution and will be lead to murder her procurer after falling in love with a nice trucdriver… Not bad small noir “à la française” 7,5/10
"Apache Chief" (Frank McDonald, USA 1949) A rare small B western quite original because seen from the indian point of wiev. A young chief must keep peace with the U.S. army despite the activity of rebels who’ll do everything to start a new war… 7/10
"The Bandit Queen" (William Berke, USA 1950) Another unusual B-western from the point of wiev of the oppressed Mexican inhabitants from California just after it’s annexion by U.S. Some croked politicians and shérif kill the father of a young girl to get his mines. She takes shelter in a mission and some years later become sthe ferocious masqued leader of a gang of thieves and want ot take revenge on her father's murderers… 7/10
"Zloy dukh Yambuya" (aka "The Evil Spirit of Yambuy") (Boris Buneev SSSR 1979) If you liked Deruzu uzâra you’ll like this one… in a remote place in the far east of Siberia, some geographers and sheppers mysteriously disappear on Mount Yambuy… Locals say it’s an evil monster… A geographer helped by local shepperds is going to investigate. Excellent, a nice discovery. 9/10
"Je suis une nymphomane" (aka "I am a Nymphomaniac") (Max Pécas, France 1971) An erotic movie from Max Pecas… After an accident a prudish girl become a ferocious nymphomaniac… 6/10
"Je suis frigide... pourquoi ?" (aka "I’m Frigid… Why ?") (Max Pecas, France 1972) Another Max pecas erotic movie… After being raped by the son and the daughter of her masters. A young girl becomes frigid… will she find the way to cure ? 5/10
"The Next Voice You Hear..." (William A. Wellman, USA 1950) Amazing movie in which God decides to talk to people through the radio… The phenomenon at first taken for an oax soon becomes worldwide… This will change the life of th a family but also the future of the entire world... Incredible and unique movie ! 7,5/10
"Circle Canyon" (Victor Adamson, USA 1933) A small B western in which a cowboy and his adopted daughter Lucy must face two different gangs who want to take control of Lucy's inherited land rich of oil… Lone Star Production made exactely the same movie one year later with John Wayne… 6/10
"Born Reckless" (Howard W. Koch, USA 1958) Professional rodeo rider Kelly Cobb travels to county rodeos to win money so he can buy a patch of land he wants to call his own with his friend Papa and his family. He rescues trick rider Jackie Adams from the clutches of an amorous sportsnews writer, and they travel together. Jackie begins falling in love with Kelly, but he doesn't seem to notice as he continues to risk his life and limb for his dream, occasionally being tempted by floozies ! A small B with georgeous Mamie Van Doren… 7/10
"Hrútar" (aka "Rams") (Grímur Hákonarson, Iceland 2015) In a remote and lost village, two brother who haven't speack to each other for years must unit thier forces to save thier most proecious goods : thier sheeps... Unusual and very nice movie... 8,5/10
"The Beat Generation" (Charles F. Haas, USA 1959) Another movie with mamie van Doren. A detective is assigned to track down and capture a crazed serial rapist. Quite unusual thema for that time, obviously talking about rape the movie sounds quite interesting with some good music and the presence of Louis Armstrong… 7/10
"Roadblock" (Harold Daniels, USA 1951) A nice film noir with a plot a bit similar to Double Indemnity with good Charles McGraw as an insurance agent driven to robbery and murder to conquer what he supposes to be a femme fatale with luxyry tastes… 7,5/10
"Die Stewardessen" (Erwin C. Dietrich, Switzerland 1971) Another erotic movie fron Switzerland in wich four intercontinental airplane stewardesses based in New York fly to various sexual experiences all over Europe, including Zurich, Copenhagen, Rome and Munich. Each flight seems to have only one or two stewardesses…. Only for fans of georgeous Ingrid Steeger ! 5/10
"Death in Small Doses" (Joseph M. Newman, USA 1957) A government agent investigates the use of illegal amphetamines among long-haul truck drivers. A good small Film Noir on truckdrivers background including poor bars and restaurants, cheap motels, gas stations… and Peter Graves… 7,5/10
"Boule de Suif" (Christian-Jaque, France 1945) Like Robert Wise will doo it later the movie uses in fact two novels of Maupassant, Boule de Suif and Mademoiselle Fifi. Both movies have the stong post war connotations about French Resistance. I find this one superior to Wise’s one… Micheline Presle is beautriful dans Louis Salou as Fifi is incredible… 8,5/10
"Club privé" (aka "Private Club") (Max Pécas, France 1974) A poor erotic movie from Max Pecas…. 4/10
"The Lone Wolf in Paris" (Albert S. Rogell, USA 1938) Second movie of the Lone Wolf Serie… In this one our gentleman thif get involved in a secret war of succession in the high society… 6,5/10
"Zimmer 13" (aka "Room 13") (Harald Reinl, Germany 1964) A nice Edgar Wallace’s adaptation in which a serial-killer is murdering the ladies of a night club. Detective Gray is seeking for the killer but can only find a lot of gangsters planning the attack of a postal train... And the killer is about to act again...not Bad… 7/10
"Der Hexer" (Aka "The Magician") (Alfred Vohrer, Germany 1964) Another krimi adapted from Edgar Wallace’s novel… The sister of a famous, but as yet uncaught, criminal named The Hexer is murdered. Inspector Higgins of Scotland Yard believes that The Hexer will surface to take his revenge on his sister's killers, and plans to set a trap to finally capture him. However, soon bodies start piling up, and it looks as if The Hexer may get away yet again. 6,5/10
"Das Indische Tuch" (aka "The Indian Scarf") (Alfred Vohrer, Germany 1963) Another nice german krimi adapted from Wallace… When a wealthy man dies, his avaricious relatives look forward to inheriting all his money. However, he leaves a provision in his will that they all must spend a week together in his castle before they will be able to inherit anything. At the castle (which is cut off from the outside world), the relatives soon begin to be killed off one by one, each strangled with an Indian scarf. The estate's executor, a lawyer, sets out to find the killer before everyone--including himself--is murdered.... 7/10
"Une Java" (Claude Orval, France 1939) Petty criminal Yann is arrested and tried for wounding a police officer. He is convicted and sent to prison for five years on false testimony provided by his mistress Gaby, whereas the crime was in fact committed by Yann's accomplice, Armando. Having escaped from prison, Yann's one thought is to find Armando and inflict a suitable form of revenge. He finds his quarry just as he is about to rob the house of a famous music hall performer. In the ensuing fight, Yann kills his former associate, just before the police arrive on the scene... If the story is quite classic, the title song of the movie, La Java Bleue composed by Vincent Scotto is one of the most famous French song that everybody knows… In the movie Frehel, who first recorded it sings it in a dance hall, great moment. 7/10
“The Immoral Mr. Teas” (Russ Meyer, USA 1959) Mr. Teas is a door to door salesman for dentists' appliances. Everywhere he goes he encounters beautiful big-breasted nude women, which of course stir his interest. He thinks he’s sick and goes to a psychanalyst… The first Russ Meyer movie is already a good little movie ! 7/10
“Eve and the Handyman” (Russ Meyer, USA 1961) Eve is dressed in a long raincoat as a private detective of the golden age and follows the handyman around as he makes his appointed rounds.... She wants to know if he’s subject to… corruption by all the pretty big-breasted gals he meets during the day… 7/10
“Our Daily Bread” (King Vidor, USA 1934) John and Mary sims are city-dwellers hit hard by the financial fist of The Depression. Driven by bravery (and sheer desperation) they flee to the country and, with the help of other workers, set up a farming community - a socialist mini-society based upon the teachings of Edward Gallafent. A nice and optimistic depression-era movie with awesome final sequence… 8/10
“Mains armées“ (Pierre Jolivet, France 2012) Roshdy Zem can’t save this confuse crime movie, even the end is botched… 5,5/10
“Live Free or Die Hard” (Len Wiseman, USA 2007) As ridiculous as the first time I watchend it… if it’s a parody it’s useless because parody of parody is alwys useless… 4/10
“Homicide” (Felix Jacoves, USA 1949) Brad Clifton a farmhand witnesses a murder. The killers threaten him into going to the police… some days later the body of Brad is found in a hotel room in San Francisco… A long and difficult investigation begins for the FBI agents… Nice little film-noir. 7/10
“The House Across the Street” (Richard L. Bare, USA 1949) Dave Joslin, the managing editor of a big-city newspaper, is demoted and moved to the Miss Lonely Hearts column-writing department by the newspaper's publisher, J. B. Grennell, because Joslin refuses to desist in printing stories linking a gangster, Matthew Keever, to a murder. Another nice small film-noir. 7/10
“Cinderella“ (Michael Pataki, USA 1977) An adaptation of the fairy tale, Cinderella traces the misadventures of our heroine, who, via the help of her "fairy" (gay) godmother, is granted heightened sexual prowess to win over Prince Charming. After a blindfolded orgy at the royal castle, the nerdy Prince must sleep with every willing woman in his kingdom until he finds that one, mysterious lover who so "stood out" on the night of the sex Ball…. A sexy musical quite ridiculous… 6/10
“Paris la nuit“ (aka “Paris by Night“) (Henri Diamant-Berger, France 1930) Mostly interresting by the screenplay written by famous french writer Francis Carco. A story of romance of an upperclass socialite who decides to have an adventure with friends in iunderground Paris by Night. Even if a bit dated still interesting piece of history. Furthermore one of the very first French talky. 7/10
“Nobi“ (aka “Fires on the Plain“) (Kon Ichikawa, Japan 1959) It is the Philipines, 1945. The Japanese Imperial Army has been reduced to a ragtag mob hiding in the jungles. Among them is Pvt. Tamura. The situation goes from bad to worse and in the face of the brutal conditions facing the men, some go insane and resort to murder and cannibalism. In the midst of this, Pvt. Tamura tries to survive without giving up his principles.... Wonderfull and amzing movie. 9/10
“Im Banne des Unheimlichen“ (aka “The Zombie Walks”) (Alfred Vohrer, West Germany 1968) Another german adaptation of an Edgar Wallace novel… A serial killer who calls himself "The Laughing Corpse" dresses up in a skeleton costume and kills his victims with a poison-filled scorpion-shaped ring. Quite good Krimi. 7,5/10
“La Chartreuse de Parme“ (Christian-Jaque, France 1948) Fabrice del Dongo, a young archbishop, gives his all to romance rather than to the Church, creating complications for everyone around. The Countess of San Severina, is but one of the women who love him a la folie, spurring jealous retribution in high places from those who in turn want her. From his prison window, Fabrice falls in love with the jailer's daughter who takes a vow to the Virgin Mary to never see him again if his escape succeeds. Very nice adaptation of Stendhal novle, Gérard Philippe is amazing… 9/10
“Sexuellement votre“ (aka “Sexualy Yours“) Max pécas, France 1973) Gerard Casanova is the man that all the rich and beautiful women call when they need a little more then the husbands to give them. He's always on call to satisfy their every sexual urge. The erotic cinema of Max Pecas is a quite very conservative and moral one and even Casanova will have a very conform life at the end… 6/10
“The Singer Not the Song” (Roy Ward Baker, UK 1961) During the 1950s, in a small isolated Mexican village, the local Roman Catholic priest, Father Gomez, is an older man with a broken spirit. During his tenure in the village of Quantano, he fought hard to keep his flock of parishioners, in spite of threats and intimidation from the part of local bandit Anacleto Comachi and his men. The atheistic bandit has imposed his tyrannical rule over the region for many years. The local Police cannot find any witnesses to come forward and testify to any wrongdoing from the part of Anacleto. Therefore, they cannot charge him or arrest him. The Catholic Church replaces Father Gomez with a younger, more energetic priest, Father Keogh from Ireland. Before departing the village, Father Gomez warns Father Keogh of the dangers of defying Anacleto Comachi's authority…. Absolutly amazing movie with a strong homosexual and anticlericalism background completely politicaly incorrect… One perfecr example of what outlandish can british cinema be… 9/10
“Boniface somnambule“ (Maurice Labro, France 1951) Victor Boniface's life is not exactly a rest cure. Just imagine : Victor is both a store detective and a ... shoplifter when at night he becomes a sleepwalker ! And falling in love while sleepwalking is no bed of roses either, as the good-natured man simply forgets everything after waking up… Quite funny little comedy. 7,5/10
“Les trois mousquetaires“ (André Hunnebelle, France 1953) Funny adaptation of the famous novel by popular director André Hunnebelle, armless and delightfull entertainment… 8/10
“Teenage Seductress“ (Chris Warfield, USA 1975) A woman who never got over the fact that her father abandoned her as a child tracks him down with only one desire - to ruin his life just as he ruined hers. A tragic incestuous game of deceit and seduction begins… 6/10
“Teenage Innocence“ (Chris Warfield, 1973) Wealthy record company executive Rick Engels picks up beautiful young hitchhikers Carol and Judy and takes them back to his swanky mansion for illicit carnal purposes. However, what initially seems like an ideal situation for Rick eventually goes awry when the two lovely lasses prove to be a lot more than he can easily handle and even refuse to leave his house. 6,5/10
“Der Hund von Blackwood Castle“ (Alfred Vohrer, West Germany 1968) Another german adaptation of an Edgar Wallace Novel. In this one, Scotland Yard must discover why people are being murdered by a monstrous dog at Blackwood Castle…. with Horst Tappert as the bad guy ! 6,5/10
“Der Mönch mit der Peitsche“ (aka “The College Girl Murders“) (Alfred Vohrer, West Germany 1968) Another german krimi adapted from Edgar Wallace. Police try to track down a serial killer who murders his victims with a combination of acid and poison gas. But they must alsa face the master of the manipulated killer, a red monk killing with his lash… 7,5/10
“Der Gorilla von Soho“ (aka “Gorilla Gang“) (Alfred Vohrer, West Germany 1968) In this adapatation of Wallace novel, Horst tappert is a Scotland Yard inspector who goes after a gang that drowns its victims for their insurance money. The murderer is disguised as a monstrueous gorilla… 6,5/10
“Die blaue hand” (aka “The Blue Hand”) (Alfred Vohrer, Samuel M. Sherman, West Germany 1967) In this Edgar Wallace adaptation, inspector from Scotland Yard is after a homicidal maniac called The Blue Hand who uses a terrible gauntlet with five murderous blades to kill his victims… 7,5/10
“Der Bucklige von Soho” (aka “The Hunckback from Soho”) (Alfred Vohrer, West Germany 1966) A woman is kidnapped and her identity is stolen by criminals attempting to collect her inheritance and the money used to fund a prostution ring hidden behind the walls of a reform school… 7/10
“Test Tube Teens from the Year 2000” (aka “Virgin Hunters”) (David DeCoteau, USA 1994) In the future, corporations have taken over the world and banned sex. A group of rebellious high school students devise a way to go back in time to the present day and try change history to prevent that from happening. Ultra poor erotic comedy… 4/10
“Légère et court vêtue” (Jean Laviron, France 1953) Love crossings and cross-purposes in this little comedy. One of the first important role for Louis de Funès as the greedy detective… but the whole lack of dynamism and is much like a filmed play. 5/10
“O Crime da Aldeia Velha“ (Manuel Guimarães, Portugal 1964) Amazing movie adapted from real ebents in rural Portugal in the 30’s. Because of jealousy, a beautifull woman is accused of withcraft and finamy burned… Amazing. 8/10
“When Strangers Marry“ (William Castle, USA 1944) An early Castle movie with a young Robert Mitchum playing the bad guy… A naive small-town girl comes to New York City to meet her husband, and discovers that he may be a murderer…. Quite good small noir with some nive filming. 7,5/10
“Messalina” (aka "Messaline") (Carmine Gallone, Italy/France/Spain 1951) Maria Felix, impersonates beautiful and venomous Messalina, wife of emperator Claude. Eager of lust and power she decides to push her husband to death to mary handsome CaIus who’s also the leader of the republicans, persecuted by Calude and Messalina… Not bad sword and sandals movie… 7/10
“The Night of the Generals” (Anatole Litvack, France/UK 1967) Rewatched with great pleasur this sick movie. The murder of a prostitute in Nazi occupied Warsaw draws Wehrmacht Major Grau into an investigation where the evidence points to one of three high ranking Generals. The trail leads Grau from Warsaw to Paris and straight into the 1944 plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler, of which two of the Generals are deeply involved. Grau's case goes unfinished and it is not until 1965 when the true killer is brought to justice. With an amazing Peter O’Toole… 8/10
“Uranium Boom” (William Castle, USA 1956) A small B movie in around a love triangle on uranium rush background. A plot very similar to Boomtown… for B maovies fans only. 6,5/10
“Las mujeres panteras” (aka“The Panther Women”) (René Cardona, Mexico 1967) The sect of the Panther Women aims to bring back to life Eloim a deceased priest who was killed centuries ago … first they kill all the living relatives of Eloim murderer… But two pretty wrestlers helped by the White Angel a secret masqued wrestler will fight the evil forces… Excellent movie in a Santo way… 7/10
“Johnny on the Run” (Lewis Gilbert, UK 1953) A Polish boy runs away from his unkind foster mother in Edinburgh and finds a new home in a lakeside village for orphans of all nations, after encountering trouble through his innocent implication in a robbery. Touching and nice story of tolerance and friendship a very nicely directed and filmed movie. One of the best movie of the Children Film Foundation. 8,5/10
“L’ultimo gladiatore” (Umberto Lenzi, France/Italy, 1964) A weak sword and sandals by Lenzi in witch, while fighting in Britain, Roman forces commanded by Caligula capture the noble warrior, Glaucus. Seeing in him gladiator material, Caligula takes Glaucus back to Rome along with other hostages including Glaucus's girlfriend, Ena. A man seeking to restore the Roman Republic then assassinates Caligula after which Claudius is proclaimed emperor. Messalina -- Claudius's beautiful but evil wife -- then maneuvers to replace Claudius with her lover, Silio. She forces Glaucus to help her in this quest by threatening to harm the enslaved Ena. 6,5/10
“Hide and Seek” (David Eady, UK 1970) A young boy runs away from an approved school to meet up with his father in the hope that he can persuade his dad to allow him to travel to Canada with him. He also meets up with two local children and discovers that his father is instead planning a bank heist. Another nice movie from the Children Film Foundation… 6,5/10
“Tempète” (Dominique Bernard-Deschamps, France 1940) An international crook (von Stroheim) comes back to Paris for another deal but is soon blackmailed by an ex-friend (Dalio) and his gal (Arletty) who threaten his secret daughter… A bit dated but entertaining crime movie. 7/10
“Che femmina!! E... che dollari!“ (Giorgio Simonelli, France/Italy 1961) In this ultra kitsch movie two teams of american detectives seek for a youhg heiress between Naples and Capri. They have very few clues, she’s 23, of unknown father and hav three beauty spots ont the… Dalida stars is this kitschy tiny pretty romance… and sing quite a bunch of famous songs !! 7//10
“The Trygon Factor” (Cyril Frankel, UK/West Germany 1966) Another adaptation of Edgar Wallace novel in witch a Scotland Yard detective is investigating a string of robberies and a murder, and the information he uncovers leads him to the estate of a wealthy but strange English family, who share their mansion with a group of nuns. The detective comes to suspect that neither the family nor the nuns is quite what they seem to be. Stewart Granger on decline stars in this euro B-movie… 7/10
The movies I watched those last two days... I''m convalescent ;)
“Der unheimliche Mönch” (aka “The Sinister Monk”) (Harald Reinl, West Germany 1965) A hooded serial killer finds a novel way to murder his victims--he lashes them to death with a whip. The police try to track him down before any more murders occur. Another nice Edgar Wallace’s adapted Krimi with character of the mad monk with a deadly whip as in Der Mönch mit der Peitsche (The College Girl Murders) two years later… 7/10
“The Spirit Is Willing” (William Castle, USA 1967) When Ben and Kate Powell (Sid Caesar and Vera Miles) rent a haunted New England house by the sea, their son Steve (Barry Gordon) gets blamed for the destruction caused by three unruly ghosts. Another of 'exploitation king' William Castle's supernatural films… not his best for sure but some god moments… 6,5/10
“Germinal” (Yves Allégret, France 1963) Nice adaptation of the famous Zola’s novel. Yes, the novel is impossible to adapt but this movie mabnage to create a good atmosphere thanks to a nice filming and photography. Despite some differences with the novel and the castiong which is a bit week, a good movie. 8/10
“El hombre que logró ser invisible” ( aka “The New Invisible Man”) (Alfredo B. Crevenna, Mexico 1958) A man is accused of a murder he didt not commit. His brother is a sicnetist who dicover a way to make people invisible and decide to help him escape from jail to take revenge. But he has not invented the way to be visiblr again and furthermore the potion seem to have some collateral damages on the mental heatlh of our heroe… Not bad indeed… 7/10
“Les aventures d’Arsène Lupin“ (Jacques Becker, France 1957) Arsène Lupin, the multifaceted gentleman thief, steals two masterpieces from the President of the Council. Some time later, posing as Monsieur Gilles, a winegrower who is marrying his only daughter, he asks several jewelers to come to his mansion and robs them of their gemstones. The next victims of André Laroche (Lupin's new identity) will be none other than a Maharajah and Kaiser Wilhelm II himself… Armelle and entertaining movie… 7,5/10
“Hans le marin“ (François Villiers, France 1949) Canadian seaman Eric Martin pulls into Marseille and falls in love with Dolores at the "Kitcat" Club, and she agrees to "wait" for him. Leaving to return to his ship, Eric is stabbed by two thieves, Aime and Victor, who take his money and papers and warn Dolorws to say nothing. He wakes up in a hospital, with his ship gone, and is unable to give the police any useful information. He searches for Dolores and Aime sees him thrown out of the "Kitcat" and warns Dolores to get out of town. A movie in the same way as Pepe le Moko or Quai des Brumes… And set in Marseille, my home town I enjoyed a lot to see just after WWII. Another funny fact is that Jean-Pierre Aumont who was Lola Montez’s husband in real life strangle her in the movie… she died drowed just two years after… 8/10
“Le furet“ (Raymond Leboursier, France 1950) A mysterious "Le Furet" (the Ferret) sends letters to the Parisian Police telling them when murders are going to be perpetrated, and in which Paris district. Each time nothing is stolen, but money is somehow involved in inheritance,love blackmail,academic competition and jealousy,crime of passion,poison by woman… Another nice adaptation of a novel from Stanislas André Steeman, quite interesting and with a nice dose of cynicism… 7,5/10
“Les fruits sauvages“ (Hervé Bromberger, France 1954) Lyon, 1953. Maria Manzana is the oldest of a family with five children and the only one who has a job. Maria's mother is deceased and her father is regularly drunk and violent. One evening when he wants to beat his daughter Christine, Mary helps her sister and accidentally she kills her father. At Maria's advice the family would prefer to flee. Anna, the girlfriend of Mary's brother Michael, accompanies them. Michael doesn't want to leave her behind. A friendly trucker brings Mary and her company to the south. The group then walks on deserted roads to a village, that was abandoned more than 25 years ago due to lack of water. Inteeresting movie filmed on location with very young actors…. The mixed destiny of the doomed Maria and the others who klive this adventure more than a vacation or adventure…. Beautiful Estella Blain who plays Maria is very good but the movie was overlooked (despite won the price in Locarno festival in 1954) and she never reached the success she deserved and then commited suicide, like in the movie… strange destinies… 8/10
“Rapture“ (John Guillermin, USA/France 1965) Second time I watch this one this year…. Maybe not the last I hope. What to say... excellent script, wonderfull acting, filming, photography... 10/10
“A pleines mains” (Maurice Régamey, France, 1960) In Spain, some thieves rob paper for bills…. In Frnace, they hire a famous counterfeiter just released from jail and kill him after he finishes his work… A race begins between cops and the counterfeiters who begin to print perfect false money… Not bad even if completely unknown moive… 7/10
“The Marshal of Mesa City” (David Howard, USA 1939) A nice small western staring tough George O’Brien posing as an ex-marshal who must go back on service to bring law and order in Mesa City… quite nice above the level B western. 6,5/10
“Legion of the Lawless” (David Howard, USA 1940) George O'Brien, as lawyer Jeff Toland hangs out his shingle in Ivestown, but is ordered out by a vigilante group headed by Les Harper. The vigilantes are merely a cloak under which the band of outlaws headed by Harper operate to terrorize and control the town. 15th of the 17 western O’Brien made for RKO is one of his’ best for the company. It will be remake few years later by RKO with Tim Holt… 7/10
“La femme bourreau” (Jean-Denis Bonan, France 1968) Amazing and doomed movie about a serie of murders which continue after the présumed guilty woman was executed by guillotine… we follow the hangman who execute her in his fall into madness… Very Strange movie indeed… 8/10
“Ninja Terminator” (Godfrey Ho Canada, Hong Kong, UK 1985) Another excellent So Bad that it’s Good… Amazing and ridiculous non sense in this pathetic ninja story !! 1,5/10 for Z fans 10/10 and more…
“Le juge et l’assassin” (Bertrand Tavernier, France 1976) Rewatched with great pleasure this excellent movie…. Michel Galabru absolutely awesome in the role of the anarchist mad serial killer… 8,5/10
“Der mann mit dem glasauge” (aka “The Man with the Glasseye”) (Alfred Vohrer, West Gernamy 1968) Another krim adapted from Edgar Wallace Novel. In this one, inspecteor Perkins from Scotland Yard (Horst Tappert) must face a gang of white meat smugglers and a musterious one-eyed killer… 7/10