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Despite some convenient plot points, Romain Basset's feature film debut is an astounding visual nightmare.
University student Jessica (Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux) is called home after her grandmother dies suddenly. Jessica has a cold-as-ice relationship with her mother (genre veteran Catriona MacColl), and gets along much better with her milquetoast stepfather Jim (Murray Head) and the handyman George (Vernon Dobtcheff). Lucky for you and I, and the screenwriters, Jessica studies the psychology of dreams and believes that what we dream at night can tell us a lot about our subconscious. When Jessica arrives at the house, she finds out her grandmother's body is still in the bedroom next door, and then the weird dreams begin. Jessica dreams of her grandmother Rose as a much younger woman (Gala Besson), as well as a mysterious clawed figure who carries a circular sickle and has the head of a horse. Jessica comes down with an awful flu, giving her dreams that lovely feverish quality we all have had, and she begins inhaling ether in order to sleep more. The dream world begins crossing over into Jessica's reality, and huge family secrets begin to emerge.
As with his short films, Basset shows great judgement choosing his cinematographer. Vincent Vieillard-Baron's lighting is a masterwork, using simple contraptions and colors. Change in mood and lighting tell the viewer when Jessica is dreaming, and Basset doesn't go for the cheap "this is a dream, OR IS IT?" jump scare. Benjamin Shielden's musical score sets the mood very well. Basset and his co-screenwriter come up with many disturbing images, many of them uncomfortable, and downright gory and frightening. There is an anti-Christian element, too, that might make some cringe. The "Horsehead" of the title is a striking figure, exhaling smoke, and frightening character and viewer alike. This isn't a slasher movie, but not a cerebral horror film wrapped up in its own importance, either. There were two shoots put into the film, separated by a few months, but I did not notice any difference in scenes onscreen. The cast is great, and Pointeaux is effective as Jessica. Her strained relationship with her mother is played out very well between the two actresses. MacColl and Head make for a believable couple, and Philippe Nahon has a good scene as a local priest. I wish more had been explained about some of the plot points, and having a student of dream psychology get to enter such a nightmarish environment seems a little too coincidental, but the script doesn't let up once it gets going, and some of the twists did surprise me.
"Horsehead" is a feast for the senses, every frame gives your eyes something to behold.
Stats:
(2014) 89 min. (* * * * 1/2) out of five stars
-Directed by Romain Basset
-Written by Romain Basset, Karim Cheriguene
-Cast: Lilly-Fleur Pointeaux, Catriona MacColl, Murray Head, Vernon Dobtcheff, Gala Besson, Fu'ad Ait Aattou, Philippe Nahon, Joe Sheridan, Paul Bandey, Emmanuel Bonami, Shane Woodward, Nathan Willcocks, Andre Kobtzeff
(Unrated)
Saturday, August 31, 2024
Remy (2008)
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*Listen to selections from the "Horsehead" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Amazon here*
A young woman has just about had enough of her six year old son and his grandfather in this short and lovely film from France.
The elder Remy (Roger Trapp) and his namesake (Ugo Le Cornec) get into mischief aplenty before being interrupted by young Remy's mother (Gaelle Billaut-Danno). The older man likes to play hide and seek, tell stories, and when they sit down to dinner one night, get into a mashed potato fight. This is the final straw, and the family heads to a psychiatrist (Anna Langner) to see what can be done for Remy- either one of them.
This is another short film from Romain Basset, who directs with Christophe Berthemin, and it's simplicity and seven minute running time play very well. The camera is always moving, capturing a six year old boy's manic activity, and for such a short film, the entire cast turns in well-rounded performances, especially Danno. The color scheme here is full of soft yellows and is beautiful, as is the music and subject matter, compared to Basset's other films, which are both surreal and nightmarish. The screenwriter this time around is Laurent Mizrahi, who almost tips his hand during the film until a very touching end.
"Remy" is on a Blu-ray release of Basset's "Horsehead," and I highly recommend it.
Stats:
(2008) 7 min. (* * * *) out of five stars
-Directed by Romain Basset, Christophe Berthemin
-Written by Laurent Mizrahi
-Cast: Roger Trapp, Ugo Le Cornec, Gaelle Billaut-Danno, Anna Langner
(Unrated)
*Get a copy of Le Cinema Francais: An Illustrated Guide to the Best of French Films by Anne Keenan Higgins on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of French Cinema: From Its Beginnings to the Present by Remi Fournier Lanzoni on Amazon here*
*Listen to selections from the "Horsehead" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Amazon here*
A young woman has just about had enough of her six year old son and his grandfather in this short and lovely film from France.
The elder Remy (Roger Trapp) and his namesake (Ugo Le Cornec) get into mischief aplenty before being interrupted by young Remy's mother (Gaelle Billaut-Danno). The older man likes to play hide and seek, tell stories, and when they sit down to dinner one night, get into a mashed potato fight. This is the final straw, and the family heads to a psychiatrist (Anna Langner) to see what can be done for Remy- either one of them.
This is another short film from Romain Basset, who directs with Christophe Berthemin, and it's simplicity and seven minute running time play very well. The camera is always moving, capturing a six year old boy's manic activity, and for such a short film, the entire cast turns in well-rounded performances, especially Danno. The color scheme here is full of soft yellows and is beautiful, as is the music and subject matter, compared to Basset's other films, which are both surreal and nightmarish. The screenwriter this time around is Laurent Mizrahi, who almost tips his hand during the film until a very touching end.
"Remy" is on a Blu-ray release of Basset's "Horsehead," and I highly recommend it.
Stats:
(2008) 7 min. (* * * *) out of five stars
-Directed by Romain Basset, Christophe Berthemin
-Written by Laurent Mizrahi
-Cast: Roger Trapp, Ugo Le Cornec, Gaelle Billaut-Danno, Anna Langner
(Unrated)
Bloody Current Exchange (2007)
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On the surface, this brief film shows us a tryst between a prostitute and her client, until the not-so-surprising ending, when the title seems to make more sense.
Vincent (well-known French actor Philippe Nahon) talks to an unseen person on the phone, ordering a prostitute; his seventh acquisition as of late. The beautiful Fanny (Emma Pick) arrives and the couple uncork some champagne, although Fanny refuses to drink since she has other clients to attend to. Vincent makes an off-the-cuff remark when they meet, saying he likes to remember the women he sleeps with, and the two get down to their business.
While the direction is fine, and the editing by helmer Romain Basset and Mathieu Berthon are top-notch, the film's biggest positive is it's cinematography. The brown color in the beginning of the films, maybe marking Vincent's dull existence, give way to blues and reds when the couple goes to bed. There is nudity here, but it is not very erotic when lit so darkly. The cast is good, I liked their pre-coital interplay- two prostitution veterans who don't have to try to impress each other. The final twist in the story feels a bit jokey, and if you are paying attention during the film's massive eleven minute running time, you might pick up on it. Why else would Basset show you this scene in these two people's lives?
"Bloody Current Exchange" is on a Blu-ray disc with Basset's feature film debut "Horsehead," and I recommend it based on style alone.
Stats:
(2007) 11 min. (* * * *) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Romain Basset
-Cast: Philippe Nahon, Emma Pick
(Unrated)
*Get a copy of Le Cinema Francais: An Illustrated Guide to the Best of French Films by Anne Keenan Higgins on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of French Cinema: From Its Beginnings to the Present by Remi Fournier Lanzoni on Amazon here*
*Listen to selections from the "Horsehead" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Amazon here*
On the surface, this brief film shows us a tryst between a prostitute and her client, until the not-so-surprising ending, when the title seems to make more sense.
Vincent (well-known French actor Philippe Nahon) talks to an unseen person on the phone, ordering a prostitute; his seventh acquisition as of late. The beautiful Fanny (Emma Pick) arrives and the couple uncork some champagne, although Fanny refuses to drink since she has other clients to attend to. Vincent makes an off-the-cuff remark when they meet, saying he likes to remember the women he sleeps with, and the two get down to their business.
While the direction is fine, and the editing by helmer Romain Basset and Mathieu Berthon are top-notch, the film's biggest positive is it's cinematography. The brown color in the beginning of the films, maybe marking Vincent's dull existence, give way to blues and reds when the couple goes to bed. There is nudity here, but it is not very erotic when lit so darkly. The cast is good, I liked their pre-coital interplay- two prostitution veterans who don't have to try to impress each other. The final twist in the story feels a bit jokey, and if you are paying attention during the film's massive eleven minute running time, you might pick up on it. Why else would Basset show you this scene in these two people's lives?
"Bloody Current Exchange" is on a Blu-ray disc with Basset's feature film debut "Horsehead," and I recommend it based on style alone.
Stats:
(2007) 11 min. (* * * *) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Romain Basset
-Cast: Philippe Nahon, Emma Pick
(Unrated)
Beyond the Grave (2010)
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A small film with big ambitions manages to impress.
Officer (Rafael Tombini) cruises around "Mad Max"-style in a black muscle car looking for his mortal enemy- The Dark Rider, a mass killer able to take the form of any person it dies near. Officer keeps up with his police work, keeping files in his trunk and typing reports up on a manual typewriter. The countryside is inhabited by "returners," zombies who shuffle around and don't cause much threat unless you get cornered by them. The remaining humans find shelter wherever they can, and ammunition is a rare commodity as they fight the zombies, and each other. Officer picks up a couple of teen siblings, and eventually stumbles on a house inhabited by a man, a pregnant woman, and a creepy guy you know is going to be the cause of all the problems to come. The Dark Rider makes a surprise appearance, complete with murderous entourage, and Officer must deal with him...her...it...
Because the film is in Portuguese, I did have some problems following the story. De Oliveira Pinheiro does a nice job on very little. The gore effects are outstanding, the cinematography is crisply realized, and the framing is very good. Tombini reminded me of Peter Weller, he is bespectacled and dressed in black, but not a macho Road Warrior superhero. He gets hurt, and bleeds like the rest of us. You can see how the new group of people in his life are messing up his lone wolf persona through his reactions. The budget was obviously limited, you can only watch a car take an "abandoned" stretch of road before realizing he isn't going very far, just within the same one or two miles, if that. I did like the disembodied voice on the radio dropping clues about what happened to this world, and an odd scene before the returners came, when we see Officer has been fighting The Dark Rider for longer than we thought.
This isn't scary per se, "Beyond the Grave" is more interesting than anything. It's not a bad film at all, and burgeoning horror film makers could probably learn a trick or two. I'd like to see what Davi de Oliveira Pinheiro is capable of with a blockbuster budget, he has the human interaction down cold. Recommended.
Stats:
(2010) 89 min. (* * * 1/2) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Davi de Oliveira Pinheiro
-Cast: Rafael Tombini, Alvaro Rosa Costa, Ricardo Seffner, Amanda Grimaldi, Luciana Verch, Leandro Lefa, Tatiana Paganella, Adriana Basegio, Marcos Guarani, Felipe Longhi, Isidoro B. Guggiana, Claudio Benevenga
(Unrated)
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A small film with big ambitions manages to impress.
Officer (Rafael Tombini) cruises around "Mad Max"-style in a black muscle car looking for his mortal enemy- The Dark Rider, a mass killer able to take the form of any person it dies near. Officer keeps up with his police work, keeping files in his trunk and typing reports up on a manual typewriter. The countryside is inhabited by "returners," zombies who shuffle around and don't cause much threat unless you get cornered by them. The remaining humans find shelter wherever they can, and ammunition is a rare commodity as they fight the zombies, and each other. Officer picks up a couple of teen siblings, and eventually stumbles on a house inhabited by a man, a pregnant woman, and a creepy guy you know is going to be the cause of all the problems to come. The Dark Rider makes a surprise appearance, complete with murderous entourage, and Officer must deal with him...her...it...
Because the film is in Portuguese, I did have some problems following the story. De Oliveira Pinheiro does a nice job on very little. The gore effects are outstanding, the cinematography is crisply realized, and the framing is very good. Tombini reminded me of Peter Weller, he is bespectacled and dressed in black, but not a macho Road Warrior superhero. He gets hurt, and bleeds like the rest of us. You can see how the new group of people in his life are messing up his lone wolf persona through his reactions. The budget was obviously limited, you can only watch a car take an "abandoned" stretch of road before realizing he isn't going very far, just within the same one or two miles, if that. I did like the disembodied voice on the radio dropping clues about what happened to this world, and an odd scene before the returners came, when we see Officer has been fighting The Dark Rider for longer than we thought.
This isn't scary per se, "Beyond the Grave" is more interesting than anything. It's not a bad film at all, and burgeoning horror film makers could probably learn a trick or two. I'd like to see what Davi de Oliveira Pinheiro is capable of with a blockbuster budget, he has the human interaction down cold. Recommended.
Stats:
(2010) 89 min. (* * * 1/2) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Davi de Oliveira Pinheiro
-Cast: Rafael Tombini, Alvaro Rosa Costa, Ricardo Seffner, Amanda Grimaldi, Luciana Verch, Leandro Lefa, Tatiana Paganella, Adriana Basegio, Marcos Guarani, Felipe Longhi, Isidoro B. Guggiana, Claudio Benevenga
(Unrated)
Friday, August 30, 2024
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
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The "Evil Dead" franchise continues with this gory prequel, showing how things began and how we eventually ended up out in a cabin in the woods.
Semi-estranged sisters, pregnant Beth (Lily Sullivan) and mom Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland), are reunited in Los Angeles on the same night that an earthquake shakes Ellie's gorgeous but dilapidated high rise apartment building that is due to be torn down. Ellie's kids- climate warrior Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), aspiring DJ Danny (Morgan Davies, and young Kassie (Nell Fisher) discover an abandoned bank vault in the basement of the building, and Danny unwisely grabs some old vinyl and a strange book from the now unsealed vault. Danny plays the recordings, the book does some odd things on its own, and literally all Hell breaks loose.
From the opening attack, and a very memorable title sequence, writer/director Lee Cronin starts things off with a bang and never lets up. There is no exposition, no "let me get this straight..." dialogue, the broken family and the audience are thrown into the melee and left to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, this is sometimes a detriment, as Cronin can't keep all the plates spinning at once. A couple of scenes suck all the tension out of the film, and it takes a little while to pull the viewer back in. This is a modern horror film, so stupid decisions and predictable plot points abound. The cast, unfamiliar to me, is top notch. Sullivan and Sutherland stand out, and are bolstered by a capable supporting cast. Stephen McKeon's musical score is a triumph, and Cronin doesn't feel the need to resort to jump scares. The art direction and set decoration were Oscar nomination-worthy. This was shot in New Zealand, which gives the film a nice, off-kilter feel.
It was nice to watch a franchise film where I didn't have to "do homework" by viewing hours of preceding films and television episodes to get caught up. The positives barely outweigh the negatives, and I am warning anyone who might want to watch this- "Evil Dead Rise" is one of the goriest mainstream films I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot.
Stats:
(2023) 96 min. (* * *) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Lee Cronin
-Cast: Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies, Nell Fisher, Jayden Daniels, Mark Mitchinson, Mirabai Pease, Richard Crouchley, Anne-Maree Thomas, Noah Paul, Tai Wano, Bruce Campbell
(R)- Very strong physical violence, strong gun violence, very strong violence involving children, extreme gore, profanity, some sexual references, very strong adult situations, tobacco use
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*Get a physical copy of "Army of Darkness" on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Evil Dead" (2013) on Amazon here*
The "Evil Dead" franchise continues with this gory prequel, showing how things began and how we eventually ended up out in a cabin in the woods.
Semi-estranged sisters, pregnant Beth (Lily Sullivan) and mom Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland), are reunited in Los Angeles on the same night that an earthquake shakes Ellie's gorgeous but dilapidated high rise apartment building that is due to be torn down. Ellie's kids- climate warrior Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), aspiring DJ Danny (Morgan Davies, and young Kassie (Nell Fisher) discover an abandoned bank vault in the basement of the building, and Danny unwisely grabs some old vinyl and a strange book from the now unsealed vault. Danny plays the recordings, the book does some odd things on its own, and literally all Hell breaks loose.
From the opening attack, and a very memorable title sequence, writer/director Lee Cronin starts things off with a bang and never lets up. There is no exposition, no "let me get this straight..." dialogue, the broken family and the audience are thrown into the melee and left to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, this is sometimes a detriment, as Cronin can't keep all the plates spinning at once. A couple of scenes suck all the tension out of the film, and it takes a little while to pull the viewer back in. This is a modern horror film, so stupid decisions and predictable plot points abound. The cast, unfamiliar to me, is top notch. Sullivan and Sutherland stand out, and are bolstered by a capable supporting cast. Stephen McKeon's musical score is a triumph, and Cronin doesn't feel the need to resort to jump scares. The art direction and set decoration were Oscar nomination-worthy. This was shot in New Zealand, which gives the film a nice, off-kilter feel.
It was nice to watch a franchise film where I didn't have to "do homework" by viewing hours of preceding films and television episodes to get caught up. The positives barely outweigh the negatives, and I am warning anyone who might want to watch this- "Evil Dead Rise" is one of the goriest mainstream films I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot.
Stats:
(2023) 96 min. (* * *) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Lee Cronin
-Cast: Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies, Nell Fisher, Jayden Daniels, Mark Mitchinson, Mirabai Pease, Richard Crouchley, Anne-Maree Thomas, Noah Paul, Tai Wano, Bruce Campbell
(R)- Very strong physical violence, strong gun violence, very strong violence involving children, extreme gore, profanity, some sexual references, very strong adult situations, tobacco use
Blood Tide (1982)
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This not-bad horror film was shot on a Greek islands, and features an Oscar-familiar cast.
Neil (Martin Kove) and Sherry (Mary Louise Weller) are newly married. They spend their honeymoon searching for Neil's sister Madeline (Deborah Shelton), who disappeared somewhere in the Greek islands- how romantic! Although they find her, Madeline is not her old self, spacing out and staring at the sea. The group is trapped on the island by evil mayor/sheriff Nereus (Jose Ferrer). Neil and Sherry also find Frye (James Earl Jones), a blustery guy diving on a site filled with ancient coins and a mysterious walled-up cave entrance, and Jones' girlfriend, Barbara (Lydia Cornell, relegated to yet another dumb blonde role). Frye inadvertently releases a mythical creature that the islanders used to sacrifice virgins to, endangering everyone. Lila Kedrova is wasted as Sister Anna, the local nun who does nothing more than cross herself and warn of impending doom. Madeline's reasons for being on the island are fuzzy. She is restoring an art print at the monastery, which reveals the monster/virgin legend, and she apparently brought Frye to the island, but how and why she is there is never cleared up; likewise with Barbara's presence.
For such an isolated island, they sure get a lot of American tourists. There is also an incestuous subplot between Kove and Shelton that is hinted at but thankfully never expanded on. Two B horror movie legends behind the camera, Brian Trenchard-Smith and Nico Mastorakis, are listed in the opening credits in various occupations, and they may have had something to do with many of the film's good moments. There are some suspenseful scenes, and the monster is pretty ugly and a little scary. The gore mostly takes place underwater, possibly a result of the film's low budget.
All in all, I liked "Blood Tide." Where else will you hear Deborah Shelton warble the end credits song that she wrote the lyrics to, or see the stoic James Earl Jones playing a lout in a scuba wet suit? I kinda recommend this one, although it is far from perfect. Also known "Bloodtide."
Stats:
(1982) 82 min. (* * *) out of five stars
-Directed by Richard Jefferies
-Screenplay by Richard Jefferies & Nick Mastorakis
-Cast: James Earl Jones, Martin Kove, Mary Louise Weller, Deborah Shelton, Jose Ferrer, Lydia Cornell, Lila Kedrova, Sophia Seirli, Despina Tomazani, Rania Photiou, Spyros Papafrantzis, Annabel Schofield, Irini Tripkou
(R)- Physical violence, gore, some profanity, some sexual content, adult situations
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This not-bad horror film was shot on a Greek islands, and features an Oscar-familiar cast.
Neil (Martin Kove) and Sherry (Mary Louise Weller) are newly married. They spend their honeymoon searching for Neil's sister Madeline (Deborah Shelton), who disappeared somewhere in the Greek islands- how romantic! Although they find her, Madeline is not her old self, spacing out and staring at the sea. The group is trapped on the island by evil mayor/sheriff Nereus (Jose Ferrer). Neil and Sherry also find Frye (James Earl Jones), a blustery guy diving on a site filled with ancient coins and a mysterious walled-up cave entrance, and Jones' girlfriend, Barbara (Lydia Cornell, relegated to yet another dumb blonde role). Frye inadvertently releases a mythical creature that the islanders used to sacrifice virgins to, endangering everyone. Lila Kedrova is wasted as Sister Anna, the local nun who does nothing more than cross herself and warn of impending doom. Madeline's reasons for being on the island are fuzzy. She is restoring an art print at the monastery, which reveals the monster/virgin legend, and she apparently brought Frye to the island, but how and why she is there is never cleared up; likewise with Barbara's presence.
For such an isolated island, they sure get a lot of American tourists. There is also an incestuous subplot between Kove and Shelton that is hinted at but thankfully never expanded on. Two B horror movie legends behind the camera, Brian Trenchard-Smith and Nico Mastorakis, are listed in the opening credits in various occupations, and they may have had something to do with many of the film's good moments. There are some suspenseful scenes, and the monster is pretty ugly and a little scary. The gore mostly takes place underwater, possibly a result of the film's low budget.
All in all, I liked "Blood Tide." Where else will you hear Deborah Shelton warble the end credits song that she wrote the lyrics to, or see the stoic James Earl Jones playing a lout in a scuba wet suit? I kinda recommend this one, although it is far from perfect. Also known "Bloodtide."
Stats:
(1982) 82 min. (* * *) out of five stars
-Directed by Richard Jefferies
-Screenplay by Richard Jefferies & Nick Mastorakis
-Cast: James Earl Jones, Martin Kove, Mary Louise Weller, Deborah Shelton, Jose Ferrer, Lydia Cornell, Lila Kedrova, Sophia Seirli, Despina Tomazani, Rania Photiou, Spyros Papafrantzis, Annabel Schofield, Irini Tripkou
(R)- Physical violence, gore, some profanity, some sexual content, adult situations
Boy Meets Dog (1938)
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Based on Gene Byrnes' comic strip "Reg'lar Fellers," little Bobby (voiced by Walter Tetley) brings a dog home, and upsets a father (voiced by Billy Bletcher) who would today be considered abusive. Bizarre, the stuff of nightmares.I think this is available in the public domain since it appears on a ton of animation marathon VHS and DVD compilations.
Stats:
(1938) 9 min. (* *) out of five stars
-Directed by Walter Lantz
-Story by Victor McLeod based on the comic strip "Reg'lar Fellers" by Gene Byrnes
-Cast: Billy Bletcher, Walter Tetley, The Rhythmettes, Joe Twerp, Danny Webb
(Not Rated)
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*Get a physical copy of Reg'lar Fellers by Gene Byrnes on Amazon here*
Based on Gene Byrnes' comic strip "Reg'lar Fellers," little Bobby (voiced by Walter Tetley) brings a dog home, and upsets a father (voiced by Billy Bletcher) who would today be considered abusive. Bizarre, the stuff of nightmares.I think this is available in the public domain since it appears on a ton of animation marathon VHS and DVD compilations.
Stats:
(1938) 9 min. (* *) out of five stars
-Directed by Walter Lantz
-Story by Victor McLeod based on the comic strip "Reg'lar Fellers" by Gene Byrnes
-Cast: Billy Bletcher, Walter Tetley, The Rhythmettes, Joe Twerp, Danny Webb
(Not Rated)
Boogeyman (2005)
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An odd thing happened to me as I watched the film "Boogeyman". From the opening few minutes, which scared me like no other film had in recent memory, to the ridiculously laughable finale, I could keep track of my feelings for this film regress from love, to like, to numbness, to loathing, and finally to desperate hatred.
Tim (Barry Watson- who tries, and yes, I am the only person on the planet who liked "Sorority Boys") is a quivering emotional wreck. When Tim was a child, he watched his father get brutally attacked, taken by an unseen force, and disappear into a bedroom closet, never to be seen again. Tim is now trying to live a normal life working at a magazine, and dating rich girl Jessica (Tory Mussett). Tim also has a fear of closets, standing before them in a trance whenever he sees one; not sure if school lockers or storage units set him off, the three screenwriters responsible for this don't let on. Tim's mother (Lucy Lawless, in an obviously slashed role not even deserving of the word "cameo") dies and Tim decides to take ONE night to go through her things at the same house where his father vanished from. The house still has lots o' closets, and while Tim does reconnect with childhood friend Kate (Emily Deschanel, who's been better), he must battle the titular monster with the help of a new character, a little girl named Frannie (Skye McCole Bartusiak) who you know is not what she seems from her very first appearance onscreen.
The first sequence in the film, where a young Tim (Aaron Murphy) imagines innocent items in his room coming alive, until finally something does attack his father, plays on everyone's fear of their own space when they were younger (monsters under the bed and in the closet), and this sequence genuinely frightened me. I wondered what my fellow critics were talking about when they trashed this film, this was some scary stuff- until I kept watching the film. Every scene. EVERY scene has a scare in it. When Tim goes back to his childhood psychiatric hospital to visit his doctor, we get no exposition or plot development, just another scene of a scared child that, while creepy, has nothing to do with the rest of the film. Every time Tim approaches a freaking closet, director Kay kicks the visuals into overdrive, as the camera swoops and darts and your mind begins to wonder: what exactly is the Boogeyman? What happens to the people the Boogeyman takes? Where does Tim's sudden ability to bend time and space come from? Are the Boogeyman's victims just waiting in another closet somewhere, watching the clock tick as Tim walks from one closet to another, looking for them? Is that really Sam Raimi listed as a producer in the opening credits?
Yes, the script is a mess. Someone took out all of the scenes that didn't have a sense of dread, and tried to cobble together a scary film from what was left. You never care about Tim or any of the other characters. Aside from the film's beginning, there are many unsettling scenes (Frannie's house), but they are quickly forgotten as the film makers pile on jump scares to keep the viewer watching until the lame finale. I watched this on DVD, and was so miffed with the film when it was over, I didn't care about deleted scenes or alternate endings, I just wanted it out of my player and on the bottom of the big stack of discs I needed to donate.
"Boogeyman" was successful enough to generate a couple of straight-to-video sequels. When Kate asks "Is it over?" toward the end of the film, I answered out loud "I hope so."
Stats:
(2005) 89 min. (*) out of five stars
-Directed by Stephen Kay
-Screenplay by Eric Kripke and Juliet Snowdon & Stiles White, Story by Eric Kripke
-Cast: Barry Watson, Tory Mussett, Emily Deschanel, Skye McCole Bartusiak, Aaron Murphy, Andrew Glover, Lucy Lawless, Charles Mesure, Philip Gordon, Jennifer Rucker, Scott Wills, Michael Saccente, Louise Wallace
(PG13)
*Get a physical copy of "Boogeyman 2" on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Boogeyman 3" on Amazon here*
*Get "Boogeyman" wall decor on Amazon here*
An odd thing happened to me as I watched the film "Boogeyman". From the opening few minutes, which scared me like no other film had in recent memory, to the ridiculously laughable finale, I could keep track of my feelings for this film regress from love, to like, to numbness, to loathing, and finally to desperate hatred.
Tim (Barry Watson- who tries, and yes, I am the only person on the planet who liked "Sorority Boys") is a quivering emotional wreck. When Tim was a child, he watched his father get brutally attacked, taken by an unseen force, and disappear into a bedroom closet, never to be seen again. Tim is now trying to live a normal life working at a magazine, and dating rich girl Jessica (Tory Mussett). Tim also has a fear of closets, standing before them in a trance whenever he sees one; not sure if school lockers or storage units set him off, the three screenwriters responsible for this don't let on. Tim's mother (Lucy Lawless, in an obviously slashed role not even deserving of the word "cameo") dies and Tim decides to take ONE night to go through her things at the same house where his father vanished from. The house still has lots o' closets, and while Tim does reconnect with childhood friend Kate (Emily Deschanel, who's been better), he must battle the titular monster with the help of a new character, a little girl named Frannie (Skye McCole Bartusiak) who you know is not what she seems from her very first appearance onscreen.
The first sequence in the film, where a young Tim (Aaron Murphy) imagines innocent items in his room coming alive, until finally something does attack his father, plays on everyone's fear of their own space when they were younger (monsters under the bed and in the closet), and this sequence genuinely frightened me. I wondered what my fellow critics were talking about when they trashed this film, this was some scary stuff- until I kept watching the film. Every scene. EVERY scene has a scare in it. When Tim goes back to his childhood psychiatric hospital to visit his doctor, we get no exposition or plot development, just another scene of a scared child that, while creepy, has nothing to do with the rest of the film. Every time Tim approaches a freaking closet, director Kay kicks the visuals into overdrive, as the camera swoops and darts and your mind begins to wonder: what exactly is the Boogeyman? What happens to the people the Boogeyman takes? Where does Tim's sudden ability to bend time and space come from? Are the Boogeyman's victims just waiting in another closet somewhere, watching the clock tick as Tim walks from one closet to another, looking for them? Is that really Sam Raimi listed as a producer in the opening credits?
Yes, the script is a mess. Someone took out all of the scenes that didn't have a sense of dread, and tried to cobble together a scary film from what was left. You never care about Tim or any of the other characters. Aside from the film's beginning, there are many unsettling scenes (Frannie's house), but they are quickly forgotten as the film makers pile on jump scares to keep the viewer watching until the lame finale. I watched this on DVD, and was so miffed with the film when it was over, I didn't care about deleted scenes or alternate endings, I just wanted it out of my player and on the bottom of the big stack of discs I needed to donate.
"Boogeyman" was successful enough to generate a couple of straight-to-video sequels. When Kate asks "Is it over?" toward the end of the film, I answered out loud "I hope so."
Stats:
(2005) 89 min. (*) out of five stars
-Directed by Stephen Kay
-Screenplay by Eric Kripke and Juliet Snowdon & Stiles White, Story by Eric Kripke
-Cast: Barry Watson, Tory Mussett, Emily Deschanel, Skye McCole Bartusiak, Aaron Murphy, Andrew Glover, Lucy Lawless, Charles Mesure, Philip Gordon, Jennifer Rucker, Scott Wills, Michael Saccente, Louise Wallace
(PG13)
Thursday, August 29, 2024
The Boss Baby (2017)
*Get a physical copy of The Boss Baby 2-Movie Collection on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of The Boss Baby by Marla Frazee on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of "The Boss Baby" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Amazon here*
*Get a "The Boss Baby" Funko POP Toy Figure on Amazon here*
A perfectly likable story with an energetic presentation, fun look, and great soundtrack, is undermined by an unreliable narrator and screenplay.
Seven year old Tim (voiced by Miles Bakshi, with Tobey Maguire providing adult Tim narration) is content as the only child of a couple (voiced by Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow) who work at Puppyco, a pet company run by Francis Francis (voiced by Steve Buscemi). Tim's perfect existence is disrupted by an unnamed new baby brother (voiced by Alec Baldwin) who quickly takes over the family, and hoards all of their parents' love. The baby is actually on a secret mission from BabyCorp to discover what Francis is up to in the launch of a brand new product that might change babyhood forever.
Tim's overactive imagination is fun to watch, as is his reaction to the new creature in the house. Alec Baldwin is undeniably a talent- his voicing of the titular corporatethink baby, later named Ted, is perfection and had me laughing. Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow are so bland in their roles, I forgot they were in the film; I haven't laughed at Kimmel in years and the streak continues. Buscemi is fun as Francis. Certain scenes stand out that I really enjoyed: the baby's corporate lifestyle and beliefs, Tim's need for his parents' undivided attention (we never see any of his own friends), pop culture references tailor-made for parents, fun action pieces, and so on. These great scenes don't meld together into a great film. Is the entire story a figment of Tim's imagination? Does the baby exist at all? Or Francis Francis? The mission the baby is sent on is an afterthought, never earning the same amount of time as Tim and the baby's relationship, so the menace and danger are lessened. The screenplay takes a lot of conveniences that tested my patience, and weren't answered in the inevitable sequel.
"The Baby Boss" was a good time for the kiddos, and I wasn't dreading putting it on the TV for the umpteenth time- at least not with the kind of dread reserved for "Raya and the Last Dragon" or the "Trolls" films. Followed by motion picture and television sequels.
Stats:
(2017) 96 min. (* * *) out of five stars
-Directed by Tom McGrath
-Written by Michael McCullers based on the book by Marla Frazee
-Cast: Alec Baldwin, Miles Bakshi, Steve Buscemi, Tobey Maguire, Lisa Kudrow, Jimmy Kimmel, James McGrath, Conrad Vernon, ViviAnn Yee, Eric Bell Jr., David Soren, Edie Mirman, Walt Dohrn, James Ryan
(PG)- Physical violence, some animated nudity, very mild sexual references, mild adult situations
*Get a copy of The Boss Baby by Marla Frazee on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of "The Boss Baby" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Amazon here*
*Get a "The Boss Baby" Funko POP Toy Figure on Amazon here*
A perfectly likable story with an energetic presentation, fun look, and great soundtrack, is undermined by an unreliable narrator and screenplay.
Seven year old Tim (voiced by Miles Bakshi, with Tobey Maguire providing adult Tim narration) is content as the only child of a couple (voiced by Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow) who work at Puppyco, a pet company run by Francis Francis (voiced by Steve Buscemi). Tim's perfect existence is disrupted by an unnamed new baby brother (voiced by Alec Baldwin) who quickly takes over the family, and hoards all of their parents' love. The baby is actually on a secret mission from BabyCorp to discover what Francis is up to in the launch of a brand new product that might change babyhood forever.
Tim's overactive imagination is fun to watch, as is his reaction to the new creature in the house. Alec Baldwin is undeniably a talent- his voicing of the titular corporatethink baby, later named Ted, is perfection and had me laughing. Jimmy Kimmel and Lisa Kudrow are so bland in their roles, I forgot they were in the film; I haven't laughed at Kimmel in years and the streak continues. Buscemi is fun as Francis. Certain scenes stand out that I really enjoyed: the baby's corporate lifestyle and beliefs, Tim's need for his parents' undivided attention (we never see any of his own friends), pop culture references tailor-made for parents, fun action pieces, and so on. These great scenes don't meld together into a great film. Is the entire story a figment of Tim's imagination? Does the baby exist at all? Or Francis Francis? The mission the baby is sent on is an afterthought, never earning the same amount of time as Tim and the baby's relationship, so the menace and danger are lessened. The screenplay takes a lot of conveniences that tested my patience, and weren't answered in the inevitable sequel.
"The Baby Boss" was a good time for the kiddos, and I wasn't dreading putting it on the TV for the umpteenth time- at least not with the kind of dread reserved for "Raya and the Last Dragon" or the "Trolls" films. Followed by motion picture and television sequels.
Stats:
(2017) 96 min. (* * *) out of five stars
-Directed by Tom McGrath
-Written by Michael McCullers based on the book by Marla Frazee
-Cast: Alec Baldwin, Miles Bakshi, Steve Buscemi, Tobey Maguire, Lisa Kudrow, Jimmy Kimmel, James McGrath, Conrad Vernon, ViviAnn Yee, Eric Bell Jr., David Soren, Edie Mirman, Walt Dohrn, James Ryan
(PG)- Physical violence, some animated nudity, very mild sexual references, mild adult situations
Wednesday, August 28, 2024
Blade II (2002)
*Get a physical copy of the Blade 4-Film Collection on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of the "Blade II" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Amazon here*
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*Get a Blade Funko POP figure on Amazon here*
Wesley Snipes returns in this really gross and really exciting sequel to the original hit.
Blade (Wesley Snipes) is still out killing vampires, this time armed with better special effects. He is tracking down his mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), who was taken by the vampires and held hostage. In the meantime, Blade has picked up a new weapons master, Scud (Norman Reedus). Whistler is rescued, and he and Scud immediately do not get along. The vampires Blade is always trying to kill want a truce. It seems there is a new race of vampires, called Reapers, led by the very ugly Nomak (Luke Goss). The Reapers are killing ordinary vampires, and once that supply is gone, they will turn to humanity for their prey. Blade is saddled with a group of mercenaries called the Blood Pact, who were originally trained to kill him. It features angry Reinhardt (Ron Perlman) and the sexy Nyssa (Leonor Varela), daughter of the vampire leader Damaskinos (Thomas Kretschmann).
This sequel can be described in one word: gross. I have not seen this much bodily fluid on display since my lactose intolerant toddler feasted on an ice cream cone. I am not talking a lot of fake blood, I am talking a lot of fake everything shown in graphic detail. The film is wall-to-wall violent, an almost two hour action sequence broken up into three or four main components. Do you know what? The whole thing works. The special effects are strong, save for a couple of obvious computer animated fight sequences. The gore is excellent, from the Reapers' frightening mouths to the gallons of gore to the grossest autopsy of the last ten years. The film makers wisely just do not remake the first film, they expand on it. All the actors are good, making an impression despite the plethora of eye candy going on around them. Even the actors who are completely unrecognizable under the makeup (Goss, Kretschmann) still score some good scenes. Del Toro is the perfect director for the sequel, he shoots it like he has been practicing for this for years. The film certainly never bores, moving faster than anything George Lucas has been able to come up with since "Return of the Jedi." The couple of weak computer effects hurt. So does yet another villain who confesses everything before being killed in a very creative way. I won't give away any of the double crosses, but you do see them coming from a mile away.
All in all, "Blade II" is really neat. The action is nonstop, a forced romance is merely hinted at, and Snipes can kick butt with the best of them. This is the film that gives sequels a good name.
Stats:
(2002) 117 min. (* * * *) out of five stars
-Directed by Guillermo del Toro
-Written by David S. Goyer based on characters created by Marv Wolfman & Gene Colan
-Cast: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Norman Reedus, Luke Goss, Ron Perlman, Leonor Varela, Thomas Kretschmann, Matt Schulze, Danny John-Jules, Donnie Yen, Karel Roden, Marit Velle Kile, Tony Curran, Daz Crawford
(R)
*Get a copy of the "Blade II" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Amazon here*
*Get "Blade II" wall decor on Amazon here*
*Get a Blade Funko POP figure on Amazon here*
Wesley Snipes returns in this really gross and really exciting sequel to the original hit.
Blade (Wesley Snipes) is still out killing vampires, this time armed with better special effects. He is tracking down his mentor Whistler (Kris Kristofferson), who was taken by the vampires and held hostage. In the meantime, Blade has picked up a new weapons master, Scud (Norman Reedus). Whistler is rescued, and he and Scud immediately do not get along. The vampires Blade is always trying to kill want a truce. It seems there is a new race of vampires, called Reapers, led by the very ugly Nomak (Luke Goss). The Reapers are killing ordinary vampires, and once that supply is gone, they will turn to humanity for their prey. Blade is saddled with a group of mercenaries called the Blood Pact, who were originally trained to kill him. It features angry Reinhardt (Ron Perlman) and the sexy Nyssa (Leonor Varela), daughter of the vampire leader Damaskinos (Thomas Kretschmann).
This sequel can be described in one word: gross. I have not seen this much bodily fluid on display since my lactose intolerant toddler feasted on an ice cream cone. I am not talking a lot of fake blood, I am talking a lot of fake everything shown in graphic detail. The film is wall-to-wall violent, an almost two hour action sequence broken up into three or four main components. Do you know what? The whole thing works. The special effects are strong, save for a couple of obvious computer animated fight sequences. The gore is excellent, from the Reapers' frightening mouths to the gallons of gore to the grossest autopsy of the last ten years. The film makers wisely just do not remake the first film, they expand on it. All the actors are good, making an impression despite the plethora of eye candy going on around them. Even the actors who are completely unrecognizable under the makeup (Goss, Kretschmann) still score some good scenes. Del Toro is the perfect director for the sequel, he shoots it like he has been practicing for this for years. The film certainly never bores, moving faster than anything George Lucas has been able to come up with since "Return of the Jedi." The couple of weak computer effects hurt. So does yet another villain who confesses everything before being killed in a very creative way. I won't give away any of the double crosses, but you do see them coming from a mile away.
All in all, "Blade II" is really neat. The action is nonstop, a forced romance is merely hinted at, and Snipes can kick butt with the best of them. This is the film that gives sequels a good name.
Stats:
(2002) 117 min. (* * * *) out of five stars
-Directed by Guillermo del Toro
-Written by David S. Goyer based on characters created by Marv Wolfman & Gene Colan
-Cast: Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson, Norman Reedus, Luke Goss, Ron Perlman, Leonor Varela, Thomas Kretschmann, Matt Schulze, Danny John-Jules, Donnie Yen, Karel Roden, Marit Velle Kile, Tony Curran, Daz Crawford
(R)
Black Cobra (1976)
*Get a physical copy of "Black Cobra" (aka Black Cobra Woman) on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato: On the Road to Excess on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of The Sensual World of Black Emanuelle Collector's Set on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of The Forest of Love by Jack Palance on Amazon here*
Joe D'Amato, auteur of the sometimes hardcore "Emmanuelle" series and other exploitation classics, puts his muse Laura Gemser through a nasty little revenge pic that will have grindhouse fans cheering but still isn't all that great.
Judas (Jack Palance) and Jules (Gabriele Tinti) are brothers living in Hong Kong. Judas has all the family money, thanks to a condition in their dead father's will that stipulates Jules must "behave" for five years before he gets any inheritance. Jules travels for business, and brings home the exotically beautiful Eva (Laura Gemser). Eva has quite a nightclub act. She strips topless and writhes around with a large snake, much to the enjoyment of drunk businessmen. Judas sees Eva and is immediately taken with her. Eva is invited back to Judas' to meet his "friends"- about half a dozen live snakes, all venomous and dangerous. Eva moves in with Judas, who pays for everything, but she still gets to crawl into bed with whomever she pleases. She eventually meets Gerri (Michele Starck), and the two fall for each other. Eventually, someone starts playing with the serpents when they shouldn't, and people start ending up dead.
Don't get me wrong, this is not a good film. While it was shot on location in Hong Kong, and D'Amato makes sure the entire female cast is unclothed often, the performances are pretty terrible. Indonesian Gemser was always easy on the eyes, but her command of acting in English is tenuous. Palance is alright as Judas, the character you assume would be the bad guy thanks to the name, and the fact he is being played by Jack Palance. The musical score is goofy Euro-softcore, full of choral wooing and strings. D'Amato also shows the actual deaths of two animals, another turn-off. So why any rating for this thing? D'Amato's screenplay is actually kind of clever. You may see the climactic island scene coming a mile away, but there is a twist thrown in that had me grimacing. I don't like snakes, so watching everyone handling them also made me cringe. However, there are some scenes that dare to breach the "softcore" label. There is also some hilariously bad dialogue that had me laughing out loud, like Eva's justification for prostituting herself.
"Black Cobra Woman" is known under at least half a dozen different titles, including an unofficial entry in D'Amato and Gemser's "Emmanuelle" series. This is not a horror film, or a Fred Williamson actioner that it is constantly mistaken for, but it is pretty different.
Stats:
(1976) 96 min. (* *) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Joe D'Amato
-Cast: Jack Palance, Gabriele Tinti, Laura Gemser, Michele Starck, Ziggy Zanger, Guido Mariotti, Jenny Liang, Koike Mahoco, Isabella Zanussi
(R)
*Get a physical copy of "Inferno Rosso: Joe D'Amato: On the Road to Excess on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of The Sensual World of Black Emanuelle Collector's Set on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of The Forest of Love by Jack Palance on Amazon here*
Joe D'Amato, auteur of the sometimes hardcore "Emmanuelle" series and other exploitation classics, puts his muse Laura Gemser through a nasty little revenge pic that will have grindhouse fans cheering but still isn't all that great.
Judas (Jack Palance) and Jules (Gabriele Tinti) are brothers living in Hong Kong. Judas has all the family money, thanks to a condition in their dead father's will that stipulates Jules must "behave" for five years before he gets any inheritance. Jules travels for business, and brings home the exotically beautiful Eva (Laura Gemser). Eva has quite a nightclub act. She strips topless and writhes around with a large snake, much to the enjoyment of drunk businessmen. Judas sees Eva and is immediately taken with her. Eva is invited back to Judas' to meet his "friends"- about half a dozen live snakes, all venomous and dangerous. Eva moves in with Judas, who pays for everything, but she still gets to crawl into bed with whomever she pleases. She eventually meets Gerri (Michele Starck), and the two fall for each other. Eventually, someone starts playing with the serpents when they shouldn't, and people start ending up dead.
Don't get me wrong, this is not a good film. While it was shot on location in Hong Kong, and D'Amato makes sure the entire female cast is unclothed often, the performances are pretty terrible. Indonesian Gemser was always easy on the eyes, but her command of acting in English is tenuous. Palance is alright as Judas, the character you assume would be the bad guy thanks to the name, and the fact he is being played by Jack Palance. The musical score is goofy Euro-softcore, full of choral wooing and strings. D'Amato also shows the actual deaths of two animals, another turn-off. So why any rating for this thing? D'Amato's screenplay is actually kind of clever. You may see the climactic island scene coming a mile away, but there is a twist thrown in that had me grimacing. I don't like snakes, so watching everyone handling them also made me cringe. However, there are some scenes that dare to breach the "softcore" label. There is also some hilariously bad dialogue that had me laughing out loud, like Eva's justification for prostituting herself.
"Black Cobra Woman" is known under at least half a dozen different titles, including an unofficial entry in D'Amato and Gemser's "Emmanuelle" series. This is not a horror film, or a Fred Williamson actioner that it is constantly mistaken for, but it is pretty different.
Stats:
(1976) 96 min. (* *) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Joe D'Amato
-Cast: Jack Palance, Gabriele Tinti, Laura Gemser, Michele Starck, Ziggy Zanger, Guido Mariotti, Jenny Liang, Koike Mahoco, Isabella Zanussi
(R)
Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Amityville: No Escape (2016)
*Get a physical copy of "Amityville: No Escape" on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of High Hopes: The Amityville Murders by Gerald Sullivan & Harvey Aronson on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "My Amityville Horror" on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson on Amazon here*
The Amityville Horror films can't be called a "series" anymore. The films mention the original murders and demonic hauntings that started the cycle, but they have so little to do with those events that they must rip off other horror films to scare and entertain. This cheap, short knock-off of "The Blair Witch Project" and "Paranormal Activity" fails.
George (Josh Miller) is working on his bullshit college thesis- exploring fear in the lives of himself and some friends. He invites his sister Elizabeth (Allison Egan), his girlfriend Sarah (Joni Durian), friend Simon (Michael William Ralston), and Simon's hippie friend Lisa (Alia Gabrielle Eckhardt) out into the woods near the original Amityville murder house to document and explore "fear"...but wait, there's more! In an entirely different plot, a videotape from 1997 is interspersed throughout the film. In this footage, Lina (Julia Gomez) is documenting the purchase of the exact same Amityville murder house to her military husband, and strange things begin to occur. The group of college students camp out, and some jump scares are attempted. The connection between the two found footage plots is shown at the end of the film, and makes no sense. Luckily, I had stopped laughing at the facial hair on some of the actors to take note of the climax.
I argue that the entire idea of a "found footage" film is nonsensical. There have been some good ones over the years, but there have been more awful ones, even worse than this- "Amber Alert," "100 Ghost Street: The Return of Richard Speck," and "The Amityville Haunting" come to mind. In this film, plot holes abound. When George starts asking the other cast members what they were most afraid of, you could see the performers' ad-lib improvisation wheels turning. There are no scares, little gore, and zero suspense, aside from wondering how all of this was going to tie together (spoiler alert: not well).
If you are going to riff off actual crimes- horrific crimes that destroyed a family, upended a community, and is still obsessed with decades later- then show some reverence or acknowledgement to what happened aside from a hasty connection mentioned in passing. This is a cheap and unimaginative exploitation of the tragedy, badly written and barely watchable, save for Durian's odd but welcome nude scene. The Amityville collection of films numbers over a dozen today, and there are some intrepid film fans out there who have seen, or are trying to see, all of them. This entry can't rank high on any of their lists.
Stats:
(2016) 78 min. (1/2*) out of five stars
-Directed by Henrique Couto
-Written by Henrique Couto, Ira Gansler
-Cast: Josh Miller, Allison Egan, Joni Durian, Michael William Ralston, Alia Gabrielle Eckhardt, Julia Gomez, Ira Gansler, Matt Brassfield, Stephen Alexander, Duane West, Katrina Gansler
(Unrated)
*Get a copy of High Hopes: The Amityville Murders by Gerald Sullivan & Harvey Aronson on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "My Amityville Horror" on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson on Amazon here*
The Amityville Horror films can't be called a "series" anymore. The films mention the original murders and demonic hauntings that started the cycle, but they have so little to do with those events that they must rip off other horror films to scare and entertain. This cheap, short knock-off of "The Blair Witch Project" and "Paranormal Activity" fails.
George (Josh Miller) is working on his bullshit college thesis- exploring fear in the lives of himself and some friends. He invites his sister Elizabeth (Allison Egan), his girlfriend Sarah (Joni Durian), friend Simon (Michael William Ralston), and Simon's hippie friend Lisa (Alia Gabrielle Eckhardt) out into the woods near the original Amityville murder house to document and explore "fear"...but wait, there's more! In an entirely different plot, a videotape from 1997 is interspersed throughout the film. In this footage, Lina (Julia Gomez) is documenting the purchase of the exact same Amityville murder house to her military husband, and strange things begin to occur. The group of college students camp out, and some jump scares are attempted. The connection between the two found footage plots is shown at the end of the film, and makes no sense. Luckily, I had stopped laughing at the facial hair on some of the actors to take note of the climax.
I argue that the entire idea of a "found footage" film is nonsensical. There have been some good ones over the years, but there have been more awful ones, even worse than this- "Amber Alert," "100 Ghost Street: The Return of Richard Speck," and "The Amityville Haunting" come to mind. In this film, plot holes abound. When George starts asking the other cast members what they were most afraid of, you could see the performers' ad-lib improvisation wheels turning. There are no scares, little gore, and zero suspense, aside from wondering how all of this was going to tie together (spoiler alert: not well).
If you are going to riff off actual crimes- horrific crimes that destroyed a family, upended a community, and is still obsessed with decades later- then show some reverence or acknowledgement to what happened aside from a hasty connection mentioned in passing. This is a cheap and unimaginative exploitation of the tragedy, badly written and barely watchable, save for Durian's odd but welcome nude scene. The Amityville collection of films numbers over a dozen today, and there are some intrepid film fans out there who have seen, or are trying to see, all of them. This entry can't rank high on any of their lists.
Stats:
(2016) 78 min. (1/2*) out of five stars
-Directed by Henrique Couto
-Written by Henrique Couto, Ira Gansler
-Cast: Josh Miller, Allison Egan, Joni Durian, Michael William Ralston, Alia Gabrielle Eckhardt, Julia Gomez, Ira Gansler, Matt Brassfield, Stephen Alexander, Duane West, Katrina Gansler
(Unrated)
Black Circle Boys (1997)
*Get a physical copy of "Black Circle Boys" on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "The Acid King" on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Copping Free (aka Serpent Girl) by Matthew Carnahan on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of Say You Love Satan by David St. Clair on Amazon here*
A young hunky cast transcends a couple of cliches and marketing mistakes to make a watchable suspenser, based on a true story.
Kyle (Scott Bairstow) is an All-American swimming high school student who loses his best friend on a night their swim club was celebrating. Months later, Kyle's distant dad (Bruce Burkhartsmeier) and mother (Dee Wallace Stone) move to the Pacific Northwest to start fresh. Kyle is troubled, sulking into a new school. He meets modern-day flower child Chloe (Tara Subkoff), and also runs into creepy Shane (Eric Mabius), giggling sidekick Munn (Heath Lourwood), and nerdy peon Rory (Chad Lindberg). Shane has pie-in-the-sky dreams of getting a band together, and grudgingly hires Kyle on as a drummer. Shane's life revolves around drug use and causing trouble. He bites the head off a dissection frog in biology class, and holds wild parties in the woods. Kyle falls in with this group immediately, especially after meeting Shane's mentor Greggo (Donnie Wahlberg). The film hits a slow patch as the Black Circle Boys wreak havoc around the town. Shane has the Boys believing he is receiving power from Satan himself, and the hallucinogens feed the lie.
The troubled youth angle has been done to death, and writer/director Matthew Carnahan steps into some of this cliche once in a while. His direction is fascinating, however. This is not a typical slasher film. Carnahan does some very imaginative tracking and hand-held shots, lending it a documentary feel. The picture seems washed out, all the colors match the gloomy, cloudy weather. You can see the actors' breath in many of the cold nighttime scenes. Bairstow looks genuinely pained as the troubled Kyle. Stone is great as his mother, her timid stance in his room is a highlight. Mabius as Shane is equally good in a creepy role. He is just a punk, but a scary punk. Wahlberg is unrecognizable as Greggo, but his part is terribly underwritten. Lisa Loeb has just a couple of lines, without her trademark glasses, and her name was tacked on to cash in on her new found popularity back then. The video company was marketing this as a horror film, and I found it in the horror section at a video store, but that angle is all wrong. The film has crime, suspense, but no supernatural angle other than Shane's lies. "Black Circle Boys" compares favorably to other hunks-in-trouble films like "The Skulls." It is not perfect, the same story has been done a hundred times before (and is based on the actual Ricky Kasso case), but the acting and directing set it above the others.
Stats:
(1997) 101 min. (* * * *) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Matthew Carnahan
-Cast: Scott Bairstow, Eric Mabius, Donnie Wahlberg, Tara Subkoff, Dee Wallace, Heath Lourwood, Chad Lindberg, Bruce Burkhartsmeier, Lisa Loeb, John Doe, Richard Sanders, Victor Morris
(R)
*Get a physical copy of "The Acid King" on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Copping Free (aka Serpent Girl) by Matthew Carnahan on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of Say You Love Satan by David St. Clair on Amazon here*
A young hunky cast transcends a couple of cliches and marketing mistakes to make a watchable suspenser, based on a true story.
Kyle (Scott Bairstow) is an All-American swimming high school student who loses his best friend on a night their swim club was celebrating. Months later, Kyle's distant dad (Bruce Burkhartsmeier) and mother (Dee Wallace Stone) move to the Pacific Northwest to start fresh. Kyle is troubled, sulking into a new school. He meets modern-day flower child Chloe (Tara Subkoff), and also runs into creepy Shane (Eric Mabius), giggling sidekick Munn (Heath Lourwood), and nerdy peon Rory (Chad Lindberg). Shane has pie-in-the-sky dreams of getting a band together, and grudgingly hires Kyle on as a drummer. Shane's life revolves around drug use and causing trouble. He bites the head off a dissection frog in biology class, and holds wild parties in the woods. Kyle falls in with this group immediately, especially after meeting Shane's mentor Greggo (Donnie Wahlberg). The film hits a slow patch as the Black Circle Boys wreak havoc around the town. Shane has the Boys believing he is receiving power from Satan himself, and the hallucinogens feed the lie.
The troubled youth angle has been done to death, and writer/director Matthew Carnahan steps into some of this cliche once in a while. His direction is fascinating, however. This is not a typical slasher film. Carnahan does some very imaginative tracking and hand-held shots, lending it a documentary feel. The picture seems washed out, all the colors match the gloomy, cloudy weather. You can see the actors' breath in many of the cold nighttime scenes. Bairstow looks genuinely pained as the troubled Kyle. Stone is great as his mother, her timid stance in his room is a highlight. Mabius as Shane is equally good in a creepy role. He is just a punk, but a scary punk. Wahlberg is unrecognizable as Greggo, but his part is terribly underwritten. Lisa Loeb has just a couple of lines, without her trademark glasses, and her name was tacked on to cash in on her new found popularity back then. The video company was marketing this as a horror film, and I found it in the horror section at a video store, but that angle is all wrong. The film has crime, suspense, but no supernatural angle other than Shane's lies. "Black Circle Boys" compares favorably to other hunks-in-trouble films like "The Skulls." It is not perfect, the same story has been done a hundred times before (and is based on the actual Ricky Kasso case), but the acting and directing set it above the others.
Stats:
(1997) 101 min. (* * * *) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Matthew Carnahan
-Cast: Scott Bairstow, Eric Mabius, Donnie Wahlberg, Tara Subkoff, Dee Wallace, Heath Lourwood, Chad Lindberg, Bruce Burkhartsmeier, Lisa Loeb, John Doe, Richard Sanders, Victor Morris
(R)
Monday, August 26, 2024
Black Belt Jones (1974)
*Get a physical copy of "Black Belt Jones" on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Black Belt Jones II (aka The Tattoo Connection)" on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Bruce Lee: The Biography by Robert Clouse on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Black Samurai" on Amazon here*
Director Robert Clouse, notable for helming one of Bruce Lee's films and tons of TV and straight-to-video martial arts epics, shows a lighter touch on this Blaxploitation actioner.
Jim Kelly plays Black Belt Jones, a smooth martial arts expert. Los Angeles is trying to build a new civic center, and the Mafia is buying all the land where it will be built so they can bilk the city government. The lone holdout is a karate school owned by Pop (Scatman Crothers). The Mafia and second-in-command Big Tuna (Vincent Barbi) lean on loan shark hood Pinky (Malik Carter) to lean on Pop in turn. Pinky starts flashing a phony IOU around, trying to get Pop's property for payment. Black Belt Jones makes like the Man With No Name, playing the mafia off of Pinky's gang, and playing with Pop's daughter Sydney (Gloria Hendry) on the side. Sydney is no delicate flower, able to kick butt with the best of them. The action packed climax takes place in a car wash run amok, and that is only one weird aspect of this film.
All the Blacks in the film call each other "n****r," which had me on edge throughout. Twice, Sydney uses the word "f****t," and it was not as a term of endearment. Italians do not come off much better, eating spaghetti and talking with New Yawk accents- in Southern California. I enjoyed the film more when I watched it as a relic of the mid-1970's. Clouse and the cast do not take things too seriously, so the audience shouldn't either? Jim Kelly is an adequate hero, Hendry holds her own, and when was the last time you saw Scatman Crothers involved in a martial arts action set piece? The supporting cast is full of recognizable faces all around. One winery heist sequence involves trampoline skills! All the character names are funny enough without trying to keep track of them. Tongues are in cheek, from Pinky's wet meeting with the head of the Mafia, to a car chase involving thrown panties. For Blaxploitation, however, the film is definitely lacking in nudity and sexual content. Too much of the dialogue and sound effects are dubbed, and not well, so the lip synch is way off. The fight scenes are good, but they eventually bore, since there are so many of them.
"Black Belt Jones" is average stuff, but I have seen worse Blaxploitation, and better. This falls right in the middle Followed by a sequel.
Stats:
(1974) 85 min. (* * 1/2) out of five stars
-Directed by Robert Clouse
-Screenplay by Oscar Williams, Story by Fred Weintraub and Alexandra Rose
-Cast: Jim Kelly, Gloria Hendry, Scatman Crothers, Vincent Barbi, Malik Carter, Eric Laneuville, Alan Weeks, Andre Philippe, Marla Gibbs, Mel Novak, Eddie Smith, Alex Brown, Sonny Barnes, Earl Jolly Brown, Jac Emel
(R)
*Get a physical copy of "Black Belt Jones II (aka The Tattoo Connection)" on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Bruce Lee: The Biography by Robert Clouse on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Black Samurai" on Amazon here*
Director Robert Clouse, notable for helming one of Bruce Lee's films and tons of TV and straight-to-video martial arts epics, shows a lighter touch on this Blaxploitation actioner.
Jim Kelly plays Black Belt Jones, a smooth martial arts expert. Los Angeles is trying to build a new civic center, and the Mafia is buying all the land where it will be built so they can bilk the city government. The lone holdout is a karate school owned by Pop (Scatman Crothers). The Mafia and second-in-command Big Tuna (Vincent Barbi) lean on loan shark hood Pinky (Malik Carter) to lean on Pop in turn. Pinky starts flashing a phony IOU around, trying to get Pop's property for payment. Black Belt Jones makes like the Man With No Name, playing the mafia off of Pinky's gang, and playing with Pop's daughter Sydney (Gloria Hendry) on the side. Sydney is no delicate flower, able to kick butt with the best of them. The action packed climax takes place in a car wash run amok, and that is only one weird aspect of this film.
All the Blacks in the film call each other "n****r," which had me on edge throughout. Twice, Sydney uses the word "f****t," and it was not as a term of endearment. Italians do not come off much better, eating spaghetti and talking with New Yawk accents- in Southern California. I enjoyed the film more when I watched it as a relic of the mid-1970's. Clouse and the cast do not take things too seriously, so the audience shouldn't either? Jim Kelly is an adequate hero, Hendry holds her own, and when was the last time you saw Scatman Crothers involved in a martial arts action set piece? The supporting cast is full of recognizable faces all around. One winery heist sequence involves trampoline skills! All the character names are funny enough without trying to keep track of them. Tongues are in cheek, from Pinky's wet meeting with the head of the Mafia, to a car chase involving thrown panties. For Blaxploitation, however, the film is definitely lacking in nudity and sexual content. Too much of the dialogue and sound effects are dubbed, and not well, so the lip synch is way off. The fight scenes are good, but they eventually bore, since there are so many of them.
"Black Belt Jones" is average stuff, but I have seen worse Blaxploitation, and better. This falls right in the middle Followed by a sequel.
Stats:
(1974) 85 min. (* * 1/2) out of five stars
-Directed by Robert Clouse
-Screenplay by Oscar Williams, Story by Fred Weintraub and Alexandra Rose
-Cast: Jim Kelly, Gloria Hendry, Scatman Crothers, Vincent Barbi, Malik Carter, Eric Laneuville, Alan Weeks, Andre Philippe, Marla Gibbs, Mel Novak, Eddie Smith, Alex Brown, Sonny Barnes, Earl Jolly Brown, Jac Emel
(R)
Sunday, August 25, 2024
The Birds (1963)
*Get a physical copy of "The Birds" on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne Du Maurier on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "The Birds II: Land's End" on Amazon here*
*Get "The Birds" wall decor on Amazon here*
Hello, welcome to yet another negative review of a much beloved film. Years ago, after watching yet another AFI Top 100 Whatever Films of All Time, I realized I had never seen "The Birds." I think Hitchcock's best film was "Rear Window" and his worst was "Topaz,"- I can safely place this above "Topaz."
Tippi Hedren plays Melanie, a spoiled newspaper owner's daughter. She sees attorney Mitch (Rod Taylor) in a pet store looking for lovebirds for his eleven year old sister. Melanie pretends to work at the store and tries to help him, he is on to her and pretends to be helped. Mitch calls her bluff and leaves, and Melanie takes down his license number and buys the lovebirds for him anyway, hoping to surprise him. She goes to his apartment, but he is in Bodega Bay for the weekend, so she drives up with the dang birds. She goes to his house, walks in the front door, leaves the birds and a note for the little sister, then leaves. Let's pause. Hedren's character is a criminal, a pathological liar, and a stalker. This may have been 1963's way of meeting cute and falling in love, but today I found Hedren's pursuit a little discomforting. The entire love angle here is forced. Mitch finds Melanie and pursues her back to Bodega Bay. Melanie again lies about why she is there, saying she is visiting Annie (Suzanne Pleshette), a local school teacher she met when she came into town. I checked my television, making sure I was watching the right video, since the only bird attack so far was Melanie getting conked on the head by a gull, and that was not hard enough to satisfy me. Melanie stays with Annie, who also fell for Mitch years before. Mitch goes home to cold-as-ice mom Lydia (Jessica Tandy) and little sister Cathy (Veronica Cartwright). Eventually, the birds begin attacking.
Poor special effects also begin to attack. There is one good scene where Mitch's home is attacked by wrens or something, but the scene goes on way too long as the actors unconvincingly dodge birds that are not there. The silliest scene involves the attack at the school. I know Hitchcock hated location filming, and it shows. The children are running in place against a back screen process while shots of birds are superimposed over that- very poor effects that made me laughing more than anything. We also get questionable scenes where the citizens of the small town do not believe Melanie and Mitch's stories of the attacking birds, never mind the house attack, a neighbor is killed by birds, and the school is attacked. Anyone who has ever been in a small town knows the opposite would be true. Most of the cast at this point makes special mention of the fact that they do not know why the birds are attacking. If one person says it, fine. But when at least half a dozen cast members say it at least half a dozen times, I figured Hitchcock was pandering to an audience that did have legitimate questions about why, especially after the tacked on explanation about Norman's behavior that almost ruined "Psycho." Curious viewers want to know. The movie ends on an unsatisfying note, and I was stumped. The film just has no point. There are some creepy shots, like the beaks pecking through the door at the house, and some beautiful shots of the sunset, but the special effects here are pretty awful. Just because Hitchcock directed it should not be an excuse. Taylor, Tandy, Pleshette, and Cartwright are fine, but Hedren's character is so weird, and she does not play it well. She is often stiff, and her scenes where she is in shock after a bird attack is, again, unintentionally funny. Hitchcock was a genius with the camera, but often he picked some poor scripts to do ("Topaz" or "Family Plot" anyone?). You may now return to regularly scheduled Hitchcock worship. Followed by "The Birds II: Land's End."
Stats:
(1963) 119 min. (* *) out of five stars
-Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
-Screenplay by Evan Hunter from the story by Daphne Du Maurier
-Cast: Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy, Veronica Cartwright, Ethel Griffies, Charles McGraw, Ruth McDevitt, Lonny Chapman, Doodles Weaver, Joe Mantell, Karl Swenson, Malcolm Atterbury
(PG-13)
*Get a copy of The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne Du Maurier on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "The Birds II: Land's End" on Amazon here*
*Get "The Birds" wall decor on Amazon here*
Hello, welcome to yet another negative review of a much beloved film. Years ago, after watching yet another AFI Top 100 Whatever Films of All Time, I realized I had never seen "The Birds." I think Hitchcock's best film was "Rear Window" and his worst was "Topaz,"- I can safely place this above "Topaz."
Tippi Hedren plays Melanie, a spoiled newspaper owner's daughter. She sees attorney Mitch (Rod Taylor) in a pet store looking for lovebirds for his eleven year old sister. Melanie pretends to work at the store and tries to help him, he is on to her and pretends to be helped. Mitch calls her bluff and leaves, and Melanie takes down his license number and buys the lovebirds for him anyway, hoping to surprise him. She goes to his apartment, but he is in Bodega Bay for the weekend, so she drives up with the dang birds. She goes to his house, walks in the front door, leaves the birds and a note for the little sister, then leaves. Let's pause. Hedren's character is a criminal, a pathological liar, and a stalker. This may have been 1963's way of meeting cute and falling in love, but today I found Hedren's pursuit a little discomforting. The entire love angle here is forced. Mitch finds Melanie and pursues her back to Bodega Bay. Melanie again lies about why she is there, saying she is visiting Annie (Suzanne Pleshette), a local school teacher she met when she came into town. I checked my television, making sure I was watching the right video, since the only bird attack so far was Melanie getting conked on the head by a gull, and that was not hard enough to satisfy me. Melanie stays with Annie, who also fell for Mitch years before. Mitch goes home to cold-as-ice mom Lydia (Jessica Tandy) and little sister Cathy (Veronica Cartwright). Eventually, the birds begin attacking.
Poor special effects also begin to attack. There is one good scene where Mitch's home is attacked by wrens or something, but the scene goes on way too long as the actors unconvincingly dodge birds that are not there. The silliest scene involves the attack at the school. I know Hitchcock hated location filming, and it shows. The children are running in place against a back screen process while shots of birds are superimposed over that- very poor effects that made me laughing more than anything. We also get questionable scenes where the citizens of the small town do not believe Melanie and Mitch's stories of the attacking birds, never mind the house attack, a neighbor is killed by birds, and the school is attacked. Anyone who has ever been in a small town knows the opposite would be true. Most of the cast at this point makes special mention of the fact that they do not know why the birds are attacking. If one person says it, fine. But when at least half a dozen cast members say it at least half a dozen times, I figured Hitchcock was pandering to an audience that did have legitimate questions about why, especially after the tacked on explanation about Norman's behavior that almost ruined "Psycho." Curious viewers want to know. The movie ends on an unsatisfying note, and I was stumped. The film just has no point. There are some creepy shots, like the beaks pecking through the door at the house, and some beautiful shots of the sunset, but the special effects here are pretty awful. Just because Hitchcock directed it should not be an excuse. Taylor, Tandy, Pleshette, and Cartwright are fine, but Hedren's character is so weird, and she does not play it well. She is often stiff, and her scenes where she is in shock after a bird attack is, again, unintentionally funny. Hitchcock was a genius with the camera, but often he picked some poor scripts to do ("Topaz" or "Family Plot" anyone?). You may now return to regularly scheduled Hitchcock worship. Followed by "The Birds II: Land's End."
Stats:
(1963) 119 min. (* *) out of five stars
-Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
-Screenplay by Evan Hunter from the story by Daphne Du Maurier
-Cast: Rod Taylor, Tippi Hedren, Suzanne Pleshette, Jessica Tandy, Veronica Cartwright, Ethel Griffies, Charles McGraw, Ruth McDevitt, Lonny Chapman, Doodles Weaver, Joe Mantell, Karl Swenson, Malcolm Atterbury
(PG-13)
Saturday, August 24, 2024
The Jackals (1967)
*Get a physical copy of "The Jackals" on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Yellow Sky" (1948) on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of I Like What I Know: A Visual Autobiography by Vincent Price on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography by Victoria Price on Amazon here*
This remake of "Yellow Sky" plays like a two hour episode of "Have Gun, Will Travel," and tries everything it can to convince the viewer it is not a typical western- and yet, it is.
Stretch (Robert Gunner) leads a gang into a gold rush era small town. They rob a bank, and flee into country so rough, the posse gives them up for dead and goes home. So far, so predictable- except all this action does not take place in southern Arizona, but South Africa. As the gang rides, the men begin to complain, horses drop dead, and this looks like one short film until the robbers happen upon a ghost town inhabited by the boyish Willie (Diana Ivarson) and her grandfather Oupa (Vincent Price). All the men take an immediate shine to Willie, who must fight off their collective advances. The ruggedly handsome Stretch seems to be the only one Willie doesn't seem to hate, and then the men get down to some deep thinkin'- why are Willie and Oupa here in the middle of nowhere? Could it be that they happened upon some gold in the nearby hills and will do anything to protect it?
An African western? Actually, the story is so bland that setting it in Antarctica and casting penguins in the lead roles could not have provided the viewer with any more interest. Remember some of those episodes of "Bonanza" and "Gunsmoke" where the series' regulars would merely bookend a story involving townsfolk we would end up never seeing again? That is this film. With the exception of a climactic offscreen (!) gunfight, the violence here is mid-1960's network television-level, with all the danger of a brisk walk into your kitchen. The cast is stiff, the gang going unnamed for most of the film, not that you care about them either way. The soundtrack is rejected bachelor pad xylophone easy jazz, I kept waiting for Frank Sinatra to wonder in and ply Willie with a pitcher of martinis. Vincent Price should have stuck to cheesy horror films instead of hamming his way through this. While he does a good job channeling Jack Elam, he turns the half-drunk Oupa into a mincing, creepy lout whom you suspect really is plying Willie with a pitcher of martinis. Had "The Jackals" been set in Arizona, with a capable cast and interesting direction, we may have had something. Instead, the film is too safe, picking all the most common ingredients off the carcass of the western film, which would get resurrected a couple of years later with "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."
Imagining Burl Ives as Oupa and Clint Eastwood as Stretch, being directed by Don Siegel, would have been pretty cool. "The Jackals" would be at home on a big three network primetime lineup from over five decades ago.
Stats:
(1967) 96 min. (* *) out of five stars
-Directed by Robert D. Webb
-Screenplay by Lamar Trotti & Harold Medford, Story by W.R. Burnett
-Cast: Vincent Price, Robert Gunner, Diana Ivarson, Bob Courtney, Patrick Mynhardt, Bill Brewer, John Whiteley, Sann de Lange, Frank Douglas, Pieter Hauptfleisch, Hal Orlandini, Gert van den Bergh, James White
(Unrated)
*Get a physical copy of "Yellow Sky" (1948) on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of I Like What I Know: A Visual Autobiography by Vincent Price on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Vincent Price: A Daughter's Biography by Victoria Price on Amazon here*
This remake of "Yellow Sky" plays like a two hour episode of "Have Gun, Will Travel," and tries everything it can to convince the viewer it is not a typical western- and yet, it is.
Stretch (Robert Gunner) leads a gang into a gold rush era small town. They rob a bank, and flee into country so rough, the posse gives them up for dead and goes home. So far, so predictable- except all this action does not take place in southern Arizona, but South Africa. As the gang rides, the men begin to complain, horses drop dead, and this looks like one short film until the robbers happen upon a ghost town inhabited by the boyish Willie (Diana Ivarson) and her grandfather Oupa (Vincent Price). All the men take an immediate shine to Willie, who must fight off their collective advances. The ruggedly handsome Stretch seems to be the only one Willie doesn't seem to hate, and then the men get down to some deep thinkin'- why are Willie and Oupa here in the middle of nowhere? Could it be that they happened upon some gold in the nearby hills and will do anything to protect it?
An African western? Actually, the story is so bland that setting it in Antarctica and casting penguins in the lead roles could not have provided the viewer with any more interest. Remember some of those episodes of "Bonanza" and "Gunsmoke" where the series' regulars would merely bookend a story involving townsfolk we would end up never seeing again? That is this film. With the exception of a climactic offscreen (!) gunfight, the violence here is mid-1960's network television-level, with all the danger of a brisk walk into your kitchen. The cast is stiff, the gang going unnamed for most of the film, not that you care about them either way. The soundtrack is rejected bachelor pad xylophone easy jazz, I kept waiting for Frank Sinatra to wonder in and ply Willie with a pitcher of martinis. Vincent Price should have stuck to cheesy horror films instead of hamming his way through this. While he does a good job channeling Jack Elam, he turns the half-drunk Oupa into a mincing, creepy lout whom you suspect really is plying Willie with a pitcher of martinis. Had "The Jackals" been set in Arizona, with a capable cast and interesting direction, we may have had something. Instead, the film is too safe, picking all the most common ingredients off the carcass of the western film, which would get resurrected a couple of years later with "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."
Imagining Burl Ives as Oupa and Clint Eastwood as Stretch, being directed by Don Siegel, would have been pretty cool. "The Jackals" would be at home on a big three network primetime lineup from over five decades ago.
Stats:
(1967) 96 min. (* *) out of five stars
-Directed by Robert D. Webb
-Screenplay by Lamar Trotti & Harold Medford, Story by W.R. Burnett
-Cast: Vincent Price, Robert Gunner, Diana Ivarson, Bob Courtney, Patrick Mynhardt, Bill Brewer, John Whiteley, Sann de Lange, Frank Douglas, Pieter Hauptfleisch, Hal Orlandini, Gert van den Bergh, James White
(Unrated)
Friday, August 23, 2024
Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead (2008)
*Get a physical copy of "Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead" on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Joy Ride" on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Joy Ride 3: Roadkill" on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Duel" (1971) on Amazon here*
A belated straight-to-video sequel to the 2001 sleeper hit directed by the same guy who directed "Bats"...what could possibly go wrong?
Melissa (Nicky Aycox) and Bobby (Nick Zano) are an engaged couple headed to Vegas, driving in an old station wagon with Melissa's sister Kayla (Laura Jordan) and her internet boyfriend Nik (Kyle Schmid). Nik is a Goth jerk, and succeeds in getting the group lost in the desert. They break into a derelict farmhouse and "borrow" a car, leaving their phone number so they can make amends once they find civilization again. It turns out the house belongs to the psychotic truck driver known as Rusty Nail (played in the shadows by Mark Gibbon), and he stalks the foursome to get his prized car back.
I remember seeing the original "Joy Ride," but nothing about the film stuck with me. I do remember it being a little more intense than this. This film was shot in British Columbia, which does NOT make a convincing stand-in for the deserts of the southwest United States. Morneau's direction is pedestrian with the exception of one or two imaginative scenes, but the script is a mess. The film may have worked better as a dark comedy since we have been sitting through this type of back roads suspense for decades. The cringe opening scene is an unsubtle exposition dump, before boring the viewer for the next half hour. Schmid plays a jerk too well, as eventually I came to hate Nik, and only hoped the worst for him. The foursome find themselves in incredibly stupid situations (the funeral home scene is especially ridiculous), so there's little tension to be had. All the highway horror tropes are here, including the stupid character behavior and violations of most laws of physics and speed limits.
The "Joy Ride" franchise limped to its thankful conclusion with "Joy Ride 3: Roadkill," but with today's penchant for remakes and reboots, I'm sure "Joy Ride: Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?" is on some Hollywood executive's desk as we speak.
Stats:
(2008) 91 min. (*) out of five stars
-Directed by Louis Morneau
-Written by James Robert Johnston & Bennett Yellin based on characters created by Clay Tarver & J.J. Abrams
-Cast: Nicki Aycox, Nick Zano, Kyle Schmid, Laura Jordan, Mark Gibbon, Krystal Vrba, Kathryn Kirkpatrick, Rob Carpenter, Gordon Tipple, Gardiner Millar, Rebecca Davis, Daniel Boileau, Lyle St. Goddard, Mackenzie Gray
(Unrated)- Physical violence, some sexual violence, gore, strong profanity, some nudity, strong sexual references, adult situations, some drug use, strong tobacco use, alcohol use
*Get a physical copy of "Joy Ride" on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Joy Ride 3: Roadkill" on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Duel" (1971) on Amazon here*
A belated straight-to-video sequel to the 2001 sleeper hit directed by the same guy who directed "Bats"...what could possibly go wrong?
Melissa (Nicky Aycox) and Bobby (Nick Zano) are an engaged couple headed to Vegas, driving in an old station wagon with Melissa's sister Kayla (Laura Jordan) and her internet boyfriend Nik (Kyle Schmid). Nik is a Goth jerk, and succeeds in getting the group lost in the desert. They break into a derelict farmhouse and "borrow" a car, leaving their phone number so they can make amends once they find civilization again. It turns out the house belongs to the psychotic truck driver known as Rusty Nail (played in the shadows by Mark Gibbon), and he stalks the foursome to get his prized car back.
I remember seeing the original "Joy Ride," but nothing about the film stuck with me. I do remember it being a little more intense than this. This film was shot in British Columbia, which does NOT make a convincing stand-in for the deserts of the southwest United States. Morneau's direction is pedestrian with the exception of one or two imaginative scenes, but the script is a mess. The film may have worked better as a dark comedy since we have been sitting through this type of back roads suspense for decades. The cringe opening scene is an unsubtle exposition dump, before boring the viewer for the next half hour. Schmid plays a jerk too well, as eventually I came to hate Nik, and only hoped the worst for him. The foursome find themselves in incredibly stupid situations (the funeral home scene is especially ridiculous), so there's little tension to be had. All the highway horror tropes are here, including the stupid character behavior and violations of most laws of physics and speed limits.
The "Joy Ride" franchise limped to its thankful conclusion with "Joy Ride 3: Roadkill," but with today's penchant for remakes and reboots, I'm sure "Joy Ride: Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?" is on some Hollywood executive's desk as we speak.
Stats:
(2008) 91 min. (*) out of five stars
-Directed by Louis Morneau
-Written by James Robert Johnston & Bennett Yellin based on characters created by Clay Tarver & J.J. Abrams
-Cast: Nicki Aycox, Nick Zano, Kyle Schmid, Laura Jordan, Mark Gibbon, Krystal Vrba, Kathryn Kirkpatrick, Rob Carpenter, Gordon Tipple, Gardiner Millar, Rebecca Davis, Daniel Boileau, Lyle St. Goddard, Mackenzie Gray
(Unrated)- Physical violence, some sexual violence, gore, strong profanity, some nudity, strong sexual references, adult situations, some drug use, strong tobacco use, alcohol use
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss (1998)
*Get a physical copy of "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" on Amazon here*
*Get a "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" Soundtrack to the Motion Picture on Amazon here*
*Get "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" wall decor on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Will & Grace" Seasons 1-8 on Amazon here*
Sean Hayes plays Billy, a struggling photographer who falls for one of his models, who may or may not be homosexual.
Billy hangs out with best friend George (a hilarious Meredith Scott Lynn) in Los Angeles, where he moved after escaping from conservative Indiana. He is seeing shallow but hunky Fernando (Armando Valdes-Kennedy), who is already in a committed relationship. Their encounters are purely physical, and Billy longs for something more. Good friend Perry (Richard Ganoung) agrees to mentor Billy, providing him with equipment and money for his dream project- to photograph reenacted scenes from great Hollywood romance classics. Billy also meets Gabriel (Brad Rowe), a gorgeous waiter who gives Billy mixed signals about his sexuality. Gabriel has a girlfriend, plays in a heavy metal band, but feels comfortable with Billy and his gay friends, as if he hasn't come out yet. Gabriel is also introduced to successful photographer Rex (Paul Bartel), who suddenly decides to use Gabriel in an upcoming underwear ad, pulling the rug out from under Billy's plans. Soon, Billy is pursuing Gabriel, confiding to Perry, and making a fool of himself over this perfect man.
Sean Hayes does not just replay his "Will & Grace" character, Jack. Billy can be morose, emotional, and his stories about his life, illustrated with Polaroid pictures, are excellent. Rowe is also convincing as Gabriel, even the audience is kept in the dark about how he feels about Billy. The supporting cast is very good, as well. My one complaint is O'Haver's sometimes stilted direction. Once in a while, characters will stand in line, facing the camera and talking to each other, as if they were on a small off-off-Braodway stage. O'Haver does use the camera well with the fun fantasy sequences, but many of his basic dialogue scenes are awkward and underlit.
"Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" is not a laugh-out-loud raucous comedy, but a smiling romance that does not make apologies about the sexual orientation of its characters- nor should it.
Stats:
(1998) 95 min. (* * * 1/2) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Tommy O'Haver
-Cast: Sean Hayes, Meredith Scott Lynn, Armando Valdes-Kennedy, Richard Ganoung, Brad Rowe, Paul Bartel, Annabelle Gurwitch, Holly Woodlawn, Christopher Bradley, Kimiko Gelman, Kiff Scholl, Matthew Ashford
Rated (R)
*Get a "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" Soundtrack to the Motion Picture on Amazon here*
*Get "Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" wall decor on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Will & Grace" Seasons 1-8 on Amazon here*
Sean Hayes plays Billy, a struggling photographer who falls for one of his models, who may or may not be homosexual.
Billy hangs out with best friend George (a hilarious Meredith Scott Lynn) in Los Angeles, where he moved after escaping from conservative Indiana. He is seeing shallow but hunky Fernando (Armando Valdes-Kennedy), who is already in a committed relationship. Their encounters are purely physical, and Billy longs for something more. Good friend Perry (Richard Ganoung) agrees to mentor Billy, providing him with equipment and money for his dream project- to photograph reenacted scenes from great Hollywood romance classics. Billy also meets Gabriel (Brad Rowe), a gorgeous waiter who gives Billy mixed signals about his sexuality. Gabriel has a girlfriend, plays in a heavy metal band, but feels comfortable with Billy and his gay friends, as if he hasn't come out yet. Gabriel is also introduced to successful photographer Rex (Paul Bartel), who suddenly decides to use Gabriel in an upcoming underwear ad, pulling the rug out from under Billy's plans. Soon, Billy is pursuing Gabriel, confiding to Perry, and making a fool of himself over this perfect man.
Sean Hayes does not just replay his "Will & Grace" character, Jack. Billy can be morose, emotional, and his stories about his life, illustrated with Polaroid pictures, are excellent. Rowe is also convincing as Gabriel, even the audience is kept in the dark about how he feels about Billy. The supporting cast is very good, as well. My one complaint is O'Haver's sometimes stilted direction. Once in a while, characters will stand in line, facing the camera and talking to each other, as if they were on a small off-off-Braodway stage. O'Haver does use the camera well with the fun fantasy sequences, but many of his basic dialogue scenes are awkward and underlit.
"Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss" is not a laugh-out-loud raucous comedy, but a smiling romance that does not make apologies about the sexual orientation of its characters- nor should it.
Stats:
(1998) 95 min. (* * * 1/2) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Tommy O'Haver
-Cast: Sean Hayes, Meredith Scott Lynn, Armando Valdes-Kennedy, Richard Ganoung, Brad Rowe, Paul Bartel, Annabelle Gurwitch, Holly Woodlawn, Christopher Bradley, Kimiko Gelman, Kiff Scholl, Matthew Ashford
Rated (R)
Monday, August 19, 2024
Bill Cosby: Himself (1983)
*Get a physical copy of "Bill Cosby: Himself" on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Chasing Cosby: The Downfall of America's Dad by Nicole Weisensee Egan on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Come On, People: On the Path from Victims to Victors by Bill Cosby and Alvin F. Poussaint, MD on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "The Cosby Show" Complete Series Boxed Set on Amazon here*
Bill Cosby wrote and directed a concert film that provided enough material to launch his most successful sitcom.
The stage features Cosby, a chair, a microphone, and nothing else. He is caught on film in a Canadian concert, and sometimes acknowledges the audience. While Cosby is alone on the stage, he populates his routine with more characters than a David Lean film, all of them memorable. He opens with perhaps the funniest anti-drug and anti-alcohol rant ever done, more effective than the ads on airwaves today. He visits his dentist. He and his wife decide to have children, producing four daughters and a son. He covers childbirth, raising these "brain damaged" children, and his parents' reactions. He closes with a riff on living with his own parents, perhaps the funniest twenty minutes ever filmed at a live concert. Unless you are a toothless test tube orphan virgin, you will find something to associate with during the film, and this is why "Bill Cosby: Himself" is my all-time favorite comedy concert film. Cosby does not tell us how difficult it is to be rich, how tough kicking addictive narcotics is, or how to make up stupid nursery rhymes using profanity. He simply spins his tales, and the audience and viewer is able to find the humor in the universal themes.
When I watched this decades ago, I had two sons, ages three and seven, and I sympathized with everything that goes into being a father. I have one sister and two brothers, and sympathized with everything that went into being a bratty sibling. I have been to the dentist, I have been out having fun on the weekend "because I deserved it," and dragging back into work, happy to be alive. Bill Cosby knows his audience is full of average people, and vividly illustrates his routine using "characters" we all know. A reviewer once said "The Cos proves himself a master storyteller and a hilarious comic." He was much more than that.
In the intervening decades since this film was released his only son was brutally murdered, and he committed horrific assaults that permanently damaged his reputation, turning him from beloved to one of the most reviled people in the country. I had watched this film many times before the proven allegations serviced, but I'll never watch it again. I hate that I have to put a disclaimer on a film I loved so much, but here it is.
Stats:
-(1983) 105 min. (* * * * *) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Bill Cosby
-Cast: Bill Cosby
Rated (PG)
*Get a copy of Chasing Cosby: The Downfall of America's Dad by Nicole Weisensee Egan on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Come On, People: On the Path from Victims to Victors by Bill Cosby and Alvin F. Poussaint, MD on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "The Cosby Show" Complete Series Boxed Set on Amazon here*
Bill Cosby wrote and directed a concert film that provided enough material to launch his most successful sitcom.
The stage features Cosby, a chair, a microphone, and nothing else. He is caught on film in a Canadian concert, and sometimes acknowledges the audience. While Cosby is alone on the stage, he populates his routine with more characters than a David Lean film, all of them memorable. He opens with perhaps the funniest anti-drug and anti-alcohol rant ever done, more effective than the ads on airwaves today. He visits his dentist. He and his wife decide to have children, producing four daughters and a son. He covers childbirth, raising these "brain damaged" children, and his parents' reactions. He closes with a riff on living with his own parents, perhaps the funniest twenty minutes ever filmed at a live concert. Unless you are a toothless test tube orphan virgin, you will find something to associate with during the film, and this is why "Bill Cosby: Himself" is my all-time favorite comedy concert film. Cosby does not tell us how difficult it is to be rich, how tough kicking addictive narcotics is, or how to make up stupid nursery rhymes using profanity. He simply spins his tales, and the audience and viewer is able to find the humor in the universal themes.
When I watched this decades ago, I had two sons, ages three and seven, and I sympathized with everything that goes into being a father. I have one sister and two brothers, and sympathized with everything that went into being a bratty sibling. I have been to the dentist, I have been out having fun on the weekend "because I deserved it," and dragging back into work, happy to be alive. Bill Cosby knows his audience is full of average people, and vividly illustrates his routine using "characters" we all know. A reviewer once said "The Cos proves himself a master storyteller and a hilarious comic." He was much more than that.
In the intervening decades since this film was released his only son was brutally murdered, and he committed horrific assaults that permanently damaged his reputation, turning him from beloved to one of the most reviled people in the country. I had watched this film many times before the proven allegations serviced, but I'll never watch it again. I hate that I have to put a disclaimer on a film I loved so much, but here it is.
Stats:
-(1983) 105 min. (* * * * *) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Bill Cosby
-Cast: Bill Cosby
Rated (PG)
Terrified (1995)
*Get a VHS copy of "Terrified" on Amazon here*
*Get a DVD copy of "Toughguy" (AKA Terrified) on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "SLC Punk" on Amazon here*
*Watch "Punk's Dead: SLC Punk 2" on Amazon Prime here*
Heather Graham turns in one of her strongest performances in an otherwise straight-to-video thriller.
Olive (Heather Graham) is a secretary who picks up guys in bars for trysts in dark parking lots. She is a lonely and troubled widow, having witnessed her husband kill her lover before turning the gun on himself. By herself in a large L.A. apartment, Olive walks in on a mysterious man (Paul Herman), who punches her and flees. Police detective Joe (Rustam Branaman) takes a romantic liking to Olive, as does her best friend Pearl (Lisa Zane). Olive is still terrorized by the mysterious man, who stalks her on the streets, and puts her in the hospital. Olive begins to withdraw into paranoia as the attacks increase, and the police's help decreases.
Graham is the best thing going here. While she goes through the motions of a woman stalked, she is in almost every scene and builds tension convincingly. Her excusing attitude of her lovers is restrained and believable. Her best scene involves a conversation with her dead husband's brother, who she suspects of being involved in the attacks. The film is overloaded with peripheral characters who distract from the central, and obvious, plotline. The screenplay is sloppy about dropping clues to the ending, but Graham's energy keeps the viewer hooked. Most of the film takes place in Olive's apartment, making me wonder if this began life as a stage play. Merendino's direction is fine, the technical aspects are unremarkable, and the supporting cast is full of familiar faces. Don't put too much stock in the old DVD cover, photoshop programs seemed to be popular in those days.
"Terrified" did not have me terrified, or even slightly concerned. It did have me remembering better suspense films, and admiring Graham. Also known as "Evil Never Sleeps" and "Toughguy."
Stats:
(1995) 95 min. (* * *) out of five stars
-Directed by James Merendino
-Written by Megan Heath and James Merendino
-Cast: Heather Graham, Lisa Zane, Paul Herman, Rustam Branaman, Balthazar Getty, Don Calfa, Richard Lynch, Carrie-Anne Moss, Max Perlich, Tom Bresnahan, Sal Landi, Danny Kuchuck, Peter Dobson, Rainer Judd, Apple Via
Rated (R)
*Get a DVD copy of "Toughguy" (AKA Terrified) on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "SLC Punk" on Amazon here*
*Watch "Punk's Dead: SLC Punk 2" on Amazon Prime here*
Heather Graham turns in one of her strongest performances in an otherwise straight-to-video thriller.
Olive (Heather Graham) is a secretary who picks up guys in bars for trysts in dark parking lots. She is a lonely and troubled widow, having witnessed her husband kill her lover before turning the gun on himself. By herself in a large L.A. apartment, Olive walks in on a mysterious man (Paul Herman), who punches her and flees. Police detective Joe (Rustam Branaman) takes a romantic liking to Olive, as does her best friend Pearl (Lisa Zane). Olive is still terrorized by the mysterious man, who stalks her on the streets, and puts her in the hospital. Olive begins to withdraw into paranoia as the attacks increase, and the police's help decreases.
Graham is the best thing going here. While she goes through the motions of a woman stalked, she is in almost every scene and builds tension convincingly. Her excusing attitude of her lovers is restrained and believable. Her best scene involves a conversation with her dead husband's brother, who she suspects of being involved in the attacks. The film is overloaded with peripheral characters who distract from the central, and obvious, plotline. The screenplay is sloppy about dropping clues to the ending, but Graham's energy keeps the viewer hooked. Most of the film takes place in Olive's apartment, making me wonder if this began life as a stage play. Merendino's direction is fine, the technical aspects are unremarkable, and the supporting cast is full of familiar faces. Don't put too much stock in the old DVD cover, photoshop programs seemed to be popular in those days.
"Terrified" did not have me terrified, or even slightly concerned. It did have me remembering better suspense films, and admiring Graham. Also known as "Evil Never Sleeps" and "Toughguy."
Stats:
(1995) 95 min. (* * *) out of five stars
-Directed by James Merendino
-Written by Megan Heath and James Merendino
-Cast: Heather Graham, Lisa Zane, Paul Herman, Rustam Branaman, Balthazar Getty, Don Calfa, Richard Lynch, Carrie-Anne Moss, Max Perlich, Tom Bresnahan, Sal Landi, Danny Kuchuck, Peter Dobson, Rainer Judd, Apple Via
Rated (R)
Sunday, August 18, 2024
A Brief History of Sims, North Dakota, compiled by Charles T. Tatum, Jr.
*Get a copy of Ghosts of North Dakota: Volume 1, Special Edition by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Ghosts of North Dakota: North Dakota's Ghost Towns and Abandoned Places, Volume 3 by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Churches of the High Plains by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Abandoned North Dakota: Weathered by Time by Zachary Hargrove on Amazon here*
Before 1878, the Northern Pacific surveyors made their way west from Mandan, North Dakota and discovered a valley now known as Sims Valley. A thick vein of coal was discovered in 1878 when the NPRR was extending their road bed. Thanks to the coal, clay, and ample running spring water that did not freeze in the winter, a station was built. Trains could now take on water all year round. In 1879, the railroad tracks reached the new stop.
Sims wnet through a few names at first. Baby Mine and Bly's Mine were considered, as was Carbon, named for a new brick plant. Sims was named after George V. Sims, chief clerk in the executive office of the railroad in New York, on July 5, 1879. It is also reported that the town was named for a Captain W.H. Sims, a northern Missouri River boat captain. 1879 also saw the opening of the N.P. Coal Company by Charles W. Thompson.
Charles William Thompson was a native of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and the son of an Army general. He went to Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, and attended the U.S. Military Academy, before becoming a civil engineer for the South Pacific Railway. Thompson was a colonel in the National Guard Dakota, and fought in the Indian Wars.
The mines grew until there were seven in operation. A post office was established on May 2, 1883, with Theodore Shenkenberg serving as postmaster. The same year, the NPRR platted the townsite. Thompson also opened the first store in May, and organized a bank in July with himself as president and Shenkenberg as cashier. The bank was constructed but never opened. In 1884, the output from the coal mine was about 100 tons a day, taken from five different veins.
The coal company built a $15,000 hotel, which was opened to the public as the Oakes House. It was the largest hotel west of Fargo, according to some. Thompson was then the general manager of the coal company.
Charles W. Thompson also opened a brick yard in Sims. The Carbon Pressed Brick and Lime Company had Thompson as president, W.A. Dows as vice president, and J.H. Hansel as secretary and treasurer. Thompson had the contract to build the first state capitol building. Sims brick went into many local buildings, and the Morton County Courthouse in Mandan. It is said that Sims lost the county seat designation to Mandan by just one vote.
Also in 1884, the community organized the Sims Skandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation. The members built a parsonage and held services in the top story, and the minister and his family lived on the main floor. The members got the needed materials to construct their church from an abandoned building in Sims. The church was also said to be the oldest Lutheran church west of the Missouri River.
As Sims was growing, the railroad would send in work gangs of over a hundred people. They would dig ovens in the surrounding hills, and the smell of baked bread woul be evident for miles. Since Sims was the main shipping point west of Mandan, there was a 21-pen stockyard west of the depot. Herds from as far away as South Dakota were driven there for delivery to Chicago or St. Paul.
At its peak, the town was over a mile long. Two additions, Balasta and Ramstown, were added to the town. Sims boasted saloons, a brick schoolhouse, three stores, a lumber yard, two real estate offices, and a Presbyterian church. A fortress was dug out on top of the Anderson hill for protection against Native Americans. The coal mines and brick yard employed over 500 people, with Sims' population being well over a thousand at this time.
The old central part of the state capitol in Bismarck was faced with brick from Sims. It was light colored, and considered very attractive. Unfortunately, the surface began to crumble. The clay from Sims had specks of lime, which slacked and left holes in the brick. The $30,000 brick plant was abandoned. Hard coal was discovered in Montana, so the railroad decided to close the Sims mines in favor of the new hard coal. Speculators not interested in settling moved on as well.
Charles W. Thompson ended up in Washington state in 1890. He became president of Washington Cooperative Mining Syndicate, and Montezuma Mining Company. He owned several valuable copper, gold, and silver properties in Pierce County, Washington. He made his home in Tacoma, Washington and later died.
Sims, North Dakota died as well. In 1906, the population was 300. In 1910, Sims could claim just 86. On October 31, 1947, the post office was discontinued and the mail was routed to Almont. The town continued with a few businesses until December of 1947 when a railroad line change took place. A new line went from New Salem to Glen Ullin, cutting off Sims, Almont, and Curlew. The railroad tracks were taken up a year later. In 1975, Sims had a population of one, and it disappeared from most state atlases and road maps.
--Charles T. Tatum, Jr.
SOURCES:
Almont Golden Jubilee 1906-1956, Almont, ND: 1956.
Crawford, Lewis F., History of North Dakota, Vol. 1, Chicago and New York: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1931.
Fristad, Paula, Historical Mandan and Morton County: Early Days to 1970, Mandan, ND: 1970.
Gallagher, John S., and Patera, Alan H., North Dakota Post Offices 1850-1982, Burtonsville, MD: The Depot, 1982.
Peterson, Marion Plath, ed., Morton Prairie Roots, Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Co., 1975.
"Thompson, Charles William," Who Was Who in America, Vol. !: 1897-1942, Chicago: Marquis Publications, 1968.
Tostevin, Sarah, ed., "Mantani" A History of Mandan- Morton County including Fort McKeen and Fort Abraham Lincoln 1738 to 1964, Mandan, ND: 1964.
*Get a copy of Ghosts of North Dakota: North Dakota's Ghost Towns and Abandoned Places, Volume 3 by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Churches of the High Plains by Troy Larson and Terry Hinnenkamp on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Abandoned North Dakota: Weathered by Time by Zachary Hargrove on Amazon here*
Before 1878, the Northern Pacific surveyors made their way west from Mandan, North Dakota and discovered a valley now known as Sims Valley. A thick vein of coal was discovered in 1878 when the NPRR was extending their road bed. Thanks to the coal, clay, and ample running spring water that did not freeze in the winter, a station was built. Trains could now take on water all year round. In 1879, the railroad tracks reached the new stop.
Sims wnet through a few names at first. Baby Mine and Bly's Mine were considered, as was Carbon, named for a new brick plant. Sims was named after George V. Sims, chief clerk in the executive office of the railroad in New York, on July 5, 1879. It is also reported that the town was named for a Captain W.H. Sims, a northern Missouri River boat captain. 1879 also saw the opening of the N.P. Coal Company by Charles W. Thompson.
Charles William Thompson was a native of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and the son of an Army general. He went to Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, and attended the U.S. Military Academy, before becoming a civil engineer for the South Pacific Railway. Thompson was a colonel in the National Guard Dakota, and fought in the Indian Wars.
The mines grew until there were seven in operation. A post office was established on May 2, 1883, with Theodore Shenkenberg serving as postmaster. The same year, the NPRR platted the townsite. Thompson also opened the first store in May, and organized a bank in July with himself as president and Shenkenberg as cashier. The bank was constructed but never opened. In 1884, the output from the coal mine was about 100 tons a day, taken from five different veins.
The coal company built a $15,000 hotel, which was opened to the public as the Oakes House. It was the largest hotel west of Fargo, according to some. Thompson was then the general manager of the coal company.
Charles W. Thompson also opened a brick yard in Sims. The Carbon Pressed Brick and Lime Company had Thompson as president, W.A. Dows as vice president, and J.H. Hansel as secretary and treasurer. Thompson had the contract to build the first state capitol building. Sims brick went into many local buildings, and the Morton County Courthouse in Mandan. It is said that Sims lost the county seat designation to Mandan by just one vote.
Also in 1884, the community organized the Sims Skandinavian Evangelical Lutheran Congregation. The members built a parsonage and held services in the top story, and the minister and his family lived on the main floor. The members got the needed materials to construct their church from an abandoned building in Sims. The church was also said to be the oldest Lutheran church west of the Missouri River.
As Sims was growing, the railroad would send in work gangs of over a hundred people. They would dig ovens in the surrounding hills, and the smell of baked bread woul be evident for miles. Since Sims was the main shipping point west of Mandan, there was a 21-pen stockyard west of the depot. Herds from as far away as South Dakota were driven there for delivery to Chicago or St. Paul.
At its peak, the town was over a mile long. Two additions, Balasta and Ramstown, were added to the town. Sims boasted saloons, a brick schoolhouse, three stores, a lumber yard, two real estate offices, and a Presbyterian church. A fortress was dug out on top of the Anderson hill for protection against Native Americans. The coal mines and brick yard employed over 500 people, with Sims' population being well over a thousand at this time.
The old central part of the state capitol in Bismarck was faced with brick from Sims. It was light colored, and considered very attractive. Unfortunately, the surface began to crumble. The clay from Sims had specks of lime, which slacked and left holes in the brick. The $30,000 brick plant was abandoned. Hard coal was discovered in Montana, so the railroad decided to close the Sims mines in favor of the new hard coal. Speculators not interested in settling moved on as well.
Charles W. Thompson ended up in Washington state in 1890. He became president of Washington Cooperative Mining Syndicate, and Montezuma Mining Company. He owned several valuable copper, gold, and silver properties in Pierce County, Washington. He made his home in Tacoma, Washington and later died.
Sims, North Dakota died as well. In 1906, the population was 300. In 1910, Sims could claim just 86. On October 31, 1947, the post office was discontinued and the mail was routed to Almont. The town continued with a few businesses until December of 1947 when a railroad line change took place. A new line went from New Salem to Glen Ullin, cutting off Sims, Almont, and Curlew. The railroad tracks were taken up a year later. In 1975, Sims had a population of one, and it disappeared from most state atlases and road maps.
--Charles T. Tatum, Jr.
SOURCES:
Almont Golden Jubilee 1906-1956, Almont, ND: 1956.
Crawford, Lewis F., History of North Dakota, Vol. 1, Chicago and New York: The American Historical Society, Inc., 1931.
Fristad, Paula, Historical Mandan and Morton County: Early Days to 1970, Mandan, ND: 1970.
Gallagher, John S., and Patera, Alan H., North Dakota Post Offices 1850-1982, Burtonsville, MD: The Depot, 1982.
Peterson, Marion Plath, ed., Morton Prairie Roots, Dallas, TX: Taylor Publishing Co., 1975.
"Thompson, Charles William," Who Was Who in America, Vol. !: 1897-1942, Chicago: Marquis Publications, 1968.
Tostevin, Sarah, ed., "Mantani" A History of Mandan- Morton County including Fort McKeen and Fort Abraham Lincoln 1738 to 1964, Mandan, ND: 1964.
Friday, August 16, 2024
Erotic Point of View (1973)
*Get a copy of A Call to Purity: Living a Lifestyle of Purity by Richard & Brittni De La Morra on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of 7 Lies That Will Ruin Your Life by Joshua Broome on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Pornocracy" on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of The Porn Myth: Exposing the Reality Behind the Fantasy of Pornography by Matthew Fradd on Amazon here*
A blocked author of sex books tries to get inspiration by observing various sex acts, some of which involve his blind secretary.
This film is as good as the scant plot description makes it sound. Another exercise in ineptitude, it commits a cardinal sin that many adult films commit- it is so boring. I found myself checking my phone instead of watching cast members try to improvise dialogue or watch some very cringey and uncomfortable sex scenes. There is no eroticism here, and I felt bad for everyone involved and hoped they went on to lead productive lives thinking this would never see the light of day.
How bad is "Erotic Point of View"? I've decided this will be the last adult film I'll ever review. I might see one from time to time, I've had a John Holmes project brewing in the back of my mind for years now, but yeah, that's all folks.
Stats:
(1973) 60 min. (0*) out of five stars
-No Writer, Director, or Cast Credited
(X)- Some sexual violence, profanity, strong nudity, explicit sexual content, strong sexual references, strong adult situations, alcohol use, tobacco use
*Get a copy of 7 Lies That Will Ruin Your Life by Joshua Broome on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Pornocracy" on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of The Porn Myth: Exposing the Reality Behind the Fantasy of Pornography by Matthew Fradd on Amazon here*
A blocked author of sex books tries to get inspiration by observing various sex acts, some of which involve his blind secretary.
This film is as good as the scant plot description makes it sound. Another exercise in ineptitude, it commits a cardinal sin that many adult films commit- it is so boring. I found myself checking my phone instead of watching cast members try to improvise dialogue or watch some very cringey and uncomfortable sex scenes. There is no eroticism here, and I felt bad for everyone involved and hoped they went on to lead productive lives thinking this would never see the light of day.
How bad is "Erotic Point of View"? I've decided this will be the last adult film I'll ever review. I might see one from time to time, I've had a John Holmes project brewing in the back of my mind for years now, but yeah, that's all folks.
Stats:
(1973) 60 min. (0*) out of five stars
-No Writer, Director, or Cast Credited
(X)- Some sexual violence, profanity, strong nudity, explicit sexual content, strong sexual references, strong adult situations, alcohol use, tobacco use
Come Deadly (1973)
*Get a copy of A Call to Purity: Living a Lifestyle of Purity by Richard & Brittni De La Morra on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of 7 Lies That Will Ruin Your Life by Joshua Broome on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Pornocracy" on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of The Porn Myth: Exposing the Reality Behind the Fantasy of Pornography by Matthew Fradd on Amazon here*
Years ago, I got a kick out of vintage porn, believing all the hype that these films were actually prime examples of guerilla underground film making, breaking all the rules, and getting into the face of The Man and The Establishment. Today, as a middle-aged man with two young daughters, I've changed my opinion. Adult films are sad, and no one is better off for watching them.
A theater production is terrorized by a masked killer who sexually assaults his female victims. A cop (Kirt Jones) goes undercover to catch the murderer, and get in on some sexual action himself...yes, this is as bad as it sounds.
This is a nightmare of ineptitude. I realize shooting this type of film was illegal back in the day, but I rarely saw an adult film that was a technical marvel. The killer is easily identifiable because you can see who it is through their thin mask. One female cast member is raped and strangled, but then pops up alive in the next scene after you assume she was killed. There really isn't much direction, storytelling and character arcs were not on the minds of the film makers back then. The cast is terrible across the board, many of them acting under pseudonyms and the film reaches the reprehensible conclusion that rape can be enjoyed.
This was being pushed as a hardcore Giallo film, which sparked my interest. What do you know, film producers lied to get your hard-earned money. "Come Deadly" should go quietly.
Stats:
(1973) 60 min. (0*) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Gil Kenston
-Cast: Kirt Jones, Cindy Johnson, Keith Erickson, Nina Fause, Maggie Williams, Peter Puluva, Hoss Slocum
(X)- Physical violence, explicit sexual violence, profanity, strong nudity, explicit sexual content, sexual references, strong adult situations, alcohol use
*Get a copy of 7 Lies That Will Ruin Your Life by Joshua Broome on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Pornocracy" on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of The Porn Myth: Exposing the Reality Behind the Fantasy of Pornography by Matthew Fradd on Amazon here*
Years ago, I got a kick out of vintage porn, believing all the hype that these films were actually prime examples of guerilla underground film making, breaking all the rules, and getting into the face of The Man and The Establishment. Today, as a middle-aged man with two young daughters, I've changed my opinion. Adult films are sad, and no one is better off for watching them.
A theater production is terrorized by a masked killer who sexually assaults his female victims. A cop (Kirt Jones) goes undercover to catch the murderer, and get in on some sexual action himself...yes, this is as bad as it sounds.
This is a nightmare of ineptitude. I realize shooting this type of film was illegal back in the day, but I rarely saw an adult film that was a technical marvel. The killer is easily identifiable because you can see who it is through their thin mask. One female cast member is raped and strangled, but then pops up alive in the next scene after you assume she was killed. There really isn't much direction, storytelling and character arcs were not on the minds of the film makers back then. The cast is terrible across the board, many of them acting under pseudonyms and the film reaches the reprehensible conclusion that rape can be enjoyed.
This was being pushed as a hardcore Giallo film, which sparked my interest. What do you know, film producers lied to get your hard-earned money. "Come Deadly" should go quietly.
Stats:
(1973) 60 min. (0*) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Gil Kenston
-Cast: Kirt Jones, Cindy Johnson, Keith Erickson, Nina Fause, Maggie Williams, Peter Puluva, Hoss Slocum
(X)- Physical violence, explicit sexual violence, profanity, strong nudity, explicit sexual content, sexual references, strong adult situations, alcohol use
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Antony and Cleopatra (1974)
*Get a physical copy of "Antony and Cleopatra" (1974) on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of "Antony and Cleopatra" (Folger Shakespeare Library edition) by William Shakespeare on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Antony and Cleopatra" (1972) on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Cleopatra" (1963) on Amazon here*
The Royal Shakespeare Company brings this classic play to the small screen, an experience helped immensely by many familiar faces.
Summarizing Shakespeare, of course, is an exercise in futility, but here is the basic plot of the play: Marc Antony (Richard Johnson) is in Egypt, cavorting with the queen Cleopatra (Janet Suzman). He and his men are having way too much fun to follow the orders of the Emperor Octavius Caesar (Corin Redgrave) from Rome. Antony is ordered back, where a deal is struck that he marry Caesar's sister Octavia (Mary Rutherford) and carry the Roman banner into many needed battles. Of course, his travels always take him back to Egypt, and the arms of Cleopatra. After this affront to the emperor, Caesar decides to war against Antony, whose armies are now hollow shells of themselves. Antony and Cleopatra's love cannot seem to hold up in the face of the impending doom, and Cleopatra strikes a behind-the-scenes bargain with Caesar.
Because of assorted theatrical forays and reading, I am familiar with Shakespearean language, and can get the general meaning of his scenes. "Antony and Cleopatra" is not a work I was familiar with, aside from the title, but I found many similarities to both "Romeo and Juliet," and even the latter story about the mutiny on the HMS Bounty. The film itself is actually shot on video on an interior set. Scoffield's camera often hides this fact, but he does resort to too many close-ups from time to time. The running time is well over two and a half hours, so I imagine the play is filmed as it was written. The stage sets are impressive and expansive, giving the actors plenty of room to move about. It is sad that Richard Johnson is probably best known for his appearance in Lucio Fulci's "Zombie," he was very good in a supporting role in "Khartoum," and he is excellent here. While Suzman plays Cleopatra a little over-the-top on occasion, I liked her physical portrayal. She is not Elizabeth Taylor, but a more harsh and older queen, finding love in what would be the end of her life. Corin Redgrave is perfect as Octavius Caesar, I liked watching him even in scenes where he had very few lines. His regal reaction to the drunken celebration of his sister's marriage to Antony is priceless, but his character contains more than enough menace to render Caesar a force to be feared. In the supporting cast, Patrick Stewart is very good as Enobarbus, addressing the camera here and there. "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"'s Joseph Marcell is admirable as Antony's servant Eros. It is interesting to spot him as just another extra in the first half of the play, and watching his character develop to the point where a despondent Antony orders Eros to murder him after hearing of Cleopatra's supposed death. Future Oscar winner Ben Kingsley is in a couple of scenes as one of Caesar's messengers, Thidias. Stewart and Kingsley both sport full heads of hair, which is disarming at first.
I never read the play, but this version of "Antony and Cleopatra" manages to move and entertain the viewer. This is good filmed Shakespeare, not up to the dizzying experience of Roman Polanski's "Macbeth," but it does stand on its own. I do recommend it, forsooth.
Stats:
(1974) 161 min. (* * * *) out of five stars
-Directed by Jon Scoffield
-Play by William Shakespeare
-Cast: Richard Johnson, Janet Suzman, Corin Redgrave, Mary Rutherford, Patrick Stewart, Joseph Marcell, Ben Kingsley, Tim Pigott-Smith, John Bardon, Philip Locke, William Thomas, John Bott, Constantine Gregory
(Not Rated)
*Get a copy of "Antony and Cleopatra" (Folger Shakespeare Library edition) by William Shakespeare on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Antony and Cleopatra" (1972) on Amazon here*
*Get a physical copy of "Cleopatra" (1963) on Amazon here*
The Royal Shakespeare Company brings this classic play to the small screen, an experience helped immensely by many familiar faces.
Summarizing Shakespeare, of course, is an exercise in futility, but here is the basic plot of the play: Marc Antony (Richard Johnson) is in Egypt, cavorting with the queen Cleopatra (Janet Suzman). He and his men are having way too much fun to follow the orders of the Emperor Octavius Caesar (Corin Redgrave) from Rome. Antony is ordered back, where a deal is struck that he marry Caesar's sister Octavia (Mary Rutherford) and carry the Roman banner into many needed battles. Of course, his travels always take him back to Egypt, and the arms of Cleopatra. After this affront to the emperor, Caesar decides to war against Antony, whose armies are now hollow shells of themselves. Antony and Cleopatra's love cannot seem to hold up in the face of the impending doom, and Cleopatra strikes a behind-the-scenes bargain with Caesar.
Because of assorted theatrical forays and reading, I am familiar with Shakespearean language, and can get the general meaning of his scenes. "Antony and Cleopatra" is not a work I was familiar with, aside from the title, but I found many similarities to both "Romeo and Juliet," and even the latter story about the mutiny on the HMS Bounty. The film itself is actually shot on video on an interior set. Scoffield's camera often hides this fact, but he does resort to too many close-ups from time to time. The running time is well over two and a half hours, so I imagine the play is filmed as it was written. The stage sets are impressive and expansive, giving the actors plenty of room to move about. It is sad that Richard Johnson is probably best known for his appearance in Lucio Fulci's "Zombie," he was very good in a supporting role in "Khartoum," and he is excellent here. While Suzman plays Cleopatra a little over-the-top on occasion, I liked her physical portrayal. She is not Elizabeth Taylor, but a more harsh and older queen, finding love in what would be the end of her life. Corin Redgrave is perfect as Octavius Caesar, I liked watching him even in scenes where he had very few lines. His regal reaction to the drunken celebration of his sister's marriage to Antony is priceless, but his character contains more than enough menace to render Caesar a force to be feared. In the supporting cast, Patrick Stewart is very good as Enobarbus, addressing the camera here and there. "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"'s Joseph Marcell is admirable as Antony's servant Eros. It is interesting to spot him as just another extra in the first half of the play, and watching his character develop to the point where a despondent Antony orders Eros to murder him after hearing of Cleopatra's supposed death. Future Oscar winner Ben Kingsley is in a couple of scenes as one of Caesar's messengers, Thidias. Stewart and Kingsley both sport full heads of hair, which is disarming at first.
I never read the play, but this version of "Antony and Cleopatra" manages to move and entertain the viewer. This is good filmed Shakespeare, not up to the dizzying experience of Roman Polanski's "Macbeth," but it does stand on its own. I do recommend it, forsooth.
Stats:
(1974) 161 min. (* * * *) out of five stars
-Directed by Jon Scoffield
-Play by William Shakespeare
-Cast: Richard Johnson, Janet Suzman, Corin Redgrave, Mary Rutherford, Patrick Stewart, Joseph Marcell, Ben Kingsley, Tim Pigott-Smith, John Bardon, Philip Locke, William Thomas, John Bott, Constantine Gregory
(Not Rated)
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Amour de Femme (A Woman's Love) (2001)
*Get a copy of "Amour de Femme" on Amazon here*
*Watch "Confession of a Child of the Century" (2012) on Amazon Prime here*
*Watch "Sex Doll" (2016) on Amazon Prime here*
*Get a copy of Le Cinema Francais: An Illustrated Guide to the Best of French Films by Anne Keenan Higgins on Amazon here*
Sylvie Verheyde directs this French film that shows us a lesbian relationship, with predictable characters and results.
Jeanne (Helene Fillieres) is a bored masseuse married to David (Anthony Delon). At a birthday party for David's best friend Franck (Jeannick Gravelines), Jeanne is instantly attracted to Franck's flighty cousin Marie (Raffaela Anderson). Marie is a dancer, and Jeanne decides to take up the physical activity in Marie's class after ten years off to marry and raise a child. Marie and Jeanne begin a careful friendship, aware of their mutual attraction and eventual ramifications. The couple finally do find themselves together, and David and Franck both react the way you know they will.
The cast of "Amour de Femme" is very good, despite the material. Fillieres is a tall, classic beauty, and she often tries to overcome the terminal gloominess her character is suffering from. Anderson is also good, although the script's idea of "free spiritedness" is my idea of "kinda weird." Delon's David is all angst and fury, and Gravelines is not in enough scenes as Franck to register much. The "uninhibited free spirit pulls a straight arrow-type out of their cocoon, and shows them life as they have never seen it" plot has been done to death, and the addition of the lesbian romance is not unique enough to set the film apart from others of its ilk. Verheyde directs the film well enough, but by the time David commits an act to get back at Jeanne, I felt as much despair as the characters. This is a morose film, with little happiness, especially lacking the happiness of a new love. While the viewer might cheer for Marie and Jeanne, the two characters are so down about their situation, you might think Jeanne is better off with David, who comes off as a pretty good guy. David does not force his wife into the arms of another woman despite the old streaming service plot summary, but his overreaction to their relationship should have been a sharp, insulting, black-comedic dig at Jeanne, not more angst.
"Amour de Femme" is an innocuous romance which might have benefited from a little levity. Also known as "Un Amour de Femme," this was an episode of "Combats de Femme."
Stats:
(2001) 89 min. (* *) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Sylvie Verheyde
-Cast: Helene Fillieres, Anthony Delon, Jeannick Gravelines, Raffaela Anderson, William Wayolle, Karole Rocher, Thierno Sy, Roselyne Delpuech, Thierry Nzeutem, Francine Robillard, Mathias Thiberioz, Riton Liebman
(Not Rated)
*Watch "Confession of a Child of the Century" (2012) on Amazon Prime here*
*Watch "Sex Doll" (2016) on Amazon Prime here*
*Get a copy of Le Cinema Francais: An Illustrated Guide to the Best of French Films by Anne Keenan Higgins on Amazon here*
Sylvie Verheyde directs this French film that shows us a lesbian relationship, with predictable characters and results.
Jeanne (Helene Fillieres) is a bored masseuse married to David (Anthony Delon). At a birthday party for David's best friend Franck (Jeannick Gravelines), Jeanne is instantly attracted to Franck's flighty cousin Marie (Raffaela Anderson). Marie is a dancer, and Jeanne decides to take up the physical activity in Marie's class after ten years off to marry and raise a child. Marie and Jeanne begin a careful friendship, aware of their mutual attraction and eventual ramifications. The couple finally do find themselves together, and David and Franck both react the way you know they will.
The cast of "Amour de Femme" is very good, despite the material. Fillieres is a tall, classic beauty, and she often tries to overcome the terminal gloominess her character is suffering from. Anderson is also good, although the script's idea of "free spiritedness" is my idea of "kinda weird." Delon's David is all angst and fury, and Gravelines is not in enough scenes as Franck to register much. The "uninhibited free spirit pulls a straight arrow-type out of their cocoon, and shows them life as they have never seen it" plot has been done to death, and the addition of the lesbian romance is not unique enough to set the film apart from others of its ilk. Verheyde directs the film well enough, but by the time David commits an act to get back at Jeanne, I felt as much despair as the characters. This is a morose film, with little happiness, especially lacking the happiness of a new love. While the viewer might cheer for Marie and Jeanne, the two characters are so down about their situation, you might think Jeanne is better off with David, who comes off as a pretty good guy. David does not force his wife into the arms of another woman despite the old streaming service plot summary, but his overreaction to their relationship should have been a sharp, insulting, black-comedic dig at Jeanne, not more angst.
"Amour de Femme" is an innocuous romance which might have benefited from a little levity. Also known as "Un Amour de Femme," this was an episode of "Combats de Femme."
Stats:
(2001) 89 min. (* *) out of five stars
-Written and Directed by Sylvie Verheyde
-Cast: Helene Fillieres, Anthony Delon, Jeannick Gravelines, Raffaela Anderson, William Wayolle, Karole Rocher, Thierno Sy, Roselyne Delpuech, Thierry Nzeutem, Francine Robillard, Mathias Thiberioz, Riton Liebman
(Not Rated)
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
FILM INDEX
A
Amityville: No Escape (2016) 1/2*
Amour de Femme (A Woman's Love) (2001) **
Another Time, Another Place (1983) **
Antichrist (2009) *****
Antony and Cleopatra (1974) ****
Anything Else (2003) **
Apache Blood (1973) 1/2*
B
Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985) **
Babylon A.D. (2008) ***
Barf Bunny (2021) 0
Beer for My Horses (2008) 1/2*
Beyond the Grave (2010) ***1/2
Bill Cosby: Himself (1983) *****
Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss (1998) ***1/2
The Birds (1963) **
Black Belt Jones (1974) **1/2
Black Circle Boys (1997) ****
Black Cobra (1976) **
Blade II (2002) ****
Blade: House of Chthon (2006) ***
Bled (2009) ****
Blind Justice (1994) ****
Blood Bath (1966) **1/2
Blood Tide (1982) ***
Blood: The Last Vampire (2000) ****
Bloodfist (1989) **
Bloody Current Exchange (2007) ****
Bloody Murder (2000) 1/2*
Blue (1968) ****1/2
Boat Trip (2002) 1/2*
Bolero (1984) 1/2*
The Bone Collector (1999) **
Boogeyman (2005) *
The Book of Jane (2013) ****
Boom in the Moon (1946) 1/2*
The Boss Baby (2017) ***
The Bounty Huntress (2001) 1/2*
The Bounty Man (1972) ***1/2
Boy Meets Dog (1938) **
Boys Don't Cry (1999) *1/2
Breakin' All the Rules (2004) ***
Buttons (2018) 1/2*
C
Come Deadly (1973) 0
E
Erotic Point of View (1973) 0
Evil Dead Rise (2023) ***
Exhibition (1975) 0
H
Horsehead (2014) ****1/2
J
The Jackals (1967) **
Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead (2008) *
R
Remy (2008) ****
T
Terrified (1995) ***
Amityville: No Escape (2016) 1/2*
Amour de Femme (A Woman's Love) (2001) **
Another Time, Another Place (1983) **
Antichrist (2009) *****
Antony and Cleopatra (1974) ****
Anything Else (2003) **
Apache Blood (1973) 1/2*
B
Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend (1985) **
Babylon A.D. (2008) ***
Barf Bunny (2021) 0
Beer for My Horses (2008) 1/2*
Beyond the Grave (2010) ***1/2
Bill Cosby: Himself (1983) *****
Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss (1998) ***1/2
The Birds (1963) **
Black Belt Jones (1974) **1/2
Black Circle Boys (1997) ****
Black Cobra (1976) **
Blade II (2002) ****
Blade: House of Chthon (2006) ***
Bled (2009) ****
Blind Justice (1994) ****
Blood Bath (1966) **1/2
Blood Tide (1982) ***
Blood: The Last Vampire (2000) ****
Bloodfist (1989) **
Bloody Current Exchange (2007) ****
Bloody Murder (2000) 1/2*
Blue (1968) ****1/2
Boat Trip (2002) 1/2*
Bolero (1984) 1/2*
The Bone Collector (1999) **
Boogeyman (2005) *
The Book of Jane (2013) ****
Boom in the Moon (1946) 1/2*
The Boss Baby (2017) ***
The Bounty Huntress (2001) 1/2*
The Bounty Man (1972) ***1/2
Boy Meets Dog (1938) **
Boys Don't Cry (1999) *1/2
Breakin' All the Rules (2004) ***
Buttons (2018) 1/2*
C
Come Deadly (1973) 0
E
Erotic Point of View (1973) 0
Evil Dead Rise (2023) ***
Exhibition (1975) 0
H
Horsehead (2014) ****1/2
J
The Jackals (1967) **
Joy Ride 2: Dead Ahead (2008) *
R
Remy (2008) ****
T
Terrified (1995) ***
Another Time, Another Place (1983)
*Get a physical copy of "Another Time, Another Place" on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of Another Time, Another Place by Jessie Kesson on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of the "Another Time, Another Place" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Amazon here*
*Get "Another Time, Another Place" wall decor on Amazon here*
Writer/director Michael Radford captures the cold and misery of World War II Scotland perfectly in this pretty but dense romance.
Phyllis Logan is Janie, a typical sexually frustrated housewife working on her farm and looking to get out of her dead-end station in life. A trio of Italian prisoners of war are trucked into the tiny town to help out the local farmers. There is the bespectacled Umberto (Gianluca Favilla), the smoldering Paolo (Claudio Rosini), and the despondent Luigi (Giovanni Mauriello). As the trio have settled next door, Janie visits and tries to be polite, until Luigi makes a pass at her. She refuses, but the grunt farm work translates into grunt sex work with her ham-fisted husband Dougal (Paul Young), so eventually she relents. I was taken aback at the affair, since I assumed that hunky Paolo would win out over mousy Luigi. Eventually, Luigi gets bored and starts flirting with Else (Carol Ann Crawford). In a "it only happens in the movies" conincidences, Luigi and Janie meet in the woods for one last roll in the ravioli at the exact same moment Else is being assaulted by an unidentifiable Italian prisoner of war. Janie must decide to come forward as Luigi's alibi or stay quiet, since the war is almost over anyway and she will never see her lover again in either case.
The film, despite some absolutely breathtaking scenery and cinematography, is also deathly dull. Janie and the prisoners do act naturally around each other, tentatively becoming friends. The entire sexual assault subplot can be seen coming a mile away, and the movie's ending leaves more than a little to be desired. Phyllis Logan is excellent as Janie. She resembles Emma Thompson, and her haggard appearance does not seem to be an act since the farm work dramatized here looks awful. The rest of the cast is alright, although some of the Scottish accents take a while to comprehend. The Italians' conversations are not subtitled in the VHS copy I reviewed, letting the viewer try to figure out what is being said just as Janie must.
"Another Time, Another Place" is a beautiful film to look at. Once the plot tries to move, the whole thing dies, and by the end it resembles a badly written pulp romance novel. The scenery and Logan almost negate this, but only almost.
Stats:
(1983) 118 min. (* *) out of five stars
-Directed by Michael Radford
-Written by Michael Radford, Script Assistance by John Francis Lane, Based on the novel by Jessie Kesson
-Cast: Phyllis Logan, Giovanni Mauriello, Gianluca Favilla, Claudio Rosini, Paul Young, Gregor Fisher, Tom Watson, Jennifer Piercey, Denise Coffey, Yvonne Gilan, Carol Ann Crawford, Ray Jeffries, Scott Johnston
Rated (R)
*Get a copy of Another Time, Another Place by Jessie Kesson on Amazon here*
*Get a copy of the "Another Time, Another Place" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on Amazon here*
*Get "Another Time, Another Place" wall decor on Amazon here*
Writer/director Michael Radford captures the cold and misery of World War II Scotland perfectly in this pretty but dense romance.
Phyllis Logan is Janie, a typical sexually frustrated housewife working on her farm and looking to get out of her dead-end station in life. A trio of Italian prisoners of war are trucked into the tiny town to help out the local farmers. There is the bespectacled Umberto (Gianluca Favilla), the smoldering Paolo (Claudio Rosini), and the despondent Luigi (Giovanni Mauriello). As the trio have settled next door, Janie visits and tries to be polite, until Luigi makes a pass at her. She refuses, but the grunt farm work translates into grunt sex work with her ham-fisted husband Dougal (Paul Young), so eventually she relents. I was taken aback at the affair, since I assumed that hunky Paolo would win out over mousy Luigi. Eventually, Luigi gets bored and starts flirting with Else (Carol Ann Crawford). In a "it only happens in the movies" conincidences, Luigi and Janie meet in the woods for one last roll in the ravioli at the exact same moment Else is being assaulted by an unidentifiable Italian prisoner of war. Janie must decide to come forward as Luigi's alibi or stay quiet, since the war is almost over anyway and she will never see her lover again in either case.
The film, despite some absolutely breathtaking scenery and cinematography, is also deathly dull. Janie and the prisoners do act naturally around each other, tentatively becoming friends. The entire sexual assault subplot can be seen coming a mile away, and the movie's ending leaves more than a little to be desired. Phyllis Logan is excellent as Janie. She resembles Emma Thompson, and her haggard appearance does not seem to be an act since the farm work dramatized here looks awful. The rest of the cast is alright, although some of the Scottish accents take a while to comprehend. The Italians' conversations are not subtitled in the VHS copy I reviewed, letting the viewer try to figure out what is being said just as Janie must.
"Another Time, Another Place" is a beautiful film to look at. Once the plot tries to move, the whole thing dies, and by the end it resembles a badly written pulp romance novel. The scenery and Logan almost negate this, but only almost.
Stats:
(1983) 118 min. (* *) out of five stars
-Directed by Michael Radford
-Written by Michael Radford, Script Assistance by John Francis Lane, Based on the novel by Jessie Kesson
-Cast: Phyllis Logan, Giovanni Mauriello, Gianluca Favilla, Claudio Rosini, Paul Young, Gregor Fisher, Tom Watson, Jennifer Piercey, Denise Coffey, Yvonne Gilan, Carol Ann Crawford, Ray Jeffries, Scott Johnston
Rated (R)
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Exhibition (1975)
* Get a copy of A Call to Purity: Living a Lifestyle of Purity by Richard & Brittni De La Morra on Amazon here * * Get a copy of 7 Lie...
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* Get a physical copy of "Blood Tide" on Amazon here * * Get a copy of James Earl Jones: Voices and Silences by James Earl Jones...
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* Get a physical copy of "Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend" on Amazon here * * Get a copy of the "Baby: Secret of the Lost Le...
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* Get a physical copy of "Babylon A.D." Raw and Uncut on Amazon here * * Get the "Babylon A.D." Original Motion Picture...
