The Case Of The Avenging Ace (1988)

During his time as an appellate judge, Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) denied the appeal of a man (Larry Wilcox) convicted of murder. Now having returned to law practice, he takes on the man's case for a new trial when a new witness (Joel Colodner) appears. But when the witness is murdered, Mason's client becomes the main suspect. The eighth entry in the thirty Perry Mason movies that followed the series end in 1966. As far as the telefilms go, this one is unique in that Mason has to solve two murders. The original murder of which his client was convicted and the new murder of the witness ..... or are both killers one and the same? It's rather convoluted with the two storylines running concurrently (there is some flashback usage). Not boring but I still found it one of the lesser Mason telefilms. With Patty Duke, Barbara Hale, William Katt, Don Galloway, Erin Gray, Charles Siebert and David Ogden Stiers.

La Seconde Verite (aka The Second Twin) (1966)

A middle aged, married attorney (Robert Hossein) falls in love with a disc jockey (Michele Mercier) at a disco club. The lovestruck attorney can't bring himself to leave his wife (Malka Ribowska) but when his mistress's wealthy suitor (Jeann Claude Rolland) is murdered, he becomes the main suspect. Based on the novel UN HOMME A PART ENTIERE by Jean Laborde and directed by Christian Jaque (THE BLACK TULIP). While never less than gripping, I found this a frustrating movie mainly because of the two lead characters. I just couldn't drum up much empathy for a hot tempered adulterer (who's not satisfying either his wife or his mistress) and his mistress who whines that she's only getting part of him when hey! He's a married man! Still, the complicated structure of the narrative is strong enough to hold one's attention to the very end. Let's say I liked it in spite of my self. With Bernard Tiphane and Pascale De Boysson.

Wabash Avenue (1950)

Set in the Chicago of the 1890s, a burlesque queen (Betty Grable) is romantically pursued by the owner (Phil Harris) of the dance hall but she's not interested. Enter the owner's ex-partner (Victor Mature) and she's interested. But her career ambitions come first. Directed by Henry Koster (THE ROBE). A remake of one of Grable's hits, CONEY ISLAND which came out seven years earlier. I wasn't a big fan of CONEY ISLAND but I still liked it a bit better than this stolid effort. Grable is wonderful in her jazzy numbers like I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate but weak after Mature turns her into a ballad singing "lady". Who wants to see Grable as a chanteuse? We're also saddled (in a subplot) with an irritating Irish drunk played for laughs by James Barton. One of it songs, Wilhelmina got an Oscar nomination. With Reginald Gardiner and Robin Raymond.

Cover Up (1949)

Set during Christmastime, an insurance investigator (Dennis O'Keefe) is sent to a small midwestern town to find out whether the death of one of its policy holders was a suicide or a murder. But the victim was hated by the whole town, no one is sorry about his death which hinders his investigation. Directed by Alfred E. Green (THE JOLSON STORY). A little known but worthy murder mystery that's slightly hindered by having a victim so detestable that you don't care that he's dead, just who killed him. Not unlike Agatha Christie's MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS. The real mystery is whether the investigator who insists on solving the killing that no one cares about is going to turn in the murderer, who seems to have done the town a favor. A minor entry worth checking out. With William Bendix, Barbara Britton, Art Baker, Virginia Christine, Russell Arms and Doro Merande.

Hold That Blonde! (1945)

A wealthy kleptomaniac (Eddie Bracken) turned to theft when he was spurned by a girl. His psychoanalyst (George Zucco) advises him to find another girl. So he fastens his interest on a girl (Veronica Lake), who happens to be helping a criminal gang steal a valuable necklace. Based on the play THE HEART OF A THIEF by Paul Armstrong and directed by George Marshall (DESTRY RIDES AGAIN). As a comedy, it's hit and miss, mostly miss. There's a scattering of genuinely funny bits but Marshall doesn't know when to quit. There's a sequence where Bracken (who's good at the physical comedy) wearing only a towel is hanging on a window ledge but it goes on and on and on, way past its humor expiration date. Lake is lovely but she's not much of a comedienne so it's left to Willie Best (much subtler than usual) to provide the best comedic moments. With Albert Dekker, Donald MacBride, Jody Gilbert and Norma Varden.

Two Arabian Knights (1927)

Set during WWI, two American soldiers (William Boyd, Louis Wolheim) are caught by the Germans and placed in a POW camp. They escape dressed in the white robes of Arab prisoners and are sent with other Arab prisoners to Constantinople. Based on a short story by Donald McGibney, produced by Howard Hughes and directed by Lewis Milestone (ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT), who won an Oscar (at the very first ceremony) for his direction here. A very slight "buddy" comedy with Mary Astor thrown in for romance. I found it rather unmemorable except for the movie's last shot of Wolheim giving a eunuch an intense sexual vibe ..... what? Am I reading into it? There's a slight xenophobic undertone that I found bothersome.  The film gives off a distaste of Islamic culture and tradition and even uses it as a punchline for laughs. William Boyd would find fame in the 1930s and 40s as Hopalong Cassidy. With Boris Karloff and Michael Visaroff.

The Private Files Of J. Edgar Hoover (1977)

A chronicle on the life and career of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover (James Wainwright as the young Hoover, Broderick Crawford as the mature Hoover) from 1924 to his death in 1972. Written, produced and directed by Larry Cohen (IT'S ALIVE). The movie suffers from cramming almost 50 years of a polarizing public figure into two hours. There's no time to explore with any depth so what we get is a shallow movie of highlights of his career. It's a highly fictionalized and speculative version of Hoover's life, both negative and positive. The only other character with major screen time is Robert Kennedy (Michael Parks) but Parks is truly awful here. In addition to not being convincing, he annoyingly interjects "uh" between every five words spoken! In addition to Kennedy, other famous people portrayed include Martin Luther King (Raymond St. Jacques), Franklin D. Roosevelt (Howard Da Silva), Lyndon B. Johnson (Andrew Duggan) and Roy Cohn (George D. Wallace). The score by Miklos Rozsa is disappointing, it sounds recycled from his past film scores. The huge cast, most with little screen time, includes Rip Torn, Celeste Holm, Dan Dailey, Jose Ferrer, Lloyd Nolan, Ronee Blakley, Jack Cassidy, June Havoc Michael Sacks, Tanya Roberts and Brad Dexter.

The Drama (2026)

An engaged couple (Zendaya, Robert Pattinson) are having drinks with their best man (Mamoudou Athie) and maid of honor (Alana Haim) when they all play a game of "What's the worst thing you ever did?". When the bride to be tells of the worst thing she ever did, it throws their relationship into chaos and their future is clouded. Written and directed by Kristofer Borgli (DREAM SCENARIO). The film has been described as a dark romantic comedy but I didn't it funny at all, just deeply disturbing. Which doesn't mean I didn't like it, I did. But I found almost all the characters messed up (except for Mamoudou Athie) including Pattinson's bridegroom who comes across as creepy from the very start and he only gets worse as he unravels. The film builds in its intensity until all explodes at the wedding. Alas, director Borgli fumbles in the last ten minutes when he gives us a conventional (and highly inappropriate) romcom ending which makes a mockery of everything that preceded it. With Hailey Benton Gates and Sydney Lemmon.

Othello (1965)

Set in the Venice and Cyprus of 1603, a Moor military commander (Laurence Olivier) is manipulated by his ensign (Frank Finlay) into thinking his new bride (Maggie Smith) has been unfaithful with his loyal lieutenant (Derek Jacobi). Based on the classic play by William Shakespeare and directed by Stuart Burge (JULIUS CAESAR). Unable to get the financial backing to do a proper cinematic adaptation of OTHELLO with elaborate sets and shot on location, Olivier had to settle for a filmed adaptation of the National Theatre Of Great Britain production done on a sound stage using the original stage setting designs. Shot in wide screen Panavision by Geoffrey Unsworth (2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY), what the movie lacks in a cinematic style, it makes up for with four great performances: Olivier, Finlay, Smith and Joyce Redmond as Emilia, all who received Oscar nominations for their performances. Not that the movie is without its flaws. The performances are conceived for the stage and director Burge does little to alter that. Then there's the "blackface" performance of Olivier which can make one uncomfortable in 2026 especially with all those close ups. That aside, Olivier is brilliant, capturing all the rage, jealousy, pain and anguish of Shakespeare's Moor. With Robert Lang, Anthony Nicholls and Sheila Reid.

Tall Man Riding (1955)

Seven years after being driven out of town by a cattle baron (Robert Barrat), a cowboy (Randolph Scott) returns to get his revenge. But he's not the only one who wants revenge on the cattle baron. Based on the novel by Norman A. Fox and directed by Lesley Selander (FLIGHT TO MARS). A routine second string western that's watchable even if it pretty much contains the usual western cliches. The following year Scott would embark on a series of classic westerns partnering with Budd Boetticher that put a programmer like this in the shade. Typical of westerns, there's the "good" girl (Dorothy Malone) and the "bad" girl (Peggie Castle as a saloon singer) so we know who Scott will end up with. Unusual for a western though, the women are best friends rather than rivals. Scott's hero is flawed which makes him more interesting than the usual western cowboy. He's stubborn, unreasonable and makes mistakes. With William Ching, John Baragrey, Paul Richards and John Dehner.

The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970)

A man (Roger Moore) finds himself in bewildering circumstances after recovering from a near fatal car accident. Friends and colleagues repeatedly sight him in places he's never been, a girl (Olga Georges Picot) he has briefly seen only once claims an intimate relationship with him. Does he have a doppelganger ..... or is he losing his mind? Based on the novel THE STRANGE CASE OF MR. PELHAM by Anthony Armstrong and directed by Basil Dearden (KHARTOUM) in his final film. Armstrong's book had previously been adapted for an episode of ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS in 1955 but there it had been done whimsically. Dearden has made it a psychological horror film. Roger Moore (three years before he became James Bond) is startingly good here, his best ever performance. Initial reviews were dismissive but in the ensuing years, it's become a cult movie. Dearden does a good job of building the tension until the clever if unsound conclusion. Although I consider it a horror movie, there are no scares or violence but the horror of a situation you have no control over. A movie worth rediscovering. With Hildegard Neil, Freddie Jones, Anton Rodgers and Thorley Walters.

Maigret Voit Rouge (aka Maigret Sees Red) (1963)

Three men cruising Paris's Pigalle district in a Chevrolet, shoot a bystander (Harry Max). Shortly after, the body is stolen. Inspector Maigret (Jean Gabin) suspects a ring of U.S. mobsters. This leads him to a bar where Americans gather and a mysterious femme fatale (Francoise Fabian) works. Based on the novel MAIGRET, LOGNON AND THE GANGSTERS by Georges Simenon and directed by Gilles Grangier (SPEAKING OF MURDER). I enjoyed the other two Maigret movies with Jean Gabin I've seen, MAIGRET SETS A TRAP and MAIGRET AND THE SAINT FIACRE CASE but this one seemed a little off to me. It might have something to do with the introduction of American gangsters into the mix. Their portrayal seemed cliched and stereotyped as if Grangier had seen too many American gangster movies and exaggerated what he took from them. As usual, Gabin is a treasure and his commanding presence anchors the film. A shade disappointing but still worth catching. With Marcel Bozzuffi, Roland Armontel, Paul Frankeur, Paul Carpenter and Pauline Dubost.