Far North (1988)

Set in rural Minnesota. After her father (Charles Durning) is injured in an accident and hospitalized, his daughter (Jessica Lange) returns home from New York. Not only must she deal with her dysfunctional family but her father insists she shoot the horse that caused the accident. Written and directed by Sam Shepard (SILENT TONGUE). An all around misfire. The best I can say about it is that it's well acted for what it is. Shepard is a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright and this might have made for a good play (it's dialog driven) but as cinema, Shepard (he only directed two movies) doesn't have a filmmaker's soul and the movie's characters rail at each other at a fever pitch but all we get are cliches. The only character I had any empathy for was the poor horse! In short, this is no AUGUST OSAGE COUNTY. With Patricia Arquette, Tess Harper, Donald Moffat and Ann Wedgeworth.

Hearts Of The West (1975)

Set in the 1930s, an Iowa farmboy (Jeff Bridges) has aspirations to be a writer of western novels like his idol, Zane Grey. He heads out west only to discover the correspondence "University" he enrolled in is a scam. But as luck would have it, he ends up in the movies as a stunt man. Directed by Howard Zieff (PRIVATE BENJAMIN). A charming comedy with an impeccably burnished glow courtesy of cinematographer Mario Tosi (CARRIE). In one of his most irresistible performances, Jeff Bridges is perfectly cast as the naive babe in the woods. We're immediately protective of him and rooting for his success. Rich in atmosphere, the film moves along seamlessly thanks to Zieff's direction. The only fly in the ointment is a subplot with two scammers (Richard B. Shull, Anthony James) chasing Bridges that drags the movie down. The reviews were favorable but unfortunately, audiences stayed away. The excellent supporting cast includes Alan Arkin, Blythe Danner, Andy Griffith, Donald Pleasence, Marie Windsor, Matt Clark, Herbert Edelman and Candice Azzara.

The Glass Mountain (1949)

Wounded in WWII, a British soldier (Michael Denison) is nursed back to health by a beautiful Italian girl (Valentina Cortese). He can't forget her which causes a problem when he returns home after the war and tries to reestablish relations with his loving wife (Dulcie Gray). A composer, he writes an opera based on a legend told to him by the Italian beauty and when he returns to Italy for the opera's premiere, he renews his relationship with her. Directed by Henry Cass (LAST HOLIDAY) and Edoardo Anton. A huge hit in Great Britain, I found this piece of hokey schmaltz grating. First off, I couldn't see what the two women saw in the block of blandness named Michael Denison (though apparently Gray did, they were married in 1939). It's 94 minutes of Gray and Cortese pining for Denison to make up his mind which of them he loves. Filmed in the majestic Italian Alps, the movie would have benefited by being shot in color rather than B&W. On the plus side, there's a nice score by Nino Rota, who wrote both the underscore and the opera (sung by Tito Gobbi and Elena Rizzieri). With Sebastian Shaw (overacting) and Antonio Centa.

My Friend Irma Goes West (1950)

An aspiring singer (Dean Martin) is spotted by a movie producer (Charles Evans) on a local TV show and offers him a Hollywood contract. The singer and his friends board a train heading from Manhattan to Los Angeles but before they reach their destination, they find out the producer is actually an escapee from a mental asylum. Directed by Hal Walker (ROAD TO UTOPIA). A sequel to MY FRIEND IRMA (1949) in which Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis made their film debut. They were the breakout stars of that film so they have bigger parts here but alas, the script is a dud. It's not their finest hour and but their lot would improve when they began starring in their own movies and had more control. It's a monotonous movie with too much extraneous plot (like John Lund forced to work in a crooked casino) that drag the movie down. As the dingbat of the title, Marie Wilson manages to to provide some laughs. With Diana Lynn, Corinne Calvet, Lloyd Corrigan and Kenneth Tobey.

The Rich Are Always With Us (1932)

A wealthy woman (Ruth Chatterton) has everything money can buy. But with her heart torn between her unfaithful husband (John Miljan) and an ardent writer (George Brent), she can't have what every woman wants ..... happiness. Based on the novel by Ethel Pettit and directed by Alfred E. Green (THE JOLSON STORY). It starts off promisingly and I thought it might be an amusing look at the romantic foibles of Manhattan society but it quickly becomes tedious as Chatterton clings to her husband even after he leaves her for another woman (Adrienne Dore) while keeping the lovestruck writer who adores her dangling. Her waffling is irritating and you want to scream at her, "He's left you! Move on with your life!". The ending is sickly as Chatterton goes the noble route and we're all supposed to admire her sacrifice. The movie is stolen by the young Bette Davis in a supporting role as Chatterton's best friend who has the hots for Brent. She's snappier and so much more fun than anybody else in the movie. With John Wray and Robert Warwick.

The Picture Of Dorian Gray (1961)

A painter (Louis Hayward) is infatuated with the beauty of a young man called Dorian Gray (John Fraser) whose portrait he is painting. It is through the painter that Dorian meets the hedonistic aristocrat Sir Henry Wotton (George C. Scott) whose narcissistic pleasure seeking ways influences his future. Supernaturally, he remains eternally youthful while his portrait ages and displays his debauchery. Based on the novel by Oscar Wilde and directed by Paul Bogart (EVENING PRIMROSE). Wilde's novel has been adapted multiple times for film and television, the most famous version being the 1945 film directed by Albert Lewin. This version is unexceptional and seems rushed, sort of a Readers Digest version of the novel. The most interesting aspect is George C. Scott's atypical performance as Sir Henry played by George Sanders in the 1945 movie. One doesn't think of the gruff Scott in such an effete role but he does surprisingly well. With Susan Oliver, Carrie Nye, Margaret Phillips and Robert Walker Jr.

The Left Handed Gun (1958)

A drifter (Paul Newman) known as Billy The Kid befriends a cattle boss (Colin Keith Johnson) known as the Englishman. When he is killed by rival cattlemen, Billy takes it upon himself to avenge the Englishman's death. Based on the television play by Gore Vidal (MYRA BRECKINRIDGE) and directed by Arthur Penn (BONNIE AND CLYDE). A highly fictionalized account of the events and an attempt to deconstruct the legend of Billy The Kid by portraying him as a misunderstood youth with Newman (who originated the role on TV) going full tilt method in his performance. The movie was dismissed by both audiences and critics upon its initial release but the French loved it! I found the whole thing anachronistic and tiresome. With Hurd Hatfield, John Dehner, Lita Milan, James Best and James Congdon.

Holy Motors (2012)

A man by the name of Mr. Oscar (Denis Lavant) is chauffeured through Paris in a white luxury limousine. He is an actor of sorts who dons disguises and performs in what appear to be a series of designated appointments. He plays an old woman, a violent kidnapper, a gangster hit man, a father picking up his teenage daughter, a dying old man among others. Written and directed by Leos Carax (ANNETTE). A surreal fantasy that received glowing reviews upon its release. I was underwhelmed. It's a unique movie to be sure but is that enough? The first half hour or so was a shambles and it wasn't until the father and daughter segment that I became involved in the proceedings. I enjoy the unconventional and uncanny as much as anyone else but being bizarre and weird in and of itself doesn't take the place of a conventional narrative unless there's some sort of determined focus to unite the fantastic, surreal unconnected events. Are these real people he's interacting with or other actors? Or  maybe it's just not my cup of tea. With Edith Scob, Eva Mendes, Kylie Minogue, Michel Piccoli and Jeanne Disson.

Decoy (1946)

A doctor (Herbert Rudley) enters a young woman's (Jean Gillie) apartment and shoots her before killing himself. On her deathbed, the woman tells a police detective (Sheldon Leonard) the events that lead up to her murder.. Directed by Jack Bernhard (BLONDE ICE). A poverty row B programmer courtesy of Monogram Pictures. But it's a nifty slice of film noir whose reputation has grown in the ensuing decades. Jean Gillie's femme fatale is one of the most wicked and unredeemable dames in the noir canon. Right to the end she seems to revel in her calculated viciousness. Sadly, she died three years later at the age of 33 but this movie puts her permanently on the film noir map. Die hard noir fans already know about this movie but others should check it out, too. With Robert Armstrong, Edward Norris and Marjorie Woodworth.

Possessed (1947)

A mentally unstable woman (Joan Crawford in an Oscar nominated performance) is obsessed with an architect (Van Heflin) even though he is not in love with her. When he chooses to marry someone else, her obsession takes a darker turn. Directed by Curtis Bernhardt (A STOLEN LIFE). The FATAL ATTRACTION of its day, it's a role Crawford was born to play, not that she's particularly good in it. She's not bad but her acting had cemented into the sculpted in steel emoting that began with MILDRED PIERCE (1945) and it only got worse in the ensuing years. That aside, it's grandly entertaining in the kitschy way that some melodramas take themselves too seriously as if they were truly saying something important, in this case, mental illness. With Raymond Massey, Geraldine Brooks and Stanley Ridges.

Hand Of Death (1962)

A brilliant scientist (John Agar) develops a military nerve gas but after accidentally exposing it to himself, he is transformed into a scaly beast with the ability to destroy anything he touches. Directed by actor (OKLAHOMA!) turned director Gene Nelson. A low budget grade C horror movie that hasn't any scares but might qualify as "camp" though I didn't find anything amusing about it. It looks pretty decent for a low budget programmer thanks to the B&W CinemaScope lensing by Floyd Crosby (THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM) and the underscore by Sonny Burke gives the movie some much needed juice. But the script is plain bad (so is Agar's performance) and nothing can salvage it. With Paula Raymond, Steve Dunne, Roy Gordon, Joe Besser and Butch Patrick.

The Playboy Of The Western World (1962)

Set on the coast of Northern Ireland, a young stranger (Gary Raymond) appears at a remote tavern and announces he's on the run because he murdered his father (Niall MacGinnis). The innkeeper's daughter (Siobhan McKenna) takes a shine to him. Based on the 1907 play by John Millington Synge and directed by Brian Desmond Hurst (SCROOGE). Synge's comedy caused riots in 1907 Dublin because of its supposed "immorality" and an "insult" to the Irish people. Although the majority of the action takes place in the tavern, it's beautifully shot in Eastmancolor by Geoffrey Unsworth (2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY) who makes the most of the Dingle Bay exteriors in Ireland's County Kerry. As for the movie itself, I moderately enjoyed it even though I found its Irishness a bit much but at least it was real and not that phony Irish twee that infected John Ford's films. Many of the cast members were members of the famed Abbey Players. As the "playboy" of the title, Gary Raymond is quite good but it's Siobhan McKenna's performance that dominates the film. It may not be cinematic but it's a solid adaptation of the Synge play. With Elspeth March and Liam Redmond.