Making Of A Male Model (1983)

A young ranch hand (Jon Erik Hexum) in Nevada is discovered by a seductive modeling agent (Joan Collins), who owns her own chic Manhattan modeling agency. She persuades him to leave his quiet life and begin a modeling career in New York. Directed by Irving J. Moore (DYNASTY: THE REUNION). This should have been a trashy fun piece of "camp" but it takes itself so seriously as if it were a hard hitting look into the decadence of Manhattan's modeling scene that it's just ludicrous. Every cliche is on display and you just know where it's going. It's the kind of obvious movie that when Jeff Conaway as a fading male model gives a big speech about how his career is going down the drain, you immediately know he's going to die (either by suicide or an overdose) before the final credits appear. Trash like this makes Jacqueline Susann look like Carson McCullers! With Kevin McCarthy, Robert Walker Jr., Jennifer Edwards, Roxie Roker, Rosemarie Bowe Stack, Michael Anderson Jr. and Arte Johnson.

On The Avenue (1937)

A wealthy New York socialite (Madeleine Carroll) is furious when a Broadway musical ridicules her. With dubious intentions, she makes a date with the show's star and producer (Dick Powell) but they end up falling in love. This doesn't sit well with the show's female star (Alice Faye) who plots to destroy the budding romance. Directed by Roy Del Ruth (BROADWAY MELODY OF 1936). 20th Century Fox wasn't known for their musicals and most of them aren't very good but this movie is one of their rare good ones. It's nothing special in the creative sense, it doesn't come near the RKO Astaire and Rogers films or the great MGM musicals from the Freed unit but it's undeniably charming and it has a solid Irving Berlin score. The standouts are the Ritz Brothers, who had me cracking up a few times and for me, a little Alice Faye goes a long way but she's in a supporting role here so I enjoyed her work here. With  Cora Witherspoon, Alan Mowbray, Joan Davis and George Barbier.

Lady Of Vengeance (1957)

When his petty young ward (Eileen Elton) throws herself in front of a London bound train, an arrogant international publishing magnate (Dennis O'Keefe) sets out to discover exactly what - or who - drove the young woman to kill herself. Directed by Burt Balaban (STRANGER FROM VENUS). I'm somewhat taken aback at the negative reviews this low budget B movie received when first released. Certainly not a major film or a particularly good one but I still found it fairly compelling and its surprise "twist" at the end did take me by surprise. However, this being a 1957 film, fifties morality didn't allow its act of revenge to come to fruition and instead lets "fate" take its course. With Anton Diffring, Ann Sears, Patrick Barr and Vernon Greeves.

The Crawling Hand (1963)

A science student (Rod Lauren) and his girlfriend (Sirry Steffen) discover a severed arm on the beach. The arm is all that remains from an astronaut who crash landed to earth. However, the hand has the ability to control people and urge them to kill. Directed by Herbert L. Strock (I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN). Silly slice of cheesy B science fiction horror, ineptly written and badly acted. You can always tell when a character is possessed by the crawling hand by the amount of eye shadow around their eyes. I'm just curious how the producers were able to rope in so many well known second string actors into this project. For connoisseurs of bad movies only. With Peter Breck, Allison Hayes, Kent Taylor, Alan Hale, Richard Arlen, Ross Elliott and Arline Judge.

ハウルの動く城 (aka Howl's Moving Castle) (2004)

Set in a fictional kingdom that is at war with another kingdom. A young milliner (Emily Mortimer) is turned into an elderly woman (Jean Simmons) by a witch (Lauren Bacall) who enters her shop and places a curse on her. Based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones and directed by Hayao Miyazaki (THE BOY AND THE HERON). Yet another gorgeous piece of animation by the great Miyazaki and it well may be my favorite. This one is pretty heavy duty as it addresses issues such as war, old age and empathy. The narrative is geared more toward adults than young children and its often complex themes will likely go right over their heads. Miyazaki (who's a pacifist) emphasizes a prominent anti war aspect that is not in the original novel. Normally, I prefer to watch Miyazaki's films in the original Japanese langauage but HOWL'S is based on an English novel, its characters are not Japanese and the story is not set in Japan so the excellent English dub was preferred. It received an Oscar nomination for best animated film. With the voice talents of Christian Bale, Billy Crystal, Blythe Danner, Josh Hutcherson and Jena Malone.

The Wild Angels (1966)

When a bike is stolen from the Hells Angels, an epic chase to retrieve the bike ensues as the bikers terrorize and spread fear wherever they ride. Directed by Roger Corman (MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH). American International had built a reputation (and made money) on a series of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations and the BEACH PARTY movies. But as counterculture slowly seeped into the 1960s, Roger Corman saw a chance to exploit the notorious biker group and this was the first of several biker movies to follow from AIP. The film doesn't hide the Hells Angels racism, their Nazi regalia, the way they treat women or their contempt for the law. Yet it seems to want to portray them as some sort of repressed minority group, rebels against a restrictive society. As cinema, its handsomely shot by Richard Moore (MYRA BRECKINRIDGE) in Panavision but that's about it. It's a pretty lousy movie. As an artifact of the 1960s exploitation cinema, it has its place but it has all the depth of a BEACH PARTY movie but nowhere near as fun. Did the Hells Angels really dance The Monkey in a rural church during a funeral? With Peter Fonda, Nancy Sinatra, Bruce Dern, Diane Ladd, Michael J. Pollard, Gayle Hunnicutt, Joan Shawlee and Norman Alden.

The Rocket Man (1954)

When an orphan (George Winslow) receives a genuine ray gun that compels anyone caught in its beam to tell the truth, he uses it to prevent his orphange from being shut down and to help a young couple (Anne Francis, John Agar) fall in love. Co-written by Lenny Bruce (yes, that Lenny Bruce) and directed by Oscar Rudolph (TWIST AROUND THE CLOCK). A family comedy with science fiction trimmings, the movie feels more like a 1960s live action Disney film than a 20th Century Fox release. It's innocuous to the nth degree without any of Lenny Bruce's razor wit. About the best I can say about it is that the cast doesn't embarass themselves (well, maybe not John Agar but he seems to embarass himself in just about every movie I've seen him in). With Charles Coburn, Spring Byington, Beverly Garland and Stanley Clements.

Sirat (2025)

A father (Sergi Lopez) in search of his missing daugther arrives at a rave with his young son (Bruno Nunez Arjona) in the mountains of Morocco. Surrounded by electronic music and an unforgiving landscape, they join a group of ravers heading to one last rave in the hope that his daughter will be there. Directed by Oliver Laxe (FIRE WILL COME). A stunning film with echoes of Clouzot's WAGES OF FEAR and Antonioni's L'AVVENTURA, an existential "road" movie where a seemingly simple journey becomes a crisis that confronts its travelers with their mortality and purpose. The intense and harrowing trucks through the mountains and deserts mirrors WAGES OF FEAR while the movie's initial search for the missing daughter soon becomes irrelevant reflects L'AVVENTURA. Nominated for two Academy Awards, one for its sound design and one for best international feature. With Jade Oukid, Richard Bellamy, Joshua Liam Henderson, Stefania Gadda and Tonin Janvier.

Sea Of Love (1989)

A workaholic New York cop (Al Pacino) living on the edge partners with another detective (John Goodman) to track down a serial killer. When he encounters an attractive suspect (Ellen Barkin), he enters a passionate affair with her despite evidence linking her to the killings. Based on the novel LADIES MAN by Richard Price (who adapted his book for the screen) and directed by Harold Becker (THE ONION FIELD). What should have been a straightforward thriller is loaded down with some over the top sex scenes between Pacino and Barkin which I suspect were supposed to be erotic but I found rather silly. Pacino's character is a bit of a sleazebag (in fact, the film's portrayal of New York cops are pretty sleazy) so one can't drum up much sympathy for him and Barkin's smart and tough cookie seems too savvy to fall for Pacino's games. It's not boring, I'll give you that but it's not very good either. With Richard Jenkins, Michael Rooker, William Hickey, Patricia Barry, Samuel L. Jackson, Barbara Baxley and Jacqueline Brookes.

Once Upon A Honeymoon (1942)

An ex-stripper (Ginger Rogers) longs to be a baroness and gets her wish when she marries an Austrian Baron (Walter Slezak). Meanwhile, a journalist (Cary Grant) tries to alert her that her new husband is a Nazi working under Hitler's direct orders. Directed by Leo McCarey (THE AWFUL TRUTH). I've never warmed to comedies about Nazis. I'm not a fan of THE GREAT DICTATOR or TO BE OR NOT TO BE (the 1942 film, not the remake) and this movie mixing romantic comedy and anti Nazi rhetoric is particularly egregious. It's hard to be not to be offended watching Grant woo Rogers in a Jewish internment camp! The movie's nadir has Rogers and Albert Dekker as an American working undercover as a Nazi spy reciting the pledge of alligeance together! It's not the fault of the actors, Grant and Rogers are fine but that shambles of a script! With Albert Basserman and Natasha Lytess (more famous as Marilyn Monroe's notorious acting coach than for her acting).

Brian's Song (1971)

The true story of two professional football players, Brian Piccolo (James Caan) and Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams), for the Chicago Bears and their remarkable bond when they become the first interracial roommates in the history of the National Football League and how Sayers stood by Piccolo when he was diagnosed with cancer. Based on the non fiction book I AM THIRD by Gale Sayers and Al Silverman and directed by Buzz Kulik (VILLA RIDES). When this movie premiered on television in 1971, it received excellent notices from the critics and at its time was the most watched TV movie ever and even received a theatrical release after its TV debut. My lack of interest in football aside, I found it okay at best and overtly sentimental at worst. There's a fine performance by Billy Dee Williams as Sayers that anchors the film but other than that, there's not much I can say for it. The score is by Michel Legrand. With Jack Warden, Shelley Fabares, Judy Pace, Bernie Casey and David Huddleston.

The Benny Goodman Story (1956)

The story of Benny Goodman (Steve Allen), the clarinetist and band leader who became known as the king of swing and his rise from childhood to performing at Carnegie Hall. Directed by screenwriter Valentine Davies (BRIDGES AT TOKO RI) in his only film as a director. Universal had a huge success in 1954 with THE GLENN MILLER STORY so it was only natural they would want to follow up with another movie about a popular band leader and this Benny Goodman biography was it. It was nowhere near as successful as the Glenn Miller movie. As to this movie, it's a series of all the by the numbers cliches you've seen in Hollywood's mediocre movie biographies. As Goodman, Steve Allen was obviously chosen for the lead because of his resemblance to the bandleader, it certainly wasn't for his acting abilities or box office appeal. Aside from Goodman's music, the most impressive thing in the movie is Bill Thomas's stylish wardrobe for Donna Reed. With Harry James, Gene Krupa, Lionel Hampton, Martha Tilton, Robert Clarke, Herbert Anderson and Diane Jergens.