Ship Ahoy (1942)

Set during WWII, the lead dancer (Eleanor Powell) on a cruise ship is asked to transport a mine to Puerto Rico. Neither she nor her pulp fiction author boyfriend (Red Skelton) know she's actually working for Nazi spies ... who got the idea from one of his potboiler novels! Directed by Edward Buzzell (SONG OF THE THIN MAN). A patriotic WWII musical whose silly barely there plot seems like padding for the comic gags and musical numbers. Skelton is an acquired taste so his comic bits may not amuse you. I'm indifferent to Skelton but even I got annoyed by his drunk act which seemed to be his specialty. Still, all is (almost) forgiven when the leggy Powell goes into her dance numbers. When she taps, magic happens. With Bert Lahr (who's funnier than Skelton), Tommy Dorsey, Virginia O'Brien, John Emery, Hillary Brooke, Jo Stafford and in his film debut, Frank Sinatra.

The Case Of The Lady In The Lake (1988)

A tennis player (David Hasselhoff) is accused of murdering his wife (Doran Clark), a wealthy heiress. The evidence against him is overwhelming including his wife catching him in the arms of a former mistress (Liane Langland) the night before. Enter the renowned attorney Perry Mason (Raymond Burr) to defend him. The ninth entry in the 30 Perry Mason telefilms in the aftermath of the popular show which ran from 1957 to 1966. It's an adequate entry in the franchise although quite predictable. I guessed the "surprise" ending about halfway through the movie. The film makes Paul Drake Jr.'s (William Katt) look like an incompetent private investigator as he gets trounced not once but twice by not thinking with his head. Both times I thought, "Don't trust him/her" for obvious reasons but he naively walks into traps. With Barbara Hale, John Ireland, David Ogden Stiers, John Beck, Audra Lindley and Darrell Larson.

Hadestown: The Musical (2026)

A young woman (Eva Noblezada) is seduced by the the "king" (Patrick Page) of an underground factory and returns with him to the underworld. Her lover (Reeve Carney) follows her with the intention of bringing her back. Based on the Tony winning Broadway musical and directed by Brett Sullivan (KINKY BOOTS: THE MUSICAL). A clumsy and pretentious rendering of the Greek myths of Orpheus, Eurydice, Hades and Persephone in a contemporary setting. The fact that it won a best musical Tony award only signifies the decline of musical theatre on Broadway. I've seen better high school musical productions. Such horrors as MOULIN ROUGE! and DEAR EVAN HANSEN have also won best musical Tony awards in recent years. It's a perfect musical for people who hate musicals. The filmed production panders to its whooping and cheering live audience by constant shots of grinning, enamored fans shrieking wildly. I guess I should be grateful that it stuck to the myth and wasn't given a happy ending. The calisthenics (mistakenly identified as choreography in the credits) is by David Neumann. With Andre De Shields and Amber Gray.

Road To Singapore (1940)

Running out on his desk job and marriage minded girlfriend (Judith Barrett), a man (Bing Crosby) links up with a buddy (Bob Hope) and sets out for the farthest point on the map ... Singapore! Directed by Victor Schertzinger (BIRTH OF THE BLUES). The debut of the ROAD TO movies (all starring Crosby, Hope and Dorothy Lamour) that totaled seven in all (1940-1962). It set the pattern of the six Road films that followed: Hope and Crosby travel to some exotic place, get themselves in trouble, both fall for Dorothy Lamour who has to choose between the two of them with songs and dance thrown in. This one is just okay. There's some things that don't sit right in 2026 like the brownface Crosby and Hope put on to pass themselves as natives at a feast and there's a slight amount of male chauvinism but hey, it's 1940! The songs aren't very good but the camaraderie between all three is evident and the gags are plenty. With Anthony Quinn and Charles Coburn.

Condemned (1929)

A thief (Ronald Colman in an Oscar nominated performance) is sent to the infamous Devil's Island for bank robbery. He catches the attention of the warden (Dudley Digges) thanks to his Parisian sophistication. Eager for a servant appropriate to his status, the warden gives the thief the assignment. What he didn't count on was his wife (Ann Harding) falling in love with the convict. Based on the novel CONDEMNED TO DEVIL'S ISLAND by Blair Niles and directed by Wesley Ruggles (I'M NO ANGEL). An early talkie that was simultaneously released in a silent version (not all theatres had yet converted to sound). A melodramatic pre code film whose downbeat ending seems like it was made under the mandated Hays code. Colman is quite good in an antithetical role quite different from his usual urbane roles. As to the movie itself, it's pleasantly passable but not particularly noteworthy outside of Colman's performance. With Louis Wolheim and William Elmer.

Wicked Stepmother (1989)

Coming home from a vacation, a woman (Colleen Camp) discovers that her father (Lionel Stander) has remarried. Not only that, she's a chain smoking witch (Bette Davis) who shares her body space with her daughter (Barbara Carrera). While one is inhabiting the human, the other inhabits a black cat. Written and directed by Larry Cohen (GOD TOLD ME TO). Poor Bette Davis! If she'd turned this down, her swan song would have been the sublime WHALES OF AUGUST, not this turd. Actually, Davis sensibly abandoned the film before filming was complete and she's only in it for the first half hour or so. When she left, the script was rewritten and introduced a daughter (Carrera) to takeover Davis's character and finish the film. It's a black comedy but it's not funny and one can't help but feel sorry for the actors flailing about trying to squeeze laughs that aren't forthcoming. The only time I laughed was when we saw a photo of Stander's first wife and it's Joan Crawford! With Evelyn Keyes, David Rasche, Tom Bosley and Richard Moll.

All That Money Can Buy (aka The Devil And Daniel Webster) (1941)

A hard working farmer (James Craig) is trying to make an honest living but a streak of bad luck tempts him to do the unthinkable bargain with the Devil (Walter Huston) himself. In exchange for seven years of good fortune, he sells his soul to Satan. Based on the classic short story by Stephen Vincent Benet (who co-wrote the screenplay) and directed by William Dieterle (STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR). While there's some rustic charm to the movie, ultimately I found it a heavy handed morality tale. The "good" characters aren't all that interesting, notably Anne Shirley as the goody two shoes wife and Jane Darwell's bible spouting mother. Much more fun are Walter Huston's sly and wicked Devil and Simone Simon as the seductress who steals Craig away from his wife. The two give the best performances in the film. The Oscar winning score is by Bernard Herrmann. With Edward Arnold as Daniel Webster, Gene Lockhart, H.B. Warner and Jeff Corey.

Folle A Tuer (aka Mad Enough To Kill) (1975)

A wealthy industrialist (Michael Lonsdale) hires a former psychiatric patient (Marlene Jobert)  to look after his recently orphaned nephew (Thomas Waintrop). But when the woman and the boy are kidnapped at gunpoint by a hitman (a sour faced Tomas Milian), it's a race against time to survive. Based on the novel O DINGOS, O CHATEAUX by Jean Patrick Manchette and directed by Yves Boisset (PURPLE TAXI). A mess of a thriller that shouldn't work but somehow does. It's implausible plot is loopy and none of the characters are very appealing including the obnoxious brat and frightened doormat that are kidnapped. Yet it's persuasive enough to keep you invested in what's going to happen next. The revelation of the mastermind behind the plot is supposed to be a surprise but its pretty obvious when you get down to it. The score consists of blasts of music by Giuseppe Verdi adapted by Philippe Sarde which adds nothing to the suspense. With Victor Lanoux and Michel Peyrelon.

Imitation General (1958)

Set during WWII France. Surrounded by Germans and with his commanding officer (Kent Smith) dead, a Sergeant (Glenn Ford) and a Corporal (Red Buttons) wonder what to do next. When a Corporal (Dean Jones) mistakes the Sergeant for a General, the Sergeant decides to pretend to be a General and lead a counterattack. Based on a short story by William Chamberlain and directed by George Marshall (DESTRY RIDES AGAIN). I'm not a fan of military comedies and I found this effort extremely vapid. Its plot is absurd and not sufficiently written to compensate for the preposterousness of the scenario. 1958 audiences however didn't agree, the movie was a big hit. Curiously, the film has its lone female character (Taina Elg) speak only French because she can't speak English yet she seems to understand everything that is going on! With Tige Andrews and John Wilder.

Roxie Hart (1942)

Set in 1920s Chicago, an ambitious showgirl (Ginger Rogers) confesses to a murder just for the publicity. After her husband (George Chandler) shoots a "burglar" in their apartment, she is convinced by a theatrical agent (Nigel Bruce) to claim she did it. As she becomes the center of a sensational trial, she gains the fame she has always sought. Based on the play CHICAGO by Maurine Dallas Watkins (previously filmed in 1927) and directed by William A. Wellman (THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY). A cynical but wickedly funny look at the lengths people will go to for publicity and America's obsession with sleazy crimes. Next to her movies with Fred Astaire, this is my favorite Rogers performance. This is the film she should have gotten her Oscar for, not the mundane KITTY FOYLE (1940). With one exception, the cast is splendid down to the smallest roles. The exception is George Montgomery as a reporter. Granted it's an uninteresting part but he brings nothing to the party except his good looks. The original play and this film formed the basis for the Oscar winning musical CHICAGO (2002). With Adolphe Menjou, Lynne Overman, Phil Silvers, Sara Allgood, Spring Byington, Helene Reynolds and Iris Adrian.

Gentle Monster (2026)

A successful composer and singer (Lea Seydoux) moves from Berlin to the countryside to help support her husband (Laurence Rupp) after he suffers burnout. Her world turns upside down when police show up at her door with a warrant to search the property, looking for computers and electronic devices when her husband is charged with distribution and possession of child pornography. Written and directed by Marie Kreutzer (CORSAGE). A disturbing subject matter focusing on the wife of the perpetrator is handled with aplomb with a terrific performance by Seydoux at its core. Like her, we have doubts about the husband's guilt until layers are peeled away and we can confront the inevitable truth even if its a dark gray rather than black and white. While Seydoux commands the film, there's a subtle and complex performance by Jella Haase as the police investigator who must deal with her dementia ridden father (Sylvester Groth) who sexually assaults his caregiver. Hopefully, Seydoux's performance will get some consideration this award season. In English, German and French. With Catherine Deneuve as Seydoux's mother, Malo Blanchet and Nils Strunk.

Let Us Be Gay (1930)

A devoted if frumpish wife (Norma Shearer) is shocked to discover her husband (Rod LaRocque) is having an affair with another woman and kicks him out of the house. Three years later, they meet again but this time she is no longer the dowdy housewife but a sophisticated jet setter. Based on the play by Rachel Crothers (which starred Tallulah Bankhead) and directed by Robert Z. Leonard (THE GREAT ZIEGFELD). Shearer is interesting when playing the plain Jane wife but once she gets her glamour makeover, she turns into the "great lady" of MGM lounging around in her Adrian gowns and my enthusiasm faded. Marie Dressler as the society doyenne brings some welcome comedic acidity to the proceedings but other than that, it's strictly routine stuff and you know exactly how the journey will end. With Gilbert Emery and Hedda Hopper.