La Cage Aux Folles II (1980)

Just before he is killed, a spy plants some microfilm with a list of secret agents wanted by the French government on a female impersonator (Michel Serrault). This throws his relationship with his longtime partner (Ugo Tognazzi) into turmoil as spies and agents attempt to retrieve the microfilm which the drag queen doesn't even know he has! Directed by Edouard Molinaro, this sequel to the 1978 international hit comedy isn't nearly as funny or charming as its predecessor. In fact, it's rather tired and its use of gay stereotypes engenders eye rolling rather than laughs. The film doesn't pick up until the last third when Serrault and Tognazzi flee to Italy to hide out and Serrault is forced to impersonate a peasant country wife and the humor is not only funny but pointed. Tognazzi doesn't have much to do here but Serrault's comedic timing is impeccable. It's a pity the material lets him down. With Marcel Bozzuffi, Michel Galabru, Paola Borboni and Benny Luke as the couple's "maid", who wasn't funny in the first film and is downright offensive here. 

Final Analysis (1992)

Set in San Francisco, a psychiatrist (Richard Gere) becomes romantically involved with the sister (Kim Basinger) of one of his patients (Uma Thurman). When the sister kills her husband (Eric Roberts), the psychiatrist does everything in his power to get her off. Directed by Phil Joanou (STATE OF GRACE), this is a slick neo-noir heavily influenced by Hitchcock, in particular VERTIGO right down to the Herrmannesque score by George Fenton. While Wesley Strick's screenplay is laced with twists and turns and Joanou's direction propels the movie forward, it still comes across as overly contrived. Even as I was entertained by it, I was still cognizant of its flaws. The film's most egregious mistake is Gere's psychiatrist. He's a bit of a sleazebag and his actions in the movie are unforgivable yet he's the "hero" we're supposed to root for. Basinger's character is clearly unstable and one would think that a psychiatrist would recognize this and steer away rather than becoming involved. Still, I had a good time with it, flaws and all. With Keith David, Harris Yulin and Paul Guilfoyle.

Last Night In Soho (2021)

An 18 year old girl (Thomasin McKenzie) is an aspiring fashion designer and obsessed with the 1960s fashion and music. Raised by her grandmother (Rita Tushingham), she leaves home and moves to London to study fashion. When she begins moving back and forth in time from the present to the 1960s where she becomes involved with an aspiring singer (Anya Taylor Joy), does she have second sight or is she going batshit crazy? Directed by Edgar Wright (BABY DRIVER), this is a first rate psychological horror film. Wright keeps us off balance so we don't know where we're headed before wrapping it all up in a satisfying package. This is one incredible looking film. Cinematographer Chung Chung Hoon (STOKER) bathes the film in bright neon colors while the soundtrack is chock full of 60s songs. Wright creates a perfect ambience of nostalgia which soon turns into a nightmare. He keeps the 1960s connection by the casting of three 60s icons: Rita Tushingham, Terence Stamp and in her final film role, Diana Rigg in a wonderful swan song performance. Granted, it's all style over substance but when the style is this good, it's justified. With Matt Smith, Michael Ajao and Margaret Nolan (GOLDFINGER), also in her final movie role.

Raquel! (1970)

Filmed in London, Paris, Acapulco, Mexico City, Big Sur and Hollywood. International sex symbol Raquel Welch at the height of her fame sings, dances and participates in comedy sketches with guest stars John Wayne and Bob Hope in her first (and only) television special. A time capsule of the era in so many ways. Welch in her Bob Mackie costumes wanders through Paris singing the Mamas and The Papas' California Dreamin', skis while singing Helen Reddy's Peaceful, sings Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In from HAIR among Mayan ruins and recites poetry by Alfred Lord Tennyson in England. In between, she chats with John Wayne about their visit to a Mexican orphanage and does the Beatles' Rocky Raccoon with Bob Hope. Her singing voice is okay, her dancing somewhat better. The choreography is by David Winters (VIVA LAS VEGAS). She downplays her sex symbol image until she sings some rock n' roll songs with Tom Jones and his sexual energy spurs her to shimmy and shake and show why she was the iconic sex symbol of the late 60s and early 70s. For Raquel fans only (count me among 'em). 

Los Tallos Amargos (aka The Bitter Stems) (1956)

A journalist (Carlos Cores), who is heavily in debt, teams up with a Hungarian immigrant (Vassili Lambrinos) to start a mail order journalism correspondence course which is basically a scam. It isn't long however before the journalist begins to suspect that he is the one being scammed and his suspicions lead him down a dark and deadly path. Based on the novel by Adolfo Jasca and directed by Fernando Ayala. Another new found film noir treasure! As good as anything that came out of Hollywood during its noir heyday, the twists and turns the film takes are provocative. Most unusual is that the protagonist's feelings of guilt don't destroy him the way it does other protagonists like CRIME AND PUNISHMENT's Raskolnikov. Instead, he pushes forward attempting to cover up his guilty secret until the inevitable moment of exposure takes away all his options. Carlos Cores is excellent here but Lambrinos gives a wonderfully ambiguous performance so you're never clear on his motivations until the end of the movie. Two aspects of the film deserve mention: Ricardo Younis' evocative B&W cinematography and Astor Piazzolla's underscore. For noir fans, this is an absolute must! With Aida Luz, Julia Sandoval, Gilda Lousek and Pablo Moret.

The Shady Hill Kidnapping (1982)

Set in the upper class suburbs of Shady Hill, a fictional town in New England. A young boy (Garrett Hanf) is erroneously presumed to have been kidnapped. When the police seem disinterested, the boy's Uncle (David Marshall Grant) writes a ransom note which spurs the town into action. Based on the short story by John Cheever (who adapted it for television) and directed by Paul Bogart (TORCH SONG TRILOGY). Cheever's satire on bourgeois suburbanites isn't nearly as clever or amusing as it thinks it is. In fact, it's as inane as its characters. While we're encouraged to laugh at them, we're also supposed to (eventually) care for them and that just doesn't happen. The problems of these upper class Caucasians are of their own stupidity and their own doing, so why should we care? The only amusing moments come from Celeste Holm as a celebrity peddling a youth serum on TV. The rest is trite. There is a nice score by Jonathan Tunick (best known as Stephen Sondheim's orchestrator). With George Grizzard, Judith Ivey, Paul Dooley and Polly Holliday. 

Starstruck (1982)

Set in Australia, a quirky young pop singer (Jo Kennedy) and her 14 year old cousin (Ross O'Donovan), who acts as her manager, go to outrageous lengths in pursuing her dreams of stardom. Directed by Gillian Armstrong (MY BRILLIANT CAREER), this is a good natured throwaway rock musical that's so infectious that it's hard to resist. Indeed, it's become a cult film in the 40 years since its release. The songs aren't particularly memorable but they're catchy enough to make you tap your feet and David Atkins' choreography is fun. Kennedy and O'Donovan are charming together and the whole film is so high spirited that it is easy to overlook how hackneyed the actual plot is. It's really not all that different from those 1930s musicals with Ruby Keeler trying to break into show business. Even if musicals aren't your thing, you might be surprised at how enjoyable a romp it all is. With Margo Lee, Pat Evison and John O'May.

Kiss In The Dark (1949)

When his business manager (Joseph Buloff) buys an apartment house as an investment for him, a famous and pampered classical pianist (David Niven) finds himself attracted to one of his tenants, a photographer's model (Jane Wyman). But despite their attraction for each other, their different lifestyles clash. Directed by Delmer Daves (3:10 TO YUMA), this romantic comedy has a certain easy going charm. It's far from memorable and the material doesn't test the abilities of its two appealing leads but it's a pleasant time waster (that's a compliment!). The lightweight movie seems an odd choice for Wyman to follow up her Oscar winning performance in JOHNNY BELINDA so I'm just guessing this one was already in the can before BELINDA was released. A few months later, Broderick Crawford who plays an obnoxious tenant would see his career take a major turn with the release of ALL THE KING'S MEN. With Victor Moore, Wayne Morris and Maria Ouspenskaya in her final film role.

Who's Been Sleeping In My Bed? (1963)

An actor (Dean Martin) who plays a doctor on a popular TV show is constantly besieged by women including the wives of his best friends. He begins to have second thoughts about getting married to his longtime fiancee (Elizabeth Montgomery). Directed by Daniel Mann (THE ROSE TATTOO), this is TV sitcom material masquerading as a big screen comedy. The Hollywood comedies of the 1960s were a highly uneven lot. For every gem like THE PINK PANTHER or THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, you had a MR. HOBBS TAKES A VACATION, YOURS MINE AND OURS or this one which wastes a lot of talented people. As Elizabeth Montgomery's best gal pal, this was the film debut of Carol Burnett and you'd never know she was one of the funniest women on the planet based on her work here. Outside of a briefly amusing striptease, she flounders like everybody else. The large cast includes Richard Conte, Jill St. John, Martin Balsam, Dianne Foster, Elliot Reid, Macha Meril, Louis Nye, Yoko Tani, Jack Soo and Elisabeth Fraser.

Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955)

Two American sisters (Jane Russell, Jeanne Crain), who do a song and dance act, travel to Paris to headline a posh casino. There, they meet Rudy Vallee who knew the girls' mother and aunt (played by Russell and Crain in flashback) when they were a notorious sister act in the 1920s. He tries to help the sisters break their act in during their Paris sojourn. Loosely based on the novel by Anita Loos and directed by Richard Sale (A TICKET TO TOMAHAWK). This sequel to the 1953 hit GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES lacks that film's wit and though Russell returns, Marilyn Monroe's absence is felt throughout the film. The songs are a mixed lot though a handful like the lovely My Funny Valentine and the amusing Daddy stand out among the others. The choreography by the great Jack Cole is disappointing except for the Ain't Misbehavin' number and even there, he's not at his best. Russell and Crain look ultra glam in their Travilla wardrobe and the CinemaScope cinematography by Desmond Dickinson does justice to the Paris and Monaco locales. I love musicals so I'm probably more tolerant of mediocre fluff like this. With Scott Brady and Alan Young. 

A Damsel In Distress (1937)

An American song and dance man (Fred Astaire) visiting London becomes involved with a British aristocrat (Joan Fontaine) who is in love with a man her family does not approve of. He mistakenly believes she is in love with him which causes all sort of complications. Loosely based on the novel by P.G. Wodehouse (which was made into a play in 1928) and directed by George Stevens (GIANT). After seven musicals with Ginger Rogers (who wanted to do more non-musical parts), this was Astaire's first film sans Rogers. She is sorely missed. But we do get a wonderful George and Ira Gershwin score including the classics, A Foggy Day In London Town and Nice Work If You Can Get It and if that's not enough, there are two delightful dance numbers with Astaire partnering with George Burns and Gracie Allen: a charming dance with whisk brooms and an amusing fun house number. Fontaine is lovely so it's easy (well, maybe not so easy) to overlook her awkward dancing. With Constance Collier, Reginald Gardiner and Montagu Love. 

Tab Hunter Confidential (2015)

A documentary on the actor Tab Hunter. It looks at his early life, his rise to stardom, his grappling with his homosexuality in an era (1950s) when it was something to hide, his mentally ill mother, the downturn of his career in the 1960s when his boy next door image was no longer viable, his final comeback and finally, peace and contentment and acceptance of himself in his last years. Based on Hunter's memoir TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL: THE MAKING OF A MOVIE STAR (co-written by Eddie Muller) and directed by Jeffrey Schwarz. It's an engaging look at Hollywood in the 1950s and 60s but in particularly Hunter's place in that era. Hunter opens up with personal stories like his being abandoned by his father, his mentally ill mother, his romance with Anthony Perkins, his fake romances for the movie magazines and so much more. If you've a taste for Hollywood history (and gossip), this is for you. The film is loaded with interviews (done especially for the film) by Hunter's contemporaries of the era including Debbie Reynolds, Clint Eastwood, Robert Wagner, Dolores Hart, Terry Moore, John Waters, Laine Kazan, Connie Stevens, Don Murray, Darryl Hickman, Venetia Stevenson, Etchika Choureau and Marilyn Erskine.

Maisie Was A Lady (1941)

After being fired from a carnival sideshow, a showgirl (Ann Sothern) temporarily works as a maid in a posh Long Island estate. She becomes involved with the two rich offspring of a neglectful and absent parent (Paul Cavanagh): his alcoholic playboy son (Lew Ayres) and his fragile daughter (Maureen O'Sullivan) who's engaged to a fortune hunter (Edward Ashley). Directed by Edwin L. Marin (A CHRISTMAS CAROL), this was the fourth entry in the Maisie series, all starring Ann Sothern. Maisie stands out among the MGM franchises (which included The Thin Man, Dr. Kildare, Andy Hardy) because it has a female protagonist at its center. Sothern's sassy wisecracking showgirl provided a nice contrast to the often dramatic and dark situations she was thrown into. Here, she deals with alcoholism, suicide attempts and low self esteem among other things. Of course, most of the comedy comes from the clash of Sothern's brassy "tell it like it is" persona and the haughty rich with their class snobbery. With C. Aubrey Smith, never more charming as the family butler, Joan Perry and Hillary Brooke. 

Show Boat (1951)

On a Mississippi show boat, the show's leading lady (Ava Gardner) is forced to leave due to miscegenation laws. She is bi-racial and married to her white leading man (Robert Sterling). A gambler (Howard Keel) takes over the male lead while the showboat Captain's (Joe E. Brown) daughter (Kathryn Grayson) takes over the female lead. Based on the classic musical by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein by way of the Edna Ferber novel and directed by George Sidney (BYE BYE BIRDIE). This is the third film adaptation of the Ferber novel (previously filmed in 1929 and 1936) and is (unfairly) dismissed in favor of the 1936 version. The 1936 has Paul Robeson (from the London cast) and Helen Morgan (from the Broadway cast) in the movie but I've always preferred this vivid Technicolor MGM version in spite of the changes from the original show. So sue me! Acting wise, Grayson is just fine until she opens her mouth to shriek/sing then it's time to take cover. Keel cuts a dashing figure as Gaylord Ravenal but the acting honors belong to Gardner who brings a touching pathos to Julie. It's a pity they dubbed her because her singing voice isn't bad at all, certainly on a par with Annette Warren who dubbed her. A big shout out to Conrad Salinger and Alexander Courage for their orchestrations, Robert Tucker for his vocal arrangements and Adolph Deutsch for his conducting. With Marge Champion, Agnes Moorehead, Gower Champion, William Warfield and Leif Erickson.

Fango Bollente (aka Savage Three) (1975)

Set in Italy, a seemingly quiet clerk (Joe Dallesandro) in a large computer corporation is bored with both his job and his marriage. So he and his two friends (Gianfranco De Grassi, Guido De Carli) begin engaging in petty violence which soon escalates to rape and murder. Directed by Vittorio Salerno (NO, THE CASE IS HAPPILY RESOLVED), this is an exploitation movie with a social conscience but make no mistake, the key word here is exploitation. While the film examines the breakdown of a bankrupt society where crimes are committed without motive but for the sheer thrill of maliciousness, it also seeks to get its audience high on the violence and the titillation of sexual acts. Why a detailed close up of a rape victim's nipple if not for sheer titillation? For what it is, it's very well done but it has all the sincerity of a DEATH WISH movie. Clucking its cinematic tongue at the breakdown of a morally corrupt society while licking its lips over the sex and violence served up for our delectation. With Enrico Maria Salerno and Martine Brochard.  

Silent Night (2021)

Set in England, an imminent worldwide environmental catastrophe in which a rolling gas cloud is killing all forms of life has caused the government to issue suicide pills so that citizens can die in dignity rather than the horrible painful death by the gas cloud. A married couple (Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode) host a Christmas party for a small group of family and friends including their children to enjoy one last get-together before they all kill themselves. Oh, did I mention this is a comedy? Written and directed by Camille Griffin. Amazingly she manages to balance the black humor with genuine horror. We laugh but we're also petrified at the idea of the apocalyptic end of the world. One child (Roman Griffin Davis) refuses to take the pill insisting that just maybe the scientists made a mistake and it isn't the end. In some ways, it's quite a cynical film but the questions it brings up are legitimate. Is it wrong to force your children to take a suicide pill or should they be allowed to choose for themselves? Should you risk a painful lingering horrible death if there's any chance of surviving? The film is uneven in its execution but I was taken with its blend of black comedy and apocalyptic sci-fi horror. The biggest problem I had with the film were those damn English accents which were often difficult to understand. With Annabelle Wallis, Lily Rose Depp, Kirby Howell Baptiste, Lucy Punch, Sope Dirisu, Rufus Jones and Trudie Styler.

Macho Callahan (1970)

A Union soldier (David Janssen) escapes from a Confederate POW camp and goes on the search for the man (Lee J. Cobb) responsible for tricking him into enlistment. In the interim, he kills a newlywed (David Carradine) over a bottle of champagne in front of his wife (Jean Seberg). The wife hires bounty hunters to capture her husband's killer. Directed by Bernard L. Kowalski (KRAKATOA EAST OF JAVA), this is another nasty piece of goods disguised as a western. This would make a good double bill with THE HUNTING PARTY if you're a masochist. Yet another movie where the leading lady falls in love with a man who murdered her husband, raped her and scarred her face. As if that's not enough, we're treated to cockfights and animals being disemboweled. I'm a fan of both Janssen and Seberg but they're hung high and dry here. With the exception of AIRPORT (which was a huge hit), Seberg didn't have much luck with her American films and Janssen never got a film career going but he thrived on TV. With James Booth, Diane Ladd, Bo Hopkins and Richard Anderson.

Pieges (1939)

After one (Catherine Farel) of her fellow taxi dancers is murdered by a serial killer she met through a newspaper ad, a young woman (Marie Dea) is recruited by the police to help trap the murderer by answering similar adverts. During the course of her undercover work, she meets and falls in love with a womanizer and nightclub owner (Maurice Chevalier). Directed by Robert Siodmark (THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE). After leaving Germany, Siodmak spent seven years (1933-1940) in France making movies before emigrating to the U.S. This thriller with some comedic aspects and some musical numbers (by Chevalier, of course) was remade by Douglas Sirk in 1947 under the title LURED. While the thought of Maurice Chevalier as a serial killer is perversely amusing, the film's blend of comedy and music scatters the necessary suspense that is needed to hold the movie together. In that respect, the Sirk remake is superior. That being said, there's still much to like in this version. Siodmak brings his particular brand of mood and suspense that would flourish in America with his noir films. With Erich von Stroheim in a nice turn as an insane fashion designer, Pierre Renoir, Jacques Varennes, Andre Brunot and Henri Bry. 

Design For Scandal (1941)

An unethical newspaper publisher (Edward Arnold) plots with a reporter (Walter Pidgeon) on his paper to have the reporter romance a judge (Rosalind Russell) and place her in a compromising position so that she can be blackmailed. Directed by Norman Taurog (BROADWAY MELODY OF 1940), this unsuccessful attempt at a romantic comedy was Russell's last film under her MGM contract. With the rare exception (like THE WOMEN), Russell was wasted at MGM who didn't seem to know what they had on their hands. Loaned out to Columbia for HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940) and Russell was able to show what a sensational comedienne she was. MGM casting her in this romcom was an attempt to rectify their misuse of her talents but the script did her no favors (though the movie was a hit) and she blossomed away from the studio. It might have benefited with a leading man more suited to this kind of material than Pidgeon (like Fred MacMurray), who could often be charming but not here. It's not terrible by any means, just blah! With Anne Revere, Lee Bowman, Mary Beth Hughes and Barbara Jo Allen.

The Victim (1972)

A San Francisco heiress (Elizabeth Montgomery) travels to her sister's (Jess Walton) remote home only to find her missing. As a fierce storm rages outside, she fears that something terrible has happened to her sister ..... and she's right to worry! Based on a short story by McNight Malmar and directed by Herschel Daugherty (THE LIGHT IN THE FOREST). While not particularly original, this is a well done telefilm. Helpless damsels all alone in a big house on a dark and stormy night with phone lines being cut and the lights going out have been a staple of the movies since the silent era. While rich in atmosphere and tension, the identity of the murderer is easy to guess. Outside of some very minor characters and the sister, there are only four other characters in the movie so the suspense isn't of the whodunit variety but rather will the heroine figure it out and survive. Not essential but if this is your kind of thing, you should be pleased as it's well done. With George Maharis, Eileen Heckart, Sue Ane Langdon and Richard Derr.

La Sfinge D'Oro (aka The Glass Sphinx) (1967)

Set in Egypt, a millionaire and amateur archaeologist (Robert Taylor) is on the trail of an ancient tomb that contains a priceless glass sphinx. Directed by Luigi Scattini (WAR ITALIAN STYLE), this potboiler is sloppily put together and any potential adventure elements fall flat. In the 1960s, many a fading Hollywood star went to Europe to help resuscitate a career and here an aging Robert Taylor is used for the name value he might still have in the U.S. In the European prints, it's leading lady Anita Ekberg as Taylor's showgirl turned secretary that gets top billing while Taylor gets top billing in America. Filmed in Techniscope, the Egyptian locations are attractive but Taylor and Ekberg are an unlikely screen pair and their romance is not believable. They don't even get that much screen time as a subplot involving Gianna Serra as Taylor's niece and the two men (Giacomo Rossi Stuart, Angel Del Pozo) pursuing her takes up a large portion of the narrative. With Ahmed Kamis and Remo De Angelis.

Splendor (1989)

The owner (Marcello Mastroianni) of a movie theatre (the family business since the 1920s) in a small Italian town struggles to keep his cinema open as ticket sales fall and people turn to their TVs for entertainment. Directed by Ettore Scola (A SPECIAL DAY), this movie is often unfairly dismissed in comparisons to the popular but similarly themed CINEMA PARADISO. I must confess I am not one of that film's admirers (it left me cold) but I found myself warming to SPLENDOR's nostalgic look at the way the movies were and it's never more timely than today with movie theatre attendance drastically dropping, not only because of Covid but streaming keeping people happy on their couches but it's not cinema. For those of us old enough to remember movie palaces with red velvet curtains, where you didn't have to sit through loads of advertisements (and I'm not talking previews) before the movie, where audience members were enraptured with what was going on up on the screen and not checking their cell phones every 10 minutes, SPLENDOR is bittersweet. Whether it's a 1920s audience watching Lang's METROPOLIS on a white sheet fluttering in the wind or snowflakes falling on a 1980s audience's farewell to a movie house, Scola's affection for the movies is palpable. With Marina Vlady and Massimo Troisi.  

No Way Out (1950)

A young black doctor (Sidney Poitier) working in an urban hospital is called on to treat two racist brothers caught in a robbery. When one of them (Dick Paxton) dies, the other (Richard Widmark) accuses the doctor of murdering him. As racial tension mounts in the city, the doctor attempts to remove all doubt regarding the cause of death. Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (ALL  ABOUT EVE), this is a potent piece of movie dynamite. Still relevant and powerful today, one can only surmise how it confronted 1950 audiences who weren't used to such an in your face look at racism from mainstream Hollywood. The film pulls no punches and comes at you head on. Poitier's performance is so assured that you'd never guess this was his film debut. Perhaps the film's most surprising performance comes from Linda Darnell, an actress perhaps known more for her beauty than her acting but she eschews glamour as the dead man's ex-wife struggling to find her place in a world that wants to crush her. With Stephen McNally, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Harry Bellaver, Mildred Joanne Smith and Amanda Randolph. 

Death In Small Doses (1957)

On assignment, an undercover FDA agent (Peter Graves) poses as a truck driver in order to break up a bootleg amphetamine ring pushing the pills to long haul truckers. Based on a Saturday Evening Post article by Arthur L. Davis and directed by Joseph Newman (THIS ISLAND EARTH). This pulpy B movie tries to be timely and shocking in exposing the use of amphetamines (called bennies in the movie) and while it's restrained compared to something like HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL which dealt with drug use in high schools, it still goes ludicrously over the top at times. Chuck Connors as a jive talking, pill popping hophead truck driver is hilarious but not in ways intended. The film tips its hand way too early and it's easy to identify the brains behind the amphetamine ring thus eliminating any suspense. With Merry Anders in the film's best performance as an addicted waitress who helps break the case, Mala Powers, Claire Carleton and Roy Engel.

The Case Of The Velvet Claws (1936)

Famed lawyer Perry Mason (Warren William) marries his longtime secretary Della Street (Claire Dodd) but their honeymoon is interrupted when a woman (Wini Shaw) kidnaps him. Based on the first Perry Mason novel by Erle Stanley Gardner and directed by William Clemens (NANCY DREW...DETECTIVE). The fourth entry in the Perry Mason franchise from Warners and Warren William's final Mason film. Of the four Warren William as Perry Mason movies, this is by far the weakest. Everyone seems tired and the plot (I suspect it's not very faithful to the book) seems silly and rushed. Two more would follow sans William before Warners gave up. With Addison Richards, Clara Blandick and Eddie Acuff. 

Desire Me (1947)

Set in France shortly after the end of WWII, a widow (Greer Garson) shares her grief with the soldier (Richard Hart) who saw her husband (Robert Mitchum) killed trying to escape from a German prisoner of war camp. Slowly, her grief gives way to love for her husband's friend. What she doesn't know is that her husband is, in fact, alive. Based on the play KARL AND ANNA by Leonhard Frank and directed by ..... well, this is that rare film that was released without a credited director. It was a troubled production and reputedly among its many directors: George Cukor (MY FAIR LADY), Mervyn LeRoy (QUO VADIS), Victor Saville (GREEN DOLPHIN STREET) and Jack Conway (THE HUCKSTERS). The plot itself is solid but its execution is haphazard. The film can't seem to make up its mind whether it's a romance, a melodrama or a thriller so it ends up being nothing. I would have loved to see what Hitchcock could have done with the material. There's not enough Mitchum in the film, the movie could have used more of his star power to compensate for Hart's unappealing presence. With Cecil Humphreys and in a rare sympathetic part, George Zucco as a country priest.   

Respect (2021)

The story of the legendary Queen Of Soul, Aretha Franklin (Jennifer Hudson) from the age of 10 when she sang in her father's (Forest Whitaker) church to her rise to international stardom. Directed by Liesl Tommy in her feature film directorial debut. What can one say about yet another musical movie biography? Probably the same thing you've said about the last musical movie bio, just change the names. At 2 1/2 hours this is a slog of a movie to sit through as you think "Haven't I been through this before?" and you have. When acting Aretha Franklin, Hudson is just fine. Nothing wrong with her performance. Not great but decent enough. But when she sings ..... well, Hudson is a wonderful singer but the fact is her feet don't fit the shoes ..... she's no Aretha Franklin. As a singer, Diana Ross was no Billie Holliday but that didn't stop her from giving a killer performance as she roared past the cliches. Hudson doesn't/can't because the script does her in. Her performance of Franklin's songs are a pale imitation of the real thing. When the film is over and we see the real Aretha performing You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman during the end credits, you get goosepimples! With Audra McDonald, Marlon Wayans, Marc Maron and Mary J. Blige as Dinah Washington.

女が階段を上る時 (aka When A Woman Ascends The Stairs) (1960)

A young widow (Hideko Takamine) is a hostess at a bar in the Ginza district in Tokyo. As she turns 30, she decides that she wants to open her own bar but she is not financially secure enough to do it on her own. So, she attempts to secure loans from some of her more affluent patrons. Directed by Mikio Naruse, this is a touching investigation of a woman in post war Japan attempting to demonstrate her autonomy in a patriarchal society where women are looked on as either wife material or sexual objects like geishas, mistresses or bar girls. Takamine's heroine attempts to straddle the line between the two but eventually, her choice is taken from her and fate will decide. One can't help but empathize with her struggle to maintain independence while still dealing with the need for a human connection. Takamine is marvelous here, really terrific and she gets some solid support from Tatsuya Nakadai as her account manager who's secretly in love with her. The score is by Toshiro Mayuzumi (REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE) and the B&W Tohoscope images are by Masao Tamai (GOJIRA). With Masayuki Mori, Reiko Dan and Daisuke Kato.

Used People (1992)

Set in 1969 Queens, a recent widow (Shirley MacLaine) finds herself pursued by an Italian (Marcello Mastroianni) who knew her deceased husband (Bob Dishy) slightly. She must also deal with her two adult daughters: an overweight divorcee (Kathy Bates) constantly berated by her and an unstable daughter (Marcia Gay Harden) who dresses like Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Barbra Streisand and other movie actresses. Based on the off Broadway play THE GRANDMA PLAYS by Todd Graff (who adapted his play for the screen) and directed by Beeban Kidron (TO WONG FOO, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING JULIE NEWMAR). The Oscar winning MOONSTRUCK is the template for this trying too hard to be quirky and whimsical romantic comedy. It lacks the wit and magic of that charming 1987 movie and the lack of chemistry between MacLaine and Mastroianni (struggling with the English language) just isn't there. Two performers manage to (barely) overcome the treacle: Bates and Harden bring some much needed teeth to a rather gummy script. The rest of the talented cast don't fare as well. Among them Jessica Tandy, Sylvia Sidney, Doris Roberts, Joe Pantoliano and Charles Cioffi.

Brass Monkey (1948)

A popular British radio host (Carroll Levis) and an American singer (Carole Landis) are traveling from Japan to England on the same ship. When the singer's fiance Edward Underdown) asks her to hold on to his good luck piece, a brass monkey, the radio host and the singer find themselves entangled in a web of smuggling and murder. Directed by Thornton Freeland (FLYING DOWN TO RIO), this is an odd curiosity of a movie. It's a comedic thriller but padded out with musical numbers and novelty acts. Though unknown in America, Carroll Levis was a real life popular radio host in Great Britain and here, he's playing himself. That may account why the film wasn't released in the U.S. until three years later by which time leading lady Carole Landis had been dead three years (she died in 1948 at the age of 29). As to the film itself, the mystery elements are in place but any suspense is dissipated by the music and novelty acts and some questionable comedy. With Terry Thomas, Herbert Lom, Avril Angers and Ernest Thesiger.

The Hunting Party (1971)

When a notorious bandit (Oliver Reed) kidnaps his wife (Candice Bergen), a cold and cruel cattle baron (Gene Hackman) isn't concerned about his wife. He's enraged that someone has stolen one of his "possessions" and he goes after the outlaw and his gang with a vengeance. Directed by Don Medford (THE ORGANIZATION), this pointless and violent western is a miscalculation on almost every level. Spaghetti westerns from Italy and American westerns like THE WILD BUNCH opened the doors for a more realistic and graphic violence in the genre. But the violence here seems gratuitous as if the film makers wanted to outdo the previous westerns, violence for violence sake if you will. The violence isn't the only film's problem. Candice Bergen spends most of the film getting raped, fending off rapists and beaten up and to make matters worse, she falls in love with her rapist! But it seems a poorly thought out plot point rather than the use of what we now refer to as the Stockholm Syndrome. A truly nihilistic western (that's not meant as a compliment). With Simon Oakland and Mitchell Ryan.

Lucky Night (1939)

An heiress (Myrna Loy) is determined to make her own way in the world without any help from her rich father (Henry O'Neill). Unable to get employment, she meets a homeless gambler (Robert Taylor) in the park and after a wild night of partying and gambling, they wake up to find they are married to each other! Directed by Norman Taurog (BLUE HAWAII), this pale attempt at screwball comedy starts off with some charm and promise but it jumps the rails near the halfway mark. It sends out mixed messages. On one hand, it encourages the life is a ball and shirk responsibility scenario but it also shows Taylor's attitude as irresponsible and not the actions of a grown up. But the movie never fully commits to either outline, it wants to eat its cake and have it too. How wishy-washy can you get! The film is fortunate that its two leads are appealing which makes the movie go down easier but it's entirely forgettable. Surprisingly, the film turned a tidy profit. Go figure! With Marjorie Main and  Douglas Fowley.

Forty Guns (1957)

Set in the Arizona of the 1880s, a reformed gunslinger (Barry Sullivan) now working for the Attorney General's office arrives in Tombstone to arrest a deputy (Chuck Roberson) for robbing the U.S. mail. The deputy is one of the forty hired guns employed by a landowner (Barbara Stanwyck) who runs the territory with an iron fist. Written and directed by Samuel Fuller (PICKUP ON SOUTH STREET), this often outlandish western is superbly executed by Fuller and while it may not reach the heights of Nick Ray's JOHNNY GUITAR, it's an excellent example of the western as a feverish melodrama. Shot in crisp B&W, Fuller and his cinematographer Joseph F. Biroc (FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX) make outstanding use of the CinemaScope format. With the exception of John Ericson as Stanwyck's bad seed brother, the acting is good. Ericson isn't a strong enough actor to go over the top and get away with it. With Gene Barry, Dean Jagger, Eve Brent, Robert Dix and Ziva Rodann.

Number Seventeen (1932)

At an empty London house that's for rent or sale, a policeman (John Stuart) discovers a homeless Cockney (Leon M. Lion) and a corpse. Soon after, a young lady (Ann Casson) comes crashing through the roof. Right after that a group of mysterious strangers intrude their way into the house. Based on the play by Joseph Jefferson Farjeon and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This early Hitchcock talkie already shows the burgeoning Master Of Suspense on the rise. Unlike many early talkies, it's far from being stagnant and speeds along like the train which plays an important part of the story. This might be the first of the films which details Hitchcock's fascination with trains. Others that would follow: THE LADY VANISHES, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, NORTH BY NORTHWEST. It's not a project that Hitchcock initiated which might account for the murkiness of the script. While I frequently complain about movies being too long, this film could have used more exposition. It feels like important scenes have been left out which renders some of the film incoherent but its short running time of one hour and four minutes is correct. With Anne Grey and Barry Jones.

They Won't Believe Me (1947)

A stock broker (Robert Young) sponges off his wealthy wife (Rita Johnson), abandons his lover (Jane Greer) and runs off with a gold digging secretary (Susan Hayward). On trial for the murder of the gold digging secretary, the scoundrel relates in flashback the circumstances that lead to his being on trial. Directed by Irving Pichel (DESTINATION MOON), this well executed film noir is a real sleeper. The usually bland Robert Young has his best part ever and he plays it ambiguously enough so that you're never certain if he's lying or telling the truth. He also summons up just enough sexual aggressiveness that you can believe the three women would want him. Its reputation among noir aficionados has grown over the ensuing years but its still a film not enough classic film fans are aware of. Pichel effectively uses the flashback form to generate a portending suspense that arrives at an unexpected conclusion. Among the women, Greer's role is too drab for her to do much with but as the manipulating wife, Rita Johnson brings some authority to the part and Susan Hayward does the calculating bitch act which eventually would bring her stardom. With Tom Powers and Janet Shaw. 

Island Of Love (1963)

On the lam from the mob boss (Walter Matthau) he fleeced, a con man (Robert Preston) and his pal (Tony Randall) hide out on a Greek island. On the island, they plot their next swindle while the con man falls in love with a local Greek girl (Giorgia Moll). What he doesn't know is that she's the niece of the mobster he scammed! Directed by Morton DaCosta (AUNTIE MAME). DaCosta and his leading man (Preston) were hot off the critical and box office success of THE MUSIC MAN the year before. Why they chose this limp noodle of a comedy as a follow up is a mystery! Sometimes while watching a dud like this, you can't help thinking what were they thinking? I laughed only once when the phony looking snake in a movie about Adam and Eve talked to Eve. I sat through the rest stone faced and who thought it would be funny if Matthau did his entire part speaking with a lisp? On the plus side, the Greek locations shot in wide screen Panavision by Harry Stradling (MY FAIR LADY) look great. With Michael Constantine, Betty Bruce, Vassili Lambrinos and Norma Varden. 

Dementia 13: Director's Cut (1963)

When her husband (Peter Read) dies suddenly of a heart attack, a scheming wife (Luana Anders) hides his body in a lake so she can coerce her mother in law (Eithne Dunn) to change her will. But there's an ax wielding killer on the family estate who might have plans of his own. Written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Roger Corman gave many young directors, Martin Scorsese and Jonathan Demme among them, their first break letting them cut their teeth on exploitation films before they moved on to the big time. Here, it's a young Francis Ford Coppola at the helm directing his first feature film. It was made for about $30,000, Corman was unhappy with the final product and shot additional scenes against Coppola's wishes. The transfer I saw was the restored directors cut which is some  ten minutes shorter than Corman's version. Coppola has basically taken out what Corman put in. What remains is a rather silly but richly atmospheric PSYCHO rip-off. The dialog is mundane and the acting with the exception of Luana Anders, Eithne Dunn and William Campbell (who plays her brother in law) is amateurish. No one is worse than Patrick Magee (A CLOCKWORK ORANGE) because he overacts so terribly that he makes the amateurish performances look good! The score is by Ronald Stein. With Mary Mitchel and Bart Patton.  

The Eyes Of Tammy Faye (2021)

A look at the rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker (Jessica Chastain) and her husband Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) in the 1970s and 80s. Based on the 2000 documentary and directed by Michael Showalter (THE BIG SICK). One could ask if this film was necessary since the documentary film did a pretty good job of examining its central subject. The screenplay is crammed with the usual movie biography cliches and often seems to skim the surface rather than penetrate deeper into the Bakkers history and the scandal that destroyed their empire. But, and this may be a minority opinion, I think the movie is justified because of Chastain's terrific performance which allows a fascinating portrait of a woman whose persona hides a more complex human being than one would have thought based on her public image. As Jim Bakker, Andrew Garfield is also good but make no mistake, this is Chastain's movie all the way. With Vincent D'Onofrio as Jerry Falwell, Gabriel Olds as Pat Robertson, Cherry Jones, Sam Jaeger and Mark Wystrach. 

Foolish Wives (1922)

Set in Monte Carlo, a bogus Russian "Count" (Erich von Stroheim) and his two female "cousins" (Maude George, Mae Busch) are scam artists. His specialty is seducing women and after placing them in compromising situations, extorting money from them. When an American diplomat (Rudolph Christians) and his pretty wife (Miss DuPont) arrive in Monaco, the Count sets about seducing the wife. Written and directed by Erich von Stroheim, this was the most expensive Hollywood film at the time. Monte Carlo was recreated on the stages of Universal studios and von Stroheim envisioned a six hour epic (reputedly it took almost a year to shoot) but Universal nipped that in the bud and cut the film down after its 3 1/2 hour cut premiered in New York. While I absolutely respect an artist's right to his vision, I suspect Universal was smart to edit the film because even at its surviving length of two hours and 14 minutes, the movie's slight narrative doesn't justify its running time. The film was beset with many problems including the death of Rudolph Christians during filming when all his scenes had not been completed and Universal refused von Stroheim's request to refilm his scenes with another actor. What remains is an overlong but often fascinating romantic melodrama. With Dale Fuller and Cesare Gravina.

Something Of Value (1957)

Set in the British ruled Kenya of the 1940s, a white man (Rock Hudson) and a black man (Sidney Poitier) grew up as childhood friends. But after being slapped by a white man (Robert Beatty) for speaking his mind, the black man realizes that as long as Kenyans are in servitude to the white colonials, they will never be truly free. Based on the novel by Robert Ruark and adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Brooks (IN COLD BLOOD). This is a rather audacious film for the conservative fifties in its challenging look at colonial racism. Perhaps too challenging as it did poorly at the box office although its reviews were decent. The watered down "we are all brothers" THE DEFIANT ONES also starring Poitier did much better the following year. Hudson seems out of place here but Poitier gives a passionate performance as the frustrated African who joins the Mau Mau uprising as a way of getting his country back. Brooks doesn't downplay the violence and it still packs a wallop. The "score" is credited to Miklos Rozsa (BEN-HUR) but the score consists of source and native music. With Dana Wynter, Wendy Hiller, Juano Hernandez, Michael Pate, William Marshall and Juanita Moore.

Un Soir De Rafle (aka Dragnet Night) (1931)

An ex-sailor (Albert Prejean, THE THREEPENNY OPERA) meets a music hall singer (Annabella) during a police raid and is immediately smitten. His fighting ability lands him a mentor (Constant Remy) who trains him as a prizefighter. His success in the ring is swift but it goes to his head and he becomes arrogant. Directed by Carmine Gallone, this is an all too familiar boxing story. We know that the boxer will have to get his comeuppance (a defeat in the ring, of course) in order for him to be humbled and realize what really matters. Of interest to cinephiles is the screenplay credit to Henri Georges Clouzot some ten years before his directorial breakthrough with films like LE CORBEAU and THE MURDERER LIVES AT 21. Prejean is very good but Remy as the broken down prizefighter who takes him under his wing and Edith Mera as the femme fatale who lures Prejean away from his true love stand out vividly. With Lucien Baroux and Jacques Lerner. 

And Soon The Darkness (1970)

Two young British nurses (Pamela Franklin, Michele Dotrice) are on a biking holiday in France. The two women argue and one (Franklin) leaves the other (Dotrice) to continue the biking alone. But when she feels guilty for abandoning her companion, Franklin returns to the spot where she left her friend only to find she's not there. When she learns that a young English girl was murdered in the same area the year before, the nurse suspects the worst.  Directed by Robert Fuest (THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES), the film did a modest business at the box office but was dismissed by the critics who found the film unpleasant. Its reputation has grown in the ensuing years and justifiably so I think. It's a taut little thriller infused with a generous amount of suspense by director Fuest. If the identity of the murderer is a bit too obvious, the sense of dread created throughout keeps you on the edge and the movie's ending is wonderfully executed. With Sandor Eles, John Netttleton, Jean Carmet and Clare Kelly.

The Subject Was Roses (1968)

Retuning to his Bronx home after three years serving in WWII, a soldier (Martin Sheen) becomes acutely aware of the tension in the marriage of his parents (Patricia Neal, Jack Albertson). His presence eventually serves as a catalyst that brings the marital problems in the open. Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play by Frank D. Gilroy (who adapted his play for the screen) and directed by Ulu Grosbard. Despite some attempts to open up the play to make it more cinematic, its theatrical roots are all too evident. With its focus on its three protagonists (there are two very minor characters who were not in the play) in their Bronx apartment, it feels what it is ..... a filmed play although I found it more reminiscent of those TV plays featured on shows like Studio One or Playhouse 90. Albertson (who won an Oscar for his performance) and Sheen recreate their stage roles literally, there's a theatrical intensity that doesn't seem natural on the screen, Thankfully, Patricia Neal gives a lovely nuanced performance but it exposes the theatricality of Albertson and Sheen. The film was a personal triumph for Neal. This was her first film since the massive stroke four years earlier that nearly killed her and robbed her of her memory and ability to speak. You'd never guess from her performance that anything had ever been wrong and her monologue (four pages long) on the rooftop is superb. The film makes beautiful use of the Judy Collins song, Albatross.

Broadway Melody Of 1940 (1940)

A dance team (Fred Astaire, George Murphy) are down on their luck and reduced to working in a dance hall. A producer (Frank Morgan) catches their act and wants to audition one (Astaire) of them for the lead in a Broadway show. But through a case of mistaken identity, it's the other dancer (Murphy) who's offered the job. Directed by Norman Taurog (BLUE HAWAII), this was the fourth and final entry in MGM's Broadway Melody films (1929, 1936, 1938). It's the usual hokey backstage musical with some wonderful Cole Porter songs. What makes it special is the one and only teaming of Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell, two of the greatest dancers of Hollywood's so called Golden Age. When they dance, magic happens and their Begin The Beguine dance number is a highpoint in film musicals. The film's thin story is padded out with some novelty acts like Trixie Firschke's juggling blonde and comedic soprano Carmen D'Antonio, both of whom are amusing. With Ian Hunter, Florence Rice and Lynne Carver.

Count The Hours (1953)

When a beloved farmer (Richard Kipling) is killed during a home invasion by an intruder, a hired hand (John Craven) is arrested for his murder. He confesses to spare his pregnant wife (Teresa Wright) the stress of being interrogated. With all the evidence against the hired hand, an attorney (Macdonald Carey) reluctantly takes on the case as the town turns against him for accepting the case. Directed by Don Siegel (THE BEGUILED), this is a decent "race against time" thriller as Carey's lawyer does everything he can to stop his client's impending execution. Unfortunately, the film is hampered by its two dull leads reunited some ten years after Hitchcock's SHADOW OF A DOUBT. They didn't help that film and they pretty much diffuse any tension this film tries to build up. This leaves three supporting players to hold the movie together: Dolores Moran as Carey's wealthy fiancee who is frustrated at taking a back seat to Carey's career, Adele Mara as a gold digging tramp with no conscience and Jack Elam as a batshit crazy mental patient. This is one film that might benefit from a remake with stronger leads. With Edgar Barrier and Ralph Sanford.

Canicule (aka Dog Day) (1984)

Set in France, after a bank heist goes horribly wrong leaving a slew of innocent people dead, one of the robbers (Lee Marvin) flees to the countryside where he hides in the barn of a farming family. He's a cold blooded killer but he might have met his match in the dysfunctional but deadly family who know who he is and wants his money. Based on the novel by Jean Herman and directed by Yves Boisset (L'ATTENTAT), this is a nasty piece of goods. All the characters are despicable, even the little brat (David Bennent, THE TIN DRUM) who frequents brothels. Who's there to root for or invest sympathy in? The only character I felt sorry for was the old housekeeper (Muni) driven to suicide. By the time the movie is over over half the cast is dead and good riddance! That being said, I must confess I quite enjoyed it and the malevolent intentions and machinations of its characters is as fun to watch in its way as the deviousness of the Southern family in THE LITTLE FOXES. Nearing the end of his career (he would do only one more film), the aging Marvin may be top billed and the "star" of the film but he's there to give it box office value in the U.S., it's really an ensemble film. It was never released theatrically in the U.S. but an English dub version went straight to video. With Miou-Miou, Victor Lanoux, Jean Carmet, Pierre Clementi, Bernadette Lafont, Jean Claude Dreyfus and Tina Louise, the only other American in the cast.  

The French Dispatch (2021)

In a small French town, the editor (Bill Murray) of an American newspaper dies of a heart attack. A farewell issue is published as an obituary but it includes four articles which make up the bulk of the movie: 1) a description of the town by a cycling reporter (Owen Wilson), 2) a mentally disturbed artist (Benicio Del Toro) in jail for a double murder is courted by an art dealer (Adrien Brody) 3) a journalist (Frances McDormand) covers student riots but rather than remain neutral, she becomes romantically involved with one of the students (Timothee Chalamet), 4) the son (Winston Alt Hellal) of the police commissioner (Mathieu Amalric) is kidnapped. Written and directed by Wes Anderson (THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL), the ensemble film is a sort of love letter to the New Yorker magazine. Shot in both B&W and color and in the Academy ratio (1.37) with occasional expansion to wide screen, the cinematography of Robert Yeoman (BRIDESMAIDS) is stunning and easily one of the best looking films of the year. The stories with their anomalous characters are never less than fascinating and Anderson's affection for writers is evident in every frame. A charming, quirky film. The massive cast includes Tilda Swinton, Lea Seydoux, Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe, Jeffrey Wright, Saoirse Ronan, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Elisabeth Moss, Henry Winkler, Lois Smith, Stephen Park, Cecile De France, Bob Balaban and narration by Anjelica Huston.

La Bestia Debe Morir (aka The Beast Must Die) (1952)

A mystery writer (Narciso Ibanez Menta) suffers a tragic loss when his 9 year old son (Eduardo Moyano) is killed by a hit and run driver. Seeking justice, he bypasses the authorities and begins looking for clues that will lead him to his son's murderer. This will lead him to an affluent family with their own dysfunctional intrigues. Based on the novel by Cecil Day Lewis (Daniel's father) and directed by Roman Vinoly Barreto. Not all film noirs come out of Hollywood and this jewel of a film noir comes out of Argentina. The movie begins with the murder of a man (Guillermo Battaglia) then goes into flashback mode as we see the events that lead up to his death. There's also a touch of an Agatha Christie whodunit as the victim was so vile and disgusting that everyone except his bitch of a mother (Milagros De La Vega) hated him so there's no shortage of suspects. The film is similar to Christie's MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS in that the murder victim is so reprehensible a human being that his death is deserved and you don't want the murderer punished. A first rate thriller that is a MUST for all film noir fans! Remade by Claude Chabrol in 1969. With Laura Hidalgo, Nathan Pinzon, Josefa Goldar, Humberto Balado and Beba Bidart.