The Desert Song (1943)

An American journalist (Dennis Morgan) in Morocco has another identity. He is also the masked El Khobar, the rebel leader of a tribe of desert Riffs fighting against their French oppressors. The 1926 operetta by Sigmund Romberg was a huge hit and had several revivals on Broadway. This is the second film version, the first was 1929 and there would be yet another remake in 1953. Directed by Robert Florey (THE COCOANUTS), the plot has been adapted to be more topical with the addition of Nazis using forced Arab labor to build a railroad for their nefarious purposes. Most of the songs have been jettisoned and the film comes across as a typical 1940s exotic adventure flick rather than a musical. Indeed, the songs often seem extraneous. But shot in gorgeous three strip Technicolor, it's certainly an eye popper and there's one scene, when Bruce Cabot takes Irene Manning to a local Arab dive that is a visual feast (with some nice choreography by Leroy Prinz) and a good example of how to edit a scene. With Faye Emerson, Gene Lockhart, Marcel Dalio, Victor Francen and Lynne Overman providing unnecessary comedy relief.

Return From Witch Mountain (1978)

After he uses his supernatural powers to save the life of a falling man (Anthony James), a boy (Ike Eisenmann) is kidnapped by a power hungry scientist (Christopher Lee) and his money hungry assistant (Bette Davis). Their intentions are to use the boy's power for both power and money but the boy's sister (Kim Richards) uses her supernatural powers to track him down. A sequel to Disney's 1975 hit ESCAPE FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN, this is a pretty lame movie. Everyone in the movies behaves as if they have the I.Q. of a domesticated turkey and if you told me the script was written by an 11 year old, I'd believe you. But fortunately for the grown ups, there are Bette Davis and Christopher Lee in the only movie they did together. As Disney villains, they're rather toothless but you can't Disneyfy these two! They bring vinegar to their roles and if that's about all they're allowed to do, their presence and professionalism elevate the film. Qualities which are need to compensate for the awful child actors who I suspect we're supposed to find adorable. Directed by John Hough (WATCHER IN THE WOODS). With Jack Soo and Denver Pyle. 

The Tempest (1960)

The overthrown Duke of Milan (Maurice Evans), who is also a sorcerer, has lived on a remote island for over a decade. His only companion is his daughter (Lee Remick). He is served by a sprite (Roddy McDowall) and a deformed "monster" (Richard Burton). But when his brother (Paul Ballantyne) who deposed him and his companions are washed ashore by a sea storm, the sorcerer sees a chance to exact revenge. Directed by George Schaefer, this is an abridged version of Shakespeare's play running under 90 minutes. It's airy and lucent and if at times it seems rushed, it's an opportunity to see Burton, McDowall and Evans strut their stuff. Only the lovely Remick seems unsure of herself, Shakespeare's  lines don't seem to come as effortlessly from her lips as it does to the rest of the cast. Hardly the definitive TEMPEST on film but most other versions have been adaptations like FORBIDDEN PLANET or Paul Mazursky's TEMPEST rather than a straight on presentation. With Tom Poston, Liam Redmond, William Bassett and Ronald Radd.

Impromptu (1991)

When the writer George Sand (Judy Davis) first hears the music of Chopin (Hugh Grant), she becomes determined to make him her next lover. To this end, she invites herself to a house party in the country being hosted by a somewhat pretentious Duchess (Emma Thompson). Unfortunately, others will be there including two of her ex-lovers (Mandy Patinkin, Georges Corraface) and Franz Liszt (Julian Sands) and his mistress (Bernadette Peters). This stylish comedy of manners from director James Lapine and writer Sarah Kernochan (it's an original screenplay) is right on the money during the country house party scenes but once that section is regretfully over, it not so much stumbles as lose steam and slowly chugs to the finish line. It's not a serious look at these legendary artists (though I'm not sure Kernochan thought so) but a rather entertaining romp with historical figures. The film offers its cast an opportunity to dress up and play act and while it never quite manages to be as good as its beginning promises, I liked it quite a lot. With Anna Massey, Anton Rodgers, Ralph Brown and Elizabeth Spriggs.  

Monsieur Ripois (aka Knave Of Hearts) (1954)

A Frenchman (Gerard Philipe) in London is a chronic womanizer. He'll say and do anything to get a woman to sleep with him. As his wife (Valerie Hobson) is away getting a divorce, he attempts to seduce her best friend (Natasha Parry) by playing on her sympathies and telling her about his sex addiction. It's fortunate for Rene Clement's amusing comedy that the immensely appealing Gerard Philipe is playing the title role because the character is an amoral and selfish creature with little concern for the feelings of his conquests. But with the charming Philipe in the part, it's hard not to like him and by the end of the movie, we're almost sympathetic to him. It's almost a rough blueprint for ALFIE (1966). Clement shot the film twice, in English and in French, and I only had access to the French language cut but since the British actors are speaking French rather than being dubbed, it was okay. With Joan Greenwood, Margaret Johnston and Germaine Montero. 

Things To Come (1936)

In a British city in 1940, there is talk of war and it isn't long before the bombs start dropping. From there, we jump to 1966 where barbarism and war mongering rule and on to 2036 where there is no more war and peace rules ..... but there is still social unrest. Loosely based on his book THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME, this was the first screenplay actually written by H.G. Wells. Directed by the production designer William Cameron Menzies (GONE WITH THE WIND) with art direction by Vincent Korda, cinematography by George Perinal and a score by Sir Arthur Bliss. This is one impressive looking movie! Influenced visually by Lang's METROPOLIS and Riefenstahl's TRIUMPH OF THE WILL and  itself influential (the look of LOGAN'S RUN owes a lot to it), it's the grandiose and audacious imagery that propels the film and this would have made for a Hell of a silent movie. Unfortunately, there is dialogue and it's pretty ghastly with some decent actors reciting in the declamatory style of bad Shakespeare acting. Wells' socialist views permeate the dialogue and some of the speechifying are real groaners. The cast includes Ralph Richardson, Raymond Massey, Ann Todd, Cedric Hardwicke, Edward Chapman, Margaretta Scott and Derrick De Marney.

Chubasco (1967)

After he's arrested for assaulting a cop, a judge (Edward Binns) gives a delinquent (Christopher Jones, RYAN'S DAUGHTER) a second chance and sends him to work on a tuna boat. Meanwhile, he and his girlfriend (Susan Strasberg) must hide their romance from her disapproving father (Richard Egan). Written and directed by Allen H. Miner, a director better known for his work in episodic television rather than feature films, this potboiler combines a Romeo And Juliet romance with some high sea adventure. The romance is rather a cliche but if you ever wanted to know what life is like on a tuna boat hunting fish down the Pacific, this is the movie for you. Christopher Jones in his feature film debut can't help but come across as a James Dean wannabe. But the movie was never designed to be anything but a programmer and in spite of some good touches (the scene where Jones is told of his grandmother's death is nicely done), it's not a film that will stick with you. There are two performances that stand out: Ann Sothern as lusty madam and Joe De Santis as an old fisherman. William Lava's underscore adds some quality to the film. With Audrey Totter, Simon Oakland and Preston Foster.

Come Back, Little Sheba (1952)

A recovering alcoholic (Burt Lancaster) lives with his chatty if slovenly wife (Shirley Booth). But when a pretty young college student (Terry Moore) rents a room in their home, she ignites a small flame that will eventually shatter their marriage. Based upon the Broadway play by William Inge and directed by Daniel Mann (BUTTERFIELD 8), this is one of those relatively rare instances where the original star of the Broadway show (Booth) was allowed to preserve her performance on film. Pauline Kael once wrote that it wasn't much of a movie but a setting for Booth's performance but I don't think that's quite fair. Inge's play and Ketti Frings' adaptation of it for the screen is a solid piece of drama. But there's no getting around the fact that Booth's bravura performance, which won her a best actress Oscar, takes no prisoners. Alas, poor  Lancaster can't hold his own with her. Not that he's bad, he's not but it's just that he's so completely miscast that he fades. Watching him, I couldn't help but think how perfect Fredric March or maybe even Spencer Tracy would have been. But Lancaster was there for box office insurance, this was Booth's feature film debut and she had no box office clout. With Richard Jaeckel and Philip Ober.

Odd Man Out (1947)

Having escaped from prison, one of the leaders (James Mason) of an Irish revolutionary organization (not specifically named but clearly the IRA) is in charge of robbing a mill to obtain money to fund the organization. But things go horribly wrong and dying, he spends a long cold night trying to find solace and the film is as much about the people he encounters during his journey as much as it is about him. This might be Carol Reed's best film. It's a beautifully sustained piece of work and with one exception (Robert Newton), impeccably acted down to the very smallest roles. Reed is assisted in this masterwork by Robert Krasker's superior chiaroscuro cinematography and William Alwyn's expert score which propels the film forward. Mason achieved stardom as the brooding anti-hero of some Gainsborough melodramas but it was ODD MAN OUT that allowed him to show that he could be a great actor, too. I would assume anyone remotely interested in cinema must have seen this by now but if you haven't, see it! You won't be disappointed. The cast, the cream of Irish actors, includes F.J. McCormick (very good), Cyril Cusack, Dan O'Herlihy, Fay Compton, Robert Beatty, Denis O'Dea, William Hartnell and in her film debut, Kathleen Ryan.  

Dressed To Kill (1980)

An unhappy housewife and mother (Angie Dickinson) vents her frustrations to her therapist (Michael Caine). But when she is brutally murdered just hours after their last session, her son (Keith Gordon) and a call girl (Nancy Allen), the only witness to the killing, attempt to track down her killer. In the hands of a lesser director, Brian De Palma's stylish and elegant thriller would be a mere exploitation film. If OBSESSION was his homage to VERTIGO, DRESSED TO KILL is his PSYCHO right down to the psychiatrist's banal explanation at the end. DTK is really about the possibilities of cinema. De Palma's (he wrote the script) narrative isn't particularly inventive but the film fairly drips with technique. In the majority of Hitchcock's films, he always had a set piece (sometimes two) which stood out. Here, the museum sequence is a corker of film making technique. No dialogue with only Pino Donaggio's superb underscore to accompany it, it runs nearly 10 minutes and is a mini movie unto itself. The film also features Angie Dickinson's best performance. Her face displays an amazing array of emotions without even uttering a word. With Dennis Franz (whose cartoonish performance is the film's only sour note), David Margulies and Susanna Clemm.

The Big Short (2015)

In 2005, a hedge fund manager (Christian Bale) begins to suspect that the nation's housing market is headed for a collapse. He decides to make a profit on the collapse by setting up a credit default swap with a bank. Sensing there is money to be made from this, a trader (Ryan Gosling) and another hedge fund manager (Steve Carell) also buy into the credit default market. Based on the non fiction book by Michael Lewis which detailed the financial crisis of beginning in 2007, director Adam McKay (ANCHORMAN) opts for a mostly comedic approach to the subject. These guys (Bale, Gosling, Carell) who are making a profit off the backs of people losing their jobs and their homes are the "heroes" of this movie! Sure, two of them feel bad about it but they're still banking the millions they make off of the horrendous disaster. McKay senses the complexities of how the collapse occurred so he rather glibly has stars like Selena Gomez and Margot Robbie (in a bubble bath) as themselves explain it to us. The film partially redeems itself during the movie's last 40 minutes which are so devastating that McKay drops the "cutesies" and begins to take things seriously. If the film's first hour and a half (it runs over the 2 hour mark) had taken this approach it would have been a far better movie. With the exception of Carell and Brad Pitt, most of the characters come off as caricatures rather than real people. A lost opportunity but not without some potent moments. With Marisa Tomei, Melissa Leo and in the film's worst performances, Finn Wittrock and John Magaro.

Ex-Machina (2015)

A computer programmer (Domhnall Gleeson) wins a lottery to the secluded home of his company's CEO (Oscar Isaac). Upon his arrival, he's asked to administer some tests to a new AI (artificial intelligence) robot (Alicia Vikander, THE DANISH GIRL) that will determine her "humanity". But that's just the tip of the iceberg. This terrific piece of science fiction somehow slipped under my radar when it was released early last year. I may be late in catching up with it but all I can say is ..... wow! I was hooked right from the beginning and found it compelling to its final moments. The directorial debut of screenwriter Alex Garland, probably best known for his screenplay to 28 DAYS LATER, is a tight (there are only 3 major characters and one supporting one) and economical piece of film making that is both familiar in the sense in that you think you know what's going to happen but fresh in its ability to still surprise you. The film is anchored by two excellent central performances from Gleeson and Vikander. Isaac's character is too broadly acted and while it serves as a nice contrast to the delicate underplaying of Gleeson and Vikander, it still seems actor-y. But that's a minor quibble. With Sonoya Mizuno.