Moonrise (1948)

A tortured young man (Dane Clark) is stigmatized because of his father who was convicted and hanged for murder. In a fit of rage, he kills one (Lloyd Bridges) of his tormentors and attempts to hide the body. But as the law slowly closes in around him, he attempts to come to terms with his legacy. Based on the novel by Theodore Strauss and directed by Frank Borzage (7TH HEAVEN). This noir-ish crime film is atypical of Borzage's filmography. Indeed, unlike most film noirs, its ending isn't fatalistic, there are no femme fatales and a positive future seems to lie ahead for its protagonists. The entire movie is filmed in the studio and the film uses sound stage exteriors, even the woods and swamps as well as an "outdoor" carnival. This, along with John L. Russell's (PSYCHO) B&W cinematography gives the film an expressionistic, almost surreal look. Dane Clark doesn't quite have the acting chops (John Garfield was originally penciled in when William Wellman was on board to direct) to inhabit the complexities of his character. I'm not as enamored of it as its critical reputation would suggest, but definitely worth checking out. With the lovely sad eyed Gail Russell, Ethel Barrymore (third billed but only shows up in the last 10 minutes), Allyn Joslyn (excellent), Rex Ingram and Selena Royle.

Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well And Living In Paris (1975)

In 1968, an off Broadway revue consisting of four singers entitled JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS opened to great success and ran for four years and spawned countless international and regional productions. Directed by Denis Heroux, this was an attempt to put the stage revue in cinematic form. Unfortunately, it's a cluttered mess. The Brel songs remain, as ever, marvelous but Heroux directs with a sledgehammer. It's just too busy. We yearn to see the talented singers just sing the songs but Heroux illustrates the songs with visual accompaniment as if our imagination isn't up to the task of letting the lyrics tell us the story. There's a band of hippies wandering through out the movie at regular intervals which looks like a bad high school production of GODSPELL. Only once do the visuals help the song rather than hurt it and that's with Elly Stone's rendition of CAROUSEL. The film's most powerful moment is when Brel himself sits at a table with a cigarette and a glass of beer and sings NE ME QUITTE PAS with no visuals, no fancy camera work, no cutaways, just the man and the song. In addition to Elly Stone, the two other singers are Mort Shuman and Joe Masiell.

Six Bridges To Cross (1955)

After he shoots a teenager (Sal Mineo) running away after robbing a store, a cop (George Nader) attempts to mentor the kid so that he will turn into a good citizen. But as he (now Tony Curtis) grows up, the lure of crime proves to be too much and the relationship between the two men is strained. Based on THEY STOLE $25,000,000 AND GOT AWAY WITH IT by Joseph Dinneen and directed by Joseph Pevney. Using the the famous 1950 Great Brinks Robbery in Boston as a template, the story is fictional. Universal did send the film crew to Boston rather than shooting it on the Universal backlot to insure more realism. Handsomely shot in B&W by William Daniels (CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF), the film has a grittier look than a studio bound movie. Curtis was already showing the burgeoning talent that would blossom two years later in SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS but the often overlooked Nader gives a solid performance too. Sammy Davis Jr. sings the title song which was composed by Henry Mancini and Jeff Chandler (yes, the actor). With Julie Adams, Jay C. Flippen, Jan Merlin and Don Keefer.

Kiss Me Kill Me (1976)

When a quiet respectable school teacher (Tisha Sterling) is brutally stabbed to death, the police detective (Stella Stevens) working on the case discovers that the teacher was actually leading a double life. At night, she was cruising bars and picking up men of every persuasion until one night, she brought the wrong man home. If the scenario sounds familiar, it should. The novel LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR was published in 1975 and a film version came out in 1977. In between, this TV movie ripped off the premise. Actually, the movie was intended as a pilot for a proposed TV series with Stella Stevens as a detective along the lines of POLICE WOMAN with Angie Dickinson but it wasn't picked up. As a telefilm, it's decent enough and Stevens is very good but it's quite ordinary although quite "adult" for a TV movie at that time. It may have been the first time the word "semen" was used in prime time TV and the gay bar scene in L.A. is explored. Directed by Michael O'Herlihy. The cast includes Robert Vaughn, Dabney Coleman, Pat O'Brien, Claude Akins, Bruce Boxleitner, Bruce Glover and Michael Anderson Jr.

The Out Of Towners (1970)

A small town Ohio businessman (Jack Lemmon) accompanied by his wife (Sandy Dennis) goes on a business trip to New York where he is a candidate for a prestigious position at corporate headquarters. However, they're not even off the plane before the New York visit turns into a nightmare of epic proportions. As in Murphy's law, everything that could go wrong does go wrong. Written by Neil Simon and directed by Arthur Hiller (AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY). This cornucopia of laughter may be Neil Simon's finest cinematic hour. Lemmon and Dennis have mannerisms that are problematic in that they can often be annoying however it's those very mannerisms that often infuse their work (in the right roles) to acting heights. Here, Lemmon's exhausting high strung act fits in perfectly and this is my favorite Sandy Dennis performance (some of her line readings are priceless). Manhattan doesn't come across very nice (it's okay, it can take it) but it's all in good fun. Remade in 1999 with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn but they monkeyed around with it and lost their way. With Anne Meara, Billy Dee Williams, Paul Dooley, Sandy Baron, Ron Carey, Ann Prentiss and Anthony Holland.

Lonely Hearts (2007)

Set in the late 1940s, a con man (Jared Leto) bilks lonely women by romancing them and absconding with their money. But when he meets a woman (Salma Hayek) who puts her mark on him, they join forces and she masquerades as his sister. Only this time, it's not just taking money from widows and spinsters, it's a killing spree. Directed by Todd Robinson and based on the serial killers Raymond Fernandez and Martha Beck (previously the basis of a fictionalized movie called HONEYMOON KILLERS), who murdered twenty women between 1947 and 1949. The film slipped under the radar when it had an all too quick theatrical release and went straight to VOD. It deserved a better fate. The film is riveting when concentrating on the Fernandez/Beck relationship and murders. But half the film is devoted to the two detectives (John Travolta, James Gandolfini) attempting to track down the killers and that portion is prosaic. Travolta is actually quite good but Gandolfini gives a rare bad performance. If you come across it, give it a chance, you'll be surprised. With Laura Dern, Scott Caan and a nice performance by Alice Krige (STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT) as one of the murder victims.    

Corki Dancingu (aka The Lure) (2015)

Set in 1980s Poland, two mermaids are discovered by a rock band and brought back to the nightclub where the band performs. Soon, the mermaids have their own singing act and become a popular attraction. But while one (Marta Mazurek) falls in love with the bass player (Jakub Gierszal) and yearns to become human, the other (Michalina Olszanska) gives in to her thirst for human blood. Directed by Agnieszka Smoczynska, this musical horror fairy tale is quite unlike anything I've ever seen. The genre melding isn't as smooth as it should be, it often feels quite piecemeal and choppy. But the film is admirable in its audacity to push the envelope. It's like SPLASH on acid. Is it a good film? Honestly, I don't know. But it's the kind of lunatic film making (NEON DEMON comes to mind) that makes conventional film making seem colorless. I don't know if I'd like a steady diet of it (that's highly unlikely anyway) but it's always exciting to see outside of the box film making even if it's often crude. It's a film I look forward to experiencing again. With Magdalena Cielecka and Andrzej Konopka.  

Stage Struck (1925)

A drab waitress (Gloria Swanson) in a factory town has daydreams about being a great actress. But it's not because she has any real desire to be an actress but because the pancake cook (Lawrence Gray) she's in love with is fascinated by actresses. Directed by Allan Dwan, the film is in sepia with the fantasy sequences and the last scene shot in two strip Technicolor. The story is okay if a little overlong but it affords Swanson an opportunity to show what a good physical comedienne she is. Dressed in frumpy clothes for most of the film, she's not dependent on her glamour but comic talents. This was the sixth of the seven films Swanson and director Dwan made together. If you're into silent cinema, you should find much to enjoy here. With Gertrude Astor and Ford Sterling.

The Lady In Red (1979)

A young farm girl (Pamela Sue Martin) runs away from her abusive religious fanatic father and goes to Chicago. From there, she works as a seamstress then a taxi dancer then a prostitute then a waitress in a diner which is where she meets the notorious gangster John Dillinger (Robert Conrad). Written by John Sayles and directed by Lewis Teague (CUJO). This is a highly fictionalized account of the life of Polly Hamilton (called Polly Franklin in the film), the woman who was on Dillinger's arm the night he was gunned down by the FBI in front of the Biograph theatre. The film has the feel of one of those socially conscious gangster movies churned out by Warner Brothers in the 1930s. It touches on prison conditions, exploitation of workers, racism among other subjects. Curiously, the film portrays Dillinger as a rather likable nice guy and we never see him performing any criminal activities. In actuality, the "lady in red" was not Martin's character as portrayed in the film but the ex-madam (Louise Fletcher) who doesn't wear red in the film at all. Conrad is rather bland and should have switched roles with Robert Forster, also playing a gangster, who has far more charisma and is a better actor. The film features the first film score by James Horner (TITANIC). With Christopher Lloyd, Mary Woronov, Dick Miller and Peter Hobbs.

The Killing (1956)

Just out of a five year stretch in prison, a career criminal (Sterling Hayden) plans a racetrack heist of two million dollars. He's assisted by four cohorts: a cop (Ted De Corsia), a bartender (Joe Sawyer), a teller (Elisha Cook Jr.) and a banker (Jay C. Flippen) who funds the plans. Based on the novel CLEAN BREAK by Lionel White and directed by Stanley Kubrick who wrote the screenplay with Jim Thompson. This is a terrific thriller done in semi-documentary style. Although he had done two films previously, this is the real start of Kubrick's film odyssey. The tight film editing (credited to Betty Steinberg), the detailed B&W cinematography courtesy of Lucien Ballard and a wonderfully tense underscore by Gerald Fried all contribute to the film's nervously exciting atmosphere but Kubrick's hands are all over it. The acting is marvelous with the supporting roles all filled with familiar faces. Hayden's world weary countenance is almost existential and Elisha Cook Jr. and Marie Windsor as his trampy wife are fantastic in the quintessential Cook and Windsor roles. One of the great noirs. With Vince Edwards, Coleen Gray, Timothy Carey, James Edwards, Dorothy Adams,  Jay Adler and Kola Kwariani.

Pretty Poison (1968)

A young man (Anthony Perkins) is released from a mental hospital after being incarcerated for arson (which killed his Aunt) from the age of 15. He is prone to fantasies and making up things. In the small Massachusetts town where he is working, he meets a teenage girl (Tuesday Weld) and tries to impress her. He will soon find out how lethal she is. Based on the book SHE LET HIM CONTINUE by Stephen Geller and directed by Noel Black. This stunning neo noir tanked when it was first released. Having no faith in the movie, 20th Century Fox pretty much dumped it on the market without any screenings for critics. Today, it is recognized for the mini-masterpiece it is. Much of it is due to Lorenzo Semple Jr.'s exact screenplay which rightly won the New York Film Critics award. Perkins and Weld inhabit their characters so precisely that you don't even think of their "acting" until the film is over and realize how magnificent they are. Kudos also to "scream queen" Beverly Garland, who gives a career best performance as Weld's bitchy mother. One would think a major career would have happened for Noel Black after this film but his star quickly crashed. With John Randolph and Joe Bova.  

King Of Jazz (1930)

Filmed in the two strip Technicolor process, this is a musical revue made in the early days of sound movies featuring song, dance, animation and comic blackouts with no cohesive plot. The famed band leader Paul Whiteman was known as the King Of Jazz although his form of jazz isn't pure but jazz influenced dance music mostly. As with all revue films, it's hit and miss. Some of the film positively creaks (usually the comic bits) and frankly, I lot of it is bizarre: like the Chaplinesque violinist (who looks like Robert Mitchum) who plays a song on a bicycle pump! But the production numbers are vivid and colorful and the dancing is first rate. Still, I imagine to 1930 audiences it was pretty spectacular. Curiously, for a film about jazz the lack of black faces is uncomfortable. There is one "black" dance number (actually very good) but the dancer is white and painted head to toe in black. However, for those interested in early sound cinema, it's a must see. Among the familiar faces that pop up: Bing Crosby, Walter Brennan, John Boles, Laura La Plante and Slim Summerville.