Twin Peaks (1990)

Set in a small Northwestern town, when the body of a popular high school student (Sheryl Lee) is found brutally murdered, the reaction among the town's citizens is swift and an FBI agent (Kyle MacLachlan) is called in to assist with the investigation. Directed by David Lynch (BLUE VELVET), the pilot for the cult TV series where the question of "Who killed Laura Palmer?" dominated season one was turned into a stand alone feature film for international distribution and this is what I watched. However, they had to come up with an ending and answer who killed Laura Palmer (the answer is different from the TV series). What they came up with is an unsatisfying deus ex machina that makes no sense from what we've just seen. But Lynch's unique vision is compelling until the last 20 minutes when the "alternate" ending causes the movie to jump the track. Lynch's narrative is a mixture of realism and surrealism with naturalistic acting and stylized acting and the mix can be quite heady at times. Some of the stylized acting appears to be "bad" (like Dana Ashbrook) but it's exactly what Lynch wanted in keeping with his topsy turvy vision. It's not a recognizable world but a parallel universe where they do things differently. The large cast includes Michael Ontkean, Piper Laurie, Richard Beymer, Ray Wise, Peggy Lipton, Joan Chen, James Marshall, Lara Flynn Boyle, Sherilyn Fenn, Russ Tamblyn, Jack Nance, Everett McGill and in a sensational performance as the murdered girl's mother, Grace Zabriskie. 

La Ultima Senora Anderson (aka The Fourth Victim) (1971)

When a widower (Michael Craig), whose previous heavily insured two wives died under mysterious circumstances, has his third wife (Maria Gustafsson) die from an overdose of barbiturates, the police arrest him for her murder. Enter a beautiful blonde (Carroll Baker) who has a keen interest in being the fourth wife. Directed by Eugenio Martin, this Italian/Spanish mystery thriller is often lumped in the giallo genre. It's not. It's a rather disappointing suspense film and anyone looking for giallo like gore will be disappointed. The killings are discreet and tasteful, you may as well be watching an episode of MURDER SHE WROTE. Many of Baker's Italian period (1967-1975) movies are decent and some are more than that. This isn't one of them. The film is set in England with English characters but outside of Baker and Craig, the rest of the cast are Italian and Spanish actors (dubbed of course) playing Brits. The comic relief of Jose Luiz Lopez Vasquez's Scotland Yard inspector is particularly annoying. The score by Piero Umilani is of no help in providing any suspense. With Miranda Campa, Enzo Garinei and Marina Malfatti.

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1923)

Set in 1482 Paris, the bell ringer (Lon Chaney) of Notre Dame is a deformed hunchback who serves the wicked brother (Brandon Hurst) of the cathedral's archdeacon (Nigel De Brulier). Prodded by the evil brother, he attempts to kidnap a pretty Gypsy girl (Patsy Ruth Miller) but when he is caught, he is betrayed by his master. Based on the classic novel by Victor Hugo and directed by Wallace Worsley. The film is acclaimed for Chaney's simian performance as Quasimodo, it's a physical performance mostly but Chaney is able to convey the lonely and tortured soul even under his thick layers of make up. The spectacular art direction and recreation of 15th century Paris and Notre Dame is impressive. As with many of the film adaptations of the Hugo novel, the ending has been changed to a "happier" one than the book's. Despite Chaney's iconic performance, it's still not the definitive version of the Hugo novel. The transfer I saw had a superb underscore by Nora Kroll Rosenbaum and Laura Karpman. With Norman Kerry and Ernest Torrence.

Landru (aka Bluebeard) (1963)

Set during WWI, a bourgeois working man (Charles Denner) is married with children. He supports his family by luring susceptible widows and spinsters to his rented country estate where he murders them and then helps himself to their bank accounts. Based on the life of the notorious serial killer Henri Desire Landru from a screenplay by Francoise Sagan (BONJOUR TRISTESSE) and directed by Claude Chabrol (LE BOUCHER). Chabrol's macabre black comedy is amusing up to a point but after he is caught by the police and put on trial, the film becomes tedious. One of the movie's stumbling blocks is Charles Denner as Landru. He is so genuinely creepy that any normal woman would run in the opposite direction yet you have dozens of women throwing themselves at him! Surely he had more charisma and charm than the chilly arrogance that Denner delivers. One can be both villainous and charming as Vincent Price and George Sanders have proven but Denner may as well have I'm going to kill you! tattooed on his forehead! Still, there's lots of talent in the cast including Danielle Darrieux, Michele Morgan, Stephane Audran, Hildegard Knef, Juliette Mayniel, Francoise Lugagne and Jean Pierre Melville.

Tortilla Flat (1942)

Set among the paisano community on the Monterey coast of California, a shiftless young man (John Garfield) inherits two houses when his grandfather dies. His indolent friends led by the sneaky but crafty Pilon (Spencer Tracy) take over his property and try to take over his life too after he falls for a local Portuguese beauty (Hedy Lamarr). Based on the novel by John Steinbeck and directed by Victor Fleming (GONE WITH THE WIND). I think we're supposed to be amused by these lazy but colorful bunch of leeches who refuse to work and con their way into getting money and wine to live on. I found them irritating. The characters are all supposed to be of Spanish, Mexican or Portuguese descent which means everybody is miscast and their accents dicey and in Spencer Tracy's case, egregiously so. Tracy lacks any semblance of the charm needed to make his character tolerable. Two actors stand out in spite of the miscasting: Frank Morgan (in an Oscar nominated performance) as the dog loving wood seller and Hedy Lamarr as the feisty lovely who captures Garfield's heart. The film was a big hit. With Akim Tamiroff, John Qualen, Connie Gilchrist, Allen Jenkins and Sheldon Leonard.

Zu Neuen Ufern (aka To New Shores) (1937)

Set in 1846 London, a music hall performer (Zarah Leander) is in love with a self centered and destitute aristocrat (Willy Birgel). When he leaves for Australia after forging a large check, she takes the blame and is sent to prison in the colonies ... in this case, Australia. Based on the novel by Lovis Hans Lorenz and directed by Douglas Sirk (WRITTEN ON THE WIND). This creaky melodrama was a big hit in Germany and pushed Leander into the top tier of the country's film stars. As much as I love Sirk, this movie didn't work for me. It's the kind of movie where the heroine is too good for the weak willed and selfish "hero" yet she pines away for him after taking the hit for a crime he committed. I find such romantic masochism a turn off. Maybe it might have worked better 20 years later when Sirk was at Universal and used his lush Technicolor palette to give it some visual flair, perhaps with Lana Turner or Susan Hayward in the lead. With Viktor Staal and Carola Hohn. 

My Pal Gus (1952)

A single father (Richard Widmark) is a wealthy and powerful business tycoon who doesn't devote much time to his young son (George Winslow). When the teacher (Joanne Dru) at his son's school calls him on it, he strives to improve his relationship with his son and finds himself falling in love with the teacher. Enter the money grubbing ex-wife (Audrey Totter) and there's trouble ahead. Directed by Robert Parrish (CRY DANGER), there's not much you can say about this family friendly comedy which could have come straight out of Disney. The movie stresses family over money and Widmark's absent father is redeemed only when he realizes this while Totter's gold digging ex-wife is on a par with the wicked queen in SNOW WHITE. It's harmless and Widmark is immensely likable when he's not playing psychos or sleazebags (KISS OF DEATH, NIGHT AND THE CITY) and he and young Winslow (the froggy voiced youngster from GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES) have a nice chemistry.  With Regis Toomey, Carl Betz, Sandy Descher and Joan Banks.

Abbott & Costello Meet The Keystone Kops (1955)

Set during the era of silent movies, two friends (Bud Abbott, Lou Costello) invest $5,000 in a movie studio in New Jersey only to find out they've been swindled by a con man (Fred Clark) and his mistress (Lynn Bari). They travel West to California by train and foot determined to find the swindler and get their money back. Directed by Charles Lamont (MA AND PA KETTLE). I've seen all of the Abbott and Costello comedies and this one is pretty much the bottom of the barrel. There are a couple of amusing moments but they're really rehashes of bits that we've seen in previous A&C comedies and done better. The duo just seems tired and the lame script does them no favors. After 15 years as a top comedy team and 34 films together, Abbott & Costello would do one more film, ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET THE MUMMY (1955) before ending their professional relationship. Fortunately, it's much better than this effort and they went out on a relatively high note. With Maxie Rosenbloom, Frank Wilcox and a cameo by Mack Sennett.

Cruella (2021)

After watching her mother (Emily Beecham) savagely killed by a pack of Dalmatians, her daughter (Tipper Seifert Cleveland) runs off to London where she (now Emma Stone) grows up as a grifter and thief. But her true passion is fashion design. Inspired by the novel by Dodie Smith by way of the 1961 animated ONE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIANS and directed by Craig Gillespie (I TONYA). The film attempts to humanize Cruella De Vil by giving her a backstory explaining why she is what she is but this Cruella could never be the Cruella of the original 1961 movie. Still, the film is quite entertaining though overlong but the absence of a truly evil Cruella allows Emma Thompson to steal the movie. Thompson's haute couture priestess could sing you a lullaby while cutting your throat! Jenny Beavan's stunning costumes should be in the running at the next Oscar ceremony. After the Bond like end credits, there's an insert that sets it up for a sequel more closely aligned with the 1961 film. With Joel Fry, Paul Walter Hauser, Mark Strong, Kayvan Novak and Kirby Howell Baptiste.

Sissi: Schicksalsjahre Einer Kaiserin (1957)

The young Austrian empress Elizabeth (Romy Schneider) returns from a good will tour of Hungary exhausted and is diagnosed with a lung disease that may be fatal. She is sent to Madeira to recover and when she doesn't, depression sets in. Directed by Ernst Marischka, this was the third and final installment of the SISSI trilogy that made Schneider a popular star in German films. It's also the weakest of the three entries. There was a great deal of innocence and charm in the first two movies and one could see why German audiences fell in love with Schneider. This one is more serious as it deals with political intrigue and a possible terminal illness. Alas, that seriousness eliminates the appeal that was present in the previous two movies. On the plus side, it's visually gorgeous and we get side trips to Madeira (that's Portuguese territory), Greece and Italy to feast our eyes. With Karlheinz Bohm, Magda Schneider and Vilma Degischer.

One Hundred And One Dalmatians (1961)

When a young married couple's (Ben Wright, Lisa Davis) two Dalmatians have a litter of fifteen puppies, her old school friend (Betty Lou Gerson) attempts to buy them all. Rightly suspicious of her, the couple refuses the offer so she plots to have the puppies kidnapped so she can add them to her collection of Dalmatians with the intention of using their fur to make a luxurious coat for herself. Based on the novel by Dodie Smith and directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske and Wolfgang Reitherman. One of the most delightful animated feature films in the Disney canon, the movie received excellent reviews from the critics while it became one of Disney's biggest box office hits here and abroad (it was the top grossing film in France). It also features one of the all time great Disney villains in the fur obsessed Cruella De Vil superbly voiced by Gerson. Perhaps low-keyed in comparison to some of the other Disney animated classics, its simplicity and lack of affectation is refreshing. Among the other voice talents in the film: Rod Taylor, Tom Conway, Cate Bauer, Martha Wentworth, J. Pat O'Malley and Frederick Warlock.  

Today We Live (1933)

Set during WWI, a British aristocrat (Joan Crawford) falls in love with an American (Gary Cooper) although she's promised to her childhood sweetheart (Robert Young). Based on the short story TURNABOUT by William Faulkner and directed by Howard Hawks (HIS GIRL FRIDAY). A stinker! Faulkner himself is credited as providing the "dialogue" for the film though the screenplay is credited to Edith Fitzgerald and Dwight Taylor. There are two action sequences which are okay and where Hawks seems to have made an effort whereas the romantic slush is cringe inducing. Crawford was fine playing stenographers and shopgirls but whoever thought of casting her as an English aristocrat had a perverse sense of humor. She and Cooper don't ignite any sparks and their on screen romance lacks credibility (they've barely exchanged a few words before they declare their love for each other). Robert Young isn't bad at all except when he has to play drunk scenes where he's just awful. I don't think even the Hawks auteurists can make a case for this one! With Franchot Tone as Crawford's brother (they would marry a few years later) and Roscoe Karns.