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The System (1964)
The System
Oliver Reed is Tinker, a beach photographer who with his mates spends the summer season trying to seduce as many young girls on holiday as they can. They are seasoned professionals who know which buttons to press, but the years are gaining and a young girl Nicola (Jane Merrow) arrives, a model who also knows her way around. Tinker falls in love with her, but will she succumb to his charms and equally does she need him.
Quite witty and sharp observations about seaside romance, the characters who exist there, the various classes and the British seaside holiday in general. Oliver Reed is good as Tinker, if possibly a little miscast and is supported by a wide array of British character actors, a number of whom, eg David Hemings, went on to bigger things. It's a sometimes funny, often sad affair with wizened seaside exploiter of girls Reed starting to not cope with real life and romance to the extent that you actually end up feeling a bit sorry for him.
Hit Man (2023)
Hit Man
Dark romantic comedy thriller starring Glen Powell and based in part on a true story. Powell plays Gary, a college professor of psychology and philosophy who moonlights, helping the police with electronic surveillance systems. When the main undercover cop is suspended, they ask Gary to step in. Now as Ron, he excels as a fake Hit Man and is asked by the police to get involved in many other set ups to catch out people looking to hire him to kill people. To do this he adopts disguises and identities to convincingly catch the targets out. One day though, looking to set up a young woman eager to kill her brutal husband, he falls for her and convinces her to back away. A romance begins which gets more and more complicated as he continues to play at being Ron.
Fun stuff, which starts off as a straight comedy as he traps all sorts of eccentrics who want to kill husbands and wives etc. However, when the romance starts each scene ramps up the complications with the story becoming increasing dark and seemingly impossible for Gary to escape prison, get the girl etc. Powell is really good - truly now looking like a big star presence - looking at identity and whether it is possible to embrace a new one if required, in turn requiring him to play lots of different characters in order to catch the baddies. A good laugh, clever and worth seeing.
Dersu Uzala (1975)
Dersu Uzala
Captain Arseniev is charged with carrying out several topographic surveys of the isolated Sikhote-Alin region of North East Russia. During his trip he comes across a native hunter Dersu Uzala, an eccentric elderly man who has become completed integrated into living in the region and who agrees to act as Arseniev's guide. His great knowledge and skills will help Arseniev greatly and indeed save his life on more than one occasion as, over the years, they become close friends.
A very simple, straight forward tale of adventure and the creation of a lifelong friendship highlighting that both men were ultimately born to survive in their own environments. It is an extremely beautiful and ultimately touching epic that really needs to be seen on the big screen.
Viskningar och rop (1972)
Cries and Whispers
19th century period piece with sisters, Maria and Karin returning to their childhood mansion home to be with their 3rd sister Agnes who is in the final stages of uterine cancer. The sisters find the notion of supporting their dying sister both alien and quite revolting and indeed the only real care and affection comes from Agnes' maid, Anna. Obsessed with their own largely miserable lives, the film explores many of Bergman's great loves - loneliness, misery, death, pain and womanhood, but especially death here, what it's like and how it affects us.
Granted the film is yet another skilfully directed and artfully photographed insight into the human condition and has had of course acclaim piled upon it. It is a hugely dramatic and at times extremely disturbing experience that is difficult to watch. It is interesting to see how the death of a good person can affect people, particularly such revolting ones and that the only good people here - Agnes and Anna must suffer. I can appreciate the skill with which this is put together - well I think I can - but Bergman makes his films for certain folk and with a particular tunnel vision that I find difficult to get along with. I'm sure I'm not alone in this view - although I have relished a number of his films - but for example his strong use of colour especially red is prevalent here. Bergman said that "When I was a child, I saw the soul as a shadowy dragon, blue as smoke, hovering like an enormous winged creature, half bird, half fish. But inside the dragon, everything was red." Well there you go. I shall now go and watch Carry On Up the Khyber.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Furiosa: A Mad Mad Saga
A prequel of sorts to Fury Road, Furiosa as a young girl (Alyla Browne) is captured and grows up within the tender clutches of vast bike gang leader come warlord Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). As she grows she is moved around and ends up as a prospective wife in the rival settlement The Citadel and then as a no 2 to top supply driver Jack (Tom Burke) where she learns to survive. The grown up Furiosa's (Anna Taylor Joy) fury knows no bounds and her life then becomes devoted to getting her revenge on Dementus.
Quite different from Fury Road in that unlike the one long chase that that film was essentially about, this covers an epic tale of some 15/20 years of Furiosa's life and how she adapts to her changing circumstances whilst remaining tough as nails and committed to revenge. All the performances are terrific, including Alyla Browne as the young Furiosa, although I was particularly impressed with Hemsworth, nicely mixing leader, sadist, moron and clown. The whole thing looks absolutely dazzling with tremendous scale and really needs to be seen on the biggest screen you can find. To top it off the effects and stunts for the action scenes are every bit as good, if not better than Fury Road. For reasons I simply don't understand this hasn't done well at the box office, so more Mad Max with George Miller at the wheel may be in doubt - I do hope not.
February (2015)
February
Horror film featuring a story told from the perspective of three young girls, one after the other. In a Catholic boarding school two girls are expecting to be picked up by their parents for a winter break. This doesn't happen and the older one Rose (Lucy Boynton) is asked to look after the younger, Joan (Kiernan Shipka) who seems lonely, disturbed and seemingly troubled by some form of malevolent spirit. The third girl Kat has escaped from a mental institution and is determined to make her way back to the school.
Directed by Osgood Perkins (son of Anthony 'Psycho' Perkins), this is a fascinating, quite chilling horror that is nevertheless somewhat confusing. Whilst the three timelines overlap, quite how they properly link together remains rather fuzzy until the final 15 minutes. It's a bold, well crafted, stylish thriller that really pulls you in, not least due to its eerie tone and a desire to unlock the mystery as to how this will all pan out.
Released with 2 titles - The Blackcoat's Daughter and February. I'm not a film producer but find it hard to understand how anyone would imagine folk flocking to something called February.
Suddenly (1954)
Suddenly
The President of the United States' train is going to pull into the small town of Suddenly. Crazed killer Frank Sinatra and his team are there to assassinate the President and hide out in a house looking down on the train station. There they take a young woman, her son and her elderly father in law prisoner as well as tough guy local sheriff, Sterling Hayden.
Straight, solid enough thriller set largely in the house overlooking the station awaiting for the five o'clock train. It's actually all quite tense and people do get unexpectedly shot, but the best thing here is Sinatra, giving a nice turn as a psychopath on a mission. Hayden is less convincing, talking monotone tough guy to everyone including the woman he loves. Far from exceptional, but perfectly watchable.
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (2023)
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
Prequel to The Hunger Games films seen through the eyes of Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) who would become President Snow in the first films as played by Donald Sutherland. Expecting to win the prestigious Plinth Prize, Snow and his colleagues are told at the last minute that the prize will go to the one who best mentors the competitors (tributes) in the 10th hunger games. Split between strict adherence to the rule of law and some understanding of the rebel's cause, Snow falls for his Tribute, Lucy Gray (Rachel Zegler). However, continually supported by evil games keeper Gaul (Viola Davis) he keeps his options open when he is sent to district 12 for cheating in the games.
There is a decent sense of an epic story here, with Blyth giving a good performance popping between adoration for Lucy Gray and needing to get on up. He does this very well, but the whole thing is still at 157 minutes way too long. There are some good scenes throughout including in the notorious games, but it's mostly a love story littered with political chicanery and betrayal. Much better than I was expecting, but 30 minutes too long.
The Blackening (2022)
The Blackening
A group of black friends hire a cabin in the woods for a get together. Soon after they arrive they get locked in the cellar and are forced to play a seemingly interactive game called 'The Blackening' which requires them to answer cultural African-American questions or suffer the consequences. The consequences come in the form of a large masked killer with a crossbow.
Quite a clever mixture of horror movie killer on the loose parody as well as a fun stab at racial stereotyping. The script is very fast and sharp with some great one liners, but still manages to retain a sense of tension. It does lose its way a few times and goes a bit sour, but smart enough and worth a look.
The Exorcist: Believer (2023)
The Exorcist: Believer
A sequel of sorts to 'The Exorcist', 2 young school girls wander off into the woods and are found 3 days later with severe cuts and bruises and no knowledge of what has happened. The behaviour of the girls deteriorates and the father of one of the girls goes in search of now famous author on possession, Chris MacNeill, played by Ellyn Burstyn from the original. Together with a priest, a spiritualist and others they decide exorcism is the only option.
After a fairly well crafted and suspenseful first forty minutes looking for the girls, trying to pin down what happened and arguing the various pros and cons of Catholicism, this kicks off. It's a shame in some ways that it does as it flows into very predictable territory with gravelly voices, harsh language and lots of goo, but without managing to create the unease and fear the original brought. Nothing really unexpected occurs even if it is professionally enough done. Burstyn being there is a hideous, apparently well paid gimmick which adds precious little to the plot and whilst I enjoyed watching the acting of the always excellent Ann Dowd, it ultimately left me with a feeling of so what.
Ghost Story (1981)
Ghost Story
4 old men spend time sitting in a firelit room drinking Brandy and trying to scare each other telling ghost stories - they call themselves The Chowder Society. When one of the sons of Douglas Fairbanks Jr is killed in strange circumstances, his other son (Craig Wasson) comes to stay and starts to realise that the person responsible may have been a girl he was engaged to, but left. In telling the members his story, the Chowder Society members start to suspect that the woman may feature in their past as well.
This is in the main an enjoyable ghost story but it is a film of very mixed qualities. On the positive side, this is a good story with some clever ideas. The 4 elderly leads (Astaire, Houseman, Fairbanks Jr & Douglas) are terrific as are their literal supporting ladies Patricia Neal and Jacqueline Brooks. Top of the pile though is Alice Krige who has an alluring, sexy yet menacing presence throughout. Whilst I didn't find the film particularly scary, it is often spooky and unnerving.
On the downside, ghost stories generally work best on a less is more basis, which is very much not in evidence here. There are far too many 'shows', too many gooey skeletal apparitions and way too many sweaty dreams. A significant part of the film involves 2 flashbacks which are weak, particularly when the old guys look back at their youth - all wrong, badly characterised as if they were school children rather than adults. On the acting front Wasson to me is miscast and looks bewildered in every scene he's in and finally the soundtrack is far too intrusive and melodramatic.
Overall there is fun to be had here with some decent chills so it is worth catching, but there are clearly weaknesses.
The First Omen (2024)
The First Omen
Margaret, a young novice played by Nell Tiger Free goes to Rome to take her final vows in a convent that runs an orphanage. There she is welcomed by her old friend and mentor Cardinal Bill Nighy, the other nuns and roommate Luz who persuades her to enjoy life once more time before taking her vows. Initially content, she is though troubled that one girl in particular is treated severely and she finds strange things start to occur at the convent including a very unpleasant suicide. One day a priest approaches her with a bizarre story and ask for her help.
Rather impressive prequel to the seventies horror classic 'The Omen'. The film is finely paced with a strong sense of dread and horror aligned nicely with the tone of the original - this really sits well as a prequel. Like the film that followed this, there are a number of juicy deaths punctuating the sense of impending horror, but the real strength and what makes this in places an unnerving watch are the scenes of births and the presence of the devil which seem frighteningly real. Much much better than I was expecting with imaginative photography and a fine score - well worth catching.
The Changeling (1980)
The Changeling
Following the tragic death of his wife and daughter, acclaimed composer and music scholar John Russell (George C Scott) takes a job at a college and rents out a large old house to live in, helped along by local historian Claire (Trish Van Devere). Soon after arriving he starts to hear strange noises and even has weird visions. He starts an investigation to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Underrated ghost story which avoids many of the pitfalls of out and out horror and makes a serious and impressive grown up stab at chilling our bones, which it does very nicely. Scott is terrific as the devastated husband and father who starts almost a detective piece trying to find out what's hiding away in his house. It's a good story with plenty of well crafted scenes and a memorable score, as he gets closer and closer to the truth and throughout it's well acted by all including the great Melvyn Douglas. Turn the lights off and enjoy.
The Flying Deuces (1939)
The Flying Deuces
When he discovers that the woman he loves is more smitten with a foreign legion soldier than him, Olly decides to commit suicide. During a chaotic suicide attempt, he and Stan are persuaded to join the legion and innocently head off to the desert.
Sadly, this rather falls short of the work from their heyday. The boys do though remain good company and there are indeed a few good laughs to be found here - I particularly liked the notion that Olly thinks it only fair that Stan commits suicide as well. It's also nice to see a few of Stan and Olly's stalwarts such as James Finlayson and Sam Lufkin. Charles Middleton, better known as Ming the Merciless, seems to recreate the role perfectly as the camp commander.
My Favorite Brunette (1947)
My Favorite Brunette
Baby photographer Ronnie Jackson (Bob Hope) has dreams of being a top private detective. From his death row cell he tells some journalists how he got into the mess he's in. He relates the story of how Carlotta (Dorothy Lamour) had sought his help in finding her kidnapped husband and gives him a secret map as a clue.
This is a fun mixture of typical Hope quick fire gags as well as a parody of film noir. Peter Lorre is great, sending himself up from numerous thrillers, here dubbed 'cuddles' by Hope and Lon Chaney Jr amusing as the dopey tough guy in the gang with a heart of gold. It all goes pretty much as expected, but the script is sharp and designed for Hope with a couple of nice cameos thrown in for good measure.
Le salaire de la peur (1953)
The Wages of Fear
A group of men including Mario, played by Yves Montand live in an isolated, run down desert village in South America, which is essentially supporting a local U. S. oil company outlet. To get out you need a flight and for that you need money and to get money you need a job. Mario and 3 others are offered $2,000 each if they will transfer nitro glycerine to an oil well that has caught fire. The slightest vibration or increase in heat will set it off - it is incredibly dangerous, but all the men desperately need the money and take on what will be a shattering existential crisis.
Easily up there as a movie great with tension you could cut with a knife. There are a number of incidents which I won't give away that seem so intense you you can barely watch. These are handled brilliantly by Clouzot that they seem completely real and you can imagine the actors really going through it to get these great scenes.
The actors are universally excellent with Montand giving one of his finest performances although he is equalled, maybe even surpassed by Charles Vanel as his co driver. To see these 2 men's characters change so much throughout the film is extraordinary, particularly in comparison to the excellent opening scenes in the village where their characters behave so differently to that which they will dramatically become. A masterpiece
PS - I didn't care much for the ending.
Fiend Without a Face (1958)
Fiend without a Face
Set around an air base in Canada and the village nearby, Major Cummings (Marshall Thompson) is asked by his Colonel to investigate a spate of sudden, violent deaths nearby, which the simple village folk blame on radio activity from the base. However, when a couple are killed, a post mortem reveals 2 puncture marks on their necks and that their brains and spinal cords are missing. Cummings is convinced that local atomic scientist, Professor Walgate is involved and goes to see him only to be told that the Prof has been experimenting with thought projection.
Whilst this has clearly been pulled together on a small budget in the UK - very obviously not Canada - this is a lot of fun, rather reminiscent of the earlier Quatermass films. In its day it had quite a lot of trouble from censors given the blood and goo which today is not remotely troubling. It's well written and despite some pretty dire effects by today's standards, stands up pretty well. Thompson is fine, if rather bland, leaving it to the villagers, particularly Kynaston Reeves as Walgate to give it colour. Late night fun.
Ghost Stories (2017)
Ghost Stories
Based on the successful stage play, co-author Andy Nyman plays Professor Philip Goodman, a tv personality famous for exposing psychics etc. He very much admires Charles Cameron who did similar work in the seventies and who unexpectedly invites Goodman to come and see him. Here he gives him 3 case files which he says will prove that Goodman is wrong and ghost do exist. Goodman investigates.
This is a very British anthology 'horror' film, focussing though on ghosts rather than viscera and is indeed quite spooky with a liberal spread of decent jump scares. There is more to it though than the 3 case studies and I would suggest that your viewing would benefit from some concentration. As with all anthology films, some bits are better than others but overall this is a satisfying, spooky gathering of stories, although I found the last 20 minutes a good idea, but rather weakly pulled together.
La règle du jeu (1939)
La Regle du Jeu
With war looming, Robert, the Marquis de la Chesnaye, invites many of his wealthy guests to his country estate for a weekend shoot and party. He is married and loves his wife Christine but has been having an affair with Genevieve plus he knows of his wife's dalliances with national flying hero Andre. On the advice of his friend Octave, played by the film's director Jean Renoir, he invites Andre for the weekend. Meanwhile the servants mirroring their 'betters' behaviour, are also having affairs of the heart, leading to a class satire and farce which can only lead to tragedy.
Defined as a masterpiece this film flopped and was then banned because of the sweet, but venomous stab at the French upper classes leading up to war. Whilst all the characters, and there are many of them, all of whom remarkably have distinctive characters, are charming and amusing and play nicely with their servants and underlings, they play by certain rules and almost subconsciously see themselves as the leading, senior class. The only difference here is Octave played by Renoir whose character seems to manage to bridge the gap between the various machinations going on upstairs and downstairs and who indirectly leads the story and indeed the path to destruction. It's a wonderful, funny and thought provoking film, seeming very modern for its time including how it is filmed. Inevitably with masterpieces it has been picked apart and analysed to death, which is sometimes rather interesting to read, however watching and enjoying this will actually suffice.
Blue Beetle (2023)
Blue Beetle
Superhero movie with Xolo Maridueña playing Jaime Reyes, who has just returned home to his family after university. He gets some cleaning work at giant tech company Kord Industries run by nasty Susan Sarandon who is trying to control Palmera City with a new breed of Robocop type machines / people hybrid. When a sentient alien scarab Sarandon needs picks Jaime and transforms him into the titular beetle, Sarandon's men go after him and his family.
Whilst the story is not particularly original, what makes this one of DC's more enjoyable romps is the characters, especially Jamie's rather crazed, eccentric family who despite their age rush to assist and remarkably unleash a number of, until then, hidden talents. It's all nonsense of course, but done with charm and great wit - some genuinely funny lines here - coupled with some fun visual effects. Fun and not as brooding and dark as most of DC's catalogue.
It Lives Inside (2023)
It Lives Inside
Sam (Megan Suri) is a bright young student having a hard time adjusting to western society versus adherence to her native Indian culture, fondly and strictly followed by her mother. Her once best friend Tamara approaches her one day, terrified and holding a jar and asking Sam to believe her bizarre story. Irritated, Sam smashes the jar - something she will later regret.
Whilst this is handled effectively enough and the Indian menace driven by an ancient culture makes for a bit of a nice change, we have seen this all many times before. Hence you have a nasty beastie in the cupboard given to wandering around in the dark and snarling, an old book and a horny boyfriend with a nice car (do all American teenage boys have nice cars?) all building to a climactic battle - in the dark! - even the beastie is a bit naff. It's ok and there are some solidly crafted spooky bits, but this is just not original enough. To note, it is surprisingly free of entrails etc etc.
School for Scoundrels (1960)
School for Scoundrels
Ian Carmichael is Henry Palfrey a rather weak, socially inept office manager who fails at every turn, particularly in getting the girl he loves, Janette Scott, away from his competitor and all round cad Terry-Thomas. He therefore enrols at the School for Lifemanship run by Professor Potter (Alastair Sim) which teaches you how to get the upper hand in all situations. Taught, he returns to get the better of those who look down on him.
Amusing British comedy featuring the glorious trio of Carmichael, Thomas and Sim and a wonderful turn by Dennis Price and Peter Jones as two disreputable car salesmen. It's a film you titter at all the way through rather than roar with laughter, but watching all these consummate comedians, particularly the core trio, is a rare treat.
Le Mans (1971)
Le Mans
Steve McQueen stars as Porsche driver Delaney, driving in the 24 Le Mans race a year after competitor Belgetti had been killed in the race, potentially because of Delaney. Begetti's widow, who blames Delaney attends the new Le Mans.
Clearly a passion project for McQueen who apparently wanted to make a piece of art about the race and racing. Hence, whilst the racing scenes, including a number of crashes are undoubtedly thrilling, cinema goers, as opposed to racing enthusiasts, are left with few bones to chew over. There is a sultry, mysterious relationship between McQueen and Elga Anderson as Begetti's widow with both staring soulfully into space fretting over their pasts and a script that must have been written on the back of match book when visionary McQueen had a spare moment. Ok, so he's Mr Cool and he loves racing and this is in part what he was intending, but it flopped and is largely very dull. I guess we should be grateful that McQueen wasn't interested in stamp collecting.
City of Lies (2018)
City of Lies
Based on a true story, Johnny Depp plays retired and disgraced LA Cop Russell Poole who devoted a large part of his life to identifying who murdered famous rap artist 'Notorious B. I. G.' Forest Whitaker plays Jack Jackson, a journalist assigned to look back at the crime and Poole's work. Through a series of flashbacks Poole explains that he was constantly told to drop the case, because he had identified numerous LA Cops who were in the pocket of Death Row Records and its head, Suge Knight who was believed to be responsible for the killing as revenge for the earlier killing of Tupac Shakur. The LA Police department could not be seen to be employing such corrupt individuals not least because they could not afford the legal
costs when sued, to say nothing of the heads that would roll.
Whilst this is a real powerhouse of acting on display here from Depp as well as Whitaker and Toby Huss, it remains sometimes a struggle to keep up with. Aside from the endless mumbling and street banter which sometimes needs translating, it seems to be trying to create a number of points which just don't meld together around a police procedural whodunnit (which rather gets knocked in the head), a police corruption story and a tale building up the hero Poole. The first half is therefore gritty, convincing in its way and rather confusing whilst the second is easier to follow, more cohesive and dramatically satisfying. Good in places - watch it for Johnny Depp.
Monolith (2022)
Monolith
A strong willed, but seemingly on the way out journalist runs a podcast covering unsolved mysteries from her parents' lavish, isolated home. When she receives an anonymous email she follows it up and is told of a strange black brick that had altered the life of an ex maid. Investigating further she discovers an art dealer who has acquired a few of the bricks and had them scanned - he sends the results to the journalist. As the investigation progresses further and more people contact her, she begins to realise that she may in fact be directly involved in the mystery herself.
A tense and interesting low budget independent sci-fi thriller filmed entirely in the house and with just one actor seen, the unnamed journalist, played convincingly by Lily Sullivan. The investigative element involving interviewing various affected characters over the phone is well done and is actually the best part, as the possible ways in which the brick might be affecting people slowly emerges leading in turn to how the mystery might be directly involving the journalist. It is sci-fi and inevitably it brings the threads together with a bit of out there weirdness, but it's well enough handled and overall this is a fascinating and tense 94 minutes.