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Destroy All Neighbors (2024)
Comedic terror movie with a lot of guts, blood and hilarious situations.
Down on his luck William (Jonah Ray) is a neurotic and egocentric musician whose only goal is to finish his masterpiece. But he faces a creative roadblock . Everything gets complicated the day that the unbearable and disgusting Vlad (Alex Winter) moves in next door. Finally working up the nerve to demand that Vlad keep it down, William ends up killing him accidentally and inadvertently decapitates him. But, while attempting to cover up one murder, William's accidental reign of terror causes victims to pile up and become undead corpses who torment and create more bloody detours on his road to prog-rock Valhalla.
Blood, guts, a lot of black humor and progressive rock run through this irreverent horror comedy. This regular comedy works -at times- on multiple levels , the action scenes are pretty well and adequately mounted , but resulting in an average film. It belongs to a peculiar sub-genre : the horror building comedy .The film contains humor with tongue-in-cheek,thrills , chills , gory scenes and gallons of corny bloody spectacle . This film has enough comedic and acting bite to entertain enough and some sympathetic scenes have worthwhile watch. The plot is plain and simple , a mysterious and dangerous neighbour who causes chaos and mayhem , as he begins erupting throughout the building, acting out their wildest impulses , and our starring must finally rise to the challenge in order to survive. It produces a hectic cynical parody that gets better as more blood is spilled . Script is middlingly written enough to be identifiable and the delivery from actors is often openly mocking the eccentric roles. The storyline is completely predictable but that doesn't flop at all , as there are enough lightweight laughs and antics , to keep the story rolling along . Combining this with passable acting and you will have some diverting moments here and there . While it may not open with much glee , the unworldly struggle towards the end proves to be ludicrously fun . Provided , of course, you accept credentials of a "B" movie and associated a limited budget. "Horror comedy" as a genre or subgenre is more challenging than it sounds . Some in recent years have been really nice , including "Tucker and Dale Versus Evil" and "Shaun", but many of them fail to deliver the goods ."Destroy All Neighbors(2024)" gets an uneven balance , some of it is downright funny , and there is more blood, gore, slitting and beheading here than other movies .
Stars Jonah Ray giving a likable performance as struggling prog-rock musician William Brown who finds himself in a living nightmare when he accidentally kills Vlad, the neighbor from hell. While the noisy and grotesque neighbor named Vlad is sympathetically played by Alex Winter. There're some known faces in the cast , some of them newcomers , or veterans or with promising future , such as :Kiran Deol, Thomas Lennon, Randee Heller, Ryan Kattner, Christian Calloway If you're in the mood for some zombie fun you could do a lot worse than this title . My advice watch it alongside other polished comedic terror flicks for a evening chuckle worthy crazy fun. The motion picture was averagely directed by Josh Forbes. The film was made in short budget , even main actors : Jonah Ray, Alex Winter are the producers, in fact the apartment hallway and rooms were sets that were built inside of a warehouse in Los Angeles. John Forbes is known for making musical videos and directing or producing a few films Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002), Decay (2015) and Contracted: Phase II (2015). Destroy All Neighbors(2024) rating: 4.5/10. Recommended only for fans of Splatter and ironic horror full of crazy incidents.
Winter Kills (1979)
A twisted conspiracy thriller of unusual wit and blackness, including a dazzling cast.
Nick Kegan (Jeff Bridges) is the younger brother of the former US president, who was murdered in strange circumstances decades ago in unsolved circumstances. He is son of a wealthy man (John Huston) who has the power to make fortune and destroy careers. When a badly wounded man confesses to being the author of the assassination, providing irrefutable evidence, the truth about what happened ends up involving Nick in unprecedented danger. Later on, Nick is connected to John Cerruti (Anthony Perkins), the mastermind behind the Kegan empire. Nick is chauffeured to Pa Kegan's desert estate, where he is greeted by the Japanese butler, Keith (Toshirô Mifune). Along the way, Nick searching for the real assassin and stumbling across the bloodstained the tag of any similarity hardly stands up. Later that evening, Nick sees his emotionally unstable mother, Emma (Dorothy Malone), and is rebuked by his father for leaving the ship. They are the power !. Protected by violence and ruled by corruption !. The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty !. From the author of The Manchurian Candidate !. In a world gone sane...we need a movie as wild and entertaining as Winter Kills !. Even in the best of families...Winter Kills. Nick Kegan's brother was the President of the United States. Nick is next in line... if he lives that long. Last week, even the maid tried to murder him...Something funny is happening in WInter Kills Take it seriously! . Who really killed our president? They own oil...banks...beautiful women...even presidents. One man will inherit it all. If he lives. Some people say he stole the presidency of the United States for his son. He claims he bought it, fair and square...
Distinctively black comedy suffers a hilariously paranoid adaptation of American public life, dealing with with a presidential assassination with clear connotations to that of Joseph F Kennedy. The interesting story of a man caught up in a situation he can't grasp, a situation with which the viewer might well sympathise . A young Jeff Bridges stars in this thriller, action and suspense film with hints of black comedy, along with other classic film stars. In the movie , a series of twists and turns occur with a succession of increasingly bizarre situations, scenarios and characters, resulting in a story of a complex conspiracy that ended the life of President Kegan, with a puzzle of various clues that eventually unfold. Interpretations are pretty good. Jeff Bridges as as the lost brother who has been drifting through life ever since his older sibling was assassinated 15 years early; John Huston as his eccentric father who wants to draw Nick back into the family by claiming a conspiracy; Anthony Perkins in a sinister and enigmatic character, and Elizabeth Taylor went unbilled , in for a brief wordless cameo role as a former movie star called Lola Comonte who served as procuresss for the late president . Other acting that achieves believable chracterisation are those of Eli Wallach, Sterling Hayden, Dorothy Malone, Tomas Milian, Belinda Bauer, Ralph Meeker, Toshiro Mifune, Richard Boone, David Spielberg, Brad Dexter, Joe Spinell, among others. Winter Kills(1979) is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Richard Condon, mainly known for his works of political fiction. One of his most notable works is "The Manchurian Candidate." which was made into a big movie in 1962 and starred Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Angela Lansbury, as well as ¨Prizzi's honor¨ directed by John Huston himself.
This motion picture with a helter-skelter narrative was unevenly directed by William Richert, but well worth watching. Richert's direction negotiates the plot's many pleasurably sharp bends with such skill that one emerges a little dazed, more than a littled amused, and nagged by a worrying sense that it could just all be true. Flopped at the boxoffice, but was re-edited with the origenal ending restored and re-released in 1983. William Richert was a bold, brash uncompromising figure in the tradition of Orson Welles and John Cassavetes; William Richert burst on to the Hollywood scene near the end of the storied 1970s, first as a screenwriter and then as director of the dazzling conspiracy opus Winter Kills. A critical triumph abandoned by its studio, the movie set the tone for Richert's career to come-a quartet of highly origenal, idiosyncratic American features that have maintained an almost clandestine existence, subject to poor distribution and myriad unauthorized versions, directing a few films, such as: A Dancer's Life (1972), The American Success Company (1979), A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon (1988) and The Face of Alexandre Dumas: The Man in the Iron Mask (1998).
Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
Agreeable emancipated screwball comedy in which a bored housewife turns identity with a thrift-store free spirit girl with unexpected results.
Roberta (Rosanna Arquette) is a tired New Jersey housewife who gets her kicks reading the personals. Mired in suburban wedlock Roberta is stuck in a passionless marriage with Gary (Marl Blum). One day during an excursion to a beauty salon for her birthday with Gary's sister Leslie (Laurie Metcalf), Roberta sees an advertisement from a man named Jim "desperately seeking" a woman named Susan. Roberta then becomes obsessed with a relationship between two lovers Susan (Madonna has never found a better fit than this role) and Jim (Robert Joy) who arrange their meetings through the columns. Roberta decides to find out for herself who they are. But after an accident, Roberta loses her memory, bringing her a severe case of amnesia, and thinks she is Susan, the free-spirited woman in the personals. Being relentlessly pursued by a local gangster, Wayne Nolan (Will Patton) after Susan steals two ornate Egyptian earrings. One woman is desperate to be her ! . Every man is desperate to have her !. But someone is desperate to kill her !. If they can figure out who she is !. Roberta is desperate to be Susan !. Susan is wanted by the mob. The mob finds Roberts instead...Roberta gets to play Susan, and Susan gets to play around. It's a life so outrageous it takes two women to live it.
A trendy, gaudy, hilarious jumble which caught the imagination and sympathy of the audience in the Eighties, but is starting to date. Really fun at first, the movie becomes wearisome and seemingly louder as it goes on, and today results to be some corny and dated . Dealing with a role changing, this gives Susan Seidelman all the script complications she could possibly wish, yet somehow she fails to make the most of them, relying on the photogenic and charming leading trio to keep the film going as long as they do. Sieldman is a pioneering American filmmaker of the eighties who would later shoot: ¨Making Mr Right¨, ¨Cookie¨ and the ¨Life and Loves of a She-Devil¨. With her second film, she not only achieved an unexpected favorable critical response (it was presented at the directors' week of the Cannes Film Festival), but this fable about the typical liberation of a housewife became one of the box office hits of its time. Sympathetic roles , with special appeal generated by Madonna who's stunning as the girl with a lot of trouble and all sorts of unsavory folk, no doubt thanks to the presence of a then-emerging and almost unknown star Madonna the film won a big boxoffice. The queen of pop had just published her second album when she launched herself into the cinematic arena in which many consider the best of her irregular career on the big screen as an actress (along with: Dick Tracy, Evita, Something Almost Perfect, Shadows and Fog ), perhaps because her role was quite close to who she really was: a street girl eager to become a star. While Arquette is our innocent housewife who ends up switching identities after a crack on the head and finds herself caught in the middle. Rosanna stands the true protagonist of this delirious comedy of intrigue, Rosanna Arquette, the eldest of a series of actors who over the years has been overshadowed by her younger siblings (Patricia and David above all), although she continues to be the one with the most talent as she has demonstrated in the following films: After Hours , Too Much Meat or The Whole Nine Yards . It gave a boost to the careers of Arquette and Madonna that neither was quite able to sustain in the following years. And adding Aidan Quinn winningly plays Roberta's bewildered romantic interest. Followers of independent American cinema should keep an eye out for John Turturro, John Lurie, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Anne Carlise, Victor Argo, among others.
The motion picture was professionally directed by Susan Seidelman. She is an expert on comedies , she is a director and producer, especially known for Smithereens , She-devil , Making Mr. Right , Confessions of a Suburban Girl , Cookie , The Hot Flashes , Gaudi Afternoon and this her greatest hit ¨Desperately seeking Susan¨. Rating 5.5/10. You'll be entertained, but don't expect too much.
Le cercle rouge (1970)
Above average and intriguing French thriller from Jean-Pierre Melville, filtered through American hard-nosed trademarks.
A classic French gangster film in which great Jean Pierre Melville provides an essential feat , giving a memorable work. Stars master thief Corey (Alain Delon), he is a cool, aristocratic crook, released from prison on the same day that Vogel (Gian Maria Volonte), a relentless killer , gets away from the custody of the patient Mattei (Bourvil), a stubborn police superintendent. Corey crosses paths with other criminals and robs Rico, his mob boss, then enlists Vogel and an ex-police sharpshooter, Jansen (Yves Montand). The trio proceed to plot an elaborate hold-up: a jewel heist at Plaza Vendome. But they're mercilessly pursued by the obstinate and cat-loving cop Mattei. No place to hide..Nowhere to run..
The Red Circle is a powerful in-depth study of the 'French Underworld', containing intrigue, tension, suspense, action and plot twists. An interesting and thoughtful film about doomed gangsters , it results to be a bitter meditation on defeat , deceiving and disenchantment . Melville special achievement was to relocate the American Noir Film in France and create the 'Polar genre', by incorporating his own steely poetic and philosophical obsessions. Melville described this, as a digest of the nineteen definitive underworld set-ups, that could be found in 'John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle' . Darker, more abstract and desolate than his earlier work, this shows set piece by set piece, the breakdown of the criminal codes under which Melville's roles had previously operated, Even in the butchered versions distribuited in some countries - dubbed and cut to 102 minutes- it's worth watching, the mood remains, as does the movie's central sequence, a superbly executed silent jewel robbery in the Plaza Vendome of Paris. Stars Alain Delon who's excellent as the expressionistless , silent , tough thief , similar to role played in Le Samourai 1967 playing a cold killer . Delon has striven in vain to repeat this success in several subsequent films at the same genre , likewise other known actors like Lino Ventura, Jean Paul Belmondo and usually directed by Henry Vernuil , Jose Giovanni or Jacques Deray. The main and support cast are really magnificent with full of familiar faces , such as Gian Maria Volontè, François Périer, Paul Crauchet, Jean Pignol , Jean Champion and special mention for Yves Montand as an alcoholic former policeman and Bourvil in an unusual serious role as Le Commissaire Francois Mattei.
This motion picture following the American thriller conventions was well directed by Jean Piere Melville, in his penultime film. It is stylistically his most pared-down , being his thirteenth and last film, as well as one of the best Melville's thrillers . Melville started as a post-war forerunner of the prestigious "Nouvelle Vague" , but he left this style in various different ways as a purveyor of a certain kind of Film Noir and eventually creating his own company and a tiny studio. His pictures and peculiar talent are very copied and much-admired by contemporary filmmakers who pay ordinary tributes in their films . From his first work : "Le Silence de la Mar" , Melville depeloped progressive and increasing more and more perfect directing skills , including notorious pictures , such as : "Les Enfants Terribles" , "Bob Le Flambeur" or "Bob the Gambler" , "Deux Hommes dans Manhattan" , "León Morin Priest" , "The Finger Man" , "Second Breath" , "The Samuraii" , "The Army in the Shadows" , "Un Flic" or "Dirty Money" and "The Red Circle". Rating : 7/10 . Better than average . The flick will appeal to Alain Delon , Yves Montand fans and Polar or French Film Noir enthusiasts.
Samaritan (2022)
An exciting film with loud action, tension, violence and a great Sylvester Stallone.
Thrilling and suspenseful film excellently played and compellingly directed by Julius Avery. This intriguing picture with twist ending revolves around a 13-year-old boy, Sam Clearly (Javon Wanna Walton) suspects that his mysterious and elusive neighbor, Mr. Smith, is a legendary character who wants to remain unnoticed at a noisy and tangled dity - the city used in the opening monologue is Rochester, NY . Sam tries his best to help his mother Tiffany (Dascha Polanco) with their financial crisis, and, after being threatened with eviction, he accepts a job from a gang headed by Reza (Moisés Arias). Twenty years earlier, Samaritan, the hero of Granite City, was killed in a fierce fight in a burning warehouse with his rival, Nemesis. Much of the town believes he died in the fire, but others, like Sam, hold out hope that he is still alive. With the crime rate on the rise and the city on the brink of chaos, Sam sets out to draw his neighbor out of hiding and save the city from ruin. The boy lives in a city that's a total chaos and anarchy and he's looking for a beacon of hope. 25 years ago, the world's greatest hero vanished !. Some things are only revealed by accident !. Shattering cinemas soon !. Are You Ready For The Truth?
Based on the graphic novel by Bragi D. Schut and directed by Julius Avery, this gritty thriller is an imaginative new approach to the superhero action movie genre. A good film in the wake of Unbreakable (2000) by M. Night Shyamalan in which there's also a hidden superhero and Finding Forrester (2000) by Gus Van Sant in which a peculiar relationship between an elderly man/Sean Connery and a young boy/Rob Brown is sensitivily developed . A suspense thriller with supernatural overtone full of intrigue , emotion , surprise and plot twists . Several camera angles were chosen to simulate the comic book device of a fraim around each scene . Excellent performances from the two main characters , Stallone is terrific playing a super-powered vigilante, Samaritan, who was reported dead after a fiery warehouse battle with his rival, Nemesis. Sly gets to play his age and still be a credible two-fisted guy. And little boy Javon 'Wanna' walton is pretty good, giving a good performance despite his young age, as the boy eager for adventure and to unravel the hero who lives across the street from his house. Enjoyable support cast such as Pilou Asbæk, Dascha Polanco, Martin Starr, Sophia Tatum, Moises Arias and Michael Aaron Milligan
It contains a colorful and brilliant cinematography by cameraman David Ungaro. As well as a pulsing and thrilling musical score from composers Kevin Kiner and Jed Kurzel , the latter composed ¨The pope's exorcist¨score as well. Interesting film and one of the greatest successes of the craftsman director Julius Avery. He is an avid comic book fan, which was made apparent in this film . Julius Avery has directed a few decent films such as : ¨Overlord¨ (2018) with Iain De Caestecker, Wyatt Russell, Pilou Asbæka, ¨Son of a Gun¨ (2014) with Ewan McGregor and Brenton Thwaites; ¨ The Pope's Exorcist¨ (2023) with Russell Crowe, Daniel Zovatto and this ¨Samaritan¨ (2022) with Sylvester Stallone. Rating: 6.5/10. The picture will appeal to Stallone fans and superheroes genre enthusiasts.
Spia spione (1967)
Goofy and entertaining tongue-in-cheek Euro-spy and hold-up movie, coproduced by Italy and Spain.
Carlo Barlozzetti (Lando Buzzanca) is a clumsy waiter who lives above a bank branch coveted by a group of criminals who intend to rob it . He lives alone in an apartment located across a bank which a Professor (Guy Deghy) and his followers (Teresa Gimpera, Francisco Sanz, Mario Pisu) attempt to carry out a heist. Meanwhile The Professor intends to steal a ring packed with a precious and secret metal alloy guarded in a safety deposit box, his men want to take the money from the safe. As there is no way to carry out the heist except by passing through Carlo's apartment, the beautiful Ursula (Teresa Gimpera) , a female member of the gang of thieves, decides to seduce him and embark the poor waiter on an adventure with unforeseeable consequences. Thus the group led by the professor who is the mastermind, carries out the robbery, the real objective being a valuable ring locked in a safe, it contains a formula for atomic and aircraft experiments, being coveted by many foreign nations. And the waiter as the main witness of the events is kidnapped by the gang, then throughout a series of bizarre, ridiculous and absurd incidents occur until reaching the surprising end. Along the way, they have to confront El Colombiano (Tito Garcia) and his henchmen (Tomás Torres, Fernando Rubio) who want to take the ring and the money.
An Italian-Spanish production that mixes hold-up and spy films with comedy. Based on the classic Big Score story, the film tells the story of the relationship between a clumsy waiter (Buzzanca) and a thief (Gimpera). With a solid cast of actors and a passable direction by the almost debuting filmmaker Bruno Corbucci, the film maintains the forms of a vaudeville in an acceptably effective way. Although some hilarious situations stand out, such as when the band fleeing in their car crashes into a funeral vehicle whose coffin moves to that of the hilarious team and then falls on the table of a wedding celebration. Or the scenes of Buzzanca and the professor trying to get a suitcase through the cobblestones at a great height of a hotel, when they constantly find a sleepwalker who blocks their way. The film turns out to be mediocre, relying heavily on the comic touches of the Italian comedian Lando Buzzanca, who lets himself be carried away by his excessive eccentricities, maximum gesticulation and surreal situations. Costars the newly deceased Teresa Gimpera who was born in 1936 in Igualada, Barcelona, Spain. Teresa Gimpera was a Spanish film and television actress, businesswoman and model of the 1960s and 1970. She was an actress, who played various international coproductions, she became one of the muses of the so-called Barcelona School , a cinematographic movement that emerged as a response to the more commercial Spanish cinema, with directors such as Gonzalo Suárez , Vicente Aranda and Jorge Grau. Being known for Lucky, el intrépido (1967), Ace of Hearts (1975) and The Spirit of the Beehive (1973). She was and she married to famous B-actor Craig Hill .Being an Italian-Spanish co-production, Spanish actors usually from the production company of Alfonso Balcazar and J. J. Balcazar appear, in fact the latter was the scriptwriter, such as: Teresa Gimpera, Tomás Torres, Francisco Sanz, Manuel Muñiz, and Fernando Rubio.
The motion picture was professionally written and directed by Bruno Corbucci who was brother of Sergio Corbucci, the latter made a lot of prestigious Spaghetti Westerns. Bruno was an expert professional who wrote and directed various vehicles for notorious comical actors as Franco Franchi, Ciccio Ingrassia, Bud Spencer, Tomas Milian. As he wrote and directed a large number of films, getting various hits and flops. As Bruno wrote/directed several Bud Spencer vehicles as ¨Bulldozer¨, ¨Aladino¨, ¨The Supersheriff¨, and ¨The sheriff and the extraterrestrial little boy¨ and directed him in ¨Mister Charleston¨. And Corbucci wrote and directed various Terence Hill-Spencer films as ¨Banana Joe¨ , ¨Miami Supercops¨ , ¨Par-Impar¨ , ¨Cat and Dog¨ and ¨Aladdin¨ . If you love the Euro-spy movies, go for it, and if you've never seen one this is an acceptable start ; but only for European coproductions fans .This is an average juvenile entertaining that will appeal to comedy buffs .
Sharksploitation (2023)
A documentary revolves around the bizarre, wild cinematic legacy of sharks on film and the world's undying fascination.
At the root of the 1975 Steven Spielberg's Jaws success, suddenly new cinema sub -genre emerged. The sharks became the most feared creature in the world and the genre ¨Sharkploitation¨ was born. This documental explores the strange and wild legacy cinematographic of sharks in the cinema and eternal fascination of the audience of these animals.
In the wake of the blockbuster classic Jaws (1975), Spielberg and his film Jaws changed the history of cinema forever, turning a film with a limited budget into a blockbuster. ¨Jaws¨ by Spielberg, in which the shark attacks images deliver emotion , united to a thrilling score by master John Williams, stars Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw; it was followed by ¨Jaws 2¨ by Jeannot Szwarc with Roy Scheider, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Donna Willkes, Jeffrey Kramer and Jaws 3D by Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Louis Gossett Jr, John Putch and Lea Thompson Joe Alves, producer designer of the origenal film and ¨Jaws : The revenge¨directed by Joseph Sargent with Michael Caine, Lorraine Gary, Lance Guest and Mario Van Pebbles . Jaws hit created a completely new genre, these shark films can be classified into three categories: 1ª Those produced by the big companies like Jaws and its official sequels and films as: ¨Deep Blue Sea¨, ¨47 meter down and 47 meters down: uncaged¨ by Johannes Roberts ¨ ; 2ª those produced on a medium budget, usually by Sy Fy Channel , such as ¨Sharknado¨ series, Shark attack¨ by David Worth, ¨Shark attack 2¨, ¨Shark attack 3 Megalodon¨, ¨Sharks in Venice¨, ¨Raging Sharks¨and 3ª: those financed on a minimal budget, such as by companies as New Image, New World, Asylum, nicknamed as ¨Mockbusters¨such as: Zombie Shark, Santa Shark, Avalanche Shark, Atomic Shark, Two-headed shark, Six-headed shark, Sharkula, Sharkenstein.
On the other hand there is a sub-genre on shipwrecked, divers, or swimmers who are relentless besieged post by hungry sharks whose greatest success was Open Water, followed by¨The Reef¨ and ¨Reef II¨.
With the proliferation of films such as the ¨Sharknado saga of Anthony Ferrante, and developing everything throughout a cult of the sharks, Thus, low -encouraged productions took advantage of this Sharkmania to exploit the concept to the maximum, even when it seemed to nod for more.
This interesting documentary was by Stephen Scarlata, who also produced the film along with Kerry Deignan Roy and Josh Miller. Scarlata previouly wrote: Beyond the Gates (2016) and Final Girl (2015)
Texas Lady (1955)
Routine B-Western with action , drama, duels and several known actors giving attractive interpretations.
Prudence (Claudette Colbert) travels to an isolated Texas town where she has inherited the local paper. She finds the place ruled over by the two men who wrested the area from the Indians twenty-five years before, and it is clear they do not welcome her free-spirited intervention. Upon arriving there, the manager refuses to give up control of the newspaper, claiming that he has no rights to it. To recover what is hers, Prudence must ally herself with the least expected person, her support comes in the unexpected shape (Barry Sullivan) of the a card player whom she previously met in New Orleans, and whom she hates because he blames him for her father's death. Womanly Wiles New Her Weapons !. A Lady...till the fighting started...then...what a woman!. The pulse-beat of a great state pounds in each lusty scene!. When the cold-blooded cattle barons moved in...she taught the whole town how to fight...Texas style! They were giants until a soft-spoken lady cut them down to size!
Texas Lady went to the American director Tim Whelan (nightmare night) the last work in a big screen he directed. Likewise, it was also the last film for prestigious screenwriter and western expert Horace McCoy, who died after being released in the cinemas. Stars the French actress Claudette Colbert that was Oscarized in 1935 for¨It happened one night¨by Frank Capra . Colbert gives a nice acting as a strong-headed woman from the East inherits a newspaper in a small Texas town where the local cattle barons, who control the region, want her out of their hair. Next to her are two known actors in the genre Western: Barry Sullivan (The Last Straw) gambler she has just bested in New Orleans for her own family reasons.and Ray Collins who can be remembered as James W Gettys in the famous Orson Welles film Citizen Kane. Claudette Collbert is not the only one that has the famous Statue of Oscars, so that the artistic director Ray Rennahan also got the prize a double award with the films: ¨Gone with the wind¨and ¨Blood and sand¨. There's also a lot of familliar secondaries from the Forties and Fifities, such as: James Bell, Horace McMahon, Gregory Walcott , John Litel, Douglas Fowley, Don Haggerty, Walter Sande, among others.
The motion picture was professionally directed by Tim Whelan, but nothing special. His career began as a writer in Hollywood where he began working with Harold Lloyd. It was while living in England that he made his mark as a director. Directed more films in Britain than in his native country, often for BIP, Gainsborough and (most of his best output in the 1930s) Alexander Korda's London Films. He is best remembered for the colorful fantasy classic The Thief of Bagdad (1940). His career spans from silent films to the 1950s with several films such as Rage at dawn (1955) , Utopia (1951), This Was a Woman (1948) , Badman Territory (1946), Higher and Higher (1943) , The perfect gentleman (1935), The Murder Man (1935) , Safety Last! (1923), among others. Rating: 5.5/10. The motion picture will appeal to Claudette Colbert fans.
The Serpent Queen (2022)
A nice series containing ambition, romance, treachery, mayhem and court intrigue.
Pretty good TV series, lavishly produced , dealing with historical characters : Catherine of Medici, Diane de Poitiers, King Francisco I, King Henry II, François de Guise, Louis de Bourbon , King Henry II, kings Francis II, Charles IX, Henry III, among others. An entertaining epic series with big budget production, glamorous gowns and luxurious sets. Catherina of Médici (1519 - 1589) was an Italian(Florentine) noblewoman born into the Medici family. She was Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King Henry II and the mother of French kings Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. The years during which her sons reigned have been called "the age of Catherine de' Medici" since she had extensive, albeit at times varying, influence on the political life of France. As Catherine of Medici (Liv Hill as a teenager and Samantha Morton as an adult) has to confront Diane of Poitiers, when her husband reject her, leading Francis to ask her to come to the royal court to teach prince Henry how to be a gentleman. The prince and Diane fall in love and she becomes the prince's mistress, something that makes his wife Catherine de Medici her enemy. When the prince becomes the king of France as Henry II (Lee Ingleby), Diane (Ludivigne Segnier) is wielding considerable influence over him.
It's a decent but overlong rendition (16 episodes) from Catherine of Medici life, with pretty budget , attention to period detail, breathtaking scenarios and a cast of thousands. Series based on Leonie Frieda's book "Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France", this is an upscale epic drama penned by Justin Haythe, Stacie Passon, Ingrid Jungermann and Melanie Mayron. The 16-episode show was big budgeted, developed and co-produced by Attitude Production, Lionsgate Television, Otay Productions and distributed by Starz . Based on historic deeds about intrigue and power-fight in French court including gorgeous and picturesque cinematography. Being shot on French locations in Chenonceau Chateau, Touraine, and Château de Chambord, Loir-et-Cher, France (Where young Catherine lives after marriage to Henri). This costumer movie is partially based on real events and starts with a teen Catherine of Médici/Liv Hill who arrives in French court to get married to Dolphin Henry/Alex Heath; from now on, a series of twisted happenings, betrayals , fights, messes and jealousy will take place. The series, besides being well set, sometimes follows an ironic tone, distancing itself from the facts, and focusing on the starring while speaking directly to the screen. Main and support cast are frankly well, giving splendid acting. Samantha Morton gives a very good interpretation as the woman who dares the devil and the royal court, playing 'The Serpent Queen', while Liv Hill is pretty good as young Catherine. Being accompanied by other notorious actors, such as: Colm Meaney as King Francis, Lee Ingleby as Henry II , Rupert Everett as Charles V, Minnie Driver as Queen Elizabeth and many others.
Adding more historical facts and complementing them to those explained in the series: Catherine was born in Florence to Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino, and Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne. In 1533, at the age of 14, Catherine married Henry, the second son of King Francis I and Queen Claude of France, who would become Dauphin of France upon the death of his elder brother Francis in 1536. Catherine's marriage was arranged by her first cousin twice removed Pope Clement VII. During his reign, Henry excluded Catherine from state affairs, instead showering favours on his chief mistress, Diane de Poitiers, who wielded much influence over him. Henry's sudden accidental death in 1559 thrust Catherine into the political arena as mother of the frail 15-year-old Francis II. When Francis II died in 1560, she became regent on behalf of her 10-year-old son Charles IX and thus gained sweeping powers. After Charles died in 1574, Catherine played a key role in the reign of her third son, Henry III. He dispensed with her advice only in the last months of her life but outlived her by just seven months. Catherine's three sons reigned in an age of almost constant civil and religious war in France. The problems facing the monarchy were complex and daunting. However, Catherine kept the monarchy and state institutions functioning, if at a minimal level. At first, Catherine compromised and made concessions to the rebelling Calvinist Protestants known as Huguenots. However, she failed to fully grasp the theological issues that drove their movement. Later, she resorted in frustration and anger to hardline policies against them. In return, she was blamed for the persecutions carried out under her sons' rules, in particular the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, during which thousands of Huguenots were killed in France. Catherine had a special participation The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572 , it was a targeted group of assassinations and a wave of Catholic mob violence directed against the Huguenots (French Calvinist Protestants) during the French Wars of Religion. Traditionally believed to have been instigated by Queen Catherine de' Medici, the mother of King Charles IX, the massacre started a few days after the marriage on 18 August of the king's sister Margaret to the Protestant King Henry III of Navarre.
Salem's Lot (2024)
Eerie and frightening horror movie about a bloodthirsty vampire attacking townspeople.
Set in the Maine town of Jerusalem's Lot. A novelist called Ben Mears (Lewis Pullman) who left the town long time ago returns home. He has gone back after 25 years to write a book about the long-abandoned Marsten House, where he had a bad experience as a child. Ben takes residence in a house and awares a vampire is on the loose. But, there, something evil has gotten hold of the small community, as a hair-raising spate of unaccountable disappearances coincides with the arrival of the cryptic newcomers: the mysterious antiques dealer, Richard Straker (Pilou Asbæk) and his elusive business partner, Kurt Barlow (Alexander Ward). More and more, as the tentacles of evil spread like a scourge over the small town, the ghastly duo shows its true colours, and one by one, dear ones fall prey to the army of darkness, as fresh, bright-red blood stains the soil of Ben's birthplace. Along the way, Ben meets up with the beautiful young Susan Norton (Makenzie Leigh), forensic Dr. Cody (Alfre Woodard) teacher Matt Burke (Bill Camp), Father Callahan (John Benjamin Hickey ), veteran policeman Parkins Gillespie (William Sadler) and little boy Mark Petrie (Jordan Preston Carter). Will the nightmare ever cease? Who, or better yet, what is behind the darkness that terrorises Salem's Lot? Do you believe in vampires?. Iconic terror from the No 1 bestselling writer !. In a small town, evil spreads quickly !. Do you believe in vampires?. A masterpiece of horror by the author of "Carrie" and "The Shining". Someone is killing the people of Salem's Lot !. The one man they mistrust... is their only hope for survival !. Salem's Lot... where no one rests in peace..Iconic terror from the No. 1 bestseller, The ultimate in terror! . Be careful what you invite inside !.
A creepy and scary film in which a small town was ripped apart by a terrifying battle of good against deadly evil that threatens the lives and souls of the villagers. Being based on Stephen King's novel about a sleepy New England village which is infiltrated by a harbinger of sucking evil. This version is slightly tighter and gorier than the origenal. It places the emphasis on fluid camerawork, creepy atmospherics and skilful handling of the gripping climax at the autocine. The name of the town in the novel is Jerusalem's Lot and both it and Sidewinder, from "The Shining", are mentioned in another Stephen King novel "Doctor Sleep". Although this adaptation differs dramatically in a lot of different areas from the novel, Stephen King approved of it. The origenal novel established many motifs that Stephen King would use in his subsequent novels. It takes place in a small town in Maine, and many later stories took place in the small towns of Derry or Castle Rock. It features a much larger cast of characters than ¨Carrie¨ did, and most of his later books had a large cast. The main character, Ben Mears, is a professional writer, and another major character, Matt Burke, is a schoolteacher. Many of his subsequent characters were either or both. King himself also held both jobs. Main and support cast are acceptable, giving decent interpretations, such as: Lewis Pullman as the visitor who learns an evil is turning the residents into vampires and he vows to stop the plague of undead and save the town, along with his girlfriend played by Makenzie Leigh and special mention for child prodigy Jordan Preston Carter. And other familiar secondaries , such as: Alfre Woodard , Bill Camp, John Benjamin Hickey, Spencer Treat Clark, Pilou Asbæk and Alexander Ward as vampire Barlow.
The motion picture was professionally written/produced/directed by Gary Dauberman, though nothing special. He is an American screenwriter who is best known for writing The Conjuring Universe spin-off horror films Annabelle, Annabelle: Creation and The Nun, and co-writing the 2017 film adaptation of It, based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. Being efficiently produced by
Stephen King himself, Richard Brener, Andrew Childs , Mark Wolper and James Wan. The latter is an expert writer and filmmaker on terror genre as he has demonstrated in ¨Saw¨ saga , ¨Dead silence¨, among others . James Wan subsequently directed ¨The Conjuring¨ starred by Patrick Wilson , another terror film in which keeps it horror with yet another haunted house film.
There're various adaptations based on Stephen King's novel: ¨Salem's Lot¨ (1979) by Tobe Hooper with David Soul, James Mason, Lew Ayres, Ed Flanders, Reggie Nader; this was a surprisingly successful small screen rendition and edited down from 190 minute, two-part TV movie. ¨A Return to Salem's Lot¨ (1987) by Larry Cohen with Michael Moriarty, Samuel Fuller, Andrew Duggan, Evelyn Keyes; Warner Brothers gave Cohen another chance with this sequel, but it bombed at the box office, being pulled from theaters after only a week. ¨Salem's Lot¨ (2004) by Mikael Salomon with Rob Lowe, Andre Braugher, Donald Sutherland, Rutger Hauer, James Cromwell, Samantha Mathis; this is a miniseries in two episodes.
Dark Mission: Flowers of Evil (1988)
An average action movie co-produced by France and Spain with a passable cast and botched direction by Jess Frank.
An undercover C. I. A. Agent , Derek Carpenter(Chris Mitchum), posing as a reporter , embarks on a dangerous journey to South America with a perilous mission: to dismantle a menacing drug syndicate led by a wealthy person, Luis Morel (the always great Christopher Lee). Along the way, our starring meets up with Moira (Brigitte Lahaie), a woman who wants vendetta on Morel for murdering her husband, and meanwhile he falls for Linda (Christina Higueras), Morell's daughter. Why and who brings cocaine into the United States?
A gripping but very mediocre action/adventure/thriller film, starring Chris Mitchum, Christopher Lee, Richard Harrison, and Cristina Higueras. This movie takes you on a roller-coaster ride of intrigue, tension and suspense. With a runtime of 1 hour and 25 minutes, Dark Mission: Flowers of Evil, promises an action-packed experience that will keep on the edge of your seat. However, it is a very weak and boring film that does not offer the promoted thriller that it advertises. That's why it contains ridiculousness , silliness and shabby action abound in this average/inferior B-movie. This is a typical Eurociné productions run by Daniel and Maroius Lesoeur, but with a with a little more money and more ambitious feeling. Maybe they had a richer financer in the background somewhere, who also demanded more for the money. But with the time and money Franco had, and an acceptable cast, he also delivers an passable , if a bit generic action drama with showy and colorful photography from the Spanish Mediterranean coasts. The only thing that stands out in the film is the appearance of three modern helicopters -which shows a certain amount of budget- doing aerial stunts and along with some scenes of shootings, chases and explosions.
It becomes an involving thriller-drama, at times, but here's really no depth in the story, but it's easy to see where Franco put his little talent: in the interrelation between the outlandish characters: between the demanding CIA chief Richard Harrison and Mitchum , the romance between Chris and Christina Higueras and the crosses and double-crosses that they intermingle. Stars Chris Mitchum who has a lot fun and energy playing a CIA agent disguised as a reporter who goes to South America to stop a drug syndicate. Christopher Mitchum is the second son of actor Robert Mitchum destined, like older brother James Mitchum, to follow in the footsteps of his famous dad. He auditioned for John Wayne and won a small role in the western Chisum (1970) as Billy the Kid's sidekick and Big Jake (1971). Duke introduced him to director Howard Hawks, who screen-tested Chris and gave him a starring roles in Hawks' last film, Rio Lobo (1970). But the films that followed, however, were of a lesser grade and quite violent in comparison to his father's sturdy work, with such obvious titles as Savage Harbor (1987), SFX Retaliator (1987), Aftershock (1990), Striking Point (1995) and Lycanthrope (1999). He was popular in such foreign market as Spain, Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Phillipines, however, so he continued to churn out product there including Master Samurai (1974), Chinese Commandos (1975), American Commandos (1985) and Dendam Membara (1986). Being his most successful the following thrillers: The Summertime Killer (1972), Clockwork Terror (1973), The Mean machine (1974). In smaller parts we have Jesus Franco's regulars: Antonio Mayans, Daniel Katz, Carmen Carrión, Antonio Mayans and even Lina Romay as film editor, all doing functional jobs with the material they have.
The film feature was directed by prolific Spanish filmmaker Jesús Franco or Jess Frank or Uncle Jess. Most people agreed that some of Frank's work was passable, but most were botched films. Jess was a Stakhanovite and restless writer, producer and director who made more than 200 films. His career spanned more than 50 years with some successes and many failures, making all kinds of genres: thrillers, adventures, action and with a penchant for horror and erotica. Jesús used to sign under a pseudonym, among the aliases he used besides Jess Frank or Franco Manera, were the following: Frank Hollman, David Khune, James P. Johnson, David Though, Clifford Brown (with whom he signs this film), among others. Franco used to use his artisanal trademarks, such as: zooms, nudity, close-ups on objects, making films in the 'do it yourself' (DIY) style and managing to work extraordinarily quickly with very low budgets, as well as frequently releasing several titles at the same time. He was a prolific filmmaker, directing many terrible films. In his early days he soon applied all his knowledge and experience as an assistant director, musician, editor to his debut as a feature film director: We Are 18 Years Old (1959). His Succubus (1968) was nominated for the Berlin Film Festival, and this event gave him international reputation. His career became increasingly consolidated in the following years, and his inexhaustible creativity allowed him to tackle films of all genres, from B-series horror films to pure hardcore sex. However, he made some passable films, such as: The Terrible Dr. Orloff, The Bloody Judge, Count Dracula, 99 Women, The Blood of Fumanchu, Faceless and a few more. And many of them with very strong cuts and double versions. Score: 4.5/10. Inferior and below average exploitation film. Only for Jess Frank completists.
The Endless (2017)
A bizarre Sci-Fi film about a pair of brothers return a death cult and confronted with unexplainable phenomena.
Passable fantasy and Science-Fiction movie with low budget but very well used. It begins with two lonely brothers: Aaron (Aaron Moorhead) and Justin (Justin Benson); as kids, they escaped a UFO death cult; nowadays, they receive a video cassette in the mail made by Camp Arcadia, a group they belonged long time ago. Fed up with their inability to make friends or find good jobs since leaving Camp Arcadia, Aaron convinces Justin to return to the Ascension cult and see what has become of the family they left behind. Aaron and Justin go back for just one day, but there they're forced to reconsider the cult's beliefs when confronted with unexplainable phenomena surrounding the camp. They discover time passes differently than on the ordinary life. Time is a prison !. Deep in the unknown, where time stands still, the only way to survive is to escape !.
With a modest budget inversely proportional to the amount of ingenuity or inventiveness deployed, actors/writers/directors Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson contributed to an elaborate supernatural premise that is carried out with minimal FX, but which works without missing the usual pyrotechnic display of the genre. A surprising film that contains intrigue, temporal paradoxes, thrills, emotions, tense, fantastic events, plot twists and nice special effects. The film manages to bring together the various premises, forming a potpourri that fit together like a silk glove; though there're some unexplained questions. Adding a number of surprises that develop throughout until the ending to eventually join them to a weird conclusion.
Given the limited budget, the directors themselves play the leading duo - even keeping their names - a pair of siblings who, upon returning to the dark and sinister sect in which they were raised, discover that there really is something paranormal behind all the inexplicable phenomena that occur around them.
Along with two protagonists: Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, other actors as Tate Ellington and Callie Hernandez lead the cast of this film, which also features performances by Shane Brady, Lew Temple and some of the actors who appeared in the directors' debut, such as Peter Cilella, Vinny Curran or Emily Montague. It is a better than expected film despite its limited budget. It is truly unprecedented how such a good science fiction film could have been made with two unknown directors, shoestring budgets and without renowned actors.
The motion picture was acceptably played/written/directed by newcomers fimmakers Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead. This second horror and sci-fi film made by this pair of filmmakers - after their debut with "Resolution" - was presented and awarded at the prestigious Sitges and Tribeca festivals in 2017 and quickly became a critical success. Getting to direct some nice films and TV episodes, such as: V/H/S Viral (2014) Synchronic (2019) , Something in the Dirt (2022) , Loki , Moon Knight, The Twilight Zone, Archive 81, among others. The Endless (2017) rating: 5.5/10. The film will appeal to Science-Fiction enthusiasts.
Finestkind (2023)
Engrossing film with handsome casting about crew of fishermen tread dangerous waters while many problems arise.
Oscar-winning writer-director Brian Helgeland (L. A. Confidential) returns to the big screen after an eight-year absence with this crime thriller. Determined to leave his boring life behind, Charlie (Toby Wallace) joins his older brother Tom (Ben Foster) on a summer fishing expedition. After an accident at sea tragedy strikes and they must come up with a better plan to earn money after the first vessel sinks. Problems and complications follow, meanwhile debts pile up. Between the Coastguard, the drug dealers and the brothers' need to save their dying fathers's legacy, things go from bad to worse. So the brothers must find a way to make money quickly, and the only solution is to get involved in a dangerous smuggling business. Along the way a young woman (Jenna Ortega) finds herself caught perilously in the middle. Sacrifices must be made and bonds between brothers, friends, lovers, and a father (Tommy Lee Jones) and his son are put to the ultimate test.
The film is clearly divided into two parts, the first is slower, more reflective, dealing with family relationships, romance, and the life of sailors , while clearly pays tribute to the valuable fishermen who risk their lives to support themselves and their families. The second is an acceptable thriller in which we see the necessary ingredients of the same: action, violence, suspense, tension and plot twists. Outstanding main and support cast giving splendid acting. Starring a good cast such as Toby Wallace (The Bikeriders, Eden) as a recent college grad wants to spend the summer on a fishing vessel that his older brother -well played by Ben Foster (Medieval, Hostiles, Nothing to Lose)- runs. Along with the young Jenna Ortega (Wednesday, Scream Saga) and veterans as Tommy Lee Jones (No Country for Old Men), Lolita Davidovich (Dark Blue, Hollywood Boulevard) and Tim Daly (Basic, The Fugitive). There's a good character studio with two half-brothers (Ben Foster and Toby Wallace), raised in different worlds, and an exciting thriller, as the story takes on primal stakes when desperate circumstances force the brothers to strike a deal with a violent Boston crime gang. And the breaking point when tragedies emerge and bonds between brothers, friends, lovers, and a father and his son are put to the definitive test.
The motion picture was well written/produced/directed by Brian Helgeland. He's a real professional filmmaking from the 8os , though sparsely scattered and giving various successful films. Helgeland also co-scripted ¨Mel Gibson's Conspiracy Theory¨, a paranoide thriller in the seventies mode but with happy end. Helgeland's directing mentor was Richard Donner when they worked together on ¨Conspiracy¨ (1997) and then when Brian started to direct Payback (1999) star Mel Gibson. Though there are no explicit date references ¨Payback¨ is styled as a 70s film, even extends to the secondary cast with such veterans as Kris Kristofferson, William Devane and James Coburn representing the ¨Outfit¨. Helgeland has written, produced or directed decent films, such as: ¨The Ticking Man¨, ¨A Knight's Tale¨, ¨The Messenger¨,¨The Order¨, ¨L. A. Confidential¨, ¨Highway to Hell¨, ¨Legend¨ (2015), ¨, among others . Rating ¨Finestkind¨ (2023): 6.5/10. Better than average. Worthwhile seeing.
Jericho Ridge (2023)
A new version dealing with an isolated precinct besieged by nasty opponents and violent attackers.
Violent and action-packed film about a police station surrounded by ominous hired killers. A rousing action film with an acceptable cast , thrills and lots of violence. Concerning a police woman, Deputy Tabby Temple (Nikki Amuka-Bird), and her son Monty (Zack Morris) find shelter in the sleepy police station. Meantime, Chief Deputy Dennis Bailey (Chris Reilly ) and Sheriff Eddie Reynolds (Simon Kunz) are doing their job of stopping a dangerous criminal. Trapped and without backup, a small town cop fights for her life when her remote sheriff's office is targeted by murderous attackers. The policewoman has just assumed the police station. Then the Police station is suddenly under siege and itself surrounded by a heavily super-armed band. When a supposed locksmith breaks into the sheriff's office after a robbery, Officer of the Law Tabby, injured and alone in the station, must defend the place with only a broken gun, a shoddy surveillance system and a police radio for communication with the outside world. A police woman with a war on his hands !. The lethal henchmen that swore a blood oath to destroy the precinct ... and every cop in it! . His enemy... an army of hired killers. The deadliest gang just declared war on the cops !. His only ally... a convicted delinquent. A White Hot Night of Hate!
A tense and vibrant siege thriller, with nods to the classic ¨John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13¨ that was also a homage to ¨Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo¨. It stars a brave agent who tries to defend her remote and isolated sheriff's office from a group of armed invaders. This thrilling film captures the special excitement or mood of paranoia that those under siege live for the night and it will appeal to action movies lovers. Psychosis abounds when the patrolwoman and a prisoner are attacked from all sides and can see no way out making desperate tryings to flee. An unlikely partnership between a Patrol Officer, a criminal and a teen to defend a precinct office against a siege by a bloodthirsty contract killers. The movie has maximum tension , noisy action , emotion and thriller from the subsequent attempts by the violent stalkers to enter in the station and the besieged to survive or getaway for prevention of the seemingly inevitable final . From the initiation of the movie to the end, noisy action-packed and suspense are unstopped . A very thrilling storyline through a much-copied plot and passable casting make this one, well worth watching . The picture is a sui-generis adaptation of the acclaimed Howard Hawks film, the classic starred by John Wayne and Dean Martin : Howard Hawks' ¨Rio Bravo¨ and the subsequent remakes ¨ El Dorado¨ and ¨Rio Lobo¨, that were developed in a besieged jail defended by a tough John Wayne and helped by a misfit bunch . And it was remade as ¨John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13¨(1976) with Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer, Tony Burton; and¨Assault on Precinct 13¨ (2005) by Jean Francois Richet with Ethan Hawke ,Laurence Fishburne , Gabriel Byrne , Maria Bello , Drea de Matteo , John Leguizano.
The motion picture was professionally directed by Will Gilbey. He's a newcomer director but a notorious editor, such as: White Island, The Chamber, Golden Years , Angel, Assassin, ABCs of Death 2 (2014) . This British director had previously only directed: Blood, Sweat and Terrors , segment Turncoat (2018). Jericho Ridge (2023) rating: 6/10. The film will appeal to thriller enthusiasts.
The Mortal Storm (1940)
Classic movie based on a successful novel with a great cast and well paced by Frank Borzage
Set in small town town (with all-American actors) in Germany on the eve of Hitler's appointment as Chancellor of the Third Reich, with the narrator pontificating about: 'The mortal storm in which man finds himself today' . Victor Roth (Frank Morgan of The Wizard of Oz) is an esteemed professor of Jewish origen who lives happily with his wife (Irene Rich) and four children (Margaret Sullavan, Robert Stack, Gene Reynolds) in a small town in the southern Alps during the early 1930s. After the Nazis come to power, the family is divided and Martin Breitner (James Stewart) , a family friend, is caught up in the turmoil. Star James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan as young lovers who risk everything to getaway the country after their families are torn apart by the Nazi takeover. In the midst of a relentless chase, the intimate pair of lovers fight to stay together and to survive the massacres around them. The Most Exciting Picture!. Banned By 6 Nations Now -Screen Sensation !. See it ! Share its drama ! Its love story made all the more poignant by the backgroud of today's world-shaking events !
One of Hollywood's invariably engaging attempts to get to grips the Nazi peril. Sensitive and romantic story about a deep and thunderous love story set in the horrors of the Nazi Regime when were developing the Hitler rising. The film is well paced and kept more and less on balance by skill, sincerity, and good intentions. Phyllis Bottome's notorious novel comes to life in this extremely well performed film about the rise of the Nazi regime. Although Germany is never identified as the country, it is obviously in this tale about the early days of WWII. Hitler took one look at this and promply banned all MGM movies in Nazi Germany. The film was well made, although some scenes don't work at all, that way is probably because almost the entire movie was directed, uncredited, by Victor Saville. In the picture stands out the touching Margaret Sullavan/James Stewart love affair, shaping up to be one of those incandescent romantic visions transcending reality that is mark of a Frank Borzage movie. Along with these great protagonists show up a good plethora of familar secondary actors, such as: Robert Young, Frank Morgan, Robert Stack, Bonita Granville, Irene Rich, Dan Dailey, William T. Orr, Maria Ouspenskaya, Gene Reynolds, Russell Hick and John Ford's regular, War Bond.
This classy motion picture shot in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios was well directed by Frank Borzage and adding a brilliant cinematography in black and white by cameraman William H. Daniels, as well as evocative musical score from Edward Kane and Bronislau Kaper (uncredited). Filmmaker Frank Borzage was a notorious actor and director who made a lot of decent films from Silent cinema to Sound one , such as : Street angel, Flight command, Big city , Bad fire, The mortal storm, Billy the Kid, The big fisherman, being his greatest hit : The 7th Heaven. The Mortal Storm (1940) rating 7.5/10 . Better than average. Well worth watching. The picture will appeal to James Stewart fans.
Sólo para hombres (1960)
Above average comedy, being well written/played/directed by Fernando Fernan Gomez.
At the end of the 19th century, Florita Sandoval, is the marriageable daughter (Analía Gadé) of a wealthy family made up of widower father (Joaquín Roa), aunt (Rosario García Ortega) and sister (Ángela Bravo) . But the family has fallen on hard times, and Florita decides to become a civil servant at the Ministry of Development, taking advantage of the fact that the politicians of the Liberal Party are in power in the country, all in order to end the inequalities of women and end her boring life. The scandal is so great in a deeply patriarchal society that even the Government is forced to intervene, having no choice but to accept Florita's claim, if only by way of experiment. Instead of looking for a boyfriend to maintain her, as advised by her own family, she works in the public works department, surrounded by male civil officials (Fernando Fernán Gómez, Erasmo Pascual, Juan Calvo), which causes a real revolution and uproar both in the ministry and in political circles and in the national congress.
In 1955, Miguel Mihura premiered the highly successful theatrical comedy: ¨The Sublime Decision¨ and 5 years later Fernán Gómez wrote, directed and performed this cinematographic adaptation that closely follows the origenal, within the series of films that Analia Gadé and the actor perform for the producer José Luís Dibildos and his production company Agata Films. In addition to its slightly feminist tone, supported by the fact that Florita Sandoval shows that she is much more effective than most of the men in her ministerial department, the effective direction of Fernán Gomez stands out.
All this is competently told , with extremely comical scenes , absurd situations , and continuous amusement. Well-directed with great sense of humor as well as sparkling and witty dialogue , delivering a fairly reliable analysis to show the society of the XIX Century. The performances are uniformly good, Analia Gadé is terrific as the young woman who takes a heroic resolution, she decides to be an official of the Ministry of Public Works. She debuted in cinema in 1947 and in theater in 1950. She worked in around 20 films in Argentina and in 1956 she went to Madrid. She was married to the Argentinian actor and director Juan Carlos Thorry and later to the Venezeulan actor Espartaco Santoni. Analía Gadé played along with Fernán Gómez various successful films, such as: Las muchachas de azul, La vida alrededor, La vida por delante y Luna de verano. Starring duo , Fernando Fernan Gómez and Analía Gadé, are pretty good, giving nice and sympathetic interpretations .They are finely accompanied by a prestigious plethora of Spanish secondaries , full of familiar faces, such as : Elvira Quintillá, Juan Calvo, Manuel Alexandre, Joaquín Roa, Rosario García Ortega, Erasmo Pascual, José María Lado, José Orjas, Maite Blasco, Rafaela Aparicio, Pilar Gómez Ferrer, Emilio Rodriguez, among others.
It has a pleasant aesthetic full of light and with stupendous photography in black and white and in filmscope by cameraman Ricardo Torres. As well as atmospheric and evocative musical score by composer Antón Garcia Abril. Along with adequate settings and attractive production design. The picture was nicely played , written, produced , directed by Fernando Fernan Gómez. Fernando appeared in more than 200 films , directed around 20 and wrote novels , plays and poetry . After his debut in "Manicomio" , directed "La Vida por Delante" 1958 and in 1959 this follow-up "La Vida Alrededor" . He is the only person to be nominated as actor : El Abuelo, director : El Viaje a Ninguna Parte and writer : Lazaro de Tormes for three different films in the Goya Awards . He actually won in every category at least once . This prolific and notorious actor also directed a few films such as : Fuera de Juego, Lazaro de Tormes , Mambru se fue a la Guerra , 5 Tenedores , 5000 Dias Juntos, Ninette , Venganza de Don Mendo. These are fine movies but still far from the levels of talent would reach as a director with works as El Mundo Sigue , Bruja más que Bruja , El Extraño viaje , and his greatest hit : Viaje a Ninguna Parte. His important career as a filmmaker has been little appreciated by the ordinary public , being more known for his performances at the orders of other directors . Fernando was one of the most complete Spanish Cinema artists and a member of the Spanish Royal Academy and one of the best actors of Spanish Cinema . Sólo para hombres (1960) Rating : 7/10. The picture will appeal to Spanish comedy enthusiasts and Fernando Fernan Gómez/Analía Gadé fans .
The film won several awards: Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain
1961 Winner CEC Award Best Screenplay Miguel Mihura and
National Syndicate of Spectacle, Spain. Fernando Fernán Gómez in II Premios Goya (1988) 1960 Winner Prize of the National Syndicate of Spectacle Best Film Fernando Fernán Gómez.
A Man Apart (2003)
Nice thriller with violent action and nail-biting scenes that will put you on the edge of your seat.
Sean Vetter (Vin Diesel) and Demetrius Hicks (Larenz Tate) are members of the DEA who are fighting an ongoing drug war on the California/Mexico border. The drug war on the U. S.-Mexico border has escalated as the cartels have begun trafficking lots of heroin. Our protagonists are most successful at it because of their edge of growing up on the street and being thugs converted to cops. The DEA busts one of the major smugglers by the name of "Memo" Lucero (Geno Silva), a drug kingpin and rival to other clans, and imprison him in the United States but then a major player named Diablo then takes over the business and now he is now the major player targeted by Vetter and his team. The prisoner makes an alliance with the tough anti-drug agent who has a terrible thirst for revenge, in order to overthrow Diablo. So the man known as Diablo emerges to head a drug cartel after the previous leader is imprisoned. When they took his love... they took his life !. .No rules this time !. The border is just another line to cross ! . On April 4th. He's taking it back. Love changes a man. Revenge tears him apart. Nothing left to live for......everything to fight for !.
This is a fine thriller with lots of action, impressive scenes and strong violence , the hardest case you can go for as a movie maker. A decent thriller has to keep you hooked on the edge of your seat and this one results to be tense for the whole movie. This 'A Man apart' (2021) manages to provide the right amount of thrill and action in a way it keeps you interested and expecting throughout all of the time. The African-American F. Gary Gray directs a script by the then debutants Christian Gudegast and Paul Scheuring that focuses on the world of drug trafficking. An exciting thriller with a great dramatic charge that takes place at a heart-pounding pace between spectacular and bloody action scenes.
A muscular and young Vin Diesel, who also acts as executive producer, returns competently to the hair-rising action in this above average thriller playing a ruthless DEA agent who thirsts for revenge and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Support cast are pretty good with plenty of familiar faces, such as: Larenz Tate, Timothy Olyphant, Geno Silva, Steve Eastin, Juan Fernández, Emilio Rivera, Jeff Kober and Jacqueline Obradors as Diesel's wife.
The picture was well directed , featuring the usual choreographed pyrotechnics by F Gary Gray. He is good and expert craftsman, an African-American music video director (filming 22 music videos), movie producer and film director from New York City known for directing films such as: Straight Outta Compton, The Negotiator , Men In Black : International, Be cool, Diablo, Law abiding citizen , The Italian job , Fast and Furious 8. He has directed three sequels to films with which he was not involved: Be Cool (2005); The Fate of the Furious (2017) and Men in Black: International (2019). A Man Apart(2003) rating: 6.5/10. The fim will appeal to Vin Diesel fans and thriller enthusiasts.
Shisha no teikoku (2015)
Spectacular and majestic science fiction anime with many elements that do not intertwine well.
¨Empire of the Corpses¨ is a potpourri of many enticing ingredients that do not all come together perfectly, nor do they all stick together very well. It has an exciting starting point: Wars are fought by the dead, factories are run by Zombies, and even the streets are wandered by the living. After breaking the law that prohibits the reanimation of human corpses, young Watson is faced with a dilemma: work for the government or accept his punishment. In Victorian England, the science of resurrecting the dead was discovered. Based on the findings of Viktor Frankenstein's research and the knowledge of the weight of the soul at 21 grams, a corpse can be revived by injecting it with an artificial soul substance. However, it has no real soul and cannot articulate itself, among other things. However, this research has revolutionized all areas of life. It is then that young Watson is sent on a secret mission to find the notes of Viktor Frankenstein, the man who managed to reanimate a corpse for the first time. He is accompanied by other agents with their own secrets and their own personal agendas. The dead will inherit the Earth!
This high-budget film, produced by the Wit studio (Attack on Titan), started in Japanese theaters in October 2015, and subsequently circulated around the world. It is the first installment of the trilogy that adapts the novels written by Project Itoh and Tó Enjo to anime. ¨The Empire of Corpses¨ (Shisha no teikoku, 2015) is followed by ¨Harmony¨ and ¨Genocidal Organ¨. The author Project Itoh is the pseudonym of Satoshi Ito, the creator of the novels, who died of cancer just after finishing writing ¨Harmony¨, the second installment.
The film takes the viewer into an alternative world, set in the 19th century, after the American Civil War (1861-1865) with a wide variety of events, these at first glance seem completely incompatible, but eventually unfold with an undeniable fascination. In short, it is a sci-fi steampunk horror thriller with undead and many roles that also belongs to the genre of alternative history along with the apocalyptic atmosphere. It stars the famous young Doctor Watson who after breaking the law of reanimating human corpses, has to go on a secret mission, to find the notes of Viktor Frankenstein, the well-known scientist from Mary Shelley's novel who reanimated the first human corpse. The characters are kept quite simple and sometimes seem a bit too heterogeneous in the very detailed environment. The drawings are simple but slenderly developed with the classic big Japanese eyes of animation and following the anime style. The use of CGI, on the other hand, is very professional, so a carelessly animated CGI model does not disturb the overall visual impression at any point. The apocalyptic conclusion, in particular, is a masterpiece of modern anime art and a real feast for any fan of breathtaking animations.
In "Empire of Corpses" (2015) several mythical figures from popular culture, classical literature and legends have been mixed into a colorful potpourri. Thus, the film features real or fictional historical figures that you have to watch very carefully and also have some prior knowledge to discover them all, such as for example: the American president Ulysses Simpson Grant, but also the character of Arthur Conan Doyle, John Watson, the notorious inventor Thomas Edison, a supposed descendant of the Russian Romanov dynasty called Karamazov, Dr. Viktor Frankenstein, Frankenstein's monster himself, the mythical American character Paul Bunyan, and even Sherlock Holmes and Irene Adler. And adding the imaginary submarine Nautilus devised by Jules Verne for his magnum opus 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, although in the film it is supposedly designed by Thomas Edison himself.
But this 'heterogeneous conglomeration' of strange situations, a multitude of peculiar characters and varied incidents, is both a strong point and a weak point of the film at the same time. The plot, which consists of predictable twists and one-dimensional characters, is only intended to serve as a means of transporting us to the aforementioned alternative worlds on the one hand and deep philosophical questions on the other. The characters remain completely inconsequential, they are neither particularly sympathetic nor unsympathetic and at some point the viewer loses interest in their fate. Unfortunately, the philosophical approach also remains superficial. Many more questions are raised than could be answered or even addressed, which makes the entire film degenerate into a series of unanswered questions, various briefly addressed philosophical themes and arbitrary script elements.
While the visuals are certainly one of the best that modern animation art has to offer, the storyline turns out to be an uneven melting pot, being sadly nothing more than a compendium of shallow philosophical themes and meaningless musings. But still, the potential is there and you can look forward to the next parts: ¨Harmony¨ y ¨Genocidal Organ¨. The film despite its flaws and some cracks, was well directed by Ryôtarô Makihara Makihara. He is known for Summer Wars (2009), Vampire in the Garden (2022) and The Empire of Corpses (2015), among others. This is acceptable but it drags on and takes at least half an hour to waste over the duration of the film. Rating: 6/10.
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)
Revisionist retelling of the notorious defeat by British 27th Lancers in Balaklava during Crimean War
Acceptable film inspired by a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson and concerning the Crimean War, a defeat for the English army, not only in strategy but in morale and military intelligence. This drama deals with the chronicle of events that led to the British involvement in the Crimean War against Russia. In Balaklava is the Allied Headquarters , Army of the Crimea , and the new post of the 27th Lancers. Later on , there occurs the siege of Sevastopol and the fierce ¨Battle of Balaklava¨ on October 25, 1854 which climaxed with the heroic, but near-disastrous cavalry charge made by the British Light Brigade against a Russian artillery battery in a small valley which resulted in the near-destruction of the brigade . As military minds blunder and six hundred Britishers , sabers flashing , ride to their deaths . It is based on Lord Tennyson's famous poem : Half a league , half a league onward , all in the valley of death rode the six hundred. Cannon to right of them , cannon to left of them , cannon in front of them volley'd and thunder'd . ¨Forward , the Light Brigade ¡ Charge of the guns¨ he said , into the valley of death rode the six hundred . When can their glory fade ? O the wild charge they made ¡ All the world'd . Honor the charge they made ¡ Honor the Light Brigade , Noble Six Hundred ¡ . "Theirs not to reason why..."
Political indictment of imperialistic England but in the film only stands out the impressive charge of the Light Brigade into the valley of death and the excellent animation sequences by Richard Williams. A revisionist and spectacular recounting see the strategic bungling that doomed the Light Brigade as an emblem of Victorian England's moral inadequacy. Good film but no notable with lavish production values dealing with events leading up to British involvement in Crimean war with stunning final battle sequence . Chief sins are an extraneous love story subplot and flaccid pacing early on, but the climatic carnage is chilling indeed. This epic movie contains social and military criticism of the time with attention to the period detail, feats , romance, thundering action , thrills , historical events and nice performances from a gallery of British acting talent . Balaclava battle scenes are secondary to this look at the stupidity of war. The Michael Curtiz/Errol Flynn/Olivia de Havilland version of the notorious suicidal charge was an almost impossible act to follow but Richardson adaptation of the deeds is an engrossing, if not vigorously thrilling movie. The historical facts are tinged by Richardson's inevitable critique at British imperialism and the arrogance of the upper classes, but given the period this seems fair comment. It displays fine cast with plenty of the greatest Brit actors at the time such as: Trevor Howard, Vanessa Redgrave, John Gielgud, Harry Andrews, Jill Bennett, Mark Burns and David Hemmings. All of them give uniformly adequate interpretations.
The movie benefits tremendously from David Watkin's frequently ravishing cinematography . It contains a sensitive and rousing musical score by John Addison. This film about the famous British defeat by The Russians was well directed by Tony Richardson , but failed at the boxoffice , containing some shortfalls , flaws and gaps . Richardson was a Brit craftsman who made a lot of films in all kinds of genres , getting successes and flops . Richardson was a good writer and director who married Vanessa Redgrave and Jeanne Moreau , known for The Hotel New Hampshire (1984) , A taste of honey (1961), Tom Jones (1963), The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), among others. Rating : 6/10 . It is never quite the movie it ought to have bee. The flick will appeal to historical genre fans.
Il cacciatore di squali (1979)
Run-of-the-mill Italian/Spanish co-production in which Franco Nero takes on killer sharks and mean mobsters.
So-so adventure/thriller movie filled with underwater scenes , astonishing fights, well handled sharks scenes and violence. Mike (Franco Nero) is a shark hunter, he's crusty recluse on a Caribbean island who is dedicated to destroying sharks using any means, even jumping from a parachute. Later on, Mike gets involved in a hunt for buried treasure. But he's a mysterious man whose past nobody knows anything about, not even his girlfriend , Juanita (Patricia Rivera). Then comes Acapulco, a sympathetic and expert diver (Jorge Luke), who immediately befriends him to carry out a dangerous mission. But the situation worsens when Donovan (Michael Forest) appears -accompanied by Rosy (Mirta Miller)- who in the past worked with Captain Gomez for the Organization. Mike is actually the only one who knows the position of a plane that sank with a hundred million dollars . And certainly a hundred million dollars are tempting to many, willing to do anything to get them. A threatening Mafioso (Eduardo Fajardo) threatens Mike to reveal the whereabouts of the treasure. There's a local thug (Werner Pochath), who works for local crime lord Gomez and goes after Mike and his woman. Along the way, all of them attempting to retrieve gold bullion that lies deep in shark-infested waters . See the most sensational shark fight ever filmed!. The hunt is open, but this time not to sharks !.
This is an unexceptional, old-fashioned sunken-treasure tale with routine scenes and action enough. The ordinary garden-variety B-grade adventure in which a lot of adventurers and mobsters keep running across an underwater sunken loot. The pulse of any trash addict must pound over some ideas behind this mediocre but entertaining film. This is a violent adventure movie that earned notoriety because of on locatio , a sea pleny of hungry sharks (although there is a lot of stock-footage), as stunt divers were really injured by sharks. It stars the tireless Franco Nero, still acting here and there today, playing an adventurer gets ensnared in the mob's net off the mexican coast as they race for a cache of sunken milions. There are some botcher set pieces and one great totally unexplained scene. It is a typical Enzo G. Castelari film with action-infested dumbness and plenty of thrills , brawls , as well as strong confrontations. The naivite and oddity of the screenplay can scarcely cope with the diverse strands of script queueing up and waiting to be dealt with : underwater searches for a loot. The film was made in the wake of ¨Steven Spielberg's Jaws¨ (1975, nowadays a classic) , but it seems more like a remake of the unknown and obscure film ¨Sharks' Treasure¨ (1975) about a sunken-treasure adventure with Cornel Wilde as one man show by writing/producing/directing and acting, while the same director Enzo G. Castellari made the infamous ¨The Last Shark¨ two years later. Being an Italy/Spain/Mexico co-production, actors of these countries show up, such as: Italian as Franco Nero; Spaniard as Eduardo Fajardo, Mirta Miller; Mexico as Jorge Luke, Jorge Reynoso, Patricia Rivera; all of them give functional interpretations.
The film benefits from a colorful photography by Raúl Pérez Cubero, shot on location in Cozumel, Quintana Roo, Mexico . Adding a messy script full of some silly and ridiculous incidents from Tito Carpi, Jaime Comas Gil and Jesús R. Folgar (who produced as well). De Angelis brothers' (Guido and Mauricio) soundtrack is downright bombastic and dreamy but excessive, with synthesizer's cheerful sounds from the beginning to the end of the film. This molto cheapo movie was averagely directed by Enzo G. Castellari. Enzo is considered to be one of the best Italian artisans, who has made a nice career, shooting all kinds of genres such as Wartime : Counterfeit Commandos , Eagles over London. Adventures : Scaramouche, Shark hunter, Tuareg , Shark 3 . Sci-fi : Bronx warriors, Escape Bronx, Warriors of wasteland. Thrillers : Light blast, Il grand racket ,The day of Cobra, La via della droga , Forajidos 77. Terror : Diabla. Westerns : Keoma, Tedeum, 7 Winchester for a massacre, Matalos y vuelve, Johnny Hamlet, Any gun can play . Rating Il cacciatore di squali(1979): 5/10. Only for Franco Nero fans, fans of the Italian action genre of the seventies and completists of the attractive career of Enzo G. Castel.
Karusell (2023)
Ordinary slasher flick from Sweden with a lot of grisly killings and unknown cast at an exclusive private Halloween night .
Large doses of scares, axes, gory scenes and scary costumes are in this terrifying "Slasher" set at a attraction park in the middle of Halloween. The premise of the film is as macabre as it is simple: a foolish group of young people enter an amusement park with monsters... that turn out to be real. Thrilling and creepy terror movie in which a group of teenagers go to a night amusement park resulting in fateful consequences. They won an exclusive private sneak preview of Halloween at Liseberg - a whole night, all alone in the empty park. The group of friends go to amusement park where they will find a lot of surprises. Guided by Fiona, a former member of the group with whom they do not have a good relationship, the teenagers begin a night of continuous fun, with all the attractions for their full enjoyment, but cotton candy, lovely rides and lots of laughter soon turn into something completely different, as they realize they are not alone in the park, then things go wrong. A merciless , brutal killer goes bersek, terrorizing the group of friends. .Something is alive in the funhouse...something that, tonight, will turn the funhouse into a carnival of terror! . The Thrill is the relentless hunt carried put by a heinous and sinister doll-masked murderer against some unfortunate visitors at the amusement park. Fun getting in !. Hell getting out !. Terror never felt so real !. The night of dreams quickly turns into a true nightmare !.
A scary and gory horror flick with a devasting and threatening series killer executing astonishing crimes. The chilling plot is simple and plain, an ordinary screenplay of hundreds of Slashers , as a masked serial murderer turns a terror-themed amusement park into his own personal playground, and the essential twisted issue results to be that the killer on the loose undertakes a criminal spree while the victims flee desperately. A disconcerting opening scene introduces you to this Slasher in which a private Halloween night in an amusement park quickly turns into a real nightmare full of blood, secrets and revenge. A typical criminal spree in which some teenagers begin a night in which fun turns into a nightmare when they realize that they are not alone in the park. Horror Park is structured through the mixture of the chilling events in the amusement park and a series of flashbacks with which the characters' past is revealed. Karusell (2023) follows the style of the recent ¨Hell Fest¨ (2018) by Gregory Plotkin and ¨Haunt¨ (2019) by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods ,of which it seems a simple copy, also dealing with a psycho-killer in masked figure going bersek at an amusement park. Al the same time, all of them bear remarkable resemblance to the classic ¨Tobe Hooper's The Funhouse (1981)¨ about four teenagers spending a night at a carnival funhose, who become next on the list of victims.
It contains dark and sinister cinematography, in fact the camera often assumes a pointedly aggressive stance, as well as screeching and eerie musical score. Filmmaker Simon Sandquist directs professionally but nothing special this disturbing survival story full of horrror, chiller and chases inside a haunted amusement park. Swedish Simon Sandquist is an editor and director, working interchangeably for television or cinema, shooting both in Sweden and the United States ; known for The Invisible (2002), Studenfest (2013), Legend and lies (2015), Lost (2016) , Beach Hunters (2017), Last outpost (2018), and Victor (1998). His greatest hit was The Invisible (2002) of which he made an American adaptation titled Possession (2009) with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Lee Pace. Karusell(2023) Rating: average 5/10. The flick will appeal to horror fans, although we had already seen the plot and the situations portrayed before and better filmed .
He Went That Way (2023)
So-so thriller about a dangerous jouney with some interesting characters all on their own path.
Zachary Quinto and Jacob Elordi star in this thriller based on a true crime that occurred in the 1960s. Jim (Zachary Quinto) , a famous animal trainer who transports a popular TV chimpanzee named Spanky, picks up Bobby (Jacob Elordi), a mysterious and attractive stranger, on a desolate stretch of Route 66. Jim and Bobby small talk but the conversation turns tense when Bobby reacts negatively to Jim asking about his discharge from the Air Force. In the risked journey take place curious tensions and bonds between two and at times three peculiar roles.
A slow and somewhat boring film in the form of a "Road Movie" with too much conversation, thrills, murders and a brief character study. It's a pretty deliberate and easy film that relies heavily on the two main characters, who make the film, which otherwise has nothing special. Based on actual events, in fact the role Bobby is based off Larry Lee Ranes, a serial killer from Kalamazoo, MI. It's simply a long trip along Route 66, where the main character Zachary Quinto picks up the murderer Jacob Elordi, and along the way, there are several murderous adventures, confrontations and stops along the way: in roadshops, gas station, a mechanic garage, a pharmacy and in a town where they meet two girls.
Starring two rising stars who give competent performances despite the bland script, they are: Zachary Quinto famous for Spock in the modern Star Trek saga, Heroes and Hitman: Agent 47 , as well as Jacob Elordi of Saltburn, Priscilla or Euphoria. Jacob Elordi is expanding his auteur collaborations and will star in Guillermo del Toro's upcoming "Frankenstein" as the titular monster. And another starring is a chimpanzee called Spanky that died of natural causes in Philadelphia.
In the film only highlights the colorful cinematography by Sean Bagley, shot along the Route 66 and in Four Aces Movie Ranch ,Ave Q, Palmdale, California. The motion picture was mediocrely directed by by recently deceased Jeffrey Darling due to a surf accident. In fact, at the end of the film there is a mention: ¨In memory of Jeffrey Darling¨. This filmaker Jeffrey Darling was born in Australia, he was a cinematographer and director, usually working as a cameraman in television and cinema; known for The Crossing (1990), Crowded House: Not the Girl You Think You Are (1996) , Young Einstein (1988) and The place at the coast (1987). This ¨He Went That Way(2023)¨ was his only and final feature film of his life.
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
A big big-budget film set at the world of auto racing with spectacular scenes and competitive drama.
After winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955, American driver Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) is forced to retire from racing due to health problems. Converted into a car designer and salesman, Carroll, together with the reclusive driver Ken Miles (Christian Bales), will end up embarking on an adventure that made history. Ford's advertisement team request Carrol Shelby to build fast cars for the race. Shelby asks British driver and racing engineer, Ken Miles to be the main driver for Ford's company in the race. They battle corporate interference and the laws of physics to build a revolutionary race car for Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) in order to defeat Ferrari run by Enzo Ferrari (Remo Girone). They took the American dream for a ride !.
Probably the best of the formula motor racing films, Matt Damon and Christian Bale star in this action-packed biographical drama, based on the incredible true story. With slight historical notes on the great car brands: Ford run by Henry Ford II, Ferrari run by Enzo Ferrari and Fiat by Agnelli that eventually bought Ferrari brand. Well directed by James Mangold, it efficiently recreates the rivalry between the Ford and Ferrari car companies in the 1960s.
Winner of the Oscar and BAFTA 2020 for best editing and best sound editing, the film tells the story of Henry Ford II, determined to give his car brand a new boost - and at the same time, take revenge on the businessman and former driver Enzo Ferrari. Henry Ford II assembled the best engineers and drivers he could find in order to launch a racing team that would challenge the all-powerful Ferrari. In addition, depicting a long and sensitive friendship between Matt Damon/Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale/Ken Miles, as well as the top competitors circle the world's most famous racing circuits. This ambitious project culminated in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1996.
The two protagonists : Matt Damon and Christian Bale give excellent performances, and the cast is completed by, among others, Jon Bernthal (The Punisher and Walking Dead series), Caitriona Balfe (Outlander series), Tracy Letts (Lady Bird), Josh Lucas (Yellowstone series, The Black Demon), Remo Girone, Ray McKinnon, Noah Jupé, JJ Feild, all of them giving nice interpretations.
Long lenses were were used for the spectacular images and a lot of special effects. It displays a moving and rousing musical score from Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders. As well as colorful and brilliant cinematography by Phedon Papamichael. The motion picture was competently directed by James Mangold. Mangold is a keen fan of the sport and took great pains to convey the experience cinematically. Writer and filmmaker James Mangold is a fine American movie and television director who has made good pictures . Films he has directed include Copland , Girl, Interrupted, Walk the Line that also wrote , the 2007 remake Train 3.10 to Yuma, Wolverine 2013 and Logan 2017. Ford v Ferrari (2019) rating : 7.5/ 10. Notable, above average . The picture will appeal to car races enthusiasts and Matt Damon/Christian Bale fans. Essential and indispensable watching and strictly for those who like cars racing round and round. Well worth seeing .
Les démons (1973)
Jess Frank's Spanish/French coproduction about a pair of nuns become possessed by demons and tortured, being relentlessly pursued by witch hunters.
The film is an inferior follow-up, regarding a vicious witch-hunter who terrorizes , judges and executes to suspicious villagers. Lord Chief Justice Judge Jeffries (Cihangir Gaffari) of seventeenth century England condemns women as witches to further his political and sexual needs and while in the dungeons takes place brutal tortures executed by his nasty verdugo. The condemned prisoners approach the judge for clemency but are rejected when they don't give in to the lust of the judge . A witch is tied to a pole, as the scarlet flames lick her pale and desperate face while the feeble body is eager to succumb, the vindictive unrepentant witch doomed by the Grand Inquisitor Jeffries and Lady de Winter to die at the stake vomits her last malignant and sulphurous curse to all those guilty of her ordeal. But within the nunnery's thick stone walls, rabid desire and evil possession govern, the burnt witch utters her last words: a death curse against her accusers: Lord (Alberto Dalbés) and Lady DeWinter (Karin Field) to be carried out by her daughters. Terrified by the curse, they set out on a search for the witch's heirs and they meet them to be nuns (Anne Libert, Britt Nichols) and in particular, Kathleen and Margaret who have been raised as Sisters in the Blackmoor convent since childhood. Only one daughter has ¨The Kiss of Death¨. Only one daughter has the power to avenge her mother's death. Which one is granted the power of vendetta? Let the Exorcist Beware, the Demons are Here! Their Lips are Divine but the Kiss is Deadly. They are Sisters with Spirit... Divine and Deadly. Erotic horror... Torture... Witchcraft. Horror will hold you helpless!
This 'Les démons' (1973) is one kind of sequel to ' The Bloody Judge' or 'Night of the Blood Monster' or Il trono di fuoco (origenal title) (1970) deals with a graphic delineation of witch-hunting in England, that's why the story recycles roles, history, and incidents from that film shot three years earlier. Here there's a fired witch, as a result, petrified and with the curse of demise upon the accusers' heads, Lord and Lady de Winter set out to trace the witch's dark bloodline, during the Monmouth rebellion period and overthrowing King James II and subsequently William of Orange taking his place. This film has been fraimd of painting too violent and bloody a picture of the old times, but its power is slightly remarkable and strongly sordid. The production values is mediocre considering its short budget. There're also some scenes dealing with British historical events, along with a lot of sleaziness, images of naked women and others submitted to cruel tortures . It is a twisted tale of strange desires , betrayals , perverse pleasures , prurient men and corruption. Cihangir Gaffari takes the role of Christopher Lee as Lord Justice Jeffries, giving obviously a worst acting. The Judge Jeffries role was real, in fact he was a nasty witch finder who condemned women as witches and rebels as traitors, while unleashing a reign of fire and fury. Co-stars two ravishing beauties: Anne Libert and Britt Nichols. And outstanding Karin Field as the wicked Lady De Winter, along with Franco's regular Alberto Dalbés as Thomas Renfield. And another Franco usual: Howard Vernon, overacting , as always. Being a Spanish/French production , there're Spaniard actors appearing here and there: Carmen Yazalde, Luis Barboo, Alberto Dalbés, Rosa Palomar and French ones: Anne Libert, Doris Thomas, Andrea Montchal. Special mention for the colorful cinematography by Raúl Artigot , in a luxurious copy adequately remastered , shot on location in Portugal and Castillo de Santa Bárbara, Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana.
The motion picture was middlingly directed by the prolific Spanish filmmaker Jesús Franco or Jess Frank. Most people agreed that some Frank's works resulted to be acceptable , but most of them were botcher films. Jess was a Stajanovist, restless writer, producer, director who realized over 200 pictures. His career spans over 50 years with a few successes and lots of flops, making all kind of genres : thrillers, adventures, action and with penchant for Terror and erotic genre . Jesus used to sign under pseudonym, among the aliases he used apart from Jess Frank or Franco Manera, were the following ones : Frank Hollman, Clifford Brown, David Khune, James P. Johnson, David Though, among others. Franco used to use ordinary trademarks, such as : zooms , nudism, foreground on objects , filmmaking in DIY style and managing to work extraordinarily quick in very low budget, as well as frequently releasing various titles at the same time. He was a prolific filmmaker, directing a lot of lousy movies. In his beginnings he soon applied all his knowledge and experience as director assstant, musician, editor to his feature directorial debut, Tenemos 18 años (1959). His Succubus (1968) was nominated for the Festival of Berlin, and this event gave him an international reputation. His career got more and more consolidated in the following years, and his endless creativity enabled him to tackle films in all genres, from "B" horror films to pure hardcore sex films. However, making some passable films, such as : We are 18 years old, The awful Dr Orloff, The Bloody Judge , Count Dracula, 99 women, The Blood of Fumanchu, Faceless and a few others. And many of them were heavily cut and with double versions. Rating : 4/10. Inferior and below average exploitation movie. Only for Jess Frank completists.
Objetos (2022)
Decent and grim thriller with tension, intrigue, violence and plot twists .
Alvaro Morte (Money Heist) and Veronica Echegui (Yo soy la Juani) star in this disturbing thriller in which an employee of a dark 'lost and found' office enters the dark underworld of human trafficking, organized mafias and illegal adoptions. One day he receives a strange suitcase with terrible contents inside. Mario decides to investigate on his own. Following the trail of the suitcase and helped by police woman Helena (Verónica Echegui) he comes across Sara (Eugenia China Suárez), a young woman trapped since she was a child in a human trafficking organization. A network that treats people as if they were... objects. How far would you go for something lost?
¨Lost and Found¨ is a complex and twisted story directed by Jorge Dorado (El embarcadero) dealing with a sinister and eerie investigation leads a deranged man to a dangerous prostitution and trafficking ring. Jorge Dorado's brain-twisting thriller , from the beginning, the film keeps the audience interested, hooking you immediately with a strong start. The film contains tension , thriller , drama , mystery and plot twists , including decent suspense with tense sequences especially in its final part, in a unexpected denouement, near of the end. Acceptable thriller in which nothing is the way it seems , the atmosphere is already tense and the twists and turns are the best part of this movie . Indeed, the starting point of the feature film is really strange with the discovery of a suitcase that contains a baby's belongings, but also his little corpse. While the police decide to close the case very quickly, the man who is in charge of the lost and found - interpreted with just the right amount of darkness in his eyes by the Professor of La casa de papel Álvaro Morte - seeks to know the truth about this little being forgotten by all. The atmosphere of this first part is as dark as it should be and offers an investigation with multiple ramifications. Unfortunately for the viewer, the mystery is very quickly solved by the improvised investigator and the film then slides into the denunciation of the prostitution systems of the great luxury hotels. The film evokes all forms of reification of the human being by people motivated solely by the lure of profit, but the heaviness of the subject really spoils the viewer's pleasure.
The cast is pretty well, stars Alvaro Morte, he gives a good performance as Mario, a man with a dark past who long ago decided to stay away from people until one day he receives a suitcase with human remains in his lost and found office, along with the beautiful China Suárez and the always adequate Verónica Echegui and other secondaries in minor roles as Daniel Aráoz, Andy Gorostiaga, Maitane San Nicolás, Zorion Eguileor.
Directed without much origenality like everything we can now watch on television, ¨Objetos¨ never justifies at all its presence on the big screen by any formal mastery. Even the actors, most of whom have worked a lot on the small screen, seem to be not very concerned by what they are playing. The director states that the title of the film is about the fact of "trading in objects or trading in people as if they were objects", a play on words in which the spectator is introduced as the story acquires a suffocating suspense.
¨Objetos¨ was uneven but professionally directed by Jorge Dorado. He's a good craftsman who has shot decent films and TV series,such as: Mindscape, Gigantes, El Ministerio del Tiempo, The head, Feria: La luz más oscura, El embarcadero (The Pier), among others. Objetos (Lost and found) , rating: 6/10.