The Racket (1951)

 Robert Ryan and Robert Mitchum grew up together on the wrong side of the tracks; now Ryan is a local crime boss recently hooked up with a national syndicate, while Mitchum's an incorruptible cop who the State Crime Commission hopes will help them nail Ryan. I knew nice guy cop William Talman was doomed by his second scene, but he surprised me with his resourcefulness on the way out. Much of this is old hat, in fact it's a remake of a 1928 best picture Oscar nominee. Often clichéd and dull, but there are a couple good through lines and performances (notably Mitchum and Talman) and I thought it really came together in the last act. So a ** movie with a *** ending,  I'm giving it **1/2

A Haunting in Venice (2023)

 'A Haunting in Venice' is another Agatha Christie, Kenneth Branagh Poirot vehicle. Like its two predecessors it boasts an impressively eclectic cast, Tina Fey, Kelly Reilly, Michelle Yeoh, among others. I rather enjoyed those first two, even acknowledging their limitations, this one for some reason I had a harder time getting into. A little fatigue with the formula perhaps? Or more hypocritcally I may have been responding to the lack of movement. I had criticized Branagh's 'Murder on The Orient Express' for too much pointless running around, 'Venice' gave me the parlor atmosphere I had been asking for, yet I found that dull. I guess sometimes you can't go home again, in terms of cinematic styles at least. **1/2

Dirty Harry (1971)

 'Dirty Harry' is probably the film that most encapsulates and established the 'Clint Eastwood persona'. The first of a franchise that would grow to five pictures, it would inspire many copy cats and parodies. The video essayist Maggie Mae Fish did a piece were she contrasts Eastwood's early, mostly promotional statements about the film, in which he viewed it as wish fullfiment fantasy bordering on satire, to later in life, in which he seemingly views it a guide to living, it has in effect become his personality.

I'll leave it to Fish to further expand on that point and focus on what I thought of the picture. I liked it. It's legit good. I should have but hadn't been expecting the final act, the bad guy sniper 'The Scorpio Killer' gets off on a technicality, and he and our dirty Harry Inspector Callahan have a final confrontation, a confrontation that doesn't make a whole lot of logistical sense, but is satisfying. 

What really makes the film work is that Scorpio is such a good villian, and that hero and bad guy are so well matched, near 'Die Hard'levels. The bad guy is billed as Andy Robinson and I was wowed to realize that is Andrew Robinson, who played Elim Garak on Deep Space Nine; this realization adds a whole new level to that character for me.

This is a film I should revisit, there is a far bit in there to unpack and mull over. The past is prologe political subtext of it all could be a long essay. I mean of course it's set in San Fransico. ***

Lady from Chungking (1942)

 For about a decade spanning the bridge from silent to sound Anna May Wong was a genuine movie star, the first actress of Asian ethnicity to really catch on in the United States. Enforcement of the production code clashed with her sensual image and the roles started to dry up, leaving her reduced to B pictures, 'Lady from Chungking' is one such.

This 'boost the allies' picture made during the war, has Wong as a leader in the resistance in Japanese occupied China. She helps rescue a couple of shot down American flyers, seduces a Japanese general, inspires a half Russian, half American singer, saves her village and is martyred, all in a little over an hour. She really carries this film, is well above the so so material; I should see some of her early stuff. Movie also boasts a character named Hans Gruber, who in Hans Gruber tradition mèets an untimley death. **

I Am Not Your Negro (2017)

 A kind of "film essay", taken from an unfinished project by the black author James Baldwin, in which he recounts his life through the prism of his martyred friends Medger Evers, Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr.; as well as the movies. Excellently read by Samuel L. Jackson, the text is a brilliantly written and layered reflection that asks to be taken in more then once. Strong editing and direction. An accomplishment I struggle to think of anything to really compare it to. ****

Paper Moon (1973)

 A small time conman (Ryan O'Neal) and an orphan girl (his real life daughter Tatum O'Neal) hawk Bible's and perpetrat scams across depression era Kansas. Charming, black & white film by Peter Bogdonovich. A critical (93% on Rottin Tomatoes) and box office ($30.9 million off $2.5 million) success. Only 10 when she accepted her best supporting actress award (legitimately earned), Tatum O'Neal remains the youngest winner of a competitive Oscar. Also featuring Madeline Kahn and John Hillerman. ***

The Long Haul (1957)

 Discharged from the army in Germany, American Victor Mature moves to Liverpool to work for his British wife's father's trucking company. There he finds rampant corruption amongst co-workers and clients. While geneally an honest guy, he meets Diana Dors and ends up with a mistress. Her jealous mobster ex boyfriend, even less keen on this then his wife. Complications. Better then it should be, there is one pretty great reveal, and it becomes kind of like 'Wages of Fear' towards the end. Probably Ms. Dors best performance. Really not what I was expecting, a pleasant surprise. ***

Vicki (1953)

 It is the waining weeks of the old school DVD Netflix. Back in the 00's Fox put out a nice series of film noir DVD's, they often contained good special features and interesting audio commentaries, I've enjoyed watching them over the years. So I wanted to squeeze in one more before the DVD by mail service wrappes up operations at the end of the month. What I was able to get is 'Vicki'.

'Vicki' is a lesser remake of 1941's 'I Wake Up Screaming', based on a novel of the same name by pulpist Steve Fisher. Jean Peters (Mrs. Howard Hughes 1957 - 1971) broke alot of hearts on her rise from night shift waitress to model, singer and aspiring actress. The mystery is, which 'wronged man' killed her?

Directed by Harry Horner, father of film composer James Horner, the film is pretty middling. There are some mistakes in the casting, Elliot Reid shouldn't be here, Jeanne Crain and Jean Peters should have switched roles. I did like some of the ways it played with lighting and set design, earlier, lighter portions of the film look like a romantic comedy, with Noir elements dominating the latter part of the flick. Richard Boone is pretty good as the obsessive detective, but no Laird Cregar. Future super producer Aaron Spelling has a small part. **

God's Not Dead: A Light in Darkness (2018)

 Finally getting around to finishing up the 'God's Not Dead' Trilogy; Oh God, they made a 4th one. Anyway, 'A Light in Darkness' follows up on the Reverend Dave Hill's (David A.R. White) storyline, neglecting most of the others.

 Hadleigh University wants to evict St. James Church, made easier perchance when someone accidently on purpose causes a gas explosion. The Reverend Hill brings in his semi-estranged brother John Corbit (Nina Vardalos's hubby in the 'Big Fat Greek Wedding' movies) to help out, because of course he happens to be a 'social justice' lawyer. Much clichéd, hack writting from a paranoid worldview, the persecution of Evangelicals... in Arkansa. 

Still there is a germ of something in the brothers relationship, and the film does manage to show more grace then I had expected, at least towards the end. It sure is clumsy though, too often undermining its best points by filling the air that should be occupied by reflection, with cheese. *

Return of The Tiger (1978)

Continuing with the Grindhouse set.

In 'Return of the Tiger' Bruce Li (not Bruce Lee) becomes involved in conflict between two rival Hong Kong drug cartels. There are some fun cartoony action set pieces, but they are overshadowed by the hard to follow plot, one that contains plenty of double crossing. The film would have been better served by a simpler plot, more action, and more focus on the relationship between Li and his sidekick/love interest Angela Mao, she kicks ass. *1/2

Kung Fu Punch of Death aka Prodigal Boxer (1972)

 Back in the 00's I bought a DVD collection of "Grindhouse" films, curated by Quinton Tarantino; to further date this I bought it at a Boarders Books and Music. Anyways, for whatever reason I only made it half way through the set. So after revisiting the first half I intend to complete the package. The films are arranged as a series of double features based on genra, in this case martial arts films.

'Kung Fu Punch of Death' aka 'Prodigal Boxer', filmed in 72 but but not released in the States till 74. A Hong Kong and/or Twianse production. Set in the olden times, story concerns a martial arts student (Fei Meng, apparently something of a name in this field) accidently kills a man in training, said man's family has Meng's father killed in retaliation. Meng tries to exact revange, it doesn't go well, so he then trains up for an extended period of time and his revanging is much more successful.

I've never really been able to get into Kung Fu films, with a few exceptions. Frankly I find them hard to sustain interest in. This one is pretty alright, the dull and interesting parts pretty much even out. Meng starts out as a real dumb ass, but over time he grows into less of a dumb ass. That final fight scene is pretty cool. **1/2

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014)

 Further adventures in Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez's urban hellscape. I was quite taken with the 2005 original, but this 9 year later sequel just doesn't land the same. **1/2

The Blood Best Terror (1968)

 A giant moth woman, desperate for a mate, is praying on the men of Victorian era London. By premise 'The Blood Best Terror' is one of the silliest movies Hammer Studio's ever produced, and for Hammer that is saying something. Yet the film plays it pretty straight, kind of restrained even, but with plenty of entertaining quarks. It held my interest. Wanda Ventham is the moth woman, Robert Flemyng (yes that's the spelling) a mad entomologist, and Peter Cushing the detective on the case. **1/2

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

 I don't get why Scorsese made this, unless it was just for the paycheck. It adds nothing to his work. It stretches nothing. Don't get me wrong, it's more then competently made, it's Scorsese after all, Leo's always good, Margot Robbie and even Jonah Hill. Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, an unscrupulous stock trader and later motivational speaker, the plot is a cross between 'Wall Street' and 'Goodfellas'. It's a whole lot of decadence, but it doesn't feel like much of an indictment, it revels in it. One of Marty's weaker, less inspired films. Audiences liked it however, more $400 million box office on a $100 budget. I'm torn on a rating, it's a general *** and a Scorsese ** (or lower). So I'm going with **1/2

House of Gucci (2021)

 Power struggles within the Gucci family over their fashion empire. 'The House of Gucci' is the 'Godfather' crossed with an 80's prime time soap, and it actually happened.

I wasn't sure exactly how to take what I was seeing. The campyness, the arch sensibility, Jeremy Irons doing both Neitzche and Shakespeare, Jared Leto's variant on Fredo. Again back to 'The Godfather', Robert DeNiro is here, and Adam Driver is getting pulled back into the family business just when he thinks he is out.

I am completely won over to Lady Gaga as an actress, I'll watch anything she's in. I was fascinated by what she was doing with her performance, the mixed messages she sent. Trying to figure out what Patriza was up to, does she really love Maurizo? What does she want? What's her end goal? Is there a master plan?

Able direction by Ridley Scott, this odd balance of on the nose and off kilter. The heavy handed pop soundtrack, well it worked for the thing. Without giving away too much, I felt misdirected, and I'm glad. I didn't know this story, and if your not already familiar avoid learning more before viewing. I had my doubts that this could hook me, but it hooked me.***1/2

The First Legion (1951)

 A Jesuit seminary in a small California town is the site of a seeming miracle; Pilgrams flock. Storylines concern various priests, a skeptical  doctor, and a paralyzed local girl hoping for her own miracle. I'm mixed as regards to twist 1, saw twist 2 coming and wasn't a fan, in fact twist 2 cost this film half a star. Douglas Sirk taking his melodrama to religion didn't work for me. *1/2

McBain (1991)

My chief curiosity peaker with 'McBain' is that it shares its name with a fictional action franchise on 'The Simpson's', a running joke that predated the release of this movie, the animated McBain is played by a Schwarzenegger surrogate named Rainier Wolfcastle. Movie McBain is played by Christopher Walken, my second curiosity peaker.

Relassed by Torma Films, 'McBain' is a sort of half send up of then period action films, with a plot borrowed partly from 'The Magnificent Seven'. In 1973 McBain is rescued from a Vietnamese POW camp by a rag tag team of adventurous solders, this group was headed home, but on the way decided to stop at a Viet enclave on the off chance there could be POW's.

McBain owed a great sense of gratitude to the groups leader Santos (Chick Vinnera). 18 years later Santos, a native of Columbia, is a leader in a guerilla group who gets executed in an attempt to depose that nations dictator president. Approached by Santos's sister (Cuban actress, singer and beauty queen Maria Conchita Alonso) McBain procedes to bring the old group back together to complete the final mission of its late leader.

Getting the gang back is made easier in that they all seem to be based around NYC. The group consists of a doctor, a cop, a couple of construction workers (including McBain) and a defense contractor (helpful) played by Micheal Ironside, who is at first reluctant but ultimately comes on board.

After securing financing by robbing drug dealers and blackmailing a mob boss by pretending to be Mossad, it's off the Columbia! They secure the aid of an American Air Force pilot whose father died in Nam, and meet up with Sister Santos's rebels. Lots of huts get blown up, the bad guys menace, and the film is topped off with a seige on the presidential palace in Bogota (not as good as a similar seige in Jack Ryan season 2, but still heartily satisfying).

This is the kind of film whose odd ball plot developments and leaps of logic prompted an ongoing commentary by me back at the screen. The movie is pretty silly and not good, still I got  some pleasure from its clichéd hackery. Shout out to the George H. W. Bush stand in president played by Forrest Compton, he's not much help but is with McBain in spirit.

Perfectly serviceable as what it is, they must have really screwed up the distribution as it made less the $500,000 box office on a $16 million budget. So no McBain 2. Still worth seeking out if your in a corny or non demanding mood. *1/2

Little Richard: I Am Everything (2023)

 It's a common conservative accusation that "the Left" is always looking to insert matters of race and sex inappropriately into the historical narrative, well with Richard Wayne Penniman aka Little Richard's place in the history of American music, they'd be hard to ignore. Arguably underapricated in his contributions, Richard was a man of contradictions, a pioneer in rock music whose in your face queerness was decades ahead of its time, a libertine with a conservative streak, or visa versa, he more then once left popular music to concentrate on ministry and declared himself to be ex gay. That Richard's father was simultaneously a preacher and night club owner goes some way to elucidating the contradictions at the core of his character.

A perhaps surprisingly fascinating documentary, 'I Am Everything' is as zeitgeist current as any examination of a 50's rock and roller is likely to get. ***