Nope (2022)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Nope (2022) – J. Peele

Jordan Peele’s third directorial outing (after Get Out, 2017, and Us, 2019) is also a genre pic, straddling sci-fi and horror. Daniel Kaluuya is back, as O.J., a stoic horse trainer who supplies animal talent for movies, following in his father’s footsteps (the father who dies in a freak accident at the start of the film). His sister, Emerald (Keke Palmer), is helping out with the business but has other ambitions. When mysterious things start happening out at the ranch, O.J. and Em decide that capturing them on film might be either a ticket to fame and success or at least a way to salvage the flailing business. I’m not spoiling anything when I say that they think they have seen a U.F.O. and that the U.F.O. may be abducting their horses.  Straightforward enough but then again it isn’t. Peele takes us into undiscovered territory with a side plot that features a child star who barely escaped an on-set chimpanzee attack (and who now runs a western-style theme park). While not as clearly laced with social commentary as his early features (although there are nods to Black heritage and perhaps a general querying of our need to be famous/desire attention), this is still a solid creature feature, the kind where the unusual is treated seriously and rational steps are taken to address it (see also Tremors, 1990). Worth a look (and still a director to follow).

 

Crimes of the Future (2022)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Crimes of the Future (2022) – D. Cronenberg

Aiming for, and occasionally attaining, the kind of transgressive feel that he achieved with Videodrome (1983), David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future lays out a possible reality where humans have evolved not to feel pain or to develop infections and some produce new unknown glands and organs in their bodies on a regular basis. Viggo Mortensen plays Saul Tenser who has turned his organ production into a vehicle for performance art: with the assistance of former “trauma surgeon” Caprice (Léa Seydoux), he has the new adaptations extracted from his body (using an antiquated “autopsy machine”) in front of an audience at various underground venues. Together, they have achieved a notoriety or fame that brings them to the attention of the New Vice Unit (Welket Bungué) and the National Organ Registry (Kristen Stewart and Don McKellar; she says that “surgery is the new sex”). At the same time, Tenser is approached by a secretive man, Lang Dotrice (Scott Speedman) creating purple candy bars who wants him to do a live autopsy of his son (who we earlier see eating a plastic rubbish basket). Eventually, it comes to light that he represents a rebellious group of plastic eaters who are pushing evolution into a direction not favoured by the authorities (but which sounds environmentally correct: eating the industrial waste that humans produce). Representatives of a company, LifeFormWare, that makes beds, chairs, and other furniture that are adapted to their owner’s physical being, are somehow invested in the outcomes of the collaboration between Tenser and Dotrice (but the film doesn’t clarify this). Overall, this is a dark film, both cinematographically and thematically, and it isn’t surprising that some viewers walked out of the premiere (most likely due to the graphic surgery scenes). But it feels funny that Cronenberg uses his big budget techniques for what might feel more edgy and “real” if low budget techniques were used (such as earlier in his career). Likely too, the film might be too slow for some, although scrambling to understand everything that Cronenberg’s very imaginative future holds, some of which remains unspoken, may occupy much of your time. Remembering the “ground rules” such as the fact that no one feels pain (except those who subversively seek it out) is an additional challenge. Worth a look, if you have a strong stomach.

 

The House of Fear (1945)/The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½     The House of Fear (1945) – R. W. Neill

☆ ☆ ☆         The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) – A. Werker

We watched a Sherlock Holmes double feature (well, across two nights), featuring, first, The House of Fear (1945), the tenth film in the long-running series starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson, and then, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939), the second in the series and one of only two (along with The Hound of the Baskervilles, also 1939) produced by Fox with a comparatively higher budget before the series moved to Universal. As readers will remember, I used to watch these Holmes films on Saturday nights on Channel 38 with my Dad, so it is a pleasure to be able to watch them now with my own sons. Moreover, The House of Fear is loosely based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s story The Five Orange Pips, which I read to the boys when we were camping earlier this year. That story turns out to feature the KKK as the villains, responsible for sending orange pips to members of a family against whom they held a vendetta and wanted to kill. In the movie, the orange pips feature in an Agatha-Christie-styled plot where a group of retirees called the Good Comrades die one-by-one after receiving the pips with suspicion falling on the survivors until only one is left. Holmes steps in with his powers of deduction to solve the mystery before it is too late (and Watson provides comic relief plus discovers the final clue). It's a fast-paced and fun affair.  Rewind to six years earlier and The Adventures is considerably more staid (although we do get to see more of 221 Baker Street than ever) with Rathbone and Bruce slightly less settled in their characters (it is jarring to see Holmes snap at Watson, even though this side of his personality was evident in the stories). This film spotlights Holmes rivalry with Professor Moriarty (George Zucco) who vows to commit the crime of the century, challenging Holmes to stop him. Clever Moriarty devises a distraction for Holmes – mysterious letters sent to Ida Lupino and her brother that suggest they are to be murdered – even as he plots to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London.  For most of the film, Holmes is indeed distracted by the strange case and Moriarty very nearly gets away with his caper, even as Lupino is only very nearly rescued.  But the plot doesn’t completely make sense (due to some scenes left on the cutting room floor, as the DVD booklet explains) and Fox dropped the series when the film was poorly received. Fortunately, Rathbone and Bruce were able to take their act to Universal where they managed another 12 films of fun and mystery.

Toi… Le Venin (Night is Not for Sleep) (1958)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

Toi… Le Venin (Night is Not for Sleep) (1958) – R. Hossein

Last night, I thought I might have stumbled onto a forgotten French noir gem. The first few minutes held promise: a drifter (Robert Hossein, who also directed) is alone on the road at night when he is offered a lift by a mysterious blonde in a white Cadillac. Instead of driving on, she pulls over, seduces him, and then kicks him out of the car. Catching a glimpse of the number plate as she drives off, the drifter, Pierre Menda, resolves to track her down, which he does by visiting the police station. When he arrives at the address, he finds two sisters, Helene and Eva (played by Odile Versois and Marina Vlady, real sisters), but cannot figure out if either of them or neither was the mysterious woman from the night before. To complicate matters, Eva is in a wheelchair, unable to walk due to polio. The rest of the movie involves Pierre and viewers trying to guess who goes out each night in the white car, while both women compete for his affections.  Unfortunately, by the time we reach the conclusion, I didn’t care too much anymore; the filmmakers had undermined my interest with a hesitant plot.  In addition, I’m not sure the film is really a noir either, as the protagonist is able to walk away shrugging his shoulders just as easily as he fell into the sisters’ story.  It turns out that there is an entire oeuvre of Hossein movies, across different genres, which he wrote, directed, and starred in. Perhaps for those with more time on their hands than I?

 

T-Men (1947)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

T-Men (1947) – A. Mann

John Alton was one of noir’s great cinematographers and his work on T-Men for director Anthony Mann is a good example. Shadows are everywhere here, with some scenes nearly pitch black. The film falls into the category of noirs that aimed to tell “true stories” under the auspices of U. S. Government agencies, often the FBI but here the Treasury Department (the “T” in T-Men). We begin with a brief introduction by an official before launching into a procedural look at an attempt to infiltrate a counterfeiting ring (complete with matter-of-fact narration; Dragnet was not far off). Dennis O’Keefe and Alfred Ryder play the title characters who go undercover, first in Detroit and then in L. A., to find out who is making new bills on impossibly good paper (discovered to come from Shanghai, eventually).  They have access to some high-quality engraved plates, retrieved from another counterfeiter now in prison, to give them credibility and to help them to get access to the big boss of the ring. Of course, things don’t always go to plan.  A solid outing for Mann and Alton who made a run of noirs together (and separately) in the late Forties.

 

Black Widow (1987)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

Black Widow (1987) – B. Rafelson

Debra Winger stars as the Department of Justice investigator who suspects Theresa Russell of marrying and then killing successive wealthy husbands across multiple states. No one believes her but her boss lets her take time off to pursue her theory, which leads her first to Seattle and then to Hawaii where she befriends Russell and tries to thwart her plot. There’s a twist ending, as befits a film noir.  However, as directed by Bob Rafelson, the result is a bit flat. I didn’t care for his earlier take on noir either, a remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice, 1981, with Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange. Perhaps, in the hands of another director, the screenplay by Ron Bass might have worked – or perhaps if we had other actors in the leads? Winger is fine playing a bit of a schlub who blossoms when competing with Russell’s black widow for romantic attention but Russell herself seems dull and unconvincing in her part. Overall, it’s okay, especially because there are few films where the detective is female (and that adds a little frisson), but there are other much better ‘80s neonoirs out there (such as Body Heat, 1981, for example).

 

The Big Clock (1948)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Big Clock (1948) – J. Farrow

This film came packaged in a “Universal Noir” DVD boxset (alongside This Gun for Hire, The Glass Key, and The Blue Dahlia) – to be honest, I always felt this was the lesser of the bunch (the only one without Ladd & Lake). Watching it again last night for Noirvember, I appreciated it a bit more but still feel that its often jokey tone doesn’t quite allow the darkness of the noir themes to come through. As “Crimeways” magazine editor George Stroud, Ray Milland is, in many ways, an archetypal noir protagonist – he’s a bit of a cad who ignores his wife and child, partly because he’s pressured by the publisher Earl Janoth (Charles Laughton) and partly because he likes a drink and is happy to chat up a pretty lady. For these latter sins, he is made to pay when one of the women he is out with ends up murdered and his magazine is charged with finding the killer, using their special board of clues that all begin to point directly to George himself.  He’s in a tight spot but thinks he knows the real killer – however time is running out as witnesses who saw the victim with him are lining up to take a look at all of the employees in the building. Janoth cruelly ramps up the pressure, demanding an outcome, without knowing the squeeze George is in. And yet, and yet, Milland’s performance never really captures the dread he would be feeling, instead he displays fast-thinking and scrambles to get out of the jam (with the help of his wife played by Maureen O’Sullivan, director John Farrow’s real wife and mother of Mia Farrow) with a bit of sardonic humour to boot. Enjoyable but I want the darkness.   

 

The Hidden (1987)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

The Hidden (1987) – J. Shoulder

I’d be very surprised if Kyle MacLachlan wasn’t thinking about this film when he played the role of “Dougie” for David Lynch in the final series of Twin Peaks. His role as an FBI agent in The Hidden seems similar in outlook: simple-minded but purposive and relatively affectless. The difference is that Agent Lloyd Gallagher has a secret that he knows better than to share with others, including the Los Angeles cop (Michael Nouri) that he teams up with to track down a whacked-out killer on the loose.  Or more than one killer.  So, it is your typical ‘80s buddy film decked out with car chases and a high body count and at least one visit to a strip joint. But despite all of the clichés, this film gains some points just for its sheer weirdness (there is a sci-fi angle) and, I guess, for the fact that it manages to hold its plot together all the way through.  

 

X (2022)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

X (2022) – T. West

Perhaps the only thing I distinctly remember (aside from the ubiquitous hockey mask) from Friday the 13^th Part III (in 3D! 1982) is an eyeball being torn from a head and thrust out of the screen and into the audience (and yes, I saw this in the theatre for maximum shocks and social support). There is something of an homage to that scene (or to Fulci’s The Beyond) in Ti West’s new film, X. Indeed, in re-watching the trailer to the 3D film now, it is even more apparent how much West’s film is a return to those carefree days of the slasher film. As in the old trailer, a bunch of young people jump into an old van (the new film takes place in 1979), headed to the countryside, where they run into trouble.  In this case, they are actually on their way to make an amateur porno movie – but West turns the old cliché that the characters who have sex are the first to die on its head here (we can talk about the pornification of everything some other time). And, of course, all of the characters do die – save one, but what did you expect? Intriguingly, the killer here is not your ordinary insane man but instead an elderly woman (played in a dual role by Mia Goth who also plays one of the kids in trouble). Part of the horror then is undoubtedly supposed to be based on our repulsion to thinking about old people and, in particular, old people with real human desires.  Perhaps the youthful audience that is more likely to watch this kind of film might find them gross, but West does seem to find some sympathy for the killer(s). Not really what you’d expect in your garden variety slasher film.

 

The Kiss of the Vampire (1963)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Kiss of the Vampire (1963) – D. Sharp

Although the plot is standard fare (stranded travellers find themselves invited to vampire castle), there is something different about this Hammer Horror outing, something that makes it feel more unseemly than usual, perhaps more genuinely horrific. I don’t think we can chalk that up to the absence of Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing, although perhaps their charismatic presences make evil and the fighting of it something less than mundane. In this film, with no real recognisable actors (not even Hammer regulars), perhaps there’s a sense that the unspeakable could happen to anyone. The innkeeper’s wife has some deeply sad moments, grieving privately for her daughter, now a vampire as part of the cult lead by Dr Ravna (Noel Willman), grief that is perceived quizzically by our protagonists, Gerald and Marianne (Edward de Souza and Jennifer Daniel), who seem very sheltered if not occasionally buffoonish.  Although warned to be careful by Professor Zimmer (a rather spooky figure himself, played by Clifford Evans), they still attend the fancy dress party held by Ravna where his followers drug Gerald’s drink and then escort Marianne to receive the titular kiss from Ravna. When Gerald awakes, everyone (including the innkeeper) claims never to have seen Marianne.  Fortunately, Zimmer is ready, armed with some supernatural incantations that cause a horde of bats to descend on the vampire clan and destroy them. Even the rubber bats can’t really destroy the unsettling spell cast by this film.  

Charlie Chan in London (1934)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

Charlie Chan in London (1934) – E. Forde

Comfort-watching another Charlie Chan entry, #6 out of 16 for Warner Oland, the Swedish actor who ended up type-cast as Asian. Although definitely dated, this first series treats Chan kindly with gentle stereotyping (he often speaks in fortune-cookie riddles) and when his Number One Son shows up in later efforts, there is true affection for his family.  (The subsequent series with Sidney Toler for Monogram features considerably more racist content directed at the comic African American cab-driver Birmingham). Here, Charlie goes it alone. Having just solved another case in London, he is begged to stay by socialite Pamela Gray (Drue Leyton) whose brother is on death row for a murder she thinks he didn’t commit.  Charlie has only 72 hours to prove him innocent by finding the real killer.  Of course, the episode takes place in a British country estate (including fox hunt) and the various suspects are staying for the weekend.  There’s an attempt on Charlie’s life and another murder before all the suspects are gathered together in the drawing room for the final reveal.  But rather than announce the killer outright, Charlie lures them into a trap where they make a move and get caught red-handed in front of the police.  A fine entry, if you like this mystery-by-the-numbers genre.

The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975)

 ☆ ☆ ½

The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975) – J. L. Thompson

Somehow the Seventies seems the right era for melancholy supernatural fare. There’s a loneliness found in many films of the era, from neo-noir to horror, as alienation and disillusionment set in.  In this film, college professor Peter Proud (Michael Sarrazin) is suffering from a recurring nightmare where he is swimming naked at night and approached by a woman in a rowboat who abruptly kills him with a paddle. His doctor can’t help him and sends him to a parapsychologist (with a sleep clinic) who discovers no evidence of dreams at all.  A shooting pain in his hip with no organic cause just adds to the mystery.  When he sees a too-familiar New England town on TV, remembered from his “dreams”, Peter heads East to investigate. By now, he suspects that he is really remembering a past life.  After a lengthy search, he makes contact with people he believes are his former wife, Marcia (Margot Kidder), now in her sixties (with old age make-up), and his adult daughter, Ann (Jennifer O’Neill), in Springfield, Mass.  He doesn’t let them know his visions, but falls for Ann despite the hint of incest. At this point, the film starts to lose its momentum, perhaps searching for a satisfactory ending – an extended square dance sequence is the nadir – and then the end is in sight, a perfect looping back to the film’s opening scenes. But alas, whatever spooky suspense was built up in the film’s first sequences has long since been squandered (notwithstanding an extremely unpleasant flashback) and the film ends abruptly, its promise denied.

 

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)

 

☆ ☆ ☆ 

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) – T. Gormican

It’s a trifle but amusing enough for a mindless night in.  Nicolas Cage plays a fictionalised version of himself (called “Nick”, a telling giveway), at a point in his career where his star is fading and he needs a hit.  He’s recently divorced with a teenage daughter with whom he is struggling to connect. After missing out on another plum role, he takes a $1M gig to attend a wealthy Spanish guy’s birthday party. They bond but soon Cage learns that his host Javi Gutierrez (Pedro Pascal) is suspected of being an arms dealer by the CIA and responsible for a politically motivated kidnaping to boot. Cage is corralled into helping the CIA (led by Tiffany Haddish). To stay close to Javi, he suggests working on a film together, a film about their friendship…and about a kidnaping. The film moves gradually from a character study to a male-bonding relationship piece to a full-on comic action thriller. It’s all very “meta” and if you are a Nic Cage fan, then you’ll enjoy all of the references to his films (he also talks regularly with his younger self, circa Wild at Heart). But apart from Cage hamming it up in a variety of classic situations, this is basically substance free viewing – yet amusing.

 

Dark Passage (1947)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Dark Passage (1947) – D. Daves

This third pairing of Bogie and Bacall (after To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep but before Key Largo) is the least celebrated, possibly because it uses the gimmick made famous by Robert Montgomery’s Lady in the Lake (1946) but more probably because Bogie plays a less confident, more hesitant, character than in the other three films. The gimmick is to have the camera take the “first person” point-of-view, showing us what Bogie’s character sees, without showing us Bogie himself (except his fist when he punches someone). This lasts for the first 40 minutes of the film, ending with a bit of a punchline when Bogie picks up a newspaper reporting on his escape from jail and the picture is not of Humphrey Bogart (well, apparently it is a composite and it is Bogie from the eyes up!).  At this point in the film, Bogie undergoes plastic surgery from a dodgy doctor (who lost his licence, of course) and after the bandages come off (20 minutes later), we finally see Bogart an hour into the film.  Bacall plays the woman who was a staunch defender when Bogie’s case went to trial, never believing that he really killed his wife.  She does what she can to hide him, even as another murder is committed and attributed to him. There are a few suspects, including Agnes Moorehead and Clifton Young, but things don’t look good for Bogie. We know he’s innocent, but how will they convince the law? It doesn’t turn out how you expect. Solid noir although not in the upper echelon.

Dune (2021)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Dune (2021) – D. Villeneuve

Perhaps coincidentally, I had just finished reading Frank Herbert’s Dune (1965) a couple of years ago when Denis Villeneuve’s filmed version was first announced.  I had seen David Lynch’s 1984 film version in high school but didn’t understand it; I watched it again recently after reading the book and found it a weirdly abbreviated rendition of the novel.  So, Villeneuve probably made the right choice in deciding to film Dune’s sprawling narrative across two separate films. This first film takes us from the moment when the members of House Atreides, ruled by Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac), first learn that they will become the new denizens/guardians of the planet Arrakis, with its massive spice mining operation, rebellious indigenous people, and impossibly hot desert climate, to the point where, having suffered a cruel twist of fate (engineered by an evil emperor), Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother (Rebecca Ferguson) (both with spiritual/supernatural powers) flee into the desert into the arms of the Fremen people (led by Javiar Bardem). Villeneuve and his team demonstrate impressive technical virtuosity in bringing the novel to the screen – it’s epic and serious, forboding and sometimes grim (all the actors speak in a pronounced stage whisper, filled with portentousness).  Although otherworldly, the CGI is not intrusive but blends into the dusky colour scheme of the film – yet you never forget that this is science fiction taking place in another time and place (with giant sandworms swarming through the desert, how could you?). I suspect, however, that not having read the book might be a disadvantage when watching the film. Villeneuve trots out a large array of characters, most of whom are not fully developed, and moves the action in a relatively exposition-less way from significant episode to significant episode. Knowing the story surely helps to provide the glue that holds it all together. Perhaps too only fans of the book will be pleased with a film that ends with the suggestion that we are only really at the beginning. Fortunately, I’m in that camp and I look forward to Part 2.

Shaolin Soccer (2001)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Shaolin Soccer (2001) – S. Chow

Trying to come up with something to watch with the kids that isn’t animated, cloying, or trying too hard to be suitable for both kids and adults (wink, wink), I remembered this ridiculous gem. It was a hit with the boys (more or less)!  Stephen Chow plays a down-and-out kung fu ace (“Mighty Steel Leg”) who is recruited by once famous soccer star Man-Tat Ng to get a team together for a big competition (against “Team Evil”).  We meet the other former monks from his Shaolin gang (“Iron Head”, “Hooking Leg”, “Iron Shirt”, “Light Weight”), see them train, and play against other teams before eventually making it to the finals (of course).  Contrary to many other “losers make good” narratives, these guys become amazing soccer superstars pretty quickly – aided by some amazing powers and funny CGI effects (don’t expect the “they do their own stunts!” routine here).  It is a slapstick comedy after all.  A side plot involving a steamed bun making, tai chi expert girl who may or may not have a romance with Chow does not quite hold together.  But no worries, we had a laugh!  (And for the record, we watched with subtitles, not dubbing).

The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

The Matrix Resurrections (2021) – L. Wachowski

Arriving approximately 18 years after the third film in the original Matrix trilogy and a good 22 years after the iconic first film, this fourth installment knows its place. As directed by Lana Wachowski (without her sister Lily this time), the film returns to the Matrix approximately 60 years (?!?) after the events of the original trilogy to find Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) now a star game designer being encouraged to revisit his biggest earlier success (called The Matrix, get it?). This self-reflexive gag extends to a discussion of why anyone would want to revisit an earlier success: nostalgia, money-grab, etc.  Although a bit too on-the-nose, at least it is amusing and in keeping with the franchise’s blurring of fiction and reality. And then, again, we are with Keanu as he tries to determine whether he is having a mental breakdown or really experiencing a visit from a new Morpheus (wherefore art thou Laurence Fishburne?). Take the red pill, man (even if it means leaving the half-recognised Tiffany, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, of course)! Although his therapist (Neil Patrick Harris) tries to hold him back, off he goes back to the dismal underworld. And here’s where I started thinking that I should have watched Reloaded and Revolutions again because I lost the plot – where was Zion, who exactly is that aged ruler? Unfortunately, the spew of exposition was pretty lost on me and the new characters, apart from maybe Bugs (Jessica Henwick), failed to make much of an impression.  But then, once we’ve returned to the Matrix, who cares? It’s all fighting, bullet-time, (or a new-fangled bullet-time, which wasn’t really too impressive) and the challenge of extracting Tiffany/Trinity, who may not really want to be extracted anyway.  Keanu does his job, with style (I had to ask how old he is – and he looks it, at times). To its credit, even at 140 minutes plus, the film flies by.  And just as easily dissipates from your consciousness after it’s done.

The Story of Film: A New Generation (2021)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Story of Film: A New Generation (2021) – M. Cousins

Filmmaker and critic Mark Cousins waited ten years to offer this four-hour sequel to his 15-hour mini-series, The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011). Whereas the first series covered the history of film up to that point, the new release aims to highlight trends and new contributions in film in the 21^st century specifically.  As before, Cousins narrates in his soft-spoken Northern Irish lilt (which some have called soporific in comments on IMDb but which I quite enjoy), pointing out aspects of the various clips that he’s chosen and making connections across films. The organisation here is very loose and rambling and whatever trends and themes Cousins has found don’t always become especially explicit.  At times, he seems to be grouping films by genre (horror, documentary) but in other places, he seems to want to argue that advances in technology or the onset of the pandemic are the contributing factors to new trends. But the overall feel of the film is just a relatively random, stream of consciousness presentation of cool movie clips accompanied by interesting insights. It pales in comparison to the earlier opus but it’s still a fun watch and a place to find out about art-house and experimental films you may have missed.

 

Harry in Your Pocket (1973)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

Harry in Your Pocket (1973) – B. Geller

James Coburn is the suave pickpocket “cannon” (Harry) who, with his older partner (the “steer”) Walter Pidgeon, take on a pair of young people, Michael Sarrazin and Trish Van Devere, as “stalls” in order to form a team that steals some “pokes” from rich folks in Seattle. The mechanics of pickpocketing is the main focus here, using the lingo above, and with repeated demonstrations, as the young folks learn the trade. Sarrazin’s Ray, in particular, is keen to become a cannon, the one who picks the pocket, but Coburn’s Harry refuses to teach him. Instead, Harry does the deed and quickly hands over the poke to one of the others, because “Harry doesn’t hold” which also means he hasn’t ever gone to jail.  That’s not to say that the police don’t know who he is – soon the group is asked to move along, to find another city to loot. As the film progresses, the relationship tensions (particularly between Harry and Van Devere’s Sandy) start to simmer: Ray is jealous and begins to work on his own (with guidance from Pidgeon’s Casey) which eventually causes the team to unravel a bit. This being the 70s, there’s a downbeat ending, although it’s more abrupt than it should be. The flat TV-style cinematography and rather prosaic settings don’t add much to the proceedings. This film deserved a Jean-Pierre Melville in the director’s chair but got Bruce Geller instead (only other feature: The Savage Bees, 1976).

 

Pagan Peak (Season 1; 2018)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Pagan Peak (Season 1; 2018) – C. Boss & P. Stennert

Looking for another TV series to stream when there isn’t time or energy to watch films and I came across this one on SBS On Demand.  Although it seemed at first to have supernatural overtones (due to the serial killer’s use of Krampus masks and iconography), it quickly turned into just another police procedural, albeit one that takes place in a very scenic location – in the Alps on the border of Germany and Austria.  The two detectives do get fleshed out across the 8 episodes with Ellie Stocker (Julia Jentsch) from Germany transforming from optimistic and even bubbly to more beaten down and world weary and Gedeon Winter (Nicholas Ofczarek) from Austria moving in the opposite direction from cynical and disengaged to sensitive and involved.   We also eventually get to meet the killer and learn about him.  So, yes, this is one of those shows where the suspense slackens and it turns to a game of cat-and-mouse rather than whodunnit.  The ending of Season 1 is poignant and fitting. Overall, Pagan Peak is watchable but not particularly thought-provoking.  I’m not sure I need to watch Season 2.

 

The Tomb of Ligeia (1964)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

The Tomb of Ligeia (1964) – R. Corman

The last of Roger Corman’s Edgar Allan Poe adaptations (this one drawn from an early 1838 tale), again starring Vincent Price but this time written by Robert Towne (later famous for Chinatown).  Price plays Verden Fell who we meet when he is still grieving the death of his wife, Ligeia; he wears strange sunglasses due to a recent attack of light sensitivity. Fell lives in a dilapidated abbey with just his manservant for company, aside from a stray black cat (of course!) who acts as though she owns the place.  The cat may be possessed by the spirit of Ligeia – and certainly acts jealously when Fell starts a new romance with The Lady Rowena Travanion (Elizabeth Shepherd, who also plays Ligeia). After a whirlwind courtship, the two marry, travel Europe for their honeymoon, but return to the abbey, where Fell begins to act mysteriously, disappearing at night when Rowena is asleep. When a family friend digs up Ligeia’s grave to find it empty, all signs point to necrophilia (!!!). Things get pretty crazy from that point and it’s hard to know whether Fell is hallucinating or something supernatural is going on. At any rate, it doesn’t end well.  But, as with Corman’s other Poe releases, it’s a handsomely mounted B-film with that creepy feel.

 

Red Rocket (2021)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Red Rocket (2021) – S. Baker

I’ve enjoyed the movies I’ve seen by director Sean Baker (Tangerine, 2015; The Florida Project, 2017) but admit that they may not be for everyone.  This is probably even more true of his latest release, Red Rocket (2021), which stars Simon Rex, as an out-of-work porn star who returns to his small Texas hometown to try to get his life back together. Baker’s films generally take a sympathetic but clear-eyed view of people on the fringe of society, those who are struggling to make ends meet. But Mikey (Rex) is a different breed of protagonist: he’s charismatic but self-absorbed, unattuned to the feelings and needs of others, and just plain wrong-headed. He descends on his ex-wife (also an ex-porn star) and her mum, offering to contribute to the rent (which, failing to find a job due to an inexplicable resumé, he manages by selling weed, still illegal in Texas when the film takes place in 2016). And while it seems at first that Mikey and Lexi (Bree Elrod) might get back together after their long estrangement, Mikey soon finds himself infatuated with a teenage donut store worker (Suzanna Son) and dreams of using her to make his way back into the adult film industry. Similar to other Baker movies, a real sense of place is developed in the film, with Mikey riding a bike around the poor and industrial locations, often at twilight. Occasionally, we see him in repose, potentially weighing things up. But, more often than not, he is talking, talking, talking, and hustling, hustling, hustling. The film might be a comedy but only for the ridiculous situations that Mikey gets himself into -- which also leave a sour or even bitter aftertaste (and consequences, for others, if not for himself). In the end, Baker probably lets things run on too long, with some redundant scenes and too much unnecessary chatter about porn. The result is an interesting character study but not as poignant (or funny) as might have been intended.

Further reflections:  If I made it sound as though Mikey is able to reflect on his actions, that's dead wrong. Instead, he seems extraordinarily self-unaware.  Moreover, with all the shots of Trump's 2016 presidential campaign inserted in the film, I have the feeling that Baker has intended to make a connection between Mikey's insularity (you can't even call it shamelessness) and that of Trump, his followers, or perhaps even America as a whole. An inability to think beyond immediate self-interest or gratification and about the consequences of one's actions might be one of the target's here.

 

Alligator (1980)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

Alligator (1980) – L. Teague

Robert Forster is an endearing hero in this low budget Jaws-knockoff notable for its screenplay by John Sayles (who used his fee to finance his early independent features). Perhaps because of that screenplay, the film doesn’t take itself seriously, sporting a very fake animatronic gator and the occasional ridiculously gruesome bite effects (that’s what you came for, right?).  The plot revolves around a pet baby alligator flushed down the toilet, Big Pharma flushing illegal hormones into the sewer, and the resulting toxic combo.  Forster is the dedicated cop who pulls out all the stops to find and destroy the gator, even after he’s kicked off the force and Robin Riker is the herpetologist (and love interest) who helps him. Everyone else here is incompetent and most get crunched.  Fun for a brainless night in!

 

The Shuttered Room (1967)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

The Shuttered Room (1967) – D. Greene

Based on a short story by August Derlath purportedly from notes by H. P. Lovecraft, the film seeks to conjure up a foreboding feeling of dread focused on an unknown (but horrible) creature locked behind a red door. A prelude shows us a toddler threatened by the (unseen) beast whose parents then meet their doom when trying to coax it back to the titular room. After the credits, the toddler has grown up to be 21-year-old Susannah Whatley (Carol Lynley), now travelling back to her remote island birthplace with her husband Mike (Gig Young) after growing up in New York City following the death of her parents. On the island, they meet a bunch of menacing rednecks (led by Oliver Reed, sporting an American accent despite the fact that filming was in the UK). Someone suggested that the film resembles Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs (1971) and I suppose that’s not far wrong, given the threat of rape here, although Gig Young is hardly the right actor to act as though his masculinity is threatened. The film moves inexorably toward the reveal of the creature and ends with tragedy rather than horror. Dated for sure, but creepy at times.

 

Nightmare Alley (2021)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Nightmare Alley (2021) – G. del Toro

Once upon a time, I spent a while searching for a DVD copy of the 1947 version of Nightmare Alley (1947) to complete my film noir collection, given its high standing among genre aficionados. I also read the novel by William Lindsay Gresham during a period when I sought out and consumed noir source material. So, it was with some anticipation that I watched Guillermo del Toro’s new remake of the book/film (especially given that del Toro himself has become quite a good filmmaker, winning the Oscar with his last outing The Shape of Water, 2017).  Set in the 1930s, with its protagonist Stanton Carlisle (previously Tyrone Power but now Bradley Cooper) drifting in to join the travelling carnival, learning the secrets of mentalism and then striking out on his own with his girl/partner (Rooney Mara here) to great success.  But Carlisle is a selfish and greedy sort, always the hustler looking for an angle, and his cons quickly move beyond parlour tricks and into more dangerous territory. Del Toro and his art department do a fine job of recreating the late 30s/early 40s with a heightened (almost surreal) sense of colour and deco/décor. The actors feature period hair and clothes straight out of historical photos. The plot ticks over slowly, almost as though this version is a lucid dream of the 1947 film, with my recollection of moments from the earlier 110m film serving as signposts along the way in the 150m remake. The focus on human nature making us all suckers is an evergreen theme.  And it worked, until suddenly it didn’t. The turning point involves Cate Blanchett’s Dr Lilith Ritter whose partnership with Carlisle isn’t quite as clearcut as it should be – something felt amiss with the plotting here, even though it worked fine in the original. Then it is all downhill for Stanton Carlisle straight to the clearly foreshadowed punchline, which del Toro does manage with aplomb. Verdict:  It should be tighter, shorter, punchier with more noir bite yet it’s still worth a look to see how a modern master uses new techniques to refashion an old genre.

 

Pursuit to Algiers (1945)

 ☆ ☆ ☆

Pursuit to Algiers (1945) – R. W. Neill

Twelfth out of the 14 Sherlock Holmes films with Basil Rathbone (Holmes) and Nigel Bruce (Watson). Although the series was in decline (and sometimes hijacked as a vehicle for patriotic WWII messaging), this entry holds up pretty well (and I could not remember any of the details, including the twist ending, from previous viewings which may very well have been 40+ years ago). Holmes is invited (through a series of mysterious clues) to a meeting where he is asked to protect the heir to the throne of a European country whose king had recently been assassinated. To distract the enemies of the throne, he sends Watson by ship while he accompanies the prince by plane.  Some twists later, they are all on the ship and playing literal and figurative chess with a trio of bad guys (and numerous red herrings) who want to capture the prince and kill Holmes.  Watson is slightly less the buffoon here but still mostly along for comic relief.   Always a salve to a weary brain, the B-movie series.

 

Cry Macho (2021)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Cry Macho (2021) – C. Eastwood

Yes, Clint Eastwood is 91, so it is pretty incredible that he directed this film and stars as a washed-up rodeo rider; it’s set in 1980 when the real Clint was starring with Clyde the orangutan in movies with fist-fight finales. So, is the title ironic?  Is it really about the cock-fighting rooster called Macho or is there some deeper reflection going on here? Does Clint regret his contribution to the outbreak of “toxic masculinity” that subsequently inflicted boys and men?  His character does seem to voice some remorse, suggesting that trying to show some “grit” only results in a broken body later on.  That’s probably not enough of a mea culpa, but I guess we can’t expect too much more from this staunch republican (in what would seemingly have to be his last film). But even though Clint’s Mike Milo begins as a sarcastic and bitter figure (with not just a little of the earlier Eastwood persona), after he travels to Mexico and kidnaps/rescues a 13 yr-old boy for former boss Dwight Yoakam (the boy’s father), he turns pretty tender.  The film slows way down and lingers in a small Mexican town where a widow and her grandchildren adopt the old man and teen.  So, even though there is no doubt that the acting here is pretty subpar, there is something about the schematic script that makes it feel almost like a fable designed to allow the living legend to signal his true values (“do the right thing”), despite the fact that this script has been kicking around Hollywood for decades. It’s a fitting farewell and perhaps a riposte to those who still think that being macho is some sort of ideal (rather than a sad and sorry façade).  But really what’s with the chicken?

 

Who Am I? (1998)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Who Am I? (1998) – B. Chan & J. Chan

Late Nineties and Jackie is already in his 40s (and on the verge of his US breakthrough with Rush Hour, also released in 1998).  The film starts slow and confusingly – is Jackie a CIA agent engaged in Black Ops? He’s with an outfit that has kidnapped some scientists who are making a new chemical weapon of some kind. But wait, now his team has been betrayed by their leader, Jackie has fallen out of a plane and landed on his head and has amnesia.  He’s adopted by a tribe in Namibia and seemingly spends some months or years there (with the new name “WhoAmI”).  There isn’t much action in this first third but then Jackie is found by the CIA and brought to South Africa where he soon discovers that he is also wanted by the police (at least this is what we guessed).  Finally, there are car chases and then when the action moves to Rotterdam, a lot of excellent hand-to-hand kung fu fighting old school style with Jackie’s trademarked comedy.  Perhaps the film is lacking in big stunts or setpieces but it's refreshing in its return to basics.  Who cares about plot in a film like this anyway!

 

Navalny (2022)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Navalny (2022) – D. Roher

Of course, it is a terrifying tale taken straight from today’s news, and all the more impactful for that reason. Alexei Navalny, Russia’s opposition leader, was poisoned in 2020 and this documentary shows the unfolding events and subsequent investigation (which point straight to the FSB and Putin) with involvement by Navalny himself and access to his family, colleagues, etc. Filmmaker Daniel Roher manages to create suspense, outrage, and sympathy through some well-chosen footage, solid editing, music, etc. -- it’s the complete package (and if it was supporting a different viewpoint, we might call it propaganda)  Only occasionally do the filmmakers question Navalny about his views (he once joined a rally with neo-Nazi leanings) and you do have to wonder (not if he’s better than Putin, just about what he stands for beyond being against this dictator). He suggests that Russian politics are at a primitive stage, still arguing about the need for human rights, fair elections, etc., and that sounds about right. He’s a young charismatic guy with a loving family and a good sense of humour. I don’t think it gives anything away to reveal the downbeat ending – Navalny was arrested and placed in jail after returning to Russia and he’s still there.  The fact that Putin is still in power after his brazen attempt to assassinate, censor, and unjustly imprison Navalny is the even bigger shock.  Obviously, the war in Ukraine has suggested even further that he feels above the law and is either evil or insane or both.

 

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) – S. Spielberg

By request from Amon (nearly 10 years old). I feel as though I must have watched this once or twice since its release in 1989 but I didn’t really remember much at all.  For example, there is a prelude where River Phoenix stars as the young Indiana Jones with a few nods toward the origin of various trademarks (whip, hat, fear of snakes)! Then, when Harrison Ford shows up, we are quickly into the adventure story which involves rescuing his father (Sean Connery), a professor of medieval literature, and finding the holy grail (yes, the real one).  I never read/saw the Da Vinci Code but, in my imagination, that book probably reads like this movie: the heroes have to solve a bunch of mysteries related to old texts, hidden tombs, ancient curses and booby traps and the like.  The Nazis are once again (as in the first film) the main antagonists, threatening to get to the grail first.  Director Steven Spielberg is clearly having fun here (Indy comes face-to-face with Hitler in one scene, played for laughs) and the action-adventure scenes are enjoyable/thrilling/comic. Sure, there are a lot of echoes of the first film (we haven’t watched the second because it is supposed to be too gory for young kids) but this didn’t interfere with our viewing pleasure. Harrison Ford is still in peak form and Connery plays against type with good effect.  It can’t top the original (Amon says it is his fave of all-time) but #3 is better than what came later (I don’t have high hopes for Indy 5 but Amon can’t wait).