What classics did you see last week ? (20 May - 26 May 2018)

Obyknovennyy fashizm , Triumph Over Violence (1965) Soviet Union Mikhail Romm  A fascinating documentary film, on the rise of Fascism in Germany, incredible footage, harrowing images  excellent narrative,  Relevant & topical today  , a profound end note highlights a regressive world-wide re-emergence !!! ...

                                   


          Ivan Brovkin na tseline , Ivan Brovkin On the State Farm (1959) Soviet Union, Ivan Lukinsky
A wholesome Soviet romantic comedy /drama with a forward thinking rousing message, a call to farm the "virgin lands"...
                                     

Torchy Runs For Mayor / Ray McCarey (1939). The 8th of 9 in the Torchy Blane series and the last with Glenda Farrell as Torchy (for #9, the last, Jane Wyman stepped into the role). In this one, Torchy wants to expose the crooked gangsters who run the city but her newspaper won’t print her stories. She recruits a small publisher to run as a reform candidate but he turns up murdered. Torchy then decides to run for office herself while solving the killing and putting the gang leaders behind bars. As usual in this series, the movie moves as fast as Glenda Farrell talks. Barton MacLane is still around as her boyfriend Det. McBride and Tom Kennedy as Gahagan, the sensitive poetic police sergeant. Always great entertainment.



Crime Wave / André De Toth (1953). A pretty straight forward crime film but directed with flair by underrated director André De Toth. Steve Lacey (B-Musical song and dance man Gene Nelson in a rare dramatic role) is a parolee who has been a model citizen for two years. He is married to Ellen (Phyllis Kirk: House Of Wax, The Thin Man TV series). When three escapees show up at his door demanding that he help them rob a bank, he tries to refuse but they threaten Ellen. Meanwhile, tough cop Det. Sims (Sterling Hayden) is on Lacey’s case and determined to send him back to prison. Charles Bronson (billed Charles Buchinsky) in an early credited role is one of the gang. Another crook they meet later is the truly dangerous and scary Timothy Carey. This goes down easy and ends with a clever and unexpected twist.

Gene Nelson, Phyllis Kirk, and Sterling Hayden


Zhan lang II (Wolf Warrior II) / Jing Wu (2017). This film was China’s official submission for Best Foreign Language Film of the Academy Awards for films of 2017. It, however, was not nominated. That’s not really surprising because this is not a very good film. Leng Feng, a disgraced soldier of the elite Wolf Warrior Corp of China, is working on a ship docked at a war torn African country. When the mother of a boy he has befriended gets caught in rebel territory with some other Chinese nationals, Feng volunteers to mount a rescue. He is soon joined by a doctor (Celina Jade) who has to get some crucial information back to China. The military and martial arts action is pretty much non-stop and the body count is enormous yet Feng is not a very good rescuer as most of the people he tries to help get killed (along with countless other faceless victims among the rebels). Also, the action tends to be repetitious so no matter how much a die hard action fan you are, you might be checking your watch before this is over. Jing Wu both directs and stars as Leng Feng.

Celina Jade and Jing Wu


RBG / Julie Cohen and Betsy West (2018). This effective and inspiring biography on the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will thrill you, chill you, and fulfill you. A hard worker from her early years growing up in Brooklyn to Harvard and Columbia law schools (during a time when few women were permitted to enroll) to arguing cases before SCOTUS to being a Justice herself. The Supreme Court cases she represented before the court were almost always on behalf of women’s rights (although one case changed a major Social Security rule that only applied to women). She faced an uphill battle because in the 1970s judges were not even aware that there was discrimination against women in the first place. Always soft-spoken (even if her words were challenging), she tended to win her cases, many of which have changed the United States forever. Strangely, today at 85 years old and twice a cancer survivor, she has become a hero of young people and a pop culture icon. Don’t miss this one.

EDIT: I forgot to mention Ginsburg’s amazing and inexplicable close friendship with her exact opposite on the Supreme Court, the late Justice Antonin Scalia. A close colleague of Ginsburg’s from their days bringing civil rights law suite commented, “Ruth is much better than me at compartmentalizing. None of my friends is a right-wing nut case.”

Ruth Bader

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (1978) "Buck Henry/Sha Na" 40TH ANNIVERSARY. The Third Season Finale. Universal DVD.

ROBIN HOOD (1922) The first major Hood film, with Douglas Fairbanks, Wallace Beery, and Alan Hale Sr. in his first Little John performance (he would reprise the part for the Errol Flynn film and ROGUES OF SHERWOOD FOREST). Kino DVD.

THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (1984) 6-Part BBC-TV Serial adaptation of the Anthony Hope's novel. I recall seeing an outtake of this series on a Fox TV Blooper special- the scene of Rassyndel giving his goodbyes on horseback, with the actors trying to give a brave face despite a horse constantly coughing and gagging. Amazon Prime.

DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS: THE GREAT SWASHBUCKLER (2011) In honor of his 135th birthday, I watched this documentary. Cobra Entertainment DVD.

THE WAR OF THE ROSES (1965) "Henry VI" Peter Hall and John Barton's adaptation of Shakespeare's King saga, with David Warner, Janet Suzman, Peggy Ashcroft, and Charles Kay. Illuminations, BBC Video DVD.

DRAGON BALL SUPER (2017) "Awaken Your Sleeping Battle Spirit! Son Gohan's Fight!!", "Gohan and Piccolo Teacher and Pupil Clash in Max Training!", "An Unknown Beauty Appears! The Tenshin-Style Dojo's Mystery?!", "See The Wall That Must Be Passed! Goku vs Gohan", Which Universe Will Survive?! The Strongest Warriors Are Gathering!!", "Emergency Development! The Incomplete Ten Members!!", "The Time Is Here! To The World Of Void For The Fate Of The Universe!!", "Survive! The Tournament of Power Begins at Last!!", "Show Them! Krillin's True Power!!", "Out Of Control! The Savage Berserker Awakens!!", "The Impending Warriors of Justice! The Pride Troopers!!", "The Power of Love Explodes?! Universe 2's Little Witch Warriors!!", "Gohan, Show No Mercy! Showdown With Universe 10!!", "A Desperate Battle! Master Roshi's Sacrifice!!" With the exception of the first episode mentioned (on a Bootleg DVD with subtitles), the rest of these episodes were from Happinet DVD.

DRAGON BALL (1988) "King Castle, on Offense and Defense!" 30TH ANNIVERSARY. Funimation DVD.

THE MIGHTY ORBOTS (1984) "The Magnetic Menace", "The Wish World", "Trapped on the Prehistoric Planet". Japanese Animated (directed by Ozamu Dezaki) Saturday Morning Cartoon that aired on ABC. I remember watching this mecha show back in the day. I even have a 1985 VHS recording of one of the episodes (alongside CBS' DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS, NBC's ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS, ABC's SCOOBY FUNNIES (assortment of episodes from the SCOOBY AND SCRAPPY DOO SHOW's 'Wacky Adventures era'- Just Shaggy, Sccoby, and Scrappy; no mysteries) and SPIDER MAN AND HIS AMAZING FRIENDS (the X-Men episode that introduced me to the Dave Cockrum version of the group). Watching these eps, I've noticed much of the Antagonists were voiced by Don Messick (Boo Boo Bear, Ranger Smith, Papa Smurf, TINY TOON's Hampton J. Pig and much of the Hanna-Barbera canines). Warner Archive DVD.

TEEN TITANS GO! (2015) "Tamaranian Vacation" Witnessed this episode on television (I was in the room and it was on).

Asia duo:

Giants and Toys (1958)- Thanks to PlanetX for fantastic rec 10



Advertising from Takeshi Kaikô's novel,Yoshio Shirasaka's adaptation has a cynicism that feels timeless, centred in the (m)ad men controlled industry,where quality of the product is ignored for which business/ad agency can come up with the most attention-grabbing gimmick. Pulling Shima kicking and screaming into the industry, Shirasaka attacks the public personal connection with the "brand" with mischievous satire breaking the cogs of the three major companies, who are led by grinders whose goal is to crush Shima/ customers that chomp on the profits.

Made years before the first notes of modern Pop music were played, director Yasuzô Masumura & cinematographer Hiroshi Murai follow Shirasaka with an ultra-stylisation that is ahead of its time, via the ad men offices and mountains of future gimmicks being washed in dazzling Pop-Art that gives the sharp satire a candy coloured shine. Dancing to Shima's fight for independence with a left-field dance number, Masumura opens up the corporate culture with pans across board tables, glances at stacks of glossy mags and overlapping images of machines drilling into the mindset of the ad men.Caught in the middle of the ruthless ad wars, Hitomi Nozoe gives a fantastic performance as Shima,whose chocolate wouldn't melt in her mouth endearing innocence Nozoe brings her in with,is moulded by Nozoe into a snappy,business savvy eye of escaping from the world of giants and toys.

The Snake Girl and the Silver-Haired Witch (1968) 9



Embracing the name of the film, director Noriaki Yuasa & cinematographer Akira Uehara cast a psychedelia atmosphere in sequences that explore Sayuri nightmares with trippy lights that gives sword fights with snakes and floating masked heads an incredibly off-beat vibe. Whilst the title itself is pure pulp,Yuasa wisely limits kitsch for the dream sequences, to instead craft a psychological chiller, with Uehara silky black and white close-ups chipping at the fractured relationship between Sayuri and Tamimi. Wrapping the terror round Sayuri with gruelling smashes against her tiny hands, Yuasa and Uehara gives the family home a claustrophobic appearance with coiled tracking shots revealing Sayuri has nowhere to escape from the snake girl and the witch.

Putting two of Kazuo Kozu's Manga's together,Kimiyuki Hasegawa makes the matching up look seamless, with the stark screams of the dream sequences being painted with the vibrancy of Manga. Unveiling in the beginning that the father is away abroad at work, Hasegawa makes the unsettling horror grounded,with excellently-written dialogue reflecting Tamimi's psychodrama desire to be the lone sister to get attention from mum, and Sayuri's nightmare of all the adults treating her concerns about Tamimi's as fairy tale jealousy.

Barbara Steele trio:

Terror-Creatures from the Grave (1965) 5



Nightmare Castle (1965) 4



Long Hair of Death (1964) 6




Displaying his eye for attention-grabbing openings by surrounding the viewer with flickering flames that place them in the middle of the burning, director Antonio Margheriti reunites with his regular cinematographer collaborator Riccardo Pallottini to brew an icy Gothic Horror vibe via stylishly shooting tracking shots from the ground up that place a bewitching "floating" expression on Karnstein. Appearing to visibly lose interest during the romantic mid-section,Margheriti and Pallottini re-gain their footing in the slithering ending, with ghostly dissolves being triggered by zoom-ins over rats and bugs running along the decaying practical effects.

Stamped with the mark by Margheriti (who did un-credited re-writes) that he found the script poor quality, the writers Ernesto Gastaldi and Tonino Valerii appear undecided over what the film should be,as the beginning and the ending offers a lively Gothic Horror revenge tale of the Karnstein,that is toned down in the middle for an ill-fitting attempt at costume drama romance. Arrogantly snarling at the Karnstein's,George Ardisson gives a very good performance as Baron Kurt Humboldt,who stands out by Ardisson allowing a level of fear to be cast across his face. Playing two roles again, Barbara Steele gives a transfixing performance as the Karnstein's,whose ambiguities Steele turns into starling screams as the long hair of death grows.

Other flicks:

Joysticks (1983) 6



Stoney (1969) 6



A Simple Plan (1998) 10



A less than simple time in pre and post-production, ( Ben Stiller, John Boorman, Mike Nichols and John Dahl were all set to direct at various times,and the original studio going bust)director Sam Rami and cinematographer Alar Kivilo makes all these problems melt with a frosty Neo-Noir atmosphere. Advised on how to film in snow by friends the Coen brothers, Rami and Kivilo make the small town feel mercilessly cold to any attempt the trio make to keep the cash secret,as the overcast sombre skies and mountains of pure snow lights up any drop of blood that the trio spill. Following their first team-up on Darkman, Rami and Kivilo free up their excellent simmering pans across the doubtful faces of the trio with composer Danny Elfman's (who later married co-star Bridget Fonda) slow-burn score igniting at each wrong turn of the plan,that sends shivers down the score, and darting tracking shots following the ravens of death.

Adapting his screenplay into a novel whilst long delays took place, (which by chance,is also what John Steinbeck did with The Pearl) this process by writer Scott B. Smith gives the relationships an incredible emotional depth, with Hank's touching protection for Jacob recalling George and Lennie in Of Mice And Men. Pulling a black bag of Neo-Noir trouble out of a plane,Smith brilliantly agitates the trust between the trio with glances and misplaced words to the locals building up intense friction and doubt between the loyal guys. Going against Lou's wishes by telling his wife,Smith makes the bond between Hank and Sarah be one that dips into Femme Fatale waters, via Sarah's influence guiding Hank to be the dominant one of the trio, but also rooting in him questions over the reliability of his friends,until a poetic Noir ending where Hank burns Sarah's influence away.

Mistrusting Hank from the moment they pull out the cash, Brent Briscoe gives an excellent performance as Lou,whose short-fuse Briscoe uses to keep the other guys on edge over fear of a deadly outburst. Uncomfortable even touching the money,Bill Paxton gives a great performance as Hank,with Paxton bringing timidness in Hank's interactions with Bridget Fonda's thoughtful, ambitious Sarah, and a brittle loyalty to Lou and Jacob that Paxton uses to dig Hank into becoming a Noir loner. Fighting to hold the friendships together, Billy Bob Thornton gives an outstanding performance as Jacob,whose sincere, simplistic view on how they can handle the cash Thornton holds to remain firm,even as the plan turns out to be less than simple.

Well, here is my little mix:



Not that good, feels like a missed oppertunity.