What classics did you see last week, June 27 to July 3?

Crisis (2021) 3/10

Slander (1956) 6/10

Family Plot (1976) 4/10

Knock on Any Door (1949) 6/10

Deceived (1991) 4/10

Escape to Burma (1955) 5/10

Well here are the movies that Tele has watched.

It's still Euro 2020, but the closer to the finals we get, the lesser matches are played, Ukraine beated Sweden, so Ukraine movies well not be seen by me for the next 5 years, but we still have nordic hope in Denmark, and let's just forget the 1000 years war between Sweden and Denmark, and maybe Christian the Tyrant had a few nice spots while he burnt down our cities.

Over to the movies:


Finding Your Feet 2017 directed by Richard Loncraine.
As it is in life we enjoy both joy and sadness, and this one keeps that balance very well.
Through dancing they get to know each others, after different kind of disasters and mishaps and misunderstandings, a new kind of friendship emerges.
Great London locations and a great cast made this a nice movie to watch.
If it passes by, watch it! Either you like it or not.


Monpti 1957 directed by Helmut Käutner and based on a novel by Gábor Vaszary.
It's a light romantic comedy, set and filmed in Paris, with a tragic ending, not giving anything away since it's mentioned within the first 10 minutes by a voice over.
Romy and Horst had their first taste of international fame by this time, though wasn't international stars yet, for Romy it was the first non-costume movie.
Horst is an artist who sometimes sells his art, Romy is just a girl he spots in Luxembourg Gardens and they fall in love.
Not a bad movie, I just personally couldn't get into their love affair for some reason or other.


Les belles de nuit aka Beauties of the Night 1952 directed by René Clair
The so called beauties of the night appears in dreams of a young composer, falling in love with beautiful women he has happened to see, but in historical times. 
Nearly a sort of burlesque of French history, as some breaks out operatic singing, and every time our hero says "This is the good times to be French" an old man mentions the good old days was long before, and suddenly were are back in the days of the Musketeers, this happens more than once.
In dreams he had affairs with married or promised women, at last waking up, we get a silent movie chase through French History from Stone ages to contemporary times.
I enjoyed this movie, even if it's Clair light.
The Second movie I Watched in a short time with Gerard Philipe and I don't get why he was called the French James Dean

Sorry I pushed wrong button, I have two more...


The Uninvited 1944 directed by Lewis Allen and based on a book by Dorothy Macardle.
Young composer and his sister by accident finds a huge mansion, buys it, strangely underpriced tough. Hear strange voices, they don't care about it in the beginning but they get more intense, since the ghost seems nice they think they solved it, but there is still another darker and more evil ghost there lurking around.
Since the ghosts are real this movie works, against what could be a sophisticated comedy.
Old standard "Stella by Starlight" Came from Here.




Repeating from another post I myself wrote:
Robin Hood of El Dorado 1936 with Warner Baxter as Joaquin Murrieta, a real historical person, though I wouldn't call it a biopic, what real facts that might be here could be called purely incidental.

As it's directed by William A Wellman, it is a well made and rather good action western, taking place in California at the early days of the gold rush. It takes a rather sympathetic view of why Murrieta became what in more modern words could be called a Guerrilla leader fighting the Americanos. Murrieta's wife is raped, though it never mentioned as such, the indications are certainly there and there is a mass slaughter of people, so it doesn't feel like it would fit into the matinee markets of it's day, in some aspects it's too mature.

If one can overcome a few obstacles, as seen by more modern eyes, like all major latin characters are portrayed by non-latin actors. In the opening scenes the Mexicans are living a carefree life singing, dancing, kissing, drinking before the gold rush, those scenes seems more fitting or belonging to an operetta by some Viennese composer. Look at the the clothes in the pic (referring to a pic in another post), it's hardly warfare clothes, but could work in a Jeanette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy movie.

Yet it was actually a well crafted and rather good action western that at least took me by surprise.

Now I'm Finished LOL!

Le Cercle Rouge / Jean-Pierre Melville (1970). That Alain Delon. What a guy! An escaped convict hiding in his car climbs out of the trunk with a gun pointed right at his belly but Delon doesn't twitch a single facial muscle. He just takes out his cigarettes and throws them to the convict. This was Melville's next to last film before his untimely death at age 55. This is a caper film, like Melville's masterpiece “Bob Le Flambeur” from 15 years earlier, but the working out of the genre conventions are completely different in the newer pic. The team assembled for the intricate burglary was made up of faces already well known to American audience in 1970. In addition to Delon, there is Gian-Maria Volante as the escapee and Yves Montand as a retired, alcoholic policeman. When we first see Montand, he is in bed in a shabby room watching wide-eyed as the closet door swings open and two huge tarantulas crawl out. Suddenly, they are on his chest, moving toward his face. Then they are gone, but lizards, snakes, and rodents are now coming across the floor and slithering under his bed or climbing up the blanket toward him. He is having DTs, but we see the hallucinations as he does without camera distortions or no special effects just real little critters that back him into a corner with no escape. It is a harrowing scene. Montand is the most developed character in the movie. Delon needs a marksman to complete his plan so Montand has to clean himself up and get his hands steady enough to do the job. The actual caper is appropriately complicated and satisfying, but it is in the getaway that the betrayals start. I saw this excellent movie on the big screen. I only have two small quibbles. First, the movie is 140 minutes and, as they say, deliberately paced. I normally don't mind that, but “Cercle” could have been tightened up just a teensy bit. Second, the ending seemed abrupt and perfunctory. But Melville's direction, his camera work and settings, and the coolness of Delon, the unpredictability of Volante, and, especially, the sensitivity of Montand make this a must-see.






The Royal Hunt Of The Sun / Irving Lerner (1969). Although the modern Internet reviewers linked to from the database are pretty balanced in their opinions, the original 1969 critics went to their thesauruses for new words of scorn for the picture in general and Christopher Plummer’s performance in particular. The movie was out of the theaters in a flash. It had a DVD release in 2014 but remains unseen. The Wikipedia article is bare bones, unlike so may other films. The movie is available for streaming on YouTube or a free download at rarefilmm.com/?s=royal+hunt+of+the+sun

Robert Shaw stars as Francisco Pizarto who gets funding from King Carlos of Spain to explore South America in search of gold on the condition that he take a Royal representative, two priests, and a small army with him to help convert any savages to Christianity. They get that opportunity when they find the Inca capitol, slaughter the Inca warriors in a matter of minutes, and take their king, Atahuallpa (Plummer), prisoner. A proud, powerful, and noble man brought to nothing in an instant. It is Plummer’s bizarre portrayal of the Inca, especially the high pitched voice he chose to use, got the most attention. The movie was based on a play by Peter Shaffer (Equus, Amadeus) and it is the confrontations between the conqueror and conquered that is the best part of this film experience. “The Royal Hunt Of The Sun” is a real curiosity.






Beverly Hills Cop / Martin Brest (1984). When the childhood friend of Detroit detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy), Foley takes vacation time to travel to Beverly Hills to follow a clue to what his buddy might have been involved in. He immediately annoys the wrong people and comes to the notice of the local police. Two detectives are assigned to keep an eye on him but they too, get caught up in the case. This movie with its combination of crime, comedy, drama, fish out of water, and gunplay was a huge hit and success for Eddie Murphy. It contains plenty of elements that enable us to place it within a few years of its release: 1) mismatched cop buddies, 2) Foley is bawled out by his captain for not going by the book, 3) the cops go to a strip club, 4) a master criminal with a seemingly endless supply of henchmen, 5) the final set-piece is an elaborate shoot-out with three cops with hand guns and one shotgun being fired on by automatic weapons from 10 to 12 of those henchmen The cops, however, are not even winged by all the machine guns but can stand up in plain sight and pick off a Bad Guy with his Police Special 6) the final image is a freeze frame of Murphy’s mile-wide grin. It is still an enjoyable ride, in a nostalgic way. John Ashton and Judge Reinhold the Beverly Hills detectives. Lisa Eilbacher is in there to provide a feminine presence. Bronson Pinchot (Balke in the “Perfect Strangers” sitcom) has a hilarious cameo.






Yesterday Was A Lie / James Kerwin (2009). Interesting indie dieselpunk film. A surrealist neo-noir with ‘40s fashions and cars but with 21st century technology (personal computers, cell phones), a hard-drinking, late-hours-keeping, fedora-wearing female private eye, deserted streets at night, smoky nightclubs, fast-talking science and philosophy about perceptions of reality and the flow of time - and lots and lots of fog. I’m thinking this should be better known.

As the month changes, I wish to mention 30 years ago this June was my first trip to the Suncoast Video store. I had graduated from Elementary earlier that month, and was given money to buy four tapes (VHS). On my mind was A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1951) and THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938). I remember being blown away with Suncoast (the last video store I went to was RECORD DEN, which had a small section of VHS). I got those videos as well as two others: also got CHARLIE CHAPLIN THE EARLY YEARS Vol. 2 (a collection of Blackhawk prints of the Mutuals: THE PAWNSHOP, THE ADVENTURER, and ONE AM; I had received Vol. 1 as an Easter present in 1990) and HOLLYWOOD “In the Beginning” a blind buy that was my first experience with the Kevin Brownlow-David Gill series.

And this week’s MASTERPIECE 50 is: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT (1978) Jack Pulman’s adaptation of the Dosteovsky novel, starring John Hurt, Timothy West, and Sian Philips. I watched Episode Three. Time-Life DVD.

Sunday 27
LAST MAN STANDING (2011) “Last Halloween Standing” WGN Broadcast.

DRAGONSLAYER (1981) 40TH ANNIVERSARY this week. Paramount-Disney co-produced this dark sword and sorcery film with Peter MacNicol (in his debut) and Ralph Richardson. I first learned of this film from the Consumer Reports’ RATING THE MOVIES collection book (with a picture of MacNicol wielding a spear at Vermithrax Perojative). Saw parts of this (the Virgin sacrifice, the climax) on the Movie channels and Arts & Entertainment in the 1990s. I finally saw the whole film from a VHS rental in May 1996. Back in the day, the only actors I recognized were MacNicol and Richardson. Now, I see Emrys James, John Hallam, and Ian McDarmind. Amazon Prime.

Monday 28
LABYRINTH (1986) 35TH ANNIVERSARY this week. Jim Henson Muppets fantasy (written by Terry Jones) of a teenage girl (Jennifer Connelly) trying to rescue her baby stepbrother from the Goblin King (David Bowie). Saw this film on the Movie channels in the late 1980s. The last time I saw it was a 30th Anniversary theatrical release in 2016. Image/New Line Laserdisc.
Tuesday 29

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 (1991) “Stranded in Space” 30TH ANNIVERSARY. Joel and the bots review a re-titled version of the failed TV pilot THE STRANGER (1973). Saw parts of this back in Winter 1992. My viewing is the YouTube presentation of the original premiere broadcast on Comedy Central June 29 1991.

Wednesday 30
THE TRAPP FAMILY STORY (1991) “Mr Trapp’s Decision” Miss Yvonne’s visit (plus Baroness Matlida’s nagging) leads to Georg deciding to marry her. Japanese with English Subtitles. Bootleg DVD.

THE MYSTERIOUS CITIES OF GOLD (1982) “Estaban, Child of the Sun” French-Japanese Anime (based loosely on Scott O. Dell’s THE KING’S FIFTH) about a 16th Century Spanish boy Esteban joining a band of explorers to go to South America to find his father and the Lost City of Gold. Aired in Japan, and then France and finally received its English dubbing premiere on Nickelodeon on June 30, 1986. I first saw this series in a repeat later that year. With exception of ROBOTECH (only watched a couple of episodes) and TRANSFORMERS, this was probably the first serialized series I ever saw. In honor of that anniversary, I will be watching the 40-episodes five days a week. Fabulous Video DVD.

WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971) 50TH ANNIVERSARY Musical adaptation of Raoul Dali’s CHARLIE AND THE CHOCALATE FACTORY with Gene Wilder in the title role. A film that appeared a lot in my childhood (one memory was a school showing in October 1988). Gained a lot of resurgence in the 25th Anniversary year of 1996. My brothers would watch broadcasts and got the Soundtrack CD. Last time I saw the full film was a theatrical release in 2016. Amazon Prime.

RECORD OF LODOSS WAR (1996) “Scepter of Domination” 30TH ANNIVERSARY The gang make do with their costly victory (freeing an innocent from possession, losing two of their teammates in the process) and go on another adventure. Japanese with English Subtitles. Image/U.S. Manga Corps. DVD.

THE BIG STORE (1941) 80TH ANNIVERSARY this month. The Marx Brothers’ final MGM picture (and their final with Margaret Dumont), a Department store comedy with Tony Martin, Virginia Grey, and Douglass Drumbille. First saw this in a MGM/UA VHS (a “Hooray for Hollywood” package that included a trailer to FATHER OF THE BRIDE and the 1937 short A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES) in the winter of 1992. Although a lot of people look down on this film, I’m rather fond of it (even though it’s a cut below their earlier hits). MGM/UA VHS.

Thursday 1
THE MYSTERIOUS CITIES OF GOLD (1982) “Crossing the Atlantic” Estaban and the kidnapped maiden Zia travel on the ship Esperonza with the sailor Mendoza and the treacherous Captains Gomez and Gaspar. Back in the day, any ship I drew would be based on the Esperonza. English Dubbed. Fabulous Video DVD.

BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986) 35TH ANNIVERSARY John Carpenter’s FX Spectacular (and his last with Kurt Russell) of a Truck Driver getting himself involved in Chinese Mysticism. First saw this on a Slumber Party rental back in 1986. Me and my brothers are rather fond of it. The last time I saw it was a Theatrical release for its 30th Anniversary in 2016. FoxVideo DVD.

Friday 2
THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE (1986) 35TH ANNIVERSARY Disney history would peg this as the film that saved its Animation studio. After THE BLACK CAULDRON’S failure, there were serious decisions to close its department, but the success of this film (based on Eve Titus’ Sherlockian mouse stories) made enough of an impression to give it a better chance, leading to THE LITTLE MERMAID and the Disney Renaissance. First saw this in Theaters in Summer 1986. I had planned on seeing HAUNTED HONEYMOON with the men in my family, but the trailers of Gene Wilder going nuts turned me off, so I figured I'd see TGMD with the women, thinking it would be gentler. What I got was Fidget's scary close-ups, Basil's mood swings, and Ratigan going feral (HH could not touch it in scariness). I fell in love with the film in its video release in Summer 1992, liking Basil, Ratigan, the final fight at Big Ben (this was the first Disney film to be commissioned with using CGI, although THE BLACK CAULDRON was the first to be released). Strange enough, it wasn’t until the 1992 release that I learned Vincent Price was the voice of Ratigan (although I was aware of the actor from THE 13 GHOSTS OF SCOOBY DOO in late 1985). Wanting to get more from the film, I looked to any Sherlock Holmes film. By the end of the year I had seen the Rathbone-Bruce DRESSED TO KILL, THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, and THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES (ironically enough, 1992 was the Basil Rathbone Centennial, and I looked to Basil and Dawson as designed from Rathbone & Bruce), the Woodward-Hillerman HANDS OF A MURDERER, the Plummer-Mason MURDER BY DECREE, and the Jeremy Brett-Burke/Hardwicke Granada series and movies THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES and THE SIGN OF FOUR. Disney DVD (which is the 1992 re-issue with THE ADVENTURES OF added to the title).

THE MYSTERIOUS CITIES OF GOLD (1982) “Heroes Again” Esteban and Zia get into trouble. English Dubbed. Fabulous Video DVD.

Saturday 3
NARUTO SHIPPUDEN (2014) “The Ten-Tails Jinchikuri” English Dubbed. Viz Media DVD.

TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY (1991) James Cameron’s sequel (at the time the most expensive film ever, according to the 1991 edition of THE GUINNESS BOOK OF FILM FACTS) has Arnold’s Terminator coming to rescue John Connor (Edward Furlong) and his mother Sarah (Linda Hamilton) from an advanced Terminator 1000 (Robert Patrick). First saw parts of this on VHS in the summer of 1992 (fell asleep after the Hospital rescue). Then saw the rest on Cable the following year. Viewed the Special Edition Live Entertainment Laserdisc, skipping several of the deleted scenes to get to the original theatrical version.

THE MYSTERIOUS CITIES OF GOLD (1982) “Adrift on the Endless Sea” A typhoon destroys the Esperonza, and our heroes have become castaways. English Dubbed. Fabulous Video DVD.

Saw Parts of:
DIGIMON ADVENTURE TRI: LOSS (2017) English Dubbed. Shout Factory BluRay.

TIMECOP (1994) Universal Laserdisc.

Earliest film seen this month: AMONG THOSE PRESENT (1921)
Latest film seen this month: DIGIMON ADVENTURE TRI: OUR FUTURE (2018)

Binge watched a lot of stuff on CAVE OF FORGOTTEN FILM site , plus a few from ok.ru and youtube

The ones I'd recommend - only four!

Muscular policier set mid 50s made 72 or so - Trintignant is wonderful as the heavy.




THE LOVE GAME 1960. Breezy romantic comedy from DeBroca with JP Cassel a charmingly animated lead


No surprises but if you like the joke.. and I do. Fred Willard steals it as ever.


Informative and entertaining:



The rest

Tolerable tale from the Boileau/Narcejac authors of VERTIGO and DIABOLIQUE - not quite up to that standard but OK



Implausible but watchable tale of former officer assisting one of his former privates gone to the bad in Civvie street




A bit underwhelmed by this one


Trintignant again.. plus Girardot & Bolkan as some of a group of decadent friends coupling (and tripling!) at will .. Morricone soundtrack


 young layabout looks for work....


Quirky comedy with solid cast including Madeline Kahn in her last role.

I watched this just to prove I can handle as much Debbie Reynolds  as the next man.. and it wasn't half bad - much sharper than expected and Debbie dialled down the cuteness... in fact I can't think of when she looked hotter. Don't think she sang either...


You can safely forget about the rest

 (note to self - complete research for planned classic board ballot WHICH ONE OF DARYL F ZANUCK'S MISTRESSES MOST DESERVED TO BE ON THE BIG SCREEN?)