What classics did you see last week, July 4 to July 10?

Elliott Gould and Robert Blake had great chemistry in this one. And Peter Hyams sure knew how to stage an exciting action set-piece. Especially the marketplace sequence. That camerawork and music score was so effortless. 

I agree. Watching it on Blu Ray now I appreciated it so much more than when I saw it on the big screen back in the seventies when I was a teenager - not that I didn't enjoy it then. The one-of-a-kind Gould is wonderful here, and his scenes with Allen Garfield hum. Nice to see Sid Haig, playing a supporting heavy of some menace. We also saw NEWMAN'S LAW (1974) - on Blu Ray last week. It's not in the league of BUSTING, but if you are jonesing for a fairly gritty downbeat seventies cop movie with some action and sleaze, it ticks all the boxes, is very interestingly cast, comes with slick production values, extensive location photography and features a couple of vivid scenes. I went in with relatively low expectations and was pleasantly surprised.

I just shake my head at the superhero movies because they miss the entire point.
It's supposed to be a juvenile adventure--not Hamlet.
I appreciate some dramatic story element so it is grounded in reality in order for suspense to be possible but they have climbed down a long way from Superman 78. Stephen Dorff has the cred to be critical because BLADE, the first true theatrical Marvel movie, is well-made. There's a hero and a villain and just enough supporting character development to carry it.

I don't think Marvel and Disney really comprehend the basics of the genre.

The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh is more in tune with what you expect of this genre.




HE MAD BOMBER 1973 - Rewatch. Bert I Gordon film about a father (Chuck Connors) who goes nuts after his daughter's drug overdose and seeks revenge by blowing up places.

One of his targets is a feminist meeting.
Vince Edwards is a cop who, a partner tells him, he would arrest if he didn't have a badge, because he is so high-strung.
Divorced, fed up, and all he wants is to nail the bomber.
He has to turn to rapist Neville "My name is George Fromley" Brand. There's a weird mid-film incident where Brand kills a victim and it is totally forgotten but anyway, I found out the song that keeps playing on the soundtrack is sung by the actress portraying his daughter in frequent flashbacks.



THE TEXICAN 1966 -I checked out this movie because of the song-but it doesn't appear in the movie!






SHAFT 1971 --Seen it a couple of time before. Although often considered the first blaxploitation film--he walks past a movie marquee showing Cotton Comes To Harlem and They Call Mr Tibbs.
I also realized something--even though he is a private eye--unlike Sam Spade or Marlowe--Shaft uses a small army of accomplices to rescue the mobster's daughter. That's unlike your average private eye story. I assumed he was working alone--memory combined with assumption when you hear "private detective" makes you assume something different--I guess it's the Mandela Effect!

THE LADIES CLUB 1986 - A police woman (Karen Austin) is raped by three thugs who escaped legal repercussions and so she, along with a doctor (Christine Belford) who had a daughter raped and murdered, as well a few other women, form a group of vigilantes who kidnap serial rapists and surgically castrate them. It's a compelling story-it doesn't go down the same road as RAPE SQUAD 1974. This is much more serious and delves into the dangers of their crusade and the personal toll it takes on them. I am surprised it isn't better known but since it is attacking the system for releasing child molesters and serial rapists back into society--it's probably too politically-charged compared to your standard revenge film. Also with Diana Scarwid, Bruce Davison, and Arliss Howard.

I, MADMAN 1989 - I had never seen this before--it's trying to create another kind of 80s slasher character and is rather effective at it. A character in 1950s pulp crime novels comes to life and torments a book store employee. I wonder if this was an influence on Candyman or In The Mouth of Madness because it goes into similar territory and at times Jenny Wright reminds one of Virginia Madsen--if her hair was curled--she would be hard to tell apart. One thing I really wonder about--why does late 80s movies like this look so cheap in the lighting department? It looks like it was shot for tv on on video and yet I believe it was shot on film.

Some of the decisions have to do with the desire to make it seem like a 1950s pulp book cover but the modern-day stuff has that bright cheapy look we often see from this time period.

CC AND COMPANY 1970 -- Despite Joe Namath's enormous acting presence(gee I wonder why he wasn't a bigger star?), it is really a showcase for Ann-Margret (her husband was producer/writer) and William Smith--he has a very big role in this.

DEEP STAR SIX - 1989 I saw this back on video in 1990 and didn't watch it until last night. I preferred LEVIATHAN--for the cast and monster but this is the more dramatically successful of the two--especially for Miguel Ferrer.