What movie did YOU just FINISH watching?

FFOLKES 1980 Although he felt he was miscast, I think the point of seeing Roger Moore in here was because it was such a contrast to James Bond. It's also a good cat movie.

FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE (1977) with William Sanderson, Robert Judd, Yvonne Ross and Lela Small, directed by Robert A. Endelson. On DVD. My Rating: 7 out of 10. Recommended to fans of exploitation films of the seventies, this is a largely unsung classic of the genre. 

At the time of its release many critics found FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE outrageously racist and US cinema and drive-in owners were scared there would be riots if they screened it. But, like Quentin Tarantino, I am of the school of thought that feels it is an objective look at racism at its worst. Either way, it's a one-of-a-kind film, with a fine performance by the great character actor William Sanderson - in a rare leading role, who is impressively vile as the twisted, racist escaped con, Jessie Lee Kane.
Fight For Your Life first attempted a UK release in 1981, however the BBFC banned the release before it even got to cinemas. An uncut video release, courtesy of Vision On, made it to the video store shelves in 1982, but just two years later it was banned as part of the Video Nasty era, and the film has never had a UK release since. One of two things are the reason for this: firstly, the BBFC will not grant a UK release anyway, or secondly, and considering how un PC the film is, no distributor wants to come anywhere near it. Clearly it is the racist language rather than the graphic violence that caused it to be banned, but it is not, in my opinion, a racist film just because the white trash villain - whose mother we will discover deserted him back in the day when she ran off with her black lover, is a twisted, tormented racist. The heroes in the film are the black victims. Despite it's reputation as a video nasty, FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE is a well written, well directed  and somewhat original and provocative low budget fillm. In hindsight, I see the video nasty thing gave the film some well deserved publicity and added to the small cult following it has today.   

 


 



 

LAST TRAIN FROM GUN HILL (1959) with Kirk Douglas, Anthony Quinn, Earl Holliman, Carolyn Jones and Brad Dexter, directed by John Sturges. On Blu Ray. My Rating: 8 out of 10. Highly Recommended.







 

ATTACK OF THE ROBOTS 1966 Eddie Constantine is not cute--but Sophie Hardy makes up for the deficit. This is a silly spy spoof by Jess Franco.

SPIES AROUND THE WORLD 1966 - Unusual spy movie in that it has three stories about three different spies--Stewart Granger is in the first and Lex Barker in the last one, and a framing story involving a desperate criminal who holds someone hostage who tells him the stories. It's also on the silly side but it's not bad as an alternative to the standard spy movie formula so I rewatched it.

The Other Woman (2014).

I watched EQUINOX 1970 last night--and I learn this morning that Frank Bonner passed away.
Kind of creepy-I was thinking of the famous photo of this--showing him running from the giant which appears in A Pictorial History of Horror Movies.
It's not a bad amateur film effort--the spfx are in some ways advanced beyond some studio efforts of the time. Future Acamdey ward winner Dennis Muren was one of the makers.

THE BEGUILED 1971 -- I remember not being fond of this when I saw it as my opinion has not changed. It's well-made and acted of course. It has some artistic flair. Eastwood stretches himself in the performance. I think the stand outs are Jo Ann Harris--how she did not get more prominence baffles me-especially after RAPE SQUAD. Pamelyn Ferdin is also very good in a pivotal role--it was a bit shocking to see him kiss her on the mouth.


I just feel, when people say, it didn't do well. There would be a shocker if it did do well. It offers nothing positive. I would compare it to the Iliad--which is a very violent story and yet has a lot of compassion and it doesn't feel like a complete downer about war and life. If you look at this as a meditation on North and South--well, it's not surprising that we get an image of the South as incestuous and red-neck. That's standard for Hollywood but Eastwood's northerner is also a sinister figure--he's a complete liar and manipulator. The girl Amy--I think they could have got some irony out of the ending if it turned out that they did not conspire to kill him and instead Amy did it on her own by getting mushrooms just for him and he dies and then they realize she did it.
The story presents everyone as corrupt and sinister.

Here once again is proof that Hollywood is not chasing money because it was, why would they remake this?
It's because the story is so perfect for this modern obsession with toxic masculinity--although the original does not present women in a positive light either. The added irony is they had to pick someone like Colin Farrell for it--is he the go-to-guy for every kind of recycled part?
If Hollywood was a leg, it would have gangrene at this stage and need to be amputated.

SWORD OF THE VALIANT 1984 -- I prefer the 1973 version (by the same director) although this has its moments. Especially nice to see Peter Cushing in one of his last roles, alongside John Rhys-Davies and Ronald Lacey (who played the same role in the 1973 version). Sean Connery is the Green Knight. The added special effects harm the story I think--and too many extra characters. It may have been inspired by Excalibur but chances are Excalibur was inspired by Gawain and the Green Knight--the original version.

HIRED TO KILL 1990 - This was a real surprise. I was expecting a really bad and cheap action film but in fact, despite some hilarious dialogue in the first quarter, it actually turns out to be quite well-made, with a good score and adequate performances from a mostly unknown cast. Brian Thompson usually portrays a supporting character--this is the first time I have seen him as the star--he's got a sardonic way of speaking which provides a lot of humor. Oliver Reed, Jose Ferrer, and George Kennedy have key roles as well- the focus is a Magnificent Seven story with Thompson posing as a gay fashion designer with 7 models who are in fact professional mercenaries. The stand out scene is where Reed is suspicious of Thompson so he grabs him between the legs (a move Reed used in Gladiator as well) and without any hesitation, Thompson kisses him on the mouth.

I credit them both for keeping their cool in that scene--this was a Greek-made production and it was much better than I expected, given the obscurity of it.