Tragedy Girls (2017)

“To make an omelette, you have to kill some ex-boyfriends.”  26 October 2019

Best friends, Sadie Cunningham (Brianna Hildebrand) and McKayla Hooper (Alexandra Shipp) dream of becoming big social media stars.  Their plan is to take advantage of local tragedies. But to grow their audience and create more sensational content, they decide they need a serial killer in their sleepy little town.   

I wrote something similar just the other day, but it applies here as well - Tragedy Girls isn’t near as smart as it wants to be.  This isn’t Scream. I’ve seen too many movies made by filmmakers who seem to think that being “meta” is all it takes to create a clever movie.  While there are some good bits here and there (as my rating indicates), Tragedy Girls is ultimately fairly boring and predictable. I wasn’t shocked by what the girls were doing because I’ve seen it all before.  Finally, I’m sure that Brianna Hildebrand and Alexandra Shipp are fine actresses, but neither worked for me in this movie. They never drew me in. Instead, I found them and their characters generally annoying. Whether they were using some poor sap as bait in hopes of kidnapping a serial killer or butchering a classmate on their own, I couldn’t get into it because I found Sadie and McKayla so unappealing.  

4/10

The Limehouse Golem (2016)

“The public want blood. The Golem provides it.”  25 October 2019

The Limehouse Golem is a period mystery/thriller set in Victorian England just before the time of Jack the Ripper.  The Golem has committed a series of brutal murders (not unlike the Ripper), leaving tantalizing clues and mocking riddles for the police.  Scotland Yard Inspector John Kildare (Bill Nighy) is tasked with the seemingly impossible job of tracking down the Golem. Kildare develops a list of four possible suspects - one of whom has recently been killed and his widow, Lizzie Cree (Olivia Cooke),  is on trial for his murder. Kildare is convinced that by helping LIzzie, it may help unmask the Golem.

It’s difficult to write about a film like The Limehouse Golem without mentioning spoilers.  There’s a great twist at the end that I’ll do my best not to give away. I don’t think that mentioning the fact that there is a twist is a spoiler because it seems that all modern movies feature a twist near the finale.  While I’m usually pretty good at spotting movie twists, this one completely caught me off guard. I realize now that the clues were there, but like Kildare, I didn’t see them. 

As much as I enjoyed The Limehouse Golem, at first, I was put off by all the music hall nonsense.  I just about stop watching. After finishing the movie, I realize now how important these scenes are. They help establish mood and character vital to the plot.  

Visually, The Limehouse Golem is amazing.  Victorian London never looked so gloomy and dirty.  Sets, set design, costuming, lighting, and cinematography are all top notch.  Whether it’s the filthy streets, the stuffy library, and the raunchy music hall, each looks stunning it its own right and each is filmed beautifully.  The special effects also add a lot to the film. I’ve read that some people consider the blood and violence over-the-top and even gratuitous, but I couldn’t disagree more.  Murder is not a pretty thing - especially murders as gruesome as those committed by the Golem. The sudden and often unexpected violence adds immensely to the film’s overall aesthetic.  

I can’t say enough positives about the acting in this movie.  The three main actors, Nighy, Cooke, and Douglas Booth give fantastic performances.  I think I was as impressed with Booth as anyone. The extremes in his character are played to perfection.  Whether it’s performing in drag or defending himself from murder accusations, the acting is spot-on. The supporting cast is equally strong.

Finally, there’s a plot device used in The Limehouse Golem that I found particularly enjoyable and effective.  As Kildare considers each of his four suspects, he reads a portion of the killer's “diary” detailing a unique murder. As he reads, we see inside Kildare’s mind as he pictures each suspect commit the act.   It’s a unique and interesting means of telling the story.  

8/10

It Takes a Thief “The Packager” #2.6 (1968) (TV)

“Since when do thieves know how to write shorthand?”  24 October 2019

Mundy is blackmailed by a wealthy man into stealing nuclear fuel capsules from a secure facility in Florida.  Mundy faces a variety of roadblocks, including: getting into the walk-in safe where the capsules are stored, taking the capsules through the front gate without setting off the geiger counter alarm, and dealing with the man who hired him who’d just as soon see him dead.  

I’ll start this by saying that I really enjoyed The Packager.  Despite the episode’s many flaws (that I’ll get to), it’s still very entertaining.  Mundy’s cover, as a pomegranate-carrying member of the Junior Chamber, is about as funny as any he’s used so far. I appreciated the heist elements of Mundy’s mission - but who doesn’t love a heist.  Too often, Mundy is just dropped on an island or behind enemy lines with a mission laid out and a ready-made cover. Here, because he’s on his own, Mundy has to “case the joint” and think on his feet.  Finally, what’s not to like about Lee Meredith? She might not have been the best actress to appear on It Takes a Thief, but she has to be one of the most fun. Her dumb blonde rountine is a hoot. The fact she’s incredibly easy on the eyes is a plus.  

However, as much as I enjoyed The Packager, the plot’s not nearly as clever as it wants to be.  Too much is left to coincidence and luck. There are details about the nuclear facility’s operations that Mundy would have had no way of learning from his limited guided tour.  And when things go wrong, Plan B seems to be konk people on the head. This isn’t the most detailed, thorough, thought-out plan.   

7/10

Dangerous Afternoon (1961)

Looks can be deceiving,  23 October 2019

Wheelchair-bound Letty Frost (Ruth Dunning) runs a boarding house for elderly women. But these aren’t the sweet old things they at first appear.  Each has a criminal past to hide (and some hide it better than others). It’s a quiet house, until a woman with a score to settle from Miss Frost’s past pays a visit.  How much can Miss Frost take until she snaps and her genteel facade crumbles?

Overall, Dangerous Afternoon is a nice little British crime/drama. You can find far better, more exciting films, but it’s a decent enough way to spend an hour.  The acting is really strong. Though I can’t say I’m overly familiar with any of them, Dunning and the rest of the old ladies obviously knew their way around a movie set.  The way they play against type (as in the opening shoplifting scene) is often quite funny. The plot is interesting enough. It does take some time to get going and much of the story can be fairly predictable, but at about an hour, it doesn’t overstay its welcome.  At first, I didn’t understand how the subplot featuring the niece fit in, but by the end, that plot thread becomes crucial to the whole story. However, I did not care for the final scene at all. But I suppose that in 1961, a murderer couldn’t go unpunished.

Finally, I can’t end this without mentioning the music playing over the opening credits.  It was eerily reminiscent of the bombastic, overwrought, melodramatic music featured in the soap operas my grandmother watched when I was a child.  It just about put me off the film before it even began.

5/10

Lovejoy “To Sleep No More” #1.6 (1986) (TV)

“Copyist! They’re only a forger when they’re caught.”  22 October 2019

When a local forger (I mean copyist) dies, his widow seeks Lovejoy’s assistance in retrieving a stolen silver snuff box.  The box is a worthless copy, so why would anyone want to steal it? Lovejoy discovers the box may be the key to valuable cache of antiques.  

If someone were to ask me for an episode that sums up what I love about Lovejoy, I might pick To Sleep No More.  The mystery is good and, as a viewer, we’re allowed to play along. If you’re paying attention, it’s not too difficult to figure out the solution, but it’s the journey that matters.  The episode takes its time to tell the story - there’s no rush here. We’re treated to pub scenes, English countryside scenes, and posh dinner party scenes. Throw in some comedy, a bit of history, and a secret treasure vault, and To Sleep No More has it all.  We also get to see many of the different aspects of the Lovejoy character, from the rascally conniver who’s taken advantage of an unsuspecting (but not undeserving) buyer to the benevolent do-gooder disguised as a priest in his efforts to help a widow. I don’t think I’ve written much about Ian McShane’s acting, but he’s capable of playing the many facets of Lovejoy with equal aplomb.  He’s really good in To Sleep No More.  

There are still a bunch of episodes that I need to rewatch, but I can’t imagine To Sleep No More won’t make my “Best of” list when I’m finished.  

8/10

Ice Cream Man (1995)

“I guess not every day is a happy, happy, happy day!”  21 October 2019

As a young child, Gregory Tudor was witness to the violent murder of his hero, the Ice Cream King.  Years later (and after much therapy and a stint in a sanitarium), Gregory has taken over the battered ice cream truck as the Ice Cream Prince.  All he wants to do is make children happy - even if that means committing a few murders and mixing body parts into his ice cream.   

Call it a guilty pleasure, call it “so bad it’s good”, call me crazy, call it whatever you want - but I had a great time watching Ice Cream Man.  By any traditional measure, Ice Cream Man isn’t what you’d call a “good” movie. But for me, the film has a quirky vibe to it that works. I think with a little more money and a bit more creativity, Ice Cream Man could have been something like Pee Wee’s Playhouse meets Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  Clint Howard (of all people) is fantastic as the titular Ice Cream Man. This has to be one of his best pieces of acting. He’s creepy, he’s funny, and he’s perfect for the role. Fortunately for us, Howard is in on the joke and plays the ridiculous requirements of the role with all the gusto required.  He looks like he’s having a blast. Nothing in Ice Cream Man should be taken seriously. For example, one of my favorite moments had to be the dismembered head puppet show. What a hoot! The special effects are cheap and gaudy, the murders are over-the-top, and the flashback scenes are a total trip. The supporting cast is interesting, with Olivia Hussey (of all people) being the standout.  Like Howard, she’s giving it her all. On the other end of the spectrum is Jan-Michael Vincent. You can pretty much see the disdain he has for the film written all over his face. I think he would have rather been anywhere than filming the sanitarium scene. Still, that’s just one more thing for me to enjoy.

6/10