Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)

"Now, we may have broken some heads, but we never broke no promises.", 18 September 2009

Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson are two black cops working out of a Harlem precinct. They've got their eyes on a minister promising his poor parishioners the opportunity to travel to Africa for $100. Jones and Johnson see Rev. Deke O'Malley for the scammer he really is. But things get complicated when, during a recruitment rally, the $87,000 the good Reverend has collected is stolen by armed bandits. The only clue about the money's whereabouts is that it's been hidden in a bale of cotton. Hot on the trail of the cotton bale are the mob, the police, Reverend O'Malley, a junk dealer, a militant black group, and just about everyone else in Harlem.

The first true blaxploitation movie (there seems to be some disagreement, but I'm not sure how you could go with Sweet Sweetback's Badasssss Song as it was released a year later), Cotton Comes to Harlem is wonderfully entertaining from start to finish. It's a non-stop comedic slice of life in Harlem in the early 1970s. The movie is filled with eclectic characters, unique set-pieces, interesting music choices, and real life locations you just can't replicate on a sound-stage. The plot has so much going on that it never gets old. Ossie Davis didn't direct many films, but he does an amazing job with this, his first, effort. It's a more professional looking product than many of the blaxploitation films that would come later. The acting is a highlight and is as good as I've ever seen in a movie of this type. Godfrey Cambridge gives a memorable performance as policeman Gravedigger Jones. Cambridge manages to be the standout in a strong cast. His partner, Raymond St. Jacques as Coffin Ed Johnson, is rock solid. The pair are joined by Calvin Lockhart, the stunning Judy Pace, Redd Foxx, and a slew of familiar faces. The comedy in Cotton Comes to Harlem has held up surprisingly well. Some of it might be considered un-PC in today's overly sensitive world, but I still found myself laughing along with many scenes. Overall, it's a well made movie that I fell no hesitation in rating an 8/10.

8/10

Dick Smart 2.007 (1970)

Why let a little thing like the plot get in the way of this much fun?, 25 June 2009

If you're a fan of far-out Euro-Spy films from the 60s with cool sets and set-pieces, exotic locations, Margaret Lee, groovy music, and over-the-top gadgets, and if the lack of a coherent plot doesn't bother you, then Dick Smart 2.007 is a must see. Actually, I'm not sure if the plot is really all that incoherent or if the audio on my transfer was so bad that I often couldn't tell what was going on. But why let a little thing like the plot get in the way of this much fun? What I did get out of it – Lady Lister (Margaret Lee) has gathered five of the most renowned nuclear scientists in the world and stashed them in her secret, underground Brazilian lair. She has developed a means of converting coal into diamonds using a controlled nuclear explosion. She has a partner in crime, McDiamond, who sees other possibilities for Lady Lister's discovery. The CIA (at least I think it was the CIA) hires part-time super-spy Dick Smart (Richard Wyler) to put a stop to their plans.

I'm still relatively new to the whole Euro-Spy scene, but what I'm quickly discovering is that Margaret Lee is to these movies what Edwige Fenech is to the Giallo (a genre I'm much more familiar with). Any Euro-Spy movie is better simply because Margaret Lee is in it. Unfortunately, in too many of these movies she's little more than eye-candy with nothing much to do. That's not the case here. In Dick Smart 2.007, she's on equal footing with her male co-star. Speaking of her male co-star, Richard Wyler is adequate – not spectacular – just adequate. The rest of the cast was okay with me. Good pace, good action, and a lot of those quirky moments that I just love. I mean how can you not just love a spy movie with a motorcycle that transforms into a little helicopter or a submarine at the push of a button? Unlike some of the other Euro-Spy movies I've seen recently, Dick Smart 2.007 seems to have had a larger budget than normal as evidenced by the bad guy's cool underground secret base and the wonderful travelogue type shots of Brazil. Mario Nascimbene's music is another real highlight. I dare anyone to watch Dick Smart 2.007 and not be humming the music afterward. Finally, I realize these movies might not be for anyone, but I find them incredibly entertaining – bad dubbing and all. A solid 7/10 from me.

7/10

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970)

"Akita!", 1 August 2008

I may be the only person alive who has seen both One Million Years B.C. and When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth that actually prefers the sequel to the original. Not that either is something I would recommend very highly, but at least there's a sense of goofiness about When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth that's not present in the overly serious Raquel Welch film. When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth also features a bevy of scantily clad cave women (could Victori Vetri fill out a bikini or what?), stop-motion dinosaurs that almost outdo the ones from Harryhausen, and a few nice action sequences. Based on my rating there's obviously a flip-side. The negatives for me include too much dialogue (in a made-up language no less that's completely impossible to follow), an overly involved plot (at least overly involved given the lack of language), and too much caveman butt. The language business actually had me laughing a couple of times. Apparently neither the cavemen nor the screenwriters could agree on what certain words meant. "Akita" appears to have meant anything from let's go over there to I really like you to your ham sandwich is ready! Unintentionally, it's hysterical (and distracting).

In the end, I can't in good conscious rate When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth any better than a 6/10 – not the best movie in the world but worth seeking out if you're a fan of either this kind of dinosaur movie or a Hammer completist.

6/10

When Women Had Tails (1970)

- Quando le donne avevano la coda
Positives: Senta Berger - Negatives: Everything Else, 26 July 2008

I readily admit that I watch a lot of really bad movies. But there are very few that I can think of that are quite as bad as When Women Had Tails. It's a stinker of epic proportions. What should have been a sexy comedy about a group of cavemen discovering a woman for the first time is instead a dull, lifeless affair without a single laugh to be had. The comedy is extremely weak. I suppose if you think bashing someone in the head is funny, you might find a laugh or two. The guys in this movie make the Three Stooges look like high art. And there's just not enough of a plot to hold the thing together. It seems to drag on and on and on.

Well, you may be asking yourself, "If it's as bad as you say, why haven't you rated it lower than a 3/10?" Good question! And I've got two answers. First, the movie is not without its curiosity value. I do find a bit of interest in an Italian spoof of movies like One Million Years B.C. with Raquel Welch. I'll give When Women Had Tails a point for its historic "value". The other two points are for the mere presence of Senta Berger. I know it's not much of an explanation or reasoning for a rating, but what are you going to do? It's the best I can come up with.

3/10

My Name Is Trinity (1970)

- Lo chiamavano Trinità...
"Welcome, brothers!", 28 April 2008

I am by no means an expert on the 19 or so Terence Hill / Bud Spencer films. But of the handful I have been able to see, They Call Me Trinity just might be my favorite. I distinctly remember watching this movie over 30 years ago and thinking it was one of funniest, most enjoyable movies I had ever seen. Re-watching it last night, I realized that, although my opinion isn't quite as high as it once was, I still enjoyed They Call Me Trinity immensely. It's not perfect, but it sure it fun. Hill and Spencer play off each other as well as any of the better known Hollywood duos. They complement each other in both style and appearance. There are a few moments that had me laughing out loud. Their first meeting with the Mexican bandits while unintentionally disguised as Mormons is one of these moments. Hill also has some particularly funny scenes on his own. One that I remembered from my first viewing three decades ago was the scene where Hill eats the entire plate of beans. Good stuff! And who doesn't get a kick out of the dust-covered Hill being pulled along behind his horse. It's a classic image right up there with Django dragging the coffin through the mud. There's just something about both of these scenes that I find very funny.

But what I really enjoy the most is the way They Call Me Trinity makes fun of some of the better known Spaghetti Western clichés. There are several examples I could use, but I'll just cite one. In most Spaghetti Westerns, the main character is usually an expert shot. So expert, in fact, that they almost never miss. Look at Lee Van Cleef in Sabata or Clint Eastwood in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly for example. Van Cleef's Sabata is able to his any target at any distance and Eastwood's Blondie has no problem hitting the rope about to hang Tuco. Trinity takes this already exaggerated ability to the absurd. As seen in the one of the bar fights, Trinity can hit targets behind his back - without looking. If you're a fan of these movies, you'll enjoy They Call Me Trinity's poke at Spaghetti Western conventions.

8/10

Trog (1970)

"Get me my hypo-gun - quickly!", 17 July 2007

A group of students stumble upon a cavern in the English countryside. Inside they discover an ape-like creature that just might be the missing link between apes and man. Dr. Brockton (Joan Crawford) takes an interest in the boys' discovery and begins a study of the troglodyte that she nicknames Trog. Just as Dr. Brockton's experiments begin to show some promise, opposition to her experiments takes shape in the form of Sam Murdock (Michael Gough) who would like to see Trog destroyed. He tries to do just that and accidentally sets Trog loose to go on a murderous rampage.

Trog is the kind of movie I really want to like. As far as camp appeal goes, it's got it in spades. The mere sight of Joan Crawford patting a poorly made-up ape/man on the head or playing fetch with him or feeding him rubber lizards should be enough to endear Trog to me. But it never quite works that way. Why? The movie is an interminable bore. By the time Trog goes on his rampage, it's too late. I've lost all interest.

As others have commented, Trog certainly is an unfitting swan song for an actress as legendary as Joan Crawford. But you've really gotta hand it to her. A professional to the end. Her delivery and acting may come across as ridiculous and over-the-top given the material and subject matter she was presented with in Trog, but that's just Joan doing what she did best – giving it her all.

3/10

San Francisco International (1970) (TV)

"I said the wheel felt mushy!", 16 July 2007

San Francisco International (SFI for the rest of this) follows what I've started calling a Love Boat style of plot development. You know – a movie or television show with an ensemble cast where each character has their own storyline that may or may not have anything to do with the other characters. One plot line is deadly serious, another is romantically charged, the next is played for laughs, and on and on it goes. I don't know where the Love Boat plot style first originated, but SFI follows this to a "T". The story lines in SFI include: a boy, upset over his parents divorce, climbs into an abandoned plane and takes off; a band of crooks robs a shipment of cash going through the airport; seeking additional funding for the airport, airport head honcho Jim Conrad (Pernell Roberts) fakes an emergency landing with a planeload of government officials; a businessman and a hippie get into an altercation; etc. But being a 70s made-for-TV movie, you know everything is going to work out fine in the end – not that you really care or anything.

There are several reasons why SFI never made it to our television sets as a regular series. And chief among them as far as I'm concerned is Pernell Roberts. Being self-assured is one thing, but Roberts' character comes off as one of the smuggest in history. He's too unlikable to care about any of his problems and whether they get resolved or not. You can't build a series around a horses rear-end like Jim Conrad and expect anyone to watch.

As with a lot of the "bad" movies I've been watching lately, I saw SFI courtesy of Mystery Science Theater 3000. And as far as a MST3K episode goes, SFI is a keeper. A laugh at every turn. If you're a fan of the show, do yourself a favor and seek it out. This one gets a 4/5 on my MST3K rating scale.

3/10

And God Said to Cain (1970)

- E Dio disse a Caino
Beware of budget DVDs, 8 July 2007

After serving 10 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit, Gary Hamilton (Klaus Kinski) is released. Hamilton has had 10 long years to plot his revenge and he intends to get it. His quarry, a man named Acombar (Peter Carsten), has assembled something of an army to help protect him and his family. But Hamilton appears to have something on his side – God. Hamilton rides into town just ahead of the wind, dust, and noise of a tornado. It's quite an entrance!

And God Said to Cain is a solid Spaghetti Western (SW) from often underrated Italian director Antonio Margheriti. With this movie, Margheriti put together one terribly effective SW. A lot of SWs include some sort of light-hearted, comedic moments. That's not the case with And God Said to Cain. It's as serious and dark as any SW I've seen. Margheriti doesn't allow a single moment of levity. Normally relegated to playing the heavy, Klaus Kinski gets a rare opportunity to play the lead. And he does a good job with it. He plays Hamilton as a man with a single-minded focus – get revenge. Before we as an audience even know who Hamilton is or what he's up to, he's killing people on a dark, stormy night. The action and shootouts are entertaining, the supporting cast is solid, the music is good, and the sets and locations fit the film nicely. What more can you ask for in a SW?

The only negative regarding my experience with And God Said to Cain actually has nothing to do the movie, but concerns the budget label DVD I watched. What a terrible transfer! Much of the movie is set at night and it was often very difficult to tell what was happening. Who knows? I might have rated the movie higher had I not missed about a fourth of the action. So be warned – in this case you get what you pay for.

8/10

Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter (1970)

- Nora-neko rokku: Sekkusu hanta
Meiko Kaji impresses again, 17 April 2007

When one of the local girls starts dating a "half-breed", the local guy gang (The Eagles) doesn't think much of it. The Eagles start of campaign of terror directed at mixed race couples and individuals they deem to be not of "pure" Japanese heritage. It's up to the leader of the local girl gang and a "half breed" named Kazuma to stand up to The Eagles – even if they have to die for what's right.

While Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter is a decent enough movie, it's not the movie I was hoping for. I'm relatively new to the Japanese exploit movies of the 70s having only recently watched three of the Female Prisoner #701 movies. Since Meiko Kaji stars in both and Yasuharu Hasebe directs in both, I was hoping Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter would be similar in tone to Female Prisoner #701. And while it has its moments (a couple of fight scenes, the rape party, and the jeep chase for example), the movie is far too serious in its focus to be as much fun as I hoped. More girl gang action and less racial tension would have gone a long way to making this one a real winner.

The highlight of the movie for me has to be Meiko Kaji. I've now seen her in five different movies (this one, the three Female Prisoner #701 movies, and Lady Snowblood) and she never fails to impress me. She's an actress I hope to see more of in the future.

6/10

Count Dracula (1970)

- Nachts, wenn Dracula erwacht
Lee's best performance as Dracula?, 9 March 2007

In the past, I've accused Jess Franco of losing focus about 10 minutes into his films. It's not unusual to see him stray from his subject for a few unnecessary close-ups of any random object or to include several minutes of what appears to be vacation footage he shot out of the window of a car. That's certainly not the case with Franco's Count Dracula. By Franco's standards, it's a very straight forward story. There are a number of other things to like about the movie. Excusing the Spain for England locations, the sets are wonderfully Spartan and very atmospheric. Bruno Nicolai's score is about as good as you'll find in any of Franco's efforts. But the highlight is the acting. Franco assembled one of the most acclaimed casts he ever worked with. Klaus Kinski, Herbert Lom, and Christopher Lee give the film immediate credibility. Lee's performance is the real standout. Of the numerous times he played Dracula, his work in Count Dracula just might be the best of his career. The supporting players, featuring the usual group of Franco regulars, give some of their best performances.

But it's this straight forward approach used by Franco that contributes to the films downfall. Franco was attempting to film a fairly faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel (it was the only way he could get Lee to agree to play Dracula). And while he may have actually been more successful along that line than some of the other, better known Dracula films, unfortunately the end result is incredibly dull and lifeless. While the film gets off to a good start with Jonathan Harker's visit to Dracula's castle, things grind to a halt once Dracula reaches England. So even though Count Dracula may represent one of Franco's most competently directed films, the boredom factor is too high to rate the movie anything better than average.

5/10

The Most Beautiful Wife (1970)

- La moglie più bella
Compelling, 18 November 2006

The Most Beautiful Wife is the kind of movie I usually avoid. I usually don't go for these overly depressing tales. But The Most Beautiful Wife is oddly compelling and drew me in from the start. The film is based on a true story and deals with the barbaric treatment of women (who am I kidding, these are girls) at the hands of their future husbands. Rape was an acceptable means of forcing a marriage. No other man would want the woman as she was no longer a virgin.

But as depressing as the subject matter may be, director Damiano Damiani and cinematographer Franco Di Giacomo created an incredibly lovely film with The Most Beautiful Wife. The contrast between the green, lush farm lands and the crumbling city scenes is pleasing. And Ennio Morricone's score is what I've come to expect – a work of genius. It suits the film perfectly.

Ornella Muti gives a terrific performance in the title role. And when you consider that this was her first film and that she was only 14 years old, it makes all the more amazing. As the whole film is centered around her and as she is the focal point of almost every scene, it's imperative that her performance be believable if The Most Beautiful Wife has a chance at all to work. She pulls it off flawlessly. I doubt an actress twice her age with years of experience could have done any better. It's an impressive piece of work.

8/10

Roy Colt and Winchester Jack (1970)

Hit and miss from Bava, 15 July 2006

Reading various comments on the internet about Roy Colt and Winchester Jack, you would think that it was the worst movie ever made. I've now seen most of Mario Bava's films (23, to be exact) and I've seen my fair share of Spaghetti Westerns. While Roy Colt and Winchester Jack isn't a very good example of either, it's hardly the worst film Bava made (see Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs) or the worst Spaghetti Western I've watched (see God's Gun). In fact, there are moments and certain set-pieces in the movie that I really enjoyed. The best example that comes to mind is the film's finale. Without giving it away, I'll just say that it's a nice twist that worked for me. The film's soundtrack is interesting. I wouldn't call it a traditional Spaghetti Western, but it's enjoyable enough anyway. Brett Halsey and Charles Southwood are okay in the title roles, but Marilu Tolo stands out in the role of Manila. More of Tolo would have been a good thing. Finally, while some of the more eccentric characters in the movie don't work, the gunfighter in the opening scenes with Tourettes Syndrome is a real hoot.

I actually would have enjoyed Roy Colt and Winchester Jack more and rated it higher if it weren't for two things. First, the movie hardly feels like a Bava film. There are none of the great director's flourishes of color or unique camera tricks I look forward to seeing. It's all rather flat and dull looking. Second, and my biggest complaint with the movie, is the character called The Reverend. A more annoying character I can't think of at the moment. He's not funny, he's not threatening, and his idiosyncrasies are downright painful to watch. Similar to what I wrote about Tolo, less of The Reverend would have been a good thing.

5/10

Scars of Dracula (1970)

"He is evil. He is the embodiment of all that is evil. He is the very Devil himself.", 7 July 2006

When Paul Carlson (Christopher Matthews) goes missing, his brother Simon (Dennis Waterman) and friend Sarah Framsen (Jenny Hanley) trace his footsteps to try to find him. Their journey leads them to a small village full of inhospitable locals who will only tell the pair that Paul was last seen heading toward a nearby castle. Simon and Sarah set off for the castle unaware of the danger that awaits them. This is no ordinary castle. It's the home of Dracula. Simon and Sarah find themselves in a fight for their lives against the King of the Vampires.

Of Hammer's long list of Dracula films, Scars of Dracula is about average. It's nowhere near as good as Horror of Dracula, but it's a long way from being as bad as The Satanic Rites of Dracula. It's impossible to begin discussing any of Hammer's Dracula films without first mentioning Christopher Lee. In Scars of Dracula, Lee plays a more sadistic and evil version of the Count. In addition to the normal blood-sucking, this Dracula is not above the routine tortures of beating his servant with a whip, hanging a body from a wall, or sending his legions of bats to all but wipe out a town. It's these scenes that really make the film standout. But as much as I enjoyed the character of Dracula, as blasphemous as this will sound, it's one of Lee's weaker performances. Maybe I was reading something into his performance that wasn't there, but he came across as incredibly uninterested (which in reality he was). There's none of the menace in the eyes that I associate with Lee's Dracula. It's acting by-the-numbers as far as I could tell. It's unfortunately because Lee was always so good in the role.

Other highlights for me include Jenny Hanley as Sarah and the wall climbing scene. Hanley seemed like such a natural as the innocent, fragile Sarah. And she has some of the most expressive eyes I've noticed in a Hammer heroine. It's too bad she didn't make more films for Hammer. As for the wall climbing scenes, I believe it's the only one of its kind in any of the Hammer Dracula films. I realize that it's all done with camera tricks, but seeing Lee's Dracula climbing the side of the castle was a real treat.

Unfortunately, I found just as many negatives as I did positives in Scars of Dracula. First, the screenplay has a number of holes in it. All of the characters make it incredibly convenient for Dracula. Not once is Dracula forced to leave his castle to find a victim – they all conveniently come to him. And just how did Sarah get to the castle so fast? The same journey that took Simon and a local priest almost an entire day is covered by the distraught Sarah in a matter of what seems to be a couple of hours. Next, Simon and Paul felt too modern given the time period in which the film is set. Their mannerisms, speech, and look simply scream 1970. Finally, in the beginning of the film, Dracula is resurrected by a rubber bat drooling blood over his remains. If it's that easy for Dracula to come back to life, why didn't he use this method more often? Why go through all the hassle of a séance as in Dracula A.D. 1972 or the elaborate ceremony in Taste the Blood of Dracula? I seems like a lot of wasted effort to me.

6/10

The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion (1970)

- Le foto proibite di una signora per bene
A stylish Italian thriller full of blackmail and perversity, 9 April 2006

The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion (let's shorten that to Forbidden Photos for the rest of this write-up) is a stylish Italian thriller full of blackmail and perversity. Forbidden Photos would easily be among the best Gialli I've seen if it weren't for the lack of actual murders and other on-screen mayhem. To be so titillating, Forbidden Photos is in reality restrained, something you don't normally see in this genre. To be so restrained, it's amazing how the story held my attention throughout. And in the end, the convoluted plot and mystery all fit together quite nicely and it all makes sense. The cast is solid with good performances from Dagmar Lassander and Simon Andreu. But, as expected, Susan Scott steals every scene in which she appears. She never looked better or was she more mysterious than in Forbidden Photos. Finally, Forbidden Photos features an interesting score from Ennio Morricone. I went to bed last night with the main theme playing in my head.

Other than the minimal extras, Blue Underground's new DVD is very nice. You just don't expect something so obscure (I don't believe that Forbidden Photos was ever released in the U.S. in any form until now) to look this good. From what my untrained eyes could see, the transfer looked flawless. Nice job!

7/10

Hatchet for the Honeymoon (1970)

- Il rosso segno della follia
"The truth is, I am completely mad.", 27 March 2006

I've always considered Hatchet for the Honeymoon one of the "weaker" Bava films. It doesn't have the artistry of Black Sunday or the flair of Blood and Black Lace. Even with these perceived flaws, a weak Bava is still an enjoyable experience.

The basic story: Models and customers of a wedding gown design house are turning up dead on their wedding day. Each one viciously killed by a hatchet (meat clever) wielding maniac. It's not difficult figuring out who the killer is. Hatchet for the Honeymoon doesn't follow the normal rules of a horror/mystery. Think of it as a backwards Giallo. There are no clever red herrings, no suspicious characters, and no dead-end clues. Instead, the main character, John Harrington (Stephen Forsyth), reveals early on that he's a crazed killer. A bit of dialogue uttered by John early in the movie give tremendous insight into his character – "A woman should only live till her wedding day. She should love once and then die'."

But in this case, our killer feels he has a justifiable (albeit selfish) reason to kill. Each time he murders a woman, a vision that has haunted him becomes clearer. He's obsessed with discovering the meaning of the vision. How many brides must die before John discovers the secret of his vision?

John also has a nagging wife whom he would like to divorce. But, it seems that she has the money and won't let him go. Instead, she would rather make his life miserable. Deciding he can't take anymore of his wife, John kills her. Still not wanting to leave John, the wife's ghost continues to torment John. In a bizarre twist, John – the lunatic – is being driven mad by his wife. Is it possible for a homicidal maniac to be driven crazy?

The performances are fairly standard for this kind of film. Stephen Forsyth is more than adequate for the role of the hunky (did I just use that word) killer. I've always felt that his wife, played by Laura Betti, is the only real weak point in the cast. She just doesn't come across very naturally. In scenes where she is tormenting John from the grave, she's appears to be nothing more than an actress playing a part. I never bought into her performance.

While there are flashes of Bava's brilliance, much of Bava's trademark style seems muted. For example, while the room of mannequins makes a nice scene, it's not awash in color like scenes from Bava's Black Sabbath or Blood and Black Lace. Instead, it's a fairly dark room without any terribly unusual lighting. It's not that Bava's work here isn't impressive, because it is. There are scenes shot through peep holes and small windows that show other facets of Bava's creativity.

I should also mention the score. The music, by Sante Maria Romitelli is a real asset to the movie. Much of it is a loving, soft, romantic score. This type of music mixed with the idea of burying a hatchet in someone may seem inappropriate, but it makes these scenes even more chilling. A perfect example of this is the music box tune John plays when killing the bride in the mannequin room. It's a very effective use of music.

7/10

Nightmares Come at Night (1970)

- Les cauchemars naissent la nuit
Even by Franco's standards, this movie is a bore, 4 March 2006

When things go bad in a Franco film, they really go bad. Even by Franco's standards, Nightmares Come at Night is a total bore. The plot deals with a woman who may be going insane. She has reoccurring dreams of killing people and cannot distinguish what's real and what's part of her dreams. But the plot is secondary to Nightmares Come at Night's primary purpose – show as much pointless nudity as possible. Most of the movie consists of Diana Lorys walking around with little or nothing on. I felt like screaming "Do Something!" at the screen. And it doesn't help that it's filmed in the most unimaginable way possible. To make matters worse, Franco introduces a diamond heist subplot in the final third of the movie and gives it little more than lip service. It adds nothing to the film.

When you pick up the DVD, you would understandably think that Soledad Miranda was the star of Nightmares Come at Night. I mean it's her face on the DVD cover. However, as was the case with Lina Romay in Franco's The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein, Miranda has only 10 minutes of screen time. Plus, she has no connection with anything else in the movie. Her scenes were obviously filmed at a different time and location from the rest of the film.

2/10

Violent City (1970)

- Città violenta
Somebody buy Telly some clothes, 27 May 2005

Violent City is a real mixed bag. I'll start with the good. The ending is fabulous. The way our hero, hit-man Jeff Heston (Charles Bronson), gets his ultimate revenge is nothing short of sweet. His revenge comes out of nowhere and is startling when you realize what's happening. Bronson is another real bonus in the movie. Without too much dialogue, he's more than capable of portraying a variety of emotions. It's a refreshing change to see Bronson smiling and running on the beach as he does in one scene. You don't see that too often. Another highlight is the car chase at the beginning of the movie. Sollima lets the movie go on for a good 15 minutes during the car chase without a single line of dialogue being spoken. The chase is the key thing. Finally, Ennio Morricone's score nicely fits the action on screen. It's not his best, but any Morricone score is a winner.

As for the bad, there are stretches of the movie where nothing happens. I was fighting to keep my eyes open during some of the middle of the movie. Another bad, and I hate to say this, is Jill Ireland. She's surely got to be one of the worst actresses to ever appear in film. Finally, the show down between Bronson and Telly Savalas. It's over way too quick. I would have liked to see it drawn out to build the tension.

Finally, the ugly. If a half naked Telly Savalas doesn't classify as ugly, I don't know what does.

Overall, the good outweighs the bad in Violent City, but just barely. Without the "killer" ending, I would have rated the movie a point or two lower.

6/10

Blood Mania (1970)

Plain Old Bad, 13 March 2005

A sex-crazed woman murders her ailing father so she can use the inheritance to help her "boyfriend" out of a jam. What the woman doesn't know, however, is that her father has left all of his money to her sister.

Let's get this over with - Blood Mania is BAD. Take some of the choices that were made with the cinematography. I suppose that some of the camera work in Blood Mania was meant to be artistic or experimental. But much of it comes off as just plain ridiculous. One perfect example is an entire scene of dialogue shot at the waist. I suppose we are meant to gain some insight into what the characters are saying by the movement of their hips. I won't even bother mentioning the acting, dialogue, etc. It should go without saying that they are all equally bad.

None of the characters has a single redeeming quality. All of them are as sleazy as you'll find. There's obviously the woman who kills her father. She's also blackmailing her "boyfriend" to sleep with her. The "boyfriend" is a doctor who knows the truth about the old man's death but does nothing for fear of being exposed as having performed illegal abortions. The sister who gets the inheritance isn't much better. It takes her two or three hours to fall for her sister's "boyfriend". And I haven't even gotten to the guy demanding money from the doctor to keep him quiet. Not a very nice lot. I felt like taking a bath after the movie was over.

Unless you feel the need to watch a bad movie (and a shower afterward), steer clear of this one.

2/10

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970)

- L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo
Argento's First, 11 February 2005

Sam (Tony Musante) is an American writer vacationing in Italy. One night as he walks past an art gallery, he sees two figures inside struggling. One is obviously a woman, the other is wearing a black raincoat, gloves, and hat. The dark figure escapes out a side door after the woman is stabbed. She is not dead and stumbles down the stairs toward the front door. Sam rushes to her rescue but becomes trapped between two glass doors. When the police arrive, they naturally assume Sam tried to kill woman and was trapped as he made his escape. The police also suspect Sam in a series of murders around the city. Sam decides that his best course of action is to assist the police in finding the killer.

Mario Bava may be credited with "inventing" the giallo, but Argento made the giallo his own beginning with this, his first film. His string of successes in the genre (including The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Deep Red, Tenebre, Opera, and the underrated Sleepless) is second to none. In his first giallo, Argento employs many of the techniques that he has over the years become famous for - innovative camera work, nice use of color, and good set pieces. In addition, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage features what I consider to be one of the best scripts Argento has written. Almost everything, including the outcome, seems to be fairly logical and make sense. Argento builds the suspense very nicely throughout the movie. The first time I saw the movie, the killer's identity really caught me off guard.

One thing missing from The Bird with the Crystal Plumage that Argento uses extensively in his later films is blood. Compare the amount of on screen blood in this film with Tenebre. It's not even close. This, however, doesn't bother me. In fact, the lack of blood allows me to better concentrate on the plot as it unfolds.

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage may not be my favorite giallo, but it would make an excellent starting point for someone new to these films.

8/10

Scream and Scream Again (1970)

"That bloody chicken wasn't killed, it died of old age.", 5 February 2005

What a bizarre movie! Scream and Scream Again is all over the place. It's a combination horror/sci-fi/mystery/espionage/thriller with sort of a James Bond twist. And it's a lot of fun.

To be honest, at the beginning of the film, I was lost. There are about four different plot lines that don't seem to have anything to do with each other. (1) There is a runner who collapses. Every time we see him after the collapse, he's in a hospital losing his limbs one at a time. (2) There is a vampire killer on the prowl in London. He attacks young women and drains them of their blood. (3) There are scenes of some fascist regime in some unknown country. The leaders of the regime are being killed one at a time. Also, people are being tortured for no apparent reason. (4) There are discussions going on in the uppermost levels of the British government that appear to have nothing to do with anything else. But, by the end of the film, most everything fits together quite nicely as a story about creating a master race.

Scream and Scream Again 'stars' Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing. I say 'stars' because Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing are barely in the movie. In fact, Cushing has all of about 5 minutes of screen time. Alfred Marks as Supt.Bellaver is actually the star. He's a no nonsense policeman investigating the string of murders in London. In the end though, Price takes over and is wonderful. His mad doctor routine is terrific to watch.

There are some excellent moments in the film worth mentioning. The chase scene is one of the longest I've ever seen, ending with the killer losing a hand after being handcuffed to the front of a car. Another is the fight scene at the end between Vincent Price and leader of the fascists. There are also moments of tension as when the young doctor is snooping around Vincent Price's house.

This is a movie that you have to be patient with. Trust me, it all makes sense in the end.

7/10