That Man in Istanbul (1965)

- Estambul 65
Lots of good action in this 60s Euro-Spy effort, 30 June 2009

The U.S. government is double-crossed when they pay a $1 million ransom for the return of a top scientist. They lose both the money and the scientist. Agent Kenny (Sylva Koscina) is sent to Istanbul to investigate. She enlists the aid of a gambler named Tony Mescenas (Horst Buchholz) to assist her in finding the scientist with the promise that he can keep the $1 million. The trail leads Tony and Kenny through the streets, masques, and waterways of Istanbul. Will the U.S. government get what it wants? Will Tony get what he wants? And will Kenny get out alive?

That Man in Istanbul is a very good entry in the 1960s Euro-Spy cannon. While the film may lack some of the usual over-the-top spy accoutrements, it doesn't lack in exciting chase scenes, gun play, or fist fights. In fact, the action is pretty much non-stop. Director Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi keeps the pace at a high level throughout most of the film. The fight at the top of the masque tower, Tony's jump to the boat, and the underwater knife fight are real highlights. Both of the film's leads, Horst Buchholz and Sylva Koscina, turn in more than competent performances. A solid supporting cast, particularly Klaus Kinski and Gustavo Re, is more than up to the task. Throw in a bit of humor, suspense, intrigue, and some wonderful shots of 1960s era Istanbul and you've got the makings of a very entertaining film. If I have a couple of complaints they would be Koscina's screen time (she's absent for most of the second act) and the overall length of the movie (cutting 15 or 20 minutes would help). Still, a very enjoyable experience. I'll give it a 7/10.

7/10

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

"This never happened to the other fella.", 29 June 2009

I'll skip the usual plot description. If you're a fan of James Bond, you've most likely seen On Her Majesties Secret Service anyway. If you haven't seen it, then what are you doing reading this – go out and get it right now. And anyway, this is going to be long enough so why unnecessarily add to it with a pithy little plot summary. On my list of all-time favorite Bond movies, On Her Majesties Secret Service would be somewhere in the top 5. Why? Well, first it's one of the few James Bond movies where I've actually read Ian Fleming's book. And I liked it – I liked it a lot. The plot and storyline appeal to me in a major way. I appreciate the fact that the movie is so true to the source material. I like that there are so few over-the-top gadgets. Bond gets by on his wits and brawn alone. That's one of the things that also appealed to me about the recent Bond movie, Casino Royale – the lack of incredible gadgets. It makes things a little more believable. (I realize that I'm being a bit hypocritical here. It goes against everything I usually stand for when I write about how much a I appreciate the relative realism in this movie. I'm usually so in favor of outlandishness in my spy movies. Just read some of my other user comments and you'll see what I mean. It's difficult for me to explain, but it works in this case.)

Second, Diana Rigg. Is there any reason to say anymore? Beyond Ms. Rigg, I love the whole cast. Of all the actors that played Blofeld, Telly Savalas is my favorite. Donald Pleasence was a bit too close to a being a parody (i.e. he's practically Dr. Evil) and Charles Gray, though a good actor, was never right for the role. And don't you just love the way Savalas holds that cigarette? I've never seen anyone but him do that. Too cool! (That's right – I just called smoking "cool".) While I'm talking about the cast, I suppose I should mention George Lazenby. It's not that he's that bad, it's just that he's not Sean Connery. I find it impossible to judge his worth as Bond from one movie. He's okay I suppose, but I would have liked to see him given the chance to grow into the character the way Connery and Moore did.

Third, On Her Majesties Secret Service is an amazing looking movie. Some of the shots of the Alps, especially those from the helicopter, are some of the best photography in the entire series. Cinematography, sets, locations, lighting, and anything else that goes into making a movie look good are all outstanding. It's a wonderfully shot movie.

Finally, I really appreciate Peter Hunt's direction. On Her Majesties Secret Service might most well paced Bond movie ever made. It's so even form start to finish. As much as I hate to admit it because I enjoy most all of the Bond movies, there are some that drag on and on to the point of distraction and lack the flow of this movie.

If I've got one complaint it would be with some of the lame attempts at comedy. They're terribly forced and don't feel right in what is otherwise such a straight forward movie. There are a couple that are so bad I wince every time I hear them. For example, after one of the baddies is sucked into the giant snow blower turning the snow a pale pink, Bond quips, "He had a lot of guts". Groan worthy or what? Still, that's my only real complaint so a 9/10 would seem to be in order.

9/10

Supernatural "The Usual Suspects" #2.7 (2006) (TV)

"You know, Casper - the blood thirsty ghost.", 29 June 2009

"The Usual Suspects" isn't my favorite episode of Supernatural, but it's a darn good one. Sam and Dean find themselves in custody for a couple of murders they didn't commit. The brothers are convinced that a vengeful spirit committed the murders, but how do you tell that to the police? When Detective Diana Ballard (Linda Blair) has a run in with the ghost, she begins to believe the boys. With Dean locked-up, she works with Sam to solve the mystery and, hopefully, put a spirit to rest.

As soon as I saw Linda Blair pop up on the screen, I knew I was going to enjoy this episode. I mean come on – it's Linda Blair for goodness sake! What's not to like about that? Horror legend Linda Blair guest starring on the best horror television show to come down the pike in years – I loved it! Besides Blair, "The Usual Suspects" has a lot going for it – rock solid plot (even if it is terribly predictable), good special effects, and some nice humorous moments. Two things I really enjoyed were the way the story unfolded through flashback (i.e. the truth vs. Sam and Dean's story) and the little comments at the end referencing The Exorcist. Very cool. I've gotta give this one an 8/10. I'm really looking forward to sitting down with the rest of Season 2.

8/10

Charlie's Angels "Angels in Chains" #1.4 (1976) (TV)

"I'm allergic to working in potato fields.", 26 June 2009

With the passing of Farrah Fawcett, I thought it was high time I revisited an episode or two from the first season of Charlie's Angels. I decided to skip around and take a look at some of my favorites. What better place to start than "Angels in Chains"? What an episode! The Angels are sent into a women's prison to investigate the disappearance of their client's sister. Once there, the girls are treated to a strip search, a delousing, potato digging, and the opportunity to turn a few quick tricks at a party. It seems the women in the prison who cooperate at the warden's little parties get special treatment. The whole thing plays like watered down Pam Grier WIP film. Farrah, Kate, and Jaclyn are all quite fabulous. They're joined by one of the better supporting casts that I can remember – featuring David Huddleston (you might not know the name, but if you're a fan of all things 70s, you'd recognize the face), Anthony James (who could play a whacko with the best of 'em), Kim Basinger, and Mary Woronov. Some of the moments that I really love are the low speed potato truck chase, watching Farrah roll around on the floor with her all too obvious fake stomach ache, Anthony James' unsubtle remarks and creepy leering at Jaclyn, and Kate's wisecrack to the guard that gets her a punch in the kidney for her effort. Fun stuff! Watching 33 years after the fact, it's hard to believe that this was scandalous back in the day. Today, it seems oddly quaint – entertaining, but quaint. I much prefer things like "Angels in Chains" to what gets past off as entertainment on television today.

8/10

Supernatural "Provenance" #1.19 (2006) (TV)

"Well, this isn't exactly the first grave we've dug.", 26 June 2009

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD --- I recently finished watching the first season of Supernatural and, overall, I'm impressed. There are been a few things that have bugged me and some episodes that didn't necessarily work, but those instances have been rare. This particular episode, known as "Provenance", is a particular favorite of mine. In this one-off episode, Sam and Dean investigate a series of deaths that appear to be related to an unusual painting. It seems that each time someone takes ownership of the painting, they have their throats slit in the night. The painting depicts a family from roughly around the turn of the century. The story goes that the Father in the painting was a barber who went mad and killed himself and his family with a straight razor. But as Sam and Den eventually discover, it's not the Father who's come back for murder – it's the adopted daughter. And for me, that's what makes this episode so especially creepy – there aren't many images that frighten me like a murderous little girl, complete with frilly dress, welding a razor in one hand and dragging a doll behind her in the other. Spooky! It's a smartly written little story filled with wonderful atmosphere. The special effects, the cinematography (especially when the little girl makes her presence known), and the lighting are all as good as you'll find in any big budget movie. "Provenance" is a very entertaining, leave-the-lights-on-when-you-go-to-bed kind of episode.

9/10

Lightning Bolt (1966)

- Operazione Goldman
Fairly standard spy stuff, 26 June 2009

Lightning Bolt doesn't come close to being what I'd call a "great" Euro-Spy film, but it's harmless enough and can be quite fun if you don't go into it expected the world. The basic plot has Harry Sennet (Anthony Eisley), our would-be hero, being sent to Cape Kennedy to investigate a series of rocket launches that have all ended in disaster. He quickly discovers that a ray of some sort coming from under the water is knocking out the rockets' guidance systems. But who's behind it and why? There are a few other surprises and twists to the plot, but it's all pretty standard stuff for a spy film.

Anthony Eisley is easily the worst thing Lightning Bolt has going for it. I found it difficult to root for him. He doesn't come across as a very good actor and is not capable of pulling off the role of the smug secret agent. Like the white socks he can be seen wearing with his suit and tie, he seems totally out of place. In fact, I probably should have just said that I didn't like a lot of the casting decisions in Lighting Bolt. Diana Lorys, normally a winner with me, is horribly miscast as spy boss Capt. Patricia Flanagan. And Folco Lulli's beer-maker turned super-villain Rether is more pathetic than terrifying. I about lost it when I saw this little fat man sitting behind his giant console in that giant room. Too funny! (Now that I'm thinking about it, that might have been what director Antonio Margheriti was going for – and ineffective looking bad guy. If so, he succeeded.) The only member of the main cast that worked for me was Wandisa Guida as Kary, the good girl turned bad girl turned good girl. What a hottie! Another thing that definitely worked for me is the whole look of the film. For example, Rether's underwater lair is awesome in its design and simplicity. It's not difficult to see where a major portion of Lightning Bolt's budget went. I've seen some complaints about Margheriti's use of miniatures. Maybe I'm showing my age, but I liked it. Sure, they're not realistic, but what is in a movie like Lightning Bolt. Riz Ortoliani's score is another highlight. It's a piece of music that fits the movie beautifully. Throw in some good action scenes, bodies frozen in a state of suspended animation, a cool gadget or two, and a group of henchmen dressed like Diabolik and you end up with a movie that I quite enjoyed despite its faults.

Finally, before I finish this, I feel compelled to write about one scene in the movie that left me scratching my head. A rocket is about to blast off from Cape Kennedy and Sennet knows it's going to be destroyed. What does he do? Does he call NASA or some other agency to notify them? No! Instead, Sennet drives his car through a fence and directly at the rocket as it takes off. What, does he have a death wish or something? Was he trying to be burned to a crisp? What did he hope to accomplish? What was his motivation? It's just one of the more puzzling scenes I've run across in a while.

6/10

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