Mysterious Mr. Moto (1938)

A solid entry in the Mr. Moto series, 9 August 2006

It's interesting to me that it's the "B" films of the 30s and 40s that seem to be so popular today. I sincerely doubt that anyone involved in the making of these movies could have imagined or cared that there would be an audience for their work almost 70 years later. Mysterious Mr. Moto is an enjoyable "B" that features everything you could ask for in one of these movies – a nice mystery, good action, sets that far exceed the film's limited budgets, exotic and quirky characters, and a sense of fun about the whole thing.

Peter Lorre is back as the mysterious Japanese detective, Mr. Moto. In this installment in the series, Mr. Moto has himself imprisoned on Devil's Island so that he might gain the trust of one of the other prisoners who happens to be involved with a gang of international murderers for hire. They escape and head to America. Acting as the other man's servant, Mr. Moto is in a perfect position to put a stop to the group's activities.

Mysterious Mr. Moto will never be confused with a deep, meaningful example of film-making. But it's not supposed to. It's a fun romp. And even if identity of the leader of the gang of murderers is obvious early on, it hardly matters. It's just fun watching Moto get to the answer. Lorre is as good as billed and he has a cast of familiar faces backing him up. Fans will recognize Harold Huber, Leon Ames, and Erik Rhodes from their numerous roles in other 30s "B" films. Each does a nice job of adding a bit of fun to the film.

7/10

Crime Boss (1972)

- I familiari delle vittime non saranno avvertiti
An average Italian crime film, 9 August 2006

Antonio Mancuso (Antonio Sabato) is a small time hood with dreams of moving up in the family. His ambitions lead him to do a job for one of the big bosses in Italy, Don Vincenzo (Telly Savalas). The two strike up a friendship that quickly turns into something of a father/son relationship. They love each other like a father and son would. But when Don Vincenzo begins to show a weakness, Mancuso gathers those loyal to him for a bloody showdown with Don Vincenzo.

While not the action overload that many of the Italian cop/crime films tend to be, there was enough going on to keep me interested throughout most of the movie. And while the violence isn't as over-the-top and bloody as some other Polizia I've seen, there are several set-pieces in Crime Boss that feature some well choreographed shoot outs. The final showdown between Mancuso and Don Vincenzo is exciting and heartbreaking at the same time. Finally, a big plus for Crime Boss is Telly Savalas. The guy was just so cool that it's impossible for me not to enjoy his performance here.

The biggest problem I have with Crime Boss is with the lead, Antonio Sabato. He's okay, but it's really hard to get excited about the man and care for his character the way you should. He lacks the charisma or the presence or that certain something that the really good Italian action/crime stars had. I'll quite beating around the bush and just say it – he's dull. Sabato can't hold a candle to the likes of Fabio Testi, Tomas Milian, or Franco Nero.

6/10

Attack (1956)

"I'll come back and take this grenade and shove it down your throat and pull the pin!", 9 August 2006

What an amazing movie! I honestly had no idea what to expect going into Attack. With a name like that, I expected wall-to-wall combat action (albeit Hollywood style combat action). What I wasn't expecting was a deep, meaningful morality play with some of the best acting I've seen in a while. That's not to say there aren't action sequences in Attack, but they are not the focus. The action set-pieces merely exist to set up the drama. And what drama it is! Attack features a well-written, intelligent script, interesting characters, and a little insight into the effects of war.

Jack Palance is quite simply brilliant as Lt. Joe Costa, the battle hardened soldier who's seen more than his share of combat. He's protective of the men he commands and, in return, they respect him for that. I don't think I've ever seen Palance in a more convincing, believable role. Lt. Costa is the very image of the American G.I. in WWII. Eddie Albert is surprisingly just as good as Palance as the weak Capt. Erskine Cooney. He epitomizes everything that Lt. Costa hates. He's indecisive, puts his men into harms way, and worst of all, he's yellow. Albert's plays Capt. Cooney as a man one step away from a nervous breakdown. The entire supporting cast is excellent with standout performances from the entire cast.

I may not have known much about Attack going in, but it's a new favorite I look forward to revisiting from time-to-time.

8/10

The Curious Dr. Humpp (1969)

- La venganza del sexo
"Sex dominates the world! And now, I dominate sex!", 6 August 2006

Curious? Yes. And weird, odd, bizarre, and maybe even a little eclectic. It certainly is one strange movie. The Curious Dr. Humpp has one of the craziest plots I've seen. Dr. Humpp is working on an experiment to increase the libido of women to basically turn them into braindead nymphomaniacs. With the assistance of his lumbering army of monsters, he kidnaps men and women and forces them to have sex. He extracts some sort of fluid from the bodies of his test subjects at the moment of climax that he uses to keep from turning into a monster himself. Other than the fact that Dr. Humpp has a brain in a jar in his laboratory that talks to him and directs his actions, that's about it.

The Curious Dr. Humpp isn't what I would call a "good" movie on any level. Much of the movie is so inept that it fits nicely beside the better known works of a director like Ed Wood. Director Emilio Vieyra seems to have gone to the Jess Franco school of movie-making with the out of focus shots, unnecessary camera zooms, and filming random objects that have no bearing on the plot. The biggest flaw in The Curious Dr. Humpp are the numerous and incredibly dull sex scenes. I've read that these scenes were inserted after the initial production – and it shows. These scenes destroy whatever flow or pacing the movie might have had.

Even with its numerous weaknesses, The Curious Dr. Humpp is a movie that will appeal to those looking for something a little different and off the beaten path. It may not be "good" in the traditional sense, but there's no arguing that it is fascinating. You don't often run across a movie like this everyday.

5/10

Ants (1977) (TV)

- It Happened at Lakewood Manor
Why is Myrna Loy in this movie?, 4 August 2006

Is there a book titled "How to Make a Movie with Every 'Man vs. Nature' Cliché Imaginable"? If not, Ants would make excellent source material for the chapter on killer insects. Ants doesn't have one shred of originality to be found at any point of its 100 minute runtime. I suppose the most surprising thing about Ants is that they actually stretched the film to 100 minutes. The set-up, the characters, the various sub-plots, the death scenes, and the way the ants are presented have been done before any number of times – and in most cases, much better. It's amazing that so many of these Insects on a Rampage films were made in the 70s because they're all basically the same movie.

And can someone please tell me what in God's name Myrna Loy is doing in this monkey-turd of a movie? A woman as talented and classy as Loy deserved better than Ants as one of her final movies.

2/10

Castle Keep (1969)

"You find me degenerate - or worse even, French.", 4 August 2006

Until last night, I hadn't seen Castle Keep in a couple of decades. To be honest, I had completely forgotten how much I detest this movie. To sum-up my feelings as succinctly as possible, Castle Keep is too arty, too surreal, and too weird for its own good. Not once does director Sydney Pollock tell the story in Castle Keep in a straightforward manner. Instead it's all so dreamlike that it's difficult to tell if any of it is real or not. Paintings come to life. Cars float on water. Nazis play flutes while on patrol. What's a dream? What's reality? I'm not sure I can distinguish the two in Castle Keep. No doubt someone will tell me I'm missing a deeper meaning to the film, but I'm not sure I want to know what it is.

To top it off, the movie is so dull that I could have cared less what was happening to the characters. The first two-thirds of the movie are torture to sit through. By the time the big battle scene took place, I had lost all interest. So much for a big finale.

3/10

Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937)

Comfortable and always welcome, 1 August 2006

When I arrived home from work today, I found the Mr. Moto Collection waiting on me. I decided to watch the movies in order and start with the first in the series, Think Fast, Mr. Moto. It's the story of a diamond smuggling ring operating aboard a luxury liner between China and the U.S. The mysterious and ever present Mr. Moto is on hand to put a stop to the illegal activity. Think Fast, Mr. Moto is the kind of movie that's best enjoyed curled up on the couch late at night when you want to put your brain on hold and just be entertained. It's like that favorite old, ratty shirt – comfortable and always welcome. The plot in Think Fast, Mr. Moto may not make much sense (even after everything has been explained) but it's a lot fun. The film would hardly be as good without Peter Lorre in the title role. Unlike most everything I've see him in, Lorre gets the chance to be the hero here and is excellent in the role. The final cat and mouse game between Lorre and the always entertaining Sig Ruman is the highlight of the film (although I must admit that it's difficult to watch Ruman and not want to laugh as images of the Marx Brothers pulling off his toupee went through my head).

I can't wait to watch the other three films in the collection.

8/10