Plot twists around every turn, 11 February 2017
The House of the Yellow Carpet is one of those movies where the less you know about, the more you're likely to enjoy it. With this movie, too much plot detail would be a bad thing. I'll just say that a young couple, Franca and Antonio, have a carpet (yellow of course) they'd like to sale. It was a present from Franca's stepfather, but it doesn't work in their small flat. While Antonio is away, Franca answers the door to an old man with an interest in buying the carpet. But is the carpet really all he came for? Anymore detail would seriously be too much.
The House of the Yellow Carpet is s small, often claustrophobic, thriller/giallo with only four speaking parts. It's filled with more tension and suspense than many better known movies. I'd compare the feeling to something like Wait Until Dark. It's a little slow to get going, but once it does, it's edge of the seat type stuff. The acting is beyond first rate. Erland Josephson as the old man and Béatrice Romand as Franca give some of the best performances I've seen in a while. Just brilliant. And I can't say enough about director Carlo Lizzani. Every twist and turn in the script works flawlessly. This is a fantastic movie that deserves a much wider audience.
9/10
Not what I was hoping for, 11 February 2017
I'm going to be real lazy here and just copy the plot summary from IMDb - "Cuba, 1850. On a sugar-cane plantation, the master and his wife are happy : they're expecting a child, their slaves are quiet. But tonight, as the full moon rises, the sound of the drums are in the air. Yambao, the grand-daughter of a sorceress killed 15 years ago, has come back.. With her grand-mother's spirit." Much better and more succinct that I could ever have put it.
Overall, I'll call Yambao a disappointment. From what little I'd read in the past about the movie, it is neither as good or as scandalous as I'd been led to believe. I'd call it a fairly lame, predictable melodrama with way too much dancing, drumming, and chanting. Star Ninón Sevilla is the one bright spot. I'm not familiar with her other work, but here, she really gives it her all. Sevilla shines in every scene. She's a naturally sensuous woman and conveys that sensuality in her every move. The script here, however, lets her down. Co-star Ramon Gay is too bland to give her much to work with. A real disappointment.
4/10
"Liquor and science don't mix well, apparently.", 11 February 2017
Dr. Gilbert McKenna (Robert Clarke) is a research scientist who is accidentally exposed to a new type of radiation. At first, he seems to be doing remarkably well. However, once in direct sunlight, Gil's body begins to change. He goes through a devolution process and turns into some sort of out-of-control, lizard-type creature.
"Hideous" is the right word to describe Gil's transformation. The special effect suit is about as good as I've seen in a 1950s era sci-fi/horror film. I'd rate it right up there with the suit from Creature from the Black Lagoon. It's really nicely done. The acting is hit or miss. Clarke does a good job playing the tortured victim. I also enjoyed Nan Peterson as Trudy Osborne - not because she's a particularly great actress, but she channel's Marilyn Monroe quit well. Some of the performances, however, are laughable. I'm thinking of the dude who played the gangster - I think it was Peter Similuk. Just awful.
The problem with The Hideous Sun Demon and the thing that keeps me from rating it higher is there's really not much plot here. The movie is full of padding. The runtime is only 74 minutes, but I'd bet at least 20 of those minutes felt like filler. For example, I think there are more scenes of people driving around California than there are scenes devoted to the titular Sun Demon.
5/10
How'd they get that cast?, 10 February 2017
The plot in Icebreaker is such a mess that it doesn't merit much discussion. A group of terrorists descend on a Vermont ski resort looking for a downed plane carrying a nuclear device. In the end, however, the nuclear device is all but an afterthought as the head baddie sets his sights on the lesser goal of blowing up a ski gondola with one person on board. Ski patrol member Matt is on the case to stop the terrorists and save his fiancé (who is quite naturally the person on the gondola).
How in the name of all that is Holy did the makers of Icebreakers get a cast that includes Sean Astin, Stacy Keach, and Bruce Campbell? Were these guys that hard-up for work? Do they enjoy skiing so much that a free weekend on the slopes of Killington was enough to entice them? Did the producers have compromising photos? I just don't get it. Astin may be a good actor, but he's not my image of an action hero. When I think of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, and Rob Van Dam – Sean Astin is not the next name that comes to mind. Stacy Keach phones in his performance from the State line. It's obvious he has no interest in Icebreakers. As for Campbell, as much as I love him, not even he can save this thing. Bruce's charm, so evident in the Evil Dead Series or Brisco County or even Burn Notice, is not here. Like Keach, he doesn't look overly interested in the project.
But the acting's not the problem – it's the muddled plot. I watched the whole thing and still have no idea what was motivating the terrorists. They want the nuclear device simply because that's what a terrorist would do. The take-over of the ski resort seemed so unnecessary. Their plan had not gone so off-track that they still couldn't have secretly gotten their weapon and disappeared. Why bring so much attention to their activities? The answer – it's in the script. The whole thing this is a complete mess. Character motivation in Icebreakers makes absolutely no sense.
I'll give Icebreakers a generous 3/10.
3/10
A real treat, 10 February 2017
I may or may not have seen Secrets of Pirates' Inn when it originally aired back in 1969 – I can't remember. My family watched the Disney show on Sunday nights (at least I remember it being Sunday night), so the chances that I saw it in 1969 are fairly high. However, even if I didn't, that doesn't affect the sense of nostalgia that filled me as I watched Secrets of Pirates' Inn a couple of days ago. It really took me back to my childhood – a time when kids played outside until dark, we looked for adventure in the wooded areas around the house, and dreamed of a mystery like the one the kids in this movie experienced. My friends and I would have jumped at the chance to go on a real treasure hunt, searching for pirate gold!
Getting back to the movie, Secrets of Pirates' Inn plays something like a toned-down version of The Goonies. Three average kids meet a sea captain who has inherited an old pirate haunt that may hide treasure. The kids agree to help the old man search for the gold. But someone else in town is also looking for the treasure. Can the kids help solve the clues, navigate the secret passages, and uncover the treasure first?
It's all great fun in that innocent sort of 60s Disney way. There's danger, but you know it's nothing that will cause any real harm to anyone. There's some drama and tension, but you know that in the end it will all be resolved in our heroes favor. The bad guys aren't all that bad and are easily apprehended. And the treasure is easy enough to find that you wonder why it wasn't found years ago. But, like I said, it's all fun.
I want to give a special mention to Ed Begley as Irish sea captain Dennis McCarthy. What a great and genuine performance!
7/10
One of the best and most fun episodes I've seen so far, 10 February 2017
In Haiti, Sharron begins an investigation of a Nemesis scientist who, according to the local coroner, died of fright. Sharron soon finds herself knee-deep in voodoo and calls Tremayne for help. When Richard and Craig arrive, they discover Sharron in a zombie-like state and at the mercy of a voodoo cult.
Shadow of the Panther is one of the best and most fun episodes I've seen so far of The Champions. There's a lot here to like – an interesting plot with a couple twists, more Sharron than usual, voodoo, Donald Sutherland in a supporting role, and the able direction of Freddie Francis. I admit that a couple plot twists really worked on me. Until he unmasks, I had no idea who the cult leader was. Likewise, I thought the mystery of whether or not Sharron was really under the control of the voodoo cult was nicely done. Either I wasn't paying attention or the suspense was handled expertly. The voodoo/zombie hokum was also enjoyable. I've always liked this type of living zombie. Finally, in addition to Donald Sutherland, the supporting cast includes Zia Mohyeddin. The man plays the slimy, but knowing hotel manager flawlessly. Overall, a very good episode that I'm rating a 9/10.
A few new powers we learn of during the episode (without giving too much away) include: immunity to certain gases, the ability to predict a roulette wheel spin, and hitting a hole-in-one on a golf course.
9/10
The end could have been better, 8 February 2017
Richard is knocked on the head and kidnapped. He wakes wearing pajamas in a plush bedroom with a beautiful woman named Samantha. It seems that Richard's kidnapper is aware of his cyphering ability and wants Richard to decode a secret formula. If he doesn't, Samantha will be killed. All the while, Craig is searching for Richard.
Up to a point, The Gilded Cage is an excellent episode. There's a real sense of mystery to what's behind Richard's kidnapping. Although light on action, the drama and suspense work well. The relationships between characters is also interesting – both Samantha and Richard's relationship and Samantha and Symons' relationship. Does Richard care enough to save Samantha? Will Symons follow through and kill Samantha? Will Samantha turn on Symons? Good stuff. Also, the supporting cast in The Gilded Cage is strong. John Carson as Symons and Jennie Linden as Samantha are as good as you'll find in series. Very nice performances.
But, as I wrote, the episode is excellent only up to a point. There are two things about The Gilded Cage that I didn't care for that keep my rating from being any higher. First, and admittedly a small thing, there is no Sharron. Episodes with all three of members of the team are usually better. Second, and more importantly, as the other reviewer on IMDb wrote, the ending is weak. Craig just sort of shows up and everything ends. There is no gun play, no fighting, no chase – it just ends. Too bad because this one could have been a real winner.
6/10
