Flight to Nowhere (1946)

What’s Evelyn doing in this dog?, 7 September 2018

A charter pilot gets mixed up with some stolen nuclear secrets and a few baddies that want to get there hands on these secrets.  The pilot and the bad guys play a game of “hot potato” with the prized envelope as it’s passed (or stolen) from one person to the next - over and over.  It’s all handled in the most excruciatingly dull manner imaginable. Seriously, I could barely hold my eyes open. And for a movie that runs at something like 75 minutes, that’s not a good sign.  

Beyond the wretched screenplay, I could go on and on with the problems I had with Flight to Nowhere.  The laundry list would go something like this: It’s cheap with poor lighting and even worse cinematography.  Everything looks horrible. Even the music feels cheap. The sets are bargain basement and some of the acting is laughably bad.  I know this wasn’t a big budget, “A” film, but I’ve seen a lot of “B” movies that looked a million times better than this. Overall, a 3/10 for Flight to Nowhere is being generous.  

One final thought - how many hits to the head can one man take?  Our pilot hero should be suffering from a horrible case of post-concussion syndrome.  There’s no way I would trust him in the air with the repeated head trauma he suffers in this movie.  

3/10

Bandolero! (1968)

“Why do you ride with men like these?”, 24 July 2018

The hangman is summoned to take care of a band of bank robbers lead by Dee Bishop (Dean Martin).  But the real hangman never makes it. Instead, Dee’s brother Mace (James Stewart) takes his place.  Just as the robbers are about to have their necks snapped, Dee uses Mace’s gun to make a daring escape.  With a posse hot on their heels, the gang heads for Mexico. Along the way, they pick up a hostage, Maria Stoner (Raquel Welch).  Maria just happens to be the widow of one of the men killed in the bank holdup. They’ve got a good lead on the dogged sheriff, but once they enter Mexico, they’re in bandolero country.  They’ll have to elude,not only the sheriff, but the local bandits if they’re to escape.

As is obvious from the rating I’ve given Bandolero!, I enjoy this movie.  It’s not perfect - far from it in fact - but it’s got a lot going for it that really works on me.  First, the opening 45 minutes with the robbery, hanging, and escape moves at a really nice pace. It’s a nice way to get things kicked off.  

Second, the acting is stellar and a real key to my overall enjoyment.  Stewart gives a surprisingly touching performance that I wasn’t expecting in a movie like Bandolero!  Martin plays it straight and comes off looking like a real actor. Welch isn’t great, but goes a long way to redeeming herself in the film’s finale.  The supporting cast is top notch with Will Geer, Denver Pyle, Andrew Prine, Guy Raymond, and George Kennedy. Kennedy, in particular, is worth mentioning.  He plays against type and imbibes his Sheriff July Johnson with unexpected vulnerability.

Third, i got a real kick out of Jerry Goldsmith’s score.  Seemingly inappropriate at times, it reminded me a bit of something you’d hear from Morricone in an Italian Western - not an American made Western.  

There are other touches here and there, like some really impressive scenery, but I won’t go into detail.  The biggest complaint i have is with the plotting and pacing after the initial escape. Once in Mexico, the film settles into a predictable pattern - ride, camp, attempted rape, Dean Martin saves the day - repeat.  Still, the overall film is entertaining enough for me to rate a 7/10.

7/10

The Case of the Curious Bride (1935)

"Better look in the coffin, Wilbur. We'll finish our coffee at the morgue.", 23 July 2018

There are a lot of different film genres I enjoy, but one I’ve enjoyed as long as I can remember (at least 45 years) is 30s/40s-era detective/murder mysteries.  For reasons I can’t explain, the early Perry Mason movies have, until the other night, remained unknown to me. I love the Thin Man, Falcon, and the Saint - Perry Mason ticks all the same boxes.  Mix a decent little murder mystery with a bit of nice comedy, snappy dialogue, an appealing cast, and a well-shot, nice looking film and you’ll end up with film that will most likely work on me. The Case of the Curious Bride may not be the best of the bunch, but it is a whole lot of fun.

The plot involves a worried woman named Rhoda.  She tracks down Perry with a story of “friend” who has recently remarried, but is worried her first husband may not be dead after all.  What should the “friend” do? It doesn’t take a detective to see that Rhoda’s in trouble. Perry agrees to help, but before he can do much, Rhoda’s first husband turns up dead - for real this time.  With Rhoda the chief suspect and Perry’s reputation on the line, he’s got to find the real killer.

The Case of the Curious Bride has a couple things going for it.  First, Warren William’s Perry Mason is a joy to watch. Similar to Nick Charles, Mason is a worldly sort - capable of everything from cooking a gourmet meal to solving a murder to just about everything in between.  And he does all with style and grace. His barbs, directed at the police or whoever gets in his way, and his overall wit are real treat. He’s quite a character.

The second is Director Michael Curtiz.  His direction, even in a relatively “small” picture like The Case of the Curious Bride, is spot-on.  The direction is snappy, without a single wasted scene. Curtiz deftly gives the film a light, airy feel that works.  The mix of comedy, mystery, and action is handled expertly. He was a real underrated professional.

Overall, a real treat that I easily rate a 7/10.  

7/10

The 50 Best Horror Movies You've Never Seen (2014)

A stroll down horror's memory lane, 19 July 2018

I'll get to the contents of the film's list in a second, but overall, I enjoyed this stroll down horror's memory lane. For me, I've seen the vast majority of these movies. And those I haven't, for one reason or another, I have no desire. The doc moves at a nice pace and the "experts", fans, and insiders are interesting enough. There's not much to complain regarding the film's presentation. I suppose that if I had to pick one negative with the way things are presented it would be with some of P J Soles commentary. It's a bit groan-inducing in spots. 

It's difficult to put together one of these lists and make everyone happy. What you call a hidden gem, I might have seen a dozen times. Or something you love, I might find retched. So, here are a few of my arguments and agreements with the list of 50 movies presented:

- I'll start with a few of the films I completely agree with. These are films that would easily appear on a similar list if I put one together: When a Stranger Calls, Motel Hell, April Fools Day, Lemora (shocked to see it here), Exorcist III (very underrated), Alice Sweet Alice, Repulsion, Audition (probably my top ranked movie on the entire list), The Descent, and Night of the Hunter (even though I'm not sure it's really horror).

- A few movies I would never put on this list: Valentine (hated it!), The Brides of Dracula (it's good, but there are better, equally obscure Hammer films I would include), Halloween III (who doesn't know about this movie), Tourist Trap (fun enough, but not as good as this doc would have you believe), and Food of the Gods (really?).

I'll end this with a list of 20 films I would add to the titular 50. It's a non-US heavy list, but I've tried to stay away from the better known movies from the likes of Bava, Argento, or Fulci. In no real order:

1. The House with Laughing Windows
2. Eyes Without a Face
3. The Island of Lost Souls
4. Mad Love
5. Le Boucher
6. Onibaba
7. The Curse of the Crying Woman
8. The Plague of the Zombies
9. Spoorloos
10. Alucarda
11. The Black Pit of Dr. M
12. Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter
13. Mill of the Stone Women
14. Shock Waves
15. The Queen of Spades
16. The Ninth Gate
17. Mark of the Devil
18. Race with the Devil
19. A Tale of Two Sisters
20. Scream of Fear

6/10

Inner Sanctum (1948)

"Any more news about the gal who had her heart manicured?", 18 July 2018

Harold Dunlap (Charles Russell) commits a murder on what he believes to be a deserted train platform.  However, the platform isn’t as empty as it seems. The witness is a young boy named Mike (Dale Belding) who, at first, isn’t quite sure what he’s seen.  Over time, however, Mike understands he’s seen a murder. With Dunlap closing in, can he escape in time and notify the authorities before he becomes the next victim.

Inner Sanctum will never make it on a “Best of Film Noir” list, but it’s a decent little film that I found entertaining.  Dunlap (Charles Russell), is a ruthless character, capable of just about anything - even murdering a child. Hiding in plain sight in the same boarding house where Mike lives is a nice touch that leads to some interesting situations.  Dunlap makes several attempts to get rid of young Mike - like suggesting he go out at night to see the flooded river. The fact that Dunlap and Mike share a room only adds to the tension. The framing device used to tell the story is also a nice touch.  At first I thought having a psychic telling Dunlap’s story to a stranger was odd and misplaced, but it all makes sense in the end. At 62 minutes, Lew Landers’ direction is snappy with, other than one notable exception - the beer can scene, no wasted minutes.  The film moves at a nice pace. The films’ technical aspects (lighting, cinematography, set design, etc.) are all more than adequate - falling somewhere between that of a big studio production on one end and a Poverty Row production on the other.

While I could probably list a number of things about the Inner Sanctum that bothered me (like the annoying Dale Belding or the misplaced comedy for example), I suppose my chief complaint would be the lack of any real character development.  We know Dunlap is a murderer and a killer, but we have not idea why or what motivates him. He’s just a murderer - nothing more. He’s not a fully fleshed-out, three dimensional person. Another example, when another boarding house tenant, Jean Maxwell (Mary Beth Hughes), falls for Dunlap, there’s really no reason for it to happen.  She falls for Dunlap because she’s expected to fall for Dunlap. While the runtime might have made for a quick moving film, it hurts the overall movie by cutting out the time that might have been devoted to better understanding the characters and their motivations.

In the end, the good outweighs the bad and I can easily rate Inner Sanctum a 6/10.

6/10

Mission to Venice (1964)

A muddled plot, 16 July 2018

A man named Michael Newman (Sean Flynn) is hired by a woman to find her missing husband.  The trail leads to Venice where Newman encounters a group of baddies intent on keeping the man’s whereabouts a secret.  The thugs will do anything, even commit murder, to get what they want.

If my little plot summary sounds vague, it’s because most of the plot of Mission to Venice is incredibly muddled.  I went back and rewatched a couple of scenes to see if I missed something, but no, the details just aren’t there. Still, it’s not an unwatchable example of an early Eurospy film with some decent fight sequences, spy shenanigans, and interesting locations.  A bit “stagey” at times and lacking in real action, but overall, not the worst viewing experience I’ve ever had. I’m sure I would have enjoyed it more had the transfer I watched been better quality. At times, it was a bit like watching a movie through a haze of milk.

I suppose that one of the more interesting things about Mission to Venice is the lead played by Sean Flynn.  Flynn was the son of legendary actor Errol Flynn. He made only a handful of films - most European productions.  Flynn might not have set the world on fire with his acting, but I found him engaging enough. Flynn’s main co-star, Karin Baal, was a real revelation.  I look forward to discovering more of her work.

Finally, I need to mention the score.  Mission to Venice has a catchy, loungey, jazzy score that really works to set the movie’s tone. It’s easily one of the best aspects of the entire film.

4/10

Crimson Peak (2015)

"Ghosts are real, this much I know", 12 July 2018

I hate skipping plot summaries when I write one of these, but I think it’s probably best when discussing Crimson Peak.  The plot here isn’t all that important. Crimson Peak is one of those “style over substance” movies. The plot takes a backseat to the cinematography, lighting, costumes, sets, special effects, and just about anything else you can list that makes a movie look good.  And what plot there is in Crimson Peak is so filled with holes, I fear that dwelling on it will only make me like the movie less. I’ll just say that the plot left me with more questions than it answered.

If films are art, Crimson Peak belongs next to the Mona Lisa.  It is one of the most stunning pieces of film I’ve ever seen. Every frame looks like a painting.  I’m not sure I’ve seen a film this beautiful since I watched House of Flying Daggers over ten years ago.  The colors, the shadows, the lights - gorgeous. My absolute favorite image (and I’m not alone based on what I’ve read across the internet) is the ceiling-less grand hall in the rotting great house.  It’s amazing. Another element that really helps the images come alive is the atmosphere. I may not care for Guillermo del Toro’s plot, but there’s not denying his skill as a director. He mastfully fills the film with atmosphere so thick, you could cut it with a knife.  Combine the atmosphere with the visuals and you end up with a movie I’m going to enjoy on some level despite its other flaws.

The acting in Crimson Peak is hit or miss.  Normally, I feel that Tom Hiddleston outshines his co-stars,  Here, however, he’s completely over-shadowed by Jessica Chastain.  She acts circles around everyone else in the film. Her role is the smallest of the three main characters, but she dominates everything - even the scenes she’s not in.  

Overall, if you’re a fan of gothic romance/horror/mystery (although the horror elements don’t come to much and the solution to the mystery is all too obvious) you owe it to yourself to check out his gorgeous film.

6/10