HK and Cult Film News's Fan Box

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

2 Arctic Bloopers From "The Thing From Another World" (1951) (video)




Before Kenneth Tobey and his men are menaced by the Thing...

...they find its crashed flying saucer submerged in the ice.

There's the saucer's fin.

And there's the...truck?

Later, they set off a thermite bomb to thaw the ice.

An upward camera pan reveals what appears to be...

...the top edge of the painted backdrop. (Although some dispute this.)


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Tuesday, October 30, 2018

John Wayne's Coolest Scenes #8: Just Lead, "Chisum" (1970) (video)




John Wayne plays cattleman John Chisum...

...in this tale of the Lincoln County Wars.

In this scene, he and Ben Johnson trade hot lead with some rustlers.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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The Original "SUSPIRIA" and More Giallo Cult Horror Classics Are Available on Freemium OTT Streamer MIDNIGHT PULP!



THIS HALLOWEEN, OTT CHANNEL 

"MIDNIGHT PULP"

SERVES UP DARIO ARGENTO'S "DEEPLY TERRIFYING" ORIGINAL SUSPIRIA AND A COVEN'S WORTH OF ITALIAN HORROR CULT CLASSICS

Giallo Films Include Argento's Phenomena, Mario Bava's Black Sunday, Luciano Onetti's Francesca and the 2013 Giallo Homage, Sonno Profondo, and More!


               Streaming all things strange | Midnight Pulp

New York, NY (October 30, 2018) - Luca Guagadnino's remake of the 1977 Dario Argento cult classic Suspiria just set a 2018 box office record for best opening per theater before it goes wide this coming weekend. The update, which stars Tilda Swinton, Dakota Johnson, Mia Goth and Chloë Moretz, is set at a prestigious dance academy, and, as in the original, involves grisly murders and the supernatural.  But for genre fans interested in screening Argento's version "considered by many to be one of the all-time best horror films,[1]" the OTT platform MIDNIGHT PULP has horror fans covered - for FREE.

Offering an expertly-curated selection of horror, thriller and cult programming, MIDNIGHT PULP is one of the few streaming outlets online offering the original SUSPIRIA, guaranteed to put an extra chill into this spooky season. In addition to this supernatural classic, MIDNIGHT PULP also offers a coven's worth of Italian horror classics in the GIALLO collection, featuring the best of the Italian horror genre from notable directors like Argento, Mario Bava and Luciano Onetti, and viewers can choose to view on a no-charge freemium model or with an ad-free premium subscription starting at $4.99.


GIALLO Collection titles now available on MIDNIGHT PULP include:

SUSPIRIA (1977, Director Dario Argento) -- A newcomer to a fancy ballet academy gradually comes to realize that the school is a front for something far more sinister and supernatural amidst a series of grisly murders. Starring Barbara Magnolfi, Flavio Bucci, Jessica Harper, Miguel Bosé and Stefania Casini. (97 minutes)

BLACK SUNDAY (1960, Director Mario Bava) -- A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's beautiful look-alike descendant. Only the girl's brother and a handsome doctor stand in her way.  Starring Andrea Checchi, Arturo Dominici, Barbara Steele, Ivo Garrani, John Richardson and Mario Passante. (88 minutes)

FRANCESCA (2015, Director Luciano Onetti) -- Two detectives must hunt down a maniac bent on cleansing his city of impure souls. At the same time, a young girl who'd disappeared 15 years ago mysteriously resurfaces. Could these two events be connected?  Gustavo Dalessanro, Luis Emilio Rodrigues, Raul Gederlini and Silvina Grippaldi star. (80 minutes)

MADHOUSE (1981, Director Ovidio Assonitis) -- Julia has spent her entire adult life trying to forget the torment she suffered at the hands of her twisted twin Mary... but Mary hasn't forgotten. Escaping hospital, where she's recently been admitted with a horrific, disfiguring illness, Julia's sadistic sister vows to exact a particularly cruel revenge on her sibling this year - promising a birthday surprise that she'll never forget. Starring Dennis Robertson, Michael MacRae and Trish Everly.  (93 minutes)

PHENOMENA (1985, Director Dario Argento) -- A young girl, with an amazing ability to communicate with insects, is transferred to an exclusive Swiss boarding school, where her unusual capability might help solve a string of murders.  Daria Nicolodi, Donald Pleasence, Federica Mastroianni, Fiore Argento and Jennifer Connelly. (116 minutes)

SONNO PROFONDO (2013, Director Luciano Onetti) -- A stylish, lush, and lurid film from Argentina, Sonno Profondo faithfully recreates the style of Italian horror films of the 70s. After murdering a woman, a killer that is traumatized from his childhood memories gets a mysterious envelope slipped under his door. The hunter becomes the prey when he finds out that the envelope contains photos that show him killing the young woman. Starring Daiana Garcia, Luciano Onetti and Silvia Duhalde. (67 minutes)

THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE (1971, Directed by Emilio Miraglia) - A decadent English lord thinks his second wife is his first wife back from the dead.  Anthony Steffen, Enzo Tarascio and Marina Malfatti star. (101 minutes)

Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key (1972, Directed by Sergio Martino)-- As a string of violent murders plagues the town, a lecherous writer, Oliviero, is visited by his young, beautiful, and self-confident niece, Floriana. A silver-haired stranger observes. More women die, and thoughts of harming his wife give Oliviero new inspiration. What's Floriana's game and who's the observant stranger? Watching all is a black cat named Satan. Starring Anita Strindberg, Daniela Giordano, Edwidge Fenech, Ivan Rassimov and Luigi Pistilli. (97 minutes).

Midnight Pulp is available on the web, iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, Samsung Smart TV and additional platforms, and features thousands of streaming titles, with new titles programmed each week.   Registered users can watch videos for free with commercials while premium subscribers can access the entire selection of titles without commercials, in addition to early releases, director's cuts and exclusive content.


 About Digital Media Rights

Based in New York, Digital Media Rights (DMR) is a privately-held digital media and advertising company founded in 2010 by industry veterans Michael Hong and David Chu. As a pioneer in digital distribution, they've helped to transform the industry while evolving to specialize in three distinct areas: Digital Distribution, the DMR Advertising Network and OTT Digital Networks.

DMR is one of the largest content aggregators and distributors in the world with a catalog containing over 7,500 premium titles from 250+ partners across leading television networks, studios, producers and sales agents. Their broad distribution footprint includes direct distribution deals with many leading platforms including Amazon Instant Video, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, Cable VOD, iTunes, Google Play, FandangoNow, Hoopla, Kanopy, Vudu, and many others.

The DMR Advertising Network provides video and display ads via direct sales and programmatic channels across Connected TV, desktop, and mobile. Connecting brands and media buying agencies to relevant audiences across its premium publishers, DMR handles over 500 million ad requests per month globally across all screens, while optimizing ad revenue through its direct relationships with brands, advertising agencies, networks, DSPs, SSPs, and other demand partners.

DMR is also an OTT channel publisher and developer with a suite of five owned and operated over-the-top (OTT) channels that have become leading destinations for their respective genres: AsianCrush (pan-Asian), Midnight Pulp (horror/thriller), Yuyu (general entertainment), Cocoro (kids/family) and KMTV (K-Pop). DMR's OTT channels are available across multiple platforms and devices such as web, iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and many leading Smart TVs.

Visit www.digitalmediarights.com for more information. 

[1] Bustle.com


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Monday, October 29, 2018

Academy Award® Winner Mel Gibson, Charlie Hunman, and Eiza Gonzalez Attached to Star in Tim Kirkby's Thriller "Waldo"




ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER MEL GIBSON, CHARLIE HUNNAM AND EIZA GONZÁLEZ ATTACHED TO STAR IN TIM KIRKBY’S THRILLER ‘WALDO’
 

Based on Howard Gould’s novel Last Looks; IMR International will launch foreign sales at the AFM this week

LOS ANGELES (October 29, 2018) – Academy Award® winner Mel Gibson (Braveheart, Hacksaw Ridge), Charlie Hunnam (“Sons of Anarchy,” King Arthur: Legend of the Sword) and Eiza González (Baby Driver, upcoming Welcome to Marwen) are attached to star in Tim Kirkby’s (“Fleabag,” “Brockmire,” “Veep”) Waldo.

The action-packed thriller follows brilliant ex-detective gone rogue: Charlie Waldo, and is based on the novel Last Looks a razor-sharp, exquisitely paced, compelling thriller written by Howard Gould and published by Dutton. The sequel, Below the Line, is set to be released in Summer 2019. Andrew Lazar, Christina Weiss Lurie and Steve Shainberg will produce. IMR International is handling foreign sales, which will launch at the American Film Market (AFM) this week. CAA Media Finance is handling the US rights.

Waldo introduces a new and compelling hero in disgraced former LAPD detective Charlie Waldo, currently living the life of a minimalist in the woods. His quiet life comes to a startling halt when he is roped back into working as a private eye to investigate the murder of an eccentric television star’s wife. Filming is set to commence in Q1 of next year.

Gibson can next be seen in Dragged Across Concrete, which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival this year. Upcoming films include Farhad Safinia’s The Professor and the Madman and Boss Level directed by Joe Carnahan. He directed the lauded feature, Hacksaw Ridge starring Andrew Garfield, and is next set to direct WWII drama Destroyer.

For seven seasons, Hunnam starred as ‘Jax Teller’ in FX’s “Sons of Anarchy,” the highest rated drama in the network’s history. Since wrapping “Sons,” Hunnam starred in Guy Ritchie’s Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur; James Gray’s Lost City of Z; and Papillon for Michael Noer. He will next be seen in JC Chandor’s Triple Frontier, Justin Kurzel’s The True History of the Kelly Gang and Max Winkler’s Jungleland.

González is best known for her role alongside Ansel Elgort in Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, and can next be seen in Robert Zemeckis’ Welcome to Marwen, alongside Steve Carell, Robert Rodriguez’s Alita: Battle Angel, and Bloodshot alongside Vin Diesel.

Gibson is represented by CAA; Hunnam is represented by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners; and González is represented by CAA and Management 360.

IMR’s slate also includes: Justin Kurzel’s Ruin, starring Margot Robbie and Matthias Schoenaerts; What is Life Worth starring Michael Keaton; Olivier Assayas’ Wasp Network starring Penélope Cruz, Pedro Pascal, Gael García Bernal and Edgar Ramírez; and John Michael McDonough’s The Forgiven.



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From Palme d'or Winner Hirokazu Kore-Eda Comes "THE THIRD MURDER", a Gripping Legal Thriller on BD/DVD on 11/13




"Insistent, gripping." -- Manohla Dargis, The New York Times


"Hauntingly beautiful." -- Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal


"A crime drama like no other." -- Bilge Ebiri, The Village Voice


FROM THE DIRECTOR OF SHOPLIFTERS AND AFTER THE STORM, Palme d'Or winner Hirokazu Kore-Eda, COMES THIS gripping legal thriller, WINNER OF SIX JAPANESE ACADEMY AWARDS


THE THIRD MURDER


Street Date: November 13, 2018
DVD SRP: $24.95

Film Movement's DVD Release of the Acclaimed New York Times Critic's Pick Includes a "Making of" Featurette and "A Gentle Night"
Winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2017 for "Best Short Film"

WATCH THE OFFICIAL TRAILER


Following its critically-acclaimed 2018 theatrical release, Film Movement bringsKore-eda's THE THIRD MURDER to home audiences with a loaded DVD being released just prior to the theatrical release of Shoplifters, winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or winner at Cannes in 2018.

In this compelling, slow-burning thriller, high-powered attorney Shigemori (Masaharu Fukuyama) takes on the defense of murder-robbery suspect Misumi (Kōji Yakusho), though he does so with reluctance, knowing that the man already provided a full confession and had been previously convicted of murder thirty years earlier.

But as Shigemori digs deeper into the evidence and hears Misumi's own conflicting testimony, the once confident lawyer begins to doubt whether his client could be the murderer after all. A striking departure in genre and tone from Kore-eda's typical family-oriented dramas, THE THIRD MURDER is a gripping and morally complex crime procedural that incisively explores the meaning of truth and innocence.


BONUS FEATURES
Bonus Short Film - A Gentle Night(Directed by Qiu Yang | China | 15 minutes) In a nameless Chinese city, a mother with her daughter missing, refuses to go gentle into this good night. Winner of the "Best Short Film" Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival in 2017.
Making-of featurette
Message from the Cast

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Type: DVD
Running Time: 124 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen
Audio: 5.1 Surround Sound/Stereo 2.0
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles

About Film Movement
Founded in 2002 as one of the first-ever subscription film services with its DVD-of-the-Month club, Film Movement is now a North American distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films based in New York City. It has released more than 250 feature films and shorts culled from prestigious film festivals worldwide.  Film Movement's theatrical releases include American independent films, documentaries, and foreign art house titles. Its catalog includes titles by directors such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Maren Ade, Jessica Hausner, Andrei Konchalovsky, Andrzej Wajda, Diane Kurys, Ciro Guerra and Melanie Laurent. In 2015, Film Movement launched its reissue label Film Movement Classics, featuring new restorations released theatrically as well as on Blu-ray and DVD, including films by such noted directors as Eric Rohmer, Peter Greenaway, Bille August, Marleen Gorris, Takeshi Kitano, Arturo Ripstein, Sergio Corbucci and Ettore Scola. For more information, please visit www.filmmovement.com.


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"Halloween" (1978) Blooper: Palm Trees In Illinois (video)




"Halloween" takes place in Haddonfield, Illinois... 

...but was filmed in southern California.

The trees are noticeably green.
The film crew scattered dead leaves everywhere to simulate autumn.
The leaves were then swept up and reused for the next shot.

But perhaps the biggest clue that this is California and not Illinois...
...are the palm trees. 


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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Sunday, October 28, 2018

John Wayne's Coolest Scenes #7: Hold-Up, "The Shootist" (1976) (video)




Duke plays J.B. Books...

...an aging gunfighter with a terminal disease.

Books doesn't suffer fools.

So when one tries to hold him up, it's the fool who suffers. 


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Saturday, October 27, 2018

Magic Door Trick At The End Of "The Birds" (Hitchcock, 1963) (video)




Mitch and his mother help the traumatized Melanie to the front door.

The foyer is dark.  Mitch opens the door, illuminating the three figures.

Except...there's no door.

Rod Taylor mimes opening a door.  The lighting does the rest.

And that's the magic front door trick.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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Friday, October 26, 2018

Michael Keaton and Seth Rogen To Star In "KING OF THE JUNGLE", IMR International To Sell At AFM




SETH ROGEN AND MICHAEL KEATON TO STAR IN "KING OF THE JUNGLE"

IMR International to Introduce the True-Life Tale to Buyers at AFM


LOS ANGELES, CA (October 26, 2018) –– Seth Rogen (This is the End, The Disaster Artist) and Academy Award® nominee Michael Keaton (Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Spotlight) will star in King of the Jungle, a comedy to be directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (I Love You Phillip Morris) from a script by Golden Globe® and Emmy® Award winners Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski.

The film is based on a true story first published in Condé Nast’s Wired magazine by Joshua Davis. The film is from Condé Nast Entertainment, Zaftig Films, MadRiver Pictures and Endurance Media, who have come on board to co-finance, and Epic Entertainment.  IMR International will introduce King of the Jungle to foreign buyers at the AFM next week.  CAA Media Finance are representing the U.S. rights.

Based on the Wired magazine article “John McAfee’s Last Stand,” the film tells the wild true story of rogue tech magnate John McAfee (Keaton), creator of the McAfee Antivirus software, who cashed-in his fortune, left civilization, and moved to the jungle in Belize.  There, he set-up a Colonel Kurtz-like compound of guns, sex and madness.

In the film, Wired magazine investigator Ari Furman (Rogen) accepts what he thinks is a run-of-the-mill assignment to interview McAfee, but once he arrives in Belize, he finds himself pulled into McAfee’s escalating paranoia, slippery reality, and murder. 

The film will be produced by Jeremy Steckler of Condé Nast Entertainment, Zaftig’s Charlie Gogolak, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, MadRiver’s Marc Butan, Endurance’s Steve Richards, and Epic’s Joshua Davis.

The multi-hyphenate Rogen starred in and produced the critically acclaimed The Disaster Artist for A24 and Sausage Party for Columbia Pictures.  He is currently in post on the untitled Lionsgate comedy, starring alongside Charlize Theron, and best known for roles in This is the End, Steve Jobs, Superbad, Knocked Up, and Pineapple Express.  He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award® for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program for “Da Ali G Show.”

Keaton won a Golden Globe® and was nominated for an Academy Award® for his performance in Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), and starred in the Academy Award® winning Spotlight, directed by Tom McCarthy. He can next be seen in Tim Burton’s Dumbo for Disney which will release next year.

Rogen is represented by UTA and Principal Entertainment LA. Keaton is represented by ICM Partners and Ziffren Brittenham.

IMR’s slate also includes: Justin Kurzel’s Ruin, starring Margot Robbie and Matthias Schoenaerts; What is Life Worth starring Michael Keaton; Olivier Assayas’ Wasp Network starring Penélope Cruz, Pedro Pascal, Gael García Bernal and Edgar Ramírez; and John Michael McDonough’s The Forgiven.



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John Wayne's Coolest Scenes #6: First Gunfight, "Red River" (1948) (video)




Cattle man Tom Dunston (Duke) boldly stakes a claim in south Texas. 

His claim is challenged by two gunmen from a local Mexican land baron.

The dispute is settled with lead. 


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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Thursday, October 25, 2018

How "Halloween" (1978) Became a Horror Classic (VIDEO ESSAY)




Today marks the 40th anniversary of the day Halloween began to terrorize audiences.

Check out Fandor’s video essay on why this cultural phenomenon has managed to remain terrifying after 40 years.

In 1978, John Carpenter released Halloween, introducing the world to the silent and horrifying serial killer, Michael Myers. Carpenter’s film was a game-changer and kicked off a golden age of slasher horror, paving the way for classics like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street.


Obviously, Halloween is the go-to film for the titular holiday every year, but its legacy spans far beyond that. From the costumes, to the memes, to the film references, Halloween isn’t simply an old horror movie from the 1970s — it’s a cultural phenomenon.

It has endured a seemingly endless spew of critically panned sequels and reboots (save for David Gordon Green’s 2018 sequel) and has managed to remain terrifying after 40 years.

But why? This video essay chronicles the lasting legacy of Halloween, a film that has simply refused to die.



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Kubrick Uses George C. Scott's Accidental Pratfall In "Dr. Strangelove" (1964) (video)




Stanley Kubrick told George C. Scott to overplay his role in the warm-up rehearsals.

He then filmed those rehearsals and used the more exaggerated takes in the actual film.

Scott resented this...
...but it resulted in one great accidental pratfall...
...in which Scott never breaks character.

Thus creating one of the film's best moments.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Wednesday, October 24, 2018

FISHY STONES -- DVD Review by Porfle




Here's another of the South African apartheid-era films, made for black audiences, which are now being rescued from oblivion, restored, and released by IndiePix Films. 

As with the others I've recently seen, FISHY STONES (1990) is a low-budget affair that falls squarely into the category of films that I enjoy because they show filmmakers with severely limited resources doing their best to come up with something entertaining.

Here, it's director Tonie van der Merwe (UMBANGO, OPERATION HIT SQUAD) again, concocting a modest comedy/drama about two diamond thieves (Popo Gumede and Hector Mathanda of UMBANGO as "Robert" and "Makhosi") who must toss their bag of "fishy stones" out the window during a police chase in hopes of returning later to recover it. 


The diamonds are later discovered by David and Alex, two teenage boys on a camping trip.  When Robert and Makhosi escape from jail and return to find their diamonds missing, they descend upon the hapless young boys with threats and intimidation.  The rest of the film is a back-and-forth conflict between the two good guys and two bad guys with the missing diamonds in the balance.

Tonie van der Merwe's direction is passable and occasionally imaginative as it was in UMBANGO. The film even opens with a nifty car chase between the two diamond thieves and the local cops, with some well-rendered "poor man's process" shots.

The rest of the story takes place almost entirely in economical outdoor locations, mainly the forest where the two boys stumble across the bag of diamonds while camping out.


Diamond thieves Robert and Makhosi are, respectively, the handsome brains of the duo and its extremely low-I.Q. comic relief.  As Makhosi, the manic, gap-toothed Hector Mathanda (who also plays a mad bomber in GONE CRAZY) ably conveys a sort of sublime idiocy that helps turn most of their scenes together into amusing comedy routines even when they're at their most desperate.

While spying on David and Alex's camp, it's funny to listen to the two crooks argue about who's going to watch which boy (Makhosi claims that since he has smaller eyes, he can see the skinny boy better and thus Robert should keep watch on the fat one). 

They also fight over whose diamonds they are ("My diamonds! Mine!" the childish, intellectually-challenged Makhosi keeps insisting), finally turning on each other and wrestling for their only gun.


After the action of the first act, FISHY STONES settles into a leisurely pace that doesn't generate all that much suspense but does keep us interested in how things will eventually turn out. 

Some will find the long stretches of dialogue and meandering bits of business boring, with David and Alex lying around their camp hashing over what they're going to do with the diamonds (most likely they'll turn them in to the police) as Robert and Makhosi argue endlessly and get on each other's nerves while lurking in the bushes.

As for me, I managed to settle into FISHY STONES' modest groove and enjoy it as a likably low-key and ultimately harmless adventure that goes down easy. 


TECH SPECS

Actors: Popo Gumede, Hector Mathanda, Mandla Ngoya
Format: Color, NTSC
Language: Zulu w/ English Subtitles
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Rated: NR
Studio: Indiepix Films
Extras: Trailer



indiepix.com
gravelroadafrica.com
retroafrika.com



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John Wayne's Coolest Scenes #5: Axe Handle, "The Sons of Katie Elder" (1965) (video)




Curly (George Kennedy) strong-arms a mortician (John Doucette)…

...for information about John Elder (Wayne).

Duke returns unexpectedly, and...


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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Tuesday, October 23, 2018

GONE CRAZY -- DVD Review by Porfle




Talk about obscure--I couldn't find any info about GONE CRAZY online, it isn't on IMDb, and even the press release from IndiePix Films lists its year as "1980s." (Amazon says "1980" and the DVD cover says "1983.") 

The castmembers who actually appear on IMDb have no credit in their filmographies that resembles it.  That alone gives this enigmatic effort a bit of lost-film mystique which adds to its interest.

It's an interest this movie can use, being a rather dull and unremarkable affair.  What makes it noteworthy is that it's part of a roster of South African films made during apartheid and shown to black audiences, films which have succumbed to neglect over the years but are now being digitally restored and released to modern-day audiences as part of IndiePix Films' "Retro Afrika Collection."


The story begins when a disgruntled former city employee named Vusi firebombs the mayor's house, then breaks into a scientific facility and steals a new "super bomb" with which he plans to blow up the nearby dam where he used to work, and flood the town in retaliation for having lost his job. 

The mayor calls in the town's chief inspector while a lady scientist, Professor Gumbi, hires a private investigator.  The two end up working together to track down Vusi and find the bomb before it can destroy the town and its inhabitants.  Vusi, meanwhile, kidnaps Professor Gumbi and leaves her tied up atop the dam as the minutes tick down to detonation.

This is very basic stuff--blandly directed, languidly paced, and repetitive (the same exposition and plot points get rehashed over and over while the good guys try to decide their next move).  Most of it is filmed in cramped indoor sets until finally, in the third act, a terrific found location is used as the town's dam.


It's here, late in the film, that things finally pick up and the good guys go into action to foil Vusi's twisted plot.  Director Tony Cunningham manages to generate some suspense at last, and the cast, particularly those portraying Vusi and Professor Gumbi, do their best to sell it.  

Visually, GONE CRAZY is sort of a spiritual cousin to those threadbare shot-on-video titles that started coming out in the 80s and 90s when anybody with a video camera could make movies (the works of J.R. Bookwalter come to mind), although being shot on actual film makes a big difference.  The print used here has been restored quite nicely. 

While many viewers may rightly avoid a film of this nature, I derive a good deal of fun and pleasure from watching such an effort in which the filmmakers have severely limited resources with which they do their best to turn out passable entertainment. 

In its own way, GONE CRAZY is sort of the cinematic equivalent of "primitive art"--earnestly done and, if watched in the right frame of mind, somewhat endearing.


TECH SPECS
Actors: Pepsi Mabizela, Fikile Majozi, Roy Dlamini
Format: Color, NTSC, 3:2, Stereo
Language: Zulu
Subtitles: English
Number of discs: 1
Rated: NR
Studio: Indiepix Films
Run Time: 75 minutes
Extras: Trailer




indiepix.com
gravelroadafrica.com
retroafrika.com


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George Falls Flat On His Face In The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" (1964) (video)




The Beatles' first movie opens with a typical scene...

...of the boys being chased by a mob of fans.

While most of them manage to stay on their feet throughout the scene...
...one of the girls takes a rather cringey dive.

But that's nothing compared to George's harrowing header in the opening shot.
He hits the sidewalk hard, and then Ringo trips over him.

Naturally, John gets a hearty laugh out of the whole thing.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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Monday, October 22, 2018

UMBANGO -- DVD Review by Porfle




Part of Indiepix Films' "Retro Afrika" collection, 1985's offbeat Western UMBANGO is one of hundreds of South African films produced for black audiences during apartheid, some of which are now being preserved for posterity. 

It's a fascinating novelty, seeing an all-black cast (save for one Caucasian gunfighter referred to as a "gringo") performing in this earnest homage to the classic American Western. 

Described by one reviewer as a "spaghetti western", I would liken it much more to the sort of B-movie oaters that filled double bills back in the 30s and 40s (at 68 minutes it's even the right length for this) and involved upstanding good guys vs. villainous bad guys with the fate of a small frontier town in the balance.


The good guys are ace horseman and gunfighter Jack and his buddy Owen, who dream of staking a claim to some prime real estate nearby and building their own ranch. 

Handsome Jack is in love with pretty young Molly, who owns her own small ranch.  Theirs is a troubled relationship since she loves him but objects to any show of physical violence even when circumstances force Jack to draw his gun in self-defense.

One of those circumstances is KK, a big, burly, ill-tempered cuss whose brother George now sits in prison because of Jack and Owen.  KK's first order of business after taking over the town is to start a gang of thugs headed by his unctious toady, Jake. 


Then he begins a program of intimidation aimed at the rest of the town, including its nervous sheriff, and moves inexorably toward a forced showdown with his two sworn enemies.

Labeled as being in "color", the film seems to have faded to a quite pleasing sepia tone, and the print used here is in fine condition.  The town setting looks rather makeshift but it's fun anyway, and all the signs ("Bank", "Sheriff", etc.) are in English even though everyone is speaking Zulu. The attempt to recreate the look and feel of an old-fashioned American Western is endearing.   

The capable cast get into their roles very well, and the direction by Tonie van der Merwe (FISHY STONES, OPERATION HIT SQUAD) ranges from amusingly amateurish to surprisingly stylish at times, with a lean, uncluttered storyline that moves along nicely toward the final gun battle between the forces of good and evil on the town's main street.


While this proves a satisfying resolution, the film is no more violent or complicated than an episode of a typical Western TV series from the 50s and 60s.  As such, it's a nostalgic throwback to such times for those who enjoy this kind of entertainment.

And the fact that this traditional Western town is populated solely by black Africans (not counting the "gringo" gunfighter) in roles usually played by white actors gives UMBANGO an incongruously fantastic touch which, for me, only added to this novel film's unusual sense of discovery and fun. 


www.indiepixfilms.com

Tech Specs

Actors: Popo Gumede, Hector Mathanda, Kay Magubane
Format: Color, NTSC
Language: Zulu with English subtitles
Number of discs: 1
Rated: NR 
Studio: Indiepix Films
3:2, Color, Stereo
DVD Release Date: October 23, 2018
Run Time: 68 minutes
Extras: Trailer





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Dermot Mulroney Takes On "TRICK" from "My Bloody Valentine" Director Patrick Lussier




Horror Master Patrick Lussier to "TRICK" Us Anew

Dermot Mulroney to Take Lead in New Horror 

Los Angeles, CA (October 22, 2018) - Ellen Wander, CEO of Film Bridge International (Winnie Mandela, Misconduct, Marshall, and Spinning Man) and Gabriela Revilla Lugo of Revek Entertainment (The Tribes of Palos Verdes, The Last Weekend in May, Gone: VR 360) announce the upcoming feature Trick,  a horror thriller to be directed by genre master Patrick Lussier (My Bloody Valentine, Drive Angry, Terminator: Genisys) and written by Todd Farmer, alongside Lussier.

The story centers on an elusive serial killer, who descends upon a small town annually, bringing terror and death.  He is responsible for gruesome murders year after year, each in different jurisdictions and seemingly unrelated.  No one believes this could be the same killer.  Detective Denver has faced Trick once before - he shot and killed him.  Or so everyone keeps telling him.  However, Denver knows Trick is out there and he's coming back for revenge.

"After much discussion with Director Lussier, Dermot was the only choice for this role and we are ecstatic that he was able to take on the project." stated Wander.

Dermot Mulroney (The Family Stone, The Wedding Date) plays Detective Mike Denver. Denver puts his works before anything else in life, including his own marriage but his no-nonsense attitude and steadfast approach makes him a perfect fit for a career in law enforcement. Against everyone else's judgement, he is convinced that Trick is not only alive and well, but the one responsible for a series of gruesome murders recurring over several years.

Director Patrick Lussier's lengthy and accomplished résumé includes several of the most successful horror films and television programs in recent years.  His eye for detail was instrumental in editing the numerous Wes Craven films, including the famous Scream franchise, Red Eye, New Nightmare, and Cursed  to name just a few.

Prolific actor Mulroney, has starred in over 70 films in a career  spanning more than 3 decades.  Most recently, he filmed an episode for the highly anticipated Netflix series "Homecoming" starring Julia Roberts, his co star in the box office hit My Best Friend's Wedding.  

Writer Todd Farmer has worked with Patrick Lussier previously.  He has written several genre films including Jason X, My Bloody Valentine and Drive Angry (alongside Lussier).

Ellen S. Wander of Film Bridge International will produce and handle worldwide sales for the film. Gabriela Lugo will also serve as producer. Additionally, Film Bridge International has partnered Chimney's Fredrik Zander to handle post-production.

Dermot Mulroney is repped by WME.  Patrick Lussier is repped by Paradigm Talent Agency.





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John Wayne's Coolest Scenes #4: Cockpit, "The High & The Mighty" (1954) (video)




Veteran pilot Duke is back after a long absence following a plane disaster.

Robert Stack plays an experienced pilot who is losing his nerve.

Their damaged plane is struggling to reach the California coast before having to ditch.

Will they make it?


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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Sunday, October 21, 2018

Hokey Hitchcock #2: Gun Hand From "Spellbound" (1945) (video)




Hitchcock's visual inventiveness was often a step ahead...

...of the FX technology needed to convincingly render it.

Sometimes even Hitchcock's most imaginative ideas...

...looked less than convincing in actual execution.

(spoilers)


Suggested by Paul Sanchez

I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!


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Saturday, October 20, 2018

John Wayne's Coolest Scenes #2: Meeting Ella Raines in "Tall In The Saddle" (1944)




Rocklin (John Wayne) gets more than he bargained for...

...when he runs into the town's most colorful citizen, Arly Harolday (Ella Raines).

Will they kill each other or fall in love?


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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Friday, October 19, 2018

The Wolf Man Is Cured: Lon Chaney In "House Of Dracula" (1945) (video)




In Universal's last "serious" film to feature Lon Chaney as the Wolf Man...

...luckless lycanthrope Lawrence Talbot may finally be cured of his curse.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Thursday, October 18, 2018

John Wayne's Coolest Scenes #3: "Cahill, U.S. Marshal" (1973) (video)




John Wayne's Coolest Scenes #3: "Cahill, U.S. Marshal" (1973)

While bringing a group of suspects into town, Cahill is confronted by a group of townspeople who want to lynch them.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Olive Films November Releases: "Mr. Capra Goes To War" and "The 7th Day"



Olive Films is proud to announce the following November 2018​ releases:

Mr. Capra Goes To War: Frank Capra’s World War II Documentaries

The 7th Day


MR. CAPRA GOES TO WAR

FIRST TIME ON
BLU-RAY

US+CANADA
PREBOOK:        10/23/18
STREET:           11/6/18

MR. CAPRA GOES TO WAR   DVD           
CAT:                 OF1418
UPC:       887090141819
SRP:                 $24.95

MR. CAPRA GOES TO WAR      BD          
CAT:                 OF1419
UPC:       887090141918
SRP:                 $29.95
MR. CAPRA GOES TO WAR:
FRANK CAPRA’S WORLD WAR II DOCUMENTARIES
Directed or Produced by
FRANK CAPRA (A Hole in the Head, It’s A Wonderful Life, Meet John Doe)
YEAR: 1942 – 1945
GENRE: DOCUMENTARY
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH (with optional English subtitles)
LABEL: OLIVE FILMS
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 310 min
RATING: N/R
VIDEO: 1.33:1 and 1.78:1 Aspect Ratios; B&W and COLOR
AUDIO: MONO

SPECIAL FEATURES
 
“Frank Capra: Why We Fight,” an analysis of Frank Capra’s war documentaries by Joseph McBride, film historian and author of the biography “Frank Capra: The Catastrophe of Success”
Introductions to each of the five Capra war documentaries by Joseph McBride

Director Frank Capra, known to millions as the man behind the beloved classics It’s a Wonderful Life, It Happened One Night, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Meet John Doe, also used his talents in support of the war effort by directing, producing and acting as an advisor on a series of World War II propaganda films. Depicting the ravages of combat, the lives of soldiers engaged in battle, as well as those left behind on the home front, five of the films that Capra was involved in bringing to the screen are represented in this special edition presented in cooperation with the National Archives.

Tunisian Victory takes us behind Allied troop lines and documents American and British forces working together to free North Africa from the grip of the Nazi stranglehold. Capra was assisted by film editor Hugh Stewart (49th Parallel) and directors Roy Boulting (The Outsider) and John Huston (The Maltese Falcon, Let There Be Light), in this film that features the voice talents of Burgess Meredith (Story of G.I. Joe, Rocky), Bernard Miles (In Which We Serve) and Leo Genn (Moby Dick), and a powerful film score attributed to Dimitri Tiomkin (High Noon) and William Alwyn (The Fallen Idol).

Prelude to War, the first in Capra's Why We Fight series of propaganda films, is a rallying cry for patriots to join the fight against the Axis powers and the tyranny of Nazism. A host of musical talent contributed to the score, including Alfred Newman (How the West Was Won), winner of nine Academy Awards®, and David Raksin (Laura).

The Battle of Russia, another of Capra’s Why We Fight films, is the longest and most ambitious of the series. Presented in two parts, the film focuses on the Nazi conquest of the Balkans in an attempt to capture Russia. Capra would share directing credit with Russian-born Anatole Litvak (Sorry, Wrong Number) in a film which is aided immeasurably by Walter Huston’s (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre) narration.

The Negro Soldier, produced by Capra and directed by Stuart Heisler (The Glass Key), was used as an enlistment tool to encourage African-American men and women to join the armed forces. The film incorporates footage of Olympic athlete Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin Games, highlighting and contrasting the freedom-loving citizens of the United States with Germany’s oppressive and ever-growing Nazi party.

Your Job in Germany, directed by Capra and written by Theodor S. Geisel (better known as Dr. Seuss), is a short form film shown to soldiers who would be serving “occupation duty” in Germany in 1945.



 THE 7TH DAY

FIRST TIME ON
BLU-RAY

US+CANADA
PREBOOK:        10/23/18
STREET:           11/6/18

THE 7TH DAY    DVD     
CAT:                 OF1420
UPC:       887090142014
SRP:                 $24.95

THE 7TH DAY    BD       
CAT:                 OF1421
UPC:       887090142113
SRP:                 $29.95
THE 7TH DAY
El 7º Día

JUAN DIEGO
(Paco’s Men, Summer Rain, Painless)
VICTORIA ABRIL
(The Moon in the Gutter, High Heels, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!)
JOSÉ LUIS GÓMEZ
(Broken Embraces, The Skin I Live In, Goya’s Ghosts)
JOSÉ GARCIA
(The Take, The Ax, Now You See Me)
YOHANA COBO
(Volver, Angel of Death, Life Marks)

Directed by
CARLOS SAURA
(Cría Cuervos, ¡Ay, Carmela!, Goya in Bordeaux)

With The 7th Day (El 7º Día), Carlos Saura, the director behind the Academy Award® nominated films in the Best Foreign Language Film category – Mama Turns 100 (1980), Carmen (1984) and Tango (1999) – brings to the screen a riveting story of love and revenge.

YEAR: 2004
GENRE: DRAMA
LANGUAGE: SPANISH (with optional English subtitles)
LABEL: OLIVE FILMS
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 100 min
RATING: N/A
VIDEO: 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio; COLOR
AUDIO: STEREO


From master filmmaker Carlos Saura (Cría Cuervos) comes a story of love, betrayal and revenge. Set in the Spanish village of Extremadura, and based on a true account, The 7th Day (El 7º Día) is a tale of warring families and bloodshed that would stain the region.

The festering hatred between the Jiménez and Fuentes households, born out of a broken marriage vow, will unleash a vengeful wrath that engulfs an entire village, leaving no one unscathed. The 7th Day features riveting performances from a cast that includes Victoria Abril (High Heels), José Garcia (Now You See Me), Juan Diego (All is Silence), José Luis Gómez (Broken Embraces), Yohana Cobo (Volver), Oriol Vila (Blancanieves), Eulàlia Ramon (Girl Gets Girl), Juan Sanz (One Word from You) and Carlos Hipólito (Crazy Loves).

The 7th Day is directed by Carlos Saura, written by Ray Loriga (Live Flesh), photographed by François Lartigue (Black Really Suits You), edited by Julia Juaniz (Goya in Bordeaux), with music composed by Roque Baños (Don’t Breathe).



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Lon Chaney Werewolf Transformation: "La Casa Del Terror" (Mexican, 1959) (video)




In this Mexican chiller, Lon Chaney plays a mummy...

...who, after being revived, turns into a werewolf!


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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Tuesday, October 16, 2018

"ANT-MAN AND THE WASP" -- Watch Instantly On Digital and Add To Your Blu-ray™ Collection Today




A LAUGH-OUT-LOUD ADVENTURE FOR ALL AGES

FEATURING MARVEL’S FIERCE, PINT-SIZED SUPER HEROES 

MARVEL STUDIOS' “ANT-MAN AND THE WASP”

WATCH INSTANTLY ON DIGITAL AND ADD TO YOUR BLU-RAY™ COLLECTION TODAY

Moviegoers are still buzzing about Marvel Studios’ “Ant-Man and The Wasp,” the follow-up to 2015’s “Ant-Man” and the 20th consecutive Marvel Cinematic Universe film to debut at No. 1 opening weekend and ranked in the box office top 10 for six consecutive weeks this summer. Fans can instantly watch the laugh-out-loud super hero adventure Digitally in HD and take it home today on Blu-ray™ and Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD™.

Exclusive extras provide an inside look at some of Marvel Comics’ most celebrated characters and the consummate, comedic actors who portray them in “Ant-Man and The Wasp.” Featurettes spotlight Paul Rudd, who returns as good-hearted thief turned hero, Scott Lang, and delivers big laughs both on set and in theaters; Evangeline Lilly, who transforms into The Wasp, the first female character to be featured in the title treatment of a Marvel Studios film; and iconic actors Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer as super couple Hank and Janet Van Dyne.


Viewers can explore more about the visual development artists and effects used to bring the characters to life and drastically alter the size of the Super Heroes and their surroundings. Additional extras include deleted scenes, bloopers, outtakes, and audio commentary by “Ant-Man” franchise director Peyton Reed.

“Ant-Man and The Wasp” comes packaged in several formats to best fit today’s varying consumer desires. Viewers can instantly bring home the film two weeks early on Digital SD/HD/4K Ultra HD and receive access to two exclusive features — including a clever commercial promoting a close-up look at the online magic school that FBI agent Jimmy Woo references to learn his card tricks and a 10 years of Marvel Studios featurette profiling the artists of the MCU — or they can purchase a physical copy of the film as either a Cinematic Universe Edition (4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital Code) or a Multi-Screen Edition (Blu-ray and Digital Code), granting the flexibility to watch the device of their choice.



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Hokey Hitchcock: Diner Scene From "The Birds" (1963) (video)




Alfred Hitchcock's editing choices were often brilliantly inventive.

But sometimes they didn't work quite as well as he envisioned...

...as in this brief moment from "The Birds."


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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Monday, October 15, 2018

John Wayne's Coolest Scenes #1: "McLintock!" (1963) (video)




John Wayne's Coolest Scenes #1: "McLintock!" (1963) (video)


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Sunday, October 14, 2018

All The Giant Gila Monster Scenes From "The Giant Gila Monster" (1959) (video)




Aside from the notorious ballad "Laugh, Children, Laugh"...

...written and performed by the great Don Sullivan...

..."The Giant Gila Monster" is best known for its title monster.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Saturday, October 13, 2018

First Screen Frankenstein: Edison's 1910 "Frankenstein" (video)





Thomas Edison's film studio released the first screen adaptation of "Frankenstein" in 1910.

The Monster was played by Charles Ogle.

A young scientist named Frankenstein creates life in his laboratory.
But his "perfect being" turns out to be a hideous creature.

Frankenstein's impure thoughts are to blame.

Frankenstein rejects his creation, but it is insanely devoted to him...
...and jealous of Frankenstein's bride-to-be, Elizabeth.

Finally, Frankenstein's pure love for Elizabeth causes the Monster to fade away.

The film was lost for many years.  A rediscovered print became widely seen in the 1970s.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Music by Uniq





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Friday, October 12, 2018

What's With That Thing Arnold Throws In "Eraser"? (1996) (video)




"Eraser" is one of the best of Arnold's old-school action movies.

And the airplane sequence still blows us away.

But in the first showdown between Arnold and James Caan…

...Arnold throws a blade weapon that behaves very strangely.

The thing's just sort of spinning in mid air in front of Caan's arm.

Yet later we clearly see it sticking out of him.

And twenty-two years later, it's still a mystery.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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Thursday, October 11, 2018

JET TRASH -- DVD Review by Porfle




An interestingly novel crime drama, JET TRASH (Indican Pictures, 2016) takes place mainly on a beautiful beach front in Southern India with characters who are laidback beach bums just taking it easy.

Until, that is, the harsh reality of how they got there catches up with them.  At which point, to coin a phrase, life's a beach and then you die.

Lee (Robert Sheehan, MORTAL ENGINES) is the impulsive, irresponsible one who got himself and his more levelheaded friend Sol (Osy Ikhile, THE LEGEND OF TARZAN, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION) in serious trouble with the smalltime crime boss Marlowe (Craig Parkinson) they worked for back in England, forcing them to steal a hunk of Marlowe's dirty money and hightail it to their remote paradise.


When one of Marlowe's other employees, the lovely Vix (Sofia Boutella, THE MUMMY, STAR TREK BEYOND), suddenly shows up looking for them, warning buzzers go off in their heads and they start looking for their vengeful former boss to jump out at them with his cronies from behind every corner.  Eventually, of course, their fears are realized in a big, scary way.

Until then, Lee and Sol--along with their really weird ex-military friend Mike (Jasper Pääkkönen), who's now deep into monk-like spiritualism and agonized self-reflection--get into even more trouble when Lee's caught selling drugs (something local big-dog Shay frowns upon).

But that's nothing compared to when they accidentally run over a cow (the phrase "Holy cow!" comes to mind) and find themselves being rousted by Shay's goons and robbed of their nest egg.


The film has a pace as languid as its setting, yet the story gradually heats up as the boys' peril increases along with their own heated interpersonal conflicts (Sol's going nuts over Lee's constant irresponsible behavior, and Mike's just plain nuts).

Vix's arrival complicates things even further since it reignites the love affair that had started between her and Lee back in England, while he and Sol remain torn between trusting her and suspecting that she's still working for Marlowe.

Charles Henri Belleville's direction is eye-pleasing and stylishly dreamlike.  He seems to revel in filming practically every shot in a visually interesting way that contributes to the film's colorful, easy narrative flow and encourages the viewer to interpret what's happening instead of just passively observing.


The conflict between the pastoral concerns of the beachfront village and the ruthless mob violence that Marlowe brings with him from the outside world builds to a suspenseful conclusion.

Rather than relying on big action scenes (save for sort of a chase between a car and a motor scooter), the excitement comes from seeing characters we like in peril and watching them try to blunder their way out of it.

I thought it was going to be boring at first, with salty slackers Lee and Sol on the beach having what seemed like yet another "Royale  With Cheese"-inspired dialogue scene.  But give JET TRASH five or ten minutes, and, if you're like me, you'll find yourself drawn right into this easygoing crime story and sticking around till it plays itself out.
 

Tech Specs
Runtime: 85 minutes
Format: 1:78 HD
Sound: Dolby Sr 5.1
Country: USA
Language: English
Website: www.IndicanPictures.com
Genre: Action




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All The Giant Turkey-Buzzard Puppet Scenes From "The Giant Claw" (1957) (video)




"The Giant Claw" is a passable 50s monster/sci-fi flick.

But it features one of the worst monsters of all time...

...the infamous giant turkey-buzzard puppet.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Most Spectacular Scene Ever Filmed: "Intolerance" (1916, D.W. Griffith) (video)




The "Babylonian Story" segment of D.W. Griffith's 1916 epic "Intolerance"...

...features the massive "Belshazzar's Feast" sequence.

It's one of the largest movie sets ever built.

The set extended back almost one mile.

Several thousands of extras were used.

The crumbling set towered over old Hollywood...

...until it was finally demolished in 1919. 


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

Music By Ender Güney



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Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Laurel & Hardy--"Jeanie Weenie" Scene (BEAU HUNKS, 1931) (video)




Stanley reads a letter to Ollie from his sweetheart Jeanie...

...in which she informs him that he's being dumped.

Stan's nonplussed, but Ollie reacts with melodramatic angst.

The scene plays out in a subtly comical way...

...and then ends with a sudden, hilarious burst of slapstick.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!



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Monday, October 8, 2018

The Three Stooges Meet The Wolf Man: "Idle Roomers" (1944) (video)




In the 1944 comedy, "Idle Roomers"...

...the Stooges first meet long-time leading lady Christine McIntyre.

They also meet Duke York as Lupe the Wolf Man.

York's makeup recalls that of werewolf Matt Willis in an earlier Columbia film, "Return of the Vampire" (1943).

The Stooges are about to find out the hard way that Lupe can't stand music!


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!




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Friday, October 5, 2018

Most Expensive Silent Film Shot Ever: Train Wreck From "The General" (Buster Keaton, 1926) (video)




Buster Keaton is a Confederate train engineer in this classic Civil War comedy.

Pursued by two Union trains, he crosses a bridge and then sets it on fire.

The Union officer orders his own train to cross anyway.

The result is the costliest, and perhaps most spectacular, shot in all of silent film.


I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!


Music by Kevin MacLeod



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Thursday, October 4, 2018

WHO'S JENNA...? -- DVD Review by Porfle




Writer-director Thomas Baldinger shows off his flair for sharp, smart comedy in WHO'S JENNA...? (Indican Pictures, 2018), the story of an up-and-coming money management executive named Jonathan (Bill Sorvino) who discovers that his advancement up the ladder depends on whether or not he can sacrifice his scruples for a crude, cretinous boss who wants him to do his dirty work for him.

It's also sort of a rom-com, which gave me pause until I discovered that the rom takes a back seat to the com and doesn't really bog things down even when Jonathan cute-meets the gorgeous Jenna (Tracey Birdsall, DAWN OF THE CRESCENT MOON) and falls in love right before finding out that she's his vile boss's sister-in-law.

Jenna also is a dead ringer for porn star Jenna You-Know-Who, according to Jonathan's coworker, housemate, and lifelong friend Andy (Joseph D'Onofrio, A BRONX TALE, ANALYZE THAT, Young Tommy in GOODFELLAS), a porn addict who's thrilled beyond measure to find that one of Jonathan's new clients is studly porn god Kevin Steele (Michael Tota).


He's also convinced that Jenna really is a porn actress and is forever digging through his massive collection of XXX tapes in search of proof. It gets to a point where we're not so sure she isn't the real thing ourselves.

The conflict kicks in when one of the first orders that boss Barcia (Garry Pastore, GOODFELLAS, DO THE RIGHT THING, DONNIE BRASCO) gives Jonathan is to dump Kevin as a client because of his profession, and also to fire Jonathan's friend because in addition to being a great worker who deserves a promotion, he's both black and gay.

Jonathan must do these things or risk being fired himself, hence his moral quandary which will keep the plot moving while generating much witty dialogue and amusing situations.


"Witty" and "amusing" are apt words to describe a comedy that isn't going for farce, slapstick, or gross-out laughs, but actually wants to sort of engage our intellect while eliciting pleasant chuckles.  (And you can quote me on that.)  WHO'S JENNA...? is so neatly done, in fact, you could almost eat off of it.  As a fresh, appealing comedy with unobtrusive romantic touches, it practically has a new car smell.

The leads are all just right (look for "The Sopranos" co-star Vincent Pastore and actual porn star Amber Lynn) with Tracey Birdsall looking almost enough like that Jenna to keep us wondering and Garry Pastore hitting a home run as Barcia, one of the most delightfully repugnant fictional slobs I've seen in years.

A major highlight is the scene where Jonathan must join Barcia and his horrible business friends for dinner, listening to their blustery, slimily offensive blather without fleeing in disgust.  A day of golfing with this motley crew is no less insufferable.


Jonathan hatches a plot to turn against boss Barcia and still get his promotion while doing right by his friends and clients without compromising his ideals.  But just as we settle in for some intriguingly complex plot twists and a rising level of comic intensity and suspense, the movie suddenly ends.

It seems the story was simpler than predicted, and quite happy to pop like a party favor instead of building up to any actual fireworks.  (But stay tuned during the closing credits for an extra scene and some outtakes.)

I wanted it to keep going past that point and give us more.  That considered, however, I'm happy with what I got.  WHO'S JENNA...? is the kind of comedy that does its thing and then darts off the stage, leaving us wanting more.  And what we do get in that short time is sparkling fun. 


Tech Specs
Runtime: 95 min
Format: 1:78 HD
Sound: Dolby Sr.
Country: USA
Language: English
Captions: English
Website: www.IndicanPictures.com
Genre: Action, Comedy




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