Friday, February 26, 2021

Red Line 7000 (1965)

A hot tale of racing drivers in the 1960s NASCAR scene and not short of cliche. Jim (Anthony Rogers) and Mike (James Caan) drive for Pat Cassarian (Norman Alden). Jim is expecting his fiancé Holly (Gail Hire) but dies in a race when he pushes the red line too hard and blows his engine at speed. Holly stays on and forms a link with Mike. New hotshot Ned (James Robert Crawford) is Jim's replacement and hooks up with Pat's sister Julie (Laura Devon). Meanwhile, Dan (James Ward) arrives with his latest flame Gabrielle (Marianna Hill)...

So, a tale of three racing drivers and their girlfriends and various antics. This film is quite melodramatic and sometimes resembles a soap opera with racing cars. The acting is a bit patchy but the cars look great, footage from real races is well used. 

Not a great film but an enjoyable one for the 1960s nostalgia and the sport. George Takai appears as a race engineer.

Thursday, February 25, 2021

A Quiet Street (1922)

One of the Our Gang series of comedy shorts made by Hal Roach featuring a group of children called The Rascals who get up to various slap stick fun and naughty antics. In this edition the kids (including Jackie Condon, Mickey Daniels and Ernest Morrison) think they are in trouble with the police after beating up a policeman's son who had been bullying Jackie. However, the police really want to warn them about a real criminal called Red Mike...

A fairly charming film (the amount of charm will depend on how much you like children or not!) The film is at it's best early on when the kids don't have much to do and fill their time with innocent(-ish) kids stuff. This gives the film a bit of a nostalgic air.






Wednesday, February 24, 2021

History of the World: Part I (1981)

Perhaps the best Mel Brooks movie and one of the funniest films ever made. Mel takes us on a very individual spoof tour through history from cavemen through to the Roman Empire and the French Revolution. Each segment has a plot of sorts though the film is more a series of comedy shorts held together by the same actors. Mel (who plays characters as varied as Moses, Torquemada, King Louis XVI and the Piss Boy!) is joined by the likes of Gregory Hines, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Khan and Spike Milligan plus many more.

Highlights, well there are many. The Roman Empire and French Revolution segments are the longest and have the most gags including the Count de Monet who is always furious at people saying his name wrong, Nero at Caesar's Palace (actually the real Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas), Judas at the Last Supper and Moses dropping one of his stone tablets (so that's why there were ten rather than fifteen commandments)...

Although the film is listed as Part 1 there was no sequel. We do have a pseudo trailer for that film though to close things out, including Hitler on ice and Jews in space! A very silly film full of obvious visual gags and weirdness. A complete and utter laugh riot.

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Black Sunday (1977)

Terrorists are seeking to hit the US hard, as their plan is turning the Superbowl into a bloodbath it doesn't get much harder than that!

Dahlia (Marthe Keller) has concocted a plan with embittered ex-US POW in Vietnam, Lander (Bruce Dern) to explode a bomb full of metal darts from a Goodyear blimp above the crowded stadium...

Mossad in the tough form of Kabakov (Robert Shaw) are already on Dahlia's case though and seeking to discover her plan and stop her before it's too late with the help of Corley (Fritz Weaver) from the FBI. Kabakov also has to try to avoid being killed by the ruthless and deadly Dahlia beforehand...

A tense film. The film is quite long but this helps to show the intricate planning which needs to take place to carry out an atrocity of this scale as well as the dark psychology of terrorists who regard their own lives as expendable for the cause. A brutal and violent film, it's only let down slightly by some of the effects in the finale but the action overall is very well done indeed. 

Monday, February 22, 2021

Beau Ideal (1931)

A tale of the French Foreign Legion and fighting dervishes in the desert, often key ingredients for a good film though this isn't one of them. This is a sequel to the earlier film Beau Geste, in it Otis (Lester Vail) heads off to the African desert to tell his boyhood friend John Geste (Ralph Forbes) that Isobel (Loretta Young) is the one she loves. Alas, John is in disgrace and is now a prisoner in Morocco, and Otis ends up in the same deep pit. However, it is ages before John and Otis realise this. John and Otis manage to get out of prison with the help of the Arabian princess Zuleika (Leni Strengel) and then have to fight an evil Emir (George Regas) to clear their names...


So, a tale of deep friendship amid betrayal. Unfortunately the film has very stilted and awkward dialogue as with many early talkies. It also gets off to a rather slow start with a seemingly endless and heavily overacted scene in a prison pit before the story gets going. The plot at times is hard to take seriously, Otis heading off to Africa to find a man whom he has not seen for years and doesn't even know what name he now uses, and yet they end up in the same prison! The desert scenes are suitably magnificent, the fighting scenes are fine but the film really isn't very good.

Friday, February 19, 2021

The Adventurer (1917)

A typical Charlie Chaplin comedy slapstick short. The tramp has hit hard times by now and is a convict! After much mayhem in some sand dunes, he manages to escape prison. Charlie then saves a girl (Edna Purviance) from drowning and is invited to her home. His new status as a hero makes it easy for the authorities to track him down of course!


Well this is classic Chaplin, a number of ingenious comedy set pieces. This is one of the best of his early films. It maybe lacks a but of depth but doesn't lack for humour.





Thursday, February 18, 2021

Strange Holiday (1945)

John (Claude Rains) returns home from a fishing holiday to find that fascists have taken over America in this rather strange film. John is arrested by the fascists and thrown in prison. John's America has gone and he reflects on this in jail as he awaits his execution. We slowly (rather too slowly) discover how the fascists managed to conquer America, abolishing the Constitution cheered on by an angry populace.

The message, that freedom and democracy has to be protected and not taken for granted, is laid thick in this atmospheric and moody film. 

The film was originally made as a propaganda film for General Motors and it shows, it was padded out for general release and this does not do much for the film. It isn't a subtle film at all yet is also somewhat tedious and directionless. The film is an interesting rather than an enjoyable watch. Some might say the film has relevance for today and modern politics but I'll leave that for others to discuss!

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

The Plank (1967)

Eric Sykes and Tommy Cooper are just putting the finishing touches to a new house but unfortunately are one plank short. They head off to the timber yard to get one, nothing could go wrong with that right? Of course everything does in a series of comedy antics. Its all very silly of course in the classic bumbling British tradition which hit it's heights in the 1960s and 1970s.

A short feature which is packed full of stars such as Roy Castle, Jimmy Edwards, Jimmy Tarbuck, Hattie Jacques, Kenny Lynch... basically nearly anyone who was anyone in British comedy at the time. 

However, these cameos work perfectly and not self-indulgently in a series of comedy antics which can be obvious but hilarious.

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Severely Rape (1998)

A rather sordid tale of gold digging and softcore pornography. Jacky (Elvis Tsui) and Wu Wing-keung fool around with various sexy bar girls (including Nam Sugawara and Yuko Wada) in Shenzhen. The girl's take advantage of the two virginal dope's longing for love by helping to emptying the guys' bank accounts amid much soaping up of private parts and grunting.

Not a great film by any means though titillating enough if you like a bit of flesh (and there is certainly no shortage of that in this film). 

Quite what the title has to do with the film content is a mystery though (and quite a common mystery with HK movies), everything is consensual although after awhile a bit repetitive. 

Monday, February 15, 2021

The Telephone at Work (1972)

A short instructional film on how to get the best use out of the telephone in a work situation and not, as happens in the opening minute, the phone drive you so mad you end up shooting it (which lets face it, isn't very British!) The film covers basic phone etiquette (which is mostly about just being polite). The film includes a whole host of GPO 746 dial phones though also look out for a cheeky pair of trimphones too. It is a wonderful little slice of the early 1970s British office life. Look out for Leslie Schofield in the workshop.



Friday, February 12, 2021

Zorro's Black Whip (Serial) (1944)

There is no Zorro in this serial despite the title, but there is the Black Whip who does a similar job. Idaho is a largely lawless territory which wants to change that with statehood. Local hoodlum Dan Hammond (Francis McDonald) doesn't want any pesky things like law and order getting in the way of his activities though and is determined to block any attempts. Newspaper owner Randolph Meredith (Jay Kirby) is one of the major proponents of statehood which makes him a target for Hammond, luckily Randolph is secretly the Black Whip.

Randolph / the Black Whip dies after a fight with Hammond's goons but his sister Barbara (Linda Stirling) dons the Black Whip costume and continues the fight against Hammond with the help of agent Vic Gordon (George J Lewis)... 

What follows are a standard series of fights, speeded up horse riding and revolvers which contain an amazingly large number of bullets plus lots of cliffhangers of course. This is a decent if not exceptional serial but what makes it stand out is the female lead which was highly unusual for it's day.

Thursday, February 11, 2021

Submarine Command (1951)

A very good war film though has a fairly standard plot. White (William Holden) is a new executive officer on the US Navy submarine USS Tiger Shark in the last days of WW2. White has not yet seen any combat but when he does finally see some on the very last day of the war it does not end well, as his captain is killed. White blames himself, as do some of his crew like Boyer (William Bendix).

White stays in the Navy and settles down to shore life with Carol (Nancy Olsen) but he is still haunted by his actions in the war and this starts to affect his personal relationships, especially with Carol. Then there is a new war, in Korea, and USS Tiger Shark is reactivated and sent across the Pacific with White back in command. Can he finally find redemption during a highly dangerous mission?

So, not a highly original plot line but the film is very well executed and has a number of excellent action set-pieces. The film was one of the first war films to explore post-traumatic stress disorder and it's effects on soldiers long after the guns have gone silent.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Episodes in the Life of a Gin Bottle (1925)

A rather odd little film made to support alcohol prohibition in the USA (which was ongoing at the time, with mixed results). A gin bottle is personified with a little spirit (Rex Lease). Then, as the bottle changes hands each now possessor of the bottle is encouraged by the spirit to take a swig of gin and resulting various misfortunes will befall them. 

The most magical thing about the whole affair though is the fact the gin bottle seems to magically refill itself, now that would be very welcome. A strange film with little to recommend it. However, it does feature some interesting (and early) uses of double-exposure effects.





Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Power Play (1978)

A dark tale of authoritarian regimes and military coups. Quite where this film takes place is not clear, the state has the feel of a 1970s Latin American country though it looks more like somewhere in Central Europe and the nationalities and names of the population are all over the place. In any case, a group of officers led by Rousseau (Barry Morse) has grown tired with the regime, which has Blair's (Donald Pleasance) brutal secret police at it's dark heart.

Rousseau and Narriman (David Hemmings) assembles a group of officers to begin to make plans to overthrow the regime. With Blair closing in on their plot and time running out, the officers make the fateful decision to recruit the unpredictable Zeller (Peter O'Toole) and his tanks. The coup runs smoothly (though not bloodlessly) and Zeller has seized the palace, is it now all over?

Not quite, the film has a delicious twist. The film is also very violent with many killings and torture scenes. Life is cheap in this country, wherever it is. The great cast though is priceless.

Monday, February 8, 2021

A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (1989)

The second sequel to the peerless A Better Tomorrow; however, this one - a prequel - feels a bit of a disappointment. There aren't any massive gunfights fought by men in sharp black suits, instead a tale set in Saigon soon after the Vietnam War and shows how Mark (Chow Yun Fat) became the man he was in HK in the earlier films.

Cheung (Tony Leung) arrives in Saigon to bring his uncle and cousin (Mark) to HK. However, things are chaotic in the city. Cheung needs the help of Chow (Anita Mui) to carry out his aims, unfortunately things get more complicated when a love triangle develops between Chow and the two cousins. Things get even more complicated when they fall foul of a local general...

It isn't a bad film, the character of Mark is revisited and some important background is retro-conned but the film doesn't quite work. It's too different to the first two films and lacks the same quality of action. It probably would have been better as a stand-alone tale in Vietnam and not struggling to carry the baggage of the iconic films it followed.

Friday, February 5, 2021

The Old Fashioned Way (1934)

A showcase for the genius of WC Fields and quite autographical at times. The Great McGonigle (Fields) and his low-rent vaudeville troupe who travel the nation from town show to town show always just one step ahead of the sheriff. The Great McGonigle's troupe are very short of cash, so much so that he is forced to give a part in the show to a wealthy widow Cleopatra Pepperday (Jan Duggan) - a name made for the stage!

McGonigle's daughter Betty (Judith Allen) is also being pursued by Wally (Joe Morrison) who also dreams of the magic of the stage. Though the reality of the profession as portrayed here is somewhat less romantic. The film ends with a performance of The Drunkard including McGonigle's rather good juggling act - something Fields actually did when he was part of a small time vaudeville troupe early in his career. Some other aspects of the film follow his real life experiences in such a troupe.

A very good comedy centred on a number of set pieces (including a hilarious one with Fields and Baby LeRoy) and held together by Fields and his famous drawl. Nostalgia and heart elevates this comedy to a higher level.

Thursday, February 4, 2021

House of Blackmail (1953)

An enjoyably complicated little crime caper. Carol (Mary Germaine) heads off to see Markham (Alexander Gauge), who is blackmailing her brother. On the way she picks up a rather bedraggled hitchhiker Jimmy (William Sylvester) whom Carol thinks is an escaped convict. She think Jimmy could come handy with her plan to pretend to pay off Markham but really to steal the incriminating evidence.

A rather hesitant Jimmy is sent to break into Markham's safe but he finds someone else has beaten him too him and a little later Markham is found dead! Now Carol, Jimmy and Markham's associates and staff must discover who killed him and what happened to the blackmailer's dossier...

An interesting little whodunnit with a number of possible suspects. Was it Emma (Ingebord Wells) the maid, who has a secret reason for being in the house? Or the American Carter (John Arnatt) who is keen to take charge? Or maybe the butler Bassett (Denis Shaw) who likes to spy through keyholes?

The film is low budget, taking place mostly in Markham's house but makes the most of the budget and keeps you guessing and has a number of good twists. The only really black mark against it is the weirdly jaunty soundtrack.

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

Rasputin the Mad Monk (1966)

A dark tale of a possessed "holy" man who runs riot in late Tsarist Russia. Rasputin (Christopher Lee) is not a very good monk. He likes to drink to excess and indulge in pleasures of the flesh so he has some proper sins to confess to. He moves to St Petersburg where he easily gains control of the hapless drunk Boris (Richard Pasco) and he comes to the attention of one of the Tsarina's ladies in waiting Sonia (Barbara Shelley).

Rasputin has his way with Sonia and then controls her through hypnosis to facilitate his entry into the palace and become the new favourite of the Tsarina (Renee Asherson). However, Boris and others (Francis Matthews and Dinsdale Landen) now realise the diabolical powers of Rasputin must be stopped...

Christopher Lee dominates this film completely. Without him this film would be a rather forgettable run-of-the-mill Hammer romp but with him, with his long beard, staring eyes and huge hands, the film is highly enjoyable and pretty dark.

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

A Town Called Hell (1971)

A gritty spaghetti western but taken to such extremes as to approach self-parody. A band of Mexican bandits takes over a small town and massacres much of the population, either by gun or noose. Some time later Alvira (Stella Stevens) turns up with a hearse looking for her husband's body and the identity of his killer and will pay a handsome price in gold.

Obviously the leader in the town, Don Carlos (Telly Savalas) is keen on the reward. The name of the killer is apparently someone called Aguila though no one knows where he is. Not the rebel leaders one of whom is now the priest (Robert Shaw) and The Colonel (Martin Landau)...

In truth the film is rather confusing though also very brutal and sadistic. It is a messy film where the flow is continually interrupted by little vignettes, some of which work some don't. Interesting if not wonderful.

Monday, February 1, 2021

The Philadelphia Experiment (1984)

So as the conspiracy theory goes, a US warship was used in anti-radar tests in 1943 but the fields used managed to open a hole in the space-time continuum. This film takes the idea and runs with it, two sailors are hurled into the future (well 1943) where a second experiment was conducted by Dr Longstreet (Eric Christmas) despite his earlier experiment in the war ending in disaster.

David (Michael Pare) and Jim (Bobby Di Cicco) find their new world rather confusing, especially when they reach a roadside bar and encounter TV for the first time. In trouble from the off, they kidnap Alison (Nancy Allen) and head off deeper into Nevada... and away from a hole in space-time which threatens to destroy the world.

Both of the sailors are out of their true time and soon Jim is hurled back to 1943 but David continues on wards with Alison though the authorities are not far away...

An enjoyable time-travel science-fiction story with plenty of romance and adventure (maybe a few too many car chases). The film keeps the conspiracy theory in the background and stays pretty grounded (well as grounded as you can with time travel and space-time vortices!)