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Dick Tracy (1945)
Excellent RKO thriller yarn
I forgot this series for the big screen and given by RKO pictures in the mid forties. William Berke made one, Gordon Douglas made another one and John Rawlins finally directed the last two of the series; All three were at the same level, the same quality. They are all short, tense, fast paced. Here Paul Mazurky is juicy as the villain, and it it was a pleasure to see this little crime flick again,, after all those years. A serial killer story, already in the forties.... It is surprising that there was no TV series dedicated to Dick Tracy, at least as far as I know. Only a movie directed by Warren Beatty, in the nineties.
The Three Faces of Eve (1957)
Three faces of Ev(e)il?
This is a pure product of the fifties: psychological, and psychanalistic drama. Twentieth Century Fox trademark. This is a terrific and also terrifying piece of work where Paul Newman's wife largely deserved to get her Academy Award statuette. It is not too complex to follow but riveting, incredible but also true. It may be hair rising, even if it is not a horror flick. Nunally Johnson the director signs here one of his best jobs. But he was genuinelly a screenwriter, so maybe this explains that. The explanation, concerning the genesis of this woman's sickness is disturbing. How can people, grown up adults, do this to a little girl?
Vincere (2009)
A dark and sad part of Italian history
I guess not so many films were made about Mussolini and the people who were around him. I guess this movie is accurate, faithful to history. It is in the Italian style of the modern decades. You have to be fond of this kind of stuff. The German film industry also made intersting films about Hitler, Nazi party; for instance Elser, the man who tried to kill the Führer. This is not destined to wide audiences, but the "elite", the historians. Marco bellochio is a confirmed film maker, and we can trust him in giving us something solid, strong, convincing. A good film, speaking of an interesting plot. Not a comedy, but a sad, gloomy and desperate tale.
The Long Ships (1964)
It deserves better than being considered as a VIKINGS rip-off
Of course, any movie buff will think about Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS after watching this one. Both features remain for me the best films ever made about Northmen, at least in the twentieth century. Since several years now, there are series and movies speaking about them. But the charm is not the same anymore. And this one offers the peculiarity to show Sidney Poitier as a villain, the only one in his whole career. In the LOST MAN, he was an outlaw, but not a villain, not more than Warren Beatty in BONNIE AND CLYDE. No, this one is really a terrific film, and more than a simple VIKINGS rip-off. It is riveting, spectacular and the production design outstanding, awesome. One of the best Jack Cardiff's movie for me, besides of course THE MERCENARIES. This master of photography, one of the best Hollywood ever had.
Bodyguard (1948)
Bodyguard
It is not my all time favourite movie from my favourite director - more precisely ONE of my all time favorite film makers. Richard Fleischer started at RKO pictures, as Robert Wise and Mark Robson, but unlike them, he did not ever approach the Val Lewton stuff, suggested eerie horror. Dick Fleischer stayed in the noir thriller drama such as this one and the terrific ARMORED CAR ROBBERY and NARROW MARGIN or FOLLOW ME QUIETLY. TRAPPED is not bad too. But BODYGUARD and CLAY PIDGEON...Hmmm. Those plots of a hero accused of a crime he did not commit bore, bore, bore me so much. So much.... But of course such a film must be watched, because it is a Richard Fleischer's film. That's it.
The Bamboo Prison (1954)
Worth forgotten film. A gem but not a jewel.
I guess this is not MANDCHOURIAN CANDIDATE nor PRISONER OF WAR, back in 1954 and starring Ronnie Reagan, both pictures evoking prisoners of war in Korea. This one is just a tremendous time waster, a testimony of its time and period: the Cold War one. It is worth watching for the Leo Gordon's presence, for instance. Not a bad film and rather rare one too. Lewis Seiler gave us all kinds of films and topics, except science fiction. But I agree he lacked a bit of ambition to be as good as Don Siegel or Henry Hathaway. So, if you crave for Cold war, anto communist movies, this one is for you. Just a rare little gem, but not a jewel.
Jean Chalosse (1980)
The stilt sheepman man
What a beautiful but sad story, in the pure French tradition of TV series taking place in the deep countryside during the nineteenth century, as were JACQUOU LE CROQUANT, L'ENNEMI DE LA MORT, FABIEN DE LA DROME and I suppose many more tv shows of this kind and period ( shooting and story ). Realistic and glooomy in the same time. It also can be seen as a sort of documentary of how peasants lived in those days: farmers, sheepmen using stilts to walk on any kind of ground - mud, swamp, wet grass - or any other craftsmen . But we never see how they get, climb on their stilts.... The story of a poor man lost in a cruel and ruthless world. What a painful story, in the line of SANS FAMILLE, from novelist Hector Malot. Or even get down. Anyway, this is a tremendous TV series, with an unusual lead character; he never speaks French but only local dialect. Very sad but beautiful story. I hope to watch more of those series from the late sixties to the early eighties. It is slow, very slow, but never never boring; at least from my point of view.
Delta (2022)
Not bad
I will describe this Italian movie as a social ecological thriller drama. Nothing really new nor exciting, but it evokes the feud between a bunch of poachers, fishermen poachers, and some fishery guard team. And in the middle of this, you have a romance element. Not bad, not boring, but, I repeat, nothing really special, no real surprise. Ecological problem because it is question of overfishing in Italy, around the Po river, in the swamps, misty swamps. Good atmosphere, natural settings, an an US remake could be done in the Louisiane bayou for instance. Good little film, don't avoid it. Not a comedy at least.
Les prédateurs (1982)
Strange but interesting
I di not quite follow this TV movie, I tried my very best to understand where it excactly drove at. A young woman arrives in a abandoned hotel that reminded her her past. I did not get what was going on in this story full of weird characters. There is a man who wants to become a girl, a deaf mute who tries to sing. I guess there is a reason, something that may explain all this mess. This is an early film from female direcor Jeanne Labrune whose I have seen some of her nineties decade films. All features not destined to wide audiences, such as this one, that's the least I can say. But I repeat, concerning ths TV movie, I won't say it's a trash, only I did not get it at all. I did not have the software to read it.
Carrie (1976)
Pure perfection
This movie belongs to the three best and most famous from director Brian De Palma, and also the most powerful performance from Sissi Spacek, and never forget Piper Laurie's one too, so many years after THE HUSTLER, in another kind of role. This is a tremendous piece of work, gripping, riveting, a terrific piece of art, chiseled like a diamond. One of the ten best horror films ever and a plot that was used as a DNA for so many movies. University or high school bullying scheme against a poor character who suddenly uses his "power" to get revenge. But this one is for me the equivalent of ALIEN, BLADE RUNNER, JAWS. The stem cell for later films, whish writers had just to copy the original. That's unfortunately the name of the game....
I Want You (1951)
And I don't refuse this film
Of course, the first thing - and movie - which you think first after watching this one is THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, produced by the same Samuel Goldwyn company, the analysis, character study of a small town regarding the issues that the Korean war will bring among those people. It prepares us to THE DEER HUNTER and many more films of this kind - including WE WERE SOLDIERS, Vietnam, Irak, Afghanistan wars and so on. This movie, unlike those more recent ones, doesn't evoke too much post war traumatic stress disorders. But Mark Robson, the director of this very one, will give us LIMBO in 1973, telling a story very close to the above titles: Vietnam war wives and widows dealing with a hopeless life and personnal problems. Good film this one, as LIMBO.
Manhandled (1949)
Good noir thriller from an adventure film specialist
Lewis R Foster was never known for being a noir, crime drama film maker; he only made a few of them: this one MANHANDLED, ARMORED CAR and CRASHOUT. And they were all rather effective, as Edward Ludwig - another adventure specialist, as Lewis Foster - with THE LAST GANGSTER. And what a pleasure to see Dan Duryea in such a role, not far the movies, noir intrigues, which he played in SCARLET STREET, BLACK ANGEL, WOMAN IN THE WINDOW, LARCENY.... This is not an action packed film, not a gangster movie, but who cares? It is definitely worth the watch. Rather rare to purchase. Lewis Foster is a director who deserves to be discovered again, with his movies shown.
Bewitched (1945)
Two Faces of Joan
When I saw this excellent little B thriller, I could not prevent me to think of THREE FACES OF EVE, the Nunnaly Johnson's masterpiece. Very close plot, topic, but this one is unfortunately unknown, underrated, except maybe for the die hard moviegoers. It is a Metro Goldwyn Mayer's movie - at least for the release - and the lead character played by Phillis Thaxter is absolutely perfect in this very difficult role of this young woman suffering of a multiple personality disorder. But both features are quite different though, this one is more eerie and less complex in the psychological, psychoanalytic than the movie starring Joanne Woodward. Arch Oboler leaves here his trade mark, making something different, offbeat. A cute little gem.
Prince of Foxes (1949)
Tyrone Power the Prince of (Twentieth century) FOX
I nearly forgot this Henry King's film starring Tyrone Power, I have sometimes confounded it with THE BLACK ROSE, I don't know why. It is not my preferred film from Henry King starring his fetish actor - Tyrone Power (besides Gregory Peck) but it's unfair because it is a good film, giving us a tremendous castle siege and assault. What could we expect more? It's a shame that this movie was not made ten years later, and produced in LBX - Cinemascope - frame. Photography looks like an European film, and not a Hollywood one. It looks like a Polish movie. Very strange. Orson Welles also justifies the viewing of this excellent costume actionner. Forget Sam Katzman's productions.
La fabrique des sentiments (2008)
The meaning of love
What an interesting movie, very brilliant, smart, subtle, what a terrific character analysis, study, thru a incredibly realistic story. The search for love that a young woman desperately intends by meeting men, all kind of men; The true face of what the real life is for thousands of people. The story telling is genuinely French and I guess many audiences liked this story, in which they could recognize themselves. It is not a comedy, that's why I love this story. It is not lighthearted, but on the contrary serious, a bit gloomy, bitter. The true face of life, the search of a meaning to live, to love.
Home Jacking: Épisode #1.5 (2024)
Totally unlikely but tense
I won't say any harm about this French daring series, which uses a scheme that a movie destined to theaters would have certainly known how to deal with. It is a bit complex to follow and describe but if I made it, I guess anyone can do it too. But the most complicated was the story line, the script, the editing process. The writers and editors should deserve a French Emmy Awards, no matter the total unlikely twist in the end. But it is daring, bold, and well done in the whole. Convincing performances. Not a genuine home invasion plot however, but it uses it. I recommend it, it is worth the watch.
Bad Guy (1937)
Edward L Could
That's an Edward L Cahn's film from the thirties, the best period for this director who, in the late fifties and early sixties provided us with another kind of material, something totally different. But this decade - thirties - offered us good surprises with him: EMERGENCY CALL, LAW AND ORDER, BAD GUY, MAIN STREETS AFTER DARK, very exciting gems. This one is very good, and Bruce Cabot's role so riveting, an anti hero as I crave for. Yes, his character is so ambivalent, and some scenes are so daring for this period. It would be so nice if this movie could be more widely knoown. Yes, Edward L Cahn could bring us good stuff, no matter what he did during his late career.
The Devil's Disciple (1959)
Underrated film
I have always been stunned, puzzled, since I am a movie goer, since my childhood, that such movie starring Kirk Douglas, Burt Lancaster and Laurence Olivier has never been aired nor shown in France: no TV channel, no theater or DVD release, even at the French Cinémathèque. No one in France - even on Allo Ciné website ( French poor man's Imdb ) seems to have seen it. So, there is a mystery around this film. Copyryght? Hmm Lancaster Hecht productions besides this one have always been available in France, whatever the support. Of course, it is not a masterpiece, maybe because of the British - American production, I don't know, but also because there is a bit comedy in this historical adventure yarn. Concerning the period - eighteenth century and American independence war - spoken about, I nearly prefer John Sturges' SCARLET COAT. The only interest here is to see Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster together besides GUNFIGHT AT OK CORRAL and SEVEN DAYS IN MAY. But it remains a good time waster.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Please come back, Errol !!!!!
I waited much for this movie when it was released, back in 1991. But what a deception, what a waste !!! Only Alan Rickman can be considered as the best heir of Basil Rathbone in the Nottingham sheriff character, actually I went mainly - if not ONLY - for him. Because the rest of the cast is totally a joke. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio can be saved from this terrible midcast, and Morgan Freeman is also a total misunderstanding. Sorry.... I won't even speak of Kevin Costner, except that after watching this crap, I went back home and put ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD VHS tape in my VCR, to see it again. Rightaway. I nearly prefered the 2010 Ridley Scott's version. Nearly, not definiitely. Poor Sean Connery, even for the last minutes, what did he do in this mess? I guess it was a tribute to his role - and what an awesome one - in the terrific ROBIN AND MARIAN; another version, different from the Michael Curtiz as this 1991 trash too, but unforgettable.
L'homme de pouvoir (1985)
Excellent but complex intrigue
This awesome TV movie is destined to audiences interested in political matters, such as L'EXERCICE DE L'ETAT, back in 2011, as very realistic script for a total believable story, that describes in detail how awful, trash things can happen "backstage" , behind the scene for politicians...A famous politician is accused to have been involved with torture matter during war in Algeria. Is it true or not, is it a plot against him? It is interesting but if you watch very closely, you may feel stunned but glued to it. There were many movies telling the same atmosphere of political jungle, swimming with sharks. Pierre Arditi gives an early very convincing performance. Not for all audiences, only elite andd intellectual ones. For once. I hope it was appreciated when it was aired, nearly forty years ago.
Bullet Head (2017)
This time, it is really RESERVOIR DOGS
This plot taking place in an abandoned warehouse after a heist, with he hoodlums trying ti fix their problems, is of course inspired by QT's RESERVOIR DOGS, but this time with really dogs in the story. It is not a true crime flick, but a "film de genre", as we say in France, it mixes up crime, of course, with some horror like suspense. Not bad, not too long, but everything is smashed by a silly ending that has nothing to do here. Everything is spoiled by this ending. With a VHS taping off, I would have stopped the recording just before...Such a shame. For the rest, I am also surprised to see how so many films were inspired by RESERVOIR DOGS.
Chicago Syndicate (1955)
Solid crime expose, despite Sam Katzman's influence
I guess the best crime dramas that Sam Katzman produced were those directed by the likes of Fred S Sears and William Castle; those movies seemed serious, not clumsy, lousy, such as the costume swashbucklers produced by Katzman, or even most of his westerns. MIAMI STORY, MIAMI EXPOSE, INSIDE DETROIT, RUMBLE ON THE DOCKS, CHICAGO SYNDICATE. I agree that those films propose more or less the same schemes, in addition to the expose lines, undercover cops, gang wars...Nothing new actually, but excellent, if you consider the fact that Sam Katzman produced those films. For once, Sam Katzman did not deceive me. EARTH VS FLYING SAUCERS was famous, thanks to Ray Harryhausen's special effects. Paul Stewart as awesome as he was in Lewis Allen's noir for Paramount co starring Alan Ladd.
Comanche Territory (1950)
Good western, not more
George Sherman was definitely a western maker, though he has not made only this, he had a very prolific filmography. But westerns were a domain where he was very gifted. This one makes no exception, but the plot brings nothing really new, except terrific natural settings. I was lucky enough to see it is a awesome LBX frame and not in a f...pan and f...scan copy. Yes, a good western, full of charm and fifties atmosphere. Dana Andrews rarely played in westerns; we especially remember him in OXBOW INCIDENT. This western was curiously not produced by Universal Studios for which George Sherman made so many of his westerns: BATTLE AT APACHE PASS, COMANCHE TERRITORY, LAST OF THE FAST GUNS...
Ten Wanted Men (1955)
Not among my ten wanted westerns
The main deception here is that it was produced by Harry Joe Brown, and starred Randolph Scott, but Budd Boetticher and Burt Kennedy missed as director and screen writer. This western is not bad, but bland, flat, predictable, bringing no shade in the character depiction. It is definitely not SEVEN MEN FROM NOW nor THE TALL T or COMANCHE STATION. Bruce Humberstone was not a western maker anyway. Besides this one, there was FURY AT FURNACE CREEK, for Twwentieth Century Fox. This western is just another western with Scott and Boone, besides the ten times better TALL T. It just deserves to be watched for western fans. Not more.
The Raven (1963)
Corman - Price(less) association
What an amusing comedy horror yarn, directed by the exceptional Roger Corman, whose filmography gave us a batch of those Edgar Allan Poe's adaptations, all starring Vincent Price and often Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre. I confound all those films and titles. Jacques Tourneur also offered us COMEDY OF TERROR, that looked very much like a Corman's films, because produced by the Samuell Arkoff, James Nicholson's company. That said, this Lew Landers - Louis Friedlander -'s remake is a bit different from the original but as excellent, I assure you. The dialogues between Peter Lorre and Vincent Price are absolutely exquisite. But I preferred more "serious" and darker Vincent Price - Corman movies such as TOMB OF LIGEIA, HAUNTED PALACE or MASK OF THE RED DEATH, with this time no humor at all.