Vultural

Alex Edelman: Just For Us - 2024 - 7/10

“I don’t know if any of you grew up in a home like this. We were never allowed in our living room.
Never. The living room is for guests and tragedies. And every piece of furniture is covered in plastic…”
Standup comedian shares painful wisdom, and a long story of going to a White Nationalist party in Queens.
Edelman is consistently funny. The jokes, the punchlines, land and land and land.
This is NOT hit n miss. This is a terrific performance.
Captured during a sold out run.
As one would say, can you believe it?
English subtitles = https://subdl.com/subtitle/sd1672290/alex-edelman-just-for-us/english

Fiend Without A Face - 1958 - 6/10

US military base (in Canada?) experiments with radar and telekinesis.
Before you can wonder what could go wrong, an invisible “entity” starts killing.
Victims have their gray cells sucked out, brains and spinal cords.
Soldiers are hapless, the base is overrun!
Once exposed, the creatures are laughable and creepy, a weakness of the film.
Especially for young viewers who imagined them to be under the bed or in the closet.
Or teenagers at the drive-in, aware death is everywhere so they better get busy now.
Not one of those so-bad-it’s-good films, but creative yet underwhelming.

Chesher, Deborah - Everybody I Shot Is Dead

Narrow focused book will likely appeal to select audience.
Chesher was a concert photographer, very active in the 1970’s.
This coffee-table sized book is packed with images of musicians, who, by 2007, had died.
One might think macabre, but this is not. More of personal remembrances.
Brief bios, a fragment of memory, a flash of personality.

Hollywood Fats, for example. Phenomenal blues guitarist who never broke big.

John Fahey, late in life, impoverished, on medication, needing anyone could help.

Jane Vasey and Tony Flaim, both from the Downchild Blues Band.

Badfinger, that poor group, represented three times.

Papa John Creach, onstage or backstage, ever stylish.

For as wild, excessive and hedonistic as the 70’s were, surprisingly this is not wall to wall overdoses.
Enjoyable, if you know the period, know the music.
Chesher, while one suspects knows more stories, refrains from dishing dirt. She also remembers those who helped her out along her path. Classy.

Klara’s Box - 2024 - 5/10

Workday dawn, Klara wakes in her car after another night in her car.
At the cafe, she asks for coffee. Instead, she is offered job.
“Just deliver a package. Quick, simple.”
Until, midway through her “assignment”, a helpful soul appears to render free advice.
Toxic short of lies, half-truths, deceptions, in talky thriller.
Resolution = punt.

Annie Hall - 1977 - 8/10

Through a series of flashbacks, Alvy tries to grasp how his romance with Annie collapsed.
City boy, small town girl new to the city, there is a Pygmalion element.
Childhoods differ vastly, as do outlooks and expectations.
Even the way they view each other, and worry how they are perceived.
Marvelous sequences break the fourth wall, especially with surprise cameos.
Gordon Willis cinematography elevates this from all preceding Allen works.
This is where Allen lost many old fans, expecting more silly farces.
A romantic comedy, wise and bittersweet, for adults.

Skylight - 2014 - 7/10

Three years after she walked out of her second family, Kyra receives two visitors.
Wayward son Edward, starting his gap year, asking why she left those years before.
“Think,” Kyra says. “Just think.”
Then, after Edward departs, the father, Tom, attempting, awkwardly, a pained reconciliation.
Searing performances from Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan of a broken relationship.
Funny, excruciating, contrasting spiraling greed and self-reformation.
Restaurateur Tom made his pile when Kyra was his right hand.
Now, both older, wisdom is a bitter tonic.
Main quibble for me, in an otherwise exceptional play, is the age discrepancy.
Supposedly 15 years apart, they look 30, perhaps 40, years apart.
English subtitles = https://subscene.com/subtitles/national-theater-live-skylight/english/3331454

Western Front - 1999 - 7/10

Excellent, if limited documentary on the Western Front of the Great War.
This really focuses on strategies, key battles, and blunders.
High command, English and French, is shown as especially incompetent.
Millions of lives squandered while officers sipped tea in chateaus.
A couple of lingering survivors, each in their 90’s, shared memories.
Richard Holmes, military historian for Cranfield University, walks old battlefields, while presenting a digest of the war.

All You Need Is Death - 2023 - 6/10

Anna and Aleks freelance, scouring Ireland for obscure folk ballads.
Their patron / boss / tutor Agnes particularly covets songs that are completely unknown.
They hear of one, passed from one female down to the next, in a remote village.
There, Rita sings Anna the song, not Aleks, for no man has ever listened to it.

The song has been passed, but a promise has been broken.
From there, death and the long hunt for the culprits.
Imaginative tale of a cursed song, akin to a forbidden phrase or image.
Pagan sequences from time to time provide a distant history.
I was absorbed throughout. The ending was an utter fail for me, however.
Felt like the “writer/director/producer” paid crowd service to genre Horror fans.

Confessions Of Boston Blackie - 1941 - 6/10

A counterfeit statue, an auction gone awry, exchange of bullets, a death.
Who is in attendance? Inspector Farraday. And who does he suspect?
As always, brisk B-film, packed with action and banter.
In this, Blackie’s “ex” surfaces, to shake him down for money.
Otherwise, Runt and George Manleder return to give Blackie inadequate assistance.
Formula fun. If you missed something, you didn’t miss much.

Millennium - 1996 - 8/10

A remarkable series, too dark, too bleak, too far ahead of its time.
Ex-FBI profiler, Frank Black, retired (burned out?), is recruited by the Millennium Group.
In addition to criminal analysis, Black has second-sight, a gift and a curse.
S01 episodes are akin to “monster of the week”. Serial killers, conspiracy, occult.
The second season delved deeper into the Millennium Group.
Remember, this aired as 2000 approached, along with the dread Y2K phobia.

S03 was a retrenchment of sorts, with no overlying arc.
In the end, I think Millennium was too grim, remorseless, for viewers hoping for another X-Files.
I also find it remarkable that this aired on FOX and that FOX gave it a three year run.
A modern media company like Netflix would have whacked it at 10 episodes.
Lucy Butler seems to be more active than ever nowadays.
Fine documentary = here.

Demon Ward - 2013 - 5/10
AKA - Akuryô Byôtô // 悪霊病棟

And just how evil is this hospital wing? Wait till patients receive the bill!
There is the new hospital, where patients who see the apparition, drop dead.
Then there’s the old hospital across the way, where the nurses have to enter for some medicine or equipment, in the middle of the night, no power, just their flashlight.
What lurks within? Yes, a ghost, demon with black teeth, that bites.
And leaves victims dead or infected.
Half hour horror series is cheap looking, poorly acted, with a copy cat script.
Finale (episode 10) was more compelling, but it took me over three years to get there.

Towers, Frances - Tea With Mr Rochester

“Mr. Revell and Jane smiled at each other as though they shared a secret. And his smile, always like a falling star, seemed to drop through Jane’s eyes into her heart.”

At first blush, a slim assortment of parlor dramas.
Nevertheless, every story here is a pearl, delivering an emotional punch.

“Violet” is the new maid in the household. She is not a witch, nor is she magical, yet she can “see”. Meaning, when so inclined, Violet can predict, can foretell, long before others.

Lisby is the quiet sister, pale beside sister Charlotte’s flashy ways, opinionated manners, and swarm of suitors. In “The Little Willow”, Lisby encounters a kindred spirit, one whom Charlotte decides to add to her conquests because – well – because Charlotte gets what Charlotte wants.

A sensitive sort, Gerard is shipped to Penorth to plant new conifers. An outsider, distant, he catches the eyes of several local females. Chloe seems beguiled, he seems smitten by her beauty, possibly they could make an agreeable pair. Carlotta, however, thoughtful, intellectually curious Carlotta, is more his match, and both Gerard and Carlotta recognize each other deeply. Fate in this one, “What Must Be, Shall Be”, proves a ruthless force.

Many of these stories read like late Jane Austen. Female protagonists akin to Anne Elliot (“Persuasion”), silently observing and navigating amid narcissists.
A delightful find that Janeites should investigate.

Slaughter Hotel - 1971 - 6/10
AKA - La Bestia Uccide a Sangue Freddo

Posh spa for neurotic females is terrorized by a psychopath wearing a mask and cape.
Weapons of death include a dagger, sword, battle axe.
Said weapons are in the lounge where patients sip cocktails with nurses and doctors.
Oh, yeah, there’s also an iron maiden in the lounge. Three guesses if it gets used.
What’s wrong with these affluent females?
One is a nymphomaniac (takes her clothes off frequently).
One is a lesbian (takes her clothes off around another female).
One is frigid to her husband (in the hospital, she falls for the ever-cute doctor, Klaus Kinski).
Half decent Giallo, incompetently directed, looks to have been edited by a pet goat.

The Black Shield Of Falworth - 1954 - 6/10

Once familiar staple of late night reruns, less so nowadays.
Peasant siblings Myles and Meg are, unbeknownst to them, actually royalty.
Titles stripped, lands seized, all from treachery.
Now the villain has malevolent designs on the king himself.
Luckily, a loyal noble starts secretly training Myles for knighthood.
Gorgeous Technicolor splash boasts costumes and swords, and excellent support.
Tony Curtis, with his Bronx honk, is miscast, though he was a mega star at this time.

Help! - 1965 - 6/10

Ringo receives a priceless ruby ring from an adoring fan.
Ordered to return the ring, or become the next blood sacrifice to a Kali cult.
The Beatles second feature is a silly spoof of – I dunno what.
Cartoonish, goofy comedy, the lads even look bored (they were actually stoned).
The script bears much of the blame, as the sharp wit from the first film is missing.
Nevertheless, the musical numbers are outstanding! The last of the “Invasion” sound.
Film remains empty-headed fun, golden nostalgia for those with long memories.

Ichi The Killer - 2001 - 6/10
AKA - Koroshiya 1 / /殺し屋1

Early Miike movie that broke him to a larger audience.
Fanboys already knew him from Fudoh, and earlier titles, the arthouse crowd from Audition.
Wildly inventive yakuza story boasts lakes of splatter, sick humor, and memorable villains.
The “plot” is much too convoluted (perhaps they were unable to condense the manga).
As with so many Miike flicks, the opening act is ballistic, chased with an overlong idle stretch.
If curious, if you have a stomach for brutality and gore, the Japanese cut is the way to go.

The Taste Of Things - 2023 - 7/10
AKA - La Passion de Dodin Bouffant

Not exclusive to gourmands, for pretty close.
Almost dialogue free for the first twenty minutes as Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) prepares an elaborate meal for Dodin and his fellow gourmands.
A romantic relationship dances about, yet the culinary side definitely predominates.
Leisurely paced, with scenes of preparation, followed with conversations of the fare.
These are “day long” affairs, course after course, leaving this viewer somewhat exhausted.
Adult tonic to juvenile foodie culture. Those to whom food is “so yummy”.
Side story of a young epicure who seeks apprenticeship could make a possible sequel.

Warriors Of The Future - 2022 - 6/10
AKA - Ming yat zin gei // 明日战记

Earth reels from wars, environmental devastation, toxic air.
A giant meteorite slams into B-16 (Asia somewhere), and a giant, water hungry plant emerges.
Heavy rains are forecast, humanity is at stake, who do you call?
Yes, the marines, or Air Combat Unit.
Mix of tropes here. From shooter games, to Aliens (even a Newt), to the bug hunt.
Conspiracy stuff, too.
If you want A-C-T-I-O-N, this boasts lots of full screen splatter and it does not overstay.
Veggie brain fun, although it appears Beijing heavily censored this one.

Rock On Fire - 1994 - 6/10
AKA - Girl On Fire // Ji mi zhong an zhi zhi ming you huo // 机密重案组之致命诱惑

Strap in, or strap on, this Hong Kong Cat III is one nasty piece of work.
A gun deal has blown up, owing to an impulsive cop.
Arms went with one middleman, money with the other.
Police want them, so do the top gangsters involved.
As do a brother / sister hit team from Japan.
That’s the bare bones of an almost incoherent story.
In between, there is a ton of sex. Consensual, misogynist, brutish.
The female hitwoman is a black widow. Mounting, mating, murdering.
Some jaw dropping fights, including one between backhoes,
Still, cops or no cops, the hit team own the film. Mikie Ng Miu Yee should have had a career.

The Arsenal Stadium Mystery - 1939 - 6/10

Enroute to the big match, an argument in the car. Bombshell and the striker.
Lovers tiff? Hardly. She’s met someone … with money.
Hour later, in the second half, look who drops dead on the pitch.
Heart failure? Broken heart? Or was it murder?
Scotland Yard arrives (a breezy Leslie Banks), while teammates evade answers.
Yes, female trouble lies at the root of this quick paced mystery.
Interspersed with football shenanigans.
Wet Saturday film.

Lovecraft, HP - Little Silver Book Of Supernatural Stories

Minimalist introduction to Lovecraft is a clever one.
Nine stories here, selected and edited by HPL scholar ST Joshi.
Most are early, fledgling tales, clearly showing influences of Poe, Blackwood, Machen.

“Dagon” and “Nyarlathotep” both hint at outside forces, with perhaps cults or underlying agencies.

The backwoods lead to treasures best left undisturbed in “The Picture In The Picture In The House” as well as “The Festival”.

“He” transplants many of the same themes to Gotham, “The Hound” likewise from England.

The longest, “The Call Of Cthulhu”, Joshi saves for last, and is a tour de force. In countless collections and anthologies – rightfully so – this remains an enjoyable reread. Lovecraft masterfully weaves separate narratives, hints, whispered blasphemies, journals and ship’s logs, tightening them into a monstrous finale.

Joshi’s introduction on HPL is succinct and useful. Joshi’s editing is impeccable.

Agatha And The Limitless Readings - 1981 - 7/10
AKA - Agatha et Les Lectures Illimitées

Sister and brother, both early 30’s, rendezvous at an empty seaside hotel for, perhaps, the last time.
The site where, in their teens, they first “saw” the other, and developed passionate feelings.
Feelings seem mixed. Neither guilt, nor regret, simply sorrow at the imminent parting.
Dialogue propels the narrative. Theatrical, arch, stilted, akin to poetry.
The siblings are rarely shown. Photography lingers on waves, skies, horizons, the beach.
I imagine we ought to consider the tide of memory, surging, shifting, receding.
Not for all tastes, but if one is patient, quite patient, and able to listen, this is deeply rewarding.

The Avengers: S04 - 1966 - 6/10

First season after the departure of Cathy Gale (the formidable Honor Blackman).
This marks the beginning of the Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) era, but is likely NOT the Emma fans think of.
Peel is less intimidating than Gale, more kittenish, more deferential to Steed.
In most episodes, she requires manly rescuing.
Late, very late in the season, Rigg must have asserted herself, and by “The House That Jack Built”, Peel is the cool, calculating partner fans think of.

The series, however, is becoming campy, playful. Not silly, but clearly heading that way.
“A Sense Of History” makes an interesting example. Robin Hood, arrows, murders, yet a late chance to see vintage Steed, ruthless and a brawler.

Please reread 15 MaF’s very first post, which says to send a PM.
15 MaF does not frequent this thread very much.

And - if possible - boost your post count.
Don’t just request all the time, participate on various threads.
OT is vast, with countless topics.
Don’t be a tourist, participate.

Supervixens - 1975 - 5/10

Russ Meyer nonsense / followup to Vixen (1969), lacks the former’s bite.
Clint works at the gas station, where he probably reeks of gasoline and oil.
No matter, he is ab-so-lutely irresistible to local ladies.
His sexually demanding and insatiable wife, Super Angel.
Persistent customer, Super Lorna, of the pendulous orbs.
In due course, the gasboy meets Super Soul, Super Cherry, I forget who else, all “Super”.
Copious nudity, unrestrained sex, barely a plot as Meyer edged ever closer to hardcore porn.
Trivia: This is where Meyer lured Charles Napier out of retirement and into a long Hollywood career.