Vultural

Cast A Giant Shadow - 1966 - 5/10

Ex-US officer Mickey Marcus is enticed to organize the fledgling Israeli Army in 1948.
Soldiers are untrained and ill-equipped, surrounded on all sides by hostile nations.
From the onset, a series of clichés, head-scratching decisions, distracting cameos.
Kirk Douglas fine as Marcus, yet he leaves his pregnant wife (Angie Dickenson),
Extended cameos include John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Yul Brynner (after while I quit looking).
Film is overlong, short on action, bloated with romance, and in general a muddle.

Joan Baez: I An A Noise - 2023 - 6/10

Perplexing documentary of the legendary folk singer will be for dedicated and knowledgeable audiences.
Mind you, it touches the bases, if briefly. Childhood, early fame, Dylan, marriage, endless touring.
The whole folkie scene of the 60’s? What was that?
Rolling Thunder? Mentioned, unexplained. Renaldo And Clara, what’s that?
Over and over, the focus is of Baez as victim, as insecure, as neurotic.
Much is given to her hypnosis therapy sessions and the unearthing of buried memories.
Even she admits many of those may be false memories, which diminishes the factuality of the doc.
Unless you are a snoopy voyeur, stick with her Wiki page. This is a missed opportunity.

The Rose - 1979 - 6/10

By any other name, this rose is a watered down version of Janis Joplin.
Sex, drugs and rock n roll, of a burned out singer, who needs a break, but loves adulation.
Some good music numbers amidst narcissistic and self destructive behavior.
Midler has real chops in this, and yet the film seems to wallow in the depressive business.
Speaking of business, Alan Bates terrific as the manager, smart, calculating, relentless.
Photography has a sleazy look, which seems completely appropriate.
Those familiar with Joplin’s story will see how much was lifted wholesale.
I cannot praise Midler enough in this, probably her finest role.

Funny Face - 1957 - 7/10

The fashion magazine arrives in a trendy bookshop (Greenwich Village).
Models amidst “intellect” (books). Recall Playmates wanting to be engineers or rocket scientists.
Afterward, the photographer stays behind to assist employee Jo repair the shambles.
Sparks generate, then a song, then off to fashion center of the world – Paris.
Gershwin numbers, dancing by a superlative Audrey Hepburn, amidst haute couture.
Splashy Hollywood romance is an enjoyable spectacle.
If – IF – you can overlook the Fred Astaire / Audrey Hepburn age discrepancy.

The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers - 1946 - 7/10

Martha, Walter, and Sam clutched a secret from childhood.
Martha and Walter married, became power brokers in their town. Sam drifted.
Until Sam quietly returns, and blackmail, which had been an undercurrent, grows stronger.
Film bears more Melodrama than Noir, although the mystery and suspense hold up.
Van Heflin lacks the oomph for his part, Stanwyck is spot on and outstanding as usual.
Judith Anderson steals the early film as the domineering, terrifying Mrs. Ivers.
Kirk Douglas screen debut, and a rare chance to see him play a wuss.

Species - 1995 - 6/10

OK … so … everyone has their guilty pleasures.
Know-it-all scientists make interstellar contact!
Our friendly aliens (think “Zanti Misfits”) share their DNA code, persuade gullible humans to splice with human DNA.
What could go wrong?
The hybrid escapes and, driven by reproductive urges, steers towards the big city.
Empty-headed film, with pretensions toward depth, is for fans of Giger and Natasha Henstridge.
As believable as crafting a Human + A I hybrid. You read that here first.

The Flight Of The Phoenix - 1965 - 6/10

Sturdy yarn of desert survival.
A sandstorm knocks down a plane over the Sahara carrying oil workers: riggers, scientists, engineers.
Miles from civilization, off traffic routes, food and water running low.
Most of these are alpha males so there are plenty of pissing contests.
Eventually, the immortal phrase, “the gods help those who help themselves,” and the men rally themselves.
Akin to other big cast ensembles {The Magnificent Seven (1960) or The Great Escape (1963)}, although this suffers from poor momentum.
Although book-ended by action, much of the film observes the men sweat, suffer and argue.

Snafu - 2023 - 6/10

Two enforcers are primed to enter the thief’s lair.
The culprit stole large, and the boss ordered the men to retrieve it.
As always, the guy says he don’t know nuthin from nuthin.
Short of a classic screwup and a guy who’s in the wrong place.
Dark comedy is full Noir, laced with profanity and obscenity.

Good - 2022 - 7/10

1933, Hitler is elected Reich Chancellor
Professor Halder is easing the concerns of his Jewish friend, Maurice.
The Nazis will never last, the capitalists will never see to it, citizens will turn.
Meanwhile, Halder deals with his mother, recently blind, helpless.
There is his idle wife, and an alluring young student.
A writer, critic, Halder’s works have caught the eye of Dr. Goebbels, and his boss.
His path soon becomes one of self preservation, self justification, persecution, complicity.
Concludes with Kristallnacht.
Powerful three person show, resonate in any era where citizens anoint a messiah to solve problems.

Illicit Desire - 1973 - 6/10
AKA - Feng Liu Yun Shi // 風流韻事

Stories of greed and possessiveness.
Below, a spy for the emperor arrives at the monastery.
The ruler covets a legendary scroll, the monk pleads it does not exist.
Gamesmanship ensues, amidst false smiles and quiet boasts.

In the second story, the manor lord frequently sends his retainers on lengthy travels.
Invariably, he dispatches those with attractive wives or girlfriends
Most alluring are those with the smallest feet.
The lord has a fetish for tiny feet, along with bedroom ropes and marking tools.

The next story mixes crafty fortune tellers, cow rustling and laxatives (!!).
Last, and the most risqué, boasts topless beauties, hiding men, bathing, peeping.
Nonetheless, all seem meandering bores, albeit beautiful period dramas.

Abigail - 2024 - 6/10

The heist goes off without a hitch; that’s kinda the last thing that goes right.
Cause the heist, well more of kidnapping actually, of a little girl worth …
$50 million in ransom, right? Until the crew learn who the father is.
Crime flick capers about between ballet moves and bloody deaths.
Buckets of gore in black humor comedy.
Horror with pointe choreography. Chose your weapons carefully.

Mirage - 1965 - 6/10

The building suffers a blackout, and David is trying to make his way out.
Down the stairs, he meets a woman who seems to know him, then runs.
He loses her, loses his way, wanders to his New York apartment.
A thug tires to kill him, then another.
Before long, David realizes he doesn’t know who he is, or what he had been doing for two years.
Yes, the dread disease of Noir and Mystery – amnesia!
Fine thriller, well paced, laced with conspiracy.
Peck gives his usual stone faced performance, many of the sets seem flat and cheap looking.

The Nickel-Hopper - 1926 - 6/10

Mabel tries to fend off a pushy masher (Boris Karloff).
She’s a 2 1/2 ¢ a dance hostess (not a dime a dance) in a feverish club.
Oliver Hardy plays a raucous Jazz drummer, and the club is a peek into the Roaring 20’s.
Awash with money, speculation, giddy with dreams, America on the cusp of Depression.
Charming film. Mabel had one more year of movies in her tank, followed by the reckoning.
Plagued by scandals, misfortune, and ill health, she would die in 1930.

Ackroyd, Peter - London: The Biography

Sprawling, 801 page, history of London. Not UK, not Britain, not England.
London.
From prehistoric times to 2000 (publication date of my copy).
There is a lot here, too much, in fact, to comment on.
While very readable, this is not a book to slog through.
My strategy was to read 100 pages, end at a chapter, then put it away for a month.
Target readers would be those who “know” London, have traipsed around the city plenty of times, and like being there.
Believe it or not, I have met several individuals who have been to London and disliked it.
It was too expensive, overcrowded, noisy, confusing, overwhelming.
Yes, all true. Whatever.
Like I said, this if for those who love cities, and possess a fondness for London.

Drama Queen - 2024 - 6/10

“Look at this mess. It’s going to leave a stain.”
She meets the man of her dreams, puts a binding spell on him, only that does not work.
Never, ever, underestimate the persistence and ingenuity of a determined female (boy, do I know).
And if she is messed up, heaven help you.
Horror romance that soon goes so wrong, and so gory.

Five Easy Pieces - 1970 - 7/10

Oil rigger Bobby works the fields, rolls with buddy Elton, sashays with Rayette.
Elton gets arrested, Rayette is preggers, Bobby goes to visit his sister in Los Angeles.
Film grows into a contrast of class, which Americans don’t like to consider.
Bobby, once upon a time, was Robert, promising Classical pianist.
While he fled that upper class world, its pressures and anxieties, he cannot escape the baggage.
Baggage being his family, along with Rayette, a simple soul with whom he has nothing in common.
More of an arthouse hit, Nicholson searing as the wayward son, trapped between conformist worlds.
Karen Black likewise outstanding as Rayette, not white trash, merely an ignorant innocent.

Once A Thief - 1991 - 6/10
AKA - Chung hang sei hoi // 縱橫四海

Three high-end thieves are asked to steal a painting in France.
Security guards, state-of-the-art tech protect, along with a curse.
A John Woo film, there is action galore.
Nevertheless, this is a very playful film, tongue in cheek, as if Woo is parodying his own films.
Cast helmed by Chow Yun Fat and Leslie Cheung.
Released during the Chinese New Year this was meant to be fun entertainment.
Lest you think Woo was going soft, this was followed by Hard Boiled.

Journey To The Center Of The Earth - 1959 - 7/10

University prof and his student assistant, discover a path to the Earth’s core via a volcano vent.
They hire a guide, Hans, along with his duck, and a tag-along, the widow of a previous explorer.
Rival explorers in stealthy pursuit.
This is an ideal adventure film, perfectly cast, fantastic shots inside Carlsbad Caverns.
Science is spotty, yet one gets the sense of being along on a discovery.
There were several Jules Verne adaptations around this time, this is one of the finest.
This is also a timeless family film, safe for most children.

Day Of The Triffids - 1963 - 6/10

I dunno. Most folks use weed killer or a whacker, but I suppose a flamethrower works.
A spectacular meteor shower leaves over 90% of humanity blind.
There were also spores, which grow into huge carnivorous plants.
That can move! That fine dine on people!

A sliver of humankind were spared, undergoing eye surgery, caving, bored by astronomy.
Between masses of desperate folks and pesky sunflowers on steroids, they got their own problems.
The story zeroes in on the survivors, my preferred being the bristling, alcoholic lighthouse keeper.
I have always found the black and white version more sinister, eerier.

Body And Soul - 1947 - 7/10

Yeah, sucker, the fix is in.
Troublesome youth turns his boxing prowess into a career.
The boxing world, however, proves as crooked as a dog’s hind leg.
John Garfield is a powerhouse as the ambitious, flawed fighter.
He is enmeshed with good souls and schemers.
True to life, villains dominate ringside and behind the scenes.
Must-see Noir, although over the years, I increasingly disbelieve the ending.

The Crime Is Mine - 2023 - 6/10
AKA - Mon Crime

Splendid homage / pastiche / satire of lush melodramas of the 1940’s.
Struggling actress Madeleine stands accused of murdering a lecherous theatrical producer.
She has a strong alibi, the prosecution’s case is riddled with discrepancies.
And yet … murder is such good publicity.
As a comedy, this repeatedly brushes against silly.
Few characters display intelligence.
Isabelle Huppert appears late in a flamboyant role.
Fans of Ozun know this director and know he releases goofy stories periodically.

Godzilla: Minus One - 2023 - 7/10
AKA - Gojira -1.0 // ゴジラ-1.0

A film that countless fans have been waiting for.
Post World War II, Tokyo is rubble and shantytowns.
Ex-pilot Shikishima forms a family with Noriko and orphan Akiko.
Shikishima suffers postwar guilt, and memories of a giant, legendary monster.
This backstory is lengthy, but provides characters one can follow.
For halitosis breath soon reappears, and it is a one-dimensional force.
Acolytes of Method acting, what is Godzilla’s motivation?
It just destroys stuff, why? On the whole planet, only humans do that for no reason.
Action is first rate and old school. Even the tactics try to make sense.

Swinburne, Algernon - Lesbia Brandon

A messy novel, and an exasperating read.
Unpublished for being deemed pornographic, what remains appears fragmentary a rough draft.
The subject of the book is not Lesbia, but Herbert. Lesbia is hardly in the book; Swinburne never gave the novel a title. One was applied later, doubtless to provoke middle-class sensibilities.

Initial chapters pertain to Herbert’s private education and discipline from an exacting tutor. Swinburne relishes the switching, flogging, birching, at length, of the young lad, more to break his spirit, akin to breaking a horse.
Instead of a caning, this section needs a severe editorial pruning. It comes across as excessive and self-indulgent.

Another lengthy traipse involves a dinner party with young Herbert, his sister, her husband, and their gentry friends and neighbors. Conversations spiral about, heavily sprinkled with French and Latin, and fail to serve the narrative.

Point is, there is scant narrative at all. Swinburne marshals ideas, descriptions and dialogue, but is unable to harness these, let alone array into a cohesive whole.

Mind you, so much of this is gloriously written. “Turris Eburnea” is a deliriously scathing chapter on Leonora Harley, sensuous and beautiful, who could neither spell nor think, and deserved more pages than she was allotted.

There is a haunting death near the end of another character who should have received far, far more of Swinburne’s prodigious imagination.

Fans of the author, and of florid Victorian literature, should throw caution to the wind and get a copy of the latest edition.

No Way Out - 1973 - 6/10
AKA - Tony Arzenta (Big Guns)

Under looked crime story mixes Noir with Euro-Crime.
The late assignment came on the day of his son’s birthday.
Afterward, Tony wants out, wants to be a father, not a mob assassin.
His boss will see what he can do, but Tony knows too much.
Syndicate heads from Sicily, Italy, Copenhagen, opt to retire him permanently.
Only the hit goes terribly wrong, whereupon Tony begins a string of vengeance.
Alain Delon, Richard Conte, Anton Diffring bolster a macho cast.
Plenty of chases, beatings, torture, while most speak from the sides of their mouths.
Viewers of Poliziotteschi should enjoy.

Dead Man’s Chest - 1965 - 5/10

Reporters David and Johnny concoct a fake kidnapping to create “a story”.
Johnny, inside a steamer trunk, is in a van when said van is stolen by gangsters.
The van is used in a robbery, the trunk is missing, and for Johnny, time is ticking.
Neither his editor nor the coppers believe David (he is a reporter, after all).
Breezy Edgar Wallace is too lightweight on mystery and comedy.
Fans of later British telly will have a field day spotting future stars (eg: Inspector Morse).