Dead of Night (1974)

AKA: Deathdream

Director: Bob Clark

Writer: Alan Ormsby

Composer: Carl Zittrer

Starring: John Marley, Lynn Carlin, Richard Backus, Henderson Forsythe, Anya Ormsby, Jane Daly, Michael Mazes, Arthur Anderson

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Andy's coming home...

Plot: A young man killed in Vietnam inexplicably returns home as a zombie.

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again?  Nah.

This was a nice transition for director Bob Clark from his fun-titled CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS (1972) and his genre-defining horror classic, BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974).  John Marley leads the cast as Charles Brooks, the father of Andy (Backus), the Vietnam soldier who comes home after being killed in the war.  So Andy comes back and he's not himself but with reasons.  It's a nicely made picture on how war can change a person.  Andy clearly has PTSD (even though it wasn't recognized as such until years later but the affects of the war were very clear) but this is a social commentary movie disguised as a horror film so he's got something else going on that is very, very bizarre and wrong.  Not only is this a well-made picture from its look and pacing, the acting is very good. The makeup effects by Tom Savini (in his first year in pictures) is great.  It far into the film that you see any of Andy's 'problems' but when you do it's jarring and cool.  The ending is great from the car chase that ends with a car slamming into large iron gates to the few minutes until the close of the film.  This is a good low-budget Canadian horror film that's made better than most of the era.  It's also worth watching to see what Clark was up to that led to his making BLACK CHRISTMAS which would change the face of cinematic horror for decades.

Laura (1944)

Director: Otto Preminger

Writers: Vera Caspary, Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, Elizabeth Reinhardt

Composer: David Raksin

Starring: Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The story of a love that became the most fearful thing that ever happened to a woman!

Plot: A police detective falls in love with the woman whose murder he is investigating.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again?  Yes.

When I last saw this twenty-five plus years ago, I didn't get how this was considered a classic (and one of the best) of the film noir genre.  Sure, there's a murder and the culprit is probably a jealous lover but it's missing some of the other staples you expect and get from the other greats of the era like a femme fatale and lots of ominous shadows and seedy people and places.  This picture is almost entirely brightly lit and there's not a single bad news dame.  Watching it now, I still got the same feeling but I'm watching it with older, wiser and much more well-rounded eyes so I'm starting to get it.  I at least think it's a fantastic film and I can understand why it's so great but I'll continue to struggle a little with the whole noir classic part. 

The cast is fantastic.  It's neat seeing Vincent Price as a charming whore and man, oh, man is that dude tall.  I knew he was 6'4" but I'd never really noticed like I do in this picture on how he towers above the rest of the cast and some of the shots have him standing in the background.  Clifton Webb owns every scene he's in.  I can't see anyone else but him in that role.  It's one case where The Academy Awards got it right by giving him the Oscar for Best Supporting Role for this picture.   The other actor that got my attention and grabbed me was Judith Anderson who plays a wealthy, and older, socialite, Ann Treadwell.  She's got the hots for Shelby (Price) but Shelby wants to spend his carnal time with hotter, younger rich broads.  Her best moment is when she's straight up with another character to leave Shelby because he's a whore dog who is accustomed to a certain lifestyle and he's a bad news serial slut.  She should know, she continues, because she likes being shit on.  It's a great moment.  Her candor is cold but content in knowing her place and his.  David Raksin's score is famous for a reason.  He wrote one hell of a tune.  You may find yourself getting a little tired of hearing it because it's all throughout the film in various pop arrangements and orchestrations but you should find comfort in knowing that it made him a very wealthy man and he surely loved the residual checks it brought him for the next sixty years!  If only I could have an evergreen like that.

Mach 2 (2000)

Director: Fred Olen Ray

Writer: Steve Latshaw

Composers: David Wurst, Eric Wurst

Starring: Brian Bosworth, Shannon Whirry, Michael Dorn, Cliff Robertson, Bruce Weitz, Andrew Stevens, Robert Pine, David Hedison, Jennifer Hammon, John Putch, Charles Cyphers

More info: IMDb

Tagline: The fate of a nation rests on the courage of one man.

Plot: A Presidential candidate running against the Vice-President plans a trip to the Balkans to negotiate the release of American servicemen being held hostage. Before he leaves, he receives a disk documenting evidence that the Vice-President has been trying to revive the American economy by causing a war in the Balkans. He plans to show it to both sides in the hopes of ending the situation. However, Secret Service agents hijack the Concorde he is on and kill the pilots. It's up to an Air Force officer, nicknamed "Washout" because he can't fly a plane, to land the Concorde.

My rating: 5/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

This average direct-to-video low budget flick delivers what you'd expect judging by the DVD cover.  It's dumb but it's also kind of entertaining because of the how much dumb there is.  But I bet you not one person involved with this picture had any delusions it was going to be anything greater.  Bosworth fans might be disappointed.  Most of the picture is spent on the play and there's only one fist fight.  If you're looking for a 94 minute mindless action thriller where some of the cast are just thrilled to be in front of a camera then this is an option.  The director, Ray, has amassed over 150 director credits over the past 40 years.   Think about that for a second.  He's managed to direct an average of 4 movies a year and he's still going strong.  He must be doing something right.  I wouldn't mind a career like that.

When the Daltons Rode (1940)

Director: George Marshall

Writers: Harold Shumate, Emmett Dalton, Jack Jungmeyer

Composer: Frank Skinner

Starring: Randolph Scott, Kay Francis, Brian Donlevy, George Bancroft, Broderick Crawford, Stuart Erwin, Andy Devine, Frank Albertson, Mary Gordon

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Wanted dead or alive screamed the nation when the Daltons rode.

Plot: Fictionalized story of how the Dalton brothers were wronged by a crooked development company and became outlaws when the corrupt local courts offered them no justice.

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again?  Probably not.

I thought this was going to be some below average B-picture that I'd quickly forget but nope, it's actually quite good.  I've seen a few of Randolf Scott's Westerns but none where he's action-less.  He punches a guy early in the film and for a good reason but that's about it.  He never touches a gun and in the one fight he gets in (in the last few minutes of the picture), his ass is handed to him and he's knocked cold until the end.  That was a big surprise (Scorethefilm removes his hat and lowers his head out of respect for Mr. Scott).  But hokey smokes!  Look at that cast!  The first third of the film has very little action and it's all background so you know why the Daltons did what they did along with those left behind like Tod (Scott) and Julie (Francis) who fall in love despite her being engaged to one of the Daltons.  That first third or so is very deceiving because suddenly, thanks to the Dalton boys being on the lam, shit starts happening, folks get robbed and good guys start gettin' killed. 

There's a wild sequence where the boys leap off a rocky ledge and onto a fast-moving train.  One by one they jump and it's really happening in front of you.  I was actually worried something bad might happen but they pulled it off without edits.  It's done in such a way that all five are stuntmen but you can't tell because their faces are nicely obscured just enough but each of the five men execute their jumps in succession and in one take.  Minutes later they get off the still fast-moving train on horses!  As soon as the boys got the idea to leap from the train on horseback I was worried again but this time it was for the horses.  Four of them land on ground and the fifth into a river, well below the train.  It's horrifying to think if any of the horses were injured (or if the one leaping into the river far below even died).  Regardless, these stunt-fueled scenes made the picture much more exciting.  The acting is surprisingly very good.  Andy Devine can get a little annoying sometimes but he's got his moments of funny.  I find he's better being used sparingly but I do like him a lot.  I don't want to upset the Devine estate by implying otherwise.  They'll probably send the Comedic Relief Sidekick Mafia after my ass.  I'm sure there's very little truth to any of this picture involving the real Daltons but it's a fun film nevertheless.  Director George Marshall had a long and wonderful career in Hollywood and he made a lot of good picture. Very few of his pictures would be considered classics but he was certainly a solid director who stayed incredibly busy until his death. 

St. Ives (1976)

Director: J. Lee Thompson

Writers: Ross Thomas, Barry Beckerman

Composer: Lalo Schifrin

Starring: Charles Bronson, John Houseman, Jacqueline Bisset, Maximilian Schell, Harry Guardino, Harris Yulin, Dana Elcar, Michael Lerner, George Memmoli, Dick O'Neill, Elisha Cook Jr., Daniel J. Travanti, Jeff Goldblum, Robert Englund

More info: IMDb

Tagline: He's got a half-finished novel in his typewriter. $100,000 bucks in a bag. And everyone in town on his tail.

Plot: A crime novelist is hired by a shady character to negotiate the return of stolen confidential documents.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

#64 on Project: Badass Charles Bronson

BRONSON'S AGE: 55
LEVEL OF BADASSICITY (10 being the highest): 7

Now you know how much I digs me some Bronson but this is one picture where he's not quite a great fit for the role but he's still good.  Seeing him play this but not as a badass cop is a little weird.  It's also odd that no one, and I mean NO ONE, calls him by any other name than his last name, St. Ives, and that's bizarre to hear over and over.  That's probably the worst thing about this picture and it's far from a deal killer.  The movie is good but not great.  Bronson fans might be disappointed at how little action there is.  It's not one of those Bronson on the loose, offing mofos with his high calibre fists and arsenal of weapons but there's enough there to leave you wanting for more.  The cast alone makes it worth watching.  Even if you don't know the names you'll recognize a lot of faces. There's a scene where three hoods (appropriately named Hood #1, 2 and 3) try to dispense of Bronson.  One of them is played by Jeff Goldblum and another by Robert Englund.  Hood #2 is played by Mark Thomas who you might know as D.C. Reporter from THE HAPPY HOOKER GOES TO WASHINGTON (1977) and Agent with Red Hat from ROLLERCOASTER (1977).  I wouldn't mind having acting credits like that.  Director, and longtime friend and working partner with Bronson, J. Lee Thomson did a fine making this flick.  I liked it enough but not so much that I'll probably ever watch it again.  Bronson made many more entertaining pictures that deserve, no make that demand, re-views.

Jaws of Satan (1981)

AKA: King Kobra

Director: Bob Claver

Writers: James Callaway, Gerry Holland

Composer: Roger Kellaway

Starring: Fritz Weaver, Gretchen Corbett, Jon Korkes, Norman Lloyd, Diana Douglas, Bob Hannah, Nancy Priddy, Christina Applegate, John McCurry

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Something you wouldn't dare to imagine is alive!

Plot: A preacher whose ancestors were cursed by Druids battles Satan, who has taken the form of a huge snake.

My rating: 5.5/10

Will I watch it again?  No.

This isn't all that bad.  It's smacks of being a JAWS (1975) clone but with snakes and, uh, Satan.  That was different.  The acting runs the gamut of bad to good to better than what this film deserves but overall it's just an OK horror picture that doesn't get boring or overstay its welcome.  That's the good thing about this is that I was surprised it didn't take a trip to Dullsville and stay the night.  It comes close, though.  They got creative when it came to when to use real snakes and when to bring in the phony ones.  Using Desoto Caverns in Childersburg, Alabama for the big finale was great.  I just visited there a year ago.  It's OK.  There are far better caves in the region.  The problem with Desoto Caverns is all you have access to is the one large room.  The owners are super Christian and it shows in their tour.  If you've never been to a cave then you'll dig it but you won't if you've gone to some good ones.  I found it a moderate wast of $25.  But I'm not here to talk about some tarted up whore of a cave.  There's a wasted opportunity when one character steps into a tub where there's a large deadly snake in the back.  The camera is on the front of the tub showing the woman's lower legs and feet and then she slowly steps back to eventually reveal that the snake disappeared and it's slithering in another room.  There was very little suspense.  A better way to handle that would be to cut away just before we would see the snake, have her slip a little and scream as she falls a bit.  Then show us the snake isn't there.  And there's the tease and promise of nudity but there isn't any.  The naughty bits are cleverly hidden by furniture and shit.  But I didn't make this picture, obviously; Bob Claver did.   This the only feature film he worked on.  He directed and produced  gobs and gobs of TV shows for almost 30 years.  So often it's painfully obvious when a predominately TV director makes a movie but not so much here and that's a good thing.  The Shout TV anamorphic widescreen print looks marvelous. 

Red Sparrow (2018)

Director: Francis Lawrence

Writers: Justin Haythe, Jason Matthews

Composer: James Newton Howard

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Ciaran Hinds, Joely Richardson, Bill Camp, Jeremy Irons, Thekla Reuten, Douglas Hodge

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Seductive. Deceptive. Deadly.

Plot: Dominika Egorova, a famous Russian prima ballerina for the renowned Bolshoi Ballet, sees her brilliant career end abruptly--and as a result--she is faced with a difficult decision when her shady uncle, Vanya Egorov, sends her to serve the State. Now, as a secret agent or, a Sparrow, Dominika after intensive training to learn how to use her body as a weapon to sexually manipulate prestigious targets, is recruited to make contact with CIA Agent, Nate Nash, to reveal the identity of his unknown Russian informant.

My rating: 8/10

Will I watch it again?  Yes.

I saw the trailer only once and I couldn't help but think this is the Marvel Black Widow origin story.  But then I saw it and that notion fell fast.  This movie is fantastic.  I loved it.  It is a well made picture in every department.  Lawrence's performance is quiet and reserved and that serves her character's deception well.  I didn't know where her loyalties lay until shortly before the end credits rolled.  The story is intriguing without being overly complicated but it's strength is playing to the danger and deceit.  I can see how people might be turned off to the length and deliberately slow pacing but I found it necessary to tell the story properly.  Every scene has a purpose and the character moments and actions serve the story.  Yeah, it's two hours and twenty minutes but every minute adds to the characters, their motivations and to the picture as a whole.  I wouldn't change any of it.  At first I was struck by how much time was spent with Dominika and her build up to becoming a Sparrow but as I got more into the picture I realized that there wasn't a wasted moment.  It's not an action filled spy thriller but there are moments when it's necessary like the knife fight in the final act.  It's brutal and everyone is getting cut.  I cringed a lot.  It's a beautifully shot film and it needs to be seen on the big screen.  It's only been out two weeks but with the speed at how fast movies leave these days unless it's making seriously large dollars, it's not likely to be around much longer.   I'm looking forward to spending more time with this one and I hope the Blu-ray is loaded with extras and a commentary.  I saw that the novel this is based on has two sequels.  I sincerely hope this picture does well enough that those that matter film them but I suspect, without having read them, that they might be more traditional spy thrillers than this one.