skjam

Detour (1945) dir. Edgar G. Ulmer

When we first meet Al Roberts (Tom Neal), he's hitchhiking east, unshaven, haunted-looking, and reacting badly to a jukebox song. That song used to mean something different, when he was a pianist in a small club, hoping for a break into the big time, and singer Sue Harvey (Claudia Drake) was his sweetheart. His memory flashes back, remembering how he got into this mess....

Neither Al nor Sue is getting better job offers in New York City, so she moves to Los Angeles in hopes of getting into the movies. Al tries to stick it out in the Big Apple for a while, but his emotional state deteriorates, so he decides to follow her. Problem is that he has no savings, so a plane or train ticket is out. Guess he'll have to go by hitchhiking.

Progress is slow, most people are only going to the next town over, and Al loses a few rides because he or the driver get sore. By the time he reaches Arizona, he's dead broke. That's when he's picked up by Charles Haskell, Jr. (Edmund MacDonald), who bears a faint resemblance to Al. At first, this seems like a lucky break. Haskell plans to go all the way to L.A., and needs to get there ASAP so he's willing to let Al spell him on driving. Haskell's a bit shady, admitting to being a bookie, but he's friendly seeming, and quite garrulous. He explains some nasty scratches on his wrist came from a female hitchhiker he picked up earlier, but that's nothing compared to his dueling scar.

Haskell's been popping pills, we never find out what kind. But eventually, he needs to sleep, and Al takes over driving through the night. At oh dark thirty, there's a sudden rainstorm, and Al decides to stop so he can put up the convertible's top. He tries to rouse Haskell, but the man is unresponsive. Al opens the passenger door, intending to move Haskell out of the way so the top can be raised. The other man falls out of the automobile and hits his head on a rock at the side of the road. If he wasn't already dead (quite possible), he's definitely dead now!

Al panics. He's sure the police won't believe his story that Haskell's death was entirely an accident. There's only one thing to do. Switch clothes and identification with the corpse, then hide it off the road. (Driver's licenses didn't have photographs back then, and the statistics listed match his own, so he figures he can get away with it, at least for a while.) Haskell had a decent amount of money in his wallet, so Al is able to stop at a motel, freshen up and sleep (restlessly) for a few hours.

He gets through a police checkpoint okay, and is starting to think he'll do okay. Al's confidence is boosted enough that when he sees an attractive woman needing a lift, he doesn't think twice about picking her up. Unfortunately, Vera (Ann Savage) just happens to have been the woman who have Haskell those scratches, having managed to catch another ride that got ahead of Al while he was sleeping. She almost immediately clocks that this is Charles Haskell's car, and those are Haskell's clothes, but Al isn't Haskell. She jumps to the entirely logical conclusion that Al robbed and murdered Haskell.

But Vera is no friend of the law. She sees...possibilities...in Al, and won't turn him in just yet, if he'll help her raise some cash, one way or another. Things aren't going to get any better for Al from this point on.

This immediately post-war film noir was made on a tiny budget--the car that most of the action takes around was the director's own personal automobile, and one of the outfits Vera wears belonged to the script clerk. There's a minimum of sets, very few stunts, and limited special effects. Al's piano-playing is closeups of the film score composer's hands. You can tell this was a Poverty Row picture. But that said, this is a very good movie for what it is.

It's very dark and pessimistic, as Al's options keep getting worse and worse, and Vera gets ever greedier. The runtime is short, making sure the movie doesn't outstay its welcome. The dialogue works well.

Some moments in the story don't quite make sense as presented, but since Al is the narrator, it's possible he's not telling the entire truth. The ending is ambiguous...up to the final shot which the Hays Code insisted had to be added. The script makes that work, mostly.

Content note: "Accidental" death. It's implied Haskell attempted unwanted sexual contact with Vera. Alcohol abuse. Some rough language, as bad as the Hays Code will allow.

This is a very good B-movie that is short enough to work as part of a double feature. Recommended to noir fans.

Current Music: white noise

Final Encounter (2000) dir. David Douglas. aka For the Cause

It is several centuries into the future. Two human colonies have been established on an Earth-like planet to get away from the constant wars on the mother world. Alas, Brecca and Obsidian eventually turned hostile to each other for reasons now lost to history, and the war between them has been going on for 99 years. Brecca is in rough shape. Its citizens are undernourished, and the attrition among soldiers is high. The recruitment age has been repeatedly dropped, so many of the soldiers are barely in their teens. While they still have advanced computer technology, the understanding of it is limited to specialized female operatives called "witches." Morale is at an all-time low, and the Brecca army spends most of its time fighting its own deserters and separatists. It's estimated that unless the Obsidian forces are somehow neutralized, Brecca will lose the war in a matter of months.

General Murran (Dean Cain) has a plan. There's an ancient superweapon codenamed "Warhammer" that supposedly would disable Obsidian's technology if detonated in their capital city, allowing Brecca to sue for peace from a position of strength. Twenty years ago, his father had attempted to invade Obsidian in strength, only to get almost all the troops with him killed, and the previous general either died or was captured. The components of Warhammer, which had been separated for security, fell into the hands of different factions. So, the components will need to be reassembled, and someone will have to sneak into Obsidian to deliver the device.

But this time, it will need to be an elite strike team led by General Murran himself. To join him, he selects Sutherland (Justin Whalin), the most loyal and effective soldier Brecca has left; Stoner (Trae Thomas), a more cynical heavy weapons expert; Abel (Jodi Bianca Wise), Brecca's top combat witch; and Layton (Michelle Krusiec), the next best available witch. Their first action is to rescue Evans (Thomas Ian Griffith), the only man who knows how to safely get through the Wall, a lost technology barrier that prevents ground assaults on Obsidian.

As the mission continues, the team suffers losses one by one. But is this just the normal casualties of war, or something more sinister?

This low-budget science fiction action film was released straight to video. Money was saved by shooting in Bulgaria, using affordable actors and using an in-house computer effects team.

Good: The producers of the film had a background in computer graphics, so the CGI effects are pretty good for the time, and there's an in-universe reason they look unnatural. The setup of the war is interesting, and Bulgaria stands in well for the alien planet.

Less Good: The dialogue is hokey, and the acting ranges from adequate to wooden. The ending is cheesy, and a subplot involving Abel's precocious little sister just kind of fizzles out offscreen.

Funny: Cain and Whalin had previously starred together as Clark Kent and Jimmy Olsen respectively in Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman which added a certain weirdness to their interactions in this movie.

Content note: Lots of lethal violence. A bone is broken in an unnatural way. A child is lured by an adult in a really creepy way (she's fine.)

This is one of those movies that isn't good, but not bad in a fun way. I found it on one of those multi-film sets at the discount store, and that's about the quality. Mildly recommended if you are interested in one of the actors.

Current Music: "Into the Light: Flower Into Kindness"--Jake Runestad

McLintock! (1963) dir. Andrew V. McLaglen

It is summer, 1895, and Elizabeth "Betsy" McLintock (Stefanie Powers) is coming home from college in the East to her hometown of McLintock, named after her father George Washington "G.W." McLintock (John Wayne). She has no idea what she's walking in to. G.W. and his wife Katherine "Kate" McLintock (Maureen O'Hara) have been separated for the last two years, and she's been hanging out as a socialite in the territory capital in the eastern part of the territory. Now that Betsy has graduated, the fiery-tempered Katherine has returned to the family ranch to seek a divorce and custody of their daughter.

And there's quite a bit more going on in McLintock. Recently a new crop of homesteaders arrived, lured by the prospect of "free" government land. Land agent Matt Douglas (Gordon Jones) is looking forward to all the transaction fees he'll be pocketing, and tries to preempt G.W.'s warning that the land parcels are unfit for farming by claiming that this is the usual cattlemen vs. settlers conflict. One young man, Devlin "Dev" Warren (Patrick Wayne), has already lost his chance at a parcel due to the death of his father, whose name the parcel was in. He asks G.W. for a ranch hand job, initially being turned down as the rancher doesn't hire "farmers", but persists when old-timer Bunny Dull (Edgar Buchanan) advises him not to be too proud to beg. He breaks down a bit when this works, but G.W. turns out to appreciate that proud streak. When G.W. discovers that Dev's mother Louise Warren (Yvonne De Carlo) is an excellent cook, he hires her as well, not really thinking about her good looks, but not minding them if you catch my drift.

Also on the train is Mr. Douglas' son, Matt Junior (Jerry Van Dyke), who's kind of a goofball and is sweet on Betsy. G.W. is very unimpressed with him, so Betsy allows the boy to court her out of contrariness. This doesn't sit well with Dev, who also takes a liking to Betsy, though the two don't get off on the right foot (Betsy shares quite a bit of her mother's temper.)

More dramatically, four Comanche chiefs have been released from confinement and also arrived on the train, though they had to ride in a cargo car. They include Chief Puma (Michael Pate), G.W's old arch-enemy and blood brother, and are met by members of their tribe including deadpan humorist Running Buffalo (John Stanley). Inept "Indian agent" Mr. Agard (Strother Martin) speaks no Comanche and knows nothing of their culture, but expects them to obey his orders. Including being deported from their current reservation to Fort Sill, Oklahoma so that they can be better controlled. This plan is endorsed by territorial governor Cuthbert H. Humphrey (Robert Lowery).

All these ingredients and a few more set to bubbling, and things come to a boil at the McLintock Fourth of July celebration.

This comedy-Western took its initial inspiration from William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, thus the female lead's name, and the now infamous spanking scenes which espoused that men should take firm physical measures to handle "unruly" women and that this would repair relationships.

Other script elements were introduced to feature John Wayne's personal interests. He'd disliked how racist his character was portrayed in The Searchers, so in this movie, G.W. is depicted as a good friend to the Comanche despite having been at war with them previously, and standing up for them against the inept federal government. Governor Humphrey was a direct shot at Minnesota senator Hubert H. Humphrey, whose politics and personality Wayne didn't like. (Though at this late date only people from Minnesota are likely to catch the reference.) There's even chess scenes reflecting John Wayne's fondness for the game.

Good: Some nice fist fights (the mud pit sequence is particularly good) and stunt work. A lot of the comedy hits. The treatment of Native Americans is very respectful for the time it was made.

Less good: The whole "spanking your woman is good for your relationship" thing. This sort of thing was already frowned upon in America by the time this movie was made, but Mr. Wayne thought modern society had gotten too soft on the subject. Plus, it was very much a callback to Shakespeare. People who are triggered by physical abuse may want to sit this one out.

G.W. is depicted as being basically right about absolutely everything, except when he's trying to be too "nice." This verges on excusing his jerk moments as just being kind of rude.

Content note: In addition to the issues already discussed, a bird dies on camera as part of hunting. While teenagers up should be okay, parents and other responsible adults may want to be ready for conversations about physical violence in a relationship.

Overall: This is a cracking good movie with some attitudes that haven't aged well. Recommended to Western fans with some caution.

Current Music: "Jesus, Etc"--Wilco

Spy Smasher (1942) dir. William Witney

Alan Armstrong (Kane Richmond) was an American journalist working in France when Germany invaded. Unable to stay neutral, Alan faked his own death so he could operate as freelance operative Spy Smasher. As our story opens, Spy Smasher is captured by the Gestapo, tortured and sentenced to death by firing squad. The execution is faked by Free French undercover operator Captain Pierre Durand (Frano Corsaro) so that Spy Smasher can get back to the United States with information on the Nazi plan to flood the U.S. with counterfeit money.

In America, Alan makes contact with his twin brother Jack (Kane Richmond), who is the special deputy to Admiral Corby (Sam Flint) who is the newly appointed head of Foreign Intelligence. Jack's also the sweetheart of the admiral's daughter and secretary Eve Corby (Marguerite Chapman). The twins decide to keep the return of Alan secret so that he can continue operating freely as Spy Smasher. Now it's time to defeat the many schemes of the top Gestapo agent in the U.S., the Mask (Hans Schumm)!

This 1942 Republic serial was loosely based on the Fawcett Comics character Spy Smasher. The most notable change from the comic book was giving Alan a twin brother. In the comics, Spy Smasher worked directly with Admiral Corby and was Eve's sweetie. Also interestingly, the Mask's mask is off most of the time, except when directly giving orders to his minions. It's not to conceal his identity as was often the case for main villains in serials.

This serial was written and shot before December 7, 1941, when the U.S. has very obviously chosen sides in World War II, but was still officially at peace. Thus it's a plot point in one of the chapters that the American government can't just attack agents of the German government. But by the time it came out in theaters, America was very much at war with Nazi Germany, which gave the serial a boost in popularity.

It also helped that Spy Smasher is one of Republic's best serials, with tight writing, excellent stunt work and special effects, and strong cliffhangers. One of those cliffhangers late in the run is considered especially notable for reasons that will be obvious when you come to it.

That said, there are repetitive bits, so this can wear on you if you are watching the three plus hours all in one sitting. Eve is the only notable female character, and she is locked out of the loop on what's going on with the twins, so doesn't get to do much for most of the story. On the other hand, the serial only resorts to having her kidnapped once, and she's shown as smart enough to leave a clue using her typing skills.

Another interesting bit is the Mask's main field agent, Drake (Tristram Coffin). He's a reporter for Oceanic Television News, a fledgling TV service. His gimmick is leaving the camera on when he leaves Admiral Corby's office so that he and the Mask can listen in on secret meetings. Of course, at the time American civilian television was restricted to a few thousand sets in the hands of the wealthy or eccentric, so the news service itself probably wasn't very successful.

After the war, Spy Smasher got renamed Crime Smasher and fought ordinary criminals, but this didn't last long. After DC bought Fawcett's character assets, they sat on them for over a decade, and by the time they started integrating them into their comics, Spy Smasher was a long-forgotten item used only for brief cameos. He did, however, get a cool appearance in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Patriot Act" and there was a legacy character running around in the comics a decade or so ago.

Oh, and the music's also nifty. The title theme is Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, to evoke the "V for Victory" meme of the time, and Spy Smasher's leitmotif references that, but it's not overused in the main body of the chapters.

If you're pressed for time or patience, you may want to try the edited down 1960s version Spy Smasher Returns (not a sequel despite the title). This is a rip-roaring good time with plenty of Nazi (and a few Vichy early on) punching.

Current Music: Dun-dun-dun DUUUUN

Tears of the Black Tiger (2000) dir. Wisit Sasanatieng

Dum (Chartchai Ngamsan) and Rumpoey (Stella Malucchi) first met as children, when her wealthy father was visiting his father's farm village. An encounter with a trio of bullies wound up with Dum being scarred and Rumpoey nearly drowned. Rather than find out what had happened, Dum was brutally punished by his father. As the boy was recovering, Rumpoey came by to give him a harmonica, and he silently came to watch her train pull out when her vacation was over.

They reconnected years later in Bangkok in school when Rumpoey recognized Dum by the harmonica he was playing. Unfortunately, the same trio of bullies, who'd also come to the school, accosted Rumpoey again. Dum easily won the ensuing fight, but the school officials took the bullies' side and expelled Dum. Rumpoey felt guilty about getting the boy she had always secretly loved in trouble again, and took him to a beach where they had a heart-to-heart talk. Dum admitted that he too had always loved her, but felt that the vast gap in their social status meant that he could never be with her. Rumpoey declared that she was willing to sacrifice her social standing to be with Dum, and they arranged to meet at a certain sentimental location on a future date.

When Dum returned home, he found the farmstead wrecked, most of his clan dead, and his father dying. This, his father said, was the work of the jealous Kong clan. Naturally, the police could do nothing, and it was up to Dum to avenge his clan and father. Except that in the process, he was joined by the notorious bandit Fai (Sombat Metanee), who'd owed Dum's father a favor for saving his life years before. The vengeance was completed, and Dum was inducted into Fai's gang of outlaws, the Tigers.

Problem is, Fai has a strict rule that anyone who betrays him, by, say, leaving the gang or informing on them, must die. So Dum couldn't leave the gang. His skills, bravery and integrity soon earned him the nickname Black Tiger, and he became Fai's right-hand man, to the jealousy of former right-hand man Mahesuan (Supakorn Kitsuwon). On the date that Dum was supposed to meet Rumpoey, he and Mahesuan are stuck on a mission to wipe out traitors to the gang. Dum bails as soon as the traitors are dead, but arrives too late; Rumpoey is already gone.

Meanwhile, Rumpoey's father has become provincial governor. Being the kind of man who never actually asks his daughter's opinion on anything, he's engaged her to ambitious Police Captain Kumjorn (Arawat Ruangvuth), who is so taken by Rumpoey's beauty that he's utterly failed to notice how cold she is towards him. Now that Dum has (she thinks) failed her, Rumpoey has no choice but to go through with the engagement.

Captain Kumjorn wants to prove himself worthy of this honor, so he's pledged to destroy the Tigers once and for all. The stage is set for tragedy.

This romantic drama is a homage to Hollywood, especially the Western genre. Even though the setting is 1950s Thailand, the bandits dress and ride horses like Wild West outlaws, and Western-style background music is common. (There's also insert songs that are more Fifties Thai pop music.) The colors are rich, and many of the sets deliberately artificial-looking. The violence scenes are clearly homaging the violent Westerns of Leone and Peckinpah.

Black Tiger is a stoic and emotionally repressed protagonist. He'd very much prefer not to be a bad guy, but his life circumstances and skills at killing have pushed him into an outlaw role. He chooses to show brotherhood and trust to Mahesuan; too bad his fellow bandit doesn't reciprocate.

Rumpoey is a much put-upon heroine, bratty as a child and cold as an adult. Men are constantly hitting on her, and perhaps the reason she like Dum so much is because he has to be asked his opinion. She's willing to defy social convention, but only if she gets the support of her lover, otherwise being an obedient daughter.

Captain Kumjorn is an ass. He's well-meaning, but completely misses that Rumpoey is not in any way attracted to him as a lover or even a friend until far too late in the story. His reaction to that is ill-advised, and leads to the final tragedy.

The action is exciting, it's a good-looking movie, the music's nice. The artificiality of some of the acting is meant to be a feature, not a bug, but sometimes it goes a little too far and that threw me out of suspension of disbelief several times.

This movie was first optioned for American distribution by a company that shortened it, tacked on a happier ending, and then shelved it for several years. It was then bought by a smaller distributor and released at full length and the plot intact, but by that time the publicity buzz had worn off, so it remains obscure.

Content note: Frequent gory violence and death, including a severed limb. Child abuse. Peril to a child. Sexual harassment and attempted marital rape. Black Tiger and Mahesuan swear blood brotherhood before Buddha, actual blood is involved, and Mahesuan is being impious. Animal death. A little person bandit is used for sight gags, but otherwise seems to be treated as an equal by the bandits. This film is unrated, but would probably come down as an "R" for violence, so sensitive viewers should proceed with caution.

This is a movie that makes it onto a lot of "weird movies" lists; it's by no means bad, but it's not going to be to many viewers' taste. But if you like both Golden Age Hollywood romantic drama and violent Westerns, this might be the movie for you.

Current Mood: lethargic

White Comanche (1967) dir. Gilbert Kay

Johnny and Notah Moon (both William Shatner) are twin brothers, identical save for slightly different eye colors. Their father was white, and their mother of the Comanche nation. Early on, they were raised in both traditions, but their father died early, and when their mother died around the time that they were ten, the twins were forced to move to an Oklahoma reservation by U.S. soldiers. Their mixed heritage meant that they were not fully accepted by the Comanche, and the whites of the area...were not welcoming.

Johnny chose to aggressively assimilate to white culture, while Notah found solace in peyote consumption, using it even outside formal ceremonies. By the time they were adults, Johnny was able to move out into the wider world as a ranch hand, while Notah started having (or claimed to have) visions of himself being the next great leader of the Comanche people, overcoming the white oppressors and making them a great nation again. A charismatic fanatic, Notah was able to convince a small band of followers to join him in banditry. His excessive violence and cunning soon made him notorious as "the White Comanche."

As the movie opens, Johnny Moon is attacked by a lynch mob who have mistaken him for the White Comanche. This is apparently not the first time it's happened. But after he escapes, he decides that this is enough and tracks down his brother's current encampment. When Notah returns from another raid (more on that in a bit), Johnny challenges him to a showdown to take place in four days in the town of Rio Hondo. (The idea, apparently, is to have a bunch of white folks witness the fight so he can prove that he and the White Comanche are different people.)

Rio Hondo, meanwhile, has its own problems. Sheriff Logan (Joseph Cotten) is trying to prevent a lethal showdown between the competing gangs of General Garcia (Mariano Vidal Molina), a rancher, and Grimes (Luis Prendes), a saloon owner. On the way into town, Johnny saves one of Grimes' men from being lynched (he's not motivated by general goodness, but his own empathy towards lynching victims), which makes the two gangs think he's on Grimes' side.

But then the stagecoach arrives, with the driver dropping dead from his wounds on arrival, and the sole remaining passenger, Kelly (Rosanna Yanni) the saloon girl, who's been raped. This turns out to be the work of the White Comanche, and Kelly initially fingers Johnny as her attacker. (She is the first, and for quite a long time the only, person Johnny bothers to tell about the twin thing.)

Tensions are rising in Rio Hondo, and there may be corpses on the streets even before Notah's raiding party arrives!

This Spanish Western was offered to William Shatner during his summer break from filming Star Trek. He accepted, perhaps thinking that if it worked out and his current television series didn't, he could pivot to being a Western star. He was joined by veteran Joseph Cotten, who had cash flow problems and was accepting almost anything he could get.

Unfortunately, the script is hokey, and the shoestring budget shows. There is zero attempt made to make Johnny/Notah look mixed-race, but the script has everyone be able to tell at a glance. The dubbing for the Italian and Spanish actors is...dubious.

Cotten is better in his role than the movie deserves, and Shatner's...unique approach to the material is certainly something to watch. There's also a bit of his interesting combat style, and lots of him being shirtless.

There's a fairly interesting subplot about Notah's band becoming disaffected with his leadership because he's violating their customs in favor of his personal agenda. Only his wife White Fawn (Perla Cristal) remains faithful, but this does not end well for her.

Content note: Lots of gun, knife and fist violence, often lethal. This includes the deaths of a child and pregnant woman. The few wounds shown are neat red circles in the forehead. Rape, cutting away just before the actual deed. Racism. Drug abuse. None of the Native American characters are played by Native Americans.

While this is by no means a good movie, it's an interesting and watchable one. I think it would do well for "Bad Movie Night" with your friends. The print on my copy, from The Great American Western collection, was exceptionally poor, so you may want to seek out a cleaner one.

Current Music: one of the female arias from The Marriage of Figaro

Goldeneye (1995) dir. Martin Campbell

Nine years ago, MI6 agents 006 Alex Trevelyan (Sean Bean) and 007 James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) infiltrated a Soviet chemical weapons plant hidden inside a dam. A alarm was tripped early, and 006 was caught and shot by the base commander, Colonel Ourumov (Gottfried John). Bond shorted the timers on the explosives he'd planted and managed to escape by the skin of his teeth. The plant was destroyed, but James has been haunted ever since by the death of his colleague and friend.

In the present day, things have changed. There no longer is a Soviet Union as such. And MI6 has a new "M" (Judi Dench) in charge. So there's an evaluation of 007 going on to make sure he's still fit for service. After an exciting car chase with a mysterious woman (Who will turn out to be Xenia Onatopp (Famke Jannsen)), James is able to seduce his pretty evaluator into giving him a passing mark.

Onatopp is suspected of working for Janus, a new organized crime group working out of the Russian Federation and named after its mysterious leader. Bond investigates, but is unable to prevent her from murdering an admiral and stealing an experimental helicopter shielded against radiation and electromagnetic pulses.

This turns out to be part of a plan to steal control of "Goldeneye", a secret Soviet space weapon capable of creating EMPs on demand (once); because it was super-expensive and violated treaties, only two were ever placed in orbit. They're controlled from a Space Weapons facility in Northern Russia.

This is where we meet our female lead, Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), systems engineer and computer programmer for the base, paired with Boris Grishenko (Alan Cumming). Boris is a genius hacker, but alas poor in social skills, creating a hostile work environment for Natalya with his juvenile sexual jokes and crude innuendo. She puts up with him because he's sometimes genuinely funny and also she doesn't have a lot of choice in her career field.

Colonel (now a general, apparently) Ourumov arrives at the facility for a surprise inspection. Once having secured the Goldeneye key, he and Onatopp kill everyone except Boris, who was outside for a smoke break, and Natalya, who'd gone for coffee and tricked Onatopp about her hiding place. The criminals then use the first Goldeneye to destroy the base itself and any evidence that might have been there, but Natalya manages to survive that too.

Shortly thereafter, James Bond is in St. Petersburg, investigating leads to Janus. He learns that part of the gang leader's motivation is revenge against the Soviet and British governments, due to the Brits sending refugees back to the murderous government they were fleeing. (Topical!) Bond admits, "not our finest hour."

Natalya is able to get to St. Petersburg as well, and uses her computer skills to try to locate help. She's surprised to learn Boris is still alive, but when they meet she's bitterly disappointed to find out he was working for Janus all along. Fortunately, James is there to rescue her, but she is understandably suspicious of him. And the leader of the gang, Janus, also is revealed and it's someone 007 has met before.

Can James Bond convince Natalya that he's one of the good guys and prevent Janus from using Goldeneye on London?

This was the first Bond movie for Pierce Brosnan--it had been delayed by legal difficulties and other issues, so Timothy Dalton had asked to be released from his contract. The script still was tuned to Dalton's darker take on the character. The fall of the Soviet Union did require some major changes to the story, and it became focused on "what do we do now that our main enemy is defeated? Is James Bond still relevant?")

Janus helps ease this transition. He's not just a random bad guy that 007 is fighting because that's his job, he's one of the few people James Bond considered a close friend. That makes it personal, and Janus takes advantage of his knowledge of Bond's vulnerable spots to score some nasty emotional blows. The backstory makes Janus' bitterness and betrayal understandable, though he loses any sympathy points by his greed and willingness to kill innocent people.

Onatopp is also memorable, as her character type was still rare at the time, a fighting woman who gets off sexually on violence and killing. And crushing men with her thighs. Ahem.

Boris is the comic relief for the villains, a nerd who suddenly finds himself very much in demand for his computer skills and gloating about it. His sexism and immaturity make it satisfying when he declares himself "invincible" once too often.

Brosnan is an acceptable Bond, though he's still not completely into the role. Natalya gets to be pretty darn competent, somehow managing to get from the destroyed base all the way to St. Petersburg without getting caught, and her computer skills being actually just as good as Boris'. (Bond does have to solve a password for her.)

As always for Bond movies, exciting, well-staged action scenes, stuff blowing up and nice scenery (including actual footage of St. Petersburg, the first time a Bond film had actually shot inside Russia.)

This film is perhaps best remembered by fans as having inspired the best tie-in video game for a James Bond movie, but it's a good installment in the series, and recommended for action movie buffs.

Current Music: James Bond theme

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) dir. Ana Lily Amirpour

Bad City may be an oil town, but black gold hasn't brought prosperity to the majority of its inhabitants. Arash (Arash Marandi) is a hard-working young man who works as a handyman for a wealthy family, but himself lives in the slums and supports his heroin addict father Hossein (Marshall Manesh). Hossein is deeply in debt to local drug dealer/loan shark/pimp Saeed (Dominic Rains). Saeed takes Arash's beloved vintage car as partial payment on Hossein's debts, not interested in Arash's complaint that the car belongs to him, not his father.

At his job, Arash is called up to the room of daughter Shaydah (Rome Shandaloo), who flirts with him while he's doing repairs. He's trying to ignore this as he knows it's not going anywhere. When she leaves, Arash succumbs to the temptation to steal some small jewelry in hopes of trading it to Saeed for his car.

So far, shaping up to be a noir crime drama. But then Saeed runs into a girl walking home alone at night (Sheila Vand) and the genre of the movie abruptly changes.

This 2014 Iranian horror movie is shot in stylish black and white, which helps cloak the fact that although the director is Iranian-American, most major roles are played by Iranian actors, and everyone is speaking Farsi, it was actually filmed in California. Unsurprisingly, there are themes and actions in the movie that would not fly with the Iranian government.

This is one of those movies where "good" and "evil" don't really enter into it. The Girl kills people to survive, but generally preys on people that are pretty awful. Arash doesn't kill anyone himself, but is perfectly willing to profit off a corpse he finds. There doesn't seem to be any law enforcement as such, and there's a gulch with an alarming number of bodies that people have just dumped there. "Bad City' indeed. Prostitute Atti (Mozhan Navabi) sees her job as just her job and is saving to...go somewhere else, maybe? And the Street Urchin (Milad Eghbali) is mostly drifting around with not much to do. Especially after The Girl confiscates his skateboard.

This last makes for some interesting imagery. The Girl's chador resembles the classic "Dracula cloak" (which is also seen when Arash dons one.) A vampire on a skateboard seems like something you would not have seen outside a 1980s kid's cartoon. But shot in this movie it's just eerie.

The deleted scenes are also interesting. I was fascinated by the much larger role for minor character Rockabilly (Reza Sixo Safai) who in these clips addresses the camera directly if obscurely. (But I can see why they were taken out, it would have made the movie drag a lot more.)

Content note: Murder, mutilation and gore. Assault. Prostitution. Drug abuse, including a person forcibly being given drugs by needle. Partial nudity. Deleted scenes include gay-bashing. Older teens should be okay, but sensitive viewers may want to give it a pass.

This is a striking movie that's an interesting mix of foreign and familiar. Recommended to horror fans who can handle subtitles.

Current Music: "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"--Leo Reisman and his Orchestra

Freaks (1932) dir. Tod Browning

Madame Tetrallini (Rose Dione) is, by 1930s standards, a good circus owner. She likes to think of the circus employees as a family, and is especially considers her employees with disabilities or deformities as her "children." Most other people, including themselves, call them "freaks." Thanks to her skill as a manager and genuine kindness, the Tetrallini Circus has accumulated a varied cast of top-notch performers, some of whom perform in the main circus, while others are in the side show. Because most of them have faced abuse and discrimination in the outside world, the freaks tend to stick together, "offend one and you offend them all." And the normal-bodied circus workers largely treat them with friendliness, or at least professional courtesy.

But all is not well in this traveling show. Strongman Hercules (Henry Victor) just had his girlfriend seal trainer Venus (Leila Hyams) break up with him (deleted dialogue had him asking her to do "private performances" for wealthy men.) So he's on the prowl for a new honeypot. Meanwhile, stunningly beautiful trapeze artist Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova) is still doing quite well in her act, but is beginning to feel the aging process coming on, and is looking for a husband before that aging becomes visible in her act or appearance. Cleopatra and Hercules are certainly attracted to each other, but she has her reasons for not making it official just yet.

Little person (called a "midget" in-story) Hans (Harry Earles) has become infatuated with Cleopatra, to the disgust of his longtime sweetheart Frieda (Daisy Earles), a fellow little person. Cleopatra isn't interested in him "that way", but flirts outrageously with him because he keeps giving her presents of money and jewelry. Everyone else can tell she's just stringing him along, but Hans won't listen. Things take a turn for the worse when Cleopatra learns that Hans can afford his expensive presents because he's actually the scion of a wealthy family and recently inherited a fortune. She and Hercules sure could use that money!

This infamous horror movie was created after the Hays Code had come in but before it was fully enforced. So it has a fair amount of material that wouldn't be allowed in another year, but it was still so shocking that test audiences were freaking out and the studio decided drastic cuts were needed. Thus the version we have today is missing about thirty minutes of the run time (the footage is lost barring a miracle) and has a different beginning and end to cushion some of the impact.

The plot is actually pretty tame by modern standards, and most of the runtime is light drama about the everyday lives and relationships of the circus folk. The bearded woman and the human skeleton have a baby. Venus starts a new slow burn romance with clown Phroso (Wallace Ford). Daisy and Violet Hilton (playing basically themselves, as they did in Chained for Life which I reviewed earlier) are engaged to different men, but as conjoined twins, it's going to be tight quarters.

And it's notable for the time that an absolute minimum of special makeup or camera tricks were used. Most of the "freaks" are actual performers who appear basically as they did in real life. The movie treats them as just folks.

The horror kicks into gear at the wedding feast. Cleopatra and Hercules have had way too much to drink and when the sideshow performers show their friendship by chanting "One of us!" the bride shows her disgust at their very existence. She makes a condescending exception for her husband Hans, but the others are chased off by Hercules. Cleopatra moves immediately to the next phase of her plan, slowly poisoning Hans so that she can inherit his money.

"Offend one, and you offend us all." Hans' comrades start observing Cleopatra and Hercules very closely, watching for their chance. And the "normal" circus folk aren't happy either. Hercules' show partner Roscoe (Roscoe Ates), who'd joined him in "good-natured ribbing" of Josephine Joseph the half-man half-woman at the beginning of the movie, now publicly snubs the strongman for his outright cruelty. Venus is so convinced something shady is going on with Hans' illness that she threatens to break the carnie code and squeal to the police.

The climax comes as the circus wagons head towards their next engagement in a heavy rainstorm. Hercules jumps out of his wagon to force his way into Venus' wagon to silence her, while Cleopatra prepares a final lethal dose for Hans. The freaks are ready though, and they crawl menacingly through the mud towards the betrayers....

At what should be the end, we see what has become of Cleopatra, an indelible image.

Even chopped up as it is, this is an interesting movie that simply could not be made today not because of "political correctness" or "woke" but because the world has changed so much. Younger teens and children should watch it with a trusted adult who's familiar with the subjects they'll be asking about.

Recommended to people interested in the history of horror and circus fans.

Current Music: "Killed to Death by Piracy" by Alestorm

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) dir. Robert Wiene

The frame story begins with Franciz (Friedrich Feher) having just been told by another man (Hans Lanser-Ludloff) about the supernatural events that drove him from his home. Franciz replies that the events he and his fiancée Jane Olsen (Lil Dagover) experienced were even more chilling. We then flash back to the announcement of a fair in the city where Franciz and Jane then lived. Their friend Alan (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski) sees an ad for the fair and asks Franciz to come with him. Despite their both being in love with Jane, the two are still good friends.

Meanwhile, a mountebank calling himself Doctor Caligari (Werner Krauss) tries to get a license to perform at the fair. The Town Clerk does allow this, but not before he's very rude to the applicant. By what I am sure is a total coincidence, the Town Clerk is murdered that very night.

Alan and Franciz go to the fair and visit Dr. Caligari's concession. The act turns out to be the supposed doctor displaying a "somnambulist" he calls Cesare (Conrad Veidt) who he awakens from deep sleep. Caligari claims that Cesare has supernatural knowledge of the future. When Alan foolishly enquires how long he will live, Cesare tells Alan he will be dead by dawn.

When Alan is murdered that night, Franciz' logical first suspect is Cesare. But is that really the case?

This 1920 silent German film is one of the most famous movies ever made, and even if you haven't seen it, you've probably heard of it if you have an interest in film history, horror, or German Expressionism. The last is most obvious in the nightmarish set design.

Conrad Veidt is chilling as Cesare, the sleepwalking killer, scrambling over the rooftops on his deadly mission. And within context, Dr. Caligari makes a very sinister figure.

There's a couple of nice touches. An unrelated criminal attacks an old woman in hopes that his murder will be mistakenly credited to the mysterious previous ones. And Dr. Caligari has a "lifelike" dummy of Cesare that he puts in the cabinet while the somnambulist is away to create an alibi.

The title card says that this is a retelling of an 11th Century legend, though that legend itself is made up for the movie--and then there's the infamous twist ending that turns most of what we've learned on its head.

It does have to be remembered that this movie is still quite early in the history of films, and silent, so the acting can come off artificial and stiff, and the lighting is sometimes dubious. The set design actually helps by being so weird that the viewer might not feel the need to nitpick details so much.

Content note: Murder, naturally, though the actual deed is suggested by shadow, not directly shown. Some period depiction of mental illness that may come off badly to modern viewers. Older teens should be fine; younger viewers may not be ready for the conventions of silent film.

This is one of those movies that's more important than good, but it's good enough that it's worth seeing for any fan of horror or film history buff.

Parasite (2019) dir. Bong Joon-ho

When we first meet the Kim family of Seoul, South Korea, they're living in a cramped, insect-infested basement apartment. No one currently has a paying job, so they're having to steal wi-fi from the neighbors to try to get any quick temp assignments they can, like folding pizza boxes for a day. Ki Woo (Choi Woo-sik), the eldest son, wasn't able to get into college despite his good English skills, and wasn't able to turn his mandatory military service into a lasting career. However, his school friend Min (Park Seo-joon), who did get into a good university, drops by and offers Ki Woo a tempting job opportunity.

Min has been the English tutor to wealthy high school girl Park Da Hye (Jung Ji-so) for a while, but is headed overseas for further study. He rather fancies Da Hye and plans to court her once she is also an adult, so doesn't want to turn her tutoring over to some other fellow he can't trust. With his excellent English skills and trustworthiness, Ki Woo is someone Min thinks can do the job properly. Problem! Ki Woo doesn't have any of the qualifying documents or references. Min suggests just lying--Park mother Yeon Kyo (Cho Yeo-jeong) is not the brightest and is easily fooled.

Ki Woo's artistic but kind of lazy sister Ki Jung (Park So-dam) whips him up some fake documents to make it look like he went to a good school. Yeon Kyo is mildly buzzed during the job interview and sure enough doesn't notice anything wrong. She also gives him the Western name "Kevin" as English tutors use such names and it sounds classier to her. Yeon Kyo does oversee the first lesson, and Ki Woo demonstrates that he's actually pretty good at tutoring. She happens to mention that her young son Da Song (Jung Hyun-jun) needs a new art tutor as the extremely active boy keeps driving them off.

This gives an opportunity for Ki Woo to introduce Ki Jung as "Jessica", a friend of a friend who's Korean-American and went to art school in Chicago. Ki Jung does a quick wiki search on "art therapy" and bullshits her way through the interview, but does catch that Da Song is working through some trauma and bonds with the boy. She also realizes that this scam can be extended to get her parents employed as well.

Driver Yoon (Park Keun-rok) is easily framed to get him replaced by Kim patriarch Ki Taek (Song Kang-ho), who among his many short-lived previous jobs has picked up excellent driving skills. Housekeeper Moon Gwang (Lee Jeong-eun) is harder to dislodge, as she came with the house (the original owner was also the designer, famed architect Namgoong.) It takes discovering a secret weakness to get her replaced by the Kim mother, Chung Sook (Jang Hye-jin), a former athlete and also a good cook. At last, the entire family is making good money!

However, the Namgoong house has a dark secret hidden within its walls, and the Kim family are about to reap the consequences of their actions.

This contemporary thriller won Best Picture at the Oscars, the first time a foreign-language film had ever done so. It has darkly comedic moments before the full reveal of what's going on and the horrific climax.

The movie leans heavily into social commentary. For example, the Kim family has decently good clothing for job seeking, as many poor people do, but their substandard living conditions have given them a distinct scent that marks them apart from the rich Park family. Once Park father Dong-ik (Lee Sun-kyun) notices it, he can't stop commenting on the smell, not noticing how this is getting under the skin of Ki Taek.

And despite their wealth and social status, the Park family isn't a very happy one. They're estranged from each other in various ways, so it's easy for the Kim family to fill emotional needs for them. It's not that the Parks are evil, or even particularly mean, but they are thoughtless and insensitive, especially Dong-ik.

The movie is shot well, with sets designed to symbolize the themes of social difference and division, and how poverty "flows downhill." The acting is skillful enough to overcome the language barrier even for those not used to subtitles.

At first, it doesn't seem like the Kim family's plans are all that bad. They're good at the jobs they're applying for, and scamming rich people in return for actual value can come off as an objectively funny crime. But depriving other people of jobs hurts them (Ki Woo and Ki Taek have a brief moment of conscience over the fate of Driver Yoon), and there is more at stake than they initially realize. Their greed gets people killed.

Content note: Gory violence, some fatal. There's on-screen but clothed sex. Ki Woo and Da Hye are attracted to each other--he's an adult and she's a minor, though Ki Woo (and Min) state that he's going to wait until she's out of high school before going further. A person's allergies are deliberately triggered. Classism. Usage of Native American stereotypes. Sewage erupts through a toilet. Some rough language. This is definitely an "R" movie.

Overall: This is very different from the other Best Pictures I've watched this month which gives it extra punch. Bong is a good director, and I like all the movies I've seen of his. Most recommended to thriller fans with strong literacy so they can follow the subtitles.

Current Location: semi-basement apartment

Gone With the Wind (1939) dir. Victor Fleming

Gerald O'Hara (Thomas Mitchell) is an Irish immigrant who got lucky in a card game many years ago, winning a substantial tract of farmland in Georgia. He married a woman of French extraction named Ellen (Barbara O'Neil) and by hard work and being a decent master to his slaves built Tara into a fine plantation, manor house and all. He has three daughters, Catherine Scarlett (Vivian Leigh), Suellen (Evelyn Keyes), and Carreen (Ann Rutherford). Scarlett, as most folk call her, is a willful but charming belle of sixteen in 1861. While proud of his Irish heritage, Mr. O'Hara has acclimated to the customs and beliefs of his Southern gentry neighbors.

Prominent slaves at Tara include housekeeper and caregiver Mammy (Hattie McDaniel), valet Pork (Oscar Polk), maid Prissy (Butterfly McQueen) and foreman Big Sam (Everett Brown). Jonas Wilkerson (Victor Jory) was, up to the moment we meet him, the white overseer of the slaves, but is a Yankee, and of low moral character, which gets him fired.

Scarlett is a shameless flirt, and enjoys the attention of all the local swains, but she has her heart set on Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), a fine young Southern gentleman and the son of John Wilkes (Howard Hickman), owner of the neighboring Twelve Oaks plantation. Ashley has a sister named India (Alicia Rhett), but Scarlett mostly ignores her. Scarlett is looking forward to the big barbecue and ball at Twelve Oaks so she can finally make it clear to Ashley that she loves him (and pin him down that he loves her.) She's fed up with all the menfolk's talk of "war", even though that seems inevitable.

At the barbecue, Scarlett is less thrilled by the arrival of some of the guests. These include Ashley's cousins Melanie (Olivia de Havilland) and Charles Hamilton (Rand Brooks). You see, there's a Wilkes custom of marrying one's cousin. And Scarlett is aware that most of the family is expecting Ashley to marry Melanie, who Scarlett considers a mealy-mouthed goody two-shoes. And there's a special guest from Charleston, a Mr. Rhett Butler (Clark Gable). Rhett's a black sheep, no longer welcome in Charleston, who made his money gambling and operating shady businesses. But John Wilkes has business with him, so despite his poor reputation, he's been invited. Rhett's interested in Scarlett, but not vice versa.

Scarlett isn't able to get Ashley alone at the barbecue (he's busy affirming his engagement to Melanie, and it's clear to the audience that neither of them is entering this relationship unwillingly), so when the ladies are supposed to be taking an afternoon nap, she sneaks downstairs to find him.

Meanwhile, the menfolk have been discussing the prospects of the upcoming war. Most of the Southerners are all for it. They figure it will be a short, victorious war of independence as Yankees can't fight for spit and the South has all the good officers. Ashley demurs, he's against war in principle as immoral, though if called to serve he will do so. Rhett, on the other hand, who has actually been to the North, warns that the Yankees' superior numbers and industrial capacity will make them difficult foes, and the South is not assured of an easy victory. This dose of facts makes the outsider very unpopular, and he walks out. Ashley goes after him to be a good host.

Scarlett waylays Ashley before he can catch up to Rhett, and after a bit of small talk drags him into the library to confess her love. Ashley tells her that he's marrying Melanie, but instead of saying that he loves his cousin, cites his "duty." It's clear that Ashley is attracted to Scarlett, but is smart enough to realize they're not compatible, and is far more comfortable in the important ways with Melanie. Scarlett isn't catching the unspoken overtones, and only sees that Ashley isn't saying that he doesn't love her. After Ashley leaves, she has a fit of temper, only to discover that Rhett was in the room all along, lying on a couch with a high back turned towards her. He indicates that he's interested in Scarlett, but she's angry and embarrassed and just not interested right now.

Before anything else can happen, it's announced that the War of Northern Aggression has begun, and all the men start getting ready to enlist. Realizing there's no time to get Ashley to change his mind, Scarlett fastens on to Charles Hamilton, who is smitten by this fiery young woman and agrees to marry her pronto, thus making Scarlett and Melanie sisters-in-law.

And there's still over three hours left of this movie!

Gone With the Wind was based on a bestselling novel of the same title, written by Margaret Mitchell. It was wildly successful, becoming the highest-grossing movie (adjusted for inflation) ever. It won multiple Oscars, including Best Picture and a Best Supporting Actress for Hattie McDaniel, the first acting Oscar given to a Black person.

And honestly, this is a very well-made and impressive movie. Music (the classic "Tara Theme"), special effects, costuming, set design, stuntwork (including by legendary Yakima Canutt), directing and acting are all top-notch. A very impressive amount of the novel got into the movie, justifying the nearly four-hour runtime. Which is why most of the DVD versions are on two discs.

Scarlett is an interestingly flawed protagonist. She's charming, clever when she thinks ahead (her picture is next to "conniving" in the dictionary) and a shrewd business owner. But she spends most of the runtime hankering after a man who is never going to return her love and failing to realize that Melanie is her one true friend. She's just as responsible for the failure of her eventual marriage to Rhett as he is.

And Rhett? Well, he's definitely the clearest-headed man in the movie, but he's earned his bad reputation and cannot for the life of him stop saying cynical or sarcastic things to Scarlett that damage her ability to trust him. He too can be very charming when he tries, but his normal bluntness burns bridges and at the end, he's just not willing to stay in this toxic relationship.

Mammy is also a complex character. She's essentially a second mother to Scarlett, and far more involved in her day-to-day life than Ellen. As such, Mammy often gives orders and sound advice to Miss Scarlett far beyond what their respective social stations would normally allow. Not that Scarlett, a headstrong teen, pays attention. Her bond to the O'Hara family is so strong that she continues working for them even after the war ends and she's technically free. And winning her approval is something that Rhett seriously cares about. Ms. McDonald is said to have disliked playing such a stereotyped role, but "I'd rather play a maid for seven hundred dollars than be a maid for seven dollars." And there were such women in real life.

As I've mentioned before on this blog, in the first half of the Twentieth Century, there was a concerted effort by writers and filmmakers to romanticize the Old South and present a revisionist history where the Lost Cause was noble and slavery wasn't all that bad, really. Ms. Mitchell's novel actually was a bit of a reaction to that, showing that the Old South wasn't all "magnolias and moonlight" as Rhett calls it out, but the movie smooths out some of the edges. There's no blatant mistreatment of slaves on screen or referenced, and the O'Hara slaves who have dialogue are nothing but loyal to their masters with no talk of wanting freedom. The "political meetings" that Ashley and Frank Kennedy (Carroll Nye) (Scarlett's second husband) attend are not clarified as them belonging to the Klu Klux Klan nor do we see those meetings or the raid during which Ashley is wounded and Frank killed.

On the other hand, when Scarlett decides to save money by leasing convict labor (the one kind of slavery allowed under the Fourteenth Amendment) rather than hire free black people, it's presented as a moral failing that extends on from her upbringing as a slave owner's heir.

Content note: Murder in self-defense. Marital rape off-screen. It's implied that the "renegade" wanted to rape Scarlett (in the book it's spelled out.) Many deaths from war wounds, a child dies, two miscarriages, other deaths. A horse dies on screen, and another one offscreen. Wounds are shown. Rhett's very good friend Belle Watling (Ona Munson) is pretty obviously a prostitute and extramarital sex is implied, though of course, not actually mentioned on screen. Racism towards and enslavement of black people, use of outdated terms. Women are shown in period underwear, and at one point there is a woman implied to be naked behind some furniture. Older teens will probably be okay, but younger viewers should have a responsible adult handy for discussions of heavy topics.

This is one of the all time classic movies, and well worth watching at least once. The long running time means that it's a serious commitment, so be sure to block out a full day to watch it including breaks during the musical interludes. Recommended to classic movie fans.

Current Location: Manderly
Current Music: Beethoven's 7th Symphony

The Life of Emile Zola (1937) dir. William Dieterle

We first meet Emile Zola (Paul Muni) when he is a penniless writer sharing a freezing garret with his friend, starving artist Paul Cezanne (Vladimir Sokoloff). They favor the "realist" schools of their respective crafts, which is not only unpopular with the buying public, but in Zola's case often gets him in trouble with the government censors. It's not that the censors want Zola not to write "the truth" as that he is big on uncomfortable truths that are either vulgar or show the French government in a bad light. Zola's mother and his fiancee Alexandrine (Gloria Holden) show up to rescue Emile from freezing with word he's managed to land a job at the Hachette publishing house.

It's honest work, but Emile is just scraping by. He manages to get a novel, The Confession of Claude written, but its rather explicit text upsets the censors. Even though it wasn't published by Hachette Publishing, the censors tell M. Hachette they hold him responsible for this filth because Zola is his employee. Zola refuses to restrain himself from further outrages, so Hachette discharges him.

Emile makes a few francs now and then by writing a lot of muckraking newspaper articles about the abysmal conditions the poor endure in Paris. During one of his relatively flush periods, he runs into a woman of the streets who has a particularly interesting life story. Zola fictionalizes her as "Nana" (Erin O'Brien-Moore) and this book, while of course one can't be seen reading it in public, becomes his first bestseller.

Now that the public knows Zola can write, they're ready for more of his "realism" and he has a string of successful books, to the point where the government censors just kind of give up. In the middle of this is the Franco-Prussian War, which goes very badly for the French. Zola is able to get juicy inside information on the incompetence of the General Staff of the French Army and writes a book about it. This earns him the ire of those same officers but there's little they can do as he's written the truth.

Cezanne comes to visit his old friend, and is appalled to see Zola fat and lazy, and obsessed with material objects, like a petit bourgeosis. The artist feels that Emile has abandoned his former dedication to truth above all else, and Zola admits he feels that he's done his part and should be allowed to enjoy life. Cezanne breaks contact (this is before, in real life, the painter inherited a small fortune from his father and developed the Impressionist style that made him famous.)

But trouble is brewing elsewhere. The French military turns out to have a spy in it that's been selling secrets to the Germans. The audience knows from the beginning that the traitor is Major Walzin-Esterhazy (Robert Barrat), but when the General Staff are looking at their roster, they notice that Captain Alfred Dreyfus (Joseph Schildkraut) is a Jew. Therefore, he must be the spy! Dreyfus is railroaded based on flimsy (and later forged) evidence, much to the dismay of his wife Lucie Dreyfus (Ga;e Sondergaard). Despite all the efforts of her and Alfred's friends, he's convicted and sent to Devil's Island.

When honest officer Colonel Piquart (Henry O'Neill) discovers evidence that Esterhazy is the true culprit, his superiors inform him that they cannot afford to admit a mistake--it would ruin the reputation of the General Staff and bring about distrust of the government. He's ordered to keep quiet and shipped off to a remote post.

However Madame Dreyfus has kept her ear to the ground and learns of what went down. She goes to Emile Zola for help, and though he is initially reluctant to get involved, the full monstrosity of what's been happening ignites his righteous fury. After conducting more research, Zola prints his famous editorial, J'accuse on the front page of a newspaper. There is a great sensation, and the General Staff sues Emile for libel. The judge is obviously in the pocket of the military, and will not allow evidence on the Dreyfus Affair to be entered into the record, even though it's key to the defense's case. Plus, of course, the military witnesses except Piquart are lying their asses off.

Will justice prevail?

This classic biographical movie won the Best Picture Oscar for the year of 1937. It's certainly got points of strong interest, and Paul Muni is stellar as Zola. Schildkraut and Sondergaard, normally typecast as villains, also have excellent performances. There are stirring themes of truth, justice and striving against a corrupt system.

On the other hand, this is a very talky movie and runs slow in some long scenes--there's a fair amount of people declaiming at each other rather than actual conversations.

And of course, Hollywood history changes some events around and simplifies them for easier understanding. The most infamous bit of this is that while we see the word "Jew" in the roster and it's clear that this is the trigger for Dreyfus being suspected, it's never said aloud, and there's no spoken mention of the anti-Semitism that was a huge part of the injustice being done, and was called out by Zola in his famous editorial and at the trial. Part of this, of course, was avoiding being too "political" at a time when the Nazi Party of Germany still had a lot of friends in the United States. How deliberate this was is up for debate.

Content note: Suicide, off screen. It's heavily implied "Nana" is a prostitute, and that Zola's novels contain a lot of naughty words. Anti-semitism, however downplayed. Given the slow, talky nature of the movie, it's unlikely any children who'd be upset are going to be watching for long.

While this is certainly an important movie in film history, it's a bit of a snoozer, so is most recommended to the serious film student and history buffs.

Current Music: "Deep White Noise"

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) dir. Frank Lloyd

Midshipman Roger Byam (Franchot Tone) is excited for his first Royal Navy assignment, sailing aboard the Bounty under Captain William Bligh (Charles Laughton) to Tahiti to secure breadfruit trees and in Mr. Byam's case, compile a dictionary of the local language. Bligh is a brilliant navigator and mapmaker who sailed with Captain Cook, and knows Tahiti from that previous voyage. Byam is somewhat taken aback when he arrives on ship and witnesses British Navy discipline. A sailor had struck an officer and was sentenced to be flogged. That sailor has died during the punishment, but Bligh orders the corpse to continue to be flogged to carry out the entire sentence.

Captain Bligh feels it's necessary to maintain harsh discipline from the beginning of the voyage, especially as several of the crewmen have been "pressed" (grabbed off the street), including an ex-convict and a new father. Other officers are somewhat less harsh on the men, including first mate Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable) and drunken doctor Bacchus (Dudley Diggs).

On the long voyage out to Tahiti, Captain Bligh metes out disproportionate punishments for the slightest infraction, including telling him that he's mistaken, even if he is. He explodes when Mr. Christian refuses to sign a blatantly fraudulent supply log, and their relationship sours completely.

Finally the Bounty arrives at Tahiti, and is greeted by the friendly natives. We briefly see a better side of Captain Bligh as he meets with the local chief Hitihiti (Bill Bambridge) and they reminisce fondly about Captain Cook. While the crew gets no respite from hard work, they do get to walk around and see the island and interact with its people and get decent food for a change. Even Mr. Christian is allowed a short shore leave. Native girls Tehani (Movita) and Maimiti (Mamo Clark) are especially willing to keep the officers company.

After a few months gathering breadfruit trees, restocking supplies and repairing the ship, it's time to leave. Captain Bligh asserts his authority by having any personal goodies the crew brought aboard like bananas or piglets confiscated as "Crown Property." This extends to pearls Tehani gave Mr. Christian as a present for his mother. Mr. Christian pointedly repeats the words "Crown property", which Bligh bristles at. He may or may not be planning to pocket them, but he doesn't like being suspected.

About a week into the return voyage, Captain Bligh has cut the water rations to keep the breadfruit trees alive, and is generally back to his old harsh discipline self. When he orders a severely ill Dr. Bacchus on deck and the old man dies, this is the last straw for Mr. Christian, who starts a mutiny. Mr. Byam refuses to join the mutiny, and is trapped below decks when Captain Bligh and a number of other loyalists are offloaded into a small launch.

By a stunning feat of navigation and gumption, the men in the launch are able to cross 3000 miles of ocean to a safe harbor at the loss of only one man.

The mutineers and the few remaining loyalists sail the Bounty back to Tahiti, where they live relatively happily for a year. Mr. Christian has married Tehani and had a child! But a distant sail reminds them that eventually the British Navy will be coming back and the penalty for mutiny is death by hanging. So most of the mutineers and their native spouses and allies board the ship again and sail for parts unknown. Byam and the other loyalists, as well as a few mutineers who long to return to England regardless of the danger (the new father among them) stay.

Everyone is dismayed when the new ship arriving, the Pandora turns out to be commanded by the very much alive Captain Bligh, who's holding a massive grudge against his entire former crew, and is enraged when Byam and the others won't tell him where Mr. Christian sailed off to (as they honestly don't know.) The court martial back in England is a harrowing experience, but we're told by the narration that out of this experience came a new understanding of the relationship between officers and crew that improved things in the Royal Navy.

While Captain Bligh and Mr. Christian were real people, and the Bounty did indeed have a mutiny, this movie (and the remakes) is based on a trilogy of novels that greatly fictionalized the events. Many incidents in the story were made up to give Mr. Christian a more obvious motive for the mutiny, while other aspects directly contradict historical records. (For example, the movie has Bligh and Christian meeting for the first time aboard the ship--in real life, they were long-time friends.)

That said, this movie is very good. Outdoor location shooting was done in Tahiti, and most of the Tahitian extras are actual natives. Exhaustive work was put in to make the ship scenes look as authentic as possible. Mr. Laughton and Mr. Gable were chosen for their roles specifically because their personalities and lifestyles clashed, so it was easy for them to portray animosity towards each other. The supporting actors also do solid work.

There's some excellent camera work and exciting moments of sea action in between the tense character scenes.

Content note: Violence, some lethal, and other deaths. There's a gory shot of a hand being impaled. Torture (primarily flogging) and other abusive behavior. Extramarital sex is heavily implied. Bacchus drinks to excess. It'd get a PG-13 these days, I think.

My DVD copy came with a short feature "Pitcairn Island Today", about the place where the mutineers and their allies settled. When they were found twenty years later, all but one of the sailors had died, but their descendants still live there today. The feature is more marketing gimmick than documentary, but a fascinating glimpse into an isolated community.

This is a classic movie and well worth watching even if it does play fast and loose with historical details. Recommended to Clark Gable fans and those who love tales of the sea.

Current Mood: busy

Creatures the World Forgot (1971) dir. Don Chaffey

The Dark-Haired Tribe hunters have had a successful day, bringing down an antelope while only losing one of their number to its mate. But as the tribe is divvying up the meat, The Crone (Rosalie Crutchley) directs their attention to the nearby twin mountains--which turn out to be live volcanoes that erupt moments later. One of the hunters, Mak (Brian O'Shaughnessy) mercy kills the badly crushed old leader, and successfully defeats a challenger to become the new leader.

Their homes destroyed, Mak leads the remnants of the tribe across the desert in search of a new place to live. Despite much hardship and a few more deaths, the Dark-Haired Tribe eventually comes to the dwelling place of the Fair-Haired Tribe. Fortunately, the two tribes manage to establish peaceful relations, and several of the Dark-Haired, including Mak, are able to find mates among the Fair-Haired. (One unhappy couple want each other instead of the mates picked for them, which ends badly.

Mak's mates gives birth to fraternal twins before dying. During the ceremony to welcome the babies, another woman suddenly goes into labor when a lightning strike sets a nearby tree on fire. The tribe considers sacrificing the new girl baby, but the Crone intervenes.

The twins grow up into Toomak the Fair Boy (Tony Bonner) and Rool the Dark Boy (Robin John), who are very much rivals. Mak clearly favors the taller, stronger and more competent Toomak, leaving Rool feeling jealous and resentful. The girl baby has grown into the Mute Girl (Marcia Fox) who has unusual reddish hair and is something of an outcast in the tribe (neither of the twins treat her well) but becomes the apprentice of the Crone.

On one of their adventures, the brothers wind up bringing home The Girl (Julie Ege), the last survivor of her own tiny tribe. She winds up becoming the mate of Toomak. When the now-aged Mak dies, the stage is set for the brothers to battle for leadership of the tribe!

This was the last of Hammer Films' "caveman" pictures with outdoor scenes shot in South Africa and Namibia. It skips the anachronistic dinosaurs and fluent language skills of the previous entry for a slightly more "realistic" approach. Similarly, while the young women are certainly scantily clad, they're not usually posing like they're in a men's magazine.

Because there's no intelligible dialogue or narration, the characters have to express themselves mainly through facial expression and body language, and you absolutely do have to be paying attention to follow what's going on.

The scenery is excellent, and most of the animal bits look good, with the exception of a cave bear that is obviously a man in a fur suit because he has to do stuntwork. The lava towards the beginning also looks a bit low-budget.

The main problem of the movie for me is that it kind of meanders, and it's not until a good third of the way in that the primary conflict driving the rest of the plot is established.

Content note: Lethal violence, including the death of children and animals. Suicide. Attempted rape. Mak's favoritism towards Toomak is obvious; his parenting skills are dubious. Male and female nudity, and otherwise skimpy clothing for both sexes. I think it would get an "R" rating these days.

This is a decent movie that rewards the attentive viewer. Not recommended, however, for anyone who get bored or distracted easily. Most recommended for fans of "caveman" stories.

Current Location: cave

Three on a Ticket (1947) dir. Sam Newfield

Private investigator Michael "Mike" Shayne (Hugh Beaumont) has just arrived at his office when his secretary Phyllis "Phil" Hamilton (Cheryl Walker) tells him he has an appointment with a prospective client, Jim Lacy (Brooks Benedict). Lacy is a private eye from the East Coast that Mike briefly knew, with a shady reputation. When Mr. Lacy arrives, however, he's a walking dead man who doesn't even get the chance to croak out a final word. Mike finds a scrap of paper, part of a baggage claim, held tightly in the dead man's hand. He directs Phil to pretend Mike was never here today when she calls the police.

When Mike arrives back at the office "late", he pumps the cops for information, but Inspector Pete Rafferty (Ralph Dunn) is pretty sure Mike's up to something and withholding information of his own. To be fair, Rafferty's correct even if he's being a jerk about it.

Then Mike gets a new client, Helen Brimstead (Louise Currie) who needs help dealing with her blackmailing ex-husband, escaped robbery convict Mace Morgan (Douglas Fowley). She wants to marry again, but Morgan is threatening to smear her with involvement with his last robbery, the money from which was never recovered. Mr. Lacy was supposed to be helping her with this, but he wasn't licensed in California and was supposed to be contacting Mike Shayne for her. While Mike is willing to negotiate a solution for her, Helen seems more interested in the possibility of Mace getting shot in self-defense.

To make matters more complicated, federal agent Pearson (Gavin Gordon) suspects Morgan and Lacy to have branched out into espionage, having stolen plans for a new secret weapon, and there are other criminals, led by "Trigger" (Noel Cravat). attempting to get their hands on that partial baggage check.

Mike's playing this one extra-cagey, holding out on information that could clear his name quickly, and seemingly angling for a huge payout, to the point that even his reporter friend Tim Rourke (Paul Bryar) loses faith in him.

This is a pleasingly twisty plot, managing to fill about an hour with almost no dead spots. My main gripe is that it requires Mike to not trust Phil or Tim with vital information so that there's more chances for misunderstandings.

An amusing bit is that Mike is constantly eating peanuts and discarding the shells. A running gag is people searching him and tossing peanuts and shells aside in disgust.

Content note: Gunfire (lethal) and fisticuffs. There's a notable moment where Mike chooses not to take a gun with him. Torture (off-camera).

This is a decent enough short mystery, good for a rainy day or as a double feature with another mystery movie. Most recommended to private eye fans.

Current Music: "Smokey the Bear"--Gene Autry

984: Prisoner of the Future (1982) dir. Tibor Takacs

It is the indefinite near future, and 984 is a prisoner...somewhere. Previously, he'd been Tom Weston (Stephen Markle), a slightly smarmy corporate executive. It's not clear what his corporation did, as the flashbacks are maddeningly vague, but they were somehow either involved with or opposed to the rise of the Movement. 984 is accused of actions against the Movement, or perhaps merely hanging out with people who took actions against the Movement. The Warden (Don Francks) has been interrogating him off and on for years, but 984 claims he's innocent or at least unaware of what his crime may have been.

This 1982 TV movie takes inspiration from 1984 (the cell block #984 is imprisoned in is #19 just in case you needed another hint) and Kafka's The Trial. And the ending twists from perhaps another source. While you can grasp the generalities of the backstory, it's never quite clear what Dr. Fontaine (Andrew Foot), the leader of the Movement, has as his actual plan beyond overthrowing the old order. Some of the prisoners are corporate types like Weston, but not all of them.

As the story wears on, what exactly the Warden wants remains unclear. Is he looking for the truth, as he claims? Trying to break 984's spirit once and for all? Or is he just desperate to pass the time, as much trapped in the prison as 984 is?

This movie really does show its low budget, clearly having 90% of the scenes shot in one big building. There's an odd computer monitor and some "futuristic" costume choices, but the main science fiction element is that the prison uses robotic hall guards, and they're not particularly effective once confronted.

Content note: Some torture, at least one prisoner dies and we see the corpse. There's a woman described as Weston's "mistress" but in the flashbacks he doesn't seem invested in the relationship, and 984 only ever mentions his wife. Weston gets a little violent during an escape attempt towards the end, but only a robot is harmed.

This is one of those painfully slow, deliberately obscure movies that might have been "arty" with a bit more care put into all its aspects, but as is, is a time-waster that's not even good for bad movie night.

The Case of the Velvet Claws (1936) dir. William Clemens

Perry Mason (Warren Williams) invades the night court of Judge Mary F O'Daugherty (Clara Blandick) with an urgent matter--marrying his secretary, Della Street (Claire Dodd)! As the happy couple pose for the press photographers, Perry announces his retirement from criminal law. From now on he will only handle civil suits, which will not place him in nearly as much danger. Now the newlyweds are off to Pinehurst resort for their honeymoon. Except that last part's not true. Knowing that his friends are all merry pranksters, Perry has his private detective sidekick Spudsy Drake (Eddie Acuff) to drive him and Della back to his apartment.

Not that this makes things any smoother for the newlyweds. Concealed within the apartment is a desperate woman (Wini Shaw) with a gun. The woman, who we will come to know as Eva Belter, forces Perry to take a $5000 retainer at gunpoint. She is, she says, the "other woman" politician Peter Milnor (Kenneth Harland) was seen with in a certain location. Proof of this has fallen into the hands of Frank Locke (Addison Richards), the editor of "Spicy Bits", a scandal sheet, who's using it to blackmail Milnor. She wants smart lawyer Mason to keep the story out of print by any means necessary.

Locke isn't persuadable, but Perry Mason is a sharpie, and figures out he isn't really the boss of the paper. The secret owner is a man named George C. Belter (Joe King). Perry confronts the man, but even the threat of legal action isn't going to convince Mr. Belter (as he's perfectly willing to punish his unfaithful wife along with the politician.) Later that evening, Eva confronts her husband with that gun we mentioned earlier, and fires a shot.

Mr. Belter is found dead with a bullet in him, and Mrs. Belter is a top suspect. But so is Perry Mason, especially as Eva is trying to frame the lawyer for the murder. Can Perry figure out whodunnit, clear his name, and finally get some alone time with his blushing bride?

This fourth Perry Mason film is the last with Warren Williams, but is loosely based on the very first Mason novel by Erle Stanley Gardner. It kind of makes sense for the finale of his version of the character to finally resolve his relationship with the lovely Della, even if this never happened in the books.

Despite how bleak things are looking for our favorite attorney, there's still quite a bit of humor. Perry catches a cold and spreads it to multiple people, and Spudsy dons a series of bizarre "disguises" while searching for background information.

Mr. Williams and Ms. Dodd do a good job as the frustrated romantic leads, and there are some nifty moments. Still, it felt like the comedy was used a bit too much to stretch the run time, which is weird because it's only just over an hour.

If you watched the previous three Perry Mason movies, this one is a decent capper, but I would not recommend it without having seen at least one of the others to get used to this version of the character.

Current Music: "The City at Night"--Sakura Girl soundtrack

The Ballad of Andy Crocker (1969) dir. George McCowan

Corporal Andy Crocker (Lee Majors) is a hero. At least that's what the medal he won for bravery and getting wounded in action in Vietnam says. But his draft obligation is finally over, and Andy is flying back to the States with his best friend from his platoon, David Owens (Marvin Gaye). He dreams of his home near Dallas, Texas, returning to the loving arms of his sweetheart Lisa (Joey Heatherton) and taking up his old business, a motorcycle shop and racing track.

But even as he gets praise from other travelers, we learn there may be trouble on the horizon. Lisa sent Andy a letter a few months back suggesting they should try dating other people. The semi-literate Andy (he dropped out after third grade, though he's actually good at business math) didn't get around to writing her back, figuring he'd make his case in person.

Landing in Los Angeles, and the next bus to Texas not being until morning, Andy decides to go out on the town. There's some indication that the civilians are fed up with the draft, and there's not much he's interested in until Andy meets hippie girl Karen (Jill Haworth) who invites him to a party. She's interested in the handsome stranger, and listens to his story. Unfortunately, when the men arrive with the "party supplies", they aren't happy with Andy being there. (They're afraid the clean-cut soldier boy will narc on them for doing drugs.)

The main male hippie makes it clear that Andy isn't wanted, and insults him. Corporal Crocker leaves, but takes the hippie's motorcycle with him. Andy starts riding east, apparently just leaving his rucksack wherever he'd stowed it, and shows up in Texas a couple of days later, not even having changed out of his uniform.

Andy's parents Earl (Pat Hingle) and Emily Crocker (Claudia Bryar) are thrilled to see him alive and home at last, their joy papering over the family quarrels that had been building up before their son was drafted.

Things start going downhill from there. Andy discovers that his business partner Mack (Jimmy Dean) has run their motorcycle shop into the ground; his other motorcycle racing buddy Joe Bob (Bobby Hatfield) had married for money (only to find out all the money was in his wife's name), and no one came to the track races anymore, so the track was sold for development. All the money Andy sent home from his Army pay just barely kept the doors open. However Mack does have a potential buyer that will turn the motorcycle shop into a used car dealership and the money from the sale would be a decent nest egg. Pity that Andy doesn't want to sell; he's convinced he can turn the place around.

And Lisa? Well, she's married now. Has been, ever since she sent that letter. Her mother (Agnes Moorehead) introduced her to an up-and-coming executive. We don't get the whole backstory but it's clear Lisa is still fond of Andy. But she has her reasons why she has to stick with her husband.

This 1969 TV movie was one of the first to address the issues facing returning veterans from the Vietnam War. The mood of the country had turned against the war. and there was a distinct lack of support for the returnees and their problems. The later cliche of the "crazed Vietnam vet" was not a thing yet, but it's clear that Andy has unresolved issues. Yes, things have gone sour for his homecoming, but he's offered several ways of at least scraping by. No, he has to have the life he was taken from by the war, and this sends him into a tailspin.

The stolen motorcycle, Lisa's mother putting out an arrest warrant for Andy, and Mack tricking him into signing away the shop combine to snap Andy's temper, and he punches out his former friend. Then there's a motorcycle chase with the cops. Andy manages to evade them, but runs out of gas and just discards the bike.

In Oakland, Andy connects with David, who has a night shift factory job, barely. David's willing to put up his buddy for a day or two, but his wife fears that Andy won't be able to get back on his feet and become a long term guest in their tiny apartment. Andy winds up huddling on the steps of the local Army recruiting office in the early morning, there not being anywhere else for him to go.

The "ballad" part of the title comes from the sung narration that plays every so often over montages, going from optimistic to despairing as the movie goes on. Bizarrely, it's not done by any of the three music stars that are in the movie. Some reviewers found it set their teeth on edge. I just found it mediocre.

This is a bleak movie, and is mostly interesting for being the first of its kind; there have been much better movies about Vietnam veterans returning home. Recommended to Lee Majors fans.

Current Music: "I'll Fly Away"--Jim Reeves

The Adventures of Rex and Rinty (1935) dir. Ford Beebe

On the island of Sujan in the Indian Ocean, the natives worship the horse god. They venerate all horses, but only one is the incarnation of the horse god, the God-Horse Rex, King of the Wild Horses (Rex). Wealthy and unscrupulous polo player Crawford (Harry Woods) has come to buy some of the island's fine horses, but high priest Tanaga (Mischa Auer) would never part with one of the sacred animals for mere money, and especially not Rex! Crawford contrives to steal the God-Horse, and succeeds but abandons one of his henchmen for dead.

No sooner has Crawford gotten Rex to his ranch in the hill country of California than the wily horse escapes. He soon makes friends with Rinty (Rin-Tin-Tin Jr.), a homeless German Shepherd. The two intelligent animals find some refuge at the Bruce Riding Academy, run by Mr. Bruce (Allan Cavan) and his daughter Dorothy (Norma Taylor). The riding academy employs bumbling stable hand Jensen (Smiley Burnette) and also stable the horses of popular and goodhearted polo player Frank Bradley (Kane Richmond).

Frank and Dorothy win over the animals with their kindness and good hearts. But Crawford is determined to have Rex back and break him into a proper polo horse by any means necessary.

To make things more complicated, the abandoned henchman shows up; he's been promised his life with be spared if he helps Sujan native Pasha (Pedro Regas) rescue Rex and restore the God-Horse to the island.

This sets the stage for multiple chases, abductions, fistfights, fires and general excitement before Rex is returned to Sujan, only to face one last test of his godhood.

This 12-episode black and white serial was the next to last produced by the Mascot studio, and the second teaming up the two animal stars. Rin Tin Tin Jr. was of course the son of the great movie star who'd passed in 1932.

While Rex and Rinty are depicted as being smart for their respective species, to the point of uncanniness for Rinty, their stunts are still within the plausible limits of animals. On the other hand, there is a fantasy element. Sujan is depicted as being in the same spot Seychelles is in the real world, but its culture is nothing like the real-world country. Also, Pasha has a mental link to Tanaga, able to report back to the high priest from across the globe. In general, the treatment of the Sujanese isn't bad by 1930s standards.

This is middling stuff as serials go, with okay action but dull characters. Crawford just never makes "evil polo player" come across as over the top as that phrase would indicate. There's at least one blantant cliffhanger copout at the end of Episode 11/beginning of Episode 12.

Content note: Loads of violence, some lethal (first corpse in Episode 6) but no animals die. Be aware though that animals are frequently in peril, and there's what amounts to animal abuse. One child in peril, he's fine though. Sexism only in that Dorothy is the only plot-relevant female character.

This is not the best Rin Tin Tin serial, so you may want to wait until you need it to complete a checklist (Ralph Byrd has a cameo as a forest ranger!)

Current Location: Sujan, somewhere in the Indian Ocean
Current Music: "Horsetamer's Daughter"

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Entries tagged with crud challenge

CRUD Challenge: Detour (1945)

CRUD Challenge: Final Encounter (2000)

CRUD Challenge: McLIntock!

CRUD Challenge: Spy Smasher

CRUD Challenge: Tears of the Black Tiger

CRUD Challenge: White Comanche

CRUD Challenge: Goldeneye

CRUD Challenge" A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night

CRUD Challenge: Freaks (1932)

CRUD Challenge: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

CRUD Challenge: Parasite (2019)

CRUD Challenge: Gone With the Wind

CRUD Challenge: The Life of Emile Zola

CRUD Challenge: Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

CRUD Challenge: Creatures the World Forgot

CRUD Challenge: Three on a Ticket

CRUD Challenge: 984: Prisoner of the Future

CRUD Challenge: The Case of the Velvet Claws

CRUD Challenge: The Ballad of Andy Crocker

CRUD Challenge: The Adventures of Rex and Rinty