Out West

 

 (imdb)

CONVICT STAGE-1965-A gunslinger named Latimer (familiar TV actor Harry Lauter) searches for the two outlaws who killed his sister. The US Marshall (Don “Red” Barry who also co-scripted) arrests them. He puts them on a stagecoach to take them to trial along with some other passengers (including the outlaws' mother (Hanna Landy) who wants to help them escape). They hold up in an abandoned town and talk a lot. The rest of the gang closes in.

 Low budget black & white little western that seems like a TV episode but longer. Director Lesley Selander may hold some kind of record for directing the most western movies, though he did step out of the genre to make THE VAMPIRE'S GHOST in 1945.

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Serial Killer Short

I WAS A TEENAGE SERIAL KILLER-1993-Crappy, pseudo-arty black and white nonsense features lots of close-ups and dialogue that's not synced to the person talking. Mary (Kristin Calabrese in her only acting role) is a slut who has sex with men and then kills them. After killing one guy, she sticks a banana in his mouth. She meets a male psycho Henry (Corey) who kills “straight white males”. They seem to fall in love and kill people. Later she kills him. I think it might have been some kind of black comedy but I don't think the director, producer, etc. knew exactly what they wanted from this 20 minute waste of time. Director/writer Sarah Jacobson later made MARY JANE'S NOT A VIRGIN ANYMORE.

Enter Fassbinder

LOVE IS COLDER THAN DEATH-1969-Rainer Werner Fassbinder's first film is a talky slow moving drama about hitman Bruno (future director Ulli Lommel) and friendship with Franz (writer/ director Fassbinder) who refused to join "the syndicate" and his hooker girlfriend (Hanna Schygulla, who went on to make many more films for Fassbinder). If you like grainy amateurish black and white films that look like they were filmed on the weekend when the actors weren't at their regular jobs then you might like this.

Black & White Hammer

THESE ARE THE DAMNED-1963-American vacationing in London Simon Wells (Macdonald Carey, a little too old for his role) is beat up by a gang of Teddy Boys. Although they all dress in leather jackets their leader King (Oliver Reed) wears a suit jacket. Somehow Simon winds up falling in love with King's sister Joan (Shirley Anne Field). While hiding from King on an island they come upon a group of children who are being used in a government experiment involving radioactivity.

This black and white thriller directed by ex-patriot American Joseph Losey (he'd gone to England after being blacklisted in the '50's) takes a little time to get started but is very effective and has an eerie climax. Also with Viveca Lindflors, Alexander Knox and James Villiers.

The above poster makes it seem like a horror film when it's actually a science fiction drama with some social commentary, This was a Hammer-Seven Arts co-production and the executive producer was Michael Carreras.

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A Puzzle

MARATHON-2002-This arty filmed in black and white story concerns a young woman (Sara Paul) as she tries to solve over 70 crossword puzzles in 24 hours. The burning question is: why??

Most of it takes place on various NYC subway lines but later she returns to her apartment and seems to lose it big time! It’s fairly interesting at first but loses steam, as the story has nowhere to go.

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