Later,,,,

IN BRUGES-2008-This Tarantino inspired junk is about 2 hit men (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson) who hide out in Bruges, Belgium waiting for instructions from their boss (Ralph Fiennes). What good can be said of a movie where Farrell (one of the most overrated actors in history) kills a priest and child, beats up a woman and is also the romantic lead in this stupid violent comedy-drama? Not much. It was the first full length film by stage director/playwright Martin McDonagh. Let's hope he sticks to what he knows best. 

Carpentry perhaps?

Thanks to my pal Tony for lending me this.

Eye of The West

AN EYE FOR AN EYE-1966-A former bounty hunter named Talion (Robert Lansing) wants revenge on outlaw Ike Slant (Slim Pickens) who killed his wife and son. Along the way he meets young bounty hunter Benny Wallace (Patrick Wayne) who's also after Slant. In an early shootout with Slant Talion's gun hand is crippled and Wallace is blinded. Somehow they try to combine Wallace's sightless draw with Talions's gun-less sight. 

This is an ok low budget western with Pickens at his slimiest. Paul Fix is the local Sheriff and his daughter is played by Gloria Talbott (in her last role). Clint Howard is her son and Clint's old man Rance also has a small role. Strother Martin nearly steals the show as creepy Turnbull the fink.

AEFAE was directed by Michael Moore (Not the fat documentary film guy) who later made THE FASTEST GUITAR ALIVE with Roy Orbison. And it was co-written by actor Bing (father of Kurt) Russell. Lansing was in a TV series THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS at the time.

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There's No Reason...For This Movie

APOLLO 18-2011-The premise of this stupid film is that the Apollo space missions didn't end with number 17. There was one more secret moon landing. What follows is suppose to be footage "found" on the internet that purports to tell the real tale. 2 US astronauts land on the moon. While walking around they discover a Russian spacecraft. Later they find the corpse of a cosmonaut.

At first I thought this disaster might hold some promise but in turned into an ALIEN/BLAIR WITCH influenced conspiracy film. Moon rocks it seems are actual living entities. The tag line on the poster read "There's a reason we never went back to the moon" but in fact "we" did go back to the moon several times before the fictional number 18 did, so what the hell does that line mean?

I didn't know anything about the director Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego (from Madrid) and after this I don't care.
T
hanks for reading!

Wicked Stuff?

WICKED WICKED-1973-This typical slasher/stalker film was shot in "duo-vision" a split screen process showing two different scenes at one time.

Randolph Roberts (later Chuck Cunningham, Richie's older brother in TV's HAPPY DAYS) plays Jason, a handyman/custodian/electronics expert who also kills women (while wearing a scary mask) who come to stay at the hotel where he works. The split screens not only shows the goings on in the hotel but also provide flashbacks while certain characters talk about their lives.

Tiffany Bolling is a singer (and does the horrible theme song) who performs at the hotel and Jason 's next target. David Bailey (later a regular on the soap opera ANOTHER WORLD) is the house detective (and Bolling's character's ex-spouse) trying to figure it out and Scott Brady (who had a role in THE NIGHT STRANGLER the same year) is a no nonsense detective he butts heads with. Roger Bowen (Col. Blake in the movie version of MASH) is the pompous hotel manager. Madeleine Sherwood and Arthur O'Connell are also in it. Edd Brynes (formerly TV's Kookie on 77 SUNSET STRIP) is a red herring waiter who uses the phrase "honest bread" a few times. Meanwhile an old woman plays the organ as background music.

It's a little better than the usual serial killer stuff clogging up '70's cinema, uses some ironic comic touches and puts the split screen to good use. This was the last feature film directed by Richard L. Bare (who also wrote the screenplay), better known for his TV work on such comedies as GREEN ACRES. Lyrics to the insipid songs are by Irwin Levine who co-wrote "This Diamond Ring". Charles Pierce was the set decorator. Actor Bailey later died in an accidental drowning.

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Hotel In Thailand

THE HOTEL!!-2002-Cool ghost story from Thailand. After the death of their mother a brother and sister return to an old hotel their father runs hoping to re-model it. Several deaths occur and it seems their father is to blame but when the police try to arrest him he resists and dies in a shoot out. Other deaths follow and soon it appears a vengeful ghost is out to destroy them. Some good visual effects highlight the serious story although there is one stand out comic scene involving a witch doctor who comes to exorcise the ghost (at least I think it was suppose to be intentionally funny!). It was written and directed by Anukul Jarotok.

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PS-Sorry I couldn't find a shot of a poster. I couldn't do a good search though. I have to go out!

Oscar Wilde Should Sue Them!

PACT WITH THE DEVIL-2001-This is a not very interesting take-off on “The Picture of Dorian Gray” with Malcolm McDowell as a devil like manager who promotes a would be photographer (Ethan Erickson) to the top male model. Cleverly re-named Dorian he has a picture that ages while he doesn’t. Eventually he becomes depraved, uses drugs and kills some people. McDowell (who saves the whole thing) narrates the story told in flashback. Director Allan A. Goldstein also made DEATH WISH V.
T
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Mad Monk!

RASPUTIN: THE MAD MONK-1966-Christopher Lee plays the title role in this very entertaining but historically inaccurate Hammer production.

The drunken and gluttonous Rasputin is first introduced at an inn where he saves the life of the owner's young son. They then throw a party where he does a wild dance, seduces the owner's daughter and cuts off the hand of an older son. Later he wins a drinking contest and takes up with a drunken disbarred doctor (Robert Duncan). Barbara Shelley is Sonia, the Czarina's lady in waiting who comes under the mad monk's thrall and causes an "accident" that gets him in good with the ruling class. When he grows tired of Sonia he makes her commit suicide and sets his sights on Vanessa (Suzan Farmer) another lady. Sonia's brother tries to take revenge but is killed with acid. Eventually the doctor and Vanessa's boyfriend (Richard Pasco, also in THE GORGON) do away with him in a nice finale. Also with Joss Ackland and Michael Ripper.

Lee is great as the crazy but self assured Rasputin with his long hair and beard and piercing eyes. He and Shelley had just been in DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS the year before and some of the sets were re-used here. Director Don Sharp made several movies with Lee including 2 in the Fu Manchu series, DEVIL SHIP PIRATES and BEAR ISLAND.

Thanks for reading!