Black Snow (1965)

Kokuei Company (Japan)
Directed by Tatsuji Takechi
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

A teenager works as a "houseboy" at a hotel/brothel for American GI's. He gets involved with local gangsters and murders one of the brothel's customers whom he had spied on earlier with his mother (one of the prostitutes). He steals a gun, which becomes a sort of sexual crutch. He falls in love with a virginal local girl and seduces her in a public cinema. Later, he uses the gun to commit matricide. He is arrested and executed by firing squad. Controversial film landed the director in Japan's first obscenity trial, but he was acquitted. It has lost some of its punch today, but still a virile piece of post WWII anti-Americanism.

Killer by Night (1972)

Killer By Night DVD

CBS
Directed by Bernard McEveety
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, CBS/CreateSpace)

Robert Wagner is a doctor tasked with trying to stop a diphtheria epidemic from getting out of control. He butts heads with police captain Greg Morris, who is more concerned about a series of robberies that has resulted in the deaths of some of his officers. The two plot lines converge when it turns out a homeless man with homicidal tendencies is also "patient zero" in the diphtheria epidemic. Potentially interesting mix of genres, disaster and police procedural, too often succumbs to TV-movie cliches, especially in the time consuming romantic subplot between Wagner and co-worker Diane Baker, but still manages to be engaging.

The Doll (1962)

Film AB Corona (Sweden)
Directed by Arne Mattsson
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Night watchman Per Oscarsson steals a mannequin from a department store and takes it back to his small boardinghouse room. He dotes on it, sleeps with it and talks to it, all in an effort to relieve his overpowering loneliness. Soon, he imagines that it comes to life. At first she is devoted totally to him but over time starts to make demands. His talking while supposedly alone gets the attention of others in the house. Virtuoso performance by Oscarsson overcomes unusual subject matter. Gio Petre is convincing as the living doll.

A Lovely Way to Die (1968)

Kirk Douglas: The Centennial Collection DVD

Universal Pictures
Directed by David Lowell Rich
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Universal)

Police detective Kirk Douglas takes a job as bodyguard to wealthy beauty Sylva Koscina. When she is accused of killing her much older husband, Kirk thinks she is guilty. He manages to seduce her one night anyway and she convinces him of her innocence. He uses his detective skills to help her prove it. Some dated psychedelic dancing and Sylva's omnipresent figure provide most of the entertainment.

The Master Touch (1972)

The Master Touch DVD

National General Pictures
Directed by Michele Lupo
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

Safe cracker Kirk Douglas, fresh out of prison, is recruited by his old boss for one more big heist. Douglas, reluctant at first, decides the payout is worth the risk, but only if he does it his way. He recruits amateurs, including his girlfriend and a trapeze artist, to help him. There is a good car chase through the streets of Berlin. The break-in takes up the final half hour or so and there is an unexpected plot twist. Very good of its kind, but in desperate need of a full restoration and rescue from the public domain.

For Love or Money (1963)

Kirk Douglas: The Centennial Collection DVD

Universal-International
Directed by Michael Gordon
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Universal)

Lawyer Kirk Douglas his promised a large sum of money if he can arrange the marriages of the three daughters of a wealthy client to the men of her choice. Kirk, something of a playboy, finds himself in a series of compromising situations with the three beauties. He falls in love with the oldest, Mitzi Gaynor, while still trying to set her up with his best friend to fulfill the contract. It's a silly, predictable, dated 60s sex comedy, notable mainly for its cast, including future Catwoman Julie Newmar, here a health food/physical fitness nut.

The List of Adrian Messenger (1963)

Kirk Douglas: The Centennial Collection DVD

Universal-International
Directed by John Huston
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Universal)

George C. Scott is a former UK intelligence man tasked by a wealthy friend to investigate why the names on a list are turning up dead. After his friend ends up dead as well, he is determined to find the killer. He ingeniously makes deductions from the slimmest of clues, eventually determining the identity of the wanted man. He lies in wait at a large estate for him to make his next move, hoping to save the life of a young boy who will be his next victim. It's all a lot of fun, as the audience is "in" on the killer the whole time, the tension built around whether or not Scott will catch him. Famous for a gimmick in which big name Hollywood stars make cameos in heavy makeup, at least they do for the final "unveiling" just before the credits, as there is some controversy as to whether or not they actually appeared in the other scenes. Regardless, like most gimmicks it is unnecessary to the film.

The Last Sunset (1961)

Kirk Douglas: The Centennial Collection DVD

Universal-International
Directed by Robert Aldrich
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Universal)

Kirk Douglas is on the run in Mexico, pursued by lawman Rock Hudson. They end up at a ranch owned by Dorothy Malone and her drunkard husband. Douglas and Malone are former lovers, and they try to rekindle their romance after her husband is killed in a saloon. They embark on a cattle drive back to Texas, where Hudson promises to bring him to justice. Along the way, they encounter various setbacks, Hudson falls for Malone and Douglas for her young daughter in an uncomfortable twist. Dalton Trumbo's screenplay occasionally waxes poetic, but loses its way somewhere during that dusty cattle drive.

Goodbye, Raggedy Ann (1971)

Goodbye, Raggedy Ann DVD

CBS
Directed by Fielder Cook
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, CBS/CreateSpace)

Floundering actress Mia Farrow lives in a small Hollywood apartment building while trying to find her next part. She is pursued by numerous men, including neighbor Hal Holbrook who is the only one who really cares about her. Their friendship keeps her going while she deals with the other men and suffers a nervous breakdown while trying to deal with her estranged parents back home. Well-acted made-for-TV movie, marred by a melodramatic, poor ending.

A Mighty Wind (2003)

A Mighty Wind [Blu-ray]

Warner Bros.
Directed by Christopher Guest
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Warner Bros.)

Christopher Guest focuses his satirical lens on folk music of the 1960s. It's an easy target. The son of a recently deceased folk "legend" organizes a tribute concert. There is a large group of harmonizing, eternally optimistic singers dressed alike in vests (The New Christy Minstrels); a smug, goofy trio (Kingston Trio); and finally a sweet couple in love (Ian and Sylvia). The impressions are dead-on, perhaps a little too much, and at times you could actually forget this is supposed to be satire. Harry Shearer's final scene in which he dresses as a woman seems a desperate try for laughs.