Heart of Glass (1976)

Cine International Filmvertrieb
Directed by Werner Herzog
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Shout! Factory)

A 19th century German village is dumbstruck when a glass blower with the only knowledge of how to make their prized "ruby glass" dies. People walk around in a stupefied state, eyes rolled in the back of their head, unable to carry on basic conversations much less their daily lives. One of them has visions and spouts out poetic, enigmatic stories of the future vaguely recognizable as the industrial revolution or either world wars. Interspersed among these scenes are beautiful landscapes, often shrouded in clouds and fog, set to the music of Popol Vuh, which seem to belong to a different movie entirely. Unfortunately, the acting incites giggles rather than the intended hypnotic effect.

Every Man for Himself and God Against All (1974)

Cine International/Cinema V
Directed by Werner Herzog
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Shout! Factory)

A man who has spent his entire life locked up in a cellar is abandoned by his father one morning in the middle of a small German village. The curious townsfolk soon learn he can't walk, talk, eat or do much of anything by himself. They lock him up in a tower for awhile, make him earn money as a sideshow freak but eventually he gets "adopted" and starts to learn. Two years pass, and the foundling has become sort of an everyman philosopher, with visitors coming from all around seeking his "insights". Occasionally entertaining, one scene where he outwits a logician at his own game is good, but overall feels like a gimmick. Hal Ashby's Being There explored similar territory a few years later, but much more successfully.

The Howl (1968)

Titanus
Directed by Tinto Brass
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Cult Epics)

A young couple wander around the broken landscape of Italy circa 1968. They have various strange experiences, with little if any plot or continuity. There are, however, recurring themes, especially war and oppression, with numerous references to Hitler, Mussolini and the Vietnam war. They encounter other young people who are often unclothed, demonstrating against the war, or both. Graphic scenes of violence can be difficult to watch, especially when directed towards animals, which was completely unnecessary to make its point. Set to a pop soundtrack that can be both irritating and catchy, with one tune played over and over again, repeating: "to break, broke, broken". Part performance art, part documentary, but irrevocably tied to another era which dates it badly.

Deadly Sweet (1967)

Films Distributing Corporation
Directed by Tinto Brass
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Cult Epics)

Trintignant falls in love with pretty young Ewa Aulin when he sees her dancing in a go-go club. It turns out Ewa's father was recently killed in a hit and run accident, and together they try to figure out who did it. They wander around swinging London and she takes fashion shots. At one point, Ewa gets kidnapped by a midget and Trintignant saves her. Later, they get chased by the police, they capture him and beat him up. Another body turns up and they are no closer to finding the killer. They attend "a happening" where psychedelic music is played and mods freak out wearing colored glasses. Threadbare plot is more about style than substance, filled with dated pop culture and with an unsatisfying resolution.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)

Directed by Werner Herzog
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Shout! Factory)

Herzog recreates a Spanish exploration of Peru in the late 1500s. They make slow progress through the dense jungle, so build a raft to take them down the river. They are relentlessly attacked by natives from shore and lose one raft. Their leader decides to turn back, but Klaus Kinski stages a mutiny and takes over command. He is driven by greed and the prospect of fame deeper down the river, but his crew slowly dies from starvation or more native attacks. In what must have been a grueling production shoot in Peru, it certainly does not lack authenticity. However, it is difficult to sympathize with the brutal Kinski, and Herzog still cannot reign in his tendencies to put animals in dangerous situations.

The Internecine Project (1974)

Allied Artists
Directed by Ken Hughes
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Scorpion Releasing)

Coburn, in bed with corrupt politicians, is awarded a high ranking job in Washington, but first must "eliminate" his associates in Europe. He concocts an elaborate plan in which they all murder each other over the course of a few hours one evening. Reporter and love interest Lee Grant almost manages to get under his skin with her moral point of view. Cleverly written and entertaining, but lacks any real suspense and the twist ending is only a mild surprise.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

MGM
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
My rating: 4 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Warner Bros.)

A mysterious monolith, which first appears to primitive humans during the "dawn of man" sequence which opens the film, is uncovered on the moon near an American space base. It sends out an intense radio signal to Jupiter, and 18 months later the Americans are on their way to investigate. The trip gets sidetracked by a faulty computer named HAL, who murders most of the crew before they ever arrive. The sole survivor manages to disconnect the computer, but finds more than he bargained for at Jupiter. Kubrick's best film, and my selection for the best film ever made, is an intense, open-ended exploration of the meaning of life in the universe, and beyond. Kubrick's attention to detail is amazing and reflects a strict adherence to science and technology which holds up even today. As for that ending... I've seen it dozens of times, and have a different interpretation every time.

Separation (1968)

London Independent Producers
Directed by Jack Bond
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, BFI)

Jane Arden and her husband are separated after many years of marriage. She takes refuge in the arms of a new, younger, lover, indulging in the swinging London lifestyle. She occasionally meets up with her husband, a psychiatrist, where they talk about their relationship in indirect ways. Heavily influenced by the French New Wave, with location shooting, quick edits, scenes repeating themselves, and other experimental techniques, it flirts with pretentiousness but has just enough insight into the core relationships to keep it on track.

The Cat Creature (1973)

ABC
Directed by Curtis Harrington
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Keye Luke from the old Charlie Chan movies steals an amulet off an Egyptian mummy. This unleashes a centuries-old priestess who takes the form of a cat and starts killing people in LA. Police detective Stuart Whitman, with the help of a local professor in Egyptology, unravel the mystery. The clues lead to an occult shop run by an old lady and her new assistant, Meredith Baxter.  Old pro John Carradine has one scene as a hotel clerk, appearing along side a midget prostitute. A typical made-for-TV movie of the week by Harrington, it mixes in everything from vampires, mummies and some poorly trained killer cats with hypnotic powers.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
My rating: 4 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Sony)

Insane US military commander Sterling Hayden orders a fleet of bombers to attack Russia with atomic bombs. In the Pentagon war room, the president and his cabinet are helpless to stop them without a code only Hayden knows and will not reveal. They order an attack on the base, but meanwhile must negotiate with Russian leaders over their impending nuclear annihilation. It turns out the Russians have a deterrent device of their own, the doomsday machine, and they can't stop it either. Kubrick's scathing black comedy has lost none of its biting satire of inept politicians and war mongering militarists. The final image of Slim Pickens riding a nuclear warhead to oblivion is one of the cinema's all-time greats. Peter Sellers gives probably his best performance(s) in multiple roles.

Up the Sandbox (1972)

National General Pictures
Directed by Irvin Kershner
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Bros)

Bored NYC housewife Barbara Streisand escapes from her everyday life through vivid fantasies. She joins central American revolutionaries, helps saboteurs blow up the Statue of Liberty, or makes a home movie in which everyone shows their true feelings. She has insecurities about her marriage to a history professor and struggles to tell him that she is pregnant again. Her last fantasy is the most vivid, which takes place in a hospital where women are going for abortions. Interesting, but a bit dated, and has a strange fascination with breasts.

Jaws (1975)

Universal Pictures
Directed by Steven Spielberg
My rating: 4 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Universal)

Small town sheriff Roy Scheider has his Fourth of July ruined when a shark shows up and starts picking off tourists. The mother of one of the victims offers a reward and the island is overrun with bounty hunters. They soon catch the wrong one, but only Scheider and shark expert Richard Dreyfuss believe it. When another victim turns up, they have no choice but to pay local crony Robert Shaw to catch the real one. The three of them embark on an epic duel with the monster shark in the final third of the film. The classic film that either saved Hollywood, or ruined it, depending on your point of view: it set the blueprint for every summer blockbuster that followed for the next 40 years, and counting. John Williams' score is one of the all-time best.

Land of Silence and Darkness (1971)

Directed by Werner Herzog
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Shout! Factory)

A woman who has been deaf and blind since an early childhood accident travels around Germany to meet and help others with the same fate. They communicate with the outside world by a complex sign language which utilizes tapping on the palm and fingers of the hand. Some can talk, although our host is probably the most eloquent one. Others, though, live in a lonely, isolated world, tucked away in asylums or mental hospitals. She takes them on trips to the zoo where they feed elephants or play with a chimpanzee. At one point we meet several people who were born deaf-blind, and their situations are even more desperate. An emotional journey that is both inspiring and unnerving.

Fata Morgana (1971)

Directed by Werner Herzog
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Shout! Factory)

Herzog and cinematographer Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein capture astounding desert-swept vistas in northern Africa. They gradually introduce man into this barren landscape, first through images of oil refineries, broken down trucks, rusting pipes and so forth, then finally we get a glimpse of a child holding a desert fox as a pet, both staring blankly into the camera. After awhile, we see some towns, their stark poverty contrasting with the natural beauty of the landscape we have been watching. In the last part, the focus is squarely on people, albeit skewed by Herzog's inimitable style. The imagery is undeniably powerful, but the narration is pretentious and often nonsense, and Herzog still can't resist showing revolting images of dead animals rotting in the heat or being cruelly manipulated by various people.

The Psychotronic Man (1979)

International Harmony
Directed by Jack M. Sell
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

A Chicago barber starts having headaches and goes on a drive in the country for some relaxation. Instead, he finds himself, and his car, floating in the air. His wife thinks he is drunk or dreaming and sends him to the doctor. He revisits the location of his floating car and encounters a redneck farmer, only to kill him in a fit of rage without even touching him. He flees to his doctor again, but by now his anger is out of control which leads to another murder. The cops get involved which leads to a long chase taking up nearly the last third of the film. He gets cornered on a roof by a SWAT team, but survives in a twist ending. Low budget schlock is sort of a male version of Carrie, with terrible acting and amateur directing, but producer/writer Peter Spelson as the tormented barber makes it watchable in a "so bad it's good" kind of way.

Escape from Death Row (1973)

Aquarius Releasing
Directed by Michele Lupo
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Gangster Lee Van Cleef gets himself arrested to give himself an alibi when a rival turns up dead. In prison, he becomes best friend with a young clown who worships him. When Van Cleef's brother turns up dead, the two of them manage to break out so that he can get revenge on the killers. Unsuccessfully combines comedy and action, with Tony Lo Bianco irritating as the sidekick and Van Cleef sleepwalking through his role.

The Ancines Woods (1970)

Universal Films (Spain)
Directed by Pedro Olea
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

A merchant peddler who travels between towns in old Spain also happens to be a homicidal maniac. He suffers from a delusion that he is a werewolf, based on stories from the superstitious natives and a childhood trauma. His victims are mostly women and children who are accompanying him on his trips for various reasons. Since the murders takes place in the woods and the victims are travelers, no one really notices they are missing. However, one day a boy follows him into the woods and discovers the horrible truth. Atmospheric with good period detail, but lacks in suspense and has very little shock value, especially considering the subject matter.

Universal Soldier (1971)

Hemdale Film
Directed by  Cy Endfield
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Military expert and war veteran George Lazenby trades in illegal arms in London. He sets up a big deal with some South Africans to train their army and supply them with guns. In his spare time, he wanders the streets and eventually hooks up with a hippie chick who makes him reconsider the deal. He tries to get out of it, leading to tragedy. Dreary, poorly acted, with a meandering plot obsessed with guns, guns and more guns. In one scene a poor dog is accidentally shot to death by idiots playing with their guns. Dated politics and generic music don't help.

Love in a 4 Letter World (1970)

Allied Artists
Directed by John Sole
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

A middle aged couple and their teenage daughter in a suburban Canadian city have their lives turned upside down when a music shop run by hippies opens next door. When the husband finds out his daughter is sleeping with them, he confronts them in the shop and kicks the daughter out of the house. He turns to alcohol and has an affair of his own, driving his wife into the arms of one of the hippies. Set against the backdrop of the psychedelic pop culture of the time, this could easily be written off as just another silly sex romp, but it does a fairly good job of exposing the generation gap created by the social revolution of the 60s and its impact on traditional marriage. The downbeat ending suggests there isn't much room for compromise, though.

Whirlpool (1970)

Cinemation Industries
Directed by José Ramón Larraz
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Aspiring model Vivien Neves is lured to a remote English mansion by a friendly middle aged woman. She lives there wither her much younger "nephew", a photographer. They conspire to seduce her with a combination of alcohol and drugs during a game of strip poker. Later, he takes her for a drive in the woods where he photographs a friend's attempted rape of the girl. Meanwhile, a man is searching for his daughter who disappeared at the same house. The girl stumbles on some old photographs and makes a last desperate attempt to escape. Stylish thriller has some good moments, but overemphasizes the sex and nudity which brings the pace to crawl at times. Neves was a real life fashion model who notoriously posed nude in the London Times in the early 70s.

Deadly Strangers (1975)

Fox-Rank (UK)
Directed by Sidney Hayers
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Hayley Mills hitches a ride with a stranger at a truck stop, but soon finds herself fighting off his advances and thrown out of the truck at the side of the road. She unwisely accepts a ride from the next guy that shows up, drunkard Simon Ward. The two travel around the English countryside, tangle with a couple of bikers, get separated only to end up at a hotel spending the night together. Ward has flashbacks to his unsatisfying sex life while Hayley has flashbacks to her sexually abusive childhood. Meanwhile, someone has escaped from the local mental hospital and is leaving a trail of bodies. The identity of the killer is revealed in the mildly surprising twist ending. Hayley further distances herself from her Disney past in this lurid thriller in which she fights off multiple rapists and goes topless.

Haunts (1977)

Intercontinental Releasing Corporation
Directed by Herb Freed
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Dreary small town melodrama centered around middle aged farmer May Britt, who suffers from flashbacks of a childhood tragedy and may or may not be living with her "uncle" Cameron Mitchell. Meanwhile, a rapist and killer is loose in the community and there is no shortage of weird suspects to keep sheriff Aldo Ray occupied (I counted six roles as "sheriff" in his actor filmography) .

Secret of the Blue Room (1933)

Universal Pictures
Directed by Kurt Neumann
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Early entry from Universal in the old dark house genre. Gloria Stuart is celebrating her 21st birthday in a remote English castle with her father and three suitors. After her father tells the story of a haunted room with a tragic past, the youngest man challenges the others to each spend a night in it. He goes first and is nowhere to be found the next morning. The police are called in to solve the mystery and they have plenty of suspects. The mystery is revealed in a satisfying twist ending. Less dialogue and more atmosphere would have made it even better.

Sebastian (1968)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by David Greene
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Dirk Bogarde heads a government decoding laboratory consisting entirely of young women, personally recruited by him. His latest hire Susannah York falls in love with him, complicating both his work and home life. The much younger York leads takes him to the latest mod nightclubs and fashion shops. When he tries to break off with his old girlfriend, she drugs him with champagne laced with LSD and he has a brief psychedelic trip. He resigns for unrelated reasons and tries to pick up his old life at Oxford, but the government requests his help in decoding Russian satellite transmissions. It all gets resolved in a contrived happy ending. Dated but entertaining with a young and appealing cast.

American Hot Wax (1978)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Floyd Mutrux
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

A radio DJ plays early rock and roll records, much to the delight of his teenage audience, but to the disgust of the radio station management. He's hounded night and day by amateur acts looking for a big break and has little in the way of a personal life. He organizes a live concert in Brooklyn which quickly sells out, but must deal with the local police who try to shut it down. Dramatically uneven, including a romantic subplot between his secretary Fran Drescher and driver Jay Leno, but boosted by fine period atmosphere and virtual wall-to-wall music. Tim McIntire is very convincing as Alan Freed.

The Slayer (1982)

21st Century Film Corporation
Directed by J.S. Cardone
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Two couples vacationing on an isolated Georgia island are stalked by a mysterious killer. One of them, a painter, has dreams which portend the future and might be the cause. All but one are killed in various grisly manners, and the survivor faces "the slayer" alone. Good location photography on a real island, and occasionally atmospheric, but no real explanation for the origin of the creature or its motives.

The Gong Show Movie (1980)

Universal Pictures
Directed by Chuck Barris
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

The personal life of Chuck Barris, creator and host of The Gong Show, gradually unravels when he can't get away from the game show. He is recognized everywhere he goes, with people auditioning their crazy acts in an attempt to get on the show. He breaks up with his girlfriend and heads to the middle of the desert, but his friends show up and convince him to come back. More interesting than the plot are the Gong Show highlights, including many not-suitable-for-TV moments.

Here Come the Waves (1944)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Mark Sandrich
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Universal)

Bing basically plays himself, a crooner who sends teenage girls swooning and attracts crowds wherever he goes. One night on a double date with his "pal", he meets a girl who isn't afraid to speak her mind and falls in love with her. Only problem is, his "pal" wants her for himself and spends the rest of the movie trying to sabotage their relationship. It all takes place in the Navy, including a propaganda "show" intended to recruit women into the WAVES, the US Navy Reserves strictly for women established in WWII. Betty Hutton pulls off her double role as twin sisters with opposite personalities flawlessly, one of the few highlights.

Black Rain (1989)

Toei Company
Directed by Shohei Imamura
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, AnimEigo)

A family of three survives the atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima, but the impacts, both physical and mental, last for years afterwards. Friends and neighbors who also survived begin to show symptoms of radiation sickness and die. Afraid their own lives will be cut short, getting their niece married becomes their highest priority. They face discrimination from the parents of potential suitors who reject her over health concerns. Over the course of many years, their health begins to decline and they must come to grips with the reality of their death. Grim subject matter to be sure, but there is some comic relief from a soldier suffering battle fatigue who goes crazy at the sound of an engine, and gorgeous black and white photography by Takashi Kawamata.

If I Had My Way (1940)

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

Bing takes a girl who recently lost her father to live with a rich uncle in the big city. Instead, the uncle disowns her and she ends up living with a down and out ex-vaudevillian. Bing's sidekick loses all of their money to a Swedish restaurant owner. However, the gang uses their ingenuity to fix it up and make it a success with the help of some vaudeville friends. The songs and acts are the best part, even little Gloria Jean is more tolerable than most child actors, but the "comic" relief and predictable plot work against it.

Sayonara Jupiter (1984)

Toho Company
Directed by Koji Hashimoto
My rating: BOMB
IMDb
(DVD, Discotek)

A project to "solarize" Jupiter by turning it into a new sun for energy becomes an effort to save the solar system when a rogue black hole threatens. Scientists are pitted against environmentalists, who for some reason would rather save Jupiter than the solar system. There are inexplicable breaks for sappy love songs, a sex scene in which two lovers float naked in space, a hippie folk singer who leads the "Church of Jupiter", a dolphin killed by a shark, and more surprises. Somehow manages to rip off Star Wars, 2001 and Jaws, all at the same time!

East Side of Heaven (1939)

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

Aspiring crooner Crosby jumps from job to job trying to please his fiance Joan Blondell. He ends up with a baby while trying to help an old friend dealing with her marriage problems. When the baby gets mistakenly reported as missing, he must think fast to find a way out. Unrelentingly upbeat, with a contrived plot and gratuitous cute baby scenes.

Even Dwarfs Started Small (1970)

New Line Cinema
Directed by Werner Herzog
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Shout! Factory)

Dwarfs at a remote correctional facility act out when they are left alone. One "teacher", also a dwarf, holes up in his office with one of the prisoners roped to a chair. He trades threats with the other prisoners from the roof top. The group of dwarfs constantly giggle and laugh as they destroy anything they can find. They also torment the animals on the property. Herzog lets the animal cruelty get away from him, with inexcusable scenes of cockfighting, a pig carcass, maimed chickens and a monkey tied to a crucifix. The "little people" here are not treated with much respect, either.

Father of the Kamikaze (1974)

Toei Company
Directed by Kôsaku Yamashita
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, AnimEigo)

Long but engrossing drama of the Japanese military commander who first suggested planned suicide attacks as a tactic against American sea vessels in the waning months of WWII. Vastly outnumbered, the Japanese were facing certain defeat in the Philippines, whose location was vital to the long term plans of both nations. The suicide tactics proved so effective that they were eventually incorporated into all of the Japanese Navy. However, as the Americans adjusted they were less so, and the Japanese were out of options. The second half of the film chronicles their defeat and surrender, leading to much national sorrow and ritual suicides by the hardline military who refused to accept it.

Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! (1967)

Trose Trading Film
Directed by Giulio Questi
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Blue Underground)

Confusing western about a gang of gold thieves who turn on each other after their latest heist. The survivors end up in a dusty western town where most of them are captured and hung by a posse of "family men". However, their leader escapes only to have a showdown with one of his former gang members he thought dead. None of it is very interesting and it tends to emphasize sadistic scenes of violence and torture, many times directed towards animals.

Double or Nothing (1937)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Theodore Reed
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Universal)

Four honest people who return lost wallets with cash are challenged by an eccentric millionaire to double their reward money in honest endeavors in order to inherit his estate. They each try their hands at various investments, but the millionaire's greedy family sabotages them. Only Bing and his nightclub are left standing, but he manages to see through their schemes. Appallingly unfunny comic relief from the duo of Andy Devine and Martha Raye. A couple of time-filling variety acts towards the end almost redeem it. Almost. 

Lolita (1962)

MGM
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Warner Bros.)

Middle-aged literature professor James Mason becomes obsessed with the teenage daughter of his landlady while visiting America. He goes as far as marrying her mother just to be close to her. He unwisely writes his thoughts in a diary, which his wife eventually finds. He contemplates killing her, but she dies in an accident instead. He takes off with the girl and they settle down in a college town. His jealousy eventually drives them apart, and him to the verge of insanity. Peter Sellers is a very creepy character who schemes to take her away, and pays the ultimate price. Sellers is an enigma here, his character ill-defined, and his acting a bit over the top, a distraction from the main relationships that drive the plot. Mason seems uncomfortable in their exchanges. There are a couple of scenes with the "Kubrick touch", the landscapes and fog, but overall this is a bit too stagy and melodramatic to be a true Kubrick classic.

Waikiki Wedding (1937)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Frank Tuttle
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Universal)

Hollywood hokum about a carefree advertising man in Hawaii who falls in love with his latest idea. Shirley Ross wins a contest to become "pineapple girl" for his company, but becomes homesick when the promise of romantic nights does not materialize. Bing takes care of that, but forgets to tell her that he is being paid for the privilege. Insufferable "comic relief" from Martha Raye and a man with a pig. Mexican-born Anthony Quinn is cast as a native Hawaiian in one of his earliest roles.

Battle of Okinawa (1971)

Toho Company
Directed by Kihachi Okamoto
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, AnimEigo)

Account of the famous WWII battle for the Pacific island from the Japanese point of view is a long, tedious affair. The first hour or so is a choppy narrative with a large number of military types planning for the battle. They make a critical mistake and withdraw some troops, leaving the island severely over matched by the Americans. Those remaining do their best, but as the battle rages on they take up guerrilla warfare and hide in caves. This leads to a "war of attrition" with a high casualty rate. The plot descends into endless scenes of bloody soldiers and civilians dying in horrible ways, either to the enemy or by their own hand as suicide seems to be the choice of many.

The Milky Way (1936)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Leo McCarey
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, New Line Home Entertainment)

Lloyd goes out with a whimper as a milkman who gets in a lucky punch on a boxing champ. When his horse falls sick, he signs a contract with unscrupulous promoters to pay for the vet bills. He wins a series of rigged boxing matches, developing a huge ego along the way. On the verge of losing his dignity, not to mention his girl, he must fight one last match, but without any help this time. Predictable all the way, and Lloyd's constant mugging for the camera becomes tiresome.

The Cat's-Paw (1934)

Fox Film
Directed by Sam Taylor
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, New Line Home Entertainment)

Lloyd is a meek missionary in China who travels to America to find a wife. Instead, he gets nominated for mayor in a corrupt city and unexpectedly wins. He is ineffective against the gangsters while in office, so takes matters into his own hands and threatens to behead them! It's difficult to imagine Lloyd's innocuous "boy in glasses" character as judge, jury and executioner, but his methods are quite effective. Unfortunately, the dialogue is littered with now politically incorrect ethnic slurs, and Lloyd dubbed in Chinese is ludicrous.

Movie Crazy (1932)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Clyde Bruckman
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, New Line Home Entertainment)

Naive Kansan Harold Lloyd sends in the wrong photo to a Hollywood producer. He travels to California for a screen test which is unintentionally hilarious. He falls in love with actress Constance Cummings, but it takes a while for her to warm up to his chronic clumsiness. He has to fight for her in a climactic scene which takes place on a stage set. A couple of scenes had me laughing more than any Lloyd silent, but the classic scene in which he wears a magician's coat during a formal dance is more clever than funny.

Something Big (1971)

National General Pictures
Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, CBS/Paramount)

Dino wants to trade a woman for a Gatling gun in order to steal gold from Mexican bandits. Getting a woman in the wild west proves to be no problem for the suave, aging gunslinger: he has his choice of a Cavalry officer's wife, an Irish woman from back east he's supposed to marry and a couple of gals just over the border who he seems to visit frequently. If that's not enough to massage his ego, he mows down an entire village of Mexicans with the over sized gun. Dino's schtick is just transferred to a western setting, and it's no more appealing here than in his Matt Helm series of a few years earlier. Brian Keith tries too hard to inject comedy into his stiff Cavalry officer character.

Captain Milkshake (1970)

Directed by Richard Crawford
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Richmark)

A Marine on emergency leave from Vietnam falls in love with a hippie chick in southern California. Her ideas of "free love" confuse him, not to mention her friends and all of the marijuana they smoke, but he's open-minded enough to at least consider their point of view. All of that changes when they plan a demonstration against the war and he is forced to defend his beliefs. More than just a copycat of Easy Rider, this forgotten film captures the essence of the anti-war movement and the concurrent cultural revolution. It occasionally indulges in psychedelic "liquid light" segments, skinny dipping, chopper riding and other favorite pastimes. Music by San Francisco favorites Steve Miller Band and Country Joe and the Fish, among others.

Grease (1978)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Randal Kleiser
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Paramount)

A nostalgic look back at the 1950s, as lived by high school "seniors" Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta (30 and 28 at the time of filming). His "bad boy" image clashes with her "wholesome" one, leading to complications for their summer romance. Lurking just underneath all of the rosy musical numbers is a healthy dose of sexual innuendo, including one girl who is ostracized after she thinks she is pregnant. It's all forgotten by the end though, as Newton-John and Travolta go flying into the sky in his souped-up car after graduation.

Russian Roulette (1975)

AVCO Embassy Pictures
Directed by Lou Lombardo
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Timeless Media Group)

Suspended Canadian cop George Segal has to save the life of a visiting Russian diplomat to get his job back. He tangles with the KGB in a series of violent encounters. He gets drugged (more than once), only to wake up in some kind of perilous situation, from which he manages to always escape by luck more than anything else. Characters are poorly defined and motivations are vague at best, in this derivative cop thriller shot in and around Vancouver.

Midway (1976)

Universal Pictures
Directed by Jack Smight
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Universal)

In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the US and Japan try to outmaneuver one another with their large fleet of ships. A decoder for the US thinks he has learned that the next Japanese target is Midway Island, and a top commander believes him and decides to take a chance. It pays off, and gives the US the advantage of surprise in the ensuing air-sea battle. Combat footage, and some old clips from Japanese movies, are combined with new footage from an all-star 70s cast with everyone from Charlton Heston to Robert Wagner. It's surprisingly effective, even a romantic subplot manages to tackle the controversial internment of Japanese-Americans during the war.

Feet First (1930)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Clyde Bruckman
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, New Line Home Entertainment)

Timid shoe salesman Harold Lloyd takes a mail-order personality course. He unknowingly falls in love with the boss's daughter. He talks his way on to a cruise ship to impress the girl, but then has to find a way to survive as a stowaway. Discovered, he makes a getaway hiding in a mail plane, only to end up trapped on the side of an LA skyscraper. Many of Lloyd's trademarks are present: the crazy high altitude stunts, a hair-raising stare down with a gorilla, the shy boy-girl relationship... but something does not quite translate from silents to talkies. Maybe it's his squeaky voice, or maybe now that he's older the juvenile relationship with the girl is just plain silly. It's still entertaining, but Lloyd's brand of comedy is clearly a casualty of the arrival of sound in the movies.