Goodnight, My Love (1972)

ABC
Directed by Peter Hyams
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

Damsel in distress Barbara Bain hires gruff private eye Richard Boone to find her missing fiance. Along with his dwarf sidekick Michael Dunn, they make inquiries around 1946 Los Angeles. The trail leads to Victor Buono in his posh nightclub. Crosses and double crosses abound in this entertaining ode to the old gumshoes of classic film noir. It is filled with dry wit (much of it directed towards Dunn's height) and references to those old films. Hyams successfully recreates the atmosphere of old LA with neon signs and soft focus, while his camera effortlessly glides around (check out that scene in the pool hall). Another superb effort from Hyams that belies its made-for-tv origin.

Rolling Man (1972)

ABC
Directed by Peter Hyams
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Dennis Weaver drives a wrecker and hangs out at the race track. He likes to get drunk on Saturday night with his wife, but finds her in a bar with another man. He chases them down the highway leading to her tragic death. The man survives but Weaver almost kills him in a fit of rage. He is sent to prison for attempted murder where he serves 4 years. After his release he learns his two young sons have been "adopted" by strangers and sets out to find them. He gets help from country singer Donna Mills. This is one of those undiscovered made-for-tv gems from the 1970s that you always hope to find, an early directorial effort from Peter Hyams. Weaver is fantastic once again as the everyman faced with daunting circumstances beyond his control. Don Stroud is equally good as the man he almost kills and even Jimmy Dean shows up as a prison buddy!

The Forgotten Man (1971)

ABC
Directed by Walter Grauman
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Marine Dennis Weaver escapes from a POW camp in Vietnam.  Back home in California, he learns he was declared dead five years earlier and his wife has married another man. He tries to make the best of the situation, but his flashbacks cause him to become unpredictable and violent. He kidnaps his young daughter without realizing he may harm her. It's up to an old Marine pal to talk him out of a tough showdown with the police. Weaver gives an intense performance, as usual, if even the screenplay occasionally gives in to melodramatics.

Across the Plains (1939)

Monogram Pictures
Directed by Spencer Bennett
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

Bandits attack a wagon train, leaving everyone dead except for two boys. One is taken by the bandits and the other by Indians. As adults, the Indian boy searches for his long lost brother. He finds him with the same gang that killed their parents. The first Monogram western is not that much different than the hundreds that would follow: low budget, adequate programmer is entertaining if not particularly good.

Bang Bang (1971)

Directed by Andrea Tonacci
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

A group of disgusting low-life's gorge themselves with sex and food in a hotel room, wrecking it in the process. One of them, apparently blind, randomly shoots a gun. They drive around in a convertible, sometimes on roads sometimes off, doing more of the same. A camera crew occasionally comes into full view, as this is apparently about the making of a movie. There is a funny opening scene in a taxi between two men where an argument leads to a fight. The director must have recognized it was good and decided to repeat it virtually unchanged later in the film. If watching a man wearing an ape mask and sunglasses shave sounds like your idea of a good movie, you might like it, all others stay far, far away.

Liverpool (2008)

Liverpool DVD

The Match Factory
Directed by Lisandro Alonso
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Kino)

A worker on a cargo ship takes leave to visit his mother in the town of Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. Having left some 20 years before, he hitches a ride to his family home near a saw mill. He finds his elderly mother bed ridden and unable to recognize him, his father wishing he stayed away and his sister bored by their bleak, poverty-stricken existence. Long, lingering shots of the cold and snowy landscape of  Argentina's Tierra del Fuego are the most interesting part of this slight mood piece with no plot or characterization to speak of.

Robot Carnival (1987)

Robot Carnival DVD

Directed by

Atsuko Fukushima	...	(segments "Coming Soon", "See You Again")
Hiroyuki Kitakubo	...	(segment "Tale of Two Robots, A")
Hiroyuki Kitazume	...	(segment "Starlight Angel")
Kôji Morimoto	...	(segment "Franken's Gear") (as Kouji Morimoto)
Takashi Nakamura	...	(segment "Nightmare")
Yasuomi Umetsu	...	(segment "Presence")
Manabu Ôhashi	...	(segment "Clouds") (as Mao Lamdo)
Hidetoshi Ômori	...	(segment "Deprive")
Katsuhiro Ôtomo	...	(segments "Coming Soon", "See You Again") (as Katsuhiro Ohtomo)

My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Diskotek)

Anime anthology of nine short films linked by the theme of "robots". The animation style and stories are varied, ranging from the horror-tinged opening "Franken's Gears", several more straight sci-fi robot invasions, the poetic "Cloud" featuring line-sketched drawing and "Chicken Man and Red Neck" which appears inspired by classic Disney animation such as Fantasia. I caught it on cable TV back in the 80s, and was thoroughly entertained all over again by the recent DVD release.

Premonition (1972)

Transvue Pictures
Directed by Alan Rudolph
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

A hippie pothead takes a job as a driver for an archaeologist in Mexico looking for the remains of Indians. They find a skeleton, which causes the professor to crash their truck and the hippie to have visions of some kind of beast. They never speak of it again, until the hippie tries to start a band with some friends, one of whom is taking a class with the old professor. The visions return, and start impacting another member of the fledgling band. Low budget first effort from director Rudolph is a dated, unfocused mess. The monster is unconvincing and never explained, the "visions" probably came from smoking too much pot, the main theme of the film.

Bound for Glory (1976)

Bound for Glory - Twilight Time [Blu-ray]

Academy Awards, USA 1977

Won Oscar	Best Cinematography Haskell Wexler
	Best Music, Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Best Adaptation Score Leonard Rosenman
Nominated Oscar	Best Picture Robert F. Blumofe Harold Leventhal
	Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Robert Getchell
	Best Costume Design William Ware Theiss
	Best Film Editing Robert C. Jones Pembroke J. Herring

United Artists
Directed by Hal Ashby
My rating: 4 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Twilight Time)

Woody Guthrie lives in the Dust Bowl of west Texas, where he tries to squeak out a living for his family by painting signs, but realizes his guitar might be his passport to more money. He abandons his family, at least temporarily, and heads to California by rail. He encounters thousands of others doing the same thing, befriending some, fighting others. In LA, he lives in a camp with a poor family hoping to get chosen to pick fruit by the wealthy farm owners. He takes up the union cause using his guitar and songs, in the process getting recognized by a famous radio personality. He joins the radio show and makes good money for a change, even bringing his Texas family to California. However, when sponsors threaten to pull out unless he changes his union views, all of it is threatened. Stunning location photography anchors this engrossing biography of the influential folk singer. Famous for being the first film to use the Steadicam, it's a dirty, dusty, dangerous shoot in Texas, California and the railways in between. Captures the Great Depression in a way few, if any, films ever have, showing the heartache and the desperation of everyday people.

Nerosubianco (1969)

Attraction (Nerosubianco) DVD

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

Swedish beauty Anita Sanders wanders through mod London pursued by stranger Terry Carter while a rock group plays psychedelic music. The first hour feels like an extended rock video, with music and appearances by the mediocre band Freedom. They finally leave for awhile, but the film still succumbs to endless montages of old war footage, slaughterhouses and even an old Salvador Dali film. Freedom then comes back for one last song, accompanied by naked hippie girls wearing body paint. I suppose it might be fun in the right frame of mind, but for the rest of us quickly outstays its welcome.

The Christian Licorice Store (1971)

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

Tennis star Beau Bridges falls in love with photographer Maud Adams. All is well with the "beautiful couple" until she wants commitment and he plays around while out of town. Furthermore, he wants a career in the movies and attends decadent Hollywood parties. Their relationship falls apart. The film uses a hand-held technique similar to the French New Wave, but the end result is scenes that go on far too long by dwelling on unimportant details (packing for a trip, arriving at the airport). It is not a total lost cause, though, Maud looks great and there is an early 70s downbeat ending. Jean Renoir shows up to look at some of her photos, as does Tim Buckley who plays the song containing the oblique lyrics.

Stowaway in the Sky (1960)

Lopert Pictures
Directed by Albert Lamorisse
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

A Parisian scientist invents a hot air balloon which he can precisely control. His young son stows away on its maiden flight. Together, they fly over scenic French locations. It eventually crashes in the Alps, but as this is strictly family fare everyone is alright. Might work as a travelogue in the Cinerama tradition, but only if you can watch it in widescreen and restored, which alas I was not. Narration by Jack Lemmon is unobtrusive.

Asterix and Cleopatra (1968)

National General Pictures
Directed by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

Cleopatra bets Caesar that she can build a palace in three months. She hires a famous architect, who goes to Gaul to get help from a druid, bringing back Asterix and Obelix in the process. The druid has a magic potion which gives the builders of the palace super human strength. They run out of stone so Asterix and Obelix go down the Nile to get more. They get lost in a pyramid and are thwarted by a rival architect, who frames them for attempting to poison Cleopatra with a cake. A few laughs  and some truly surreal musical sequences, but can't overcome labored plot.

Madame Sin (1972)

Madame Sin DVD

ABC
Directed by David Greene
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Timeless Media Group)

Robert Wagner is an ex-CIA agent kidnapped and brought to a remote Scottish island where Bette Davis runs a secret organization of scientists. Among other things, they have developed a way to extend life and erase memories using a giant, disembodied brain. They force Wagner to kidnap an old Navy colleague in order to steal a nuclear submarine and sell it to revolutionaries. Catherine Schell pops up as an old girlfriend he thought was dead. The cast almost makes it worthwhile, but outlandish plot sinks it. Bette, in heavy makeup, milks her role for everything it's worth. Pilot for a failed tv series.

Django Shoots First (1966)

Django Shoots First DVD

Directed by Alberto de Martino
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Dorado Films)

"Django" kills the bounty hunter who killed his father, then decides to take the body to town himself and claim the reward. He finds out he stands to inherit half the town, but the other half belongs to a banker who wants it all to himself. He tries to have Django killed but his hired henchman fail, so instead he tries to frame him for a bank robbery and murder. He gets out of that jam thanks to the bankers wife, but she turns out to have other issues, including an ex-husband. Django almost makes it out of town with the cash from the robbery, but has to settle for running the bank with the pretty bar maid he met earlier. Satisfying early Spaghetti Western refreshingly free of the genre's usual stark violence and misogyny. Cinematographer Riccardo Pallottini works in a few astounding close-ups and artistic framing.

Crash! (1976)

Crash! DVD

Group 1 International
Directed by Charles Band
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Full Moon)

Sue Lyon is married to a much older Jose Ferrer, who is wheelchair-bound due to an accident he blames on her. He plots her death, but is foiled by an amulet she buys at a swap meet. Not only does it protect her, it possesses her car which goes on a rampage, all without a driver. She wakes up in a hospital with amnesia. Her doctor and nurse help her uncover her identity. Bizarrely entertaining first effort from the prolific Charles Band. Oozing 70s atmosphere, check out those KISS albums at the drive-in swap meet. The car crashes are repeated (albeit in a hazy glow) in a long flashback sequence when she regains her memory, padding the running time.

August: Osage County (2013)

August: Osage County [Blu-ray]

Academy Awards, USA 2014

Nominated Oscar	Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role Meryl Streep
	Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Julia Roberts

The Weinstein Company
Directed by John Wells
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Netflix)

When her alcoholic husband disappears, a middle aged woman suffering from cancer summons her three adult children to her remote home in Oklahoma. The arrive with boyfriends, husbands and children in tow, and proceed to let loose on each other over dinner. Family secrets are revealed, reach their boiling point and explode. Meryl Streep gives another phenomenal performance as the pill popping, overbearing mother... but gets a little too close to Mommie Dearest territory in my opinion. Her over-the-top portrayal induces tears and laughter, as do the plot twists, each more ludicrous than the last.

Local Hero (1983)

Local Hero DVD

Warner Bros.
Directed by Bill Forsyth
My rating: 2.5 stars
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Warner Bros.)

Materialistic oil executive from Texas is sent to a remote Scottish town to convince the inhabitants to sell out. They are more than eager to do so, but feign disinterest to get more money. The Texan gradually gets to know the quirky townsfolk, and in the process becomes one of them. Quaint and quirky before it became cool, but also rather dull, especially Peter Riegert in the lead role. Burt Lancaster has fun as his eccentric boss. Might benefit from repeated viewings.

The Imitation Game (2014)

The Imitation Game (Blu-ray + Ultraviolet)

Academy Awards, USA 2015

Won Oscar	Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Graham Moore
Nominated Oscar	Best Motion Picture of the Year Nora Grossman Ido Ostrowsky Teddy Schwarzman
	Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Benedict Cumberbatch
	Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Keira Knightley
	Best Achievement in Directing Morten Tyldum
	Best Achievement in Film Editing William Goldenberg
	Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score Alexandre Desplat
	Best Achievement in Production Design Maria Djurkovic (production design) Tatiana Macdonald (set decoration)

The Weinstein Company
Directed by Morten Tyldum
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Netflix)

A brilliant mathematician is reluctantly hired by the military to help break the German code during WWII. He is disliked by all who work with him, except for the girl who falls in love with him. Unfortunately for her, he is a homosexual, but they get married anyway. The pressure mounts after months of intense work on an early computer that fails to get results, until a breakthrough leads to success. Years later, he is prosecuted for his sexual orientation by the same government whom he helped win the war. The melodramatic subplots feel like padding, the film could have ended with the breakthrough, but still an entertaining drama with good period detail.

The Verdict (1982)

The Verdict [Blu-ray]

Academy Awards, USA 1983

Nominated Oscar	Best Picture Richard D. Zanuck David Brown
	Best Actor in a Leading Role Paul Newman
	Best Actor in a Supporting Role James Mason
	Best Director Sidney Lumet
	Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium David Mamet

Twentieth Century-Fox Film
Directed by Sidney Lumet
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Netflix)

Middle-aged, alcoholic lawyer Paul Newman, reduced to attending funerals in search of clients, is handed a lucrative medical malpractice case by an old friend. At first only interested in the settlement money, he turns it down when the facts lead to gross negligence by doctors at a prestigious Catholic hospital. Newman gives the performance of his career. Newman's case is not airtight, he had to resort to some courtroom theatrics, but his final argument to the jury gives one hope that the legal system still works.