The Amazing World of Psychic Phenomena (1976)

Sunn Classic Pictures
Directed by Robert Guenette
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Raymond Burr hosts and narrates a collection of clips and reenactments of various "psychic phenomena". We get to see Uri Geller bend spoons, Jeane Dixon spout nonsense, an actor portraying Edgar Cayce who can diagnose illnesses from long distances, a man who can travel by astral projection, all manner of predicting the future, reading minds or communicating with the dead. A couple of creepy 70s moments set to eerie synthesizer sounds, but mostly eye-roll inducing in its complete disregard of logic or common sense.

When the North Wind Blows (1974)

Sunn Classic Pictures
Directed by Stewart Raffill
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

An exceptionally cold winter in Russia has driven tigers from the mountains into a local village. A hunting party is arranged, leading to the accidental death of one of the villagers. A local trapper is accused of murder and flees into the wilderness. A posse follows but is unable to find him. The trapper adapts to life in the remote back country by befriending the tigers and other animals. Years later men from the village find him and threaten his idyllic existence. Entertaining little yarn filmed on location in Canada. However, the acting is inconsistent, and the whole tiger thing a bit of a stretch.

What a Carve Up (1961)

Regal Films International (UK)
Directed by Pat Jackson
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

Timid proofreader Kenneth Connor learns he may have an inheritance from a distant relative and is summoned to his country estate for the reading of the will. He takes along his roommate Sidney James, a rough and tough bookmaker. They spend the night at the mansion with other family members who begin turning up dead. It's all fun, though, in this entertaining slapstick comedy tinged with horror and mystery. All of the "old dark house" cliches are here: hidden passages, black cats, mad organists, etc. Michael Gough is particularly entertaining as the somber butler.

And the Same to You (1960)

Monarch Film Corporation (UK)
Directed by George Pollock
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

A church hall is being rented for amateur boxing matches. The run down building needs a new roof, so the new vicar enlists his assistant, and former boxer, for a few matches with hopes of winning enough to repair it. When the archbishop comes for a visit, the vicar tries to hide what is going on. It turns out the archbishop's wife has her own gambling habit, saving the day. Poor slapstick comedy, but a few supporting characters make it at least watchable. 

Daughters of the Dust (1991)

Daughters of the Dust [Blu-ray]

Kino International
Directed by Julie Dash
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Cohen Media Group)

Cousins arrive by canoe on a South Carolina island at the turn of the century, to visit and have an elaborate meal with their extended family who carry on their African traditions. They reminisce about their lives, religion and past, all the while preparing to leave the island for better opportunities. Marital strife plagues one couple. New world Christianity clashes with old world religions and superstitions. Unfortunately, the structure of the film makes it difficult to follow. It is nearly plotless and has little character development. Instead, it's a constant flow of sound, images and dialogue, spoken in heavy accents which can be difficult to understand without subtitles (few and far between). It's all rather baffling.

Duet for Cannibals (1969)

Grove Press
Directed by Susan Sontag
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

An ambitious student with political ambitions begins working for a famous writer he idolizes. Little does he realize he has been purposely drawn into the bizarre relationship between the writer and his wife. He is allowed to seduce, or perhaps seduced by, the wife, after overhearing a tape recording that the man is dying of some unspecified illness. After exposing the affair, the husband seduces the student's girlfriend and convinces her to live with him and his wife. This sends the student spiraling into anger and jealousy, and he is almost convinced by the wife to kill her husband, but she is killed first instead... or is she? Dated politics and melodrama weigh it down, but still a rather interesting effort filmed in Sweden by the prolific author and activist Sontag.

Big Foot Man or Beast (1972)

American National Enterprises
Directed by Lawrence Crowley
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

A narrator describes various encounters with a mysterious creature in the woods of the Pacific northwest. He tries hard to convince us that it is "big foot", a large, humanoid creature living in the wilderness. However, the only evidence that it exists consists of easily-faked footprints and a very questionable film. A group of scientists, naturalists and other "experts" set out to find that evidence in the remainder of the film. Regrettably, they don't find anything other than more footprints and some hair. It's all very 70s, and very entertaining.

The Legend of Hillbilly John (1972)

Legend of Hillbilly John [VHS]

Jack Harris Enterprises
Directed by John Newland
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Episodic story about a wandering minstrel in Appalachia whose silver guitar strings have the power to repel evil. He looks for gold on a haunted mountain with a greedy undertaker, who makes a bargain with a witch. Next, the discovery of a body petrified in coal leads to an encounter with a giant "ugly bird". Finally, he appears to travel back in time to a cotton farm where slaves clash with their owner and use voodoo to get even. There is a sort of wraparound narrative involving none other than the Devil himself advising the minstrel. It all sounds well and good, but amateur acting, low budget and hillbilly stereotypes conspire to sink it. Might be good for unintentional laughs, and the giant bird attack isn't bad.

Woman of the Lake (1966)

Shochiku
Directed by Yoshishige Yoshida
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

A married woman and her lover meet regularly at a hotel in Tokyo. She agrees to let him take nude pictures of her, but she gets "mugged" while leaving the hotel and the negatives are stolen. The mugger turns out to be a teacher who had been spying on them. He blackmails her not for money but for time together. He eventually gets his way in a wrecked boat on a windswept beach. They struggle to deal with the consequences. Moody melodrama artfully shot by Tatsuo Suzuki in widescreen makes the most of its locations and beautiful actresses. However, he is given too much leeway, with love scenes that go on far too long for no reason other than to showcase naked bodies in the shadows. Elusive character motivations and wide open ending further erode enjoyment, but not appreciation, for this difficult, if compelling, film. Compare to L'Avventura.

Mudhoney (1965)

Lorna / Mudhoney [DVD] (PAL format)

Delta Films
Directed by Russ Meyer
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Arrow Films)

An ex-con traveling across the country runs out of money in Missouri. He gets a job on a farm run a friendly elderly man and his wife. However, she is married to an abusive, adulterous alcoholic, played to the hilt by Hal Hopper. Realizing his wife and the ex-con are falling in love, he conspires with a local preacher to get her money. Before he can do that, his lust for the preacher's wife leads to murder and his own downfall. Midwestern melodrama peppered with Meyer's fondness for large breasts and funny faces. Worth it alone for Hopper's crazed performance.

Good-for-Nothing (1960)

Shochiku
Directed by Yoshishige Yoshida
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Bored Japanese youth live off the money of one of their wealthy parents. They drive around in a big American car and listen to jazz. They harass the secretary of the same man giving them their money, even planning a robbery which they fail to follow through on. Summer arrives and they head to a beach house and brood some more. One of them buys a gun and things get more serious. Filmed in the New Wave style, it lacks a compelling plot, not to mention likeable characters, though it does occasionally luck into some interesting moments, such as the Elvis impersonator at a party.

The Believer (2001)

The Believer DVD

Fireworks Pictures
Directed by Henry Bean
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Palm Pictures)

Violent Neo-Nazi Ryan Gosling turns out to be Jewish. He joins a burgeoning fascist political movement and gives antisemitic speeches to prospective donors. At one of their remote camps, he befriends other Neo-Nazis. Together they plot assassination attempts and plant bombs in synagogues. The guilt of his background eventually catches up with him, leading to an act of self-sacrifice. An electrifying, breakout performance by former Disney child star Gosling. He vividly portrays the hatred and self-loathing of his complex character, though the story falls short of explaining the origins. Nonetheless, a visceral experience, with an ending that will leave you either confused or aghast.

The Legend of Suram Fortress (1985)

The Films of Sergei Paradjanov (DVD, Four-Disc Edition)

International Film Exchange
Directed by Serge Parajanov and Dodo Abashidze
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD,  Kino)

Confusing story of a freed slave who leaves his homeland to earn money to free his lover. He meets a merchant who tells his own backstory. Later, the freed slave marries another woman and they have a child. His old lover becomes a much-in-demand fortune teller. She foretells of a boy who must be bricked-up alive in the walls of a fortress in order to stand. The boy turns out to be the child of her former lover. Distractedly photographed in a series of "tableaux" imitating old paintings. However, the transition to cinema does not really work as the static camera and distant figures lead more often to boredom.

Smooth Talk (1985)

Smooth Talk [Blu-ray]

International Spectrafilm
Directed by Joyce Chopra
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Olive Films)

High school sophomore Laura Dern and her friends hang out at the mall or go to the drive in restaurant nearby, looking for boys. She lies to her parents about where she goes. She rebels against her mother, whom she sees as a threat to her lifestyle. She gets along better with her dad but still does not confide in him. This goes on for most of the movie. Towards the end, an older man she barely remembers seeing at the drive in shows up at her country house with a friend while her parents are away. He menacingly introduces himself, all fake charm, and toys with her from the front porch through a screen door after she retreats inside. Somehow, he talks her into leaving with him for a ride. Rape is implied, but never admitted, and she is brought safely home to carry on with her life, apparently unchanged. Long build up to a rather unsatisfying conclusion. Based on a Joyce Carol Oates short story, itself based on a true incident that lead to murder, not rape, which might have been a more interesting ending.

The Robots of Ripley (1935)

GUKF (Soviet Union)
Directed by Aleksandr Andriyevsky
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

A Russian engineer designs a robot with which he hopes to help ordinary workers. During a demonstration, the robot accidentally kills a man and is destroyed. The engineer then designs a bigger, stronger robot, and throngs of them. The workers fear their jobs will be taken away and revolt. Overtly political film has some entertaining moments, both intended and unintended, but stilted acting is difficult to overcome.

Birds, Orphans and Fools (1969)

Directed by Juraj Jakubisko
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

Two men and one woman live a childlike existence in a bombed out church in the middle of a city in Czechoslovakia. Surrounded by uncaged birds, they play games and sing with no cares, or responsibilities. One of the men seduces the girl, making the other man jealous and threatening their idyllic lives. The relationship ends when the man gets arrested and spends a year in jail. During that time the other man starts a relationship with the girl resulting in her pregnancy. Released from jail, the other man returns and tragedy ensues. The characters are annoying, the politics dated and melodramatic plot boring. Most of the running time is spent showing them acting out in various immature ways. Some interesting camerawork, however, as it moves around the characters almost completely unhinged.

The Pool (2007)

The Pool DVD

Vitagraph Films
Directed by Chris Smith
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Kino Lorber)

Two friends eke out a living on the streets of a city in India selling bags, washing dishes and cleaning hotel rooms. The older boy likes to perch in a tree to get a view of the luxurious mansion and swimming pool behind a wall. He approaches the owner one day at a greenery and manages to talk himself into a job. The man and boy develop a deep friendship and over time become like father and son. He also develops a crush on the man's teenage daughter. The man eventually offers to pay for his schooling, but it takes an unexpected turn. Slight drama takes you straight into the heart of India, I just wish the payoff was a little more substantial. Cast of amateurs does a fantastic job with mostly improvised scenes.

Tarot (1973)

General International Film
Directed by José María Forqué
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

Free-spirited American Sue Lyon gets involved with the young manservant of blind, wealthy Fernando Rey. He manages to talk her into marrying the old man for his money as they carry on their affair behind his back. He soon discovers them, leading to murder. Their attempts to cover it up lead to more complications. Standard murder plot gets no help from bland direction by Forqué. Even the presence of old pro Gloria Grahame as a housekeeper fails to enliven things. Sue Lyon continues her spiral into oblivion after her remarkable debut in Kubrick's Lolita.

The Rocking Horse Winner (1949)

The Rocking Horse Winner DVD

General Film Distributors (UK)
Directed by Anthony Pélissier
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Home Vision Entertainment)

A young boy develops the ability to predict horse races by fervently riding his new rocking horse until it whispers the name. He gets help from friendly handyman John Mills, who places the bets at the local racetrack. They accumulate a great deal of money, which he intends to use to save his parents failing marriage. The household is nearly bankrupt due to his father's gambling debts and his mother's extravagant lifestyle. It doesn't end well. Based on a short story by D.H. Lawrence, moodily photographed by Desmond Dickinson, who captures the story's dark and strange atmosphere, particularly the riding sequences of the boy on the rocking horse.

Motorpsycho! (1965)

Motorpsycho / Good Morning And Goodbye [DVD]

Eve Productions
Directed by Russ Meyer
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Arrow Films)

Three motorcyclists go on a rape and violence spree in the California desert. They meet their match in Alex Rocco, a veterinarian who relentlessly pursues them after raping his wife. He teams up with the voluptuous Haji, another survivor whose husband was murdered by the gang. Over-the-top exploitation classic from Meyer. The snake scene alone is worth sitting through the atrocious acting and hilarious dialogue.

American Hardcore (2006)

American Hardcore DVD

Sony Pictures Classics
Directed by Paul Rachman
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Sony)

Nostalgic review of the origins of American punk rock from the late 70s to its decline in the mid 80s. A series of local "scenes" developed, each with its own sound and bands, eventually becoming networked as bands toured. The earliest scenes were in southern California with Black Flag leading the way, and on the east coast in DC, with Bad Brains and Minor Threat the leading bands. Hundreds of bands across the country took up the sound, mostly teenage boys venting their frustrations through short, aggressive, three chord songs. It was fun if you were there, and this certainly will appeal to those who were, but others may be less enthusiastic. Recent interviews with some of the band members puts it all in perspective.