Necromancy (1972)

Cinerama Releasing
Directed by Bert I. Gordon
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

Young wife Pamela Franklin is convinced by her husband to move to a new town for a job promotion. Little does she realize it is a community of witches under the spell of their leader, Orson Welles, who hopes to use her to raise his son from the dead. Apparently Pamela has special powers, as seen in a few flashbacks. Once she realizes what is happening she tries to leave, but is prevented from doing so by other town members and her own husband who has also fallen under the influence of Welles. She begins to believe all of their talk about witchcraft and participates in a graveside ceremony with Welles, ending up buried alive in a coffin. Or is she?  Entertaining occult gem from none other than Mr. BIG is derivative of Rosemary's Baby, but Franklin gives it her all and Welles adds the expected gravitas to the proceedings.

The Devil and Leroy Bassett (1973)

American National Enterprises
Directed by Robert E. Pearson
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

Three country hick brothers in New Mexico devise a plan to break an Indian friend out of jail. They go on the lam after killing a few police officers. The pursuit takes them deep into the New Mexico mountains, ultimately leading to the brothers confronting the police in a shootout. The Indian escapes into the woods on foot but is pursued by the police on horseback. Low budget production has jarring violence but is also played for laughs. The interaction between the three brothers is particularly entertaining. John F. Goff as Leroy is unhinged as the psychotic evangelical Christian and leader of the group. His goofy brother Wilbur is played by prolific character actor George Buck Flower. Perfect film for that six pack night with your drinking buddies.

Hit! (1973)

Hit! [Blu-ray]

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Sidney J. Furie
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Olive Films)

Billy Dee Williams is a rogue federal agent who takes matters into his own hands when his teenage daughter dies of a heroin overdose. He beats up the small time dealer, but then assembles a team to travel to France and assassinate the kingpins of the drug organization. He uses government information to blackmail some of the team into participating, or appeals to their own past experience with drugs to get revenge. Once in France, they track down and kill the leaders in various grisly ways. The "team assembly" portion of the film goes on far too long. Richard Pryor goes into his comedy schtick at inappropriate moments and seems forced. Williams is miscast and too quiet as a rogue agent. Only Gwen Welles as a heroin addicted high priced hooker manages to be convincing.

The Quiller Memorandum (1966)

The Quiller Memorandum DVD

Twentieth Century-Fox Film
Directed by Michael Anderson
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Fox)

George Segal is sent by British intelligence to investigate the murder of two previous agents in Berlin. He is soon on the track of a neo Nazi cell lead by Max von Sydow. He is drugged, kidnapped and questioned, but ultimately let go. He gets help from pretty school teacher Senta Berger, who may or may not be a neo Nazi herself. Mostly talk, with little action, from screenwriter Harold Pinter, who is too clever for his own good. Segal is badly miscast.

The Red Pony (1973)

The Red Pony DVD

NBC
Directed by Robert Totten
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Universal Vault Series)

Henry Fonda and wife Maureen O'Hara live on a remote cattle ranch. She struggles to understand his heavy-handed methods with their son. When he is injured repairing the barn roof, Fonda makes up for it by buying him a young pony on a trip to town. The boy and horse develop a deep bond, but the horse gets sick and dies. Heartbroken, the boy blames his father and the two drift further apart. Later, their other horse is having problems giving birth, but Fonda steps in and saves both mother and foal, proving to his son that he really does care. Fonda's reuniting with Steinbeck material has mixed results. His character is not very likeable and Fonda struggles to convince with a prolonged drunken bar fight. Animal lovers will not find much to like here either, the death of the pony is particularly painful to watch. Even old pros Jack Elam and Ben Johnson can't liven it up.

They Have Changed Their Face (1971)

Garigliano Film (Italy)
Directed by Corrado Farina
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Video Dimensions)

An employee at an Italian auto manufacturer is invited to meet the owner of the company at his reclusive country estate. He picks up a topless hitchhiker along the way, but leaves her at the front gate. He is greeted by the owner's "secretary", a pale, svelte, androgynous woman who almost immediately sets out to seduce him. The crumbling mansion is filled with modern accessories, including some amusing recordings of commercials that play in the showers. The owner is an older but powerful industrialists who controls multiple corporations. The visitor becomes alarmed when he discovers a nursery filled with babies and a notebook outlining their eventual role in his corporations, in which he finds his own picture. He tries to escape, but is blocked by guards who swarm around the grounds in little white cars. His desperation leads to murder, or maybe not, as the dead man appears to return to life. The Dracula myth is used as a foundation for a philosophical critique of capitalism. It successfully incorporates moody horror elements via the setting: crumbling mansion, perpetual fog, the pale secretary; but also works in biting satire of capitalism, including a mock commercial for LSD! A bit dated at times, but very unique, and quite entertaining.

King & Country (1964)

King & Country [Blu-ray]

Warner-Pathé (UK)
Directed by Joseph Loosey
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, VCI Entertainment)

Private Tom Courtenay is accused of desertion when he "walks away" from the front lines in WWI. Dirk Bogarde is assigned to defend him in his hastily assembled trial. Initially skeptical, Bogarde comes to believe that Courtenay was suffering from shell shock and other mitigating circumstances. He tries to convince the brass at the trial, but they have no interest in his explanations or excuses. Courtenay is convicted and sentenced to death by higher commanders to serve as an example. Claustrophobic film takes place entirely in the trenches under a perpetual rainfall, moodily captured in black and white by cinematographer Denys Coop. Real photographs from WWI are occasionally seen, and one of a body lying in the mud is particularly effective as a dissolve shot. Still, it lacks narrative excitement, is excessively talky and the explanation for his supposed desertion is murky, perhaps deliberately so.

Ocean's Eleven (1960)

Ocean's 11 (50th Anniversary) [Blu-ray]

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

Frank Sinatra assembles a dozen or so of his old war buddies and convinces them to help rob the casinos in Las Vegas. They use their military experience to blow up electrical towers, then do some rewiring so that when the power goes out the doors to the cashier's office open. They use fluorescent spray paint to mark the way in the dark. It almost works, until a mobster figures it out and blackmails them for a piece of the loot. Their plan to get the cash out of town backfires at the last minute. Ludicrous plot almost redeemed by the presence of just about every Rat Packer, but one film can't handle all of those egos. Opening title sequence by Saul Bass is probably the best part.

Puppet on a Chain (1971)

Cinerama Releasing
Directed by Geoffrey Reeve and Don Sharp
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Scorpion Releasing)

A special agent from the US is sent to track down the source of heroin in Amsterdam. He hooks up with undercover agent Barbara Parkins and the local police. They find a warehouse filled with hollow Bibles and dolls. The dealer is disguised as a priest, who kills anyone in his way, but also has inside help with the police, whose identity is revealed at the end. The only thing that makes this stand out from any other late 60s or early 70s European drug lord film is a boat chase sequence through the canals of Amsterdam that lasts for about 10 minutes, and even that is marred by obvious crowds standing around watching the production. Parkins is good as usual, but Swedish singer/actor Sven-Bertil Taube as the American special agent lacks charisma as the lead.

The Swimmer (1968)

The Swimmer (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Frank Perry
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Grindhouse Releasing)

Middle aged and athletic Burt Lancaster emerges from the woods of suburban Connecticut to the poolside of a couple of wealthy friends. He notices a string of pools stretching across the valley to his home, and decides to "swim home", from pool to pool. He meets old friends, lovers and acquaintances along the way, each stop revealing another aspect of his past. Gradually, a picture of a broken man is revealed, his rosy outlook incongruent with the reactions of those he meets. The truth is finally revealed at his final stop. John Cheever's short story makes a shaky transition to the big screen. Taken literally, it's a rather boring story of one afternoon spent pool hopping between wealthy, bored, self-absorbed suburbanites. One has to look closely, perhaps a little too closely, to see through to the symbolism behind it all. Might take multiple viewings to fully appreciate.

Matewan (1987)

 Academy Awards, USA 1988

Nominated Oscar

Best Cinematography Haskell Wexler

Cinecom Pictures
Directed by John Sayles
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Seville Pictures)

Union organizer Chris Cooper arrives in a remote West Virginia coal mining town in the midst of a strike. His first task is to convince immigrant and African-American scab workers to join the cause, much to the dismay of the local union members. However, when threatened with violence by the coal company they decide to unite. The arrival of two company men intent on carrying out illegal evictions further escalates the tension in town. Cooper struggles to keep the Union members from succumbing to violence, especially when he is falsely accused of being a spy for the company and is almost killed. However, when the son of a miner is murdered, the miner's are set on revenge. Overplotted but realistic portrayal of the "Battle of Matewan", with standout performances by James Earl Jones as the leader of the African-American miners, Kevin Tighe as the company heavy and William Oldham as a teenage preacher. Cinematography by Haskell Wexler captures the dirty, gritty feel of a coal mining town in 1920.

Fahrenheit 451 (1966)

Fahrenheit 451 [Blu-ray]

Universal Pictures
Directed by Francois Truffaut
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Universal)

Oskar Werner plays a "fireman" of the future: instead of putting out fires they start them, burning any and all books they find. Citizens can anonymously turn in neighbors or friends, to which the firemen promptly respond. Werner befriends bookish school teacher Julie Christie who tempts him to steal a book, beginning his obsession and eventual downfall. His wife, also played by Christie, cannot tolerate the social impacts of his decision and turns him in. His final ride with the fire department is to his own house. He flees the city and ends up an outcast with other book lovers who memorize whole works in an effort to preserve them for posterity. Truffaut, directing in English for the first, and only, time struggles with the unfamiliar language, giving the dialogue a cold, emotionless feel, though not entirely inappropriate for the story. Cinematographer Nicolas Roeg uses bold colors and retro-futuristic settings. The soundtrack by Bernard Herrmann is quite effective as usual. The end result is somewhere between 1984 and the Stepford Wives.

Encounter with the Unknown (1973)

American National Enterprises
Directed by Harry Thomason
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Code Red)

A trilogy of stories linked by a supposed "supernatural" element. In the first story, a college prank leads to manslaughter. The three boys are cursed by the mother of the murdered boy and die in mysterious ways. In the second story, a young boy's dog disappears on the same night a hole shows up in the middle of the local woods. The boy's father is dropped into the hole by rope, only to emerge insane. In the final story, a teenage girl is found alone on a remote bridge in the middle of the night and asks to be taken home, only to disappear. Her father claims she died years ago in an accident. Poorly acted on a shoestring budget, but it does ooze 70s atmosphere. Narrated by Rod Serling, which makes it feel like a lost episode of Night Gallery.

Keoma (1976)

Grand Duel / Keoma (Spaghetti Western Double Feature) [Blu-ray]

Far International Films (Italy)
Directed by Enzo G. Castellari
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Mill Creek)

Half-breed Franco Nero returns to his hometown only to find it run by his half brothers for their own profit. The town is suffering from the plague, with the afflicted sent to a slave mining camp. Nero saves a pregnant woman from the camp, then decides to confront his brothers. He gets help from family friend Woody Strode and his aging father. Stylishly directed by by Castellari, but marred by gimmicky slow motion shootouts and meandering plot, much of it apparently improvised. Horrid soundtrack doesn't help. One of the last of the spaghetti westerns.

Snowfire (1958)

Snowfire (1958)

Allied Artists
Directed by Dorrell McGowan and Stuart McGowan
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Warner Archive Collection)

Little Molly becomes enamored with the white mustang her rancher father captures and brings home. When dad tries to brand her horse he tells her it won't hurt, so she decides to brand herself in a bizarre scene. She also believes that "Snowfire" can talk to her, and proves it many times over. She releases him back to the wild, and he returns the favor by saving her life when she falls off a cliff. Eventually Snowfire ends up back at the ranch, but only with the condition that he can visit his wild "family" whenever he wants. Beautifully filmed in widescreen in Bryce Canyon, Utah, but only the most devoted horse lovers, or those who saw it at an impressionable age, will be able to tolerate the outrageous plot devices and stilted acting.

Adventures of Gallant Bess (1948)

Eagle Lion Films
Directed by Lew Landers
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(YouTube)

Cameron Mitchell is a free-spirited cowboy who captures a wild horse and teaches her a few tricks. The owner of a local rodeo also wants her for his show, and conspires to get her any way possible. He arranges for Mitchell to lose in a rodeo event, then claims the horse as his own while Mitchell is recovering from a broken leg. Mitchell falls in love with the doctor's daughter, but he can't decide if he'd rather live with horse in the woods. Eventually, he makes the right decision. Innocuous western will play best with horse lovers.

Mysteries of the Gods (1976)

Hemisphere Pictures
Directed by Charles Romine
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(YouTube)

William Shatner hosts this documentary on "ancient astronauts" as popularized by Erich Von Däniken. The theory goes that mankind made a quantum leap in advancement that cannot be explained by evolution alone, but instead was helped by aliens who gave us the technology we needed to continue to advance. Evidence of this visitation comes from such places as the Plains of Nazca where there are drawings which can only be seen from outer space (and, by the way, the surrounding foothills), a lost city built with huge stones on an isolated island no human could build, a human skull made of crystal smoothed down over hundreds of years, and lets not forget UFOs. Shatner seems genuinely excited by the material, making the film more entertaining than it should be, not to mention his 70s fashion statements.

Breaking Glass (1980)

Breaking Glass [Blu-ray]

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Brian Gibson
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Olive Films)

Hazel O'Connor stars as an aspiring New Wave singer and lyricist on the streets of London. He band performs in a dive bar in front of an unappreciative audience, but gets the attention of a young record promoter. He forces himself on the naive O'Connor and becomes her manager. They audition members of a new band that she will front and he arranges more shows and records a demo. He uses his promoter connections to get the band a contract and album. However, he is edged out by a greedy corporate record producer who not only takes over the band but becomes her lover. A drugged up O'Connor is forced onstage to play music she despises. A rather obvious and heavy handed expose of the corporate music business, showing how the punk movement in England became commercialized and transformed into New Wave. Unfortunately, that music dominates the soundtrack and is harsh, amateurish and barely listenable. I guess O'Connor is an acquired taste I have not developed.

The Big Showdown (1972)

Grand Duel / Keoma [Blu-ray]

Titanus
Directed by Giancarlo Santi
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Mill Creek)

Lee Van Cleef plays a sheriff who helps an escaped convict holed up in a dusty western town from a posse. He accompanies the man to a nearby town where he is accused of murdering the patriarch of the family that controls it. However, the real killer turns out to be someone else. Entertaining spaghetti western from the assistant director of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, with more than a few of its stylistic flourishes. However, it is overplotted and can be difficult to follow. Cleef is good as always, but Italian actor Alberto Dentice is miscast as the convict.