I Knew Her Well (1965)

Medusa Distribuzione (Italy)
Directed by Antonio Pietrangeli
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection) 

Roman teen Stefania Sandrelli spends her time listening to 45s, going to parties and having sex with her much older landlord. She aspires to be a model and actress, giving ludicrous sums of money to a photographer who promises her stardom. She attends a party where a famous director shows up and catches his eye, but the opportunity passes. Her newsreel debut is re-edited to comic effect, leaving her embarrassed in front of friends. She spends a fun-filled night dancing with a new friend, returns to her empty apartment and meets a tragic, if predictable, end. It's all Sandrelli, from the costumes to the music and dancing, but dated badly by the music and that ending just leaves a bad taste.

Multiple Maniacs (1970)

New Line Cinema
Directed by John Waters
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

A suburban freak show lures curious housewives and their husbands, who are promptly robbed at gun point then murdered by one of the performers at the end. The perpetrator, a massive transvestite who goes by the name "Lady Divine", easily escapes and returns to her home in the city with her boyfriend, "Mr. David", the emcee for the show. She gets a call from the owner of a local bar who says she has seen her boyfriend with another woman, and goes there presumably to kill him. Along the way, she is raped then diverted to a church by a young woman who seduces her in a pew. The two new lovers proceed to find her boyfriend, who along with his new girlfriend have decided to murder Divine. It doesn't end well, and then the giant lobster shows up. Massive cult film is certainly unique, but that is not to say it is very good. Amateurishly acted and technically inept, it attempts to offend just about everyone with its ridiculous scenes of sodomy and cannibalism. However, it is never boring!

Mr. Arkadin (1955)

Warner Bros.
Directed by Orson Welles
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Criterion Collection)

A small time blackmailer falls in love with the daughter of a reclusive, wealthy businessman. She introduces him to her father at a masquerade ball in a castle in Spain. The mysterious figure, played by the director Orson Welles, agrees to let him marry his daughter only if he uncovers his past, which apparently he has forgotten due to amnesia! What follows is a globe-trotting, dreamlike investigation of the people and places of his past. Welles always seems to show up at each place, as do dead bodies, ratcheting up the stakes. Eventually the truth is uncovered, and Welles will stop at nothing to keep it from his daughter, whose love he fears losing. Covering many of the same themes as his more famous Citizen Kane, Welles had the final cut taken out of his hands by the producers, and as a result it has been released in many versions, all of which are confusing. It is nonetheless very good, and frequently hilarious, with a deadpan performance by Robert Arden, a poorly dubbed one by Welles' wife Paola Mori, and of course the omnipresent, devilish Welles as Mr. Arkadin.

Planes (2013)

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Directed by Klay Hall
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Disney)

A crop duster plane dreams of becoming a racer and begins training for an around-the-world race. He proves everyone wrong by qualifying for the race. His training continues under the tutorage of a crusty old war veteran. The race begins in New York City and his competitors include the overconfident, flamboyant and arrogant previous champion; a chirpy, fun loving Mexican plane; and a sexy French-Canadian. He overcomes various obstacles over the course of the race, including a near-fatal crash into the ocean. He wins many loyal friends and fans along the way with his determination. Although in last place, he overcomes all to win at the last second in a photo finish. Predictable Disney adventure with too many stereotypes, although the computer animation is as sleek and shiny as its characters.

Chimes at Midnight (1965)

Peppercorn-Wormser Film Enterprises
Directed by Orson Welles
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

King Henry IV has taken over the throne of England by killing Richard II. The true heir to the throne is being held prisoner, and after Henry refuses to rescue him relatives plot to overthrow him. Meanwhile, Henry's son is hanging out with a gang of thieves and prostitutes, lead by the jovial Falstaff, at the Boar's Head Tavern. They rob some pilgrims and then get drunk and make fun of the king. While visiting his royal father, the younger prince is admonished for his lifestyle but when threatened with an uprising vows to fight. In a pivotal battle scene, he leads the King's army to victory in the Battle of Shrewsbury while Falstaff bumbles around in the bushes. Years later, the King's health fails and his son takes over the crown. Falstaff, believing his old friend will give him power, travels to the coronation but instead is banished by the new king. He dies the same night in the old tavern. Ostentatious adaptation by Welles of several Shakespeare plays, muddied by an incoherent plot and his own over-the-top performance as the insanely rotund Falstaff.

Oliver Twist (1948)

General Film Distributors (UK)
Directed by David Lean
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Criterion Collection)

Orphan Twist, mistreated by his new foster family, runs away to London and takes up with a gang of children. They are trained by an old Jewish man named Fagin to become pickpockets. While being trained, Twist is chased down by a mob and arrested. Eventually cleared, he is adopted by the kindly older, wealthy gentleman who witnessed what happened. However, his happiness is short lived when he is sent on an errand and kidnapped by his old gang of pickpockets. A reward is offered for his return, leading to the murder of a prostitute who knows his whereabouts. Public outrage leads to a mob which hunts down those responsible and reunites Twist with his real grandfather. Lean's adaptation of the classic Dickens story is atmospheric and well-mounted. Alec Guinness gives a virtuoso performance as Fagin and is practically unrecognizable under heavy make up.

The Importance of Being Earnest (1952)

Rank Organisation (UK)
Directed by Anthony Asquith
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Criterion Collection)

Michael Redgrave and Michael Denison are English gentleman harboring alternative identities, each with the name "Ernest". Redgrave has fallen in love with his friend's cousin, while Denison with his friend's ward in the country. The catch is that the two women are attracted to their alternate personalities, mostly because they are named "Ernest". The mess is unraveled when they all meet at a county manor. Often hilarious adaptation of an Oscar Wilde story, with a memorable performances by Edith Evans as an elderly Victorian matron who insists that social mores be followed and Margaret Rutherford as a harried governess.

Wings of Desire (1987)

Orion Classics
Directed by  Wim Wenders
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Angels move unseen among the residents of Berlin, listening to their inner thoughts or perched on statues. They attempt to console the lonely and depressed, but otherwise are mostly observers. One angel becomes enamored with a trapeze artist and yearns to become human so he can experience, among other things, love. He bursts into the world in dreary color, bloodied but excited to finally be among the living. He drinks coffee, bums some money, and then sets off in search of the trapeze artist. He finds her at a concert of her favorite band, and she instantly falls in love with him. Lyrical, poetic film that is beginning to fade with age, being dated by the laughable concert scenes with Nick Cave and Australian rock band Crime & the City Solution. Peter Falk plays himself as a former angel turned actor.

Hopscotch (1980)

AVCO Embassy Pictures
Directed by Ronald Neame
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

CIA agent Walter Matthau is demoted after failing to arrest a Soviet spy. Instead of accepting a "desk job" he adopts a new identity on goes to Europe to stay with an old lover. He decides to write a tell-all book, which gets the attention of his old employers, and a few other spies as well, who pursue him across the globe. He hops from country to country, adopting new names along the way, always managing to stay a step ahead of his inept pursuers. It becomes personal when he rents the house of the boss who tried to demote him, then almost gets it destroyed in a shootout. The escapes become more and more preposterous, finally leading to an improbable aerial shootout in which Matthau fakes his own death. Lightweight comedy/adventure in which Matthau is miscast, Glenda Jackson underused as his girlfriend and a plot completely lacking in plausibility.

The Lovers (1958)

Lux Compagnie Cinématographique de France (France)
Directed by Louis Malle
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Criterion Collection)

Bored housewife Jeanne Moreau lives in a country estate, but visits Paris regularly, where she is having an affair with a handsome polo player. Her suspicious husband invites her Paris friends to their mansion for a getaway. Moreau's car breaks down on the way home and she gets a ride back from a friendly young passer-by. They strike up a quick friendship and she invites him to stay at the estate mansion as well. Late that night they sneak out together and spend the night together. The next morning, she impulsively leaves her husband with her new lover. Handsomely shot melodrama, but the ending is so abrupt and unexpected as to be implausible.

The Browning Version (1951)

Universal-International
Directed by Anthony Asquith
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Criterion Collection)

A middle aged teacher at an English school comes to grips with his impending retirement. As he trains his replacement, he realizes the boys mostly make fun of him for his reserved manner and iron hand on the classroom, nicknaming him "Himmler". Meanwhile, his wife is his polar opposite: young, beautiful, outgoing and, apparently ignored. She is having an affair with the science teacher, which, it turns out, her husband has known about all along. He explains his disinterest as loving her on another level. Anyway, he gets passed over for a pension, then almost embarrassed at the school assembly. Instead, he ends up giving an impromptu speech to the student body which gets him a standing ovation. His final confrontation with his wife and her lover leads to more surprises. Superbly acted by all of the leads, but can be rather slow, and spends too much time on romantic subplots.

Blast of Silence (1961)

Universal-International
Directed by Allen Baron
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Criterion Collection)

A mob hit man is in New York City during Christmas to carry out a contract. He trails his target and meticulously plans the job. Wishing to remain anonymous, he unexpectedly meets childhood friends from his days in an orphanage. This leads to an invitation to a party where he flirts with the girl and goes back to her apartment. However, his rough advances are rebuked and he leaves frustrated and regretful. He reflects on his life and job and tries to back out of the contract. The mob insists he carry it out, and now mark him as unreliable. More trouble ensues when he tries to buy a gun with a silencer. Bleak, at times harrowing, account of a hit man, shot on location in and around New York, including the famous Village Gate nightclub in Greenwich Village.

Ride in the Whirlwind (1966)

Walter Reade Organization
Directed by Monte Hellman
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Three cowpokes traveling across the desert west stop for a break at a remote shack. They find five men cramped into the space, one of whom is wounded. They don't believe the men's story for a minute, but decide to eat and stay the night. In the morning they are awakened by gunshots from a posse who have surrounded the shack. Mistaken for criminals, the three of them make a break on their horses, but one of them is shot and killed. The other two, Cameron Mitchell and Jack Nicholson, trek across the harsh landscape with the posse in pursuit. They find a ranch house where a farmer, his wife and daughter live a simple life. They reluctantly take them hostage and hideout from the posse. However, they are discovered leading to a shootout. Only one escapes alive. Shot immediately after The Shooting, on the same locations and with some of the same cast. It is more straightforward and less successful, with the simple-minded main characters a major drawback.

The Shooting (1966)

Walter Reade Organization
Directed by Monte Hellman
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Miner Warren Oates returns to his camp to find one partner dead and the other hiding. Apparently unknown assailants were seeking his brother, who has just left the camp, to exact revenge for a killing in a nearby town. A woman then shows up and talks them into escorting her across the brutal landscape. During the trek it is gradually revealed that she is the one seeking his brother, whom they are pursuing, along with a hired shooter who soon joins them. The shooter, played by Jack Nicholson, taunts the younger miner, who has fallen for the girl, and to a lesser degree Oates. The long journey takes a toll on their horses, and Nicholson demands that the younger man be left behind in the desert, presumably to die. Later, Oates manages to subdue Nicholson when he begins to wear down. In the final scenes, in slow motion, the girl confronts the man they have been pursuing. Moody western by auteur Hellman and company takes a simple plot and works it for everything he can, to mostly positive results. Utah scenery helps, as does the presence of Millie Perkins as the girl.

The Children Are Watching Us (1944)

Scalera Film (Italy)
Directed by Vittorio De Sica
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Criterion Collection)

Little Prico watches in dismay as his mother talks to a stranger in a park. It turns out to be an old lover she can't seem to shake, and leaves the family for him in the middle of the night. She returns a few days later for the sake of the boy, but her husband is understandably upset. They decide to take a brief vacation at a large hotel and things seem to be getting back to normal, when the lover unexpectedly shows up. Tragedy and pathos follow. De Sica gets an amazing performance out of 7-year-old Luciano De Ambrosis as the boy, particularly in the difficult final scene which he pulls off flawlessly. Early De Sica "neo realist" work, but mixes in a little too much melodrama to make it a true classic.

Aladdin (1992)

Academy Awards, USA 1993

Winner Oscar	Best Music, Original Song Alan Menken (music) Tim Rice (lyrics) For the song "A Whole New World"
	Best Music, Original Score Alan Menken
Nominee Oscar	Best Sound Terry Porter Mel Metcalfe David J. Hudson Doc Kane
	Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing Mark A. Mangini
	Best Music, Original Song Alan Menken (music) Howard Ashman (lyrics) For the song "Friend Like Me." Howard Ashman's nomination was posthumous.

Buena Vista Pictures
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Walt Disney)

Street smart homeless boy in fictional Arabian town befriends a disguised princess running away from her palace. He gets sent to prison by overzealous prison guards, but set free by the evil Jafar, who has been told that Aladdin is the only person who can retrieve a powerful lamp deep in a desert cave. The boy fulfills the prophecy with the help of a magic carpet and finds out the lamp contains a powerful genie who will grant him three wishes. After using up one to save his life, he uses another to become a prince and hopefully win the hand of the princess. Jafar has other designs and manages to steal the lamp and become the genie's new master. However, his quest for power eventually becomes his undoing and Aladdin's final act of kindness towards the genie allows him to marry the princess. Disney's animated musical Arabian adventure has become dated. Robin William's as the genie is fun for awhile but he threatens to take over the entire film. Some of his impersonations just don't fit the story (Jack Nicholson?). The songs are unmemorable. It's not all bad, Disney's animation is impressive as usual, but it's not enough to overcome the other shortcomings.

A Special Day (1977)

Academy Awards, USA 1978

Nominee Oscar	Best Actor in a Leading Role Marcello Mastroianni
	Best Foreign Language Film Italy

Surf Film
Directed by Ettore Scola
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Housewife Sophia Loren, with too many kids and a cheating husband, lives in a cramped apartment building in Rome. Almost everyone leaves to go to a parade featuring Adolf Hitler, giving her some rare time alone. Her pet bird escapes and she goes to a neighbor's apartment to find it. She strikes up a conversation with lonely, depressed Marcello Mastroianni, who has just lost his job as a radio broadcaster. She is attracted to him, until a nosy neighbor tells her he is an antifascist and not to be trusted. If that wasn't bad enough, he is also a homosexual. Despite their differences, their loneliness leads to a moment of weakness. She barely makes it home in time to see her family after the parade, and watches as he is arrested and taken away by the police. Impeccably acted by the two famous leads, who manage the delicate subject matter just right. Shot in muted colors to mimic the newsreels of the day, with an almost continuous radio broadcast in the background describing the meeting between Hitler and Mussolini.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

Buena Vista Distribution
Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Walt Disney)

Young scientist at the Smithsonian at the turn of the century can't get funding for his expedition to Atlantis, but gets help from a wealthy old man who was friends with his grandfather. They build a submarine and assemble a crew for the journey. They have to abandon ship rather quickly when attacked by a giant mechanical monster guarding the entrance to the lost civilization, but manage to get in via escape vehicles. They are greeted by mask wearing natives, but are soon accepted. He helps the young princess decipher some engravings which hold the secret to the power of the underwater city, in ruins since a cataclysm a century ago. However, his crew rebels and he must fight to save the city, and win the heart of the princess. This animated Disney adventure is louder than most, with a hokey new age-ish crystal angle, but still manages to entertain.

The Grim Reaper (1962)

Cineriz
Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Criterion Collection)

A prostitute is murdered in a park. The police interrogate a series of suspects who were in the park that night, their stories make up the film. A teenager and his friends rob lovers in a nearby forest during the day, then he walks home that night through the park but claims he was only passing through. Another man spends his day trying to break up with his girlfriend so he can meet another one, but she drags him along to collect money from girls who owe them money for their pimping. Two young boys flirt with a couple of girls they meet in the park, then, needing money to buy food, they beat and rob a homosexual in the park. Finally, a soldier tries to pick up girls on the streets, but after an unsuccessful day falls asleep on a park bench. The murder is revealed rather matter-of-factly as a robbery gone wrong, with the murderer arrested at a teenage dance party. Bertolucci's debut feature reflects more of the style of the writer, Pier Paolo Pasolini, than the director, with an obsession for sex among the lowlife of Rome, and eschews any pretense of a murder mystery. Fragmented and dated, but might reveal more with multiple viewings.

The Little Mermaid (1975)

Toei
Directed by Tomoharu Katsumata
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Discotek Media)

Japanese version of the Hans Christian Anderson story about a mermaid who falls in love with a human against the wishes of her father the king. She makes a deal with the sea witch to become human, but sacrifices her voice. Unable to speak, she must convince the boy to fall in love with her or get turned into sea foam! Unfortunately, another woman comes along and steals him away. Her mermaid sisters try to save her by making another deal with the sea witch. Unlike the Disney version, there is no happy ending. More faithful to the original story, but the animation is clunky and songs unmemorable.

Intentions of Murder (1964)

Nikkatsu
Directed by Shohei Imamura
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Criterion Collection)

An overweight, unloved and abused housewife is raped one day while alone at home. Ashamed, she contemplates suicide, but only the love of her young son prevents her. Improbably, the rapist keeps returning to proclaim his love for her, and gradually she thinks it might be possible. Unfortunately for both of them, he suffers from a heart condition which claims him during their last lovemaking session. Meanwhile her husband, suspecting something is up, sends his own mistress after them to take pictures, and she meets an unexpected demise. In the end, the housewife triumphs and manages to make something of her life despite all of her obstacles. Long but worthwhile film filled with some incredible shots and recurring themes, most prominent of which are trains, trains and more trains, which could symbolize death, or maybe just the way out for the housewife.

The Immortal Story (1968)

Altura Films
Directed by Orson Welles
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

An aging wealthy merchant in China has only his faithful bookkeeper as a companion. He becomes obsessed with making an old sailor's story reality: offering a sailor money to impregnate his wife. Since he is not married, he sends his bookkeeper to find a woman for the role of the wife, then picks up a destitute sailor off the streets who is more than happy to oblige. The woman has a connection to the old man, her own father having been driven to bankruptcy and suicide through business dealings, so she hopes to extract some revenge. It more or less goes off as planned, then the two lovers go their own way. However, the old man dies before finding out whether or not the story become reality. Short but dream-like Welles, photographed in stunning color. Originally part one of an anthology that was never finished, but still quite worthwhile.

Blithe Spirit (1945)

Academy Awards, USA 1947

Winner Oscar

Best Effects, Special Effects Tom Howard (visual)

United Artists
Directed by David Lean
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Author Rex Harrison hosts a seance at his house to get material for his next book. He hires "Madame Arcati", played to the hilt by Margaret Rutherford, who manages to summon the spirit of his dead ex-wife. She materializes in a ghostly green hue, but only he can see her. His current wife thinks he is going crazy and talking to himself, until he convinces the ghost to carry a vase which appears to float in mid air to his wife. The trio carries on uncomfortably for awhile, but his wife soon figures out that the ghost wants him dead to join him in the afterlife. Instead, she ends up dead and now he has two ghostly ex-wives sitting around in his living room and bickering. He convinces Madame Arcati to help him, but once again cruel fate intervenes. Silly but thoroughly enjoyable, in absolutely beautiful Technicolor.

Last Holiday (1950)

Associated British-Pathé
Directed by Henry Cass
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Janus Films/Criterion Collection)

Middle aged farm implement salesman Alec Guinness is told he has weeks to live during a routine doctor's visit. He is single with no family or friends, so decides to quit his job and spend his savings at an upscale hotel in a resort town. Freshly decked out in a used suit, he quickly becomes the object of speculation among the elite at the hotel. He wins at gambling, is approached for advice and lands a job offer, all without doing much of anything. He also begins to fall in love with the hotel head housekeeper. One day none other than the doctor for whom his obscure disease is named for shows up as a guest and tells him he has been misdiagnosed. He can barely experience his new lease on life before an ironic and tragic twist ending. Guinness is good as usual, but the plot depends too much on improbable coincidences, and that twist ending is a bitter pill to swallow.

Make Mine Music (1946)

RKO Radio Pictures
Directed by Jack Kinney, et al
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Walt Disney)

A sequel of sorts to Fantasia, with a series of stories set to music, this time popular instead of classical. There are ballads, such as in the segment "Blue Bayou", set to incredible impressionistic animation; there are several jazz pieces with Benny Goodman which are more lighthearted; and then the finale, "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met", featuring an operatic whale who really does make it there, until a jealous impresario harpoons him and sends him to heaven. Very enjoyable, with some of Disney's best animation, if a bit lowbrow at times.

Citizen Kane (1941)

Academy Awards, USA 1942

Winner Oscar	Best Writing, Original Screenplay Herman J. Mankiewicz Orson Welles On Friday, July 19th, 2003, Orson Welles' Oscar statuette went on sale at an auction at Christie's,... More
Nominee Oscar	Best Picture
	Best Actor in a Leading Role Orson Welles
	Best Director Orson Welles
	Best Cinematography, Black-and-White Gregg Toland
	Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White Perry Ferguson Van Nest Polglase A. Roland Fields Darrell Silvera
	Best Sound, Recording John Aalberg (RKO Radio SSD)
	Best Film Editing Robert Wise
	Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture Bernard Herrmann

RKO Radio Pictures
Directed by Orson Welles
My rating: 4 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Warner Bros.)

The last utterance of a dying newspaper mogul, "rosebud", becomes the object of a reporter's search. He interviews former acquaintances, friends, enemies, wives and mistresses, all in search of the meaning of the word. Along the way, he pieces together the life story of the larger-than-life figure of Charles Foster Kane. As a youth in snowy Colorado, his parents find gold, only to send  him away to live with their banker! He inherits wealth in his early twenties and proceeds to buy a struggling New York newspaper. He turns it into a great success and uses it to destroy enemies and pursue his own political ambitions. It all comes crashing down when rivals discover he is having an affair with a lowly cabaret singer. He spends the next few decades using his enormous wealth to buy her a career in opera, which she fails at miserably. He spends his last years alone in his mammoth mansion. We finally learn the meaning of "rosebud" in the final scene, a symbol of innocence lost. Quintessential American film broke all the rules of the time, from the fast cuts, the untrustworthy and multiple narrators, montages, and more, although many of these techniques were lifted straight from old German expressionistic films. Nonetheless, it is rightly regarded as one of the best, if not influential, films of all time, bolting its star and director to heights he would struggle to maintain.

Vanya on 42nd Street (1994)

Sony Pictures Classics
Directed by Louis Malle
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Actors gather at a decrepit theater in New York City to rehearse a play by Anton Chekhov. They break into their characters with little warning and proceed to act out the entire play with no sets or costumes. Juliana Moore is married to a much older man, a famous professor, and they are visiting relatives on a farm that he owns. Two men profess their love for Moore: the middle aged man who runs the farm and a young, handsome doctor who frequently visits. Emotions are further complicated by another woman who is in love with the doctor. She confides in Moore who agrees to press the doctor on his feelings, but instead confronts her own. Extremely well acted but somewhat of a gimmick. Attempt to recreate the success of My Dinner with Andre falls short.

The Black Cauldron (1985)

Buena Vista Distribution
Directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Walt Disney)

In a mythical land in the Middle Ages, a "pig boy" who works in the stables learns that his favorite pig has magical powers. The evil "Horned King" wants to use the pig to find the Black Cauldron which has the power to raise the dead. The boy, his pig and a new companion named Gurgi are lured to the Horned King's castle where the boy is captured and thrown in the dungeon while the pig and Gurgi escape. The boy befriends a pretty princess also in the dungeon and they manage to escape. Reunited with his friends, they find an underground kingdom which leads them to the Black Cauldron. They make a bargain with three witches protecting it, only to find out that the only way to destroy it is to commit suicide by jumping into it. Before anyone can, the Horned King and his army capture it, releasing an army of undead in the process. One of them commits an act of self-sacrifice, destroying the Horned King, his army and the Black Cauldron. Dark Disney tale has some fantastic animation, bu the complicated plot weighs it down. Still, quite good in the right frame of mind.

The Insect Woman (1963)

Nikkatsu
Directed by Shohei Imamura
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Criterion Collection)

Illegitimate farmer's daughter grows up repressed and possibly sexually abused by her dope of a father. Pregnant, she moves to the big city for a factory job, becoming the mistress of an American GI. He leaves and she ends up working in a house of prostitution. She eventually starts her own "call girl" business on the side using her friends in the brothel. Her abandoned daughter shows up and also gets involved. However she is exposed by one of her own ambitious girls and is forced into the streets to make her own way. Imamura's attempt to parallel her life with contemporaneous events in Japanese history is a distraction. The plot is all over the place and difficult to follow. Characters come and go at a dizzying pace. Imamura frequently indulges in exploitative imagery such as adult breast feeding. There is potential here, but Imamura seems to drop the ball.

Barry of the Great St. Bernard (1977)

Buena Vista Distribution
Directed by Frank Zuniga
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Walt Disney)

A boy training at a remote hospice in the Swiss Alps becomes attached to one of the dogs. He clashes with the dog trainer who thinks he should treat all the dogs the same. After a couple of years, the dogs are put through rigorous tests to see if they are ready. The special dog, the famous Barry, proves to be worthy of the boy's attention and performs several dozen rescues over his lifetime. However, when he must rescue his master things don't go as smoothly. Entertaining docudrama from Disney with excellent location photography in Switzerland.

Pigs and Battleships (1961)

Nikkatsu
Directed by Shohei Imamura
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Criterion Collection)

A low ranking Japanese gangster runs a pig farm while hustling girls in the streets of a large city. His girlfriend tries but fails to set him straight, and eventually becomes a prostitute herself. He also has to deal with a dead body and take the fall for his boss, who may or may not be dying. It all comes falling down in a chaotic, and highly symbolic, ending in which the pigs run freely in the streets. Stinging rebuke of the American presence in Japan after the end of the war. However, Imamura seems more interested in pushing censorship boundaries, with frequent interludes of sex and violence set among the lowlife of Japanese society.

The Exterminating Angel (1962)

Altura Films International
Directed by Luis Buñuel
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

After attending an opera, guests arrive at a house for a formal dinner party that lasts long into the night. However, instead of going home afterwards they inexplicably stay until the next day. After a restless night on couches and the floor, they wake up hungry, hungover and confused. Not only are they unable to leave the house, they refuse to even leave the living room. Days turn into weeks and a media circus convenes outside. The guests rip into the wall to get at the water pipes. They capture and cook animals roaming the house. One of them dies and the body is stuffed in a closet. Finally, one of them decides it is alright to leave and the rest follow. Another curious, surreal work from Bunuel. It works most of the time, though sometimes it is just plain silly. An ending in a church seems tacked on at the last minute and utilizes some very obvious symbolism.

The Daydreamer (1966)

Embassy Pictures
Directed by Jules Bass
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Anchor Bay Entertainment)

Danish boy Paul O'Keefe, bored with his studies at home, daydreams of adventures in far off lands. The dreams are stop-motion animated fantasies which would later become stories which he would write as Hans Christian Andersen. The segments include the underwater story of the Little Mermaid; the tale of the vain and selfish Emperor's New Clothes; and some scary adventures with Thumbelina involving a memorable giant frog.  Entertaining, if somewhat haphazard, full length feature from the Rankin Bass team. Wizard of Oz alums Ray Bolger and Margaret Hamilton appear in the live action scenes.

The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939)

Shochiku
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

A Japanese Kabuki actor with little talent uses his family name to get work. Only the maid in the house is willing to tell him the truth, for which he is grateful. They begin a romantic relationship that gets her fired and forces them to go to another city where he hopes to hone his craft. Years pass and they suffer great financial hardship, leading to her ill health. She manages to convince his brother to accept him back in the family and offer him a leading role, but he must renounce his relationship with the girl. He does so and finds unexpected fame for his performances. However, he must choose between fame and love when she reappears in even worse health. Long, but rewarding drama from Mizoguchi, with a profoundly moving ending.

The River (1951)

United Artists
Directed by Jean Renoir
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Teenager Patricia Walters lives with her upper class British family in India. Her childhood innocence fades with the arrival of an American soldier in the years after WWII. He is searching for a new beginning and stays next door to the family with some friends. His frequent visits cause all the teenage girls to swoon, but he ends up with a pretty friend of Walters, sending her into a depressive spiral. Meanwhile, her younger brother meets a tragic end while trying to tame a cobra in the garden with a flute, causing the whole family to re-examine their lives. Filmed on location in India, it is truly one of the great color films. Poetic narration by Walters and imagery along the banks of the Ganges capture India like few films. However, it is marred by juvenile romantic adventures of teenage girls.

Death of a Cyclist (1955)

Janus Films
Directed by J.A. Bardem
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Criterion Collection)

Two lovers returning home from a tryst strike a bicyclist on a lonely highway. Unseen and not wanting to get involved, they leave him to die. Back in Madrid, she is confronted by a friend of her husband. Although he is referring to seeing her with her lover, she thinks he witnessed the accident and plans to blackmail her. Meanwhile, her lover, a mathematics professor, begins to suffer from a guilty conscience which effects his job, eventually resigning when confronted by angry students. He convinces his girlfriend to confess, but tragic irony intercedes. Hitchcockian thriller starkly photographed in black and white.