Moving Target (1967)

Producers Releasing Corporation
Directed by Sergio Corbucci
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Something Weird Video)

Thief Ty Hardin utilizes a diversion to escape upon landing at the airport in Greece. His unknown assistants then kidnap him and demand that he steal microfilm embedded in the tooth of a dead spy. Poor Hardin is then pursued by every spy, double agent, thug and criminal in Athens for the microfilm. The most interesting is Gordon Mitchell as "the Albanian", and then there is the cool British spy Michael Rennie who prefers to stay above the fray. It's all very convoluted and hard to follow, though makes good use of Athens locations for some of the chase scenes.

Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)

Embassy Pictures/TransWorld Releasing
Directed by Terry Morse and Ishiro Honda
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

American reporter Raymond Burr is found in the rubble of Tokyo, apparently after an atomic attack. Through flashbacks we learn it was from a giant monster who comes from the sea to destroy the city! He travels to a remote island where the superstitious locals worship a sea creature they call Godzilla. He writes it off, until he sees giant footprints on the beach and eventually Godzilla himself peering over a hilltop. Back in Tokyo, the military unsuccessfully tries to stop  him with firepower. It is up to a rogue scientist experimenting in a basement to come up with a way to turn Godzilla instantly to a skeleton, but not before most of Tokyo is destroyed. Americanization of the superior Japanese film is still a lot of fun, with Burr uncomfortably acting with characters he can't even see!

Trans-Europ-Express (1966)

Trans American Films
Directed by Alain Robbe-Grillet
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Redemption/Kino Lorber)

Drug smuggler Jean-Louis Trintignant unknowingly makes a dry run by train from Paris to Antwerp. He meets prostitute Marie-France Pisier on the streets and they have kinky sex in a hotel room. He is brought in for interrogation by the police and beat up by thugs. It all turns out to be just a test as he was only carrying sugar. Back in Paris, he starts the trip all over again, this time with real drugs. He meets the prostitute again, but she turns out to be an informant so he strangles her during another kinky sex encounter. He goes to a nightclub where her lookalike is performing on stage, then the police show up. The events of the film seem to be controlled by three people also on the train who are talking about the plot, one of whom is the director. This is an unnecessary distraction as the film is interesting enough to stand on its own. Stunning black and white photography by Willy Kurant.

The Counsellor (1973)

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

Lawyer Tomas Milian is met by his godfather, mob boss Martin Balsam, upon his release from prison. Milian states his intention to leave the "family" business, which normally would get one killed, but Balsam reluctantly allows him to. This upsets another member of the business, who decides to start a gang war and try to take over. Balsam has powerful friends and avoids assassination, and Milian returns to help. They end fleeing to Sicily for a final showdown. Good effort from De Martino in the mafia genre, with location shooting in San Francisco, New Mexico and Sicily. Balsam is excellent as always.

A Special Cop in Action (1976)

Fida Cinematografica
Directed by Marino Girolami
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Dorado Films)

Police Inspector Betti (Franco Nero lookalike Maurizio Merli in his third appearance as the character) battles a crime syndicate in Turin who use planted hostages as a getaway technique. Later, they stoop to taking a school bus full of children as hostages, hiding them in a country farmhouse. Betti convinces them to take him as hostage instead, saving most of the kids. They dump him on a nearby highway, but he survives. Later, Betti is framed for killing one of the criminals in self-defense, and nearly killed in prison awaiting trial. He is cleared and released, but meets a tragic ending while going on a date. Fairly typical Eurocrime/poliziotteschi adheres to the genre staples of shootouts and  car chases between the police and ruthless criminals on the streets of Italy.

Fortune and Men's Eyes (1971)

MGM
Directed by Harvey Hart
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia

Young Smitty (Wendell Burton) is sent to prison for a small time drug offense. He is put in a cell with a flamboyant homosexual, a predatory homosexual and his meek sex slave. After witnessing a brutal gang rape of another prisoner, Smitty soon learns that he must submit to his cell mate for protection if he has any hope of avoiding the same fate. He soon grows tired of the forced sex and other indignities and challenges his "owner" with a fight, which he somewhat surprisingly wins. The roles reversed, Smitty becomes just as brutal as his former owner. While I can't say this was an entertaining film, it was well-acted and eye-opening, based on an autobiographical play by gay icon John Herbert.

Little Nemo (1989)

Hemdale Film Corporation
Directed by William Hurtz and Masami Hata
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Discotek Media)

Young Nemo, subject to nightmares, wishes more than anything to visit the circus when it arrives in town. That night, he has a nightmare featuring many of the same people he saw in the circus parade. They take him away to Slumberland in a dirigible, where not only is he designated as the new friend of a young princess, but has been selected to be heir to the throne of King Morpheus. He is given a key to the kingdom, but is forbidden to open one door, which of course he eventually does when tempted by a mischievous frog-like creature named Flip. This releases the Nightmare King which Nemo and friends must defeat. Very entertaining animated film equal parts frightening and imaginative.

Piglet's Big Movie (2003)

Buena Vista Pictures
Directed by Franis Glebas
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Walt Disney)

Piglet, feeling ignored and unappreciated by his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, wanders away by himself into the wilderness. Once they discover he is missing, his friends use a scrapbook to look for clues to where to find him. It brings back memories which provide several asides during their search. Eventually they realize how much Piglet has done for them, but argue over the scrapbook. An approaching storm blows the book into a river and they desperately try to retrieve it, at which point Piglet arrives to help. The third Disney animated film based on A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh characters is a feel-good affair, but struggles to overcome an episodic structure. Songs by Carly Simon are simple and exuberant, but unobtrusive, adding greatly to the enjoyment.

Duffy (1968)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Robert Parrish
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Sony Choice Collection)

Bored half-brothers James Fox and John Alderton decide to rob their cold, unloving father James Mason of 3 millions dollars in cash which he is transporting by boat for some unscrupulous transaction. They enlist the help of James Coburn, a retired gangster/artist who is only in it for the money, and reluctantly at that. Along for the caper is Fox's girlfriend Susannah York, who also has a thing for Coburn. She struts around in mod fashions or a bikini for most of the film, but has little else to do. The heist is eventually pulled off, but the cut afterwards leads to unexpected complications and a few plot twists. Dated fluff, with a good jazz soundtrack by Ernie Freeman, the house band in the psychedelic hookah joint.

Deadman's Curve (1978)

CBS Television
Directed by Richard Compton
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(VHS, Video Gems) 

Chronicle of Jan and Dean's rise to stardom, from early recordings in a basement, being discovered by a record label, and their first big hit Surf City. Jan and Dean are not brothers but friends, and an uneasy ones at that, with Jan's tyrannical personality overshadowing the more down-to-earth Dean. After their success, Jan spends lavishly on cars, a house, and girls, leading to the end of his relationship with his long time girlfriend. Dean on the other hand resents his friend's lifestyle and considers breaking up the successful duo. Jan's fast life catches up with him and a devastating car accident leaves him in a coma for months. Dean and his friends maintain a long vigil, then help him during an even longer recovery. Richard Hatch as Jan Berry gives one of his best performances, but the script eventually succumbs to made-for-tv tropes, with his post-accident recovery just bringing everything down. The scenes with hippies taking advantage of him and moving into his house are just embarrassing. However, a concert scene where they decide to lip sync and are given away is very well done.

A Coffin for the Sheriff (1965)

Exclusivas Floralva Distribución S.A.
Directed by Mario Caiano
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia

Anthony Steffen walks into a dusty western town, goes to the saloon, joins a poker game and gets in a fight when he spots another player cheating. It's all a ruse to join the gang, and he is accepted after passing as a fellow outlaw. He helps them in their robberies for awhile, but when they plan to rob a rancher friend he sneaks off to warn him and help organize a response. The gang becomes suspicious and he is tied up and questioned. His real identity is eventually exposed, but not before he finds out which one of them murdered his wife in a stagecoach robbery years before. Strictly routine early spaghetti western with a predictable plot, stereotypical characters and horrible dubbing.

Fraulein Doktor (1969)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Alberto Lattuada
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia

Suzy Kendall is a German spy who uses her powers of seduction to get vital information during WWI. A British laundryman is her first victim, whose loose lips give her the information needed to sink a ship with a general on board. Later, she works as a maid for a scientist researching nerve gas. She seduces her to gain her trust, then murders her after stealing the formula for the gas. Next, she goes undercover as a Spanish countess, becomes a nurse and "distracts" an officer while vital plans are being stolen. All the while, the British counterintelligence is using a captured German spy to try to stop her. Potentially interesting Eurospy feature marred by exploitation tendencies, including a horrible animal cruelty scene involving experiments with nerve gas. However, there is Suzy Kendall and a soundtrack by Ennio Morricone to distract.

Charlotte's Web (1973)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Charles Nichols and Iwao Takamoto
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Paramount)

Farm girl agrees to raise a runt pig, but her pet soon outgrows their house and it is sold to a neighboring farmer. There the pig learns to talk with the other animals, and much to his horror learns his fate is to be fattened and then slaughtered. A friendly and wise spider concocts a plan to save him by writing messages in her web. The gullible farmers believe it is a miracle and soon Wilbur is headed to the fair instead of the slaughterhouse. Directed by Disney alum Charles Nichols, this Hanna-Barbera film feels like a lost Disney classic. Songs by the Sherman Brothers complete the illusion. However, the animation lacks the polished quality of Disney, but the story, while occasionally dark, overcomes those shortcomings.

Nunzio (1978)

Universal Pictures
Directed by Paul Williams
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Rarefilmm)

David Proval plays man child Nunzio, a hulking mama's boys who fantasizes that he is Superman and runs around on the roof of his New York apartment building wearing a cape. He has a menial job as a grocery delivery boy. A street gang hassles him whenever given the chance, but Nunzio's brother always shows up to beat them down. Nunzio falls in love with a girl who works at a nearby bakery, but when she turns out to be married he begins a downward spiral. He performs a final act of bravery when a fire breaks out, becoming the Superman he always dreamed about. Odd little drama with an interesting cast, including Joe Spinell as a grocer and Theresa Saldana as a neighborhood slut who seduces Nunzio in a rather uncomfortable sex scene.

Gwen, the Book of Sand (1985)

Gaumont
Directed by Jean-Francois Laguionie
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia

Confusing story about a tribe who walks around the desert on stilts, maybe to avoid the giant every-day objects being dropped on them by some mysterious entity. A young girl wanders into the tribe and is accepted, only to have her new friend kidnapped by the object-dropping thing. She goes off with an old woman to find him and bring him back. They find more large objects, but little in the way of explanations. Clunky paper-cut animation is not my favorite style, but this does have some occasionally beautiful images. Unfortunately the weak story, and especially the lack of characterizations, makes it a chore to watch.

An-Magritt (1969)

Directed by Arne Skouen
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia

A woman is raped then publicly humiliated by the church, who puts her in stocks, causing her to commit suicide. Her surviving daughter is ostracized by poor, rural community, but she perseveres through hard work and learning to read and write. Her greatest wish is to be put in the community registry maintained by the church, but the pastor refuses. A foreign engineer arrives to build a new waterwheel for the town, and he is smitten by the wild and unruly girl. She initially refuses his advances, but she realizes she loves him when she saves him after an accident. The pastor finally relent and lets her put her name in the "book". Uneven drama from the famous Norwegian director, with stunning sets and period detail, the Norwegian winter never looked so harsh. Ullmann's performance is good but perhaps a bit too unrestrained, we never really get to know her.

Angel's Egg (1985)

Tokuma Shoten
Directed by Mamoru Oshii
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia 

A young girl wanders a crumbling city while protecting an egg hidden under her dress. She encounters a boy carrying a large weapon who has just witnessed a large spaceship land in the city. They eventually form a bond and try to figure where they are, who they are and what the egg means. All signs point to Noah's Ark and other Christian symbolism. Oshii's beautiful artwork is lost in a meandering, pointless story that goes absolutely nowhere.

Journey Through Rosebud (1972)

GSF
Directed by Tom Gries
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(VHS, Charter Entertainment)

Draft dodger Kristoffer Tabori ends up in a rural South Dakota town. He tries to make friends and find a place to sleep at the local bar, but ends up driving a very drunk Robert Forster home. He sleeps in Forster's car that night and the two form an uneasy friendship the next day. Forster turns out to be an embittered Vietnam vet and the de facto spokesperson for the beleaguered tribe. They rush to the defense of an Indian jailed for taking a deer out of season. Tabori is initiated into the tribe at a pow wow. Forster can't break his drinking habit and Tabori steals his girlfriend while he is passed out. Forster dies in a car accident. Tabori soon leaves town. Plodding, dated, melodramatic take on the plight of Indians in America seen through the lens of the sixties counterculture.

A Man Named Rocca (1961)

Omnia Deutsche Film Export
Directed by Jean Becker
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Rarefilmm)

Ex-gangster Jean Paul Belmondo, retired in the country, hurries to Paris when an old friend and accomplice is arrested for a murder he didn't commit. He suspects that the man's partner in a gambling club framed him, so seduces his girlfriend to draw him out of hiding. In their confrontation he shoots him dead and assumes control of the gambling operation with his girlfriend. She is blackmailed by a group of marauding Americans peddling the old protection racket. Belmondo confronts them leading to a shootout, getting him arrested and sent to the same prison as his old friend. They end up clearing mines together on a beach to reduce their time. Once out, they decide to buy a farm but need money, leading to more tragedy. This feels like several films strung together: the Paris nightclub scenes, then the time in prison followed by the time spent clearing mines on the beach. Belmondo is almost too cool for his own good, his swagger and smirk annoying after awhile.

The Sky Above the Mud Below (1961)

Academy Awards, USA 1962

Winner Oscar

Best Documentary, Features Arthur Cohn René Lafuite

Embassy Pictures
Directed by Pierre-Dominique Gaisseau
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia

French and Dutch explorers, led by Pierre-Dominique Gaisseau, take an expedition into uncharted parts of New Guinea. They start on the southern coast, where nearly 200 years earlier James Cook had landed, and hope to reach the northern coast in a few months. They travel mostly by river, stopping to interact with local natives along the way. Most are friendly, though their customs range from the strange to the completely bizarre. As they approach the interior the terrain becomes mountainous and they abandon the river. Their hike over the freezing mountains is followed by an impossible journey through a jungle, where they are accosted by flies and leeches and the mud is up to their ankles. Somehow, they reach their destination, months overdue, and exhausted. Riveting story, especially for its time, though the narration by William Peacock is monotonous.

Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer (1985)

Warner Bros.
Directed by Bernard Deyriès and Kimio Yabuki
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Warner Bros.)

Rainbow Brite and her horse Starlite battle Stormy and her horse Skydancer for control of the weather on Earth! Rainbow Brite apparently wins, but when the winter snow doesn't melt it turns out something more sinister is happening. An evil princess on the distant planet of Spectra, which is the source of all light in the universe, is trying to take it over for herself. She has enslaved the friendly inhabitants of the planet with evil yellow robots who are covering it with netting. Rainbow Brite and Starlite travel there to stop her, pursued by a couple of hapless goons and getting help from a native Spectra boy. Surprisingly dark story line, after a sugary sweet opening song, and colorful animation propel this beyond all expectations into quite an entertaining film, especially if you are in the mood for nostalgic 80s anime.

Coplan Saves His Skin (1968)

CFFP (France)
Directed by Yves Boisset
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia

CIA agent Coplan (a wooden Claudio Brook) gets a call from an old flame who needs his help in Istanbul. He finds are on the run from a group of scientists that want to kill her. They break into her apartment and Coplan tries to fight them off, waking up later on a beach with his girlfriend apparently dead. His search for her leads to castle in the remote countryside where he finds her "twin sister". The castle is owned by a deranged former scientist, her brother, who has some kind of secret hidden in one of the towers of the castle. His dirty work is carried out by a whip-wielding blonde in leather. Coplan is captured and rather than killed set loose in a remote valley where the woman hunts him down with the help of some of her friends. Coplan displays remarkable survival and fighting skills and manages to escape back to the castle and try to save the girl. French Euro-spy film incorporates elements of Hitchcock, especially Vertigo, and even the Most Dangerous Game, with mixed results.

Bambi II (2006)

Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Directed by Brian Pimental
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Disney)

Picking up where the original movie ended, Bambi is alone after the death of his mother. His father reluctantly agrees to raise him until the spring, asking an owl to find a doe to adopt him. Feeling rejected, Bambi mopes around until his friends Thumper and Flower cheer him up and help him prove his bravery to his father. His antics eventually put him in mortal danger in an open field, but he escapes with the help of his father. Later, Bambi spars with a bully placing his potential new mother in a trap, leading to a long chase scene with some dogs. Proving his bravery, he reconciles with his father. While there are some good moments, particularly that chase scene, there are just too many times that it feels more like a retread of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Cloying songs by the likes of Martina McBride and Alison Krauss don't help.

Return to Never Land (2002)

Buena Vista Pictures
Directed by Robin Budd
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Disney)

Wendy from the original Peter Pan movie is now grown up with her own family, living in London during the blitz of WWII. Her husband leaves to fight, leaving her alone with her daughter Jane and a younger brother. Like her mother before her, Jane falls asleep and is abducted by Captain Hook, who brings her to Never Land. She is rescued by Peter Pan who brings her to his hideout to become mother to the "Lost Boys", a rag tag group of children and boys. She resists and ends up endangering the life of Tinker Bell because she does not believe in fairies. Meanwhile, Hook is looking for a treasure hidden by Peter Pan and the boys and tricks Jane into helping him. Needless to say, it all works out for everyone involved. Surprisingly entertaining sequel to the beloved classic. A touching scene between Wendy as an adult and Peter Pan at the end is especially well done.

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1968)

Eagle (UK)
Directed by Peter Hall
My rating: 2.5 star out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, MGM Limited Edition Collection)

Lovers Helen Mirren and David Warner flee from her father's castle to the nearby woods when he won't agree to their marriage. Fairy King Oberon hears the musings of woeful Diana Rigg who is in love with the man Mirren's father wants her to marry instead. Oberon intends to cast a spell on him, but instead his messenger Puck casts a spell on Warner, who wakes up madly in love with Rigg! Oberon tries to correct it by casting another spell, but once again it ends up on the wrong person causing more chaos. Eventually all is righted and the lover reunited, but not before a lot of fun ensues. Peter Hall's adaptation of Shakespeare is literally delivered, almost to the word, but suffers from dated 60s sensibilities, including not only the miniskirts but the handheld camera style and fast motion effects. Still, with a powerhouse cast it's hard not to ignore this enjoyable, low budget production.

A Twist of Sand (1968)

United Artists
Directed by Don Chaffey
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia

Richard Johnson plays an ex-British Navy officer who now makes a living smuggling firearms in the Mediterranean. He and his accomplice are forced to dump their cargo overboard when chased down by the authorities, but it turns out to be a ploy by an old friend who wants him to help find a stash of diamonds in South Africa. So they set off to find them, bringing along pretty Honor Blackman who is the only one who knows the exact location. They have to navigate some tricky reefs along the "Skeleton Coast" and once onshore have to walk through an unforgiving desert. The stash is hidden in an old ship succumbing to the ever shifting sand. They dig their way inside, but one of them turns traitor. From there it is a race for survival against the elements and each other. Entertaining adventure yarn, but some of the special effects are obvious models and Johnson's range is rather limited.

The World of Hans Christian Andersen (1968)

United Artists
Directed by Kimio Yabuki and Al Kilgore
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Digiview)

Poor Hans, the son of a shoemaker, dreams of attending a performance at the new opera house in his small town. His father is given some special red leather to make shoes and enters it into a competition, but he does not win because of the corrupt mayor. Hans' efforts to earn money don't pay off either and he has to listen to the opera outside with his cat. The opera is disrupted by the red shoes, and Hans cheers up another boy listening outside by telling the story of the Matchstick Girl. Afterwards, his abilities as a storyteller bring him fame and free education, and eventually a career as a writer. Poor Japanese animation set to an even worse American dub combine for a long, tiresome experience, if you can get all the way through it. Might improve with a better widescreen print in its original language.

Weapons of Death (1977)

Fida Cinematografica
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Dorado Films)

Mob boss Henry Silva and his gang run rampant in Naples. They brazenly hold up banks and even a police station in broad daylight. A police captain tries but fails to nail Silva for the crimes, since his minions either provide and alibi or murder the witnesses. Even when he finally succeeds in catching him, Silva continues to direct his gang from prison and eventually breaks out. They have a final confrontation in a train yard that does not end well for Silva. Action packed poliziottesco marred by excessive violence, poor special effects and a couple of annoying cute kids who show up for comic relief.

Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Kelly Asbury
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia

Smurfette leaves her comfy village for the Forbidden Forest, in search not only of a lost village of Smurfs but her own origins. Along with some friends, she finds a lost village of all-female Smurfs and feels right at home. She is pursued by the evil Gargamel, who wants to capture the Smurfs and use their "essence" to become all-powerful. He also happens to have created Smurfette from a lump of clay. After a long series of chases, Smurfette ends up confronting Gargamel at his castle and sacrifices herself for the village. However, her friends and family resurrect her from a lump of clay. Overbaked computer animated resurrection of comic book characters that go all the way back to the late 1950s.

Rat Fink (1965)

Cinema Distributors of America

Directed by James Landis
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Retromedia)

Colorado farm boy Schuyler Hayden hops a freight train to California. He loses his belongings and guitar when chased by railroad workers, but soon seduces a lonely housewife and finds a bed for the night. He takes her money and heads to Hollywood where he buys a guitar in a pawn shop. He stumbles on a performance by a teen idol in front of screaming girls and finds his life calling. The first thing he does is disfigure the competition by setting his car on fire! He talks his way into the singer's manager's office and gets an audition. The manager decides to make him the next big thing and they are soon rolling in the money. Hayden indulges in alcohol, parties and girls, and gets an underage fan pregnant. So what does he do, murder her of course! The manager finds out and he is left alone in the studio, presumably ruining his career. The pursuit of fame at any cost is taken to its logical extreme. It may be unrealistic, but Hayden plays it to the hilt.

Wheel of Ashes (1968)

Directed by Peter Goldman
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Rarefilmm)

Pierre Clementi meets Danish beauty Katinka Bo in a Paris nightclub and they begin a torrid love affair. However, Clementi can't shake his interest in eastern religion and its call to reject all worldly possessions. He retreats to a bare attic apartment with his books, but is plagued by sexual desire for Bo. This is the film that connects the New York Underground to the French New Wave. The streets of Paris are vividly captured in all of their late 60s ugliness, from the jazz clubs to the strip clubs. Clementi's internal struggle is just as vivid. An unforgettable experience for those willing to take the trip.

An Average Little Man (1977)

Cineriz
Directed by Mario Monicelli
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Rarefilmm)

Retiring accountant Alberto Sordi uses his position to try to get his dimwitted son a job. He goes as far as joining a secret society with his coworkers, in a hilarious scene mocking the Masonic Lodge. It appears he is succeeding, until his son is shot and killed when they stumble on a robbery. His wife has a stroke and becomes a wheelchair bound mute after the news. Sordi attends lineups with the police, and at the second one recognizes the killer. Instead of telling the police he follows the killer to his home, then knocks him unconscious and takes him to his remote fishing shack. He proceeds to torture him, knocks him out again, and even brings his wife to see him. Both is wife and the prisoner die from the shock. He buries the body and quietly retires. All seems back to normal until he has a road rage encounter with another youth, and stalks him down the street. Sordi's transformation from meek accountant to vengeful killer is reminiscent of Charles Bronson in Deathwish, but Sordi is no Bronson and as a result it is just not as believable. The torture scenes are brutal.

Manhandled (1924)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Alan Dwan
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Kino Lorber)

Department store clerk Gloria Swanson lives in a tiny New York apartment with her mechanic boyfriend. When he heads off to Detroit to try to sell a new invention, she gets invited to a swanky party by her boss. She gets the attention of an artist who hires her to pose, but she quits when he gets fresh. However, she gets a new gig impersonating a Russian countess for wealthy salon owner Frank Morgan, hoping to attract customers. Instead, she only attracts Morgan and once again quits. Her boyfriend returns and is concerned about her new antics, but it all works out in the end. Entertaining light comedy with Gloria Swanson returning to her comedic roots with great effect.

Szürkület (1990)

Directed by György Fehér
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Rarefilmm)

A detective attempts to solve the murder of a young girl in a rural area. It all unfolds in extremely long takes consisting mostly of shots of landscapes. It is at once hypnotic and tedious, eschewing plot and character for nothing but atmosphere. Recommended for fans of Bela Tarr. Not recommended for late night viewing.

Shinbone Alley (1970)

Allied Artists
Directed by John David Wilson
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(DVD, Image Entertainment)

A suicidal poet turns into a cockroach, then falls in love with a singing alley cat. She rejects him for a tomcat, only to get dumped herself. Next she takes up with the the owner of a Broadway theater who promises to make her a star. It looks like she might make it, until she has kittens and is summarily fired. Her old friend the cockroach convinces her to become a house cat and raise the kittens. An uneven mixture of musical, fantasy and drama, with some of the worst looking animation I can remember.

Nazareno Cruz and the Wolf (1975)

Producciones del Plata S.A. (Argentina)
Directed by Leonardo Favio
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Rarefilmm)

A young Argentine farmer is cursed as a werewolf for being the seventh son of a seventh son. When he falls in love with a local young beauty, none other than the Devil shows up to make him an offer: he will be freed from the curse and given riches if he gives up his love. Of course being young he cannot do that, so roams the countryside as a werewolf. Pretentious film from famous Argentine director Leonardo Favio veers uncomfortably from horror to opera, never quite sure which it should be. Some gorgeous shots are wasted in the process.

Unico in the Island of Magic (1983)

Sanrio Films
Directed by Moribi Murano
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Discotek Media)

Unico befriends a young girl whose brother is a magician working for an evil lord. He lures people and animals to an island at the edge of the world, where they are turned into lifeless puppets and used as building material! Unico and the girl must defeat the evil lord to save her brother, leading to some epic battles. Another dark entry featuring the misleadingly cute and cuddly Unico. If you liked the first movie, this one is just as good.

Time Out for Rhythm (1941)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Sidney Salkow
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Mill Creek)

Rudy Vallee and Richard Lane team up to form a New York City talent agency. Lane is in love with nightclub singer Rosemary Lane (no relation), who proceeds to pit the two men against each other to advance her career. Meanwhile, Vallee meets and falls in love with Lane's maid, who happens to be a gifted dancer. He tries unsuccessfully to get her work, but the opportunity to produce a variety show forces the old friends back together, in the process revealing the true character of their respective girlfriends. The appearance of the Three Stooges throughout the film as out-of-work actors vying for the attention of the talent agency the only redeeming factor in otherwise well-worn plot.

Mahoney's Estate (1972)

British Lion
Directed by Harvey Hart and Alexis Kanner
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Rarefilmm)

Alexis Kanner leaves the big city to live off the land in the country. He rents a run down shack and plants peas. Beautiful Maud Adams shows up and seduces him, then disappears with her cool friends for awhile. Next, his old friend Sam Waterston drops by, and talks Kanner into letting him live there with his pregnant girlfriend. They bicker constantly and Kanner threatens to kick them out, but he does develop a platonic friendship with the girl. Maud reappears for another tryst, but they are too far apart philosophically to last. Kanner eventually gets the solitude he desires, but not sure he wants. Extremely dated film with a soundtrack by Ronnie Wood, Ronnie Lane and Pete Townshend that is probably better known than the film itself.

The Fantastic Adventures of Unico (1981)

Sanrio Films
Directed by Toshio Harata and Osamu Tezuka
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Discotek Media)

Unico is a little unicorn whose only purpose is to make people happy. For some reason this angers the Gods, who banish him forever to the Hill of Oblivion. They order the West Wind to take him there, but she takes pity on Unico and tries to hide him in a remote corner of the universe. Seemingly alone, Unico finds a devil named Beezle ruling over a crumbling, desolate land. He saves Beezle from drowning and makes a friend for life, revitalizing the land. This gets the attention of the Gods and the West Wind must take Unico away and hide him in another place. This time he befriends a cat who really wants to be a witch, so of course Unico transforms her into one. However, she falls prey to to an evil Baron who lures her to his castle and tries to seduce her! This time Unico has to transform into his larger winged horse version to defeat a monster and save the girl. Afterwards, the West Wind arrives once again to bring him to his next adventure. Colorful, satisfying anime with a dark storyline to counterbalance any cloying cuteness.

Invasion (1969)

Directed by Hugo Santiago
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Rarefilmm)

Men in tan suits take over a large city in South America. Resistance comes in the form of common people, fiends and businessmen, but eventually fails as they are rounded up in a large stadium. Cold, literary, stilted, disappointing film written by Jorge Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy Casares and directed by a disciple of Antonioni and Renoir should have been a lot better. Electronic/flamenco soundtrack adds a modicum of atmosphere.

Mysterious Castles of Clay (1978)

Academy Awards, USA 1979

Nominee Oscar

Best Documentary, Features Alan Root

Directed by Alan Root
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Rarefilmm)

Orson Welles narrates this documentary about termites in Africa. The "castles of clay" are huge mounds built by the termites for their colony. It draws a myriad of strange creatures, including not only the expected aardvarks, but snakes and rodents who find homes in the ventilation system of the colony. Shots from inside show the huge, grotesque queen being cared for by the countless workers. Their life cycle is shown as well, including the one night a year in which they swarm and mate. Fascinating, well-written and researched, filmed in Kenya by filmmakers Joan and Alan Root.

Buddy Buddy (1981)

MGM
Directed by Billy Wilder
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Rarefilmm)

Walter Matthau is a stone-faced hit man who gets interrupted by depressed, suicidal Jack Lemmon staying in an adjacent hotel room. He talks him off the ledge, then unsuccessfully attempts to get rid of him the rest of the movie. Matthau ends up incapacitated at a sex clinic run by Klaus Kinski, but Lemmon is so indebted to Matthau he decides to carry out the last hit. He bumbles his way through it but eventually succeeds. Matthau retires to Tahiti... but you-know-who shows up. The final shot of Lemmon walking away with a topless native girl exemplifies the bad taste of this movie. It is never funny, Lemmon overacts, Matthau needs to relax and Kinski is wasted.

The Boys from Fengkuei (1983)

Directed by Hsiao-Hsien Hou
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia

Bored teens in a remote seaside town in Taiwan spend their time fighting, shooting pool and, mostly, chasing girls. They eventually move to the big city of Kaohsiung. Through one of the boys' sister, they get an apartment and jobs in a factory. They all fall in love with a girl who lives next door who is mistreated by her gangster boyfriend. She befriends the quiet and introspective Ah-Ching, but his hopes for romance are thwarted when she moves away. Slight, episodic, early work from director Hsiao-Hsien Hou lacks focus, but works as a nostalgia piece for the early 80s, even in Taiwan.

Ferry Cross the Mersey (1964)

United Artists
Directed by Jeremy Summers
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Rarefilmm)

English beat group Gerry and the Pacemakers play themselves in this silly film. The group members are art students by day and pop stars the rest of the time, wandering around the city singing their songs and hoping for a big break. It finally comes when Gerry's girlfriend brings a manager to see them rehearse and hires them on the spot. It's hard not to compare the group to The Beatles, also from Liverpool and managed by Brian Epstein, and the film to A Hard Day's Night which was released a year earlier.

80 Steps to Jonah (1969)

Warner Bros.
Directed by Gerd Oswald
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Rarefilmm)

Wayne Newton is suspected of manslaughter after a car crash and goes on the run through the Nevada desert. He ends up at a nearby school for the blind where they mistake him for a handyman. His easy going manner endears him to the school's teacher Jo Van Fleet and all of the children, including Erin Moran. The police eventually show up and we learn through a flashback that he was actually carjacked by Sal Mineo, but needs to find Mickey Rooney as a witness to clear him! Rooney overplays his small role as a drunk badly. Newton croons a couple of songs in that weird voice and should have never tried acting.

The Lollipop Cover (1965)

Continental Distributing
Directed by Everett Chambers
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Rarefilmm)

Amateur boxer Don Gordon quits the ring after his latest knockout and learning that his sister has died of a drug overdose. When he finds out she gave all of her money to her junkie boyfriend, he sets out to get it back by hitchhiking across California. Along the way he is approached by a young girl who has been abandoned by her alcoholic father and is living in a nearby cave. Gordon reluctantly buys her food and agrees to take her to LA to live with an aunt. He soon regrets the decision and spends most of the movie trying to get rid of her. Eventually they arrive in LA and he has a memorable confrontation with the junkie while she has one with her father in a bar. Low budget, indie production is well acted, but ultimately lacks the necessary grit given the subject matter.