I have long been aware of 1976’s all-kids gangster musical Bugsy Malone and now, having finally seen it, I just have a few lingering questions.  One of these is “What the fuck?”.  Another question is “What the fuck?”.  OK, I have a long list of questions and they’re all “What the fuck?” But, really, why […]

As I write this, I have just finished being devastated by 2007’s Lust, Caution.  This is a 2 ½ hour picture set in Japanese-occupied WWII China, with dialogue in Chinese.  And, oh yes, it’s NC-17. Honestly, it might as well be NC-40, because this picture is too sophisticated for those who are just looking for […]

I keep thinking I hate Chevy Chase, and then I keep liking him in the films I see him in.  Such was the case with 1978’s Foul Play, but then it isn’t really his film.  It’s a showcase for Goldie Hawn. My feelings about Hawn are neutral—I never think about whether I like or dislike […]

A WWII drama produced by the legendary British studios Ealing.  1945’s Pink String and Sealing Wax would have to faceplant hard to get a harsh critique from me. And it’s not going to get one.  This drama concerns two groups of characters on a collision course: the family of a stern pharmacist, and a contentious […]

Things were easier back in my day.  It used to be all one had to do to get dismembered was to say “Bloody Mary” in a bathroom mirror three times and turn the lights off and on.  But that’s not good enough for these kids nowadays.  They have to do all kinds of shit online […]

I suspect John Candy would have been able to make any comedy into a movie worth watching.  God knows I can’t imagine how bad 1985’s Summer Rental would have been without him. This is the typical slobs vs. snobs comedy, pitting John Candy against Richard Crenna in a coastal Florida town.  Crenna hates the summer […]

Some movies start out as one thing and then become something entirely different.  The problem is the result is usually something where one half or the other will appeal to different audiences, but neither will be happy with the whole thing.  Such is the case with the 2021 film from Thailand, The Medium. The first […]

2008’s Mad Money is an enjoyable but forgettable heist movie wherein three women who work menial jobs at the Federal Reserve in Kansas City steal great sums of bills about to be shredded. The operation is masterminded by Diane Keaton, who used to be living the upper-crust life until her husband (played by Ted Danson) […]

It’s hard to believe now, but Capitol Records was initially uninterested in The Beatles, so some very minor US labels (Vee-Jay, Swan and Tollie) pounced on the opportunity and licensed some of their early singles from EMI.  Once the group’s popularity spread to the colonies, Capitol sought control of those tracks, so Vee Jay tried […]

In general, I find low-budget pictures from before digital age more interesting than contemporary low-budget films, as well as major studio fare from any era.  These films tend to take more risks (albeit, not necessarily good ones).  Also, because films cameras and stock require some significant funds, the minds behind such pictures were usually deeply […]

I recently saw a car with a window decal reading, “White privilege is a myth”.  My hackles went up immediately.  I am not aware of any advantages that have been available specifically to me because of my race, but I know that, in general, there are far more opportunities available in the United States if […]

A hearse pulls up to the cemetery and the back door opens.  A woman in her 20’s bursts out.  Her long legs stumble just a bit as she walks, like those documentaries showing baby antelopes taking their first steps.  Soon, she is enthusiastically doing a rubbing of a tombstone. The actress is Zohra Lampert, and […]

The cliché says you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.  By that logic, you probably shouldn’t judge a movie by its title, either.  But somebody designed that book cover and somebody named that movie and, by doing so, they were trying to convey something to appeal to certain audiences. So I pounced immediately when […]

Automatic pilot and x-ray spex We were kissing in the cockpit when the airplane wrecked – “Dragon Lady”, The Geraldine Fibbers “We’re going to crash somehow.” “We will, but let’s go down flaming” –Times Square I thought about music the entire time I watched this 1983 movie, and it wasn’t just because of a killer […]

Zombie Nazis on a ghost ship attack a 70s version of the Gilligan’s Island passengers and crew.  If that sounds promising, then you’ll likely have a good time watching 1977’s Shock Waves. As Peter Cushing will eventually explain, these zombies are super-soldiers developed by the Nazis.  Cushing commanded this unit of the undead and captained […]