Tony Rome (Gordon Douglas, 1967)

PI mystery with Frank Sinatra. Sounds like a bad joke, but it’s - surprisingly - quite okay and definitely above average. I’m pretty sure it was adopted from Marvin H. Albert’s book especially for Sinatra and he created his character more like Lew Archer type than Phillip Marlowe which is okay. Or let’s say bearable.

Story involves lots of characters and gets really complicated, so ending doesn’t even need some big twist. For me it was rewarding enough that it ended and made sense. More or less…

I was a bit disappointed with performance of Gena Rowlands. She doesn’t seem to put any real effort into it and I would like to think she did just for the money to help her husband create one of his masterpieces Faces the following year. But on the other hand Jill St. John is charming (Slut... That's just a nickname. Only my dearest friends use it.) and total revelation to me. She does ring a bell but I honestly don’t really remember her from any movie. But in those few scenes she has she really steals this one from Frankie boy.

6/10

Mad Max 3 (George Miller and George Ogilvie, 1985)

Not really sure if I can put it on my list because – as always – I just watched the first half. Stuff after the thunderdome is so lame that it’s embarrassing to watch and no wonder George Miller walked off the set. That chase with the train is a pathetic rip-off of furious and ultra violent one in the Road Warrior. And as far as those brats are concerned I need to do some research about whose bright idea was to make Mad Max flick a family movie. Just horrible…

5/10

Mad Max 2 (George Miller, 1981)

Was flipping through the channels, caught the beginning and simply put away remote control. Seen this masterpiece for a millionth time and basically all I can say: the best action flick that’s ever going to be made.

10/10

Bad Day at Black Rock (John Sturges, 1955)

Simply brilliant, what a movie! I think they should make viewing of Bad Day at Black Rock (+ maybe Zinnemann’s High Noon) mandatory for anyone that wishes to join conservative party. No better way to show the greed, paranoia, small town “I’m just a good neighbour minding my own business” mindlessness, emotional blackmail/exploitation and essentially just simple hatred against not only the foreigners, but basically against anyone different. It sounds like too many of the big themes thrown into the plot, but it’s not as it is masterfully directed.

And the cast! It’s perfect blend of an older Hollywood generation from 40s and newcomers. I like Spencer Tracy even in his comedies with Hepburn but here he is truly superb. He just gets this right balance of toughness, dedication, fear, even a bit of arrogance. I remember when I was first watching it many years ago I was sure that he’s not really crippled and that he was just fucking with those guys. But back to cast – name a movie where you can see together Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine and Robert Ryan!? The Wild Bunch comes to my mind which reminds me to put that Peckinpah’s masterpiece on my to-do list. Been to long since I've last seen it.

My only tiny slight disappointment is the ending. I think it would be even better and more efficient if Tracy would leave the fucker burn to death. By making authorities handling the matter it suggests that America was (is?) free and opened society that punishes such crimes and they are more of exception than a general state of mind. And I don’t think this is the message that Mr. Sturges wanted to send to his audience because we need to remind ourselves that this masterpiece was made while that McCarthy asshole was still haunting his imaginary red witches.

10/10

L'armée des ombres aka Army of Shadows (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1969)

Melville is one of my gods and this one is supposed to be his “favourite, most personal” flick. But somehow it just doesn’t do it for me. Don’t get me wrong – it’s far from bad (to say that would be sacrilege!) but I find his crime thrillers totally unique and more enjoyable.

You do know immediately that you are watching Melville’s movie because feeling is definitely there (last scene with Simone Signoret!!!) and the whole ambient created in those bleak almost b/w colors is totally reminiscent of Samurai. What bothers me in the Army of Shadows is the story and pace of the narration. It’s a bit too long, first 15 minutes are redundant (although we get to see briefly Serge Reggiani from Le doulos). Then it goes into overdrive with fantastic scene of killing that fucking informer but then instead of really taking off goes into the series of semi-connected episodes (that stuff in London is again redundant) and looses lots of suspense in my opinion. But ending is brilliant, so it’s not too bad.

Its real fault is that it doesn’t always feels authentic (not to say naive). There are three (okay, maybe two and a half) pretty silly escapes from the prison. I mean really, come on – Gestapo’s dungeons would be empty if rescuing people were THAT easy. 

But anyhow, it's always nice to see movie of the Master and Lino Ventura and Simone Signoret.

8/10  

Evil Dead (Sam Raimi, 1981)

They showed this classic at Irish FilmInstitute and I was looking forward to finally see it on the big screen for the first time. But it started at eleven and I had my first Guinness at seven so I didn’t follow it as concentrated as I should. If you know what I mean... And besides that it pissed me off that they were showing it from the DVD. So although I did see it on the big screen, I still wouldn’t qualify this as a valid projection.

Not much I can say about the Evil Dead that hasn’t been already said. Did remind myself to see some of these 80s horror classics I’ve been neglecting lately. I’m putting Hellraiser on the top of my to-do list.

9/10

Leprechaun in the Hood (Rob Spera, 2000)

Needed something honestly dumb to wash off that stank of Haneke so I went for 5^th Leprechaun. Watched the first one few months ago (as a part of my getting to know Irish folklore, make no mistake) and it was pretty bad so I expected something five times worse than that. But worse in the good kind of way, of course. I mean – just the idea about putting that little fucker into LA South Central is totally mental (though still not as crazy as Billy the Kid vs. Dracula).

But it turned out to be really pleasant surprise and total joy to watch. Yes it is crazy, but at the same time strangely appealing and I think the entire crew had great time making this. It qualifies into this horror/comedy genre that it’s been so popular since (at least) Shaun of the Dead. Usually I can’t stand these flicks because they target juvenile and family audiences, but this one has plenty of swearing and some gore to deserve its 18 rating.

So we are in the hood following these three rappers trying to make it big and in the process avoiding getting killed from the Ice-T and especially our little bastard hero whom original gangster has stolen his pot of gold and magical flute. Ice-T, after fucking up so many movies, is actually decent in this one, but the real star is Leprechaun. He soon blends into this gangsta-rap-hood crap and by the end of the movie he’s smoking weed and has three beautiful chicks bringing him women and his rapping at theending just leaves you speechless.

Here are some of his wisdoms:

·         A friend with weed, is a friend, indeed. But, a friend with gold, is the best, I’m told. (when smoking weed)

·         Look at all these glittering goods - I've got more loot than Tiger Woods!

·         I didn’t come to play with fruit. I only seek me magic flute. (when being seduced by transvestite)

·         I'll take it from you, homie, you'll see, cause you know the Leprechaun is the real O.G.

And this kind of shit goes on and on. Some funny, most hilarious.

8/10

Le Temps Du Loup (Michael Haneke, 2003)

I’m old enough and know Haneke’s work good enough to just press stop button after 2 minutes and 10 seconds. Because this is how long opening credits roll. And they are written in these tiny little words on pitch black background without any music and/or sounds and you get pretty good impression about how this piece of shit will proceed.

And it proceeds into some post apocalyptic future and of course Haneke doesn’t feel a need to explain the cause of this apocalypse. It’s just too trivial and because – stupid me – this isn’t really Mad Max action type of flick and it’s more about how people react in extreme situations. No, wait – it’s not about people in general, it’s about how family - as a basic cell of human society - acts and ultimately reacts when it’s violently torn apart. Or maybe not? Is it the other way around and was I watching small and intimate drama about young girl feeling alone after losing her father and finding her first romance in that annoying kid stealing shit of other survivors? But no, I’m sure it cannot be THAT simple. The kid probably represents some figure from 256th bible paragraph and that scene with another naked kid standing in front of the fire surely means something? Or am I totally wrong and this is about decline of the western civilization, because the last shot shows train (crucial symbol along with the bicycle) coming from the east and that clearly symbolizes arrival of Chinese people liberated from the communism. But in that case it cannot be about decline, it’s rather about prevailing of the west, right!? Is it possible that - after all - this is Mad Max remake, but done according (homage?) to fucking Dogma 95 rules? It obviously pays to do movies shot with static camera in bleak colors without music. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll maybe get Nicole Kidman for your next “project”.

God, this is getting too confusing indeed. I need to go online and find an interview with this almighty auteur to find out what was the message he tried to convey to me. And how the hell he managed to get money for it…

Awful stuff, there’s really and honestly nothing even remotely interesting about it. I mean – it has to be really bad when even Isabelle Huppert and Béatrice Dalle cannot make it watchable, right? 

1/10

To The Devil A Daughter (Peter Sykes, 1976)

I guess this is result of a Hammer studio using Christopher Lee as devil worshiper instead of dark count to try and cash-in some money from success of Friedkin’s Exorcist or maybe even Omen (although hardly, since latter was made in the same year). Anyhow, I’m surprised that it isn’t more well-known, because it’s not bad at all. It has eerie atmosphere created by creepy music and some strange camera work, it’s quite bloody (although special effects are really outdated) and superb cast. So good to see Richard Widmark again and Denholm Elliot is brilliant as alcoholic spineless father of Nastassja Kinski. She – to be honest – is quite bad (does have one full frontal nudity scene though) but it needs to be said that she was very young at the time (15 according to IMDB). There’s really disturbing scene when she gives kind of reverse birth to the baby devil (and since that doesn’t exist I should probably say when she sucks the little fucker inside her), because we all know that she was involved with Polanski when she was young and you cannot not to think about Rosemary’s Baby, Sharon Tate, Charles Manson,…

But let me go back to the movie. Its major flaw is story, which is never really convincing and you keep waiting for things to clear up. And when the end does come is the most anti-climax ending that you will ever see and also most hilarious. Because – check this, I shit you not – great master of darkness is defeated just by throwing the stone at him. No secret ritual, no strange looking daggers, not even lighting from the clear sky, no nothing! I mean, come on! 

So my rating is 8 for 98% of the flick, reduced by 3 for its ending with added 1 point for originality regarding killing of our only lord. 

666/10!

Ren gui she hu da jue dou aka Killer Of Snake, Fox Of Shaolin (Wah Man, 1978)

People turning into foxes and snakes, ghosts appearing, romance, incomprehensible story, hilarious English dubbing and of course lots of action. But not very good action has to be said. Still, enjoyable good old HK martial arts flick.

4/10