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The List of Adrian Messenger (1963)
"I had a brother who went to America once...should be dead by now."
Fun but ultimately inconsequential, The List of Adrian Messenger is an old fashioned whodunit mystery with a modern twist. George C Scott, the man famous for playing Patton does a good job of carrying the story as a dapper Brit (I didn't even recognize him at first!). He's paired up with a French actor I'm not familiar with, mainly to act as the Watson to his Holmes, and to be the catalyst for a romantic subplot that doesn't really pay off. The selling point of this movie back then as it is now, is the presence of several big stars in disguise and trying to figure out who is who. This would be a charming, even impressive gimmick if handled right, but with one exception, these characters all appear very briefly and don't have any major impact on the plot.
The director was John Huston, so for the most part the movie is well done-things move along at a good pace with clues being
introduced at regular intervals keep our interest and there's some excellent film noir style photography that looks good, even in the low quality copy I watched. The movie starts to drag a bit towards the end when the setting shifts over to a giant country manor and scenes of fox hunting go on for way too long (some of the closeup shots get awfully close to Troy McClure territory). It doesn't help things that the identity of the murderer at this point is made obvious, and both us, the viewers and the protagonists are waiting for him to slip up.
That and the misleading letdown of the aforementioned disguises kept me from giving this a higher rating, but this by no means a bad movie- I just feel it could've been much better with a few tweaks. It's hard not to like the hokey 4th Wall breaking credits where the hidden actors peel off their hair and makeup and wink at camera. That, I think sums up the experience overall- a light, easy watch with just enough genuinely good elements to make it worth recommending.
Un posto ideale per uccidere (1971)
Solid entry in the giallo canon and Umberto Lenzi's filmography.
Ray Lovelock and a young (very young) Ornella Muti are two freewheeling flower children who support themselves by reselling pornography across Europe. If this movie was made today they'd be running an OnlyFans! They're having a fun time of it at first but their luck starts to run out and they soon find themselves on the run. Out of desperation they take refuge in a villa (the 'oasis' of the title) and encounter Barbara (Irene Papas). After an awkward introduction they seem to get along great, even throwing a groovy party. And then the plot thickens...
Even though most people would consider this a giallo and I called it one in the title, this really feels more like a psychological thriller to me. Chalk it up to most of the plot happening in one confined location and a lack of masked killers or a large ensemble of characters to suspect. No matter how you categorize this, it's a well made effort, thanks to the chemistry between the principals, sharp cinematography, and legitimately surprising twists. Other points in this movie's favor include a somewhat higher budget (for this kind of movie, at least) and a few instances of upbeat, finger-snapping music. I typically prefer the instrumental arrangements of Morricone et. Al but the sunny opening title track by a band called I Leoni is especially worth checking out.
W.R. - Misterije organizma (1971)
A Socialist "Free Love" movie! One of a kind.
In many ways, this movie is dated and as a result, its impact is lessened. For instance, it involves two countries that no longer exist. For another, its messages about societal repression of sexuality no longer resonates as much, if at all in the time of this writing. As such, anybody watching this for some profound insights or gems of wisdom will be disappointed. Yet as a time capsule, and as an example of experimental filmmaking, Mysteries of the Organism still has plenty of merit! The film's initial function is a documentary on Wilhelm Reich, a scientist whose experiments and theories on the orgasm led to a bitter end in postwar, paranoid America. The second largest portion is a romantic comedy/satire about a Yugoslavian woman and a Russian (Soviet) figure skater. The fact that authoritarian governments repress their citizen's sexuality and therefore their individuality/spirit is made abundantly clear, so even if you missed it at first, you're bound to catch it the second time. Or the third. Intercut between these two narratives are a "soldier" running around the streets of New York City with a toy gun, Stalin propaganda footage, and various expressions of and experiments with sexuality in the late 60s/early 70s.
Even though the passage of time has somewhat diminished this movie's subversiveness and edge, it's still a fascinating watch. If you are interested in "weird", unconventional, and obscure cinema, Mysteries of the Organism deserves your time and attention.
Across the Pacific (1942)
"That's a Canadian for you- Let 'em take their clothes off, and they're happy!"
Although this isn't as good as Casablanca, The Big Sleep, or the other movies that Humphrey Bogart is remembered for, this is still a watchable and plenty entertaining picture if you're in the right mood, helped in no small part by John Huston's direction and two costars-all three had previously worked together with Bogie in the Maltese Falcon.
Approximately the first half of this movie is focused on the relationship between Bogart and Mary Astor-their flirting as they develop their relationship is razor sharp and quick witted. If you're a fan of snappy dialogue, that alone is reason enough to check this one out. Sidney Greenstreet, playing the world's first Otaku, is nearby as well. His motivations become revealed soon enough..
The latter half of the movie gets into the more conventional action stuff. Espionage, shootouts, double crosses, all that good stuff. Bogart takes down an ascending plane with a Vickers machine gun! It all gets a little bit silly towards the end, but I'm more generous with my suspension of disbelief for movies this old.
Lastly, a word about how Japanese people are depicted in this movie. I won't try to defend or contextualize it (other reviews have done that already) but I will say that while it may not have aged well, it's *probably* not as bad as you're expecting. Hell, it's a lot less worse than some of the propaganda cartoons Warner Brothers' animation department was putting out at this same time. Some aspects of Japanese culture, like Haiku and Judo are treated fairly respectfully, for what it's worth.
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
Good, but possibly overrated.
With its bird's eye views of verdant fields, traditional folk music, and colorful local characters, Banshees does a great job of illustrating rural Ireland in the last century. The premise, which you've probably gleaned from trailers or other reviews, is deceptively simple: One day Colm abruptly decides to end his long friendship with Padraig. The rest of the movie mostly follows the latter's reaction to this decision.
At first, the story is about a decent, simple man (he's referred to as "one of life's good guys") trying to win back a friend. The short of it is Colm wants to focus on creative pursuits and his legacy while Pad is content to take life day by day at a time and is no particular hurry anywhere. In fact, later on in the film he is given an opportunity to leave his community but turns it down- and in the scene you can see him tearfully asking for a loved one to "please come back". This suggests that Padraig not just won't leave where he is- he can't, and the isolation he endures makes his situation even more unbearable. I could personally relate to this and I really wish this aspect of Pad's character was emphasized to a greater degree and that this theme was explored more. Then something happens that will set off a chain of events that will lead to a resolution-of a sort.
Banshees is probably a little too long. By my count there were three scenes where the movie could have ended and in my opinion would've been more effective/impactful for it. The ending we get is almost frustratingly benign in comparison, finishing off with a comment about the ongoing Irish Civil War (one of the themes in the film) and also meant as a commentary on the conflict between the two characters. It also appears to imply that the dynamic between the two characters has irreversibly shifted. Fair enough, but it didn't add anything of significance to the narrative or reveal any new information.
All of this is to say, is Banshees good? I can unequivocally say yes, it benefits from excellent acting and beautiful cinematography. I enjoyed watching it. Is it deserving of all its awards and accolades from critics? That I'm not so sure about. Try to watch this without any expectations or preconceived notions and you may get more out of the experience than you would if you were told that you "have to" "get it".
Evil Dead Rise (2023)
Worth a watch
I'm not the biggest horror fan so I didn't have any expectations when I watched this, but I'm glad I did. There's just the right amount of jump scares and grossout/cringe moments. The atmosphere and setting are suitably creepy. In a lot of horror movies there's usually some kind of contrivance/plot device to explain why the characters are trapped or can't call for help. That kind of happens here but the movie does a good job of moving past it. The characters you never really get too attached to but I personally did get invested in seeing who would survive. I know diehard fans wouldn't welcome an Evil Dead series without Ash but personally I wouldn't oppose another few self-contained sequels in this vein. If you're a more devoted fan you'll probably find other things to critique, but for casual viewers this is a solid pick.