First the good part of the film. The beginning of the movie was beautifully and sharply filmed with an excellent view of the French countryside going towards Monaco with a highway cutting through. The opening theme song was haunting, especially with the supernaturally lovely Czech star Olinka Berova. When you see this miniskirted vision with the flowing blonde hair and long legs walking down the highway with her suitcase, you can't help but be hooked, especially with the aforementioned cinematography and theme music. Unless you saw the predecessor-film, SHE, with Ursula Andress(also called Undress) you wouldn't know what the film was about. The makers assumed that everyone who saw the film also saw SHE. Well, the vast majority of viewers did not and thought the movie's plot was unintelligible. QED Only Olinka Berova's ethereal beauty kept the film from being a total failure and is worth seeing for that alone. Judging by the pre-release publicity, the movie was expected to make Olinka into a major star. Unfortunately for all of us, it did not. Most of the films she made later were behind the Iron Curtain. She later married and divorced an American movieman. Today, she reportedly lives in New York under the name Olga Calley. Her retirement from film is a loss for us all. Update: Olga Calley has moved back to Prague.
Reviews
4 Reviews
The Red Menace
(1949)
A sobering account of Communist Party life, chillingly presented.
17 August 2006
In view of what the Soviet archives revealed about the U. S. Communist Party(thank you, Gorby), this movie hits the nail right on the head. All the tactics Communists used to gain members, such as having female members sleep with prospective male members, as well as the means they used to create trouble, are shown in this movie. My father-in-law was once a Communist. He told me that the CPUSA would take up a collection for African-Americans on trial somewhere and keep the money for themselves. If a man quit the party, not only would he be shunned, but other members' kids would be expected to bully his kids! All this is shown in the movie, including even the beatings administered to wayward members. See this film and learned what we narrowly escaped from ending up as.
Race with the Devil
(1975)
A very enjoyable little film!
31 January 2006
I saw this movie as a kid and its simple, creepy effectiveness stayed with me into adulthood. It's a fun movie. I've had a dream of making an independent feature, and even if the topic weren't similar in any way, I'd want my movie to have the "flavor" of this picture. A simple story, shocking surprises, mysterious characters. I'm not big on drawn out chase sequences, but something about them in this movie works. I guess it's the supernatural aspect. Our heroes are being chased, but by whom? What's going to happen to them if and when they get caught? This is what keeps you watching. There's a lot of motorcycle riding in the beginning that's a tad drawn out, but its a foreshadowing of a Race with the Devil that the viewer knows is beginning to unfold!
Midnight Express
(1978)
A great movie, even if the truth is distorted a bit!
31 January 2006
One of the best movies I've ever seen. Emotionally gripping. I really like the music. Very atmospheric. As I think about it, there were some great "movie faces" in the picture. What I mean is, faces with a lot of character and expression. Billy's Lawyer, his dad, the Turkish judges, the trustee, the sadistic guard, etc. It bothers me that the truth of the real story was distorted. Oliver Stone wrote the script, and I heard him say that sometimes things need to be changed for dramatic purposes. I believe him, but I also think it's used to convey a personal point-of-view. It's still a great film. I read that there's talk of doing a remake. I don't know if it's just rumor, but Hollywood is remaking EVERYTHING these days!
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