Lucio Fulci's Contraband

Hey gang. Well there are more than a few of you that have asked me when the next Rotten Reelz Reviews Video Review is coming out. I finished the script last week but I haven't gotten to any of the filming yet. That will be on tomorrow's agenda. Oh don't pout. Say, how about a Lucio Fulci movie to tide you over? This time around we are actually looking past his illustrious Horror endeavors and we are going into a crime drama. With smugglers of illegal goods, gangs and cartels, how can we go wrong? This is Contraband.

Say you look like Sean Connery.  SAY IT!

Not to be confused with the Marky Mark Walberg film in 2012. Nope, we hit the way back machine and set for 1980. Ah yes, an innocent time. Stock market manipulations, Reganomics and cocaine by the truckloads.

Starring Italian film Western and Action legend Fabio Testi (The Black Hand, Speed Driver, The Hawk and the Dove, Madman at War, Mussolini and I, Torrente 3: El protector and Sottocasa)as Luca Di Angelo. He and his brother Mickey (Enrico Maisto of Naples shoots!, Corleone, Naples, a story of love and revenge, Do Not Trust the Mafia and Fear in the City) are moving their ill gotten gains in and narrowly missed getting pinched by the local cops. What results is a decent boat chase scene and co-ordination stunts fleeing the cops. Good they outran the cops the pursuit ship had a Breda M37 heavy machine gun, belt fed so those wooden boats would have been splinters and the smugglers the contents of chunky salsa.

Automatically Luca suspects a rival gangster, Scherino(Fernando Murolo of A Man Called Magnum, Bomber, California, Three Brothers, Neapolitan Sting and Sicilian Connection) for ratting them out.

Boats...it's all fitting into place now.

Luca and Mickey express their concerns to da boss, Luigi. He tells them Mario is missing and... no wait. Sorry wrong Luigi. Luigi Perlante (Saverio Marconi of Padre Padrone, Orgo, Difendimi dalla notte, Crimes love and jealousy and Inspector Montalbano). No sooner have they expressed their concerns, one of Mickey's beloved horses is killed. Yeah equine lovers will want to skip that scene, and a fake police barricade is erected (heh heh). The faux cops proceed to gun down everyone in the car.  Mickey turned to Swiss cheese but Luca escapes. Seems almost like an homage to Coppola's Godfather when Sonny gets riddled. Fulci, tipping his hat to fellow masters of film.

Sneaking into Scherino's house, Luca almost blows him away when Scherino's men jump Luca, kick the crap out of him and tell him to bounce, claiming no part in the death of his brother.

Luca starts hitting the streets to find out who the bastardo is responsible for all this when he finds out about a Frenchman heroin kingpin is moving in on Naples. The Marsigiliese (Marcel Bozzuffi of Lucky Luke, Colt 38 Special Squad, Safari Rally, The French Connection, To Catch a King and Bilbao Blues) seems to be rubbing out all the gangs left and right, staking a claim to Naples for his own empire. Oh and the title simply means of or one from Marseilles. Bit of a let down, right?

His final words were, "Jazz Hands!"

The Marsigiliese doesn't deal well with a heroin shipment getting spoiled as he takes a frickin' blowtorch to a woman's head. Yup, in case you forgot this is a Fulci movie. Expect tons of graphic violence.

With blood being spilled like so much marinara sauce, it is pretty evident that The Marsigiliese doesn't play well with others as the bodies are stacking up like cord wood. AHEM! Where are the damn cops in all of this? My God there are corpses all over the ground, blocking alleys left and right, the hell are the cops? Polizia!!!

Luca, Perlante and Scherino have a meeting about what they're gonna do about the gun happy frog and the meeting feels off. A proposal to join forces and see how to remove him from the picture but again, feels out of sorts.

The Marsigiliese offers a sit down and frankly whoever is stupid enough to break bread with this nutter butter kind of deserves everything coming to them.

Will Luca have his revenge? Can his boss agree with the Marsigiliese? With there be an offer than no one can refuse?

This is a different area of expertise for Fulci and again, commonly I have seen most of his Horror films and a Sci-Fi fantasy film called Conquest. It's dark and gritty as similar to several crime dramas of this time just coming off the cusp the seventies movies like, The French Connection, The Mechanic, Dirty Harry or The Godfather.

Great pacing, simple and elegant story line and yes my version was English dubbed so you just know some of these lines got butchered.

I can't help but notice that Fabio Testi looks like Italian Sean Connery. Similar jawlines, rugged build and hell go look at a current photo of the guy. Cuts his beard like him as well.

Had a good time with this and for the horse lovers, there's a fire but nothing anywhere near the horse. The flames are background super imposed. Yeah I was afraid we'd see smoldering horse too as a dark standing but this isn't an Italian Cannibal animal mutilation exploitation director so we can all relax.

I did start laughing at the fight in the sulfur pits because the fight number sounds like a 70's soft core porn soundtrack.

 It's sinister, moody and damn good writing that pops off the page and on the screen. This is deemed a lesser known film but I was blown away by it. Well not as blown away as Mickey of course.

Looks like Ms. Jackson's turn to be nasty.

Sister Street Fighter

And we are back ladies and gents. More Sonny Chiba coming at you in technocolor from the looks of it and recorded in mono from its mere sound. Well we are still with the Street Fighter series but shying away from Sonny's character Terry. What? But how can this be still Street Fighter without that key ingredient? Well relax your sphincters, folks and realize the wonders of....ALTERNATIVE TITLES!!!

Yes you knew that is always a possibility on this site that an alternative title chosen by foreign distribution is never far from my writing.I kid.  It appears to simply be a spin-off of the series.   Instead of the focus being around Sonny, a new challenger approaches!! Sue Shiomi takes the reins and boy it is going to be a helluva ride.

This is Sister Street Fighter.

Brown eyed bad ass.

Once again Toei Production brings another hard hitting, gory film of martial arts and yes I am watching the 86 minutes of uncut graphic violence that landed them yet another X rating. Yes this would hit NC-17 rating but we don't seem to have any directors up for this kind of violence anymore.

Kempo expert Lee Long (Hiroshi Miayauchi of Ramen Rider, Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, The War in Space, Supaidāman (1978-1979 Japanese Spider Man series), Renegade Ninjas and Kita no hotaru) is an undercover cop trying to find his way into the drug trafficking heroin ring from Japan to Hong Kong when he gets outed as a cop and taken away for questioning. Could have used those Escrima sticks that Kempo develops the fighting style with but hey I am not one to tell you how to run your undercover ID.

Mr. Miyagi is not amused.

The dummy corporation known as Central Export is under investigation attempting to link the heroin smuggling but no luck thus far, the Tokyo Police call in Tina Long (Sue Shiomi of Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon, Karate Bear Fighter, Message from Space, Shogun's Ninja, Fall Guy, Moon Mask Rider and The Shadow Army 3), petite and demure girl with the cutest dimples and some of the most nasty martial arts moves I have seen in a while. Wailing the monkey crap out of anyone laying hands on her, she is also experienced in thrown weapons, sais, nunkuku and improvised weapons.

As the assignment has gotten deadly, Tina reaches out to a Karate master for aid as the gangs are a bit more than one woman can handle. Personally I think they are outclassed but that's my take.

Pity that man.  He'll probably limp to the end of his days.

After an extensive fight with these leopard leotard clad hunnies flogging men and no this isn't some perverted thing I added (the film did that) a Kempo/Karate student teacher Sonny (yes Sonny Chiba) joins in the fray and goes sick house on these punks.

The members of the Yakuza feeling their heroin is in jeopardy hire the illusive Hammerhead and his mercenaries to deal with the “bitch”. Hope they're insured.

Will Tina and Sonny rescue Lee? Can the drug ring be smashed? Will Commissioner Gordon and Chief O' Hara still be baffled about these crimes?

This is a typical relative is in trouble/danger/captured and has to be rescued. That now known, holy crap Shiomi is downright terrifying. Snap and crane kicks to the likes of Chun Li of Street Fighter in the games. Sonny doesn't steal the show but will eclipse a few scenes. At the end of the day this is the Street Fighter film I recommend for many ages...of course there is extreme violence so again the kids probably shouldn't be watching.

Round kick of Doom!

Michael Week: Get Carter

Good day ladies and gents and welcome to the first day of Michael Caine Week. I thought it best to start us off with a real meat and potatoes role that gave Caine instant creditability and international stardom. Our movie today is gritty, dark and the first of its generation. To show the seedy underbelly of the criminal element and put you in the mindset the street justice seems fair enough. From the superb crime novel Jack Carter Comes Home by Ted Lewis This is Get Carter.

Fellas, you can now say you've seen a man picked up by his jewels.

Jack Carter: You know, I'd almost forgotten what your spoilers looked like. Still the same. Pissholes in the snow.

Our film opens on a party with the mob family Fletcher watching slides of pornography as mob enforcer Jack Carter (Michael Caine of Zulu, A Bridge Too Far, The Swarm, Beyond the Poseidon Adventure, The Island, Dressed to Kill, Deathtrap and Blame It on Rio) is planning to take the train in his expensive suit, wingtips and London Fog overcoat to hometown Newcastle and find out what really happened to his brother Frank who has passed away.

Heading back to Newcastle, he realizes he has not spoken to his brother in years as he attends his funeral he meet with Margaret (Dorothy White of The Professionals, Coronation Street, Crown Court and Flesh and Blood) , Frank's bird and her teenage daughter Doreen (Petra Markham of Albert and Victoria, Ace of Wands, After Julis, EastEnders and Plotlands) and sees that they are provided for and then he is off to find answers... by any means. The local crime families are on unease with Carter's arrival in town as he chats up an old acquaintance Albert Swift (Glynn Edwards of Zulu, Minder, Jack of Diamonds, Sweet Sixteen and The Seventh Sign) the pair come to blows as Swift has no information to share and seems genuinely terrified of Carter.

Clear off , you tossers!!

Looking further he interrupts a poker game of crime boss Cyril Kinnear (John Osborne of Look Back in Anger, The Entertainer, Tom Jones, Colonel Redl and Flash Gordon) has a go with him in a shouting match, gets sicced by a couple of Kinnear's men and gets info on a Brumby. As Carter continues knocking heads, beating men about he is finding out a lot more than he bargained for but sees to sick through it to the bitter end if he must.

Just a few comments on this movie now. This was director Mike Hodges directorial debut for a movie feature. When Carter enters Cyril Kinnear's home, there is a Zulu shield and assegais on the wall. An inside joke about Caine's first film success in Zulu. Originally rated X due to violence and loads of female nudity, the film was reclassified as R rating after a few crime dramas were equally or more bloodthirsty.

Filmed in only 40 days, Hodges described Caine as a complete dream to work with, Caine lost his temper once on set during a long and tense scene in Glenda's apartment, he yelled at the cinematographer for failing to capture the shot the first take, straightened up and apologized for his behavior.

With sucess of Afie, The Italian Job and Ipcress File, Hodges was suprised that Caine would even be interested in playing such a thoroughly unlikeable character when Caine explained that he could have ended up like Carter being from similar backgrounds. Make no mistake, folks this film pulls no punches and will shock and disgust on some levels and yet you have not seen Caine this intense before.

Travelling salesmen hate getting Carter's route.

Sid Haig Week

Welcome and hello ladies and gents.  I have noticed a decline in reading and a few commentaries about the subject matter.  By all means, give me some suggestions.  I can always use them.   This week we read up on a few fellow from California bitten about the acting bug and attended the Pasadena Playhouse for two years and made his way to Hollywood and cut his first teeth in a student film by Jack Hill called The Host.   Jack Hill found a certain charisma in this man as well as an actress Pam Grier and proceed to appear in five of his films and made his way into TV series and even  A-list films and this fellow himself states after 40 years of carrying a gun he was finally acknowledged for something other than a thug or gunsel and Quentin Tarantino and Rob Zombie both grew up on this man's exploitation films and found him to be clever, far more intelligent than he was perceived.

I am a wild and crazy guy!!

This actor standing at a menacing 6'4" almost sullen look about him is Sid Haig.   He landed more than its fair share degree of Westerns, Science Fiction and Cop Dramas since 1959 and has been considered landmark programs such as: Batman, Star Trek, Mannix, The Six Million Dollar Man and Police Woman.   Almost 75 years of age he has survived in TV and movie for more than 50 years as he had been an assistant director, worked over 350 TV series and more than 40 films gives testament to a career.  Does he view himself as a successful actor?  No but he has a work ethic.

The Manson Family outing.

Robert Evans Week: The Godfather

Welcome to Day 3 of Robert Evans Week and baby we got a doozy for you today.  With immigrants, an aging patriarch of a syndicate makes preparations to leave his legacy in the hands of his son.  From the mind of brilliant writer Mario Puzo (The Dark Arena, The Fortunate Pilgrim, Fools Die, The Sicilian, The Fourth K and The Last Don) and brought to us by director/writer/producer Francis Ford Coppola ( Dementia 13, Patton, The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, The Outsiders, The Cotton Club Dracula and The Rainmaker) comes the story of power changing hands in a ten year span based around a son that was deemed an outsider to the family to becoming harden with the times and moves up the ranks.  This is The Godfather.

I'm sorry!!! I'LL TIP!!!

Don Corleone: I hope you don't mind the way I keep going over this Barzini business.
Michael: No, not at all.
Don Corleone: It's an old spoiler. I spent my whole life trying not to be careless.  Women and children can afford to be careless, but not men.

Overseeing his daughter's wedding, Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando of A Streetcar Named Desire, The Wild One, On the Waterfront, Guys and Dolls, Mutiny on the Bounty, Last Tango in Paris and Superman) greets his wayward war hero son Michael (Al Pacino of Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Bobby Deerfield, Scarface, Glengarry Glen Ross, Scent of a Woman, Heat and The Insider)  with his girlfriend Kay (Diane Keaton of Play It Again, Sam, Sleeper, Reds, Baby Boom, Father of the Bride, The First Wives Club, Plan B and Something's Gotta Give) and the Don is bombarded be requests from people in the neighborhood, one of which is this would-be crooner, his godson Johnny Fontane (Crooner and actor Al Martino) for this most coveted role in a movie and not getting his foot in the door.  

Vito sends his consigilere Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall of To Kill a Mockingbird, The Chase, Bullitt, True Grit, THX 1138, The Eagle Has Landed, Apocalypse Now and The Great Santini) to negotiate with studio mogul Jack Woltz (John Marley of Faces, Love Story, Dead of Night, The Amateur, Falcon's Gold, Utilities and The Glitter Dome) for the part.  Woltz is adamant about the refusal until he wakes the next morning to find his prized stallion's head in his sheets.  Really hate to have seen Hagen's next counter proposal.

Early Christmas in 1945 drug czar Virgil " The Turk" Sollozzo (Al Letterieri of The Getaway, Mr. Majestyk, Flatfoot in Hong Kong, Winner Take All and The Hired Gun) backed up by rival mob the Tattaglias, asks the Don for a piece of the action in his drug and protection racket through all his political connections.  Vito does not approve of drug peddlers and sends his enforcer Luca Brasi (Lenny Montana of The Funny Face of the Godfather, Patty, Contract on Cherry Street, Fingers and Defiance) to spy on these no good scumbags.  Shockingly enough, things don't go smoothly for Luca as his vest is wrapped with newspaper and stuffed with fishes then sent to the Corelones.  

Rise, my son.  Crap, wrong flick.

Vito is shot at and lands him in the hospital making his eldest boy, Sonny (James Caan of Red Line 7000, El Dorado, Games, Slither, Rollerball, Thief, Flesh and Bone and City of Ghosts)  in charge of the family.  Retaliations are in motion as Sonny wants Tattaglias in the ground.
Michael plots to remove the Tattaglias' monkeys both Sollozzo and Police Captain McCluskey (Sterling Hayden of The Asphalt Junglem The Killing, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and Venom)  but when will the bloodshed end or will it escalate into out and out gang war with the Five Families?  Should there be an olive branch or a clenched fist offered?

A few comments to make about the movie at this time.
Syndicate boss Joe Colombo and his organization The Italian-American Civil Rights League started a major campaign to stop the film from being made.   Robert Evans got more than his fair share of death threat phone calls and letters decreeing this film is anti-Italian.   Fellow producer Albert S. Ruddy met with the alleged Don who demanded the terms Mafia and Cosa Nostra be removed from the film.  Ruddy agreed and allowed them to read over the script and make changes and even agreed to have League members (gunsels and leg breakers) as extras and advisers.  Paramount's owner Charlie Bluhdorn sees this agreement in the New York Times was so outraged he fired Ruddy and shut down the film.   Evans managed to convince Bluhdorn that this agreement looks like great PR and no more disruptions for the movie so Ruddy was hired back on.

From its amazing cinematography in 35 mm Spherical with crane work through the streets, dolly tracking with our stars and some beautiful hand held to Carlo Savina's score that sets the stage, you get the feel of what life was in this time with all the ups and downs.  Shining new light on what was once deemed a blight in most theatrical releases, the family angle is what sold this film most of all and changed the face of cinema on organized crime forever.

My feet are killing me in these shoes, Lord.

The Girl with "The Look" Leaves the Stage.

Good day and hello readers.  Say how many of you are aware of the work of Betty Joan Perske?  Actress, singer of film, stage and musical theatre.   Not ringing any bells?  How about her stage name Lauren Bacall?   From her days as a model her sultry looks allowed her to grace magazine covers such as Harper's Bazaar and Vogue.

In 1941, she got the acting bug  and enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts along a fellow classmate name of Kirk Douglas while she modeled and worked as a theatre usher.   Drawn to the stage she blew away her idol Better Davis in a musical based on the film All About Eve entitled Applause.

Acclaimed director Howard Hawks's wife Nancy noticed Bacall on Harper's Bazaar and urged him to give Bacall a screen test for to have and Have Not.  Nancy mentored Bacall in dress, mannerism, poise and elegance to give her an edge in the business.  At age 19 she appeared in film as lead female role aside Humphrey Bogart in the 1944 film To Have and Have Not.    Meeting her co-star and future husband Humphrey Bogart the chemistry seen on the scene was not forced nor faked.  Having two children by Bogart, son Stephen and Daughter Leslie, each pursued their own lives as Stephen is a news producer, documentary film maker and author while Leslie is a yoga instructor.

  After the tragic passing of Humphrey Bogart, Bacall's career was focused while juggling single parent life to wit she later fell in love with actor Jason Robards, had a child Sam and divorced 8 years later.  From an acting career in TV and Movies spanning more than 70 years she has wowed us with attitude, made tears well up in the eyes and sizzled on the screen.    The Girl with "The Look" leaves us August 12th 2014 at age 89 and Hollywood will never see the like again.

Movie Starlets of the 1940's: Barbara Stanwyck

Welcome back folks to Day 3 of Movies Starlets of the 1940's Week.  Our gal of the hour hails from a six decade long career from stage presence from both film and TV.   With a strong, realistic depiction and deemed a favorite to work with directors Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra giving her 85 movies in 38 in Hollywood before making her way to television.  This is Barbara Stanwyck.

Larry, yer pulling my sequins!

Phyllis: I think you're rotten.
Walter Neff: I think you're spoiled- so long as I'm not your husband.
Phyllis: Get out of here.






Just before her sixteenth birthday in 1928, our Ruby Catherine Stevens prepared for work a s a chorus girl allowing for her to be recognized for a Vaudeville act Ziegfeld Follies giving her Broadway credentials for more than 9 months and over a hundred performances that playwright David Belasco (Warrens of Virginia, A Good Little Devil and Laugh, Clown, Laugh) who suggested Ruby needed a stage name that popped into the heads of producers and directors and Barbara Stanwyck was created.

Holy cats, yer that Stanwyck kid!

With her first talkie roles of The Locked Door and Mexicali Rose churned out in 1929 were complete flops, Frank Capra (It Happened One Night, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Meet John Doe, The Battle of Russia, The Battle of China and It's a Wonderful Life) cast her in the romantic drama Ladies of Leisure giving her top billing in and starring next to Ralph Graves (Sporting Life, What Am I Bid?, Nobody Home,The Extra Girl, Flight, Ladies of Leisure and Dirigible) showing off some versatility our gal across the way has worked with the likes of Clark Gable, Henry Fonda, Gary Cooper ranging in crime drama, screwball comedy, romantic drama and even making her way into westerns and opening doors from co-workers to more than a few close friends of the like of : William Holden, Ralph Meeker, James Stewart, Linda Evans, Joan Crawford, Jack Benny and Robert Wagner meeting the starlet demand clear up to age 45 before moving to television.

Being from foster care and given no quarter in life, Stanwyck viewed FDR as a bad idealist  and not the best of choices against Nazi Germany.  She even felt Stalin had its influences in decisions on the war and how to run our country.   Robert Wagner and Ms. Stanwyck had a four year fling starting on the set of Titanic and moved to Wagon Train and the latter show that gave more than a few young ones their chance in The Big Valley.

Stanwyck died tragically at 82 with from chronic smoking and special-effects smoke on the set of The Thorn Birds giving her bronchitis causing her congestive heart failure.  Referred as the Best Actress That Never Won an Oscar, Stanwyck was voted the 40th Greatest Movie Star of All Time by Entertainment Weekly and deemed number 11 of the American Film Institute 100 years of the Greatest Screen Legends.   Guess she did alright for herself.

Matriarch actress indeed. Hmph!

Movie Starlets of 1940's: Veronica Lake

Greetings ladies and gentlemen and welcome to Day 2 of Movie Starlets of 1940's.  A time honored cliche' the blonde bombshell does grab attention and invite trouble to themselves they may or may not expected.  Born Contance Frances Marie Ockelman in Brooklyn, New York began working in film in 1936 as an extra and a small role in Sorority House.  Director John Farrow first noticed our dishy blonde allowing her lightly crimp hair draped over her right eye, giving her an air of mystery and giving her natural beauty making her stand out.   Farrow immediately introduced this petite beauty Paramour producer Arthur Hornblow, Jr.  He convinced Constance she needed a stage name to suit her deep blue eyes.  This is Veronica Lake.

Evening boys.

Ellen Graham: Why don't you go to the police?
Philip Raven: I'm my own spoiler.






In 1941, Lake's breakthrough role giving her second female lead in war drama I Wanted Wings were she developed her signature look with her long blonde hair draped in front of her right eye giving her the nickname the "peek-a-boo girl" coupled with a voluptuous figure.     Following up with good starring roles such as: Sullivan's Travels, This Gun for Hire, I Married a Witch and So Proudly We Hail!  Having such chemistry with Alan Ladd giving her femme fatale began with This Gun for Hire and follow up four more film noirs The Glass Key, The Blue Dahlia, Saigon and The Sainted Sisters.  During World War II, Lake became a popular pin-up girl for the soldiers during the war and through around the States to raise money for war bonds.  Able to perform in crime drama, war drama, and romantic drama.

Must you talk of such things?

Rather than offering any acting tutors or even watch over the golden goose having the flop The Hour Before the Dawn and Slattery's Hurricane, Lake's career fell in a slump.  With two divorces under her belt, impending bankruptcy and mad being a Hollywood sex symbol she gathers the kids, walked out on Hollywood to restart her career in New York.  Lake moved to a new medium in television.

With TV doing well enough our gal gets some steam under her allowing her to pursuing Off-Broadway studies and give it her all.  By the 1970's Lake realized she had reached a plateau in her life that the little things in truly matter, being with her children and trying to move beyond acting and yet she moved to England and did her role as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire on English stage.     Passing away in 1973 due to liver damage at age 51 she lived her dream more than most Americans have the guts and determination to do.

Another street mime!  Gonna nail him!

Movie Starlets of the 1940's: Bette Davis

Good day gentle viewers of the cinema for Day 1 of Movie Starlets of the 1940's.  We begin our week with one of the most influential actresses of the time.  Standing tall and proud at 5'3" yet her performances made her a giantess, bringing ranges of the gal next door to uncompromising and dare I say ruthless characters, this woman's talents hailed her praise from stage tropes to the big screen that she has won two Oscars, an Emmy, a Golden Globe and Canne Film Festival.   This is Bette Davis.

That's right, he needs an entire jug of vodka.

Judith Traherne: Nothing can hurt us now. What we have can't be spoiled.  That's our victory -  our victory over the dark. It is a victory because we are not afraid.




From the humble screen-time beginnings of The Bad Sister with her co-star Humphrey Bogart to the startling madness that is What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? , Davis' work spans over five decades bringing sultry to her role and/monsters to life in only the way of the range her capabilities could muster.   Beloved by most movie viewers are the title roles of All About Eve, Dark Victory, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Jezebel and The Letter.    The willingness to play less than sympathetic character is well presented in her performances ranging in such genres as: crime dramas, historical and/or period pieces and even some comedies.  Where she excelled highly though was romantic dramas.

D...O...G...  Yes, Mongo that is how you spell Joan Crawford.

Warner Brothers knew they had a gold mine with this lady and purchased her contract for the next 2 decades.  Co-founder of the famous Hollywood Canteen (a club offering dinner, dancing and a wide range of entertainment for servicemen usually before they went overseas, it was open to allied forces as well as women in the branches of service and well.  The cover charge for these folks was to show up in their Class A's.) and first woman president in The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the organization dedicated to advancing the arts and scientific breakthroughs in motion pictures) but she always felt she was nothing more than a face or figurehead as she deemed the AMPAS did not always hear her proposals.  

Accredited 123 films both cinema and TV, Davis was placed second on the American Film Institute listing her second as the greatest female stars of all time.  Katharine Hepburn still holds the number one spot but she doesn't have Bette Davis Eyes.

Get my agent, I want to direct!

Mickey Rooney Week: Quicksand

Hey there all and greetings to Day 3 of Mickey Rooney Week.  Y'know for a change I think we will review a Mickey Rooney movie where he has lead role and would be his first time challenging his goody two shoes persona he had been known for.   Hows-about a story where a lad gets in over his head with debt, criminals and the law and all for a shallow girl?   Sounds like quite the caper I agree, but I think I can sweeten the pot with a Peter Lorre sighting as well.  Did I mention it is film noir?   This is Quicksand.

Jeepers, boobies!

Daniel 'Dan' Brady: I feel like I'm bein' shoved into a spoiler, and if I don't get out soon, it'll be too late. Maybe it's too late already!



How much trouble can one guy get into? Oh brother you got no clue at all.    A struggling auto mechanic Dan Brady (Mickey Rooney of The Black Stallion, Donovan's Kid, Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July, Arabian Adventure and One of the Boys) just bragged to his co-worker about dropping his squeaky clean girlfriend as he goes ga ga for an obvious femme fatale Vera Novak (Jeanne Cagney of Yankee Doodle Dandy, The Time of Your Life, Don't Bother to Knock,  A Lion Is in the Streets and Town Tamer) who wants to be adored and fawned after.  Dan strapped for cash boosts 20 clams from the till because he can just get the money back from his buddy who he hasn't ran into yet.

Whudda mean no Laser Tag??!!! Gyp!

That night on the Santa Monica pier Vera and Dan have a swell time in spite of her old boss of the penny arcade Nick (Peter Lorre of M, The Maltese Falcon, My Favorite Brunette and Arsenic and Old Lace) but sorry fellas no action shown in this 50's film so fade to black.   Dan never runs into Chuck to get his funds and finds out the shop's book keeper arrived two days earlier than expected so Dan hatches a brillant scheme that he will buy an expensive watch and pawn it for the money he could get from it then sneaks the scratch into the till.  That is a minor felony but hey no worries, he is bound to get into crazier circumstances.

 A day later Dan forgot he put the auto shop down as his work address and an investigator for the store tells Dan he has 24 hours to pay the money to avoid grand larceny charges.  Dan also seem to space the concept of serial numbers.    On a binder at the local bar, Dan spots the local bingo caller Shorty, clearly tanked and a wallet full of cash.   Dan gets Shorty (heh) and swipes the cash.  He runs into Vera and Nick squabbling and Dan gives him a licking but leaves his handkerchief behind.  The same one he used in the robbery.
Nick meets with Dan about the robbery and demands a car for himself or this goes to the cops, see?  Without no choice in sight, Dan swipes a car off the lot only to be spotted by his sleazebag boss who in turn blackmails the lad for the marked up price of the car or this goes to the cops.   Anyone seeing a pattern with the people Dan interacts with?

I had just a few comments about the film.  This role was meat and potatoes for Rooney allowing him to step out of the goody goody image and gives an amazing performance.  Sadly the ladies Cagney and Barbara Bates don't have anything new to the table and didn't grant the same moral quagmire that Rooney and Lorre's executions on screen.  The dolls of the flick got the typical good girl and bad girl bird cage with no wiggle room in between.   I have to say while there was a fair amount of product placement in the film, for the most part it was low key and most of this film was shot on Santa Monica with almost all exterior scenes on the old pier.  Low cost, great pace and spectacular showmanship is all these ingredients found in Quicksand.  Well at least the film that is.

Don't forget tomorrow, yer givin' me a sponge bath.

Dirty Harry Week: Dirty Harry

Hey kids and welcome to Day 1 of Dirty Harry Week.  The saga of Inspector Callahan and his Smith and Wesson Model 29 .44 Magnum.  Personally anything over a .357 Python seems to be a bit much but hey this cat can one hand it so more power to him.  A different breed of cop is needed for the streets of the 1970's.  One that has the stomach to dish it out as much as he takes.  So hand me that oil, prep me some hollow points and cover your ears.  This is Dirty Harry.

HANDS AT TEN AND TWO!!!

De Georgio: Morning, Harry.
Morning, fatso. Spoiler wants to see you.
De Georgio: You are a sweet man, Harry.



A serial killer roams the street of San Francisco and prowls its rooftops with a sniper rifle.  He calls himself Scorpio (Andrew Robinson of Barnaby Jones, Cobra, Hellrasier, Shoot to Kill, Child's Play 3 and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and seems to murder at random or when it suits his purpose.  He demands $100,000 dollars from the Mayor's office or his next target will be a priest or a n*gger.  The Mayor (John Vernon of Point Blank, Topaz, The Outlaw Josey Wales and  Animal House) wants this handled with care as they are not about to pay an assassin to not kill deeming it terrorism and asks Inspector Callahan (Clint Eastwood of Rawhide, Fistful of Dollars, Magnum Force, Sudden Impact, Heartbreak Ridge and Unforgiven) to defuse this situation with subtly and diplomacy.

Oh yes, he looks completely sane.

Harry's Lieutenant, Bressler (Harry Guardino of Houseboat, Pork Chop Hill, The Five Pennies and The Enforcer) is a bit of a kiss ass, easy going with the brown nosers and has no issues with the press conferences but must have an ulcer the size of a softball with Harry's pension for attracting wackos, weirdos and scumbags.
Our villain is stepping up the game as he kidnaps a girl to make up for being shot at by Harry after a foiled attempt on a priest's life.  The first face-to-face meeting with Scorpio, he comes alone and unarmed.  Scorpio kicks hims, taunts him about he may kill the girl anyway and Harry stabs the slime with a switchblade.  Only to start the dance all over again.

I have just a few comments to make at this time. The National Film Registry deemed this film historically and culturally significant for a full restoration in 2012.

Andrew Robinson's portrayal of Scorpio was so effective that he had to get an unlisted number after several death threats from mail and phone.  Wonder if Kane Hodder is approached with axes, hammers and pitchforks for being an effective Jason Vorhees.  Robinson ad-libbed his line"My, that's a big one" aimed at Harry's hand cannon and the scene had to be reshot due to laughing crew.   Eastwood performed all his own stunts, even leaping onto the roof of the bus.  Guess he's no sissy.

Get back in your seats and STOP DOING THE WAVE!!

Dirty Harry Week

Hey folks.  Sorry for being AWOL today.  I am building cosplay costumes for a photo shoot later this April and I lost track of time.   This week I thought we would tackle the original glib action hero.  A man of few words, dirty deeds and a hog leg that could blow your head clean off.  I speak of none other than Inspector Harry Callahan otherwise known as " Dirty Harry".  A rough and tumble modern day cowboy that totes a hand cannon .44 magnum six shooter.   The inspector works homicide for San Francisco Police Department and is given every dirty job that comes down the pike because he can stomach it but he doesn't have to like it.  He's rude, mean and packs a helluva right hook when he isn't blasting an offender and is exactly the man you need for the scum plaguing the streets whether the higher ups want to admit it or not.
   
Played by Clint Eastwood at the time was known primarily from the Sergio Leone Spaghetti Westerns (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly), Eastwood did appearances in Maverick and Death Valley Days before becoming a regular on Rawhide.  Dirty Harry allowed him to showcase a cop that didn't follow every rule and bend the others to get the job done.  Without setting this paradigm character there would be no Axel Foley of Beverly Hills Cop or John McClane of Die Hard.   That in mind let's enjoy the Dirty Harry Collection and hope that no punk thinks he is lucky enough to handle the man.

Like the suit?  Well, do you, punk?