Le ciel sur la tete (1965)

LE CIEL SUR LA TETE (1965)
aka Sky Above Heaven

Article 3640 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-18-2011
Posting Date: 8-2-2011
Directed by Yves Ciampi
Featuring Andre Smagghe, Marcel Bozzuffi, Henri Piegay
Country: Italy / France
What it is: Science fiction thriller

A radioactive satellite pursues an aircraft carrier.

Some time ago I remember watching an American movie that seemed more like a foreign movie than anything else; I wish I could remember what movie it was. This movie seems to be its mirror opposite; though it’s a French/Italian coproduction, it seems more like an American movie, especially when it lovingly dwells on the spectacle of military technology. I just wish I could tell whether the movie is good or not; my copy is in unsubtitled French, and despite its emphasis on military spectacle, most of the plot seems to be encompassed in dialogue, so I can’t say whether its stylistic touches (it makes some truly interesting experiments with color, and the sound is loud, even shrill at times) make it work. I’ve found at least one reviewer considers the movie more of a commercial for the French aircraft carrier “Clemenceau”, and based on what I see here, I’d have to say that it’s the real star of the show, given how much screen time it’s given. The first half is pretty talky, but it does seem to pick up quite a bit towards the end; I just wish I knew precisely what was going on. At any rate, here’s another movie that has been saved from my “ones that got away” list.

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Host to a Ghost (1947)

HOST TO A GHOST (1947)
Short

Article 3639 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-17-2011
Posting Date: 8-1-2011
Directed by Hal Yates
Featuring Edgar Kennedy, Florence Lake, Dot Farley
Country: USA
What it is: Comedy short

When an in-law sells the house out from under him, a harried husband opts to rent a spooky old house rather than buy one that is offered to him. But the spooky old house may be haunted….

I almost watched this short a couple of weeks ago, but it turns out I didn’t have it; there’s an identically named short starring Andy Clyde. I rather wish I was covering that one; it was no great shakes, but I think it was more creative than this fairly obvious take on the subject. Most of the humor comes from Edgar’s family being scared by spooky events while Edgar crankily insists it’s not haunted. We know early on that Edgar is right and that someone is just trying to scare them out of the house, but I’ll give the short some credit for not having the plot involve Nazis or counterfeiters. The gags are shopworn, and Edgar’s family are more annoying than funny. Though I like Edgar Kennedy, I don’t think this short does him justice.

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Ghosks is the Bunk (1939)

GHOSKS IS THE BUNK (1939)
Article 3638 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-16-2011
Posting Date: 7-31-2011
Directed by Dave Fleischer and William Henning
Featuring the voices of Pinto Colvig, Margie Hines, Jack Mercer
Country: USA
What it is: Popeye cartoon

After a night of ghost stories, Bluto decides to play a prank on Popeye by luring him into an abandoned hotel and making it seem as if the place is haunted.

It’s time for another Popeye cartoon, and this one takes us back to thirties when the Fleischers were in charge of the series. There’s none of the three-dimensional backgrounds, but there’s still some fun chatter, and most of the best jokes require careful listening. It is, however, a pretty minor and perfunctory cartoon overall; there’s not really a lot of strong gags. Though the ghosts are faked, there’s at least one major fantastic element involving invisible paint.

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The Ghost Town (1944)

THE GHOST TOWN (1944)
Cartoon aka Gandy Goose in Ghost Town

Article 3637 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-15-2011
Posting Date: 7-30-2011
Directed by Mannie Davis
Voice actors unknown
Country: USA
What it is: Gandy Goose cartoon

Goofy ghosts terrorize a fraidy cat and a silly goose.

Given even that the cartoons which feature Terrytoon’s most famous character (Mighty Mouse) are frequently lame, what do you expect from a cartoon of one of their lesser known characters? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Gandy Goose, but if I had, it’s easy to see why I forgot him; he is a non-entity, as is the cat he pairs up with. There’s lots of gags here, but few of them are funny, and they aren’t particularly well-timed. Personally, I thought some of the backgrounds were more interesting than the rest of the cartoon, especially near the beginning of it. This is not the animated cartoon at its most inventive.

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One Exciting Night (1922)

ONE EXCITING NIGHT (1922)
Article 3636 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-14-2011
Posting Date: 7-29-2011
Directed by D.W. Griffith
Featuring Carol Dempster, Henry Hull, Peter Strong
Country: USA
What it is: Old dark house mystery

Several guests are invited to a party at an old dark house. However, a bootlegger was murdered there a few days ago… and it is rumored he left half a million dollars somewhere in the house. Who will find it, and who will they kill to get it?

I rightly guessed that this would turn out to be an “old dark house” movie, but it’s probably the earliest one I’ve seen for this series. That doesn’t mean that the “old dark house” concept started here; this was reportedly made to cash in on the success of the stage play “The Bat”, which would have a straightforward version made just a few years later. I was curious to see what D.W. Griffith would do with the concept, and he concentrates on the backstories of the various individuals, which are more elaborate than is usual for the form; in fact, the “old dark house” antics don’t really get going until the movie is halfway over. Some of the cliches are already in place, including the cowardly black servant, and having it played by a man in blackface (Porter Strong’s specialty) makes it just that much more painful; at least the other major black character isn’t portrayed as a clown (though he may also be a white actor in blackface). Still, the movie is moderately entertaining throughout, and much more so during a spectacular climax involving a chase during a massive storm. And though I did figure out who the murderer was, it did turn out to fairly satisfying from a story perspective.

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The Diamond (1954)

THE DIAMOND (1954)
aka The Diamond Wizard

Article 3635 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-13-2011
Posting Date: 7-28-2011
Directed by Dennis O’Keefe and Montgomery Tully
Featuring Dennis O’Keefe, Margaret Sheridan, Philip Friend
Country: UK
What it is: Crime movie

The robbery of one million dollars from the US Treasury causes a Treasury agent to pair up with an inspector from Scotland Yard. The crime leads them into a mystery about a missing scientist and a plot to create artificial diamonds.

The concept of artificial diamonds was very common during the silent era, and several movies have entered my list that use that very idea. However, unless my memory is faulty, I’ve not been able to find any of those movies, so this may be my first encounter with it in a movie I’ve actually seen. Actually, I don’t consider that a great loss; there’s something about this concept that just screams “Gizmo Maguffin” to me, and sure enough, this movie uses the idea as such for what is mostly a rather dry police procedural. The movies low rating of 3.8 on IMDB made me expect the worst, but I think it’s a little better than that; it’s well acted, works itself up to a good climax, and has at least one very interesting scene involving an escalator. The movie was filmed in 3-D, and though there are a few scenes that look like they make use of the gimmick, it doesn’t look like it really does much with it overall. In the end, the movie is merely passable.

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The Spy Ring (1938)

THE SPY RING (1938)
Article 3634 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-12-2011
Posting Date: 7-27-2011
Directed by Joseph H. Lewis
Featuring William Hall, Jane Wyman, Esther Ralston
Country: USA
What it is: Spy movie

A captain is assigned to protect the secrets surrounding a new machine gun (that will revolutionize anti-aircraft warfare) after its inventor is killed.

I don’t really care what they call this enhancement to the machine gun; I know a Gizmo Maguffin when I see one. Still, like the better movies with your basic Gizmo Maguffin plot, this one uses the Maguffin in the final reel, but that doesn’t really change the fact that the Maguffin is rather dull and that the whole plot essentially revolves around spies trying to get a hold of it. It’s efficiently directed and has some good moments, but I find the script a little confusing, and I don’t find the idea that the plot hinges on the results of a polo game to be particularly interesting. Actually, the most fun I had with the movie was in checking the credits afterward; I was curious about who played the part of an intimidating craggy-faced character known as “The Champ” only to discover it was none other than Glenn Strange.

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Secret of the Chateau (1934)

SECRET OF THE CHATEAU (1934)
Article 3633 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-11-2011
Posting Date: 7-26-2011
Directed by Richard Thorpe
Featuring Claire Dodd, Alice White, Osgood Perkins
Country: USA
What it is: Mystery

A murderer who kills for rare book editions is on the loose, and a Gutenberg Bible is his or her next target. Will the police inspector be able to spot the murderer?

At about the fifty minute mark of the movie, a policeman makes a passing comment that the mysterious tolling of the bells may be the work of a ghost. Nobody really takes the comment seriously, and this is also pretty late in the game for what has played out up to that point as a straightforward mystery. Therefore, I can safely say consign this movie to the realm of marginalia for its horror content, though the fact that the bells toll mysteriously in the first place and the presence of a hunchback also give it a slight push in that direction. It is, however, a fairly entertaining mystery. Much of what’s fun about it is found in Ferdinand Gottschalk’s performance as the Inspector; he reminds me of Alastair Sim on occasion. The movie also has one of the better comic relief characters I’ve encountered from the period. It’s by no means a classic, but it’s rather enjoyable if you’re in the mood for it.

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A Quiet Place in the Country (1969)

A QUIET PLACE IN THE COUNTRY (1969)
aka Un tranquillo posto di campagna

Article 3632 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-10-2011
Posting Date: 7-25-2011
Directed by Elio Petri
Featuring Franco Nero, Vanessa Redgrave, Georges Geret
Country: Italy / France
What it is: A ghost story… maybe

An artist becomes obsessed with a dilapidated old mansion in the country, and his agent/lover arranges for him to rent the place so he can overcome his creative block. However, he becomes obsessed with the former resident, a beautiful nymphomaniac who died under odd circumstances… and who may haunt the place.

Many giallos are so stylistic that they flirt with being art films; this is one that goes the whole distance and becomes one. The title is obviously ironic, and this becomes apparent in the opening credits; between the weird images and Ennio Morricone’s jarring but brilliant score, one becomes aware that this movie is going to be anything but restful. On the surface, the story is made of familiar material; it’s a ghost story in a haunted mansion with a mysterious death, and there’s even a seance before it’s all over. But that’s just what’s on the surface, and what’s really going on is… well, I won’t tell you, but I’m afraid that the real explanation is equally familiar in other ways, and ultimately it is this that renders the movie a bit unsatisfying. Still, I can say this much; the beginning of the movie establishes a reality vs illusion theme, and it is this theme that eventually takes over the movie. There’s some nice stylistic touches (I’m particularly struck with how the agent’s first accident in the house is seen through a kaleidoscope) and some good performances, but in the end, I don’t think it quite passes muster.

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Wired to Kill (1986)

WIRED TO KILL (1986)
Article 3631 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 7-9-2011
Posting Date: 7-24-2011
Directed by Francis Schaeffer
Featuring Emily Longstreth, Devin Hoelscher, Merritt Butrick
Country: USA
What it is: Post-apocalyptic actioner

It’s after the apocalypse. A young man’s family is assaulted by a gang of subhuman thugs; they break his legs, and kill or cripple the rest of his family. When the law proves helpless to protect them, he takes the law into his own hands with the help of a female friend and his self-designed robot.

John Stanley’s movie guide gives the movie some points for being a post-apocalyptic movie that doesn’t play out like a clone of THE ROAD WARRIOR. But then, I don’t think it makes hardly any use of any post-apocalyptic ideas; civilization apparently hasn’t broken down (there are functioning hospitals and policemen about), no one seems to be starving, etc. The basic premise isn’t particularly original, either; it’s a typical revenge action flick at heart that sadistically panders to the lowest common denominator. With the exception of the Shakespeare-quoting leader, the thugs are subhuman, and they’re all depraved and hateful. Furthermore, despite wearing dirty ragged clothes and squatting on deserted property, they have access to high-priced lawyers who can keep them out on the streets, drugs, and huge vehicles which they can drive around on their raids of terror. They’re made this hateful so the filmmakers have an excuse to allow our “heroes” to engage in acts of revenge and self-defense that are equally sadistic, such as rigging motorcycle seats to have huge knives pop out of them. And then there’s the cute little remote-control robot that helps them out by blowing away some of the thugs. Movies that are this pandering can’t help but work a little, but they also leave an unpleasant taste in your mouth, and the fact that the world they live in seems rather unbelievable, I find it impossible to recommend this one. There is one clever little touch in this future world, though; public service announcements seem to have taken over the world, so no matter where you are, you’ll be inundated with messages about how you can sue your doctor, save money on family planning, etc.; it’s the closest this movie ever comes to having a sense of humor.

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