Michelle Pfeiffer

White Pongo (1945)

 

Hunters and scientists venture into the jungle to track down a savage albino gorilla, which they believe could be the missing link between man and ape. 

Ridiculous Poverty Row jungle adventure may be a feast for bad movie fans, but its so full of inadequacies (bad acting, bad effects, gorillas obviously played by men in bad costumes) it's hard to watch; on top of that, there are also quite a few unbearably racist elements in the narrative.

 

Françoise Dorléac

Dream City (1986)

 

This film is a portrait of New York in the 1980s by famed photographer Steven Siegel, including footage of the subways, the parks, Times Square and other neighborhoods. The film is narrated by teenagers of that era.

Experimental documentary short gives an accurate portrait of the city with its fast-moving pace, imaginative visuals and the vernacular of the comments.

Catherine Deneuve

The Nightingale (2018)

 

Set in 1825 a young Irish convict woman, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness, bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence he committed against her family. On the way she enlists the services of an Aboriginal tracker who is also marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past. 

Intense period revenge drama doesn't spare the audience the horror of its rape and murder scenes, but rather grips us with unrelenting realism, its direct take on female suppression and racism and its dark, brooding atmosphere, enhanced by excellent cinematography of the Australian wilderness and strong performances throughout.

Nastassja Kinski

News of the World (2020)

 

 

A Civil War veteran agrees to deliver a girl, taken by the Kiowa people years ago, to her aunt and uncle, against her will.

Very-well made Neo Western adds modern issues (racism, child abuse) to its narrative, which is heart-felt, but also a bit sentimental, plus some great landscape and realistic cinematography; Helena Zengel is absolutely convincing, and Tom Hanks does his thing - as the Good Samaritan.

Lena Horne and Ricardo Montalban

Lena Horne and Ricardo Montalban meet with with sailors at the stage door

Phantom From Space (1953)

 

When an asteroid crashes, the search begins to track down the mysterious aliens. 

Risible low-budget sci-fi drama is lacking in all departments; if you overlook all its deficiencies, it's still not suspenseful or anyway entertaining, either.

Maltin*1/2: "OK idea hampered by low budget  - and lack of talent." 

Daliah Lavi

Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daliah_Lavi

The Sea of Trees (2015)

 

 

A suicidal American befriends a Japanese man lost in a forest near Mt. Fuji and the two search for a way out.

Despite all credentials (director and cast) this intended moral tale is highly sentimental and simply doesn't convince with its construed plot twists and turns; good nature photography, though. 

Follow the Fleet (1936)

New acquisition: Doctor Sleep (2019)

 

Ride the Wild Surf (1964)

Killers From Space (1954)

 

An atomic scientist claims he was abducted by aliens after being injured in a plane crash. 

Quite awful low-budget sci-fi alien invasion hokum is enjoyable for those who like bad effects and costumes, stock actors and a boring, predictable plot.

Maltin BOMB: "Poor in all departments - and too dull to be funny." 

Amber Heard

491 (1964)

 

A group of youth criminals who are chosen to participate in a social experiment, where they are assigned to live together in an apartment while being supervised by two forgiving social workers.

Deliberately provocative, often banned and censured, this social satire indeed presents some shocking moments; its message of mocking a liberal pedagogy is dubious, if not downright reactionary.

Claudine Auger

Images (1972)

 

Schizophrenic housewife, engulfed by terrorizing apparitions, kills off each, unknowing if these demons are merely figments of her hallucinatory imagination or part of reality. 

Artsy psychological horror-drama with great Vilmos Zsigmond cinematography and a memorable performance by Susannah York overstretches its predictable doppelgänger motive and disappoints at the end.

Halliwell (no star): "Pretentious psycho-drama which might have made a good half-hour."

Maltin***1/2: "Difficult but fascinating film...images of reality and fantasy clash in a kind of continuous hallucination. Off-putting at first, but worth the effort to hang on." 

Kristen Stewart

Wind River (2017)

 

A veteran hunter helps an FBI agent investigate the murder of a young woman on a Wyoming Native American reservation.

Finely directed crime mystery with a convincing story, excellent cast and great landscape cinematography; unfortunately, the ending celebrates an act of vigilantism.

On re-watching: great crime story wonderfully set in wintry landscapes; the ending is understandable but ambiguous.

 

Persona (1966)

New acquisition: A torinói ló (2011)

Le cas du Docteur Laurent (1957)

 

A heartfelt plea for painless childbirth in rural France of the fifties.

Basically a little propaganda piece supporting natural childbirth, this drama shows good local details and is presented with a hint of a feminist message; of course, Jean Gabin is always worth the watch.

Maltin**: "Film was exploited theatrically for its frank birth sequence, only small logical sequence..."

 

Suspiria (1977)

Hector and the Search for Happiness (2014)

 

A psychiatrist searches the globe to find the secret of happiness.

Simon Pegg does a good job in this well-intentioned comedy-drama, which remains obvious and predictable despite its meandering narrative and the humor doesn't quite work.

 

Idris Elba

Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idris_Elba

The Creation of the Humanoids (1962)

 

In a post holocaust society, robots take it on their own to help the dying human race by giving them android bodies. 

Interesting sci-fi oddity astonishes with its sophisticated approach to its topic and some very good set designs and special effects, but it's also very talkative and annoys a bit with its in-your-face message. 

Funny Girl (1968)

Judy (2019)

 

Legendary performer Judy Garland arrives in London in the winter of 1968 to perform a series of sold-out concerts. 

Renée Zellweger does her best to portrait Judy Garland in all her complexity, but this biopic focused on the star's final time in London barely conveys the sad vagaries and tragedies of its star's life and career.

 

Jessica Alba

Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (2021)

 

College student and tourist Elisa Lam vanishes, leaving behind all of her possessions in her hotel room. The Cecil Hotel grows in infamy. 

Extensive and comprehensive take on one of the most discussed present-day true-crime mysteries upholds the conundrum of Elisa Lam's death despite giving it a rather unconvincing conclusion.

 

Tyrone Power

Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrone_Power

Wiener-Dog (2016)

 

A dachshund passes from oddball owner to oddball owner, whose radically dysfunctional lives are all impacted by the pooch.

As to be expected from this director this episodic film is downbeat, bleak and tinged with a dark humor, but more subdued, probably due to the shortness of each story; still, we get some great performances and enlightening moments, although the dog himself seems to be merely the unwilling observer of the events told.

On re-watching: indeed bleak, but fascinating to watch.