A man is murdered aboard a train carrying an assortment of refugees and suspicious characters as it heads to Shanghai, after Nazi agents have evinced an interest in securing a map that the victim has stolen, one that shows important military facilities. Major Vinpore (J. Edward Bromberg) investigates, while two long-separated folks (Kent Taylor and …
Read the full post →“<em>Halfway to Shanghai</em> (Universal, 1942)”
The skeleton-garbed super-criminal is menacing the Old West in this Turkish movie, also known as Kilink vs. Django, and it is up to the popular western character Django to try to stop him. The performances are rather less than compelling, and the storyline no better than OK. It is always at least minimally entertaining to …
Mark Forest, among the more charismatic of the strongmen in the swords-and-sandals epics, has the title role in this one, originally titled Maciste, l’eroe più grande del mondo, as he battles both to free a nation from the domination of Babylon and to help a friend (Giuliano Gemma) win the hand of a princess (José …
Read the full post →“<em>Goliath and the Sins of Babylon</em> (1963)”
Apparently friendly aliens arrive, seeking a small area of land for their use; at the same time, cities on Earth are suffering from giant robot attacks. Are the two connected? And how will Earth’s nations respond as they learn more about the mysterious visitors and their true goals? Well-crafted science fiction, originally titled Chikyû Bôeigun. …
There’s over-the-top action as superhero Argoman, who is in reality Sir Reginald Hoover (Roger Brown), battles and romances the archvillain Jenabell, aka Regina Sullivan (Dominique Boschero), after she has stolen the crown of King Edward. Sir Reginald has a far-out seaside home, and Regina drops in via her personal hovercraft, and then the sparks fly. …
Read the full post →“<em>Argoman the Fantastic Superman</em> (1967)”
The long-running Thin Man series draws to a close with this solid entry. Nick and Nora (William Powell and Myrna Loy) are among the attendees at a dance where a band leader is murdered, and a young couple turn to them for help because the new groom is suspected of the crime. Dean Stockwell as …
Read the full post →“<em>Song of the Thin Man</em> (MGM, 1947)”
Harry Carey projects quietly humorous confidence as an undercover lawman who has come to town to put an end to the depredations of “the Night Rider.” George “Gabby” Hayes (as Altoonie) and Julian Rivero (as Manuel Alonzo Valdez) provide solidly amusing support, and Tom London does well with a sizeable role, too. A good example …
Agatha Christie’s novel comes to the screen with Austin Trevor appearing for the third time as Poirot, but it’s a pretty sad affair altogether. Lady Edgware (Jane Carr) is supposedly American but has a terrible fake American accent. Trevor’s Poirot has an odd accent, too, and lacks the trademark mustache, although he’s reasonably entertaining. Captain …
A young woman and her friend travel to a remote region for her father’s funeral, but a complicated situation awaits them, and they are soon contending with a supernatural menace, aided by a young man from the local village. The juxtaposition of some comedy with the horror is sometimes rather awkward, but the setting has …
Johnny stars as a character named Johnny Weissmuller rather than Jungle Jim in the first of three such pictures made after the last of the Jungle Jim movies, are well-nigh indistinguishable save for new names for the protagonist and the chimp. This time around, Johnny investigates reports of thefts of cobalt from a uomine operated …
Read the full post →“<em>Cannibal Attack</em> (Columbia, 1954)”
