Larceny in Technicolor - 5 Ultra Cool Euro-Heist Flicks

I am a fan of all manner of crime flicks throughout the 20th Century from the gritty pre-code classics to the operatic Hong Kong gangster stories but I have always held a deep affinity for a swinging 60s Euro-heist. Immaculately styled capers featuring impossibly cool casts set against locales from the golden age of travel. I imagine my enthusiasm for this genre is somewhat akin to what James Bond fans feel — I just have an easier time rooting for thieves than I do for government agents. Maybe it's the Summer vibes and thoughts of taking a holiday but I've had heist flicks on the brain again. The following are some of my absolute favorites in this vein and the films I often find myself recommending to the curious or people stuck talking to me at cocktail parties.

Topkapi (1964) — Jules Dassin may not have invented the heist film with his unimpeachable 1955 classic Rififi but he very well may have perfected it. After Rififi’s breakout international success Dassin made a succession of European films outside of the crime milieu before returning to the genre with Topkapi. A much lighter affair than its predecessor, Topkapi makes explosive use of color and employs humor in the place of noir stylings. Peter Ustinov co-stars as the unwitting accomplice (schmo) to an international crew of master thieves looking to steal a jewel encrusted dagger in Istanbul. Despite the riot of sound and color on display for most of Topkapi’s runtime, the films highlight is a near silent burglary sequence crammed with white-knuckle tension. It's corny in parts and the plot doesn't make all the sense in the world, but I get swept away by Topkapi every time I watch it. 

Any Number Can Win (1963) — An absolutely gorgeous heist picture from Henri Verneuil featuring the first collaboration between cinema titans Jean Gabin and Alain Delon. Gabin plays the veteran crook who recruits Delon’s hotheaded rookie to help rob a casino on the French Riviera. The dynamic between the two is a lot of fun to watch and the actual heist sequence is excellent. I’ve always thought Verneuil had a real gift for framing a sequence and Any Number is no exception. The extended sequence of Delon trying to nonchalantly pass bags of stolen loot by the pool as police descend on the resort is perfection. More Gallic cool than crazy caper, Any Number oozes style from Michel Magne’s jazz score to the Cannes locale. As of this writing there is no in-print physical copy of Any Number Can Win available in the US and that’s a more serious crime than any robbery.

Grand Slam (1967) — Giuliano Montaldo’s international caper flick is a breezy, idiosyncratic affair that features a ridiculously fun score from Ennio Morricone and a wild cast including Janet Leigh, Edward G. Robinson, George Rigaud, Klaus Kinski, Adolfo Celi, and more. The set up is an assembled multinational crew of experts who plan to rob a bank in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival season. This is another fantastic heist sequence that is nearly wordless and involves close to 30 minutes of rappelling, suction cups, electric eyes, telescoping ladders, and the titular Grand Slam 70 alarm system. Some of the narrative twists and turns are a little hard to swallow but Grand Slam more than delivers on sweaty palmed tension. The actual footage of Carnival in the 60s is a genuine treat as well.

Gambit (1966) — Ronald Neame’s heist comedy employs a gambit of its own but manages to be clever enough to get away with it. The film was advertised with the line “Go Ahead: Tell the End (It's Too Hilarious to Keep Secret) But Please Don't Tell the Beginning!" Which hopefully is enough to dissuade you from reading too much about the plot. It also contains some elements which we’d call out as problematic in a modern context — Shirley MacLaine plays a woman of European and Asian descent while Harold Lom plays a Middle Eastern man from a fictional country. If you’re still able to appreciate Gambit as a product of its time; there’s abundant charm, wit, and tension to enjoy. Michael Caine plays a burglar, Harry Dean,  who recruits MacLaine’s Nicole Chang in a Hong Kong nightclub to help him rob a priceless statuette from the incredibly private and wealthy Ahmad Shahbandar (Lom). Dean believes they can use Chang’s resemblance to Shahbandar’s late wife to gain access to his penthouse and consequently his art gallery so that the statue can be stolen. I don’t want to say much more other than this is probably worth your time just to see 1960s Caine and MacLaine play off of each other. They are both delightful and look amazing. Definitely more of a comedy with a less technical heist than the other films on this list but still delivers some legitimate suspense. 

The Sicilian Clan (1969) — Another Verneuil film and another one featuring Delon and Gabin with the addition of this blog’s favorite actor — Lino Ventura. The Sicilian Clan was a large-budget affair that was shot both in French and in English (reportedly a source of consternation for Gabin who felt he should be paid twice) and had a wide international release. Beyond its marquee power Sicilian Clan features a phenomenal Morricone score and was shot by the master French cinematographer Henri Decaë. Delon plays a thief who manages to escape police custody in a thrilling sequence with the help of the Italian crime family led by Gabin. The new allies reach an uneasy agreement to rob a jewelry exhibition and Ventura plays a gruff police inspector determined to re-apprehend Delon and uncover the criminal plot. Between the firecracker opener and an epic finale, Sicilian Clan brings the temperature down to a simmer. The focus is frequently on the interpersonal relationships — the crime family dynamic, the outsider vs. the in-group, an affair, and the professional rivalry between Gabin and Ventura. It’s all done with consummate professionalism and intricate detail, though. It’s an absolute must-see for French crime cinema enthusiasts.

 

Ex-Fest 2022!

During the darkest of COVID times when movie theaters were closed and their future was uncertain, I made a promise to myself that if the world came to life again I would endeavor to make it to a film festival and particularly to a movie marathon. In the slightly less uncertain but still dark times of a Minnesota winter I purchased tickets to Ex-Fest in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania hoping I wouldn’t be sick and planes would be flying. Admittedly it wasn't the highest bar to set in the world but I was stoked when Erin and I were finally able to board that plane to Philly.

In fairness there have been movie marathons closer to home that I could have attended but they tend to sell out quickly, be entirely horror focused, and run a full 24 hours. Ex-Fest being a 7 movie, 12 hour affair was enticing and since the theme is classic exploitation and grindhouse films — you have the promise of a variety of movie genres as you go from film to film. The organizers — Exhumed Films — hold fantastic repertory screenings all over the Philadelphia area and are committed to exhibiting everything on film so I knew the selections would be solid. The festival was also being held at the historic Colonial Theater which is the theater featured in The Blob and is where they host Blobfest every year. As a fan of classic movie houses — I was certainly interested in visiting. What really put Ex-Fest on my radar and sold me on the idea was the Twitch of the Death Nerve podcast crew singing its praises during one of their episodes. Those folks know their shit and if they say an event is one of their favorites — I’m bound to listen.

Those of you that know me personally are probably aware of my general abhorrence towards cars and driving and that was the only logistic hurdle that we had to overcome in getting to Phoenixville. Despite being a mere 45 minutes outside of Philadelphia and being in possession of some lovely old railroad infrastructure — it’s a real pain to get there without a car. When I crunched the numbers it looked like hiring a cab was going to be cheaper and easier than renting a car. I’m not going to say it was cheap but it was easy. Phoenixville itself offers a historic small town downtown strip and we stayed at the one hotel in town. It’s not 100 percent my scene but they do close the main drag to car traffic on summer weekends which strikes a chord in my pedestrian heart. Once you’re there you can walk to everything — the hotel, the theater, restaurants, coffee, bars, etc. It’s in sharp contrast to the kinds of conventions held at isolated suburban hotels bound by freeways.

We landed the night before the fest and mostly wandered around eating and drinking. We had a chance to say "hi" to some folks and I got to meet/chat with Jon from TotDN and Erica from Unsung Horrors. I’m not the best at introducing myself normally and have gotten rustier in the last couple of years but I found a lot of the attendees easy to converse with randomly throughout the weekend. The festival opened at 10am the next day and there was already a line to get in an hour before that! We were a little slower to get going — we stopped for massive breakfast burritos to properly fuel beforehand — but had no problem getting some decent seats adjacent to the people we sort-of knew. The theater was great with reasonably comfortable seats and a balcony — my years served at the historic Uptown Theater in Minneapolis have made me a main floor guy but I admit that balconies are cool. There were a couple of merch tables so I naturally grabbed a t-shirt and picked up a copy of Vigilante from Jesse/DiabolikDVD which I’ve been meaning to buy for a long time.

There was a rough schedule/line up with some clues about what the movies were going to be and I overheard some wild conjecture regarding those. We buckled in an prepared for a day of cheap thrills.

Film #1 - High Risk (1981) - Not the Jet Li spin on Die Hard but a star-studded action/comedy from Stewart Raffill — the man behind such classics as Ice Pirates and Tammy and the T-Rex. It’s the story of a group of laid off auto workers who — under the leadership of James Brolin — travel to Colombia to rip off a drug lord played by James Coburn. It has some hangout vibes, some Deliverance elements, and some positively bonkers moments. Ernest Borgnine and Anthony Quinn turn up as total scene-stealers as an arms dealer and revolutionary turned bandit. High Risk got a huge reaction from the audience and was a great way to kick things off.

Film #2 - The Ladies Club (1986) - I knew this was going to be a rape/revenge flick going in so wasn’t sure how much of a downer it would be. I was genuinely surprised by how little this dwells on the former — while treating it honestly and with gravity — and how well it delivers on the latter. It’s the story of a group of women who have had their lives affected by rape in one way or another and formulate a scheme to abduct serial rapists and castrate them. It does have a bit of a Lifetime movie feel to it, but I found the cast terrific and the overall film well executed. 

Film #3 - Deadlier than the Male (1967) - Swinging 60s spy story that keeps things fun without moving into parody. I am not the biggest James Bond fan in the universe but I do love jet-set crime flicks from the same era. I found Deadlier than the Male had enough of that energy to hold my attention. The fact that it featured Elke Sommer, Sylvia Koscina, and an epic dummy drop from a London high-rise didn’t hurt. It loses some steam towards the end of the film but thankfully it's a breezy affair under the two hour mark.

Film #4 - Kill or be Killed (1976) - Somewhat surreal South African karate cult classic. This had been on my watchlist for a long time so this was probably the ideal way to check it out. Diamonds, Nazis, a dwarf named Chico, and lots of serviceable karate action. I didn’t quite know what the hell was happening in parts but I’m an easy sell when it comes to the “eccentric villain holds a martial arts tournament for reasons” genre of film. I especially loved all the exterior shots of what was definitely a toy model of a castle. There are so many of them.

Film #5 - Crimson Bat, the Blind Swordswoman (1969) - Sadly, this is where we had to tap out for a minute. After a full shift of movies we were ready for a break and some food that wasn’t popcorn. Luckily that was easily obtained across the street and after a bowl of pasta and a negroni we were back in time to catch the final showdown. I can’t really speak to Crimson Bat other than it’s a riff on a Zatoichi style narrative with a female protagonist. It’s definitely on my watchlist now.

Film #6 - High Crime (1973) - The only film in the lineup I had seen previously but I was thrilled to see again in a theater on 35mm. A high octane, desperately pessimistic poliziotteschi from the legendary Enzo G. Castellari starring the peerless Franco Nero. Castellari is such a fantastic action director and there are some terrific sequences throughout High Crime. The violence is cranked pretty high in this one and it was a real joy to hear the audience reactions throughout. Fernando Rey and James Whitmore are both in excellent supporting roles and the music is by the De Angelis brothers. I need more non-horror Italian genre theatrical screenings in my life!

Film #7 - Killer’s Romance (1990) - To wrap up the festival, we were treated to a loose, Hong Kong adaptation of the Crying Freeman manga featuring Simon Lam looking both lovely and sad in a variety of autumn fashions. The titular romance between Lam and Joey Wong was not setting my world on fire but there definitely moments of inspired violence that would startle me back to consciousness. I was reaching my limit at this point and Killer’s Romance wasn’t quite the thrill ride I needed but we stuck it out to the end and immediately marched back to our hotel to crash.

This was such a fun experience and I’m so glad we made the trip. The film selection was terrific and delivered on the variety we hoped for. The facilities were excellent and being able to reach everything we need on foot was something that not every fest/marathon can offer. The crowd was great! Everyone had a lot of respect for what was happening — lots of audience engagement that was totally appropriate and nobody was trying out their MST3K material. My favorite movie of the bunch is still High Crime but if I had to pick a favorite viewing of the day it has to be High Risk. There is a moment towards the end that had the entire audience roaring in laughter and applause. I imagine there are some music rights issues with releasing it, but absolutely catch it at a rep screening if you have the chance. I don’t know if schedules and finances will allow for us to make the trip out to Ex-Fest every year — but having made the journey we’re definitely going to have to consider it. 

2021 - Year in the Rearview

For better or for worse — probably better, maybe? — 2021 has left the building and the new year is upon us. I started writing in this space last year as an outgrowth of the best new-to-me lists I was curating on my personal social media pages and those monthly lists have been the thing I’ve been most consistent about posting. I have some ideas about the kinds of things I’d like to write about in 2022 but thought I’d kick things off with a review of my movie watching over the past year. This review will be heavily indebted to my letterboxd stats — something most online movie nerds are already aware of but I do get asked how I remember this stuff sometimes. I’m old and my brain is swiss cheese, I wouldn’t be able to remember anything without the internet.

Lots of Movies — I have 496 diary entries on LB for 2021. Some of those are shorts, I watched some movies more than once this year, and a few are things I more or less had running in the background while I did other stuff. Still, that’s a lot of movies for me. 

Horror Movies — Horror is always in my top 4 genres of films watched, but this year it was number one. Some of that is an artifact of October viewing challenges but horror films really permeated my movie watching all year long. I even recall chatting with a friend who was experiencing something similar about halfway through 2021. 

Italian Movies — Films originating in the US always top my list and then it’s usually some combination of France, Japan, UK, and Italy in relatively close ratios. This year, I watched nearly 100 Italian films making it the clear runner up. Most of these were horror or gialli but there were also plenty of action films, westerns, and a few art house classics mixed in.

Directors — My most watched director this year was Lucio Fulci. Some of those were re-visits to beloved classics and others were me filling in some blind spots. Oddly enough, Fulci was the first of the big Italian horror guys I was exposed to as a younger person but there was still a lot of his filmography I had not seen. Things do start to run out of steam in his later years but I found everything interesting at the least. Right behind Fulci was Umberto Lenzi - almost all of those were new-to-me watches this year and I had an absolute blast with them. Continuing in the Italian theme — I watched a fair number of Bava, Mattei, and Castellari flicks. Another notable director for me in 2021 was Roberta Findlay. I reviewed her film The Oracle on this site and listed Tenement as one of my favorite “discoveries” for 2021. 

Actors — Somewhat to my surprise there was a tie for my most watched actor last year. I became totally obsessed with Charles Bronson’s European films from the late 60s into the 70s after seeing Farewell, Friend for the first time in 2020. Not only are the films excellent, it’s great to see Bronson outside of the Death Wish persona that he became inextricably linked to following the huge success of that film. I might yet write a piece on his career and reputation in Europe and Japan. Neck and neck with Bronson was Italian actor and stuntman Massimo Vanni. I don’t know that I watched many standout performances from Vanni but he was ever present in the Italian genre pictures I loaded up on in 2021. I had a lot of folks hitting that 5 and 6 film mark but wanted especially to call out Mimsy Farmer — both Road to Salina and Perfume of the Lady in Black made it onto my “discoveries” list for 2021 and I also hunted down the book Spaghetti Nightmares in part because I knew she was interviewed for it. 

2021 Discoveries — For the last few years I’ve been doing a film “discoveries” list to celebrate the new-to-me hits that felt especially personal. The list gets bigger every year and you can go look at all forty 2021 picks here. I’ve written reviews of all of those films in one way or another but I thought I’d highlight five of them here.

Harry and Tonto (1974) —  Paul Mazursky’s bittersweet classic featuring Art Carney and a cat named Tonto got its hooks in me from its beginning in 70s NYC and never let go. It’s a movie about cities, family, friends, change, getting older, American disillusionment, and saying goodbye. I get emotional even writing about it now. My understanding is that Harry and Tonto was reasonably successful upon release but for some reason it’s become increasingly obscure over the last few years. If I had my way, we would see a new physical release of this one from a company like Fun City Editions and as long as I’m dreaming we’d see some other Carney classics like The Late Show released with it.

Blonde Death (1984) — Shot on video films have become an increasingly noticeable presence in my viewing each year and Blonde Death is one I’ve wanted to see since first becoming more aware of them. It’s an absolute pain in the ass to try to find this movie and I actually pulled myself out of bed to watch a live online stream of it when I saw someone post about it. Happily I can report that it absolutely lived up to my expectations as a furious, hilarious, transgressive, punk rock takedown of 80s suburbia. The performances are solid, but the writing and the filmmaking are incredibly sharp and assured. Part of the joys of SOV is you see movies by people who have no idea what they’re doing and stumble into something great — Blonde Death will make you wish James Robert Baker made a dozen more movies and had become one of the angrier, more distinct voices in 80s and 90s independent film. Somebody, anybody, re-release this one please!

Singapore Sling (1990) — Did somebody say transgressive? Hoo boy! Singapore Sling was recently covered by the Live at the Death Factory podcast but a friend mentioning it to me also nudged me to finally look into it. I was happy to find an HD copy on YouTube and fired it up. I was sucked in immediately — lush, mannered, and grotesque. Singapore Sling is both unlike anything I’ve ever watched while also being in heavy dialogue with noir classics. I was blown away by this one and have been giving it the kind of cautious recommendations to people that I gave after first seeing The Witch Who Came from the Sea. It’s not very much like that movie except that no punches are pulled in its descent into insanity and depravity.

Navajeros (1980) — I’d never even heard of quinqui films until news of Severin’s Eloy de la Iglesia set dropped. It’s been a thrilling journey of discovery — not only into de la Iglesia’s filmography but the world of quinqui films as a whole. My introduction to all of this is de la Iglesia’s 1980 film Navajeros which is an absolutely ferocious juvenile delinquency picture regardless of that larger context. It uses music and editing in incredibly effective ways, it’s rooted in real location footage, and employs terrifically charming non-professionals alongside accomplished film actors. If you only see one quinqui film — Navajeros should top your list.

Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion (1972) — This feels a little weird as I’ve known of the Female Prisoner Scorpion series for decades and it was more like I “discovered” that I’d never actually sat down to watch them. I positively devoured Ito’s first three chapters of the series and found them all to be thematically rich and stylistically astounding. Meiko Kaji is perfection and Ito’s films have such a strong aesthetic while pulling strands of Suzuki and Leone among others into the mix. I’m not sure what caused me to discount these when I was first discovering the Lady Snowblood films but I’m happy to have finally seen the errors of my ways. 

Odds and Ends — Maybe the most significant thing to happen in my movie watching in 2021 was that thanks to vaccination, I was able to return to the theater! Sadly my favorite theater shuttered during the pandemic and its future is uncertain at the time of this writing. However, the always fantastic Trylon cinema is still kicking and I was able to see old favorites like Paper Moon there as well as new favorites like Deep End. I was also able to attend multiple screenings of the local Cinema of the Macabre series and that's become one of my favorite things in town.

Tim not only does a stellar job programming the series but he puts together some fantastic pre-show collections of commercials, television spots, and trailers that complement that night's feature. Another theatrical highlight for me in 2021 was getting the opportunity to see Hayao Miyazaki's The Castle of Cagliostro at the Parkway Theater. Cagliostro has long been one of my favorite films which I wrote an ridiculously long review of that can subject yourself to here.

Besides launching this blog to a somewhat shaky start - I had a good 2021 online with other film folks. I was able to publish a piece on Cinepunx, I participated in my first HoopTober, I did the Horror Gives Back challenge, I started hopping in on the All We Need is Sleaze screenings, recorded an episode with the excellent Trylove podcast, I listened to a ton of Unsung Horrors and Twitch of the Death Nerve podcasts, and generally had a blast on social media with cool, fun people.

I've really been loving the various discoveries/new-to-me lists I've been coming across so please hit me up with your favorites or a link in the comments or online somewhere if you're so inclined. Thanks as always for reading my ramblings - I hope to write with a little more frequency and direction in 2022 so hopefully you'll stick around. Take care of yourselves out there!

Best New-to-Me - December 2021

 At the beginning of December I wasn't quite sure how this month would go. I knew I would have some time off, but I also had some traveling planned. We've been able to get back to the theater a bit, but now Omicron is surging through the city. In the end I wound up watching a lot of movies - mostly at home - and kept on watching really terrific stuff right up to the end of the month. 

Navajeros (1980) - An absolute scorcher of a juvenile delinquency film restored beautifully as part of 

Severin's Quinqui Collection. Navajeros stands on its own as a thrilling, nihilistic journey into the lives of street kids in post-Franco Spain but both it and the collection serve as an amazing introduction to a genre of films I was mostly unfamiliar with. 

Mill of the Stone Women (1960) - This one was put on my radar by the fine folks over at the Unsung Horrors podcast and I knew that Arrow was going to release a fancy version of it sometime this year. So I was stoked to see it pop up on Arrow's streaming service and gave it a shot - it knocked me flat! An absolutely stunning blend of Hammer-esque mad science, gothic horror, and Italian delirium. This is a film focused around a carousel consisting of wax figures of infamous murderesses - how can you not love that? Even cooler was that Arrow included Kat Ellinger's visual essay on Stone Women which adds another layer of richness to the experience. I might have to grab that disc.

Paranoia/Orgasmo (1968) - I watched all four of the Umberto Lenzi/Carol Baker gialli in December but the first one remains my favorite. I think even Lenzi would characterize some of these more in the thriller or noir tradition than what we usually understand as giallo but I'll leave that debate to others. What I will say about Paranoia is that its story of a wealthy widow being seduced and terrorized by a couple of young bohemians comes off with the same intensity as some of my favorite 80s-90s erotic thrillers. Lenzi's signature visual style is very evident and his use of a recurring pop song is chillingly effective. I was also a fan of So Sweet...So Perverse which despite its title is actually less sleazy than the other three. They all feature fairly high production values, quality actors, and made me desperately want to travel again - maybe next year.

High Crime (1973) - This has been on my Poliziotteschi wish list for ages but I've been avoiding less than stellar copies of it streaming online. I was very happy to come across a clean, letterboxed copy on YT and it absolutely delivered. Franco Nero lights up the screen no matter what he's doing and he plays the maverick cop as well as anyone. Enzo G. Castellari has to be one of my favorite action directors in history and this has some terrific chases and shootouts - all set to music by the prolific de Angelis brothers. Interestingly this was edited by Vincenzo Tomassi who also edited many of Fulci's better films - he's got an interesting style and it really works here.

Walking the Edge (1985) - I picked up a copy of Fun City Edition's disc of this underseen Robert Forster revenge thriller. It's tough not to refer to this as the L.A. Vigilante but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Forster is terrific in this and it's a wonderfully scuzzy portrait of the City of Angels. For Twin Cities area folks who might be reading this, the Trylon Cinema will be screening Walking the Edge in January - do not miss it!

Limbo (1999) - Another absolutely killer treatment of a shot-on-video nightmare from AGFA. Tina Krause is more well known for her exploits in front of the camera but Limbo is ample evidence that she had the chops and the determination to bring a unique vision to life. A surrealist vampire tale that evokes Lynch-ian weirdness as well as functioning as late 90s time capsule. Limbo was highly recommended in the latest Bleeding Skull book which has led me down some wonderfully weird rabbit holes this year.

Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972) - I don't think of myself as going too nuts for holiday horror movies - okay I did go to screenings of Black Christmas and Blood Beat this year - but I have been meaning to catch up to this one for a bit. I've heard it described as a slow or uneven but I found it to be exactly the kind of regional horror gem that speaks to me. Stylistically there's a little bit of everything - narration, sepia-toned flashbacks, POV shots, freeze frames, rapid fire editing - and then there's the cast! I'd naturally watch Mary Woronov drink tea for 90 minutes but name me another low budget horror film featuring the likes of John Carradine AND Candy Darling. Wild.

A Warning to the Curious (1972) - I had seen the BBC M.R. James adaptations crop up on folk horror lists for years and figured we might as well give the Ghost Story for Christmas series a shot - both old and new. We didn't watch everything but this is my favorite of what we did see. Cold, windswept seaside, isolated protagonists, ancient legends, dark secrets. The mood of the piece really worked for me and the necessarily reserved approach made the fleeting glimpses of horror larger in my mind's eye. It's very different but I have to say I also really enjoyed this year's installment - The Mezzotint.

Evil Under the Sun (1982) - Ridiculously overstuffed Christie adaptation that I had a blast with. Diana Rigg and Maggie Smith sing a duet - do I really need to say more?

Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (2021) - Speaking of overstuffed - I received my copy of the awe inspiring folk horror box set from Severin Films. The first disc contains Kier-La Janisse's exhaustively comprehensive documentary detailing all different aspects of the genre - even at 3+ hours I couldn't get enough. I was familiar with a lot of what was covered - but like most of us mere mortals I was furiously adding films to my watch list as it went. This documentary completely unmoors the idea that folk horror is restricted to a handful of British films and makes a very convincing case that there is an international history of making films according to this mode of storytelling. Much, much better than the school of "remember this?" horror documentary films that have dominated the space over the last few years.

Eyes of Fire (1983) - Diving right into the set is this restoration of Avery Crounse's debut(!) feature. Eyes is a spectacularly WEIRD daymare boiling over with striking imagery, practical effects, optical effects, dark fantasy, Christian cults, colonialist paranoia, and frontier survival. I very nearly watched a fuzzy vhs rip that has been around for years and I'm so glad I held off for this version. I'm excited to check out the alternate cut as well.

The Demon (1963) - I hopped forward in the set as Il Demonio was one of the films I was most excited to see. I'm still gushing over it days later. It somehow manages to blend formally stark black & white compositions, a nearly documentary approach to the folk and Catholic traditions of rural Southern Italy, and moments of stylized, expressive horror that could be compared to Bava's work. It's all firmly rooted in a stunning, physical performance from Dahlia Lavi - who plays a tragic villager condemned for possession and witchcraft. This prefigures Don't Torture a Duckling and The Exorcist in interesting ways and could end up being my pick of the set. The featurettes on the film and Lavi are solid as well.

Best New-to-Me - November 2021

It's that time again to recount my favorite new-to-me films I watched over the last month. After going relatively hard on horror movies in October - I really wanted to just follow my own whims in November. I still ended up watching quite a few horror flicks but it was nice to branch out a bit. All respect goes to those who go straight from Shocktober to Noirvember but I yearned for cinematic freedom. I did manage to watch some noir-adjacent stuff that shows up below. 

Singapore Sling (1990) - Incredibly lush, beautifully stylized, intensely mannered, utterly repellent. 

This was a title I had some familiarity with though it took a recent mention from a friend and the Live at the Death Factory podcast to nudge me towards it. I found it absolutely magnetic but it is not an easy watch by any stretch of the imagination. It is surprisingly pretty for the amount of bodily fluids on display. 

Rome, Armed to the Teeth aka The Tough Ones (1976) - Ferocious "city on fire" style poliziotteschi featuring the incomparable Tomas Milian as an evil hunchback and Maurizio Merli playing his usual maverick cop who just can't take it anymore! Wall to wall action, terrific music, and the Grindhouse Releasing blu-ray is a fantastic set. I should really pick up their The Beyond disc.

Siege (1983) - Incredibly taut Canadian grindhouse thriller. While the cops are on strike - a crew of right-wing vigilantes takes to the streets resulting in a string of murders at a gay bar. The lone survivor hides out in an apartment building and this literally becomes a siege film not unlike Assault on Precinct 13. The new restoration looks amazing - would love to see this in a theater.

Symptoms (1974) - Another moody British masterpiece from José Ramón Larraz. Wonderful autumnal vibes and a fascinating performance from Angela Pleasance (Donald's daughter). It's a slow burn portrait of increasing neurosis but I found it genuinely disturbing in parts.

Images (1972) - I realize that I should have seen this a long time ago - but it's never too late to see a great movie. More neurosis, more autumn/winter countryside (this time Irish), more tweed!

The Black Tavern (1972) - A wintertime kung-fu movie that pits a series of totally wild villains at each others' throats in an attempt to rob a wealthy official. Hidden identities, emergent alliances, inevitable betrayals, cannibalism, hopping corpses, whips within whips, a guy who looks like Elmer Fudd in What's Opera Doc, and seriously gory fight sequences. 

The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion (1970) - This frequently gets called a giallo and maybe it is but it's less of a murder mystery and more of a thriller in the vein of Les Diaboliques in my opinion. Either way, it's not terribly explicit but it is a visually and sonically opulent Italian feast to curb your eurothriller cravings. I definitely need to watch Ercoli's other stuff.

Tenement (1985) - Another building under siege movie - this time in the Bronx. I watched a few of Roberta Findlay's 80s movies this past month and Tenement is probably the best of the bunch - though I really did enjoy The Oracle. I'm really hoping to pick up the blu-ray for this one so I can listen to Findlay's commentary filled with her open derision for the cast, her own work, and for those of us who still pursue it. 

The Cool Lakes of Death (1982) - I sought out this film - and compelled my film club to watch it - largely based on the title and the cover image. I'm not proud of that but this is a beautifully rendered Dutch period piece with some genuinely surprising moments. Well worth your time.

The French Dispatch (2021) - So far my favorite part about The French Dispatch is that upon hearing about it a couple of years ago I read a bunch of mid 20th Century New Yorker articles and loved them. The film itself didn't connect with me entirely but it's visually impeccable with an outrageous cast and one that I will possibly appreciate more with subsequent watches. Anderson essentially sticks a bibliography in the credits and that's the kind of nerdery that will always speak to me.

New York Ninja (2021) - The maniacs at Vinegar Syndrome found an unfinished ninja movie from the 80s, stitched it together, and recorded all new dialogue and music. It's ridiculous, it's confounding, it's a lot of fun to watch with some pals. I HEART NINJA

Serie Noire (1979) - French Jim Thompson adaptation with an incredible lead performance and expert use of cinematic language. This is darkly comic in parts but not a laugh riot. It is one of many 70s films I've watched and thought that the Coens must have certainly been somewhat influenced by it.

Clan of the White Lotus (1980) - Relentlessly entertaining Gordon Liu/Lo Lieh joint that looks absolutely gorgeous. The fight scenes are so much fun and Lo Lieh hangs out in giant golden dragon bathtub. I'd like to see every movie theatrically but this one would be very, very cool on the big screen.

Five Dolls for an August Moon (1970) - Mario Bava directs a bunch of gorgeous jerks on a Mediterranean island being terrible to each other and dying Agatha Christie style. This isn't necessarily "must-see" Bava, but it's Bava so probably see it.

It's Nothing Mama, Just a Game (1974) - David Hemmings sleazing it up on a Venezuelan hacienda as a rich kid sociopath who subjects local women to a variety of demented ordeals. It's a terrific setting, Hemmings is unnervingly convincing, the rest of the cast is excellent, and the ending kicks ass.

The Mystery of Chess Boxing (1979) - All (Ghost Face) killer, no filler. Mystery of Chess Boxing opens with a terrific credit sequence of kung fu action on a xiangqi board and never takes its foot off the gas for more than a few moments. Who are these people? Why are they fighting? When did that guy get killed? There's no time to answer your impertinent questions - there is only chess and fighting and some comedy fighting and training and more fighting. It can get a little exhausting but I can't complain when I'm having this much fun.

Auntie Lee's Meat Pies (1992) - Karen Black, Ava Fabian, Pat Morita, and Michael Berryman star in a ridiculously fun trashfest that's part Motel Hell and part Dr. Caligari. That's really all I need to say, go watch it already.

Best New-to-Me - October 2021

 It's with a touch of melancholy that we bid farewell to spooky season proper. The end of October hardly means the end of my horror movie watching for the year but it does mean the end to being able to see your interests reflected just by walking into the grocery store for a while. This year was notable in that I participated in my first ever HoopTober challenge instead of just doing my own thing, that I was able to return to the theater for some watches, and that I participated in #Horrorgivesback via the Unsung Horrors podcast (which you can still donate to as of this posting). I think I got in a nice mix of older and newer movies and managed to knock off some watch list items that have taken me years to get to while re-visiting some old favorites. Per usual, I will only be discussing what I liked best out of the new-to-me watches - and limiting those to the ones I watched in October - but feel free to check out the entire list: https://letterboxd.com/mplsmatt/list/slashing-through-hooptober-2021/

Inugami no tatari/Curse/Curse of the Dog God (1977) - Japanese folk horror from psychotronic visionary Shunya Ito. While this doesn't achieve the same heights as the Female Prisoner Scorpion films it's filled with striking imagery and genuinely creepy sequences. The film does meander a bit but it manages to take on both modern industrialization and old superstitions without really endorsing either. This absolutely needs a restoration and is ripe for rediscovery by a broader audience.

Vampyros Lesbos (1971) - No kidding, right? I'm still playing catch up to all kinds of things and that includes Jess Franco. I was never that interested in his films when I was younger after watching Oasis of the Zombies so it's only in the last couple of years that I've been watching one here and there. Vampyros has so far been my favorite Franco film to date. Sunbathing vampires, erotic floorshows, kites, scorpions, Istanbul, the color red, robotic transmissions, and an absolutely smoking score. Looking forward to more.

Night of the Demon (1957) - I've been meaning to watch Jacques Tourneur's horror classic for years now and I just never seem to find the time for it. Aesthetically and atmospherically impeccable - Night of the Demon is deeply evocative and effective even without the arresting supernatural sequences. I do wish we got more of those sequences though as they're absolute magic. If I had a quibble with this one it's that Dana Andrews' skeptical Dr. Holden already comes off as arrogant and overbearing but is made more so by the fact that the audience witnesses supernatural craziness before he's even introduced. I do prefer the more ambiguous take of a film like Night of the Eagle - which would make a stellar double feature.

The Black Cat aka Demons 6 (1989) - One day I will do a write up on my favorite non-sequitur Italian sequels and this movie will surely rank among them. This Black Cat - not to be confused with Fulci's Black Cat or the dozen other movies sharing the title - is somehow a spiritual follow up to Suspiria and Inferno, an entry into the legendarily convoluted Demons series, and according to some title cards an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe. I'm not sure about the last bit, but it is a mainline injection of late 80s Italian chaos magic. Bold colors, exploding torsos, lasers, heavy metal, lots of cat footage, and buckets of goop. Pure, lovely craziness.

Titane (2021) - I haven't listed a ton of new movies since I started doing these but Titane was one of the most exciting theatrical experiences I've had in a while. Beautiful, great music, gleefully transgressive. Probably best of the year material.

Lamb (2021) - Who's blog even is this? Haunting, atmospheric, certainly melancholy - Lamb stretches the horror designation until it's largely unrecognizable but delivers on a dark tale very much centered on real fears and anxieties. I would also make terrible sacrifices to protect that lamb girl.

The Burning Moon (1992) - Another long suffering watchlist denizen. I caught this as part of a group watch and it truly lives up to its reputation. Besides the off-putting post synch sound, this is an impressive SOV production that shows real attention to detail and craft even in the non-gory elements. However, it's the gore that's the real highlight here. The finale "hell scene" is absurdly gruesome and filled with the kind of horrors you wish haunted houses actually delivered on. The fire effects are ambitious and include a living person in motion, one bathtub corpse, a decapitated head, and no less than two crucifixes bursting into flame - and a burning moon of course.

The Living Dead Girl (1982) - Speaking of gore, this has to be one of Rollin's gorier efforts. However, he manages to imbue it with an emotional substance and gothic longing that you rarely get from on screen gut munching. There are some attempts at light comedy that I could really do without but it's an absolutely gorgeous film.

Primal Rage (1988) - You're going to want to bump this to your next Halloween viewing list. Experiments reviving primate brain cells result in a baboon infected with some kind of rage virus - sound familiar? - that when unleashed on a Florida campus results in gory chaos. This has some trappings of an 80s sex comedy and probably one of the best 80s Halloween dances on film. Umberto Lenzi has a writing credit for this and Claudio Simonetti did the music so it's the best kind of bonkers.

Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters (1968) - This was my Halloween matinee choice and I ended up really
loving it. Despite the title, there are probably not enough scenes with monsters but the ones you get are fantastic. There are a couple towards the end shot in beautifully evocative slow motion featuring dozens of monster/apparition designs. If you like weird Japanese supernatural stuff - this seems like a home run.

The Snake Girl and the Silver Haired Witch (1968) - This is a weird film that definitely has a children's entertainment vibe - particularly with the focus on the main girl and her narration of events - but it's also surprisingly grisly. The effects are cheap looking but there is a ton of visual creativity at play - the various nightmare sequences are genuinely eerie and the use of obvious puppets caused me some cognitive dissonance enhancing the overall effect. I'm not sure that everything in this movie makes much sense but it took some cool narrative turns and the climactic scene is TENSE.

Abby (1974) - The fact that this film got buried under litigation is truly criminal. Yes, this is a Blaxploitation Exorcist rip-off but there were dozens of possession movies in the 70s and this is a particularly fun one. The cast is great with Carol Speed, William Marshall, Austin Stoker, and Bob Holt as the voice of the demon. Shot in and around Louisville, Kentucky it has a terrific regional independent quality and though the budget was modest, the most is made of what they had. It would be great if this got a restoration and could be screened in front of audiences again.

The Psychic (1977) - I've been re-visiting or finally viewing a chunk of the Fulci filmography and managed to fit this one in. I've always heard mixed reviews of The Psychic and I think that's largely due to comparisons to his other gialli. It doesn't possess the acid-test insanity of Lizard in a Woman's Skin or the ferocious cultural criticism of Don't Torture a Duckling (though it does borrow that wild dummy drop). Still this is an incredibly lush giallo that takes a lot of the genre stylings and turns them all the way up to eleven. The music is cranked, the cameras sweep and zoom, there isn't a huge body count but there are some satisfyingly gruesome moments. Recommended if you're a fan.

The Funhouse (1981) - Another filmography hole finally filled! Tobe Hooper really had a unique lens into American familial dysfunction. Aside from strained family dynamics this is an absolute carnival ride of a film - a half wrecked calliope lurching around the fairgrounds spewing cotton candy and small engine exhaust. I had a blast.

Ghosthouse (1988) - Somehow sold as a sequel to Evil Dead 2 this is closer to an Italian stab at Poltergeist. Ghosthouse offers a wild mix of amateur radio enthusiasm, spectral kids, creepy clowns, exploding jars and lightbulbs, casio beats, inexplicable hitch-hikers, psycho caretakers, maggot-y grim reapers, and a slew of competent and sometimes surprising gore effects. Also at one point the floor gives way to corrosive ghost milk filled with skulls. You know you want to watch it.

Patrick Still Lives! (1980) - Completely unauthorized Italian remake/sequel to Ozploitation slow-burn Patrick. For some reason I thought this would be zanier but it is kind of a scumbag watch with a seriously sleazy take on the tale of a comatose psychic. I loved it but don't yell at me if you manage to catch it. 

The Mansion of Madness (1973) - Absolute stunner from the director of Alucarda. This does get a bit chatty in parts but I found it consistently engaging and surprising. Would make for a terrific theatrical experience.