FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
Baron von Munchausen (Milos Kopecky) and an astronaut (Rudolf Jelanek) travel around the world, rescuing an imprisoned princess (Jana Brejchova) along the way.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Eastern European Films
• Fantasy
• Love Triangle

Review:
Czechoslovakian director Karel Zeman was responsible for some of the most visually innovative fantasies in cinematic history. His unique blend of live action and animation — including the use of Gustave Dore’s intricate illustrations as backdrops — is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before (except, perhaps, in Monty Python films, given that Terry Gilliam is an enormous fan of Zeman’s). It’s impossible to describe the sheer wealth of visual enjoyment Munchausen has to offer; see the stills below for a tasty sampling. The narrative basically consists of one bizarre, humanly impossible adventure after the other, and is written with a droll sense of humor. A love triangle is also woven seamlessly into the proceedings, as Munchausen — who fancies himself quite the ladies’ man — finds himself unable to convince beautiful Princess Bianca (Brejchova) to choose him over the Moon Man. In the end, however, Munchausen remains unperturbed, and ready to take on whatever escapade awaits him next.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• The traveling duo’s improbable journey through space, back to the Earth
  
• A court dancer frolicking with an enormous bunch of grapes
  
• Munchausen swimming on his webbed-feet horse
  
• A snake emerging from a tapestry to bother the Moon Man and Princess Bianca as they canoodle
  
• Countless surreal images, blending live-action with animation, and reality with fantasy
  
• Many humorous moments — as when the Moon Man discovers the trick behind the Sultan’s protective swords
  
• Munchausen’s hilariously self-aggrandizing monologues: “At the time I had a tremendous appetite, kept busy night and day as I was by one after the other lovely lady, who succumbed to the charm of my manly eloquence…”
  
• Zdenek Liska’s delightful musical score

Must See?
Yes. This inventive fantasy film deserves a much wider audience. It’s listed as both a Cult Movie and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

• Foreign Gem
• Important Director

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Movie Rapture Review

Synopsis:
A carnival gypsy (Brett O’Hara) hypnotizes a teenager (Cash Flagg) and turns him into a killer zombie. Meanwhile, his girlfriend Angela (Sharon Walsh) and friend Harold (Atlas King) try to find out why Flagg is acting so strangely.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Carnivals and Circuses
• Hypnosis and Mind Control
• Zombies

Review:
This wackily-titled exploitation flick by low-budget director Ray Dennis Steckler (a.k.a. “Cash Flagg”) is one truly awful film: it’s got terrible acting, laughable costumes, a nonsensical storyline, and insufferable musical “interludes” which have nothing to do with the main plot. With that said, TISCWSLABMUZ/TSMBM (yes, that’s the title’s acronym!) is ripe for satire; if you do decide to check it out, rent the inspired MST3K (Mystery Science Theater 3000) version to make your viewing experience at least tolerable.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• The preposterously amateurish performance sequences
  
• Plenty of unintentional opportunities for relentless spoofing

Must See?
No, though film fanatics may be curious to see one film by notorious cult director Steckler, and (if so) this one should probably be it.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Moria Review

Synopsis:
A highly religious, sexually repressed woman (May Britt) who lives on a farm with her uncle (Cameron Mitchell) fears for her life when several local girls are raped and killed.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Aldo Ray Films
• Cameron Mitchell Films
• Murder Mystery
• Serial Killers
• Sexual Repression

Review:
Herb Freed’s unusual psycho-sexual thriller starts out strong but ends on a confusing whimper. For the first 45 minutes or so, things look promising: a series of well-edited flashbacks to Britt’s childhood (she’s a complex character) provide some intrigue, and we’re kept in suspense about the identity of the killer. Unfortunately, the screenplay’s logic eventually falls apart, and by the final sequences — when we’re finally told the (convoluted) back story of what’s come before — we’ve given up caring. Although Britt isn’t a great actress, she manages to effectively portray her character’s paranoia, and it’s wonderful to see Aldo Ray in a bit role; others, however, don’t fare nearly so well, and aren’t helped by the sloppy script.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Effective editing, particularly in the opening shots
  
• Aldo Ray in a too-small role as a tippling sheriff who’s concerned about Britt
  

Must See?
No. Though this is listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book, it’s not really worth seeking out.

Links:

• IMDb entry

Synopsis:
A depressed new divorcee (Barbara Baxley) occupies her free time with diversions, including an affair with a married man (Herschel Bernardi) she doesn’t particularly like.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Divorce
• Documentary
• Feminism and Women’s Issues
• Gary Merrill Films
• Los Angeles

Review:
Made on weekends over a year’s time by a collective team of directors — Ben Maddow, Sidney Meyers, and Joseph Strick — this pseudo-documentary (only five professional actors were used) is both powerful and unique. As we watch the film’s protagonist, Judith McGuire (Baxley), move throughout her day, we gain an unfiltered glimpse at Los Angeles in the late 1950s: Judith gets her hair done on a weekly basis, has a drink at the bar after lunch, plays poker gratefully with strangers, watches a faith healing ceremony, attends a boxing match, and goes to a strip club with her “gentleman friend”.

Although there’s no real-time dialogue in the film, Judith’s back-and-forth commentary with her “angel” (or conscience), played by Gary Merrill, allows us to see behind the façade of her actions, and empathize with her unspoken thoughts and reactions: she refers to her unborn children (she used birth control) as “killed”; she longs for her philandering ex-husband to want her back; she admits that she’s seeing a married man “for revenge”; she agonizes over time passing painfully slowly. The cumulative effect is one of hypnotic fascination, as we eventually realize that Judith’s status as a divorcee is meant to represent the essential loneliness of all humans, and that she’s not alone in her despair.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Barbara Baxley in the lead role
  
• A powerful depiction of post-divorce despair
  
• Many memorable images of Americans attempting to assuage their loneliness and dissatisfaction
  
• The surreal transvestite scene near the end of the film
  
• Leonard Rosenman’s eclectic score

Must See?
Yes. This unusual movie should be seen by all film fanatics at least once. It’s listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book, but it probably doesn’t have much of a current following.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
An oversexed young man named Alvin Purple (Graeme Blundell) is advised by his platonic girlfriend (Elli Maclure) to go to a therapist (Penne Hackforth-Jones) for help. Soon he finds himself hired by another doctor (George Whaley) as a “sex therapist” for frigid women, with unexpected consequences.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Australian Films
• Comedy
• Morality Police
• Psychotherapy
• Sexuality

Review:
This frothy sex comedy holds a special place in Australian cinematic history: it broke ground in its frank depiction of sex on-screen, quickly became the biggest hit in the country, and, when it was distributed overseas, became the film that clued the rest of the world in to the treasures of Australian cinema. Part of the film’s light-hearted success lies in the choice casting of Blundell in the lead role; he’s so innately appealing and “innocent” that one can’t help rooting for him. It’s also refreshing that nobody in the movie acts the way you expect them to: women come on to the rather ordinary-looking Alvin like he’s a Greek god, and his sweet girlfriend (Maclure) is concerned rather than upset about his sexual philandering. Though it contains a few too many corny double entendres, Alvin Purple remains a mildly amusing romp.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Graeme Blundell as earnest, confused Alvin
  
• An amusing spoof of sexual mores
  

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look for its historical importance in Australian cinema.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• All Movie Guide Review

Synopsis:
Female wrestlers Gloria Venus (Lorena Velazquez) and Golden Rubi (Elizabeth Campbell) help their boyfriends (Armando Rios and Chuco Salinas) fight against evil villain Prince Fujiyata (Ramon Bugarini) for the possession of a codex which will lead them to ancient Aztec treasure.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Amateur Sleuths
• Gold Seekers
• Horror
• Mummies
• Strong Females
• Wrestling

Review:
Listed as a Camp Classic in the back of Peary’s book, this bizarrely-titled Mexican horror film is, unfortunately, a tedious bore. We’re reintroduced to the likable heroines from Doctor of Doom (1963), who once again must use their inimitable wrestling skills to help save the day — but the plot this time around is lame, full of offensive stereotypes of “evil Orientals”, and padded by contrived wrestling scenes. The “Aztec mummy” doesn’t appear until the final section of the film, when things rapidly shift into supernatural mode; fortunately, the cinematography at this point is atmospheric enough to provide a few (laughable) chills at long last. Overall, however, it’s a snooze.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• The atmospheric horror scenes down in the mummy’s crypt
  
• Awful dubbing

Must See?
No. Although this film is more famous (and has a better title) than its prequel, it’s ultimately much less enjoyable. Only watch this one if you’re a true fan of badly-made female wrestling films.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Spinning Image Review

Synopsis:
In post-nuclear Britain, citizens suffer from third-degree burns, post-traumatic stress, and lack of adequate supplies.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Living Nightmare
• Mockumentaries
• Nuclear Holocaust
• Peter Watkins Films
• Post-Apocalypse

Review:
Peter Watkins’ fictionalized docudrama was deemed too controversial for airing on BBC television, but was given a theatrical release, and received an Oscar for best “documentary” in 1967. This hypothetical vision of a post-apocalyptic nightmare — including lack of sufficient food or medicine, military rule, and hideous physical symptoms — remains just as powerful today as it must have been 40 years ago, when the threat of nuclear war was even more imminent. The film’s narrator continually reminds us that although what we’re watching isn’t real, it’s based on extensive research; again and again, we learn that the awful symptoms shown on-screen are what actual victims in Japan and Germany experienced during WWII. While it’s tough to sit through even at just 50 minutes, The War Game remains perhaps the single most effective cautionary film ever made, and merits at least one viewing by everyone.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Countless unforgettable images
  
• A truly frightening vision of a post-apocalyptic world
  

Must See?
Yes. This powerful film should be must-see viewing for everyone, not just film fanatics.

Categories

• Controversial Film
• Oscar Winner or Nominee

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Roger Ebert’s Review
• DVD Savant Review
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
A cowardly nebbish (Harold Lloyd) is assisted by his feisty grandma (Anna Townsend) in gaining the courage to pursue a murderous tramp (Dick Sutherland), and fight against his lifelong rival (Charles Stevenson) for the hand of his sweetheart (Mildred Davis).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Character Arc
• Comedy
• Love Triangle
• Silent Films

Review:
Harold Lloyd’s first full-length film holds up surprisingly well today. In addition to plenty of amusing sight gags, it possesses a cohesive narrative, a sympathetic protagonist, and a refreshing character arc, as “Grandma’s boy” shifts from a simpering ninny to a self-confident young man worthy of our admiration. Apparently Charlie Chaplin was a fan of this film, noting, “It is one of the best constructed screenplays I have ever seen on the screen.”

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Anna Townsend as Lloyd’s concerned grandma
  
• The amusing Civil War “flashback” scene
  
• Clever inter-titles: “One of those slow towns where the Tuesday morning Express arrives Wednesday afternoon. If Monday’s train gets out of the way.”
  

Must See?
Yes. While not as famous as either Safety Last! (1923) or The Freshman (1925), this holds interest as Lloyd’s first full-length film. Listed as a film with Historical Importance and as a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
A klutzy aspiring actor (Harold Lloyd) is accidentally summoned to Hollywood for a screen test, where he fails to impress producers but falls in love with an actress (Constance Cummings) and one of the characters she plays.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Aspiring Stars
• Comedy
• Harold Lloyd Films
• Hollywood
• Mistaken or Hidden Identities

Review:
While Movie Crazy is generally regarded as one of Harold Lloyd’s best “talkies”, it’s ultimately a disappointment. Despite several amusing sequences, the screenplay as a whole rambles on for too long, diverging from its initial premise and suddenly shifting into a rather ordinary tale of mistaken identities and romantic difficulties. This is not one of Lloyd’s greatest films, and falls flat in comparison with his earlier masterpieces. Watch The Milky Way (1936) instead if you’re curious to see Lloyd in a reasonably successful non-silent film.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Lloyd’s bungled attempts at being an extra
  
• The extended “magician’s coat” sequence
  
• Constance Cummings as Lloyd’s dual love interests
  

Must See?
No; this one ultimately isn’t must-see viewing.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article

Synopsis:
A private (Jerry Lewis) and a sergeant (Dean Martin) deal with bureaucracy and mishaps in a WWII army training camp.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Comedy
• Dean Martin Films
• Jerry Lewis Films
• Military
• Play Adaptation
• World War II

Review:
Based on a play by James Allardice, At War With the Army was Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin’s first starring vehicle together, and thus holds a unique place in film history.

On its own merits, it comes across as a mildly amusing — though often stagy — spoof of military rigmarole, along the lines of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22. Lewis and Martin don’t have enough screen time together, but each performs admirably on his own: Lewis is as wacky as ever:

and Martin is appropriately suave. An ongoing sub-plot about a beautiful but dumb pregnant woman (Jean Ruth) trying to get ahold of former-flame Martin leads to a satisfying, unexpected conclusion.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Jerry Lewis as Alvin Korwin
  
• A clever skewering of military bureaucracy and hierarchies
  

Must See?
No, though it’s notable for its historical status as Lewis and Martin’s first film together.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article