Friday, January 19, 2024

What I Watched in December 2023

Sorry this is being posted later than normal. I completely forgot about this regular monthly listing of my movie viewing! My only excuse is that I'm swamped with setting up and recording new podcasts and researching a new commentary track with a very short deadline. As you can tell from the list the Big G's latest screen adventure was the best film I saw in December and I suspect I am not alone in feeling that way. 

The List 

GODZILLA MINUS ONE (2023) – 10 
THE LADY IN THE MORGUE (1938) – 7 (second Bill Crane mystery is better than the first) 
SIROCCO (1951) – 5 (flat Bogart gun smuggler tale – it wants to be CASABLANCA so hard!) 
THE EARTH DIES SCREAMING (1964) – 6 (slight British sci-fi alien invasion film) 
THE FAMILY SECRET (1951) – 7 (Lee J. Cobb and John Derek in a crime drama) 
IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE (2023) – 7 (flawed but well done Christmas slasher) 
WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES (1961) – 5 (Edward Cahn noir that is just too sappy)
THE HARDER THEY FALL (1956) – 7 (Bogart’s last is a tough look at the criminal side of boxing) 
SCOTLAND YARD INSPECTOR (1952) – 6 (Lady In The Fog) (Cesar Romero & Lois Maxwell in a British noir)
A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY (2015) – 8 (rewatch) 
A FORCE OF ONE (1979) – 5 (poorly directed, sloppy Chuck Norris crime film) 
THE NINTH GUEST (1934) – 6 (play adaptation that is very similar to And Then There Were None) 
SCROOGE (1970) – 9 (rewatch) 
THE LAST MATCH (1991) – 4 (rewatch on Blu) (sloppy, silly and often dull Italian action film)
THE GOOD LIAR (2019) – 8 (excellent crime/con story) 
RAT MAN (1988) – 5 (bizarre, sloppy Italian horror effort – I may need a second viewing for clarity)
YANKEE (1966) – 7 (Tinto Brass spaghetti western) 
CHRISTMAS PRESENT (1986) – 7 (estranged friends play poker on Christmas Eve)
ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING (2018) – 5 (interesting anthology Christmas horror) 
THE ADVENT CALENDAR (2021) – 8 (excellent Belgian Christmas horror) 
MERRY LITTLE BATMAN (2023) – 8 (fantastic animated Christmas tale) 
SPAWN OF THE NORTH (1938) – 8 (Alaska set adventure of fish rustlers) 
THE SPECTER OF TERROR (1973) – 5 (OK serial killer film from Spain - Maria Perschy is stalked)
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS (1972) – 6 (solid Christmas set TV movie with an excellent cast) 
CURSE OF THE DOG GOD (1977) – 8 (Japanese folk horror) 
THE LEAGUE OF FRIGHTENED MEN (1937) – 6 (Nero Wolfe murder mystery)
THE BIG GUNDOWN (1966) – 8 (rewatch on Blu – Italian version) 
THE INVISIBLE MAN’S REVENGE (1944) – 5 (rewatch on Blu)
A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS (1945) – 6 (colorful, light and too silly to matter – but fun enough) 
KING KONG LIVES (1986) – 5 (rewatch on Blu) (once it starts, I can’t look away!) 
HELLHOLE (1985) – 5 (nudity filled WIP film with Mary Warnov and Ray Sharkey) 
THE PACK (1977) – 7 (rewatch on Blu) 
AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM (2023) – 8 
WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953) – 8 (rewatch on Blu) 
ARABIAN NIGHTS (1942) – 7 (grand adventure with Jon Hall and Maria Montez) 


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