What I Watched in February 2026

The short form critique of CRIME 101 (2026) is that is attempting to be a variation of Michael Mann’s HEAT for the 21^st century. I suppose that is a valid way to look at the film but it seems dismissive of the effective work being done on every level here. The entire cast is working in top form, the story is well constructed and the direction is tight and precise. I enjoyed it for the entire runtime and it left me with a satisfied smile at its conclusion. I don’t think it is as sharp as the aforementioned HEAT but it doesn’t need to be to be a good thriller. I look forward to seeing it a second time to luxuriate in watching the pieces rotate around the clever criminal plans before clicking into place. 

The List

THE MINOR (1974) – 6 (Italian sex drama/comedy)

COME DIE WITH ME (1974) – 6 (TV murder drama movie)

STREET GIRLS (1975) – 6 (low budget, grimy tale of strippers)

SEND HELP (2026) – 8 

THE SNOW CREATURE (1954) – 3 (terrible low budget yeti film)

THE ABOMNIBLE SNOWMAN (1957) – 8 (rewatch on Blu)

THE PUMAMAN (1980) – 4 (not as bad as I feared – not good either)

SHOT IN THE DARK (1933) – 6 (short British murder mystery/old dark house tale)

DRACULA (2026) – 7 (Luc Besson rips off several other films but his stew is tasty)

DEATHSTALKER (1983) – 6 (rewatch)

BLACK DRAGONS (1942) – 4 (rewatch)

CONVOY BUSTERS (1978) – 7 (Maurizio Merli slaps smugglers around)

CRIME 101 (2026) – 7 

CASTLE OF EVIL (1966) – 6 (interesting old dark house tale)

THE SIMON’S JIGSAW (2015) – 7 (entertaining documentary about Juan Piquer Simón)

EXTRA TERRESTRIAL VISITORS (1983) – 3 (I finally see the uncut film and it is bad)

THE BLACK DOLL (1938) – 6 (Crime Club mystery)

MOTHER OF FLIES (2025) – 8 (excellent slow burn folk horror)

NIGHTMARE AT 43 HILLCREST (1974) – 6 (TV movie about a criminal police prosecution) 

PHENOMNA (1985) – 7 (rewatch on 4K)

THE MYSTERY OF THE WHITE ROOM (1939) – 5 (Crime Club mystery)

HOUSE OF FEAR (1939) – 6 (Crime Club mystery in a ‘haunted’ theater)

 

Classic Krimi Poster Art

 

The Bloody Pit #189 - 1960's Mabuse Films!

I welcome writer Holger Haase to the show to discuss the 1960’s Dr. Mabuse films! Holger has written an essay published for Kindle called ‘The Many Masks of Dr. Mabuse: Mabuse in the 1960s’ and reading this prompted me to finally talk directly to Holger. The two of us have known each other for decades but it took our mutual love of these German crime films to use the internet to speak in a non-text based way. It was a little weird. 

We go (mostly) chronologically through the six films discussing each in turn. If you want to follow along at home here’s a list of the movies we talk about in this episode:

1. THE 1000 EYES OF DR. MABUSE (1960)

2. THE RETURN OF DR. MABUSE (1961) 

3. THE INVISIBLE DR. MABUSE (1962) 

4. THE TESTEMENT OF DR. MABUSE (1962)

5. DR. MABUSE VS SCOTLAND YARD (1963)

6. THE DEATH RAY OF DR. MABUSE (1964)

We touch on the cast members with extra attention to the ones that show up in multiple films even when their character’s names mysteriously change. Scriptwriter Ladislas Fodor’s impressive career is discussed as well as directors Fritz Lang and Harald Reinl who brought their many talents to the series. This series of films seems to have been forgotten over the past couple of decades, overshadowed by the original Lang films from 1922 and 1933. We hope to spur some interest in cinema fans curious to discover the hidden joys of these clever crime movies. They really are addictive!

 

If you have thoughts on the Mabuse films or the krimi cycle that they parallel thebloodypit@gmail.com is where you can send them. We’ll be happy to hear from you. Thanks for listening. 

 

Video - THE 1000 EYES OF DR. MABUSE (1960)

If you've never seen this fantastic thriller then now is your chance! Bringing the Mabuse character back from its 1933 grave this film was the beginning of a series of six films in the early 1960's. Each of them are worth seeing but this is the Fritz Lang entry they descend from. Now, if only they were all easier to see in English! Podcast on the way.

Kriminal Cover Gallery

This nasty character is on my mind since I've recently watched his two 1960's film appearances. Wild, Wild Podcast on the way! 

 

Noir-vember! - A Partial Report

After thinking about it for a few years I finally gave in and spent the month of November watching almost exclusively film noirs – Noirvember! I felt that it was time to really dig into the genre and see a lot of examples of it that I had never caught before. The final count for the month was 23 ‘new to me’ film noir or noir adjacent movies and it was a delightful experience. I enjoyed nearly every one of these movies and it showed me that just watching the more famous titles had given me a shallow sense of the genre. I’m very glad I did this!

 

One reason I set out to do this month-long watch was to justify owning several amazing Indicator box sets of film noirs and I used them as the centerpiece of my viewing plan. Several of the movies were unexpected standouts with some interesting, smart twists embedded in their crime tales. It wasn't too surprising that MILDRED PIERCE (1945) was one of the best, turning out to be a true classic. I’m embarrassed that it took me until 2023 to finally see this bitter, involving melodrama. It's easy to see why the film is so well regarded as it is so well acted and directed that it is a joy to follow the tragedy to its dark conclusion. I’ll admit was surprised to see Bruce Bennett holding his own against the mighty Joan Crawford as I still mostly picture him as Tarzan, but the entire cast is exceptional. 

 

WALK A CROOKED MILE from 1948 is an excellent crime film set in San Francisco with some good on location shooting to add to the feeling of verisimilitude. The story is a fairly standard post World War II anti-communist crime story but it is well made and incredibly engrossing as we follow a British and American cop team untangle a foreign spy network. I found this to be a standout and was surprised that it's not talked about more among fans of the genre.

PUSHOVER (1954) was almost as great even though it starts off in a way that made me think it was going to be a rehash of Fred McMurray’s previous classic in the genre DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944). I found it to be at least as good as that film if not better simply by virtue of it having a few tricks up its sleeve that I wasn't expecting. Watching McMurray’s cop character go through the paces of endearing himself and starting a relationship with Kim Novak's character just so that he can keep tabs on her as in an attempt to arrest her long-term boyfriend is absolutely fantastic. The surprises, and the way the film structures its story is clever and seeing McMurray make his choice to step on to the criminal side of the street is an entertaining ride. This is another unsung and less talked about example of the genre that truly impressed me.

I also really enjoyed AFFAIR IN TRINIDAD (1952) with Rita Hayworth as a widow-turned spy trying to do in some nasty criminal types doing mysterious bad things. Yes, the film plays like an obvious variation on Hitchcock's NOTORIOUS (1946) but it is still a good film with a great performance from Hayworth and getting to see her sing and dance is a nice bonus. 

THE BROTHERS RICO (1957) is a film that I'd heard about for years mainly because it has been championed for decades by Martin Scorsese as one of his favorite examples of the genre. I have to agree that it is an exceptional film although it would be a hard rewatch simply because the story is so much about the inevitability of criminal acts leading to destruction. There are these little threads of hope that get extinguished one by one as the story goes on until, by the end, the main character realizes that choices made years before had inevitable end points that he could do nothing to change. The film is a compelling watch but also pretty dark even with its slightly upbeat final scene. 

I also checked out APPOINTMENT WITH A SHADOW (1957) which is a well done ‘alcoholic newspaper man solves crime’ tale. The film focuses on George Nader's playing an alcoholic reporter who has boozed his way into losing job after job after job. Near the end of his rope, he's given one last chance by a woman who loves him and her cop brother to be on the scene of a very big arrest. The story follows him as he attempts to get through a day prepping himself to be in place to witness things, write it up and to use this scoop as a stepping stone to get his job back, possibly changing his life. It's very effective and becomes a tense, unpredictable exercise as the arrest goes wrong and the newspaper man realizes that he's might have the biggest story that he'll ever have in his career - but only he can make anyone believe what he knows to be true. This is one heck of a film and I was shocked that I had not heard of before. And I caught it on YouTube of all places! 

TIGHT SPOT from 1955 has Ginger Rogers turning in an excellent performance as a prisoner asked to turn States evidence in a case that could paint a bullseye on her back. This is a film that was clearly based on a stage play and therefore has all of the sharp dialogue and interesting characterizations that you would expect from something that had to survive in front of a live audience over and over again. Rogers is fantastic, really digging into the many character shades the script gives her and becoming a multifaceted person in our eyes as the story moves into unexpected areas. With Brian Keith and Edward G. Robinson as well this is an excellent small-scale story with impressive emotional heft.

Mondo Macabro Announces Naschy's NIGHT OF THE EXECUTIONER (1992)

Paul Naschy is back! And this time he’s out for vengeance! Making its worldwide disc debut, it’s …

NIGHT OF THE EXECUTIONER (1992)

Dr. Hugo Arranz (Paul Naschy) is commemorating his 50th birthday with his wife and daughter. As the celebrations reach their height, the family are terrorized by a gang of violent street thugs who have broken into their home. Initially the gang are after jewels and cash. But once they have their helpless victims tied up and defenseless, their thoughts turn to violence. They rape Arranz’s wife and daughter and then, annoyed by the doctor’s protests, they cut out his tongue and leave him for dead.

Arranz survives the attack and recovers after a stay in hospital. Abandoning his medical practice, he seeks vengeance on the men and women who destroyed his life. He embarks on a strenuous course of physical training, involving knives, guns and punishing bouts of weight lifting. Finally, he is ready to go in pursuit of his prey. But to track them down, he must enter the sleazy underworld which his potential victims inhabit. In the process, Dr. Arranz begins to learn much, not only about his targets but also about himself.

NIGHT OF THE EXECUTIONER was Paul Naschy’s last complete film as writer/director/ actor. It’s a shocking and thrilling ride into the dark underbelly of the city and a true tribute to its star’s ability to craft exciting and thought provoking entertainment.

DISC FEATURES

Region Free

Brand new 4K restoration from the original negative

Spanish language track with optional English subtitles

Audio commentary by Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn of the Naschycast

Interview with Sergio Molina

Interview with actor Pepe Ruiz

Interview with actor Manuel Zarzo

LIMITED EDITION FEATURES

Full color booklet with a brand new essay on the film by Troy Howarth; 1500 numbered copies in the usual red case

This release will go on sale Thursday, May 4th at 9 AM Pacific/12 noon Eastern ONLY at mondomacabro.bigcartel.com! We tentatively expect to be able to begin shipping sometime in May.

 

Beverly Michaels - WICKED WOMAN (1953) Actress

Having finally caught up with the fascinating WICKED WOMAN (1953) I find myself curious about the actress Beverly Michaels. She plays the titular character and rarely have I seen a better example of a bitter, cynical woman using her charms to get ahead in the world. She doesn’t care who gets hurt in her quest for a better life and is ready to move on to her next mark as soon as a better option comes into view. I can easily see why this film is well thought of by noir and ‘Bad Girl’ cinema fans. Miss Michaels glides across the screen like a shark on the hunt but isn’t afraid to cut and run when a situation turns sour. She is a sight to behold and could put the fear of beautiful ladies into the heart of anyone.

It seems she made a career out of playing bad characters in the 1950’s before she retired from the screen. I wish she had stuck around as it would have been great to see how she (hopefully) transitioned from these dark roles to playing different kinds of characters. She seems to have given up on being offered less dangerous female parts and that is a shame.

 From Wikipedia -

In a 1954 newspaper interview, Michaels was questioned about her choice of racy roles: "One of the penalties is that some people, especially the wolf type, can't forget it was just a movie. She has had, she says, to give several real-life brush-offs. However, Beverly says, they are things you have to accept. 'I get my share of wisecracks. But I ignore them. You have to. If you're going to play roles like I have, you have to expect to be a target for such remarks. I just pretend I don't hear them. If you're going to be supersensitive, you had better get out of the business. ... I always have hope that my next picture will make me a decent woman.'" 

The Bloody Pit #153 - THE GREEN ARCHER (1961)

Author Nicholas Schlegel joins me for a deep dive into the underappreciated genre of the ‘krimi’! These underseen films are German adaptations of Edgar Wallace crime novels. During their most popular period in the 1960’s more than four or five were being released every year and they remained a huge box office draw for nearly fifteen years. Mr. Schlegel has just published a book about these crime thrillers called ‘German Popular Cinema and the Rialto Krimi Phenomenon: Dark Eyes of London’ and it is a perfect springboard for discussion.

THE GREEN ARCHER (1961) came pretty early in the cycle and is a good example of the black & white period of the series. At this time the scripts were trying to stick as close as possible to the adapted novel’s content which can make for an often confusing number of characters and subplots. Luckily, the film’s fast pace and sly humor keep the many strange happenings from feeling overwhelming with most loose ends wrapped up in the ‘ende’. Mr. Schlegel and I range across the krimi output of Rialto productions discussing the changes the series went through including moving to color and the gradually increasing horror elements incorporated into the scripts. We touch on the production history of the films and their evolution into another genre altogether. Eventually we compare lists of favorites with some concern for how to break the films down for newcomers or the mildly curious. We both hope that bringing attention to these entertaining gems will encourage more people to give them a try.

If you have any comments, suggestions or ideas thebloodypit@gmail.com is the address. Let us know about your favorite krimi and how you discovered the genre as well. If you could, please rate and review the podcast wherever you grab it. And thanks for listening!

Book Review - German Popular Cinema and the Rialto Krimi Phenomenon by Nicholas Schlegel

Author and cinema academic Nicholas G. Schlegel has published his second book and it is just as welcome as his first, Sex, Sadism, Spain and Cinema. That book insightfully discussed the dark exploitation films of Spain’s Golden Age of Horror with an eye for what set them apart from similar movies produced in Europe. This new books digs into another sadly neglected subset of popular European film – the ‘krimi’. It is a fascinating topic and one worthy of much attention. Schlegel points out how few English language works exist that are focused on this years-long cycle and seems to have chosen this subject out of a sense of filling this odd gap. Hopefully this new work will spur more writers (and curious cinema thrill seekers) to pay attention to this fascinating genre. I was pleased to learn in his introduction that his journey of discovery mirrored my own in many ways, reminding me that any attention brought to underappreciated areas of film can create new fans.

German Popular Cinema and the Rialto Krimi Phenomenon: Dark Eyes of London is as meticulous and well researched as one could hope for and as good as I expected. It is structured smartly to introduce neophytes to the subject through a discussion of the history of post World War II German cinema and the precursor films that lead to this type of thriller. This earlier period of German cinema was completely unknown to me and it was educational to have its evolution laid out in such a succinct and interesting fashion. He delineates the various factors that led to the birth of the ‘krimi’ subgenre, explaining the influences and peculiar requirements of the times, many of which were unique to Germany. The author does an excellent job of pointing out the threads that lead from one type of film to the next with our destination seeming to be nearly inevitable. Clearly, the need for escapist entertainment is always a driving force in the business but having some of the other influences laid bare is fascinating.

Of course, there have always been crime films but rarely has there been an odder combination of elements merging to create a fresh variation like this. No matter how many examples of them a film fan may have encountered over the years, a krimi will stand out in some way. Either a viewer will be amused by the bizarre style of humor incorporated into the film’s story or be surprised at the way violence is sometimes used to shock. Maybe the strange tone of the film will draw attention to itself or the creepier elements will make the entire affair feel more like a horror movie than a crime thriller. It is in examining these odder elements of the genre where Schlegel’s book does its most interesting and insightful work and luckily that is the bulk of the page count. For over 130 pages of the text the book goes chronologically through the entire run of thirty-two Rialto krimis giving both a brief plot synopsis and background information on each. Folded into these entries Schlegel has included an analysis of the film in question and makes note of how it fits into the slowly evolving format of the series. He let’s his favorites be known but has much to say about every film that comes under his gaze. This helps to make this new book invaluable for both long time fans and those newly curious about this underseen thriller form.

Without overstating the matter, German Popular Cinema and the Rialto Krimi Phenomenon could be one of the most important new works on genre films in a decade or more. For me, it is a necessary addition to my reference library and a book that I know will serve to answer dozens of questions as I continue to explore these fun thrillers. I highly recommend this book to the newly curious and to the fan already enamored of the genre. There is much food for thought within its pages.

Wild, Wild Podcast Season 3: Episode 6 - REVOLVER (1973)

Revenge, kidnappings, political assassinations and Oliver Reed doing all his best acting - this film has it all! Grab yourself a shot (or an entire bottle) of J&B and join Adrian and I as we once again head back to the dangerous streets of 1970's Italy (and Paris this time) for another piece of poliziotteschi perfection. This film is a slice of pure awesome and its recent Blu-Ray release in Britain is cause for celebration. 

You can contact us on Twitter, Instagram, or by email at wildwildpodcast@gmail.com so let us know what you think. Also, please remember to rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice!

Wild Wild Podcast Season 3: Episode 3 - RABID DOGS (1974)

This time Adrian and I take a deep dive into the formerly lost Mario Bava crime film Rabid Dogs, aka 'Cani arrabbiati', aka 'Kidnapped', aka 'Semaforo rosso', aka 'L'uomo e il bambino'. We try to unpick the tricky post-production history, and Adrian posits the controversial opinion that all Stelvio Cipriani themes sound the same. Direct all gasps of anger and disbelief at him!

The new book on Bava mentioned in the show is Mario Bava:The Artisan as Italian Horror Auteur by Leon Hunt.

We would love to hear from you if you have any favourite Poliziotteschi films. You can contact us on Twitter, Instagram, or by email at wildwildpodcast@gmail.com. Please remember to rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice!

Brief Thoughts - THE MAD DOCTOR (1940)

After watching THE MAD DOCTOR (1940) the other night I have a new favorite Basil Rathbone performance. Not that I've ever seen a bad performance from Mr. Rathbone! It might be that he was such a good actor that I may have taken him for granted. I may have seen him in too many Sherlock Holmes roles or as the villain in too many Errol Flynn swashbucklers to fully appreciate just how nuanced and effective an actor he could be. The Mad Doctor gives him the chance to shade his character in a number of scenes so that the audience is pulled along not just by the plot mechanics of the admittedly interesting story but also by the fact that Rathbone’s character’s motivations and desires shift and change over the course of the movie. It is his subtle acting, his incredible vocal performance that gives the viewer real insight into the changes happening to his character long before he has to spell it out to his partner in crime. His work is stunning in this film and I highly recommend it to people who have yet to see it. Oh! The film is quite good as well even with a slightly weak performance opposite Rathbone and an odd, out of place sound effect added to the final scene.

  

Wild, Wild Podcast - Season 3 Ep 1 - MILANO CALIBRO 9 (1972)

We're back with a full ten film season, and this time we are getting violent and gritty on the streets of Italy. First up is a stone cold classic of the filone: Milan Caliber 9. So join us as we talk girls, guns and guts! Prog rock and Bruce Campbell also get more air time than they probably should.

We would love to hear from you if you have any favorite Poliziotteschi films. You can contact us on Twitter, Instagram, or by email at wildwildpodcast@gmail.com

If you enjoy the podcast please subscribe, tell your friends and leave us a review!

Episode LINK

Trailers From Hell - GET CARTER (1971)

Acclaimed crime novelist Dennis Lehane briefly discusses the excellent, bleak British crime film starring Michael Caine. 

Then Is Now Podcast #52 - LIVE LIKE A COP, DIE LIKE A MAN (1976)

I am the special guest on this episode of the Then Is Now podcast!  We actually recorded this in January, and due to a technical issue with one of the files, it took until this week to finally get rid of most of the static in my voice to make it fine for listening. I should confess that the tech issue was cause by me doing something stupid when recording myself for the show so any detriments attributable to the audio quality of the show are my fault. But some expert fiddling by the podcast’s fine host did save the track and I am very happy to finally have this available for your ears! Live and learn - I hope. 

In the episode we dig into the Poliziotteschi film LIVE LIKE A COP, DIE LIKE A MAN (1976) which is an action filled piece of ultra-violence that plays like it was answering the question “What if Starsky & Hutch were sociopaths?” (Hat-tip to Jeff Clark!) The film follows two Italian cops using every trick they can think of to take down a mob of vicious criminals with little regard for the consequences. It’s breathlessly entertaining and never dull! 

The show can be found here - LINK! 

Apple Podcasts LINK

THE FANTASIST (1986)

It's odd when you run across a film like THE FANTASIST (1986) that isn't at all good but also isn't totally bad either. It's so wrongheaded about the elements that it has in place and so ham-handed in it how it handles them that it feels like no one was aware of how to guide the story. There are all the elements needed to craft a truly intriguing character study crossed with a horror movie and yet what we end up with is such a clumsy mess.

 

For fully the first hour there is no narrative cohesion to the story. Tonal shifts are the standard, characters are ciphers and the idea that's trying to be committed to celluloid seems to scurry away into the corner every time the camera was turned on. Characters often speak to each other as if there's some previously known understanding between them that we are not privy to. It's strangely arch and nonsensical all at the same time with the supposed driving force of this “thriller” languishing in the background, rarely popping its head up to juice things along. The movie often feels like a barely connected series of scenes that have just been scattered randomly around to give the impression that a story is somewhere underneath everything. The narrative is never really fully formed giving no real reason to care about anything. And then once the killer is unmasked (or actually unmasks himself) we are left with the only interesting section of the movie which is the final twenty minutes. This plays wonderfully but points out ever more sharply just how confused and pointless the previous hour has been.

 Most of the trouble just comes down to poor directorial choices. These include several scenes where competent actors are left hung out to dry and allowed to do things that should have been left on the cutting room floor or used as a secondary take for possible coverage from a different angle. This is the first time in a while that I've actually been embarrassed for an actor in the middle of a performance on film and it was pretty cringy.

 

This being Robin Hardy’s much delayed follow-up film to the classic THE WICKER MAN (1973) it is a disappointment to say the very least. I can now say I've seen all three of his directorial efforts and his average ain’t great. There is only one good film to the man's name sad to say. Granted, his first film was brilliant but this thing is a tone-deaf mess. Making things worse in my opinion is that it's clearly a movie that could have been very good but it needed a much tighter hand guiding things and a much more focused script. Only recommended for the curious. 

What I Watched in June

Poster art from three of the pleasant discoveries of last month. All three are recommended if you can find them. 

THE LIST 

HAUNTED HONEYMOON (1940) – 8 (rewatch)

FACES IN THE DARK (1960) – 7 (excellent British ‘Gaslight’ styled thriller)

RAPE (1976) – 5 (Spanish mystery/horror with Nadiuska)

TWINS OF EVIL (1972) – 8 (rewatch)

FANTASY ISLAND (2020) – 5 (well mounted but falls apart near the end)

THE LEECH WOMAN (1960) – 5 (rewatch on Blu)

ROBIN HOOD AND THE PIRATES (1960) – 5 (Italian adventure with Lex Barker)

NEVER A DULL MOMENT (1967)- 5 (Disney crime comedy with Dick Van Dyke and Edward G. Robinson)

THE H MAN (1959) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)

THE FALCON GOES TO HOLLYWOOD (1944) – 6 (rewatch)

BLADE RUNNER 2049 (2017) – 9 (rewatch)

THE BLANCHEVILLE MONSTER (1963) – 5

DAKOTA (1945) – 6 (Republic studios/John Wayne western)

THE BLACK ARROW (1948) – 7 (swashbuckler)

GENTLEMEN WITH GUNS (1946) – 5 (very low budget Buster Crabbe western)

BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE (1959) – 6 (beautiful Toho science fiction adventure)

THE FALCON IN SAN FRANCISCO (1945) – 6 (a darker, almost noirish entry)

THE GOLDEN CLAWS OF THE CAT GIRL (1968) – 7 (interesting French crime/espionage film)

MAN, PRIDE AND VENGEANCE (1967) – 6

SKYFALL (2012) – 9 (rewatch)

THE MONSTER AND THE GIRL (1940) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)

CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN (1943) – 6 (rewatch on Blu)

NOTHING UNDERNEATH (1985) – 7 (rewatch)

CLASH OF THE TITANS (1981) – 8 (rewatch on Blu)

MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED (2010) - 8 (rewatch)

ARABIAN ADVENTURE (1979) – 7 (fun old-style fantasy film)

YOU’LL FIND OUT (1940) – 6 (silly musical/comedy with Karlof, Lugosi and Lorre giving it some juice)

JUNGLE WOMAN (1944) – 4 (limp sequel to CAPTIVE WILD WOMAN)

What I Watched in May

MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN (2019) seems like one of those scripts that needed another set of eyes on it before it was put in front of the cameras. It’s a good movie but it thinks it is a great one. Sadly, it should have been great but it is a little too muddled and, in the end, it feels like a fantastic idea and flawless cast are working to get about 70% of what they could have achieved.

The List 

DR CYCLOPS (1940) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)

THE KID BROTHER (1927) – 7 (Harold Lloyd comedy)

HAUNTS OF THE VERY RICH (1972) – 6 (well done Twilight Zone style TV movie)

SCARED TO DEATH (1980) – 4 (pretty poor monster/detective story)

BLOW THE MAN DOWN (2019) – 7 (well-made small-town crime drama)

BLOODSHOT (2020) – 7 (not as good as hoped but solid)

SPLIT SECOND (1992) – 4 (rewatch) (it does not hold together at all)

YOUNG, VIOLENT, DANGEROUS (1976) – 8 (strong Italian crime film)

MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN (2019) – 7 (needed a tighter script but good)

THE TURNING (2020) – 3 (a mess that tries to have things both ways)

THE FALCON OUT WEST (1944) – 7

WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS (166) – 7 (rewatch)

HUDSON RIVER MASSACRE (1965) – 6 (rewatch on Blu) (a.k.a. REBELS IN CANADA)

BYLETH: THE DEMON OF INCEST (1972) -5

THE POLICE ARE BLUNDERING IN THE DARK (1975) – 4 (weak giallo)

THE KILLER WORE GLOVES (1976) – 7 (well done giallo)

THE SCARLET BLADE (1963) – 8 (rewatch on Blu)

HAPPY DEATH DAY 2 U (2019) – 7 (not as good as the first but good)

LA LLORONA (1933) – 5 (first film version of the Mexican legend is clunky and slow)

THE MAD DOCTOR OF MARKET STREET (1942) – 6 (rewatch)

DEADLY MANOR (1990) – 5 (rewatch on Blu)

THEY CAME FROM BEYOND SPACE (1967) – 6 (rewatch)

TARZAN THE FEARLESS (1933) - 5 (feature edited down from the mostly lost serial)

THE SEVEN MAGNIFICENT GLADIATORS (1983) – 6 (about as good as this mix could have been in 1983)

TRAUMA (1976) – 6 (rewatch on Blu) (Klimovsky’s interesting giallo)

APOCALIPSIS SEXUAL (1982) – 6 (Carlos Aured’s super sleazy crime film)

CASINO ROYALE (2006) – 9 (rewatch)

QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008) – 7 (rewatch)

TARAS BULBA (1962) – 6 (epic sized tale of Cossacks)

MACISTE IN HELL (1962) – 6 (rewatch of the Italian widescreen version)

ATTACK OF THE MOORS (1959) – 6 (might be better if a superior print surfaces)

ANGUISH (1987) – 7 (incredible Spanish horror film)

THE INVISIBLE DR. MABUSE (1962) – 8 (excellent crime tale)

THE DEATH RAY OF DR. MABUSE (1964) – 6 (too long but pretty good)

SUDDEN DEATH (1995) – 4 (without Powers Boothe’s bad guy this would be unwatchable)

THE LEGIONS OF CLEOPATRA (1959)- 7 (good historical tale)

THE FALCON GOES TO MEXICO (1944) – 6

What I Watched in February

After the complete mess of KING ARTHUR (2017) and the I-don't-give-a-crap-ness of a live-action version of Disney's ALADDIN (2019), it is wonderful to see Guy Ritchie back in the genre that he has a firm handle on  -  British gangsters. With THE GENTLEMEN (2020) he returns to modern-day London with various groups of serious criminals vying for smaller and larger slices of the crime pie. Richie's films of this type rise and fall on the strengths of their outrageous characters and the ability of the cast to embody these deadly villains in amusing fashion. In this case, he has hit one out of the park again. The cast is phenomenal, the twisty story is joyous in its clever reveals and the excitement level is always high. More like this please and less like King Arthur and Guy Ritchie can keep making these films for the rest of his life as far as I'm concerned.

Although I’m loath to admit it, I enjoy quite a lot of the film adaptations of H. P. Lovecraft’s horror fiction. Not all of what I enjoy are very good films but, in most cases, I’m pleased by the attempt to bring his often difficult work to the screen. So, when an actual good film based on HPL’s work gets made I’m overjoyed. Such is the case with Richard Stanley’s COLOR OUT OF SPACE (2020) which finds a way to both adapt and update to modern times one of the most interesting of his rural set tales. Taking the story as a solid base Stanley brings his own sensibilities and style to the tale letting it unfold naturally and, dare I say, colorfully. The film allows for deeper characters than on the page and the family relationships feel real as well adding a touch of humanity that Lovecraft usually seemed to view as superfluous. The horrors are well presented and I was happy to notice that a fair amount the dialog was lifted straight from the original tale. Well done! I look forward to the announced adaptation of The Dunwich Horror!

THE LIST 

DRAGGED ACROSS CONCRETE (2019) – 7

GOD FORGIVES, I DON’T (1967) – 6 (Spaghetti western – first teaming of Hill and Spencer)

THE SATANIST (1968) – 3 (silly, hour long soft-core porn)

TERROR IS A MAN (1959) – 7 (rewatch)

THE THING (1982) – 10 (rewatch)

HEART OF THE NORTH (1938) – 7 (Canadian Mountie film)

IN A VALLEY OF VIOLENCE (2016) – 8 (excellent western)

RODAN (1956) – 7 (the English dubbed version)

THE FALCON STRIKES BACK (1943) – 6 (rewatch)

THE IRISHMAN (2019) – 9 (brilliant if long gangster epic)

LOVE AND BULLETS (1979) – 6 (Bronson in a pretty good crime tale)

ERIK THE VIKING (1965) – 6 (interesting but overlong adventure)

ANON (2018) – 7 (sci-fi noir crime story)

THE BISHOP MURDER CASE (1929) – 6 (early talkie with Basil Rathbone as Philo Vance)

THE FALCON IN DANGER (1943) – 6

THE GENTLEMEN (2020) – 8

MEN IN BLACK INTERNATIONAL (2019) – 7 (shame this wasn’t a bigger hit)

COLOR OUT OF SPACE (2019) – 8

DOCTOR JEKYLL AND THE WOLFMAN (1973) – 8  (rewatch)

MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE (1932) – 7 (rewatch on Blu)