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)