This is a gorgeous-looking, 141 minutes long Italian WW2 actioner, full of WEIRDNESS, where a clairvoyant 12-fingered pianoplaying German NAZI officer tries to catch four freaks of nature from an Italian rag-tag circus, needed for the THIRD REICH to win the war.
A truly strange beast and a wild ride of a film that almost seamlessly blends WW2 action with science-fiction and Italian neo(sur)realism.
I had never heard of the director or any of the actors, but do not that let you down. This is the wildest, strangest beast I have watched for some time.
I wish many more would catch it in its, probably, short run in cinema.
Do NOT believe the antihype!
Strongly recommended for open-minded cineasts.
"1990" (BBC Series 1. 1977, 8x55m.)
+ (BBC Series 2. 1978, 8x55m.) 880m. in total.
An excellent dystopian science-fiction series, scripted and created by Wilfred Greatorex.
Cast: Edward Woodward, Robert Lang, Barbara Kellerman, Lisa Harrow, Yvonne Mitchell, Tony Doyle, Clifton Jones, Clive Swift, David McKail a.o.
Directed by Bob Hird, Peter Sasdy, Roger Tucker, Kenneth Ives, Alan Gibson, David Sullivan Proudfoot.
Great Sci-fi from the 1970's, when Great Britain made the best television in the world. (Opinion).
Many would benefit from watching this as it is even more actual in 2022 than when it was made.
Simply Media [B|B|C] released 2017 a 4DVD-box with all episodes of both seasons, with subtitles in english.
Available on the Network (2010) R2 4xDVD. The full 650 minutes London Weekend Television series from 1971, containing 13 episodes, competently restored with crystal clearity unfortunately without any subtitles. A brilliant dystopian vision of the 1980's as the future in a totalitarian Britain. Much more shown through a social vision/point of view, which is much more interesting than just another violent civil war adventure saga. This obviously makes it feel much more clever and engaging, not to say outright intelligent, and the potential problem with being made in 1971 disappear as it isn't technology driven.
A very good show, all 13 x 50 minutes episodes. Amazon.co.uk. has it at an affordable price.
Available in a spanish CineSTUDIO (2017) CAROLE LOMBARD DVD including two black and white films along with NO MAN OF HER OWN (1932) directed by Wesley Ruggles. Both are crisp and clear with english language and removable spanish subtitles.
Available in a spanish CineSTUDIO (2017) CAROLE LOMBARD DVD including two black and white films along with WHITE WOMAN (1933) directed by Stuart Walker. Both are crisp and clear with english language and removable spanish subtitles. The length of NO MAN OF HER OWN is 78 minutes here
This is a remake of ROME EXPRESS (1932) directed by Walter Forde. The source film is more focused on straight action, when this is more unruly and unpredictable.
Both are still very watchable and enjoyable if not great, in my opinion.
Hiroshi Noguchi: "Dainippon koroshiya den/Murder Unincorporated" (1965) Japan, colour, 85m. Available in the NIKKATSU DIAMOND GUYS, Volume 2 (2016) R2 Dual Format edition from ARROW Video, along with two other films.
Kô Nakahira: "Tabai koto nara zeni ni naru/Danger Pays" (1962) Japan, colour, 82m. Available on NIKKATSU DIAMOND GUYS, Volume 2 (2016) R2 Dual Format edition box from ARROW VIDEO, along with two other films.
Buichi Saitô: "Tôkyô no abarenbô/Tokyo Mighty Guy" (1960) Japan, colour, 79m. Available in the NIKKATSU DIAMOND GUYS, Volume 2 (2016) R2 Dual Format edition from ARROW Video, along with two other films.
Watched Undir trénu/UNDER THE TREE (2017) in a real movie theater. To my great surprise it turned out to be one of the best pitch black comedies I have watched. It starts intentionally awkward and escalates rapidly into a limited neighbourly war, played out as a modern Icelandic saga, where everything is deadly tragical and hilarious at the same time.
EN HANDELSRESANDES DÖD (1979) is a Swedish language film by Bo Widerberg, based on the play DEATH OF A SALESMAN by Arthur Miller, whose 1949 drama, concerning expectations and dreams of life, is flawlessly transposed on Sweden thirty years later.
Unbelievably strong, engaging and discomforting.
Real title: 'En mor med två barn, väntande sitt tredje/
A Mother with Two Children, Expecting Her Third' (1970)
7m. colour short film made in Cannes by Bo Widerberg and with photo by Peter Schildt.
Bo Widerberg is interviewing Vanessa Redgrave, speaking about listening to the body and caring, having a natural childbirth without injections, while smoking cigarettes when pregnant in sixth month.
Making a bit mixed messages for a 2017 viewer.
After that she speak about the ongoing Vietnam War.
3 minutes colour short when Stefan Jarl makes a visit at Bo Widerberg's grave at the churchyard in Laholm, Scania, Sweden. Original title: 'Koltrasten/Blackbird'
Directed in Spain by Jonathan Cenzual Burley on a shoestring budget and with lots of help from friends and relatives. There is some magic, some awkwardness, some surrealism and a big heart in this 79 minutes film that works out as a ROAD MOVIE, both literally and in the mind. The music is completely enchanting.
The magic realism is mostly more eccentric than really magic here. But the welcome feeling of bliss that comes during and after watching this film, makes me sure that THE SOUL OF FLIES is much larger than the sum of its parts. A relaxed and silently joyful watch.
SUPERB British psychological thriller. Suspenseful and engaging.
A man with a troubled mind has some trifle with a gas burner in the middle of the night, which triggers a chain of events that spirals when the police, frustrated, angry and fueled by a colleague's recent demise, wants to clear the situation with considerable force. Anything can happen and no one is to be blamed.
Richard Attenborough, Bernard Lee, Kenneth Griffith, Dorothy Alison and Donald Houston are all exceptionally good, as is everyone else.
This is a British 1935 adaptation of the German film:
"Emil und die Detektive" (1931), directed by Gerhard Lamprecht.
Both are available in a DVD released by BFI (2013) R2.
Excellent British paranoia noir, made as a four part Television series by the BBC. Very different and wayward television, on par with Dennis Potter at his best. Creatively directed by Rob Walker, based on a script by Howard Brenton.
Released as a R2 (2DVD-set) 2013 by EUREKA Entertainment in the UK.
This one can not be recommended strongly enough!
In France this is regarded as a minor masterpiece. There is a French DVD (2014), released thanks to the championing by Isabelle Huppert and Marguerite Duras.
"Histoire d'une vieille dame" (1985) is available as a bonus on the "Sans toit ni loi/Vagabond" (1985) DVD in THE AGNÈS VARDA COLLECTION Volume 2 (2009) Artificial Eye R2 4DVD-box with English subtitles.
Surprisingly good Canadian heist Movie, with escalating tension, from the cinematically GLORIOUS 1970's. Do not miss the director Daryl Duke's other film PAYDAY (1973), where Rip Torn plays a DERANGED country and western star, probably based on a cross of Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson.
Comments 1 - 25 of 64
Movie comment on Freaks Out
MovingPictures
This is a gorgeous-looking, 141 minutes long Italian WW2 actioner, full of WEIRDNESS, where a clairvoyant 12-fingered pianoplaying German NAZI officer tries to catch four freaks of nature from an Italian rag-tag circus, needed for the THIRD REICH to win the war.A truly strange beast and a wild ride of a film that almost seamlessly blends WW2 action with science-fiction and Italian neo(sur)realism.
I had never heard of the director or any of the actors, but do not that let you down. This is the wildest, strangest beast I have watched for some time.
I wish many more would catch it in its, probably, short run in cinema.
Do NOT believe the antihype!
Strongly recommended for open-minded cineasts.
Movie comment on 1990
MovingPictures
"1990" (BBC Series 1. 1977, 8x55m.)+ (BBC Series 2. 1978, 8x55m.) 880m. in total.
An excellent dystopian science-fiction series, scripted and created by Wilfred Greatorex.
Cast: Edward Woodward, Robert Lang, Barbara Kellerman, Lisa Harrow, Yvonne Mitchell, Tony Doyle, Clifton Jones, Clive Swift, David McKail a.o.
Directed by Bob Hird, Peter Sasdy, Roger Tucker, Kenneth Ives, Alan Gibson, David Sullivan Proudfoot.
Great Sci-fi from the 1970's, when Great Britain made the best television in the world. (Opinion).
Many would benefit from watching this as it is even more actual in 2022 than when it was made.
Simply Media [B|B|C] released 2017 a 4DVD-box with all episodes of both seasons, with subtitles in english.
Movie comment on The Guardians
MovingPictures
Available on the Network (2010) R2 4xDVD. The full 650 minutes London Weekend Television series from 1971, containing 13 episodes, competently restored with crystal clearity unfortunately without any subtitles. A brilliant dystopian vision of the 1980's as the future in a totalitarian Britain. Much more shown through a social vision/point of view, which is much more interesting than just another violent civil war adventure saga. This obviously makes it feel much more clever and engaging, not to say outright intelligent, and the potential problem with being made in 1971 disappear as it isn't technology driven.A very good show, all 13 x 50 minutes episodes. Amazon.co.uk. has it at an affordable price.
Movie comment on White Woman
MovingPictures
Available in a spanish CineSTUDIO (2017) CAROLE LOMBARD DVD including two black and white films along with NO MAN OF HER OWN (1932) directed by Wesley Ruggles. Both are crisp and clear with english language and removable spanish subtitles.Movie comment on No Man of Her Own
MovingPictures
Available in a spanish CineSTUDIO (2017) CAROLE LOMBARD DVD including two black and white films along with WHITE WOMAN (1933) directed by Stuart Walker. Both are crisp and clear with english language and removable spanish subtitles. The length of NO MAN OF HER OWN is 78 minutes hereMovie comment on Lysande landning
MovingPictures
The version in the swedish (2019) 3DVD-box has a runtime of 98 minutes only, not 110 as stated here on icheckmovies.comMovie comment on Sleeping Car to Trieste
MovingPictures
This is a remake of ROME EXPRESS (1932) directed by Walter Forde. The source film is more focused on straight action, when this is more unruly and unpredictable.Both are still very watchable and enjoyable if not great, in my opinion.
Movie comment on Dainippon koroshiya den
MovingPictures
Hiroshi Noguchi: "Dainippon koroshiya den/Murder Unincorporated" (1965) Japan, colour, 85m. Available in the NIKKATSU DIAMOND GUYS, Volume 2 (2016) R2 Dual Format edition from ARROW Video, along with two other films.Movie comment on Yabai koto nara zeni ni naru
MovingPictures
Kô Nakahira: "Tabai koto nara zeni ni naru/Danger Pays" (1962) Japan, colour, 82m. Available on NIKKATSU DIAMOND GUYS, Volume 2 (2016) R2 Dual Format edition box from ARROW VIDEO, along with two other films.Movie comment on Tokyo no abarenbô
MovingPictures
Buichi Saitô: "Tôkyô no abarenbô/Tokyo Mighty Guy" (1960) Japan, colour, 79m. Available in the NIKKATSU DIAMOND GUYS, Volume 2 (2016) R2 Dual Format edition from ARROW Video, along with two other films.Movie comment on Alice in Wonderland
MovingPictures
A very pleasant surprise! The weirdest and most unpredictable version, that I have watched. Hard to understand why it is not in any lists.Movie comment on Made
MovingPictures
Available as a R2 (2016) British DVD from Network.A very good restoration with English subtitles.
Movie comment on Undir trénu
MovingPictures
Watched Undir trénu/UNDER THE TREE (2017) in a real movie theater. To my great surprise it turned out to be one of the best pitch black comedies I have watched. It starts intentionally awkward and escalates rapidly into a limited neighbourly war, played out as a modern Icelandic saga, where everything is deadly tragical and hilarious at the same time.Movie comment on En handelsresandes död
MovingPictures
EN HANDELSRESANDES DÖD (1979) is a Swedish language film by Bo Widerberg, based on the play DEATH OF A SALESMAN by Arthur Miller, whose 1949 drama, concerning expectations and dreams of life, is flawlessly transposed on Sweden thirty years later.Unbelievably strong, engaging and discomforting.
Movie comment on En mor med två barn väntandes sitt tredje
MovingPictures
Real title: 'En mor med två barn, väntande sitt tredje/A Mother with Two Children, Expecting Her Third' (1970)
7m. colour short film made in Cannes by Bo Widerberg and with photo by Peter Schildt.
Bo Widerberg is interviewing Vanessa Redgrave, speaking about listening to the body and caring, having a natural childbirth without injections, while smoking cigarettes when pregnant in sixth month.
Making a bit mixed messages for a 2017 viewer.
After that she speak about the ongoing Vietnam War.
Movie comment on Koltrasten
MovingPictures
3 minutes colour short when Stefan Jarl makes a visit at Bo Widerberg's grave at the churchyard in Laholm, Scania, Sweden. Original title: 'Koltrasten/Blackbird'Movie comment on El alma de las moscas
MovingPictures
Directed in Spain by Jonathan Cenzual Burley on a shoestring budget and with lots of help from friends and relatives. There is some magic, some awkwardness, some surrealism and a big heart in this 79 minutes film that works out as a ROAD MOVIE, both literally and in the mind. The music is completely enchanting.The magic realism is mostly more eccentric than really magic here. But the welcome feeling of bliss that comes during and after watching this film, makes me sure that THE SOUL OF FLIES is much larger than the sum of its parts. A relaxed and silently joyful watch.
Movie comment on Rumble
MovingPictures
This is by far the best ROAD MOVIE I have ever watched!Vesku is as COOL as Jean Gabin, although in a laconic Finnish way.
Movie comment on The Man Upstairs
MovingPictures
SUPERB British psychological thriller. Suspenseful and engaging.A man with a troubled mind has some trifle with a gas burner in the middle of the night, which triggers a chain of events that spirals when the police, frustrated, angry and fueled by a colleague's recent demise, wants to clear the situation with considerable force. Anything can happen and no one is to be blamed.
Richard Attenborough, Bernard Lee, Kenneth Griffith, Dorothy Alison and Donald Houston are all exceptionally good, as is everyone else.
Really terrific!
Movie comment on Emil and the Detectives
MovingPictures
This is a British 1935 adaptation of the German film:"Emil und die Detektive" (1931), directed by Gerhard Lamprecht.
Both are available in a DVD released by BFI (2013) R2.
Movie comment on Dead Head
MovingPictures
Excellent British paranoia noir, made as a four part Television series by the BBC. Very different and wayward television, on par with Dennis Potter at his best. Creatively directed by Rob Walker, based on a script by Howard Brenton.Released as a R2 (2DVD-set) 2013 by EUREKA Entertainment in the UK.
This one can not be recommended strongly enough!
Movie comment on Wanda
MovingPictures
In France this is regarded as a minor masterpiece. There is a French DVD (2014), released thanks to the championing by Isabelle Huppert and Marguerite Duras.Movie comment on Histoire d'une vieille dame
MovingPictures
"Histoire d'une vieille dame" (1985) is available as a bonus on the "Sans toit ni loi/Vagabond" (1985) DVD in THE AGNÈS VARDA COLLECTION Volume 2 (2009) Artificial Eye R2 4DVD-box with English subtitles.Movie comment on Le sabotier du Val de Loire
MovingPictures
Available on the "Jacques de Nantes" (1991) DVD from AGNÈS VARDA COLLECTION Volume 2 (2009) Artificial Eye R2 4DVD-box.Movie comment on The Silent Partner
MovingPictures
Surprisingly good Canadian heist Movie, with escalating tension, from the cinematically GLORIOUS 1970's. Do not miss the director Daryl Duke's other film PAYDAY (1973), where Rip Torn plays a DERANGED country and western star, probably based on a cross of Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson.Showing items 1 – 25 of 64