The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966) ****
The 1960s was awash with movie megalomaniacs, most courtesy of the spy vogue. You could also count on secret agents for trailing in their wake bevies of beauties. So no surprise then that criminal mastermind Fu Manchu (Christopher Lee) has his own gang, his “brides,” although they are hardly volunteers, being the kidnapped daughters of … Continue reading “The Brides of Fu Manchu (1966) ****”
The Movie That Never Was: The Long-Lost Screenplay of Abraham Polonsky’s “The Gladiators” *****
This is the second volume of The Gladiators vs Spartacus opus, published separately to the tome I reviewed on February 24, 2021. Reading Abraham Polonsky’s screenplay is like having a piece of history in your hands. And it is a fascinating read. Polonsky’s take on the Spartacus legend was quite different to that of Dalton … Continue reading “The Movie That Never Was: The Long-Lost Screenplay of Abraham Polonsky’s “The Gladiators” *****”
Sergeants 3 (1962)***
There’s a terrific western directed by John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven, 1960) inside this Rat Pack offering, the second of four in the series. On the plus side are plenty twists on traditional scenarios, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin displaying a certain kind of easy screen charisma, and three exceptional and well-choreographed battle scenes. Sinatra, … Continue reading “Sergeants 3 (1962)***”
Lost Command (1966) ****
Derring-do and heroism were the 1960s war movie default with enemies clearly signposted in black-and-white. This one doesn’t fall into that category, in fact doesn’t fall into any category, being more concerned with the military and political machinations pervasive on both sides in war. Movies about revolutions generally succeed if they are filmed from the … Continue reading “Lost Command (1966) ****”
The Blog Speaks – Brian Hannan on “Paisley at the Pictures 1950”
I was interviewed last week on one of my other books – “Paisley at the Pictures 1950.” Paisley, in Scotland, at that time had eight cinemas for its 93,000 inhabitants. Over 1200 movies were shown that year in the town, far more than you would see at your local picture house these days. Six of … Continue reading “The Blog Speaks – Brian Hannan on “Paisley at the Pictures 1950””
The Girl with a Pistol (1968) ****
Off-beat Oscar-nominated comedy-drama that is both a marvelous piece of whimsy and a slice of social realism set in the kind of Britain the tourist boards forget, all drizzle and grime. It zips from Edinburgh to Sheffield to Bath to London to Brighton to Jersey as if the characters had been dumped from an If … Continue reading “The Girl with a Pistol (1968) ****”
Only When I Larf (1968) ***
Terrific, elongated, 20-minute pre-credit sequence sets up this brisk con-man thriller as the trio of Richard Attenborough, his younger lover Alexandra Stewart and apprentice David Hemmings fleece a couple of greedy businessmen in New York. The action moves with military precision, the trio so appealing, the scam so well-worked, you want them to escape. But … Continue reading “Only When I Larf (1968) ***”
Yul Brynner vs. Kirk Douglas: The Battle for ‘Spartacus’ *****
When I wrote my book some years back on the making of The Magnificent Seven (1960) I was aware that Yul Brynner had attempted to set up a project called The Gladiators in direct opposition to rival Kirk Douglas venture Spartacus. What I didn’t know until I came across this fascinating new book, telling the … Continue reading “Yul Brynner vs. Kirk Douglas: The Battle for ‘Spartacus’ *****”
Possessor (2020) *****
This Brandon Cronenberg (son of you-know-who) rumination on identity is heavily disguised as a gory and occasionally sexy dystopian thriller. What appears at first glance a homage to giallo – toplining on shock, flesh and blood – soon reveals deeper layers of something more insistently disturbing. Focusing on an identity thief whose victim turns the … Continue reading “Possessor (2020) *****”
Machine Gun McCain (1969) ***
Armed robbers lack the finesse of a jewel thief or burglar when it comes to pulling off a major heist. Rather than resorting to the weaponry of the title, they are more inclined, as John Cassavetes does here, to plant bombs, both as a diversionary tactic and within the target building, in this case a … Continue reading “Machine Gun McCain (1969) ***”
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