Movie review - "Summer School Teachers" (1974) *** (re-watching)

Fun. Good work from Barbara Peeters - like Stephanie Rothman she had a big New World hit with a three girl movie, but couldn't graduate to anything bigger.

It's breezy and fun. I think her touch was lighter than Rothman who put in that abortion sequence and had the drug tripping. The politics are still there - Pat Anderson sticks up for male nudity to be the same as female, while Candice Rialson wants the girls to play football. 

Rhonda Leigh Hopkins has an interesting character, or at least starts off so with her conservative father, but her plot isn't that much - with an aggressive rapey student who she falls in love with. It doesn't click.

Anderson is stunning and lots of fun as the art teaher dealing with the male chauvinist, posing nude. The food fetish stuff is not funny - these movies always had lots of unfunny comic bits. 

But the star is Rialson, feisty and sexy, outsmarting Dick Miller, seducing the nerd teacher, never losing her pep.

Movie review - "Death Race 2000" (1975) (rewatching) ***1/2

 Random thoughts

- Paul Bartel was right to push for comedy. Roger Corman was right to push for action. They got the balance right. The action is good the stakes do feel real and it's quite moving as the surviving racers realise they're being picked off.

- Simone Griffeth is the heart of the movie. She has warmth and accessibility - the audience surrogate. She's overshadowed by the flashy characters but she's the bread in the cake. Teams very well with aloof, mysterious David Carradine.

- Support cast are spectacular.

- The nudity is well handled. Everyone looks like an athlete. It all makes sense in the Ancient Rome decadence of the world.

Book review - "When the Light Goes" by Larry McMurtry (2007) (warning: spoilers)

 Oh, Larry... He obviously had so much fun writing Duane's Depressed that he cranked out this sequel, which picks up very soon after the events of that last book. Duane is a little sad but in a case of wish fulfilment his lesbian shrink now wants to root him (they kill of her partner) and teaches him good sex, and another young woman with pointy nipples decides she wants to root him/marry him/have him educate her how to love. McMurtry fridges Ruth Popper but not before she slags off the love making abilities of Sonny - which isn't that consistent with Last Picture Show but gosh McMurtry really came to hate Sonny. Oh and Duane has a big dick, McMurtry makes sure we know that.

Look, I enjoyed the book actually, read it straight through very quickly. It's just a little silly. Only for fans.

Movie review - "Night Call Nurses" (1972) *** (re-watching)

 The three leads interconnect here more than others in the series. They're all beautiful and can act, and look different so it's easy to tell them apart (even though their characters aren't as strong differentiated as in say The Student Nurses ).

I appreciate the non linear editing and the sex scenes are well done. Patti Byrne has the most interesting subplot, hooking up with the creepy sex cult leader shrink Clint Kimborough.

Alana Hamilton (as she became) goes with a boorish truck driver - she's lovely maybe it's chemistry with the guy. (When they're in the shower together she doesn't seem to be having fun.)

There's some padding - scenes like sky diving and water skiing, and some painful vaudeville schtick.  The mystery of the stalker isn't bad, and there's some political statement (digs at drug companies)

It's actually better plotted than most of the other movies because the stories kind of dovetail - Alana's speedy trucker helps Mittie Lawrence's militant boyfriend escape.

The film gleefully throws in some tropes - cross dressing psycho crazy (Dennis Dugan), busting a militant out of hospital and brutal shoot out and the mind twisting shrink. Dick Miller is very effective as a lonely yet creepy guy who gives Byrne a lift.

Byrne should have had a bigger career.

Book review - "Rebel Rising" by Rebel Wilson

 She has the courage of her convictions. The book explains a lot. A slightly dodgy dad (gambling) obsessed with status. A mum who acts as if everything is fine all the time. The constant list of achievements - property owned, fees earned ($10 million for Pitch Perfect 3), likes on Instagram, views on Netflix, perks at Disneyland, trips to exotic resorts.

She hypes her poverty in LA, but everyone in LA has log cabin fever, i.e. telling stories as if they were born in a log cabin and overcame incredible obstacles. The omits a lot of stuff (not a lot of discussion about Anna Kendrick) but everyone does that in their memoirs.

The best bits are when Rebel encounters tough opposition. The chapter on Sacha Baron Cohen is terrific, and also the stuff about her exploring her sexuality, but also the chapter on making The Wedge where the boorish behaviours of the producers is all too believable. Good on her for admitting she lost her virginity at 35 (I think it helps to start rooting when you're a millionaire film star). All the hot guys she slams seem to have addiction issues.

She's an odd duck but the book explains why, I think.

Movie review - "Blood Bath" (1966) (re-watching) **

 I previously reviewed the Track of the Vampire version of this - this one is Blood Bath, shorter at 60 minutes. You need Tim Lucas to talk through the versions.

There's an opening, stylishly shot vampire murder. That's Stephanie Rothman. Beatniks in a bar - that's Jack Hill. There's two girls chatting. One girl goes and dances on the beach, Sandra Knight (this is Rothman). Then the other girl, Marissa Mathes, meets artist William Campbell. He kills her. I think that's Hill. But also he turns into a vampire. Which is Rothman.

Basically vampire = Rothman and artist Campbell = Hill. I'm not sure how much Yugoslavian stuff remains. 

It's confusing. The two stories don't mesh (if Campbell didn't return they should have had a Campbell plus a vampire... or had a second psycho). I know why Hill is frustrated Rothman made the changes but also I think his stuff involved a little too much comedy at the beatnik store - I'm assuming that's all mostly Hill.

Still, the sheer novelty of this film is fascinating. The directors, Corman, the cast - which includes Sandra Knight (Mrs Jack Nicholson) and Jonathan Haze, who were both in The Terror (a more satisfactory patchwork quilt). You've got Sid Haig. The photography is genueinly beautiful. The ending genuinely dumb. Movies!

Movie review - "Candy Stripe Nurses" (1974) **1/2 (rewatching)

 Half a good film. Robin Mattson and Candice Rialson are among the best ever nurses. Mattson is classy and uptight, posh and smart and has a hot sex relationship that turns to love with a basketball player who is hooked on performance drugs. This is all strong.

Rialson is a ditzy sex positive type who sets out to bed a rock star. She's great. The idea has promise. But it's not developed well. Her motivation seems unclear. It's not that funny. Rialson, as she so often would be, is better than her material.

Mario Rojo is left hanging. She plays a feisty character but looks too young, barely gets a chance to engage with the other girls, doesn't even have a romance with the guy (she dreams their sex scenes). Too much screen time is spent with her investigating, asking questions.

The nude scenes are well done - they really knew how to film naked actresses by this stage, showing full body but not everything. Rialson and Mattson seem completely at home.

I liked the title tune too.

I can understand why audiences didn't go - no camraderie too much padding - but it's one of the stronger of the series and I would put Rialson and Mattson in my top five of nurses from this series along with Karen Carlson, Barbara Leigh and Patti Byrne.

Chevy Chase Top Ten

 1) Community - brought him back and he repaid them by bad mouthing the show

2) Foul Play (1978) - terrific male lead to Goldie

3) Fletch (1985) - put it on the Underhills

4) Spies Like Us (1985) - great partner to Aykroyd

5) National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) - very solid family man stuff

6) Caddyshack (1980) - I think this is how he imagines himself

7) Funny Farm (1988) - a little stressful to watch at times but charming

8) Ellie Parker (2005) - look I genuinely liked his role in this, he was very good

9) Three Amigos (1986) - atypical work but a lot of fun

10) Oh Heavenly Dog (1980) - I loved it as a kid, have not seen it since then, don't want to risk ruining the memory

Top Ten Million Dollar Casting Decisions (Australian film edition)

 Where the role would not have worked with any other actor

1) Stork - Bruce Spence

2) Alvin Purple - Graeme Bllundell

3) Mad Max - Mel Gibson

4) Petersen - Jack Thompson

5) Crocodile Dundee - Paul Hogan

6) Chopper - Eric Bana

7) Muriel's Wedding - Toni Collette

8) Kenny - Shane Jocobsen

9) Judy Davis and Sam Neill - My Brilliant Career

10) Crackerjack - Mick Molly

Top Ten Westerns of the 1990s

 1) Unforgiven (1992) - easy

2) Young Guns 2 (1990) - not loved but there was a strong reason to make it

3) City Slickers (1991) - fun, has something to say, peak Billy Crystal

4) Last of the Mohicans (1991) - more of a war film than a Western but it's got Indians in it - superb

5) Tombstone (1993) - so. much. testosterone.

6) Legends of the Fall (1994) - good soapy drama

7) From Dusk Til Dawn (1996) - I'll include it, good fun

8) John Carpenter's Vampires (1998) - I'm stretching the definition I know...

9) Lone Star (1996) - modern day stuff but it counts and a very good film

10) Back to the Future Park 3 (1990)

A stronger decade than the 1980s - in part I think because there were some genuine blockbusters (Dances with Wolves, Mohicians, Unforgiven) and thus more movies made

Top Ten John Landis

 Here we go...

1) Animal House (1978) - I didn't like it when I saw it as a kid but then when I saw it later and understood the jokes it was lots of fun

2) Kentucky Fried Movie (1977) - often forgotten he directed this lots of fun

3) The Blues Brothers (1980) - chaotic, hilarious, musical, gosh there must've been cocaine

4) An American Werewolf in London (1981) - again didn't get this til later, had to appreciate it was a horror film not a comedy

5) Trading Places (1983) - smart, funny, always lovedit

6) Innocent Blood (1992) - flopped but I think it's great, sexy, scary

7) Spies Like Us (1985) - clever, subversive, Chase and Aykroyd are a good team

8) Coming to America (1988) - fun, elaborate comedy

9) Into the Night (1985) - flawed, I can see why it flopped, but full of wonderful things

10) Thriller (1984) -splendid video

Movie review - "Midnite Spares" (1983) **1/2

 One of those films that should be good - certainly Australia should make more movies in the Westie car milieu - but suffers from lack of focus and enthusiasm for its subject.  The story is idea - James Laurie is a country kid from Toowoomba visiting the city to search for his dad and finds out he was involved in a car stealing racket. He works for a good mechanic with colourful mates (David Argue, Bruce Spence), comes up against corrupt cops.

That's a solid basis for an action movie, with cars, comedy, romance. This doesn't seem to work. James Laurie and Gia Carides are mismatched as the lovers - she's too young. Laurie is awkward. But in his defence he doesn't have that much to do. Their romance is easy - her family is a little strict but she's never in peril.

Attention drifts to support characters like Max Cullen and Bruce Spence and Jonathan Coleman.   It livens up a tthe end when baddy Tony Barry shoots dead Graeme Blundell and there's a car chase - the ilm needed more life and death stakes.

It looks terrific. Interesting cast. Not a stinker.

Movie review - "Late Night with the Devil" (2023) ***1/2

 Great premise, well executed, done with style, smarts and humour. Very well acted - I particularly liked Ian Bliss' smarmy sceptic and Josh Quong Tart's producer. Loved the period detail. Slow burn horror but solid bangs and pleasing finale. I thought of Carrie.

Top Thirteen Australian Box Office Hits of the Silent Era

 1) Story of the Kelly Gang (1907) - kicked off bushranger cycle (already going strong on stage)

2) The Man They Could Not Hang (1912) - bizarre hit, unbeatable for over a decade but then the sound version killed it

3) Lure of the Bush (1918) - Snowy Baker's second film bigger hit than the first encouraged boom in production

4) The Fatal Wedding (1911) - popular play launched Raymond Longford's career

5) The Sentimental Bloke (1919) - gave Longford his second wind, led to sequels and rip offs

6) Our Friends the Hayseeds (1917) - On Our Selection rip off which led to a bunch of sequels (franchise) and was successfully filmed as a sound movie, launched Beaumont Smith's career

7) It Is Never Too Late to Mend (1911) - adaptation of convict melodrama, launched WJ Lincoln as a director

8) Thunderbolt (1910) - adaptation of bushranger play, a big hit, launched John Gavin

9) Captain Midnight the Bush King (1910) - Charles Cozens Spencer gets into film in a big way

10) The Martydom of Edith Cavel (1915)

11) For the Term of His Natural LIfe (1928) - big hit but cost too much money

12) Sweet Nell of old Drury (1912) 

13) The Exploits of the Emden (1928)

Book review - "The Path to Paradise: A Francis Ford Coppola Story" by Sam Wasson

 Wasson comes up with a fresh take on Coppola, focusing on the American Zoetrope story, with two main areas - the early 70s period before The Godfather and the early 80s which saw One from the Heart . Most emphasis is on the latter, which its dazzling ambition, waste of money, idealism, randomness - Gene Kelly mixing it with Michael Powell, Paul Schrader, Michael Lehman and so on.

Doesn't spend a lot of time on Godfather, thank goodness, but a bit on Apocalypse Now. Puts Megalopolis in more context - I get it more now and am even looking forward to it (with some apprehension).

Coppola's record at supporting talent and trying new things is quite remarkable even if he did go a little insane I think. Fascinating book.

TV series - "Girls5Eva" (all three seasons) (2021-24) ****

 The first season is a knock out. The second stumbles -things are too easy - with good eps, mind. The third recovers, although having Wickie's parents being nice and supportive was not a good idea - I get the joke but again they've made things too easy. That was the only dud.

Very well plotted, lots of great pay off of things set up in earlier episodes, and they find way to rework tropes like being helped by famous singers and so on.

Movie review - "Desolation Angels" (1982) **

 Little known Australian women in peril thriller - three school friends go to a house in Portsea on the weekends and are harassed by hoons. There's a subplot of a woman involved in forgeries who's also at the town and who also gets hassled.

Some Hitchcock touches - female criminal stumbles into a psycho drama, the opening Rebecca like narration - and some neat photography. Better than I thought it would be - handsome looking, real thought has been put into it, except maybe not the script which has holes but there are some okay sequences.

Erratic acting. The cast includes Kerry Mack and Nico Lathouris.

Movie review - "The Idea of You" (2024) **1/2

 Not a rom com because there is no "com" - not a single joke in a film that cries out for comic relief, despite having Reid Scott and Annie Mumolo. It's played straight, directed nicely, with two attractive stars, Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine. It's quite sweet. The actor playing Hathaway's daughter is too old - when she whines to her mother it's like "come on you're an adult".

At times I wondered if Hathaway was bored in her role but I think she was playing it straightlaced.

Part of me couldn't help wishing they'd have just done the Harry Styles-Olivia Wilde story more closely, with Jason Sudekis upset over the salad, and Florence Pugh steaming in the corner but anyways...

Russ Tamblyn Top Ten

 

1) Gun Crazy (1950) - Tamblyn's breakthrough role as a child star was in Samson and Delilah but I go for this, because it's a more brilliant film and tamblyn's more believable as a young John Dall than as Saul (Samson is quite fun though)

2) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) - a lot of MGM musicals were losing money around this time but this was a smash hit, in part due to its energy and colour, including a great turn from Tamblyn - this turned him into a dancing star

3) The Fastest Gun in the West (1956) - at MGM Tamblyn developed a niche playing keen teens in support of older actors, such as Glenn Ford - this is a good Western, and they put in a dance number for Tamblyn which Ford (one of the biggest divas of the 1950s) tried to get removed

4) Peyton Place (1957) - a triumph of adaptation to get this past the censor and make it cohesive (I've read the book)... the film is a lot of dodgy fun, including Tamblyn who is genuinely good as a weird teen (he turns "normal" in this which he didn't in the book but he should have played more weirdo roles)

5) Tom Thumb (1958) - charming musical fantasy with Tamblyn ideal in the title role

6) High School Confidential (1958) - terrific fun with Tamblyn doing 21 Jump Street, as an overage undercover cop battling dope pushers, the seduction of Mamie Van Doren, and beatnik dialogue... this was a big hit, and other Albert Zugmith films for MGM weren't... maybe because they didn't star Tamblyn, who knows, he was in a lot of hits around this time

7) West Side Story (1961) - Tamblyn was a little old to play Riff but he had tremendous energy - no George Chakiris but better than Richard Beymer, shall we say

8 ) War of the Gargantuas (1969) - in the late 60s Toho would import American stars for their films (usually Nick Adams) - this had Tamblyn, looking stoned and ad libbing dialogue (as he would in his other cult classic, Satans Sadists) - lots of fun

9) The Haunting (1963) - genuinely good film showing what Tamblyn could do - he didn't like acting that much though and went bohemian soon after

10) Twin Peaks - Tamblyn makes a comeback as the eccentric Dr Jacoby, totally fitting in Lynchian world

Book review - "Dancing on the Edge" by Russ Tamblyn

 I spoke with Tamblyn in 2004 and he said he wanted to write a book so it took him a bit of time but I think Tamblyn likes to go his own way in life. A genuine name in Hollywood in the 1950s - not a big star, but a regular lead player in studio films with a long term contract to MGM - he dropped out very quickly, via choice really (he moved to Topenga Canyon to pursue art). He never got his groove back, could never quite re-consolidate despite a stint in Twin Peaks but hung in there. Found love third time round.

I liked the book. Listened to audio version. Tamblyn did it. He sounds amiable, a bit spacey. The third section is mostly about his daughter and Neil Young - like many in Hollywood people try to stay relevant where they can.

Interesting vignettes. Jeff Richards was a boozehead and smashed up Tamblyn's place, Dean Stockwell was a good friend but eventually alcoholism destroyed him while Dennis Hopper of all people got over it, Tamblyn was a polyamorist in like 1960 at Malibu, his second wife was a boozer (she's a tragic figure), his first wife an interesting character (Anna Lee's daughter), Glenn Ford tried to get Tamblyn's dance removed from Fastest Gun in the West, Tamblyn and Yvette Mimieux went for a skinny dip and had sex one night making Brothers Grimm, Tambly had a fling with Regina Carroll making Satan's Sadists.

If you like that period and these movies this book is hard to resist, even if it does need an edit.

Movie review - "Starhops" (1978) *1/2 (re-watching)

 I wonder what Julie Corman, Stephanie Rothman and Barbara Peeters all thought of each other. Rivals? Friends?

Rothman wrote this script but it was rewritten so she took her name off it. Barbara Peeters directed. Steve Zaillian edited.

This isn't good. It has some cohesian - three girls defending their restaurant - but feels padded, with scenes of sunset and a disco. It's hard to tell the girls apart - especially as they're often wearing the one costume. One has a German accent I guess. Slabs of the action turn to a guy, who is going undercover to get dirt on the restaurant, which is annoying.

Normally in these films you get some social conscience. There's none here. Or some genuine sexiness. Again, none.

There's high spirits, I guess. Peeters made a great three girls film with Summer School Teachers. I wonder what happened here.

Book review - "Duane's Depressed" by Larry McMurtry (1999) (warning: spoilers)

 McMurtry really liked this novel I think because he identified with Duane so much. Sonny is barely in it - he's live, just decaying - while he's killed off Jacey which seems a little mean. Was this because McMurtry had fights with Tim Bottoms and/or Cybill Shepherd?

So we've got Karla and also Duane, who is still handsome and seems to have money after Texasvill and is admired, who has a little melt down, goes walking a lot one day and moves into a cabin. He sees a shrink. The novel goes into his head a lot. The second act twist is they kill Karla and the contrast between the depressions is well done and takes on another dimension.

It is a satisfying read, very internal - hard to film. Duane's kids and grandkids are ciphers as are most of the town. Ruth is in it going blind, Sonny dies unmemorably. But the internal stuff is strong and I was moved by the end with Duane reading Proust and finally going overseas after he's cried about his dad because McMurtry is so clearly into it.

TV review - "The Artful Dodger Pilot" (2023) ***1/2

 Classy, entertaining and lots of fun. Impressive production design. Liked it a lot.

Movie review - "Eyes without a Face" (1960) ***

 Didn't know much about this or French horror at all but it was a classy shocker, with some former A listers (Pierre Fresna and Alida Valli) and a good old fashioned junky plot (face's transplants). There's not much gore but when it's done it is effective. They might have had more spookiness and the police were very incompetent getting that girl to be decoy for a fan they suspected was a killer then believing his explanations.

Top Ten Beach Party Movies

 Going off the description in Tom Lisanti...

1) Gidget (1959) - feminist (ish), fun, great star turn

2) Where the Boys Are (1960).- light but also serious in a good way

3) Bikini Beach (1964) - Beach Party started it but this is the most pure

4) Ride the Wild Surf (1964) - angst! But also a more serious exploration of it

5) Beach Ball (1965) - fun, terrific music

6) Girl Happy (1965) - Elvis does beach party, great fun

7) Pajama Party (1964) - underrated musical, bright and poppy, heaps of fun

8) Beach Party (1963) - kicked off the series, often overlooked, but great

9) Ski Party (1965) - a bit smarmy but great snow, and tunes, and the Avalon-Hickman combo works

10) Blue Hawaii (1961) - aww, Elvis... look not really beachy but beach-ish and gorgeous

Top Ten Westerns of the 1980s

 1) Lonesome Dove (1987) - TV but who cares?

2) The Man from Snowy River (1982) - can I include this? stuff it, I will

3) Pale Rider (1985) - Clint does Shane, quite well

4) Silverado (1985) - flaws, but so much richness

5) Young Guns (1989) - historically quite respectible, fun film

6) The Long Riders (1980) - not my favourite Hill, but heaps of great stuff

7) Lone Wolf McQuade (1983) - I don't care if it is modern day

8) Heaven's Gate (1980) - oh, why not?

9) Barbarosa (1982) - look I haven't seen this but everyone says it's good

10) Death Hunt (1981) - mountie-sploitation, I've always enjoyed this

Top Ten Three Girl Movies

 (I'm also including ones with four girls)

1) Three on a Match

2) How to Marry a Millionaire

3) Where the Boys Are

4) The Student Nurses

5) Summer School Teachers

6) Valley of the Dolls

7) Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

8) Hollywood Boulevard

9) Night Call Nurses

10) 9 to Five