L. Bill's PEELY BLOG

Usually discussing some movie or song I am obsessing over. Your Host: Billy Wiggins. Welcome.

[billywiggins]

Song of the Day: THE REFLEX (LP Version), Duran Duran (1983)

Chances are you know this song by its radio mix -- the one with the “Ta na na na” and “Fle-fle-flex” motifs and choppy edits. Great tune, iconic hit. No Problem.

But the song’s original mix, featured on the 1983 album SEVEN AND THE RAGGED TIGER, has a much different feel. First of all, there are no samples or digital manipulation of the vocals. There are no punched-up drum fills. The rhythm is much smoother, harder, less clumsy. The intro, especially, is stellar: a titanic, rolling, funky riff that sets the tune in motion and doesn’t let up.

Additionally, the overall clutter of the remix is gone and you can really pick out each instrument in the mix: guitar, bass, synth, sax, percussion, et cetera.

Make no mistake, the #1 hit remix is iconic and unforgettable, but I’ve come to love the LP version in its own right. Give a listen at the link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl_mWGyEUm8

[billywiggins]

I Just Watched This: BRIGSBY BEAR (2017)

Kyle Mooney of Saturday Night Live (and before that, the YouTube comedy group Good Neighbor) stars and co-writes in his first starring feature film.

Don't go to Brigsby Bear expecting SNL-style hijinks. It's not vulgar, brash, outrageous, or even a comedy, really.

What it is is a touching and kind ode to being an outsider, to the power of fandom, and to the healing capabilities of creativity.

Although it's maybe not everybody's flavor, I recommend it. (PS: The less you know about the story going in, the better.)

[billywiggins]

I Just Watched This: DAY OF VENGEANCE (Il Giorno del giudizio) (1971)

American TV star Ty Hardin (“Bronco”) headlines a disjointed and subpar Spaghetti Western that cribs tropes from numerous films and really doesn’t add enough of its own glue to hold it together.

Hardin is a soldier returning home from duty to find his family murdered, house burned to the ground. The only relic left is his child’s toy windup drummer, which he grabs and puts to use as his calling card during subsequent gun battles. Using a series of disguises, he tracks down the gang of killers to seek revenge.

Ty Hardin

The vengeance-on-a-gang-of-killers was done best in DEATH RIDES A HORSE. The use of disguises figured prominently in APOCALYPSE JOE. And a windup toy (or watch) signaling a character’s arrival is lifted from FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE and, later, TEQUILA a/k/a UNO DOS TRES SPARA OTRA VEZ. Furthermore, the film’s entire score consists of Ennio Morricone cues from THE HELLBENDERS. (Normally, when library music is utilized, it goes unnoticed due to the generic nature of the music. But the HELLBENDERS music is jazzy, distinctive and unique; and is instantly recognizable.)

Ty Hardin makes for a forgettable big-screen hero when he’s playing it straight, and is not helped by the outrageous “disguise” he is forced to wear as an incognito gravedigger. He looks like a castoff from a Grateful Dead concert, and is impossible to take seriously. Hardin is supported by Eurowestern regulars in tiny or generic roles that serve neither the actors nor the plot: the characters played by Gordon Mitchell, Raf Baldassare, Craig Hill and Rosalba Neri could literally have been played by anyone. The actors are not given any meat to chew on and don’t get to show off their talents. It’s a real waste. Only Rossano Brazzi as the sheriff has a role of note, and he’s very good in the part.

Rossano Brazzi

The director is Mario Gariazzo, whose work here is awkward and confusing. There are way too many extreme close-ups of faces and shifty eyes, so many so that we forget who or what they are looking at. Gariazzo also is fond of doing a brief freeze-frame at the moment of a kill, but it’s so quick that you’d be forgiven if you thought it was a glitch in the projection. Even the toy drummer conceit is presented clumsily. At first, we hear the windup toy and Hardin giving the instructions to shoot “when it quits”, but we don’t see the toy or know what it is. The reveal of him claiming the toy from the rubble is presented later, in a flashback. The toy itself is kind of haunting and dramatic, it’s too bad it wasn’t introduced differently for better impact.

close-up of the drummer toy

Bottom line? This one is for completists only.

As of this writing, available to stream at Amazon Prime.

For more on the film, visit the Spaghetti Western Database.

[billywiggins]

I Just Watched This: DEADLY DUO (1962)

A down-on-his-luck LA lawyer must travel to Acapulco to finesse a complicated custody battle involving a wealthy heiress and her conniving identical twin sister. Can he convince the heiress to surrender her son in exchange for a big payday--and will the scheming sister be able to get her hands on any of the dough?

Robert E. Kent produced a string of pictures like this in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s: cheap, set-bound crime dramas or westerns, usually starring a handsome TV actor in the lead role.

His lead here is Craig Hill, noted for his role on the WHIRLYBIRDS TV series. Hill is a rugged, debonair guy with piercing eyes and a good haircut; making him a perfect B-movie lead. I love this guy. He’s poised, deadly serious when necessary, and can give a knowing smirk or weaselly grin when necessary too. His performance in this pic is quite solid, and he’s for sure the best thing about the film.The female lead (portraying both a blonde and a brunette twin) is Marcia Henderson, who I’d not seen previous. Her numerous credits include much middling TV and B-movie fare. Henderson is a petite, button-nosed lady, and is adept at bringing to life both the more sensible (brunette) twin and her trashy, unreliable (blonde) sis.

The supporting cast is notable for including three Latino actors in prominent supporting roles: David Renard as a butler, Marco Antonio as a hotel employee, and Manuel Lopez as the chief of police.

A brief, brisk 70-minute run time and forthright execution of a clever plot aid the film’s effectiveness. It’s little more than a glorified TV episode, really, like you might see on THRILLER or ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS; and in fact was probably shot on many of the same nondescript sets. (Any actual Acapulco scenery we see is obvious stock footage). Yet, we never feel mired in cheapness and desperation like one might in a more hackneyed or boring low-rent film.

I find great charm in these Kent productions: without fail, they rise above their meager geneses and deliver a solid if brief slate of entertainment. For that reason and simply because i like Craig Hill so much, I rate this 7/10 stars. For fans of films of this ilk, I’d recommend it.

[billywiggins]

I Just Watched This: THE ITALIAN CONNECTION (1972)

A/K/A MANHUNT and LA MALA ORDINA.

Directed by Fernando Di Leo; starring Mario Adorf and Henry Silva.

A low-level pimp/hoodlum is singled out for assassination by a powerful mob boss. Is he a two-timer, or are things not as they seem?

As with the best of the 70s Eurocrime thrillers, this one is intense, gritty, desperate, cynical, violent. Take the Hollywood crime films of that era (GODFATHER, FRENCH CONNECTION, SERPICO) and distill them down to their core, their basest and most raw elements, and that's the Eurocrime style. Little polish and craft, but plenty of excitement.

ITALIAN CONNECTION is highlighted by an insane, intense chase (link in comments) through Milan's busy streets that sure looks as if it was performed by the actors themselves, with no stuntmen or oversight, in broad daylight, and amidst regular folks.

7/10 stars.

View the crazy chase sequence here.

As of this writing, available to stream at Amazon Prime: link here.

[billywiggins]

I Just Watched This: THE BODY SNATCHER (1945)

TOUR DE FORCE by the great Karloff. An excellent gothic thriller with exceptional photography and direction. As fun to simply look at as to follow along with the thrills. First time I'd seen this, and it's a real delight. If you are of a mind to watch an old horror thriller I highly recommend it. Directed by Robert Wise; produced by Val Lewton.

9/10 stars.

[billywiggins]

Haruo Nakajima, Man Inside Godzilla Suit, Dies at 88

The man behind the monster has died: Haruo Nakajima, who wore the Godzilla bodysuit for every “Godzilla” film from the original to 1972’s “Godzilla vs. Gigan,” has die…

A fond farewell to the man who brought Godzilla to life.

The Japanese use the term "suit actor" and it's not a euphemism: Nakajima's acting skills informed Godzilla's movements and created the icon he became.

Rest In Peace and thanks for all you gave us, Nakajima-san.

[billywiggins]

I Just Watched This: THE DRESSMAKER (2015)

Picturesque, fun, and darkly weird flick set in 1940s Australia. Kate Winslet, once the town's bastard child, returns as an adult and stirs up old gossip and secrets.

It's no romp as there are some cruel, dark aspects to the tale; yet a streak of "I Will Survive"-type determination in the face of bias runs throughout.  

It's on Amazon Prime. Anyone else seen it?

[billywiggins]

I Recommend: KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (1952)

One of my all-time favorite noir films. An ingenious heist is undertaken by tough-talking wise guys. Plus it’s got Lee Van Cleef! Film Noir fans, this is a must for you; and those just getting started in the genre will like it too.

View the trailer here.

As of this writing, the film is available to view at various sites including YouTube and Amazon Prime.

[billywiggins]

I Just Watched This: SOLAMENTE NERO (”THE BLOODSTAINED SHADOW”), 1978

A young professor returns to the village where he grew up only to have his visit marred by a series of murders and the unraveling of a long-held secret. I had never heard of this 1978 film or its director (Antonio Bido), and to be honest I came to the flick mainly because of its top-billed American star, Craig Hill. I had enjoyed Hill’s performances in numerous Spaghetti Westerns and I was keen to check him out in a modern-day giallo thriller such as this. Pleased to report the film is a nicely-done whodunit-style giallo, with some gothic elements and an unfolding mystery that is played appropriately close-to-the-vest until the final reveal.

Craig Hill’s character is the priest of an unnamed village adjacent to Venice, Italy. (The film was shot in Murano.) The visit of his professor brother (Lino Capolicchio) is the impetus for the story’s various mysteries, and both men are suitably concerned and curious about the goings-on: neither character is written as a fool, always a nice touch. You don’t want the audience to be way ahead of the players in figuring things out.

The handful of killings that occur are generally handled with minimal gore and/or gratuitous carnage, which puts the viewer more in the mode of being thrilled/shocked than repulsed. When done well, that’s a good thing, and the suspense here is kept at an agreeable pace.

Murano and Venice are striking in their picturesque beauty and make for a unique backdrop to the action. A victim being stealthily stalked on a ferry ride and a nighttime attack among the Venetian canals are two highlights which play up the scenery.

But by far my favorite aspect of the film is the dynamic score by Stelvio Cipriani. The veteran composer presents a throbbing, electronic-driven soundtrack, accentuated by funky, disco-style electric bass guitar, and dramatic stings at appropriate moments. It’s a fun, funky score which adds greatly to the movie’s appeal.

Blue Underground did the re-release/restoration, and the picture looks and sounds splendid. I viewed the English dub, which was tastefully executed. As of this writing, the film is available to stream at Amazon Prime.

7/10 stars.

[billywiggins]

I Just Watched This: SKIN TRADE (2014)

If you want Tony Jaa vs Dolph Lundgren in a shot-in-Thailand action flick, stocked with supporting players like Peter Weller, Michael Jai White, and Ron Perlman, which mixes in deathly-serious commentary on human trafficking......

This is the movie for you.

Srsly, you could do worse. The action is top-notch and the sex-trade exposé elements are sincere if clunky. The non-western actors are, as a group, poor at dialogue scenes, kind of a drag. 5/10 stars.

[billywiggins]

I Just Watched This: HANDS OF A GUNFIGHTER (1965)

"Hands of a Gunfighter"

Working my way through the films of Craig Hill. This one is a Spanish production which is a weird mix of florid, operatic storytelling and grim, violent revenge.

(Operatic = A plot point features a little boy taken from his home and raised by his kidnappers as their own.)

(Grim revenge = our hero faces down a baddie in the center of town as the crowd watches; the bad guy is out of ammo but our hero just sneers as he shoots him in cold blood.)

Featuring maybe too many shifts of tone, it's a good one nonetheless, as Hill's charisma carries his part as the vengeance-hungry loner. 6/10 stars.

[billywiggins]

I Just Watched This: GRIZZLY (1976)

JAWS, but with a bear.

You could do worse than this efficiently-put-together independent production from '76.

Follows the JAWS template exactly: After a few random killings, the park director does not want to close the park, and calls in a bunch of yahoos to hunt the bear down, to no success. So a team of three heads out to kill the beast. (Christopher George is the Roy Scheider character, Richard Jaeckel the Quint, and some other guy the Richard Dreyfus.)

The pic is taut, with some good thrills and kills, and is pretty gruesome for a 1976 PG film. In one attack, the bear appears to swat a horse's head clean off its neck. 😬

Add in a lively, symphonic score and lots of pretty scenery and aerial/helicopter action, you've got a pretty good 91 minutes.

7/10 stars. View the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A12Z4ZgbK44 IMDb entry: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074593/

[behindthegrooves-deactivated202]

On this day in music history: July 13, 1985 - “A View To A Kill” by Duran Duran hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 2 weeks. Written by Duran Duran and John Barry, it is the second US chart topper for the Birmingham, UK based pop/rock band. The members of Duran Duran are invited to write the theme for the fourteenth James Bond film after bassist John Taylor meets Bond producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli at a party. This encounter leads to the two sides talking seriously about composing the title song. Broccoli then introduces Duran Duran to score composer John Barry who co-writes and arranges the song with the band. Fresh off of working on The Power Station project, producer and musician Bernard Edwards of Chic produces the song. The track is recorded at CTS Studios and Maison Rouge in London, with Barry conducting a sixty-piece orchestra, augmenting Duran Duran’s instrumentation. The recording sessions become so contentious (particularly between Nick Rhodes and Andy Taylor), that the band members end up overdubbing their parts separately. Released in early May of 1985, the single is an immediate smash. Entering the Hot 100 at #43 on May 18, 1985, it climbs to the top of the chart eight weeks later. “A View To A Kill” is the only Bond theme to top the US pop singles chart, and is the last Duran Duran single to feature all five original band members until they reunite in 2001. Prior to “Kill” reaching the summit, the two highest charting Bond themes are Wings’ “Live And Let Die” and Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better” (from “The Spy Who Loved Me”), both peaking at #2 on the Hot 100. On the same day the single hits number one, Duran Duran perform it at Live Aid in Philadelphia. After the original track is cut, Duran Duran along with Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero create an extended remix of “Kill” with the intent of issuing it along side the original single version. For reasons unknown, this version is shelved and remained unheard by the public for nearly thirty years. Mysteriously, it surfaces online on the Soundcloud  and YouTube websites in November of 2014. Since then it has been widely circulated among Duran Duran fans. To date, no official release of the 12" remix has been officially sanctioned by the band.  "A View To A Kill" is certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.

[billywiggins]

COFFIN FOR THE SHERIFF aka LONE AND ANGRY MAN, 1965

[billywiggins]

I Just Watched This:  "DEAD MAN'S EYES" (1944)

After sympathetic star turns early in his career in films dramatic (OF MICE AND MEN) and horrific (THE WOLF MAN), Lon Chaney Jr. made the jump to being a questionable leading man in a series of film adaptations of the popular INNER SANCTUM radio show.

Universal produced a total of six B-budgeted thrillers under the Inner Sanctum banner, each starring the beefy but handsome Chaney in a stand-alone story that dealt with murder and mystery in a tangentially fantastic or supernatural way.  DEAD MAN'S EYES, directed by Reginald LeBorg, was third in the series.

Chaney's character is an up-and-coming painter, and as the pic opens, he is seen working on what promises to be his breakthrough piece: a dynamic portrait of his exotic assistant Tanya, dressed as a gypsy and clutching a tambourine. Tanya (played by the unusually-named Acquanetta) is crushing on Chaney, but he's spoken for in the person of Heather (Jean Parker), a socialite who comes fully loaded with a wealthy, doting businessman father.

Original poster artwork

While shuffling through Chaney's cabinets, Tanya is seen to (intentionally?) move some bottles around, causing Chaney to accidentally use photographic acid in place of eye wash, rendering him blind. Heather's rich dad graciously offers, upon his own death, to be a cornea donor for Chaney. Of course, the dad ends up murdered before long, leading to much investigation, finger-pointing, and drawing-room drama.

The titular idea--that having a dead man's eyes in your head, and seeing through them, is kind of given a cursory play in the story, and is really not even the point of the show. That's a shame, because other films like THE HANDS OF ORLAC or the more recent BODY PARTS have addressed this idea to great dramatic effect. Would someone else's body have an effect on your own if transplanted, especially something as personal and vital as the eyes through which you see the world? But no, DEAD MAN'S EYES uses the transplant as a very basic springboard for a love-quadrangle/murder mystery story, one that it delivers pretty clumsily at that. (In addition to the Chaney, there are two additional male suitors in the story who are in the mix for the ladies' affections.)

A banal story can be exciting if presented well, but the pictures fails on that angle too. The brief, 64-minute run time is excessively talky; in fact there are several scenes of action which play out in front of the viewer, only to be recounted in the film by one character to another minutes later. This is equivalent of sitting through the same scene twice, and, boy, does it feel like it. Also, a diversionary subplot of a character stealing the container of eyes before they reach the patient is brought up and resolved in about 2 minutes worth of screen time--what was the point of that?

The final strike against the film is its air of cheapness. It's a depressingly set-bound affair, with locations like Chaney's studio or the local hospital represented by a sparsely-appointed corner of two false walls. For me, when a film's cheapness shows through like that, I am disinclined to give it the benefit of the doubt and be lenient in my opinion of it. A cheap film that's dynamic and spirited? I'll stick with it. One that's creaky, lazy, and unoriginal? Makes me dislike it right even more.

Parker and Chaney with Jonathan Hale

Chaney is fashionably groomed and outfitted for his part, and gives an able effort toward selling the plight of his character, but veers into histrionics quite a bit. Some of that may be the acting style of the day, or the lack of good direction; it also may be that Chaney is in over his head in a very trying role. The supporting players are uniformly average with the exception of Acquanetta as Tanya, who is, uh, very bad. The history of the actress with the unusual stage name is fraught with mystery--was she an exotic Venezuelan as she claimed, or a Carolina-born American with Arapaho roots named Mildred Davenport, as other sources suggest? Either way, she was a movie star because of her dark and mysterious beauty, not for her line readings. Her performance here is pretty much scene-stoppingly bad.

I wouldn't recommend DEAD MAN'S EYES to anyone other than Universal Horror or Chaney Jr. fanatics. Without those allegainces, the casual viewer will surely be disappointed, or more accurately, very bored.

DEAD MAN'S EYES: 4/10 stars. Available on DVD and, as of this writing, to view at YouTube.

[tiredtangerine]

[bloodbeastsbabesbusey-deactivat]

Herk Harvey’s Carnival of Souls is a stone cold classic.