Another one of those classic, exotic feature, a bit dated for the 1970’s, but enthralling for a youngster in the age before Internet and CGI.  This had the Indians rebelling against the colonial British, rich in high and mighty splendor.

The story concerns Rani of Jhansi, a queen of a princely state, fair, just, and not bad with whoop-ass size cutlery in her hands.  She is forced to take sides and the price of resistance gets pricey.  The story plays out as per the history books.  The violence is the tame 1950s style, but the music, costumes, and story is a magical mystery tour—one of those movies that got me turned on to visit India–somehow, sometime.

The film is virtually public domain and can be got at flea market cost, but also at full freight if not careful. Shop warily.

From the 1940s to the 1980s, Victor Mature was a lone wolf leading man cutting a suave figure through high and low movies.  China Doll was done at his midpoint of his career.  This movie, done in B/W, is set in WW2, yet produced in 1958.  It is a love story set war, and very little war to be seen, till the end.  Mature plays a pilot flying the Hump, shipping war materials around Asia facing danger within a  cultural circus.  He unknowingly picks up a house maid who falls in love with her.

Lots of cultural bridges must have crossed in making the film. Interracial couples were not exactly smiled upon back in 58′.  The movie even managed to take a swipe at “the commies” at the touching end of the movie.  I give credit to the makers as not many movies cover the Hump story.  An aging Ward Bond plays the practical (Chinese speaking) American priest.  There is also a wisecracking little Chinese kid in the mold of Shortround from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

This is a fun, historical love story.  You will not soon forget Mature’s eyebrows.  They are big enough to hide the Nationalist Chinese Air Force under.

This movie is quickly becoming a cult classic and a Christmas Classic.  The Griswold family redefines “Christmas spirit”.

Beyond the absolutely first rate ensemble cast and pratfalls enough to fill every stocking in North America, the music soundtrack and the every sexy Beverly D’Angelo add to high rating deemed by its popularity.  Worth watching anytime of the year, I strongly suggest it as a must see.

The movie that defines comedy-adventure, Kelly’s Heroes mixes action, and intrigue from the front line perspective.  Directed by Brian Hutton who worked with Clint Eastwood on Where Eagles Dare and produced in the spirit of the foul mouthing Dirty Dozen, this concerns yet again another “behind the lines” escapade.  This time around a demoted officer talks a platoon of war weary GIs to steal thousands of bars of gold.

When I first saw it in the 1970’s it was a straight war movie.  Later, as I aged, I listened closer to the dialogue.  Therein were themes of war and peace that Big Joe (Telly Savalas) faced–desertion, dereliction of duty, corrupt and incompetent leaders, friendly fire, outright theft.

(During World War 2, after D-Day, the Western allies had a fantastic suppy service that was also equally corrupt—a snippet seen in Kelly’s Heroes)

Many talented actors beyond the big names grace the movie like Stuart Margolin, Gavin McLoed,  and Jeff Morris.  Finally the theme song is a rousing piece of work which plays at the beginning and end of the movie.

A chick flick and an action war movie in one.  Made in World War 2 for propoganda purposes, this story of feminine valor in the face of terrible odds has been on the old late night TV circuit before VHS and DVD took over.

The story is narrated by one of the nurses who describes their journey from San Fransisco to Australia.  War breaks out mid-ocean and soon the girls are at Bataan trying to heal the Battling Bastards.  Led by the ever great Claudette Colbert, they struggle against an ever darkening situation.

Most heart wrenching is the helter-skelter evacuation from Bataan. 

The cast includes Olivia deHaviland and Yvonne deCarlo and a great many other greats.  This movie was made back when going to war meant having everyone on board.

This is not a pretty movie.  It is a remake of a Spanish movie REC.  It looks a lot like an urban Blair Witch Project, but with some more sophistication.  Quarantine combines fear, mistrust, forced confinement, and a typical mixed apartment grouping in Los Angeles.  The “carriers” of the story is Angela Vidal, a bubbly late night TV reporter—young, pretty, playful and her cameraman–loyal, logical, and steady who “shadow” two firemen who are playful and yet dedicated–sort of modern day Gage and DeSoto to those of the 1970’s era.

A third of a movie is at the station house where character development takes place (and evil forces are at work beyond the walls as the night wears on).  They and a couple of cops respond to a call for help to an elderly woman who has freaked out.

The excitement is palpable the first time you see it.  Things get weird and fast.  People and animals start going demonic AND (big and) the authorities seal off the building, except for a few CDC fools in buggy suits and spooky masks.  The lighting within the apartment goes down as the night deepens.  The gang are cut-off from the outside–no cell phones, no TV.  The “We’re all gonna die” refrain grows popular as the uninfected grow fewer and more and more terrified.  Some clues emerge as to the “whys” of the night’s slaughter.

Unlike Blair Witch, Quarantine has some serious actors and play well as ordinary people pretty much caught in a hell of someone else’s making.  There are similarities to Pitch Black as the horror of darkness has been a traditional source of fear and trepidation. Angela’s and the first responders gradual loss of control is not just a cutesy horror subplot, when the cops go zombie then run if you can.

For Michael Jackson fan’s note Jermaine Jackson plays a tenant in this movie.

Anti-war war movie of box office big variety–that is Captain Newman.  This Gregory Peck piece came out in December 1963 so I missed it (being 60 days old on its release).  But what a nice reflection on the cost of war, the challenges that were faced behind the lines, and the mysteries of the mind.  This movie is somewhere between M*A*S*H and Catch 22.

Set in 1944 safely stateside in the Arizona desert, a multifunctional military hospital operates (chuckle) next to an army training center.  Dr. Newman runs the psych ward which runs amuk with a smorgasbord of “shell shocked” cases.

The movie is from here on a series of ups and downs, hi-jinx and low jinks with some Pentagon meddling and even stock footage you would not expect.  The dialogue is very well written, intense, personal, and touching. Beyond Peck, there is a host of other greats and soon to be greats. Eddie Albert, Tony Curtis, Bobby Darin…just a start.  Then there is  a young Robert Duvall and an always crusty James Gregory.  Dick Sargent (Bewitched), Larry Storch (F-Troop), and Ted Bessell (That Girl) spice up the ensemble.  There is a unique Apache-Isreali song and dance number done by some Italian POWS. Comedy? Drama?  A well mixed movie tasty on many levels.

There have been a few makes of “The Beast”.  This one is about a T-62 Soviet tank taking on the Afgan (Pushtun) rabble during the 1980’s Soviet-Afgan War.  Besides the pure savagery given, taken, and shared by all, there are themes of loyalty, trust, and a nod to Kipling.  Hustling the East is at best a risky affair.  The film is beautifully shot and full of in your face reality. Honest uses of authentic languages.  Even the film is shot in Asia, I think.  Isreal (most likely the Negev) makes a decent ersatz Afganistan.  The country is rugged and no place to get lost in in peace.  In war, aye mami!

This British miniseries covers the infamous Colditz (Castle) POW camp.  Colditz made The Great Escape Luft Stalag seem like an open camp. Unlike The Great Escape, Colditz  also covered the secret service that aided allied POWS in escape and evasion.  Like so many British series this is done with class and attention to detail.  There are subplots enough to keep things interesting.  And best of all, the Colditz story is based on historical fact—a fine narrative, both entertaining and informative

This is one of the movies that gets commentary.  This is a Western, but of a very rare genre.  It is considered an Acid Western by those more learned than me.  Acid Western is basically psychedelic.  They were made in the late 60’s and early 70’s.  El Topo (The Mole) was a favorite of none other than John Lennon. And John knew his acid induced art.  The violence is a shade beyond Peckinpaugh.  Blood flows freely.  The music is as complex as Lucy in the Sky.  The cinematography is flawless, embedded with deep meaning, allegory, and stark beauty. The star (and director, writer, etc) is a stark, very silent gunslinger is search of redemption.  This film is best seen–no description pays due. There is a violence–but all well orchestrated.  El Topo is more like a Wagnerian opera than a pedestrian western. High marks for this film—banned, misunderstood, left in the deep cult status—it is a winner beyond mere words.