The Booksteve Film Festival 2022--January

At the end of every month this year, the intent is to show posters of every movie I watched in that month and offer my comments on them. 

 

Max Julien was an intense actor and this was his biggest starring role. I'd seen the previews way back in the day but never the film. Better than I expected.

Ron O'Neal was a classically trained actor who looked cool but out of place here. Hard to feel sympathy for a pusher as hero but some nice cinematography and Curtis Mayfield's great score.

The first part is funny with the leads playfully flirting. After they become an actual couple, it starts to get dull.

Garner easily steals the picture in spite of its convoluted plot and iffy performances by some of his co-stars. 

Not incredibly erotic, but some funny moments and good casting of the genies.

Intense thriller with lots of snow scenes and a twist ending.

Hilarious and purposely campy send-up of Hitchcock and Gidget tropes. 

A unique and original horror film that was later diluted by too many sequels. 

One of Jackie's first epic action dramas moving him way past the typical martial arts movies.

Atmospheric but repetitive Mexican horror, the first part of a long serial.

Watched the black and white director's cut, which makes a good film a GREAT film. Excellent performances and the director's love of film history shines through every scene. 

Walker seems to be still playing Cheyenne but Moore chews the scenery as never before or never again. Nice black and white photography but still plays like a TV Warner Bros. western.  

Gianni Garko gives a fun performance in what amounts to an action-filled spaghetti western in WWII clothing. 

A weird crime thriller all around with a subdued Nero and an off-his-meds Savalas kidnapping young Lester, who begins to suffer Stockholm Syndrome. Some good scenes but creepy as hell!

Great cast and great art direction fails to make much of this messy film. The main problem is the lack of any chemistry at all between the two leads.

Arliss is much fun to watch and Bette Davis is almost sexy in this ridiculously convoluted pre-Code comedy.

Leisurely and somewhat predictable British mystery with great atmosphere and a fun romantic subplot.

Pretty boys, pretty girls, a girl disguised as a boy, and a doubledecker bus filled with some catchy songs.

 

An exciting serial with the main character a very modern-seeming woman.

A good cast but not much of a story and Bronson just seems to be going through the motions. 

Hilarity with both Wheeler and Woolsey as the new Kings of a small kingdom. Edna May Oliver is great!

Saul as John Wick. Violent to the point of absurdity but it all seems pointless. Odenkirk is a better actor than Keanu but doesn't have half of his movie star charisma. 

Fun to see the old radio stars on screen but Groucho is diluted and the plot about twin racehorses is just silly, not funny.

A goofy football comedy with our stars arrested and made to play on the prison team.

Like the poster says, it's delightful! Fun pre-Code flirting between Powell and the very married Francis runs almost throughout the entire picture leading to an equally fun ending.

Some okay songs and a dual role for the cheeky young Tommy as he gets mixed up in a royal mixup!

Not a good movie at all and yet a supremely entertaining BAD movie and the definitive Rudy Ray Moore picture! The microphones cameo in almost every scene.

Never found Bruce funny at all although I concede his important place in the history of comedy. He's more interesting to me to read about than to watch or hear. This shows a lot of clips of him.

An atmospheric classic I had never seen. Tense and surprising. 

Unoriginal but not bad sci-fi action thriller with a good cast of veterans.

Lee was amazingly charismatic...later. Not here. Powers Boothe steals the picture. Some good action sequences.

Stylish '60s eurospy thriller with a surprising cast and a number of twists and turns before a TV-style ending.

An alleged romantic comedy, based on a true story, killed by the lack of chemistry between its stars.