The Hunter

Loosely based on an actual person, Steve McQueen is Ralph "Papa" Thorson, a veteran bounty hunter who finds himself targeted by a criminal he once helped put away. As Papa navigates threats, rounds up the wanted and deals with his personal life, the film maintains a balance between action and drama. This doesn't always work well as the character ends up borderline unlikable. But there are a number of very good chases and well placed comic touches. McQueen's iconic cool and charisma shine, even in a less-than-ideal role. A young LeVar Burton is quite good in a small supporting part as a bonus.

In what I can't help but feel is a bit of fun at McQueen's expense, Papa is portrayed as a terrible driver. In chases he also ends up driving a combine harvester, of all things, and a clunky tow truck. McQueen was a legendary gear head that often did his own stunt driving in his films.

"The Hunter" is Steve McQueen's final film and while not one of his strongest, it's definitely worth a view. He died not long after this film's release.

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The Ladykillers

Classic British comedy... A gang of criminals, posing as classical musicians, rent rooms from a sweet elderly widow, Mrs. Wilberforce. Their plan is to use her lopsided home as a base for a major robbery. The robbery itself goes, mostly, fine. But Mrs. Wilberforce's innocent curiosity and general bumbling soon threaten to unravel their carefully planned escape.

A brilliant ensemble cast makes "The Ladykillers" the timeless film it is. Alec Guinness leads as the suave and manipulative Professor Marcus, the leader and mastermind of the criminal gang. His performance is a study in comedic timing and understated menace. 

The film's humor is subtle yet effective, relying on witty dialogue, physical comedy, and the clash of personalities between the criminals, each with very different personalities, and their unsuspecting landlady. The plot is suspenseful without losing sight of comedic elements.

Fun fact... The director's choice of Katie Johnson for the role of Mrs. Wilberforce was initially rejected on the grounds that she was too frail for the production. A younger actress was cast instead but she unfortunately died before filming began and Johnson got the part after all.

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The Party

Blake Edwards at his best, "The Party" is farcical masterpiece featuring the inimitable Peter Sellers.

A humble Indian bit part actor, somewhat prone to clumsiness, is accidentally invited to, and unleashed upon, a lavish Hollywood party. His innocent presence sets off chain reactions of comedic mishaps as he unwittingly disrupts the carefully curated social gathering. It's a simple setup, that allows us to see in pure form what Sellers and Edwards can do, without need of a plot. "The Party" has an experimental feels to it. Just the same, Sellers's portrayal is nothing short of brilliant, capturing the character's befuddled innocence and his unique ability to wreak havoc.

"The Party" is filled with colorful characters, outrageous situations, slapstick humor and dripping with late '60s modernism, color, fashion and style. The film perfectly balances chaotic energy with moments of desperate awkwardness. The ensemble cast only adds to the the comedic chaos. Fun for the whole family...

Audiences in 1968 where already familiar with the more character driven Inspector Clouseau vehicles (by and large superior films) as "The Party" came out right in the middle of that series. In fact Sellers appeared as Clouseau in another release that very year. That's surprising considering the clear parallels in comic stylings and definitely something that wouldn't happen today.

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The Golden Blade

Here we have a delightful Technicolor escapade in the world of Hollywood Arabian fantasy. Rock Hudson is Harum, a young man seeking revenge for his father's murder, when he stumbles upon a very special sword. Oh, and a princess. Thrills, heroism, romance, magic and off the shelf political intrigue...

Rock Hudson brings a charismatic and dashing presence to the role of Harum, making him a likable and, even in a film like this, a believable hero. Piper Laurie turns in a spirited pwrfomance as the Feisty Princess in the habit of posing as a commoner (TM). It's handy for her, and for Harum, that her guards are utterly useless.

Stereotypical, melodramatic, predictable, nostalgic, colorful, loads of fun... There's some very, very funny dialogue in this, given what we know about Rock Hudson today. Hollywood wasn't subtle in hindsight.

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5 Card Stud

A whodunit with a twisty, suspenseful and slightly predictable plot played out as a western with a lighthearted tone... It's a Dean Martin after all.

A poker game, gone wrong in a small gold rush town leaves a new comer lynched for cheating. Soon the other players begin to turn up dead one by one, each in a gruesome and unusual manner (related to hanging). The remaining players work to uncover the identity of the killer before they become the next victim. The whole mystery is meant to parallel a poker game but the film is a little weak in making that connection.

Dean Martin gives a solid performance as Van Morgan, a gambler and lady's man caught up in the deadly game. Robert Mitchum is of course creepy as an enigmatic preacher, new in town, with his own agenda. Roddy McDowall delivers a memorable performance as a young hothead and general loose cannon. Yaphet Kotto has a part with some good lines, it's interesting to see him in something like this.

It's not quite a comedy, but well crafted and doesn't take it too seriously.

"A man's gotta be a damn fool once in a while. It proves he's still alive."

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Bad Lieutenant

As the title suggests, Harvey Keitel is a bad New York police lieutenant. He gambles, he drinks, he does drugs, he's a bad father, he's a bad friend, he's irresponsible with firearms, he has bad personal hygiene practices and he hardly does any police work. He's just awful. 

The film starts out showing how terrible he is at his job. He soon slides into being really awful. From there things take a downward turn.

"Bad Lieutenant" takes gritty and unflinching police drama to a new extreme. Corruption, addiction, depravity and the generally bad behavior go without saying. The man even drives badly. Harvey Keitel delivers a tour-de-force performance as the morally bankrupt police detective who is unnamed in the film. It is disturbing and at times hard to watch, but this may be the best performance of Keitel's career. His portrayal is masterclass acting showcasing desperation, self-loathing, and moments of fleeting humanity.

Abel Ferrara's signature style of realism and unflinching violence, is on full display in "Bad Lieutenant". The film's atmosphere is dark, oppressive and unsettling. You just have to wonder how some films ever get made...

"Vampires are lucky, they can feed on others. We gotta eat away at ourselves."

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Chicago Confidential

Mobsters are taking over a windy city labor union for various illegal enterprises. An honest union officer is framed for the murder of the union's accountant before the accountant can blow the whistle. Steve Farrell (Brian Keith), is the DA that brings the appearently strong case against the man. But something doesn't smell right and it's not yesterday's deep-dish. After learning that a critical piece of evidence was faked, he becomes determined to uncover the truth behind the murder. 

"Chicago Confidential" is an adiquate, entertaining and fairly short film noir with a thin theme of city politics and plenty of classic thugs doing thug stuff. Brian Keith displays a strong performance as the determined district attorney, while the supporting cast is up to the vehicle, without being outstanding. There's a few examples of really interesting camera work, but the film is mostly conventional, if a little heavy on the close-ups. It's also worth noting some good establishing shots of period Chicago landmarks in the opening.

The film features two expansive scenes of technologies relatively new to audiences in the '50s. The first is a detailed explanation of what makes two fingerprints match. The other was the use of an elaborate setup of two oscilloscopes to compare two voice recordings on tape (tape itself was only in common use for maybe ten years at the time). The voice comparison, the key clue that the murder was a setup, as the film portrays it seems unlikely to work in reality. But the film is optimistic about the technology.

The film features bombastic narration particularly at the beginning, and the end. It seems intended to give a sense of gravity and news/documentary to a film that didn't have the budget to achieve that feel in other ways. It's borderline annoying.

One last rant... I'm always amazed at the power of law enforcement in these films. Police often effortlessly, for example, roadblock every exit from the city and whatnot. In "Chicago Confidential", one phone call grounds all air traffic at the city's airport. No questions asked.

In the end (which is a shootout at the airport), "Chicago Confidential" is not an iconic film noir, but is a solid crime drama with a few interesting touches. Worth a view, a little over 70 minutes...

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Witness for the Prosecution

"Don't mind Janet it's just that she's terribly Scotch."

Members of the jury, Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power) is on trial, accused of murdering a wealthy woman. It doesn't look good. His defense is complicated by the testimony of his seemingly cold and uncaring wife, Christine (Marlene Dietrich). Charles Laughton delivers a tour-de-force performance as Sir Wilfrid Robarts, the eccentric and brilliant lawyer defending Vole. His dramatic flair and sharp wit are a highlight. Marlene Dietrich is equally captivating as Christine, whose enigmatic demeanor adds to the presentation.

In summation, "Witness for the Prosecution" is a masterful courtroom drama from Billy Wilder. Wilder's screenplay is filled with witty and intelligent dialogue and details, adding complexity and humanity to the characters and even simple extras in the background. The theme is dark and the case suspenseful, reflecting the seriousness of the charges, while judicious use of humor keeps the film without objection. Wilder's direction is confident and thorough, as always.

The plot is full of turns and reveals. The climax of the trial is particularly entertaining, an easy verdict.

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