I really didn’t know anything about this movie even though I remember the box art from the video rental shelves. The members of a small fishing town start murdering passers by in weird ritualistic manners. The town sheriff investigates and weirdness ensues (including Grandpa Joe from Willy Wonka as a mortician who loves his job a bit too much). The film feels like a made for T.V. movie or a Twilight Zone episode. Because of this awkward tone, it’s not very scary, but it is quite fun.
I have largely ignored superhero movies since the first Avengers movie. I never really dislike the ones I’ve seen, but the action sequences are always so bad and low-stakes for the heroes. Captain Marvel is no exception. Fun character building for the first half, then boredom until the credits roll as you watch video game style CGI move around the screen. Still, I think I may attempt to work my way through all these dumb movies.
Bond travels to Istanbul to meet with a rogue Russian agent who claims to be in love with him. The first quarter of the book is devoted to the Russians coming up with the plan to kill Bond with a huge build up to the main villain. He kills during the full moon like an animalistic madman! None of that really pays off and the climax is rather quiet compared to the hype. Nevertheless it’s a Bond novel and I knew what I was getting.
I’ll admit it, I really don’t like the Talking Heads. Their 3 or 4 radio hits are okay, but for the most part I find them boring. This film, however, transcends the music to become a thing on to itself. It’s a joy to watch. Every song is a new visual and sonic delight. I didn’t come out of it a Talking Heads fan, but I do appreciate them slightly more.
Bogart is screen writer with a short fuse who is wrongly accused of murder. His alibi is his new neighbor, with whom he quickly develops a love affair. I wanted more focus on the noir-y murder stuff, but it mostly is about on his temper and how that eventually destroys his relationship. Most notably this film includes a recipe for a drink called A Horse’s Neck: ginger ale and a twist of lemon.
