Media Notes: Roundup for July 2022

                           

This is a somewhat random selection of the movies and series on DVD and/or online I watched during July 2022.

Movies and films (links to IMDB.com for basic information unless noted otherwise). Some of these I watched via TubiTv.com or other online source. The DVDs come from the public library (unless noted otherwise). In addition, I will try to add other trivia notes, such as when a film is based on a book adding the information about the book (at least the WorldCat record if available). 

A bit of good and not so good this month. I'd say The Divine Fury was the highlight for new to me films. Monsters of Man was also pretty good.

• Monsters of Man (2020. Science Fiction. Action. Thriller. Australian film). Plot description: "A US weapons manufacturer tests its 4 killer robots on heroin producers in the Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia. It goes haywire." Film has Neil McDonough in it, so that is a good start. To complicate things, when the four robots land, one of them is damaged due to is parachute not opening all the way, so it goes rogue in relation to the other three. When the three robots invade a village, they not only eliminate any drug runners, they also kill anyone else. Meanwhile, the 4th robot, the rogue, since it is not connected as the others are, well, starts becoming self aware and learning. Now a small group of medical students on a mission need to escape and try to survive. The medical students vary in degree of how irritating they are, not to mention clueless (like what the heck? they get sent to the middle of a jungle with no jungle training let alone skill to read a map) and no common sense. I guess the medical mission group just sends coddled city kids into jungles without any support or training. A small detail, but somewhat irritating. We do not see McDonough's CIA character much, but when he is on, he does a good performance as the cold and ruthless mission leader. Jose Rosete as Boller, the handler keeping the technicians in line is the one that really puts in a performance; he is serious and scary. You would not want to cross him. As for the survivors, as typical in thrillers, at times they make one or two decisions that are not too bright, but they find themselves learning quickly. Overall this is a pretty good thriller. Has good blend of action, government conspiracy, suspense, and killer robots. There is even a little bit of drama as the rogue robot, who is becoming sentient, tries to figure out who it is. The story has a good pace and keeps it up. There are no slow spots really in the film. A pretty good film that keeps the thrills going to the very end. This is the a good entry in the tech gone wrong genre. Really liked this one, so 4.5 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 7/2.
• Sister Wrath (2008. Action. Comedy. a.k.a. Nun of That). Plot description: "Nun of That is an action-comedy that follows Sister Kelly Wrath as she transforms from a nun with a simple temper problem to a vengeful killer." Similar to Machete in the sense that it is a movie that came out of a mock movie trailer. Sister Kelly is a nun with a temper and an attitude who takes no guff, traits that may not be that good for a nunnery but will work well for the clandestine vigilante church group she will be joining when she comes back from the dead. You see, she gets killed in an alley, but then in the afterlife gets trained by some ascended masters including Jesus, then sent back to Earth to continue the order's mission. She will be a sanctified crusader to kill and take out the criminals and others who deserve to die; they are not getting saved anyways. It is a silly movie. The acting is not great to be honest; it can be a bit stiff at times, and some lines are bad. But it is also a pretty fun vigilante movie with a touch of nunsploitation (in the gun toting nuns). On a side note, the movie was released in 2008, but the setting is in the 1970s or so, which adds a bit to the exploitation element. Overall, it was silly, fun at times, some bad lines that can be laughable. I was not too thrilled with the ending, but it was alright for the film. The musical number by the way was good. I liked it, so I'd say 3.5 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 7/3. Side note: needless to say if you are overly religious and/or lack a sense of humor, this movie is not for you. It plays with every other religion, belief, and an ethnic stereotype or two. For everyone else, pretty good fun for a late weekend night. 
• Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile (1978. Crime. Drama. Mystery. Literary Adaptation). Plot description: "As Hercule Poirot enjoys a luxurious cruise down the Nile, a newlywed heiress is found murdered on board. Can Poirot identify the killer before the ship reaches the end of its journey?" This is the 1978 adaptation of Christie's novel with Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot. I have seen Ustinov in the role in Evil Under the Sun (link to my review). While Ustinov may not be my favorite Poirot-- I like David Suchet in the role better-- the films Ustinov made are just beautiful films overall, and they always have a very good cast of seriously good actors. They are worth watching just for the good performances and beautiful cinematography and scenery. Cast in this one includes David Niven, Mia Farrow, Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury, and George Kennedy among other stars.As I mentioned before, I thought I had seen this years ago, likely with mom who did favor Ustinov in the role. Anyhow, I found it now, and I decided to watch it again. For starters, the soundtrack and music are very good here. It does start a little slow, but that is because they spend a bit of time introducing the characters before they all meet on that fateful Nile River cruise. It may be slow, but small details are revealed, and the viewer should be attentive. Poirot certainly is, and I do enjoy watching those small details as well. On an interesting note, Lansbury is playing a romance novelist, and she plays it up. The dance scene early in the film where she forces Col. Race (Niven) to dance a tango is amusing; he does not dance well by his admission, but the lady does want his company. As often happens in Christie's novels and the movies, everyone is a suspect, and anyone could be the killer. The victim pretty much has enemies everywhere. It falls to Poirot to sort it all out. To keep it interesting, not only did the rest of the passengers have motive to kill the victim, but a number of them had opportunity as well; the movie does well in recreating those moments of opportunity as Poirot presents them while investigating. Thing is soon others start dying too, and as they do, the suspense builds. The movie does have some small humorous moments that add to the overall ambiance. On another small side note, Miss Bowers (Maggie Smith) looked quite fetching in that feminine tuxedo she wore in one of the scenes (what can I say? I do like a lady in a suit once in a while). For the record, the heiress's murder happens halfway through the film, and we got quite the buildup to get there. I like this movie better than the previous one I saw in part because Ustinov does not play Poirot's eccentricities as much; I thought he overdid it a bit in the other film. Otherwise, he does a very good performance here, a bit more serious, which I appreciated more. The other actors' performances are great too. The scene at the end when all is revealed is a classic. Overall, this is a pretty good adaptation, very lavish, and as good as I remembered it. It is also just very good movie to watch for the setting and ambiance. I am willing to give it the full 5 out of 5 stars. On a bonus for me, I think appreciate Ustinov a bit better here, and I can see better why mom liked him so much in the role. Via TubiTv. Watched 7/4.
  
• Ustinov has portrayed Poirot in six films, though only three were released in theaters. In addition to this one, and Evil Under the Sun, he has done 1985's Thirteen at Dinner (TV movie), 1986's Dead Man's Folly (TV movie), 1986's Murder in Three Acts (TV movie), and 1988's Appointment with Death. At this point, I am curious enough that I may seek out the others. Turns out TubiTv has at this time Appointment With Death, so added it to the watch list. I will have to check if my local library has the others.
• Side note: At the end of the film, Poirot makes reference to a previous case, the Murder on the Orient Express.  Sadly for us, Ustinov did not make a film version of that. I wonder what that might have been like. 
• Conan the Barbarian (1982. Action. Adventure. Fantasy. Literary adaptation). Plot description: "A young boy, Conan, becomes a slave after his parents are killed and tribe destroyed by a savage warlord and sorcerer, Thulsa Doom. When he grows up he becomes a fearless, invincible fighter. Set free, he plots revenge against Thulsa Doom." This is the classic film where Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the title role, one of the films that made him famous. James Earl Jones portrays Thulsa Doom. Max Von Sydow makes a brief appearance as King Osric, delivers a great line about the love of a father for his daughter. The movie may not be a perfect adaptation, but I would say it is pretty good. It does capture the essence of Robert E. Howard's tales. It also has good cinematography and great outdoors settings. If you like fantasy and swords films, this is a very good one. It has action, story, adventure, a bit of romance, some sorcery and magic, and a tale of revenge. To be honest, the film holds up very well to this day, and it will likely hold up for many years more. The movie also has a very good music soundtrack. I've seen the movie a few times, and I always enjoy it. For me, a 5 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 7/9.
  
• Film is based on the Conan stories by Robert E. Howard. I've read some graphic novel adaptations of the tales (you can find reviews on this blog). 
• Fun as the movie is, and it is, when you think about it, Thulsa Doom is a bit like a modern day televangelist in the sense that he goes from a pillaging warrior to set up a cult as a path to wealth. Unlike a modern huckster, Thulsa Doom did have dark magic. It is still a very good film, and James Earl Jones does a good job portraying the cult sorcerer. 
• Conan the Destroyer (1984. Action. Fantasy. Adventure. Literary Adaptation). Plot description: "Conan leads a ragtag group of adventurers on a quest for a princess." Arnold Schwarzenegger returns for another turn portraying Conan. He takes on the task to lead the princess and her bodyguard to find a rare artifact that will awaken Dagon, a god of dreams. To entice Conan, the queen who hires him claims she can use her magic to bring back Valeria, his dead lover (from the previous film). Along the way, he meets again with the Akiro the Wizard (portrayed by Mako, from the first film) and befriends the warrior Zula (a very cool role done by Grace Jones). The character of Subatai does not return, so we have the thief Malak as Conan's new thief companion (portrayed by Tracey Walter). Malak also adds a bit of comic relief here or there. Soon Conan finds he is for quite an adventure with deceit, and he will need his strength and wits to save the day and the princess. The film's music soundtrack is good, nice adventure tone, but not quite as majestic as it was in the first film. It reflects a bit that this movie is meant to be a bit more fun and less serious as the previous one. Just a bit of difference. The tone overall of the film is lighter, with some humor additions here or there. You can feel they tried to make Conan a bit more family friendly, but if you have read the tales you know Conan is not a family friendly character. The story is a bit thin, but it is your basic adventure quest. Is it as good as the first one? No, but it is still decent entertainment. Pacing in some parts slows down a bit, but overall if you like fantasy films this is still enjoyable. In the end, I like it, so willing to give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 7/10.
• On a trivia note, Andre Roussimoff, who many may have known as Andre the Giant the professional wrestler, does an uncredited role as Dagoth.

• BloodRayne (2005. Horror. Fantasy. Action. Video game adaptation). Plot description: "In the eighteenth century, a vampire escapes from the freak show, in which she once participated, and teams up with a group of vampire slayers to kill the man who raped her mother." Actually, BloodRayne is a dhampir, a half human half vampire. The movie does deviate significantly from the original video game's premise. The game is originally set in World War II; film is set back in the late 18th century or so. One thing the movie has going for it is a decent cast including Michelle Rodriguez, Michael Madsen, and Ben Kingsley (who often gets dragged into films like this when they need an evil patriarch figure; he is the evil vampire patriarch here). Kristanna Loken does well enough as the title character, but that feels mostly adequate. For folks paying attention, she was the Terminator TX in the third Terminator film. For starters though, one of those movies with a long opening sequence of credits, scenery, and ominous music, the kind of opening you feel is a bit of filler. The movie does have some nice scenery, and it looks good here and there. The story however had potential, but the execution is slow, not that interesting to be honest. Once Rayne escapes and gets on her quest to find an artifact, it becomes a race. The vampires want the artifact and hope she finds it for them and then to kill her. The Brimstone Society, a vampire slayer society, hope to find the artifact as well, but they also have some intrigues going on within their depleted ranks. Three artifacts, body parts of an old powerful vampire, if reunited could make a vampire seriously powerful, and this is what the evil old vampire seeks. (One does wonder why did they not just burn all of the ancient vampire instead of dismembering him, but then, we would not have a movie.) This is an hour and forty minutes movie, and most of that time it just drags, and the good actors seem wasted; heck, they feel like they are dragging feet to get through the movie. In addition, it just has a few scenes that feel unnecessary, including that one montage close to the end that seems pretty pointless. Overall, this was pretty bad. The story was not that good. The action was fairly minimal, and not that good. This is one to skip. 1 out of 5 stars, and barely. Via TubiTv. Watched 7/16.
  
• Movie is based, very loosely, on a video game of the same name. By now, there is a whole media franchise including three games, the films, and even a comic book.  
• There are two more sequels, but based on this one I am in no rush to watch them.
  
•  Ten Little Indians (1989. Mystery. Crime. Thriller. Literary Adaptation). Plot description: "Ten people are invited to go on an African safari, only to find that an unseen person is killing them one by one. Could one of them be the killer?" I will note I am coming to this without having read the novel it is based on, which I understand is one of Christie's best. Cast here includes Donald Pleasence (one of those good actors you often see in small roles here or there. Some folks may recall him from the Halloween films), Brenda Vaccaro, and Frank Stallone. The issue is to see what the ten folks have in common, if anything, and why they were invited to an isolated spot in Africa by an absent host. Soon they learn through a gramophone recording that their host brought them there due to crimes each person has committed. At this point, the connection is not clear as each individual has their own crime. So where does Owen, the absent host come in, what is his motivation? Justice? Revenge? Gradually we get some details as characters speak of their past, but also they start dying. The movie overall is not bad, but it is not great either. The suspense is decent enough.  It does not have the original book's ending, but as I understand none of the movie adaptations do (Hollywood likes nicer endings). The acting was average, not bad. Pleasence does the best acting overall. I thought it was OK, so 2 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 7/16.
  
• This is another of various adaptations of Agatha Christie's Ten Little Indians; the book is now known as And Then There Were None (to expunge the racist reference).  The original  title comes from a reference to an old rhyme, that plays a key part of the plot. After seeing this film, I am curious to go read the book.
  
• Interestingly enough, this is a Cannon Group film. I had no idea prior to seeing this they ever made anything like adapting an Agatha Christie novel, albeit with some significant liberties such as the setting. The original book takes place in a private island; the film takes place during a safari train journey. 
•  And Then There Were None (1945. Mystery. Drama. Crime. Literary Adaptation). Plot description: "Seven guests, a newly hired secretary and two staff are gathered at a manor house on an isolated island by an unknown absentee host and are killed off one-by-one. They work together to determine who the killer is before it's too late." This is the 1945 adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel. I saw TubiTv had it, and since I had seen some positive reviews I figured I'd give it a chance. One thing I often like about older movies like this one is the music soundtrack. They really put in some good work to provide some dramatic music. Then there are the little details. For example, in one scene, it is storming outside, and as the remaining people are working out clues, when a revelation is made, the lightning goes off (naturally, adding to the dramatic effect). Overall, this is a pretty good movie. It is more somber than the 1989 adaptation I watched. I know the book was adapted into a play, and in a way, this film feels a lot like watching a good play. The actors all do their parts well, and we do focus on the actors and what they do. The setting does feel isolated, and the story keeps the suspense until the very end. It may have a slow moment here or there, but overall it is a good mystery. I did like it, so willing to give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.  If anything, this makes me more curious about reading the book. Watched 7/17. 
• The Divine Fury (2019. Action. Horror. Thriller. South Korean film). Plot description: "An MMA fighter helps an exorcist fight evil." Park Seo-joon loses his father. His father was a police officer and a single father; he gets killed during a traffic stop. Father and son are very devout, but the boy loses his faith after his father dies. Back then we already get a hint of the supernatural as the killers may have been possessed; also his father appears to Park after death (in a dream, brief but moving scene). 20 years later, Park becomes a very successful Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter. He is also obsessed with getting revenge against God for letting his father die. Soon the signs begin to let him know not all is right, and he reluctantly accepts help from a priest who is also an exorcist. They need to work together to fight the evil in the city, led by one known as the Dark Bishop. Overall, the film blends suspense with a bit of horror and a bit of drama. The story builds up gradually as Park comes to accept his role. The film also has a moving moment here or there too. The story is good, and it moves at a good pace. Movie additionally has some interesting details in terms of the religious and cult elements. The movie is a good thriller, and folks who enjoy horror and stories of exorcists and demons will likely enjoy this one. To be honest, a lot better than a lot of the dreck Hollywood puts out, and another example why I am enjoying many Asian films. I really liked it, so willing to give it 4.5 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 7/24. 

 

 

 

Television and other series (basic show information links via Wikipedia unless noted otherwise). Some of these come in DVD from the public library. Others may be via YouTube, which, as noted before, I keep finding all sorts of other old shows in it, often full episodes:

•  George Carlin: George's Best Stuff (1990. Stand up comedy). This is a retrospective program containing material from 1977 to 1990. Description: "This special edition looks at his famous Seven dirty words, baseball and football, losing things, dogs and cats, stuff and monopoly." I love his baseball and football routine. Overall, as a selection, there are some routines better than others, but overall this is a pretty good compilation of some classics. One of the things he was good at, especially in the early days was asking those small random observational questions. 4 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 7/4.
• George Carlin: Doin' it Again (1990. Stand up comedy). Plot description: "George Carlin brings his comedy back to New Jersey and this time talks about Offensive Language, Euphemisms, They're Only Words, Dogs, Things you never hear, see or wanna hear, Some people are stupid, Cancer, Feminists, Good Ideas, Rape, Life's moments, and organ donors." The special first starts with some highlights from previous shows. Then the actual show starts. His routine here about dogs is amusing and bittersweet at times as he remembers the dogs in his life and gets the audience to perhaps remember theirs. His take on stupid people is spot on, and oh so relevant still. This special is from the 1990s, but his take on language and groups, including feminists (he gets it when it comes to feminists), who use it for control is also very relevant now. Overall, a very good performance as Carlin is moving into his latter stage, the more philosophical stage where he really makes folks think. 4.5 out of 5 stars. Via TubiTv. Watched 7/10.
  
• Iron Chef (1993-1999). I continue watching this full run via TubiTv. I am almost done with the fifth season.