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Reviews
Sedmikrásky (1966)
Madder than a box of frogs
Bonkers, bizarre and utterly riveting.
It stands the test of time brilliantly - Over 50 years after it was made, it still looks and feels fresh and contemporary in many aspects (apart from the lingerie!) - despite the absence of computers.....
Lots of surreal craziness, much of it involving food and drink, with a madcap score thrown in.
Just jump aboard and enjoy the ride, you'll get your money's worth on this one !!
"This film is dedicated to all those whose only source of indignation is a trampled-on trifle"
64 Day Hero (1986)
Sheds some light on a tragic story
Randolph Turpin was a tremendously gifted boxer from a famous fighting family who captured the world middleweight title in 1951, dethroning a champion who many consider to be the greatest pound for pound boxer ever - Sugar Ray Robinson.
This engrossing, biographical documentary charts his rise and fall using a mix of classic fight footage, interviews with family, friends and associates, and a bit of investigative journalism. It's an all-too-familiar fight game tale of exploitation, naive decisions and murky finances., which led to Turpin committing suicide at the tragically young age of just 38.
There's plenty of insight into his life and career here, but just "suggestions" as to what might have explained the holes in Turpin's finances which eventually came to light.
Nevertheless, this is a great watch for those interested in the fight game and it's history, from what was in many ways boxing's golden age - just not for many of the boxers, even the most talented ones.......
Take a Letter Mr. Jones..... (1981)
Under-rated Inman comedy
Primarily a vehicle for John Inman (Rula Lenska mostly plays the straight person, with Miriam Margolyes providing a recurring chaos element) - this short- lived series manages it's fair share of hilarity.
The role-reversal premise isn't really one that's played out from a female empowerment perspective - the first episode teases that line, but the payoff is set up (via a press "spin" angle in the story) to establish the theme of Inman's character (Mr Jones) as the one who is put upon to make sacrifices and deal with with various "non work" calamities on top of his normal job, in order to support his "single mum" boss who puts her own job first. This theme is present throughout the series.
Although most of the episodes follow a (very) similar formula, and it's certainly not (as it might seem from first impressions) an early example of progressive gender or cultural politics, it's a series which gives plenty of bang for your buck in terms of laughs - definitely one to check out if you like crudely stereotyped Aussies or Americans......
Zachariah (1971)
Rock and Roll Outlaws..... Literally
Coming of age story set in a surreal version of the "old west" where the bands play thru Marshall stacks and the gunslingers play virtuoso drum solos...
A young Don Johnson (of Miami Vice fame) seems slightly out of place here, and the film descends into gloopy melodrama in it's latter stages - but the involvement of the Firesign Theater crew at least ensures a fair helping of the bizarre. Well worth a watch for anyone with an affection for Seventies rock and the attendant culture - some great moments, including the opening scene.....
Week End (1967)
Savage, Surreal Send-Up of Selfishness
We open up with a voyeuristic description of a sexual encounter, then hit the road to hell with a couple devoid of any semblance of consideration or respect for others.
Various chaotic and surreal events ensue, all framed within a world of fatal traffic accidents in locations where it should be pretty unlikely for them to occur - maybe an observation on the terrible road safety reputation of France at the time, as well as fitting in with the overall theme?
Brilliant and deranged movie with savage humour and it's fair share of depravity and "WTF" moments.... You're always wondering what sort of carnage or strangeness is up ahead.... Oh, and it's also nostalgic eye-candy for those who remember the quirky French vehicles of the time, with a wide selection on view....
Jigureul jikyeora! (2003)
Demented....
Is it a Crime Drama? - Well, Yes... and No.
Is it Torture Porn? - Well, Yes... and No.
Is it Science Fiction? - Well, Yes... and No.
Is it a Comedy? - Well, Yes... and No.
Throw in a bit of blunt social commentary, a contrived love story and some bits lifted from famous movies (2001 and Close Encounters), and you have a recipe for a mish-mash which isn't going to hang together and satisfies no-one..... But somehow it does all (mostly) work, delivering an engaging movie that's more than the sum of it's parts. None of the disparate main elements particularly dominate the film at the expense of the others, which makes this impossible to pigeon-hole into one dominant genre..... Great entertainment, provided you aren't put off by the "Torture Porn" element.....