European Cinema : What European films did you see? July / August 2016

What European films did you see? July / August 2016

Hello European Cinema board. Please feel free to post on this thread about any films, documentaries, animations, short subject films (etc.) that you've been watching. Hopefully people can pick up some recommendations along the way.

Thanks.

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'Caina : The Island And The Continent' (1922, Cainà: L'isola e il continente - Gennaro Righelli)

Caina (Maria Jacobini) dreams of leaving old Sardinia by taking to the seas but the old world doesn't release its living creatures easily.

'Caina : The Island And The Continent' is a haunting silent movie from Maestro Gennaro Righelli starring Maria Jacobini as a peasant girl who harbours dreams and aspirations. It's a film about nature and the elements trying to take back creation from a free-spirited woman who's intent upon forging her own destiny. Righelli transports you to a strange, angular world when the action occurs along narrow shores and sharp rockscapes, before launching out to sea in high style.

'You join with other ladies to deride me
and do not think, my lady, for what cause
I cut so awkward and grotesque a figure
when I stand gazing at your lovely form.
Could you but know my soul in charity,
then yours would melt from its accustomed scorn;
for Love, when he beholds me near to you,
takes on cruel and bold new confidence
and puts my frightened senses to the sword,
murdering this one, driving that one out,
till only he is left to look at you;
thus, though his changeling, I am not so changed
but that I still can hear in my own soul
my outcast senses mourning in their pain.'

- Sonnet from 'Vita Nuova' by Dante Alighieri


'Four Steps In The Clouds' (1942, 4 passi fra le nuvole - Alessandro Blasetti)

Travelling candy salesman Paolo Bianchi (Gino Cervi) assists pregnant bus passenger Maria (Adriana Benetti) in a plan to fool her family into thinking she's due to get married.

'Four Steps In The Clouds' is a disarming fable about the milk of human kindness and the nourishment that love can bring during periods of moral panic. Gino Cervi is funny as sweets vendor Paolo who takes time out from his busy life in the north of Italy to spend time with a group of strangers. Adriana Benetti captures the moral quandary between Maria's moral servitude and sense of duty, inviting the audience to question whether she's a manipulator or simply bound by convention. Both stars flourish under Alessandro Blasetti's sensitive direction, working from a tender script by Giuseppe Amato, Aldo De Benedetti and Blasetti that's based on an original story by Piero Tellini and Cesare Zavattini. The music for this thoughtful film is composed by Alessandro Cicognini.

'Down With Misery' (1945, Abbasso la miseria! - Gennaro Righelli)

Honest driver Giovanni Straselli (Nino Besozzi) and his wife Nannina (Anna Magnani) are struggling to make ends meet so the introduction of abandoned boy Nello Esposito (Vito Annichiarico) to their home exerts considerable financial pressure. Their friend and neighbour Gaetano Schioppa (Virgilio Riento) is also a driver but his crooked profiteering through the black market could carry severe repercussions for all, not least his costly wife Caterina (Marisa Vernati).

'Down With Misery' is an old-fashioned tragi-comedy about trying to stay on the straight and narrow during times of economic strain. The criminal plot at its core allows for plenty of soul-searching but never at the expense of a good laugh. Experienced director Gennaro Righelli depicts the aftermath of the 2nd World War by arranging for startling location shoots in among crumbling buildings and ruins, showing a broken society that's slowly starting to pull itself back together and foster a sense of community. It's a film about hope beyond deprivation and learning to dream again. Umberto Mancini's relaxed orchestral score is augmented by Anna Magnani's spirited vocal performances on the songs 'L'Eco Der Core' and 'Nanni'.

'Peddlin' In Society' (1946, Abbasso la ricchezza! - Gennaro Righelli)

Fruit vendor Gioconda Perfetti (Anna Magnani) takes a lease out on a villa owned by Count Ghirani (Vittorio De Sica) who's down on his luck. Her sister Lucia (Zora Piazza) comes to stay and the Count dwells in the cellar but it doesn't take long for suspicions to be aroused by Gioconda's rapid ascent up the social ladder.

'Peddlin' In Society' is a comedy that's separated into two acts. The first part is a majestic farce centred around a haunted house party designed to show off Gioconda's newly acquired social status. As the party reaches its climax, Count Ghirani is sitting in his basement wondering how to return his tenant's missing panties so she'll stop accusing chambermaid Anna (Laura Gore) of stealing them, while Gioconda is shaking her booty in a bouncing black bow-tail dress and showing up her kid sister. Gennaro Righelli treats audiences to a lengthy musical interlude filmed in boogievision for his penultimate feature, encouraging his party guests to take turns singing (Anna Magnani performs 'Quanto Sei Bella Roma').
The second part of 'Peddlin' In Society' proves to be altogether different as Gioconda's plot starts unravelling at the seams and her cold, arrogant behaviour comes back to haunt her. There's a poker game set to live piano but the mood turns sharply towards reflection amidst sobriety. Everybody's fortunes change, leading to a fitting finale that restores society to its established order.
'Peddlin' In Society' is an entertaining comedy from Righelli who elicits terrific performances all round. It has a lovely sense of balance, nice timing and a feel for musicality that's infectious. There are contributions from Cesare Bixio and Felice Montagnini on the soundtrack.

'Bellissima' (1952 - Luchino Visconti)

Maddalena Cecconi (Anna Magnani) takes her daughter Maria (Tina Apicella) to Cinecitta Studios to audition for film director Alessandro Blasetti's latest project.

Luchino Visconti's comic meta-fantasy 'Bellissima' hinges itself upon the volcanic talent of Anna Magnani who portrays a Roman stage mother with a massive chip on her shoulder. Maddalena Cecconi oversees the talent of her daughter Maria (who's never far from tears) and it soon becomes obvious that she's living vicariously through her child. This is a horrifying vision of a matriarchal society that's volatile, disturbed and delusional, an artificial world in which birds flock together and daughters are taught to mimic their mothers. It becomes a cry for individualism delivered with consummate artistery, though it possesses a raw, spontaneous quality due to Magnani's methods of improvisation (almost like a fly-on-the-wall documentary during the auditions). The writing team of Visconti, Suso Cecchi D'Amico and Francesco Rosi take a story from Cesare Zavattini and soak it in satirical menace to create something that's crude, instrusive, and wholly inappropriate. 'Bellissima' is magnetically charged and often uproarious, but exhausting.

"I am an Anna Magnani fan. I laugh with her, cry with her, love with her, hate with her."

- Bette Davis


'Fiasco In Milan' (1959, Audace colpo dei soliti ignoti - Nanni Loy)

A gang of robbers is assembled to steal a suitcase of money.

'Fiasco In Milan' is the second part of the 'Big Deal' heist trilogy that begins with 'Big Deal On Madonna Street' (1958) and ends with 'Big Deal After 20 Years' (1985). It's alot of fun with the Sardinian Nanni Loy in charge and sees the return of Vittorio Gassman, Renato Salvatori, Claudia Cardinale and Elena Fabrizi who lead an all-star cast that includes Riccardo Garrone, Vicky Ludovici, Tiberio Murgia, Carlo Pisacane, Gianni Bonagura, Clara Bindi, Gastone Moschin and Nino Manfredi. There's title cards, sight gags (Brandoesque vest tanlines haha) and pratfalls galore, giving 'Fiasco In Milan' an old-time comedy feel that's further enhanced by the smooth jazz stylings of composer Piero Umiliani and jazz trumpeter Chet Baker.

'Alien 2 : On Earth' (1980, Alien 2 sulla Terra - Ciro Ippolito)

A crew of scientists prepare to search a subterranean cave system for extraterrestrial life when the National Aeronautics & Space Administration Centre reports a possible landing on Earth.

'Alien 2 : On Earth' is Italy's unofficial follow-up to Ridley Scott's blockbuster 'Alien' (1979). It's shot with a much smaller production budget but it's similarly characterised by its extraordinary visual design. The caves are incredible; I'm still not sure if the whole thing was shot underground or on sets built from walls of stalagmites and stalactites. The miners' flashlights and torches look like space beams and disco lights when photographed from a low trajectory underground and the use of candles adds an air of gothic candour to the setting. The bizarre (though largely unseen) creature design and gory make-up effects are wonderfully gruesome and grisly, right up to the point where a vile internal organcam appears during the final twist. Speaking of which, the surprising anti-climax before the climax, when philosophical alien hunter Thelma Joyce (Belinda Mayne) gets back to the big city, manages to be sad, tense and teasing all at once. This is an exciting science-fiction horror from filmmaker Ciro Ippolito with a jaw-droppingly beautiful guitar theme composed by Guido De Angelis & Maurizio De Angelis. 'Alien 2 : On Earth' where have you been all my life.

'We now were at the summit of the stair.
The mountain there - which, as one climbs, takes ill
away - is chiselled back a second time.
And so there's, here, a ledge around the slope,
which binds it, as the first ledge also did,
except that now the arc curves faster in.
Shade? There's none here, nor any sign to see.
The cliffs show bare. The path looks shorn of marks,
save only for its stones of liverish blue.
'I fear,' the poet said, considering this,
'our choice of route may well be long delayed
if we wait here for someone we can ask.'
Firmly, he fixed his eyes towards the sun.
He made a fulcrum of his right-hand side,
and moved his left around that central point.
'You, sweetest light, in trusting you I now,'
he said, 'embark upon this strange new road.
Guide us, as guidance must be here required.
You warm the world. You shine out over it.
Your rays, where counter reasons have no weight,
must always lead with their authority.'
The distance of a mile (as earth miles count)
we travelled now from where we'd been before -
our will so quick - in little time at all.
Then, unseen, flying towards us now
were heard the voices of spirits, all delivering
a courteous welcome to the feast of love.'

- - Excerpt from Canto 13 of 'The Divine Comedy : Purgatory' by Dante Alighieri


'Breathless - Loving On The Run' (1997 - Bill Maycock)

Assessing the impact of filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard's 1960s output on the lovers on the run crime subgenre.

This ambitious, overreaching video essay attempts to bridge the gap between the suspense cinema of British filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock and the written revolution sparked by the rights wars over Quentin Tarantino's early screenplays. I think it does a pretty good job of this by positioning 'Breathless' (1960) at the apex of classical cinema, and 'Pierrot Le Fou' (1965) at the beginnings of the modern cinema era. English writer-director Bill Maycock first examines the influence of Hitchcock classics like 'The 39 Steps' (1935) which was released shortly after 'It Happened One Night' (1934), 'Young And Innocent' which came out the same year as 'You Only Live Once' (1937), and 'Saboteur' (1942) which was released around the same time as 'This Gun For Hire' (1942). He also considers the doomed lovers syndrome in crime scenarios, focusing upon classic film noir titles like 'Detour' (1945), 'They Live By Night' (1948) and 'Gun Crazy' (1950).
There's no doubt that Godard changed the aesthetics associated with filmic lovers on the lam as we can see this influence on modern American classics like 'The Sadist' (1963), 'Bonnie And Clyde' (1967), 'The Honeymoon Killers' (1969), 'Badlands' (1973), 'Dirty Mary Crazy Larry' (1974), 'The Sugarland Express' (1974), 'Thieves Like Us' (1973), 'Running Hot' (1984), 'Into The Night' (1985), 'Drugstore Cowboy' (1989), 'Kalifornia' (1993) and 'Trouble Bound' (1993). When QT finally broke through with his heist picture 'Reservoir Dogs' (1992), Tony Scott delivered the road movie 'True Romance' (1993) shortly afterwards, and then Oliver Stone made the road movie 'Natural Born Killers' (1994). QT is still out there making movies, and so is Jean-Luc Godard.

'I saw her standin' on her front lawn just twirlin' her baton,
Me and her went for a ride sir and ten innocent people died,
From the town of Lincoln Nebraska with a sawed-off .410 on my lap,
Through to the badlands of Wyoming I killed everything in my path,
I can't say that I'm sorry for the things that we done,
At least for a little while sir, me and her we had us some fun ...'

- Bruce Springsteen


'Sindoni' (2016, Documentary - Angelo Pannucci)

A glimpse at what's going on in the working life of film director Vittorio Sindoni

During a long and glittering career, Vittorio Sindoni has directed some of Italy's most popular television mini-series, worked with some of the film industry's biggest stars and served as head of theatrical troupe The Collective Of Rome. Back in the 1970s, the comic maestro fought to cast veteran gigolo Walter Chiari in several projects, including both of the smash hit 'Airline Pilot' comedy pictures with Leonora Fani. Sindoni picked out a promising extra on that series to play the title role of 'For The Love Of Cesarina' (1976) opposite the resurgent Chiari; that extra was Cinzia Monreale.
Like Vittorio De Sica, Antonio Pietrangeli and Pietro Germi, Sindoni has made classic comedies in the grand storytelling tradition. In addition to working in film, theatre and television, he's carved out a successful career as a writer. He's now 77 years of age and has a new film out this year with music composed by Fabio Frizzi.

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

I saw http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4080728/ "En man som heter Ove" meaning "A man called Ove".

It was the best Swedish movie this year! (Well, maybe it actually came out 2015, but I saw it this year).

Being a troll isn't an excuse to be an a$$hole.

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

I've not seen any movies from director Hannes Holm. Thanks for the recommendation!

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'The Overcoat' (1952, Il cappotto - Alberto Lattuada)

Local government clerk Carmine De Carmine (Renato Rascel) finally earns some respect when he purchases a plush new overcoat.

The absurdist fantasy 'The Overcoat' is an adaptation of a story by Nikolai Gogol with writing contributions from Giordano Corsi, Enzo Curreli, Luigi Malerba, Giorgio Prosperi, Leonardo Sinisgalli, Cesare Zavattini and director Alberto Lattuada. The phrase "too many cooks ..." springs to mind but this large team of ideas men was assembled to colour in the story's descriptive passages for cinematic presentation. Lattuada originally trained as an architect and every little sound and detail in 'The Overcoat' appears for a reason. The story, which deals directly with excavation and construction in the hands of local council, is put together brick by brick, so it's a film that rewards repeat viewings for the many small moments that contribute to the grand design.
'The Overcoat' also operates as a vehicle for singer-songwriter Renato Rascel who delivers a delicate comic masterclass as the hapless clerk battling state officials The Mayor (Giulio Stival) and The Secretary General or "Deputy Mayor" (Ettore Mattia). At work, Carmine is a master of italics with an exquisite gothic font who can't resist peppering protocols and minutes with his own creative embellishments. At home, Carmine is a cheapjack voyeur who dreams of getting jiggy with rich girl Caterina (Yvonne Sanson). The mystery unfurled by the story sees Carmine gain a spirit by breaking free from his shackles. There's tremendous contrast in the visual design between the cold, empty corridors of power which feel distant and remote, and the warm, cosy interiors of the workers' apartment blocks which feel intimate and connected. 'The Overcoat' is a bureaucratic nightmare about life's little details and the frustration they can bring.

"Milan-born Alberto Lattuada had a long career spanning more than four decades and a kaleidoscopic variety of genres and registers. He was equally at ease with crime thrillers, erotic dramas or adaptations of Russian literary giants Pushkin, Gogol and Chekhov. Defending his eclecticism in a 1979 interview, Lattuada argued that while he did indeed take on a variety of different genres, he nonetheless always returned to the same handful of themes. “All the films I’ve made are denunciations of taboos, errors, crystallisations, impositions, injustices”, he noted. “Every kind of imposition makes my blood boil, be it organised - wars, totalitarian ideologies - or just that of the person who barges in front of you on the bus”. By 1960, the director had more than a dozen features under his belt, including the film that many believe is his masterpiece, 1952’s Gogol adaptation 'Il cappotto' (The Overcoat)."

- Pasquale Iannone, Senses Of Cinema

"Not only did Totò make films in mass quantity; he also produced a series of very high quality movies. Pier Paolo Pasolini, Roberto Rossellini, Dino Risi, Alberto Lattuada, Vittorio De Sica, and Mario Monicelli are just some of the important Italian directors who worked with Totò to create authentic masterpieces of Italian comedy, such as 'Guardie e Ladri', 'Dov’è la libertà', 'L’oro di Napoli', and 'Uccellacci e Uccellini'. Totò was also a great poet who wrote in dialect, and an outstanding song-writer, composing both the music and lyrics of his pieces. There are few Italians who do not recognize his infamous song ‘Malafemmena,’ composed and dedicated to the actress Silvana Pampanini whom he fell in love with while filming '47 morto che parla'."

- Leonardo Cardini, 'Master Of Laughter'


'Come Have Coffee With Us' (1970, Venga a prendere il caffè... da noi - Alberto Lattuada)

Stuffy tax inspector Emerenziano Paronzini (Ugo Tognazzi) abuses his influence to woo three grieving sisters who live together as spinsters : Tarsilla (Francesca Romana Coluzzi), Fortunata (Angela Goodwin) and Camilla (Milena Vukotic). Further complications arise when the taxman takes a shine to family maid Caterina (Valentine) and realises he's starting to identify women from the waist down.

'Come Have Coffee With Us' is a buoyantly fastidious comedy based on a novel by Piero Chiara. It finds director Alberto Lattuada in scintillating form as he unveils a luminescent gothic about dieting, death and dynamic female figures emerging from the throes of self-imposed perdition. Lattuada's first assignment as an art director in the 1930s was an adaptation of a story by Edgar Allan Poe and his early feature films of the 1940s drew from the work of novelists like Emilio De Marchi, Alberto Moravia and Luciano Zuccoli, setting the career course of a filmmaker who remained steadfastly committed to combining art, poetry, literature and music (his father was the composer Felice Lattuada) in distinct and unusual ways. His meticulous direction of 'Come Have Coffee With Us' is typically detailed, uninhibited in its passions, and greatly appreciative of the full potential of the frame to capture women in their various forms. Director of photography Lamberto Caimi displays an unforgiving touch, employing precision camerawork that reveals all manner of foibles, fancies and imperfections. Fred Bongusto's multi-faceted psychedelic lounge score is a musical marvel dripping with liquid acid.

'My lady, the women you've been talking about were certainly extremely steadfast, resolute and faithful. Could one say as much of even the strongest men who ever lived? Yet, of all the vices that men, and especially authors, accuse women of possessing, they are unanimous that the female sex is unstable and fickle, frivolous, flighty and weak-minded, as impressionable as children and completely lacking in resolution. Are men therefore so unwavering that it is utterly unheard of for them to vacillate, given that they criticize women for being so unreliable and changeable? If, in fact, they themselves are lacking in constancy, it's totally unacceptable for them to accuse others of having the same failing or to insist that others should possess a virtue which they themselves do not.'

- Christine De Pizan, 'Proofs to refute the view that women are lacking in constancy: Christine asks questions, to which Rectitude replies with various examples of emperors who were unreliable and inconsistent'


'Take The Power Back' - Anna Sentina
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXmdVEkJKGg

'White Sister' (1972, Bianco, rosso e... - Alberto Lattuada)

Sister Germana (Sophia Loren) returns to Italy from Libya in the wake of an industrial accident and takes charge of the chaotic ward of a catholic hospital. Discovering desperate patients flailing amidst poor conditions, Sister Germana takes on chief medical officer Doctor Jefe (Fernando Rey) and communist plant Annibale Pezzi (Adriano Celentano) in a fight to raise standards and save the community.

'White Sister' is a black comedy about the clash between organised religion, anarchism and radical left-wing politics. It's an odd mixture of romantic melodrama and the kind of panicked polemic that fuelled historical outrages like Carlo Lizzani's 'Requiescant' (1967) and Valerio Zurlini's 'Black Jesus' (1968). Sophia Loren is gripping in the lead role which is just as well as Adriano Celentano is just goofy as the skirt-chasing, marxism-espousing hunchfront agitator with a limp. There's a wonderful comic performance from Tina Aumont as spoilt patient Senora Ricci but the movie itself is sketchy and I don't think it hangs together all that well. Nonetheless, it's an interesting film with some entertaining moments.

'As you yourself pointed out earlier, good judgement consists of weighing up carefully what you wish to do and working out how to do it. To prove to you that women are perfectly able to think in this way, even about the most important matters, I'll give you a few examples of some high-born ladies, the first of whom is Dido. As I'll go on to tell you, this Dido, whose name was originally Elissa, revealed her good sense through her actions. She founded and built a city in Africa called Carthage and was its queen and ruler. It was in the way that she established the city and acquired the land on which it was built that she demonstrated her great courage, nobility and virtue, qualities which are indispensable to anyone who wishes to act prudently. This lady was descended from the Phoenicians, who came from the remotest regions of Egypt to settle in Syria where they founded and built several fine towns and cities. Amongst these people was a king named Agenor, who was a direct ancestor of Dido's father. This king, who was called Belus, ruled over Phoenicia and conquered the kingdom of Cyprus. He had only two children: a son, Pygmalion, and a daughter, Dido.'

- Excerpt from 'The Book Of The City Of Ladies' by Christine De Pizan


'Don't Give Hate A Chance' - Marta Altesa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_AI2v-4DTs

'Father Dear Father' (1973 - William G. Stewart)

Old-age pensioner Patrick Cargill (Patrick Glover) desires to retire to his writing but his seventeen year-old daughter Karen (Ann Holloway) is dating bad boy Richard (Richard O'Sullivan) and his eighteen year-old daughter Anna (Natasha Pyne) is moving out looking for action. What can an old man do?

I've never watched a full episode of the popular 1960s sitcom 'Father Dear Father' but I decided to watch this feature-length spin-off regardless. It's a strange bird because the two teenage girls (played by actresses in their mid-to-late twenties) tease their dear daddy Patrick and dodgy uncle Glover (Donald Sinden) mercilessly but don't do much else. Anyway, it's all very innocent and keeps it in the family, it's just not very funny. I'd rank it in my bottom three U K sitcom spin-offs of the 1970s alongside 'For The Love Of Ada' (1972) and the risible 'Steptoe And Son' (1972). Ole!

'Ator, The Fighting Eagle' (1982, Ator l'invincibile - Joe D'Amato)

The Shadow of the Spider has been set as law in the valleys of the shadows for one thousand years. The High Priest of the Spiders (Dakkar) orders the Black Knights of the Spider Cult to abduct women and among their captives is Sunya (Ritza Brown) who's chained up in the Temple of the Spider. Fearless warrior Ator (Miles O'Keeffe), son of the mighty Torren who defied spiders, declares war against the Spider Kingdom on a mission to rescue his missing sister-lover.

Joe D'Amato's landmark fantasy 'Ator, The Fighting Eagle' is the original that spawned the franchise, with Miles O'Keeffe as the fighting barbarian Ator. It's a perilous adventure that moves at a clip, expertly handled by D'Amato who doubles up on cinematography duties (like his friend Massimo Dallamano, D'Amato started out as a cameraman, quickly establishing a reputation as one of the best in the business). Many of D'Amato's genre pictures encourage exploration of his anthropological passions and 'Ator, The Fighting Eagle' is no exception. It features ancient cultures, tribal dances and largely undisturbed natural habitats, as well as some highly imaginative dress codes connected to societal class structures. There's some great spider action too.
Favourite sequence - Mentor Griba (Edmund Purdom in the performance of a lifetime) teaches Ator the rules of battle engagement by telling the legend of Chung The Terrible and the Seven Siamese Sisters, leading to a riveting training montage showcasing different forms of creativity, defence and combat, before drifting effortlessly into a lakeside introduction for lethal thief Roon (a devilishly complex character portrait etched by fantasy icon Sabrina Siani).

'Daughter Of The Jungle' (1982, Incontro nell'ultimo paradiso - Umberto Lenzi)

New York numbnuts Butch (Renato Miracco) and Ringo (Rodolfo Bigotti) tangle with a cannibal tribe and a gang of criminals (Salvatore Borghese, Claudio Miraco & Big Mario Pedone) while stranded in the jungle. Help arrives in the form of seasoned tree swinger Jane (Sabrina Siani) who can talk to the animals.

'Daughter Of The Jungle' is one of the funniest comedies I've seen in a long while. The script is patchy with some jokes working better than others, but the laughs keep coming thanks to Umberto Lenzi's inspired direction, Giovanni Bergamini's creative camerawork and the perfect comic timing of legendary editor Vincenzo Tomassi. Renato Miracco and Rodolfo Bigotti form a neat double-act that becomes a triple-act, a quadruple-act and a quintuple-act thanks to the comedy chops of Sabrina Siani who rolls three characters into one to keep audiences guessing (Jane the queen of the jungle, Susan the lost daughter of the jungle & Luana the jungle warrior). Sit back, pour yourself a beer and enjoy - it's a scream. Oh, and don't forget, nothing suggests friendship like a pair of tight white "I love NY" jeans!

'The Wicked Lady' (1983 - Michael Winner)

Lady Barbara Skelton (Faye Dunaway) joins pesky bandit Jerry Jackson (Alan Bates) for some illegal fun in the countryside.

'The Wicked Lady' is based on the novel 'The Life And Death Of The Wicked Lady Skelton' by Magdalen King-Hall. The book was filmed by Leslie Arliss in 1945 so he stepped in to co-write this new version with director Michael Winner. It's a saucy tale with an all-star cast that rips through the pages like wildfire (John Gielgud gets to perform a soliloquy but editor Michael Winner cuts him off before the finish haha). This is the perfect romantic adventure for fans of Mills & Boon, Silhouette Desire and Candlelight Supreme, with directors Lindsay Anderson, Karel Reisz and John Schlesinger sticking up for it against the scissor-happy British censors.

'Cats And Dogs In Rome' (2008, Documentary - Andrew Atkins)

Middle-aged Englishman Andrew Atkins elects to muse upon the reasons behind the union forged between macro-historian Elsa Morante and existentialist voyeur Alberto Moravia in the city of Rome.

This is a nice video essay regarding the strange relationship that developed between a pair of authors who both became enshrined within Italian culture of the 20th century.

'Oh, human blindness! Seest thou not, unfortunate man, that thou thinkest to love things firm and stable, joyous things, good and fair? And they are mutable, the sum of wretchedness, hideous, and without any goodness; not as they are created things in themselves, since all are created by God, who is perfectly good, but through the nature of him who possesses them intemperately. How mutable are the riches and honours of the world in him who possesses them without God, without the fear of Him! For to-day is he rich and great, and to-day he is poor. How hideous is our bodily life, that living we shed stench from every part of our body! Simply a sack of dung, the food for worms, the food of death! Our life and the beauty of youth pass by, like the beauty of the flower when it is gathered from the plant. There is none who can save this beauty, none who can preserve it, that it be not taken, when it shall please the highest Judge to gather this flower of life by death; and none knows when.'

- Catherine Of Siena, Excerpt from 'A Letter To Three Cardinals'


Big Dog Alberto Moravia
http://cdn.thedailybeast.com/content/dailybeast/articles/2015/10/04/alberto-moravia-the-forgotten-muse-of-the-nouvelle-vague/jcr:content/image.img.2000.jpg/1444021212340.cached.jpg

Elsa Morante the Cat Lady
http://www.romecentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/elsa_morante_gatti.jpg

'The Way You Love' - Alessandra Scaravilli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1fjhFaghhg

Uccidete il vitello grasso e arrostitelo (1970)

Taking a lead from our thread host and his long running exposition of Italian Cinema we decided to explore the unknown.
A Giallo film first for us, from writer/director Salvatore Samperi ...
Wow this is one grim family melodrama, a modern-day reinvention of the tale of the Prodigal Son, which is where the title Kill The Fatted Calf And Roast It originated .

Upon hearing of his father's death, Enrico Merlo leaves his boarding school in Switzerland and returns to his home in Padua. Overhearing a conversation between his older brother Cesare, who has taken over the profitable family business, and his lover & cousin Verde the beautiful (Marilù Tolo), Enrico becomes convinced that the two have murdered his father.

All of the psychological themes often associated with the Giallo genre, madness, alienation, sexuality; incestuous and the erotic, paranoia, fetishism are cleverly inter-woven into this dark engrossing offbeat tale.

Ennio Morricone's score is the perfect accompaniment for creating the Giallo Sound , it is a pulsating mix from grooving 70's to nerve jarring discord back to soothing harmony.

Re: Uccidete il vitello grasso e arrostitelo (1970)

Hi planet. I've seen a number of films from Salvatore Samperi over the years, but not that one! Sounds far out. One thing I like about Samperi is how all his films seem to carry the same themes yet he explores them in different ways, even adapting his style accordingly. A fascinating director whose work deserves a nice big box-set (preferably with English subtitles haha).

Anaparastasi (1970)

In stark contrast to the above mentioned Kill The Fatted Calf, Greek director Theo Angelopoulos 1970 film Reconstruction is masterfully shot in a spare and austere style with high contrast black and white cinematography.

The film's setting is a statement in itself on the dictator controlled political environment in which it was filmed.
Haunting and bleak despite the obvious charm of the quaint village, mud, rain & grey skies dominate the cold barren rock strewn landscape .
On the surface a crime of passion.
A man returns to his Greek village home after a long time away, he is murdered by his wife and her lover? We never see the actual killing, the elliptical tale unfolds crossing back-and-forth between the suspects who attempt to cover up the truth, once they are caught flashback reconstructions are presented by the official police investigation.

The central murder element becomes symbolic and runs parallel to the underlying story of the amoral and disordered world of the military junta, of the depopulation of rural Greek villages and subsequent loss of identity & culture which has left an empty, cold-hearted land where an innocent man is killed for what seems no justifiable reason .

The Socio-political films of Theo Angelopoulos demand multiple viewings, his films are densely structured multi layered works of exquisite beauty which I would Highly Recommend.

edit adding ...


“It all depends on the spectator and to what extent he is willing to do his share of the work when he watches my films. The film supplies him with a certain amount of information, but it is only by completing it with his own input that he can hope to enjoy the film”. T.Angelopoulos .


Re: Anaparastasi (1970)

Is Reconstruction available on DVD? I've seen a fair few of his films, last time I watched his work it wasn't available (although that was about 12 years ago I think).

Nothing to see here, move on

Re: Anaparastasi (1970)

Hello there ... Amazon UK, has 3 individual volume collections of Theo Angelopoulos work, Reconstruction is in Vol.1..

Happy Viewing..

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'Day Of Anger' (1967, I giorni dell'ira - Tonino Valerii)

Deadly gunfighter Frank Talby (Lee Van Cleef) takes street cleaner Scott Mary (Giuliano Gemma) under his wing when he sees the garbage boy's being regularly harassed and bullied in the township of Clifton, Arizona. Revenge comes at a price in dusty Clifton but financial reward is something worth dying for.

Tonino Valerii's violent western 'Day Of Anger' is a strange breed that lives on the nerves of its protagonists. It concerns an unlikely relationship between master and mentor that seems too good to be true, and maybe it isn't; their sado-masochistic tendencies play out slowly, as the master mocks his servant while simultaneously toughening him up and developing obvious potential. But if this brutal dictator is at times overly hostile towards his inexperienced novice, Talby might argue that it's simply the nature of the beast when it comes to surviving against the kind of corrupt systems that are seen to be thriving under Arizona state law.
Valerii works from an intelligent script to get two top performances from genre stars Lee Van Cleef and Giuliano Gemma. The other major character is Riz Ortolani's scorching, top-heavy musical score which packs an almighty wallop through its embattled treble interplay; the sudden switch from the dramatic opening title cards to a descending shot that's used to introduce Clifton to the viewer is surely a strong contender for being the single greatest audio-visual transition from title stills to storytelling motion filmed in the 1960s. Ortolani's musical cues are like a series of well-placed uppercut jabs, demonstrating no need for body blows until the finale which unloads an insistent root note on to a staccato bass. It's a film of great moments : Murph Allan Scott (Walter Rilla) explaining the role of gun modifications for aged gunfighters, a horseback duel for the ages with front-loading rifles, Scott Mary's ability to light a match without touching it - and it's one of the all-time great westerns for capturing the eternal horror of bullying and cliques.

'By now so sick of waiting, I'm by now
so beaten by the pain (by now the burn
won't stop and he forgets so quickly how
I trust in his return and how I yearn),

that I cry out for her to give me rest,
she of the pallid face and reaper's knife
whose chilly touch defines the edge of life,
so hard the need that grows within my breast.

But she is deaf and gives me no relief
as if she spurned my being mad with grief,
and deafly he denies himself to me.

My eyes are always wet, and weeping fills
this villa and its shore with misery,
while he lives smugly up there in his hills.'

- Gaspara Stampa, 'By Now So Sick Of Waiting'


'Western, Italian Style' (1968, Documentary - Patrick Morin)

An in-house snapshot of the spaghetti western explosion taken at the precise moment that the genre is reaching its commercial peak.

This is an enjoyable relic from the 1960s that provides a decent overview of the spaghetti western craze as it's happening. It's no great shakes as a documentary but it provides an invaluable look behind the scenes. Among those featured are spaghetti big guns Mario Caiano, Enzo Castellari, Sergio Corbucci and Sergio Sollima.

'For A Few Euros More' (2007, Documentary - Rob Walton)

A revisionist take on the revisionist westerns being made in Italy during the 1960s and 1970s that played with continued American revisionism within traditional genre formats.

This is a neat video essay put together as an art and education project. It focuses mainly on the work of spaghetti classicists Sergio Corbucci and Sergio Leone, though it does skim over a few of the experimental genre entries that followed. The clips are square-jawed, the narration is sincere and there's a nice rundown on the skill-set of legendary composer Ennio Morricone.

'Under My Skin' (2016, Documentary - Michael Terry Latimer)

An amusing look at the reaction of some of Dutch author Michel Faber's fans to recent adaptations of his work. In the words of one young lady looking rather fetching in her matching sunshine yellow tartan scarf, blazer and miniskirt, "Scarlett Johansson is forever welcome to join us here in Scotland. Thank you Scarlett."

A conference ('Defying Genre') has been scheduled (July 21st & 22nd) in Inverness, Scotland to follow a reading being given by novelist Michel Faber, with academics set to attend from around the world. Should be a good one as Faber's recently had his first collection of poetry published.

'Blessed is the soul who's drawn away from
this world, who's not been in sympathy with
the brief sordid journey, wretched, the soul
who's in love with it, to whom need and use

aren't enough; he must have all to live.
In that first bitter or last sweet moment
we die or go to paradise naked,
before God stripped of the world's velvet gowns.

How they'll cry, in search of lost time, when they
recall for the brief smiles of flattery
they prized what leads to perpetual grief.

Think that as we don't tire of evil
naturally, don't enjoy reason or
virtue, still we can be afraid of God.'

- Vittoria Colonna, 'Blessed Is The Soul'

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

I watched 'Two Or Three Things I Know About Her ...' last year and I really enjoyed it. I've rarely ever agreed with anything Ingmar Bergman said so the same would apply here.

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

I too find Godard to be mostly underwhelming, but I did like Vivre Sa Vie as well as Une Femme Mariée quite a bit. I'm only suggesting those because you name-dropped Bergman, and they reminded me of Bergman's chamber dramas (with tiny splashes of Yoshida's anti-melodramas).

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'Massacre Time' (1966, Le colt cantarono la morte e fu... tempo di massacro - Lucio Fulci)

Prospector Tom Corbett (Franco Nero) receives a message instructing him to leave New Mexico and return home to Texas immediately. He finds that Laramie Town has been rebranded in the name of wealthy businessman Jason 'Junior' Scott (Nino Castelnuovo) who is running operations for his father Mr 'Big J' Scott (Giuseppe Addobbati). Tom searches out his brother Jeff (George Hilton) who's hit the skids and is confined to virtual seclusion at the town's perimeter with his housemaid Mercedes Roller (Rina Franchetti).

'Massacre Time' is a tale of two estranged brothers learning to reconnect. The Corbetts don't get along at first but share a growing determination to uncover the secrets behind the Scott family empire and their own family's protracted demise. The story is by Fernando Di Leo whose terse screenplay remains defiantly stern and tight-lipped. Director Lucio Fulci creates a macho ballet with his unparalleled shot selections and a wide range of deep focus compositions. Cameraman Riccardo Pallottini drops a bewildering array of technical tricks, peppering a pot that's brought to the boil and then simmered down gently, again, and again, and again. There's stylised gunplay, a crazy bar brawl, beatings, whippings, executions and acts of madness, but at the story's heart lies the casual brotherly bond that's being tested by stoic outsider Tom and alcoholic gunslinger Jeff. 'Massacre Time' a chromatic mood-piece to imbibe over a good session.

'Do you really believe ... that everything historians tell us about men – or about women – is actually true? You ought to consider the fact that these histories have been written by men, who never tell the truth except by accident.'

- Moderata Fonte, 'The Worth Of Women : Wherein Is Clearly Revealed Their Nobility And Their Superiority To Men'


Laura Cereta
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/LauraCereta.jpg

'Any Gun Can Play' (1967, Vado... l'ammazzo e torno - Enzo Castellari)

Outlaws, lawmen and investigators compete to retrieve $300,000 that was entrusted by bank investors to an assemblage of officials responsible for transporting the money aboard a heavily armed train.

'Any Gun Can Play' is a typically muscular outing for action filmmaker Enzo Castellari that plays out along the dusty trail. Bank employee Mr Clayton (Edd Byrnes), armed outlaw Monetero (Gilbert Roland), bandit queen Marisol (Stefania Careddu) and bounty hunter The Stranger (George Hilton) are among those who are beaten down and brutalised as the stakes keep getting higher, leading to a series of clashes, stand-offs and double-crosses. Camera placement is key in the carefully choreographed pictures of Castellari and he's been known to use selective framing to colour in psychological dimensions. A recurring motif in 'Any Gun Can Play' is establishing shots that are framed through legs and under-carriages, a delightful technique that creates shifts in perspective that are aligned to energetic bouts of comic book violence. The vibrant musical score, with its punchy percussion and Mexican stylings, is co-credited to big guns Franceso De Masi and Alessandro Alessandroni at the very beginning of his career as a film composer.

'In 1978 Enzo directed "The Inglorious Bastards", which was the inspiration behind Tarantino's 2009 "Inglorious Basterds". Quentin Tarantino even took the opportunity to invite Enzo to Berlin during the shooting, which he stayed for one month. Castellari says he loves Tarantino’s passion for movies and cinema, stated how he and Tarantino spoke for hours on their thoughts about movies, it’s past and its future. Castellari says “We are from different generations, but the passion we have for cinema is the same.” Currently working on another western, which has been in the works for a few years, there seems to be no stopping Enzo Castellari and his love of Italian/western and gun slinging cowboys.'

- Statement issued by Production Hub (The Global Network Of Local Crew & Vendors)


'Keoma' (1976 - Enzo Castellari)

After the American Civil War, Union soldier Keoma Shannon (Franco Nero) returns home to find his town ravaged by plague and the community divided. On one side stands victims, minorities and people on the margins of society - on the other stands greedy tyrant Caldwell (Donald O'Brien) and his venomous gang led by Butch Shannon (Orso Maria Guerrini), Lenny Shannon (Antonio Marsina) and Sam Shannon (Joshua Sinclair).

"We all have the right to be born."

The supernatural western 'Keoma' is about an ex-soldier's efforts to protect Liza Farrow (Olga Karlatos) who's been unlawfully condemned to death for having contracted a disease. Under the guidance of his keeper The Witch (Gabriella Giacobbe), American Indian Keoma is intent upon escorting Liza long enough for her to give birth to her baby who's almost due. Standing in his way are his three half-brothers but he has valuable allies in his father William John Shannon (William Berger), Irish American medicine man Doctor Doctor (Leonardo Scavino), and fellow outcast George (Woody Strode) who's ridiculed for being a homeless alcoholic banjo minstrel and shunned for being the only African American in town.
This hugely ambitious undertaking is a political allegory with a social conscience. It touches upon topics that were pertinent at the time the film was made and remain so now. It depicts a descent into hell with strong biblical overtones and feels urgent and alive, like filmed theatre. The dialogue is highly provocative and actively contentious, carrying some disturbing connotations when dealing with societal race relations, sponsored genocide and empire building at local level. It's brave, challenging cinema about the need for political engagement, the role of the individual and the importance of not standing back.
'Keoma' is noted for its exceptional use of slow-motion and close panning shots. It's beautifully filmed throughout by cinematographer Aiace Parolin, with every location mounted as a wild west pictorial. The interior sets are a triumph of design and purposefully engineered to enhance the capacity of the camera. The spiritual, other-worldly aspects pre-empt the post-apocalyptic mayhem of director Enzo Castellari's futureworld action fantasies of the 1980s, except they're dense, dusky and alot more atmospheric. The folk-infused music composed by Guido De Angelis and Maurizio De Angelis is emotionally gut-wrenching. 'Keoma' is visceral film-making that's intense and thought-provoking, capturing action supremo Castellari in scintillating form.

"I’m not happy ... I’m SUPER HAPPY! A genius like Quentin (Tarantino) who has millions of movies he could make, picks mine. You can understand what I feel. When I originally met him it was like meeting a son, to meet a relative or meeting a big friend! I told him, “I’m a fan of yours.” He said, “No, no, I’m a fan of yours.” (Laughs) Then I said, “No, no I’m a fan of yours!” 'Reservoir Dogs', and 'Kill Bill' : I watch them both especially. I have their DVD’s right by my television and when I’m done watching 'Kill Bill', I watch it again I like it so much. I like 'Kill Bill 2' because it’s different and in it I can find out how he likes the movies and how he likes to entertain the public. One thing I told Quentin was, “You know the difference between you and me?” He asked (speaking in Quentin voice), “What, what, what, tell me!?!” I said, “Your blood is much more red than mine and your squibs shoot much farther and last longer than mine.” (Laughs)

- Enzo Castellari, Screen Anarchy


'Silver Saddle' (1978, Sella d'argento - Lucio Fulci)

Bounty hunter Roy Blood (Giuliano Gemma) rides the Texas frontier alone. When he stops at the small border town Cerriotts to help out brothel madame Miss Sheba (Licinia Lentini), she invites him to take permanent bed and board in the finest residence east of Dallas and San Antonio. In doing so, Blood seizes an opportunity to take revenge against the man who ordered the cold-blooded execution of his father.

Lucio Fulci directed two of the great spaghetti westerns in 'Massacre Time' and 'Four Of The Apocalypse' (1975) but 'Silver Saddle' must surely rank as one of the strangest. The story by veteran screenwriter Adriano Bolzoni is interesting but it doesn't translate too well to the screen. I think 'Silver Saddle' works as an adult western dealing with contemporary themes and I also enjoy the slapstick comic relief provided by a wacky Geoffrey Lewis as hungry vulture Two-Strike Snake. Where it falls down for me is the scenes in which Roy Blood is saddled with an annoying kid played by Sven Valsecchi. Fulci was unstable at the best of times, and here he's cast a child actor who looks eerily like the annoying little blonde boys featured in 'The House By The Cemetery' (1981), 'Manhattan Baby' (1982) and 'Sweet House Of Horrors' (1989). Anyway, this is still an interesting western with exceptional photography from Sergio Salvati. The folk soundtrack by Franco Bixio, Fabio Frizzi and Vince Tempera is heavily influenced by what they were listening to from the west coast rock scene in America, including artists who'd gravitated to California from afar such as James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

'Look with the eyes of your good sense
and see for yourself how unworthy of you
it is to insult and injure women.
Unfortunate sex, always led about
by cruel fortune, because you are always
subjected and without freedom!
But this has certainly been no fault of ours,
because, if we are not as strong as men,
like men we have a mind and intellect.
And virtue does not lie in bodily strength
but in the vigor of the soul and mind,
through which all things come to be known;
and I am certain that in this respect
women lack nothing, but, rather, have given
more than one sign of being greater than men.
But if you think us inferior to you,
perhaps it's because in modesty and wisdom
we are more adept and better than you.
And do you want to know what the truth is?
That the wisest person should be the most patient
squares with reason and with what is right;
insolence is the mark of the madman,
but the stone that the wise man draws from the well
was thrown in by a foolish, imprudent man.......'

- Veronica Franco


Isabella Andreini & The Jealous Ones Theatre Troupe
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Commedia_dell%27arte_-_troupe_Gelosi.JPG

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'Sorry, Are You Normal?' (1979, Scusi, lei è normale? - Umberto Lenzi)

Exhibitionist Anna Maria The Immaculate Grisaglia (Anna Maria Rizzoli) runs into trouble when she takes a job appearing as a naughty nun in the sado-masochistic catholic erotica of a sleazy underground filmmaker (Enzo Andronico). Local magistrate Gustavo Sparvieri (Renzo Montagnani) launches a campaign to ban the publication of such offensive materials, prohibit public acts of exhibitionism and shut down erotic film productions.

'Sorry, Are You Normal' is a funny meta-comedy from the pens of dynamite script-writing team Umberto Lenzi and Dardano Sacchetti that carries a message. It's most unlike Lenzi's other films I've seen as it's haphazard and uncharacteristically sloppy, but that's because it's a decidedly low budget affair that's all about the story, adopting a ragged shooting style that makes it feel raw and authentic. There were rumours when the movie was released that the director (played by a frenzied Enzo Andronico) was based on an actual Italian director who Lenzi knew. Ray Lovelock performs a camp variation of his screen persona, photo model Anna Maria Rizzoli joyfully subverts her own image as a powerful sex symbol and Enzo Cerusico cuts loose in drag. It's loud, crude and extremely rude, but there really are some very funny moments. Favourite sight gag : the upstanding and moralistic head censor at the Italian film board takes off his glasses to reveal he's watched so much porn he's gone cross-eyed lol.

"Whereas for much of the post-war period the disavowal of male homosexuality has been instrumental in the demarcation of a distinct boundary between an 'acceptable' masculinity and an 'abject' one, the 1970s constitute a clear turning point. As Vincenzo Patane has shown in his short history of Italian gay-themed films, after 1968 Italian cinema, despite its persistent use of caricatured images of effeminate gay men, shows a new engagement with the liberationist rhetoric of the Italian gay movement and a commitment to promote the social integration of homosexuals. This new tendency is linked to the interrogation of the normative boundaries defining the terms of a socially acceptable male identity. 'Scusi, lei e normale?' (1979) is an instructive example. It follows the misadventures of a gay couple and a woman who works as a model for soft-porn magazines. The film is noteworthy not only for the centrality of the homosexual characters in the plot but also for the way in which it turns moral bigotry and homophobia into the real objects of scorn and condemnation. Exemplified by an over-zealous magistrate, who embarks on a moral campaign to prevent the spread of explicit erotic material in Italian society, and a couple of clumsy homophobic police detectives, these conservative moral attitudes are cast in the film as out of date and unacceptable in the increasingly liberal Italy of the 1970s. 'Scusi, lei e normale?' revisits the comic figure of the moral crusader already popularised by Fellini's 'Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio' (1962) and by 'Il moralista' (1959). The title of the film acts out its political and moral statement. Halfway through the story, the female protagonist makes an unappreciative remark about the gay couple. In response, one of the gay men polemically alludes to her similar 'abnormality'."

- Sergio Rigoletto, 'Masculinity And Italian Cinema : Sexual Politics, Social Conflict And Male Crisis In The 1970s'

"Umberto Lenzi's films are always strange, always challenging, always impossible to pin down. Some critics have accused him of relentlessly depicting (though not expressing) fascist tendencies, vile misogyny and crude acts of exploitation. Yet, there are other critics who have raised far more compelling cases for the former journalist being one of the most progressive and liberal voices at work in the Italian cinema. Lenzi's magnetic world of lowlifes and no-hopers is no different to that of Pier Paolo Pasolini and similarly teeming with life; these are people who are shown in all their glory and all their pain, sins laid bare, vices exposed. They are the pulse of Italian streetlife for Lenzi who shows an understanding and affection towards those stuck on the fringes of society. It's lazy to only highlight the acts of violence in his films as there's so much more to them. His gialli and police thrillers are psychological puzzles that deserve considered critical analysis that's free from knee-jerk responses (it's to Lenzi's credit as director that his films can still engender such angry, emotional reactions from viewers)."

- Paul Alexander, 'Italian Crime Films Of The 1970s'

"Horror is not a goal in itself to me. I am basically interested in the fantastic. As a matter of fact, there are few horror scenes in 'City of the Living Dead'; tension is the important thing in this film. I have given up on horror for horror's sake, instead I wanted to make a nightmare film where horror is ubiquitous, even in apparently innocuous forms. Horror only appears in two scenes in a spectacular way, let alone the fact that the drill scene is a warning I wanted to give against a certain type of fascism, the girl's father killing the young guy in such an abject way just because the young guy is different, a frightened victim who, like the so-called witch in 'Long Night of Exorcism', does not understand all this hostility towards him. I wanted to show this boy as a dropout whom girls protect because of his kindness, but unfortunately, I was not able to develop the conservatism of some Dunwich inhabitants. City, to me, is a visual rendering of the metaphysical side of bad dreams. I shot the film in Savannah, Georgia, but I changed the town into a nightmare city, so unreal that the audience can't put a name to it. I tried to achieve the same thing with New Orleans in 'The Beyond'.
To come back to the question of horror in my films, I'd like to point out that the audience usually applauds once a horror scene is over, not while the horror is on the screen. People are wrong when they accuse my films of gratuitous horror; censorship is wrong about my films being an incentive to violence. Far from participating in this violence, the spectator, on the contrary, is rid of it, freed from horrors he holds within himself, the film being the catalyst for this liberation."

- Lucio Fulci, L'Ecran Fantastique


'Dario's Disciples' (2010, Documentary - Steven Mark Thomas)

Measuring the influence of Italy's most famous living horror director, genre titan Dario Argento.

This selective chronology of Dario Argento's decorated output serves as a glowing tribute to his career in cinema. Dedicated friends and collaborators include fellow horror filmmakers Lamberto Bava, Antonio Bido and Luigi Cozzi (who helps run The Profondo Rosso Store - Dario's museum shop), as well as gothic cinema's favourite son Michele Soavi. His daughter Asia Argento is a successful director in her own right who takes advice from her father whenever he's around. Dario still reigns supreme among the national horror fraternity (to date, I honestly don't know of any female Italian horror filmmakers). He dominated the competition in a recent poll to find the greatest ever Italian horror director, pushing Mario Bava into second place and beating everybody else by a considerable margin (the third-placed Soavi headed up a chasing pack who were relegated to the status of also-rans). There's no denying the cultural impact that Dario Argento has had on cinema - Luca Guadagnino is hard at work with Tilda Swinton on a remake of 'Suspiria' (1977).

"{On Italy's Horror Tradition} - I think it is fundamentally because we have a Catholic culture: sin is important! Also, at the same time, we revolt against this, which is very particular to the Italian culture. But I’m not only, like Bava, a horror film director, I also make thrillers and giallo. Before I became a film director I was a critic, and over many years I saw a thousand films and wrote reviews about them. A big influence, someone I admired especially, was Antonioni, and also Ingmar Bergman. The French New Wave was very important for me because it broke away and changed everything. Of course Fellini as well, plus Luis Bunuel and the surrealists’ films. Impressionistic films are very important to me. I remember when I was in the famous film museum in Munich – it’s very important, one of the biggest in the world – and they were having a retrospective of my films. Every morning, I would go down to the basement where they had a small room where you could watch films and I watched impressionistic films, very rare films that almost nobody had seen. I spent wonderful days there! I also saw expressionist films – 'The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari' (1920), which was the only colour-tinted copy from the Murnau institute. The colour was marvellous and unique to this copy as it was coloured by hand at the time. It was like a treasure and I was so proud to see these films. I also discovered something like 'Nosferatu' (1922), which had marvellous use of angels. It was all very inventive and not ‘real’ – they didn’t shoot these films on the street or on location, they invented everything!"

- Dario Argento, Electric Sheep

"I have met Argento, he told me he loved my film ('The Perfume of the Lady in Black', 1974). Frankly, I can’t say the same about his movies. I kinda liked his first gialli, because they had rather coherent, well-built scripts. But his latest movies are terrible: 'Sleepless' (2001) makes me laugh. And look at 'Opera' (1987): within the first ten minutes, Argento is trying to leave you breathless, using all the tricks in his bag to keep the viewer on the edge of the seat with loud music, murder scenes that go on and on, and plenty of visual tricks and camera p.o.v. But where is the story?"

- Francesco Barilli, Electric Sheep


'Me And You' (2012, Io e te - Bernardo Bertolucci)

Brooding loner Lorenzo (Jacopo Olmo Antinori) tricks his mother Arianna Cuni (Sonia Bergamasco) into believing he's going away on a student trip. He's actually preparing to spend some time alone but his peace is shattered by the revelation that his half-sister Olivia (Tea Falco) is strung out on hard drugs.

'Me And You' represents a welcome return to film-making for Bernardo Bertolucci. It's a simple, straight-forward character piece about fractured family relations with fine performances from its small cast of players. In comparison to Bertolucci's previous works, I'd consider it somewhat slight though still substantial, with some funny moments too (there are shades of Bertolucci's 1979 drama 'La Luna' but that's a much bleaker film). The final fling in 'Me And You', invoking the spirit of David Bowie through the song 'Space Oddity', allows Lorenzo to feel alive again; if this proves to be Bertolucci's own long goodbye - and I sincerely hope it doesn't - then I'm glad he's leaving on a high.

"'La Dolce Vita' (1960) was, for me, such a shock, in a good sense. I went to see it when it wasn't finished. I think I was 18. My father took me to Cinecittà. [Federico] Fellini started to be anxious about if the movie was able or not to be released in Italy, because he was afraid of having the Church or the Vatican against it. There are many allusions to religion in 'La Dolce Vita'. So he was doing this screening for intellectuals, his friends, et cetera. So I remember that we went with Pasolini, Giorgio Bassani, who was the writer of 'The Garden Of The Finzi-Continis', and my father, in a little screening room in Cinecittà. We saw the movie before it was dubbed, in a kind of language which was in English, Italian, and I remember Nico [Otzak] was speaking Swedish. It was very mixed up; it was fantastic. You would hear often, the voice of Fellini [offscreen], saying "Anita, don't be stupid," to Anita Ekberg. "Smile!" It was an extremely naughty film. That's when I decided there were too many poets around me, and I had to do something else. Then I saw 'Breathless' (1960) in Paris, and I completely fell in love with that style, that language, that freedom."

- Bernardo Bertolucci, The A V Club

"Bertolucci has always showed me paintings. When we were making 'The Spider's Stratagem' (1970) he showed me some of Magritte's work. With his films it is connected with how he tells a story. He is always playing with an inner conflict - to be a normal human being, or a privileged man. With 'The Last Emperor' (1987) it's a relationship between one single man and an entire empire. In that story I was trying to portray visually the connection between light and life. I said we should show the first half of the film only in limited parts of the spectrum. We would know violet only when he's free from the ideological prison."

- Vittorio Storaro, The Guardian

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'Sins In The Country' (1976, Peccatori di provincia - Tiziano Longo)

Devout catholic Domitilla Bertacchi (Daniela Halbritter) is bequeathed all worldly possessions that belonged to her late father Emanuele Lo Cascio in accord with his last will and testament. Upon venturing home, having taken temporary leave from her convent, the young novice encounters a succession of greedy relatives who're keen to bag a slice of the pie.

'Sins In The Country' is a literary-minded comedy that exposes the shameless hypocrisy, deep divisions and outright lies of a grieving family who've been gathered for the reading of a will. Daniela Halbritter is note-perfect as virtuous daughter Domitilla who suffers at every turn, receiving strong support from a formidable line-up of comic talent. The stinging dialogue deals with issues of poverty, avarice and religious devotion in the rural south of Italy where the moral compass is seen to have bypassed wealthy landowners driven by a desire to accumulate assets. Director Tiziano Longo sustains a consistently morose mood during highs and lows, generating an atmosphere that's tinged with desperation, which in turn lends the humour a stifling air of discomfort. Cinematographer Alfio Contini's remote framing of glacial images creates a sense of cold clarity and clear resolution that further enhances the scabrous nature of Domitilla's destruction at the hands of her family. This is an exceptionally cruel black comedy with a bruised, barely beating heart.

'Double Game' (1977, Torino violenta - Carlo Ausino)

Turin is caught in the grip of a turf war being fought between local mafia factions and the fearsome mob of Marseilles. Cold-blooded vigilante The Avenger cleans the streets.

By 1977, Milan, Rome, Napoli and Turin were fully established within the poliziotteschi subgenre as designated crime zones. 'Double Game' isn't the first film in the polizio cycle to be set in Turin, but it may well be the nastiest, presenting the city as a dank, squalid hotbed of vice and corruption, where low-level criminals coerce and kidnap, powerful drug cartels traffic underage girls for teenage prostitution rings, and high-ranking officials cover up all manner of sordid crimes.
'Double Game' is grim, downbeat and deeply pessimistic. Fixed cameras, hand-held cameras and attached cameras amplify the wave of depression felt by the citizens, leading to an ugly slugfest with a high body count. The carnage on the streets is a catalyst for intense introspection as law enforcement are called upon to question the misuse of power in response to organised atrocities. George Hilton is sly and sardonic as Inspector Ugo Moretti (!), Emanuel Cannarsa is serious and driven as Detective Antonio Danieli; tough nut Cannarsa would reunite with director Carlo Ausino for the spin-off project 'Tony : Another Double Game' (1980).

'The art of war is all that is expected of a ruler; and it is so useful that besides enabling hereditary princes to maintain their rule it frequently enables ordinary citizens to become rulers. On the other hand, we find that princes who have thought more of their pleasures than of arms have lost their states. The first way to lose your state is to neglect the art of war; the first way to win a state is to be skilled in the art of war.'

- Excerpt from 'The Prince' by Niccolo Machiavelli


'L'Uomo Tigre' - Alessandra Scaravilli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v59vtUt9dM0

'Rimini Rimini' (1987 - Sergio Corbucci)

Holidaymakers seek love, thrills and happiness in Rimini.

Holiday resort comedies were all the rage in the 1980s so it was inevitable they'd make their way to the city of Rimini which has the biggest beach hangout on the Adriatic Sea. 'Rimini Rimini' is a star-studded epic with sand, sea and sun aplenty. It's bright, breezy and cheerful, with engaging characters and a strong ear for conversation. Director Sergio Corbucci mounts a series of well-constructed set-pieces in picture postcard locations and the film positively flies by for a two hour sunshine spectacle. This is great fun in the sun that sets a wonderful cast in motion.

'Stuff Of The Rich' (1987, Roba da ricchi - Sergio Corbucci)

Holidaymakers become embroiled in shady schemes in Monte Carlo : Princess Topazia (Francesca Dellera) sets an unlikely trap for Father Vittorino (Renato Pozzetto); swindler Dora (Serena Grandi) commits an act of fraud with insurance man Attilio Carbone (Paolo Villaggio); Aldo Petruzzelli (Lino Banfi) and his wife Mapi (Laura Antonelli) trick their kids along the Cote D'Azur.

Shot back to back with 'Rimini Rimini', Sergio Corbucci's coastal comedy 'Stuff Of The Rich' starts out as an adventure beneath the sun, but the three strands of the story soon branch out into different strains of public nightlife. It's reasonably pleasant and undemanding, but unlike 'Rimini Rimini', there's a distinct lack of thrills and it suffers from pedestrian pacing. The professionalism of the cast keeps it watchable but it's several steps down from its sister movie and feels like an afterthought in comparison. My favourite gag, revolving around a costly evening embrace, is recycled from Corbucci's storytelling compendium 'Sing Sing' (1983).

'The Lady And The Highwayman' (1989, TV Movie - John Hough)

In 1649, King Charles I has been tried and executed by Members of Parliament, King Charles II (Michael York) has been exiled to France, and Oliver Cromwell is leading an army towards Ireland. If the nineteen year-old Lady Fanthea (Lysette Anthony) is to survive such desperate times with her dignity intact, the Silver Blade (Hugh Grant) must surely ride to her rescue.

Hugh Grant is dashing as romantic hero Silver Blade and Lysette Anthony rides side-saddle in this decorative period piece directed by John Hough. It's a tale of honour and gallantry, based on a novel by bestselling author Barbara Cartland. Not really my cup of tea if I'm being honest, but good if you like this sort of thing. The impressive supporting cast includes Michael York, Emma Samms, Christopher Cazenove, Claire Bloom, John Mills, Ian Bannen, Robert Morley, Bernard Miles, Gordon Jackson, Gareth Hunt, Steffanie Pitt, Liz Fraser, James Booth, and a horrendously hammy Oliver Reed.

'Somebody To Love' - Anna Sentina
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fgl5r9M1zHs

'Dalila' (1992, Documentary - Enrico Benuzzi)

A portrait of actress and model Dalila Di Lazzaro.

This is a nice profile piece on Dalila Di Lazzaro that primarily serves to highlight her association with artist Andy Warhol early in her career. She's a fine actress who's worked with a number of interesting filmmakers over the years. My favourite of her performances I've seen would have to be her role in Flavio Mogherini's giallo 'The Pyjama Girl Case' (1977). For my top 5 movies, I'd add Sergio Martino's stylish giallo 'Your Vice Is A Locked Room And Only I Have The Key' (1972), Aldo Lado's revenge chiller 'Night Train Murders' (1975), Alberto Lattuada's asylum drama 'Oh, Serafina!' (1976), and Dario Argento's supernatural mystery 'Phenomena' (1985).

'Keith Richards - The Origin Of The Species' (2016, Documentary - Julien Temple)

Rock musician Keith Richards talks about growing up in England during the aftermath of the 2nd World War.

In Julien Temple's latest music documentary, 'Keith Richards - The Origin Of The Species', he intersperses vintage clips of traditional English life with a regal-looking Keith Richards' talking crown to fashion a respectfully royal portrait of a proud country coming to terms with the mammoth task of rebuilding a nation. Richards shares some childhood memories and outlines his social background, painting a picture of Dartford, Kent, that resembles the Wild West of America. Whilst embellishing tall tales of bandits and highwaymen, Richards waxes lyrical about regular trips to the pictures to see his big screen idol, singing cowboy Roy Rogers; no wonder Richards slings his electric guitar like a loaded weapon. The soundtrack comprises of bits and pieces plucked from the Rolling Stones back catalogue.

"Music saved me."

- Keith Richards


'Pamela' - Marta Altesa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMnEwKBzGmQ

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'Potiche' (2010 - Francois Ozon)

This movie was recommended the other day on a Catherine Deneuve thread posted on the Classic Film board, so I felt I needed to check this movie out as I had a recording from tv. It's a broad comic piece about womens liberation and the labour movement, doused in a liberal coating of classical melodrama. The cast appear to be having a ball, buoyed by a fun soundtrack with a Eurovision feel. It has a very specific design thanks to Francois Ozon's technical prowess : for me it resembles something like a 70s sitcom shot in the style of classical tableaux comic book panels. Such a nice movie.

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'Ratman' (1988, Quella villa in fondo al parco - Giuliano Carnimeo)

Beachwear models Marilyn (Eva Grimaldi) and Peggy (Luisa Menon) are on assignment from New York with photographer Mark (Werner Pochath) when a serial killer strikes fear into a tropical island paradise. Terry (Janet Agren) is accompanied around the island by Fred Williams (David Warbeck) in a search for her missing sister. A genetics project has gone wrong and created a deadly poisonous hybrid between a monkey and a rat, known as Mousey the Ratman (Nelson De La Rosa).

It's almost as hard to believe that the great Dardano Sacchetti wrote 'Ratman' as it is that Giuliano Carnimeo directed it. The threadbare plot barely hangs together and the premise hinges on a pathetic gimmick. What little dialogue there is is consistently mundane yet it's still been weighted down with obvious exposition. In the first twenty minutes, all anyone seems to say are variations on, "I wish I was in New York", and don't we all. Making matters worse, the grainy photography is ugly and drained of colour, Carnimeo's signature camera moves are few and far between, the performers act like their on holiday, and the synth-laden music is unbearably tinny and shrill (it sounds like an unused studio rehearsal off-cut).
The once glorious Italian horror industry hit rock bottom in the late 1980s and imploded, never to recover. This was partly due to changes in viewing habits and technical media, and partly due to corrupt practise and general mismanagement. Dario Argento and Michele Soavi were really the only horror filmmakers left who could regularly secure substantial funding for new projects - perhaps you could add Lamberto Bava too, thanks to the success of the 'Demons' franchise which was backed by the powerful Argento. For the old school guys, the cycle had run its course and it was time to call it a day. Some of the greats would walk way for good during the 1990s, while others struggled on manfully, but with diminishing returns. 'The Case Of The Bloody Iris' (1972) is classic Carnimeo made at the industry's peak; 'Ratman' is a poor excuse for a horror movie, released smack in the middle of the industry's painful demise.

'When states newly acquired as I said have been accustomed to living freely under their own laws, there are three ways to hold them securely: first, by devastating them; next, by going and living there in person; thirdly, by letting them keep their own laws, exacting tribute, and setting up an oligarchy which will keep the state friendly to you. In the last case, the government will know that it cannot endure without the friendship and power of the prince who created it, and so it has to exert itself to maintain his authority. A city used to freedom can be more easily ruled through its own citizens, provided you do not wish to destroy it, than in any other way.'

- Excerpt from 'The Prince' by Niccolo Machiavelli


'Everytime You Go Away' - Marta Altesa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnnewhuLuj8

'Daria' (1992, Documentary - Enrico Benuzzi)

A portrait of actress and model Daria Nicolodi.

This is a knockout profile piece on Daria Nicolodi that primarily serves to highlight her association with horror director Dario Argento. She's a measured performer who's lent her steady presence to some great movies during her career. My favourite of her performances I've seen would have to be her role in Mario Bava's possession picture 'Shock' (1977). My favourites among her movies are all collaborations with Argento : 'Deep Red' (1975), 'Suspiria' (1977), 'Inferno' (1980), 'Tenebre' (1982), 'Phenomena' (1985) and 'Opera' (1987). Nicolodi appears in her daughter Asia Argento's part auto-biographical confessional 'Scarlet Diva' (2000).

'Serena' (1992, Documentary - Enrico Benuzzi)

A portrait of actress and model Serena Grandi.

This is a nifty profile piece on Serena Grandi that primarily serves to highlight her association with comedy director Sergio Corbucci. She's a gifted comedienne who's made some excellent films during her career, recently appearing in Paolo Sorrentino's multi-award winning 'The Great Beauty' (2013). My favourite of her performances I've seen would have to be her role in Piero Schivazappa's disturbing crime portrait 'Lady Of The Night' (1986). For my top 5 movies, I'd add Joe D'Amato's hypnotic shocker 'Antropophagus' (1980), Marino Girolami's franchise entry 'Pierino Strikes Again' (1982), Tinto Brass' earthy romance 'Miranda' (1985), and Corbucci's holiday comedy 'Rimini Rimini'. I'd love to see the 'Pierino' sequel that Grandi made with Umberto Lenzi.

'Tomboy' (2011 - Celine Sciamma)

Ten year-old girl Laure (Zoe Heran) makes friends in a new town by pretending to be Mickael (Zoe Heran).

'Tomboy' is a small-scale, low budget drama about establishing your identity. The children in it deliver great performances, very naturalistic. It's tense at times, due to the difficult nature of its subject (withholding the truth from others), but humour alleviates the tension in places. 'Tomboy' is a sensitive movie about the art of deception and the survival skills we develop in our formative years. I'd screen it as the opening film in a double-bill with Richard Linklater's American epic 'Boyhood' (2014) as it's only 82 minutes in length.

'Artsnight Special : Lynn Barber Meets John Lydon' (2016, Documentary - George Cathro)

Songwriter John Lydon, having turned 60 earlier this year, sits down for some good old-fashioned conversation with the remarkable Lynn Barber.

This is a wonderful interview with a fascinating artist. I'd rank it among the absolute best of its kind, up there with recent gems like Lady Gaga meeting Miranda Sawyer, Victoria Hesketh meeting Paul Morley, Kevin Rowland meeting Mark Kermode. I have alot of love in my heart for this man.

'Elio E Le Storie Tese - Gimmi I' - Alessandra Scaravilli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlfZlv1-a8c

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'Sex, Demons And Death' (1975, Diabolicamente... Letizia - Salvatore Bugnatelli)

Upon hearing the difficult news that her gynaecologist believes she can never bear children, Micaela Martinozzi (Magda Konopka) tells her husband Marcello (Gabriele Tinti) that she plans to adopt her nineteen-year old niece Letizia (Franca Gonella) who's been confined to a boarding school since the death of her mother. Letizia lays a curse upon the household.

'Sex, Demons And Death' is a meditation on matters of the occult in which a possessed girl hypnotises the members of her new household. It's shot through with a dreamy, post-psychedelic haze and the miniscule budget is stretched to breaking point through a series of jaw-dropping special effects sequences. The minimalistic approach taken by director Salvatore Bugnatelli combines well with a couple of musical interludes to create a bristling nightmare in which fantasy becomes reality. Franca Gonella's intensely dramatic performance as spellbinding college girl Letizia is as impressive as her reactive, comic tour de force as aspiring model Caterina Moreno in Alfredo Rizzo's 'The Bolognese' (1975); two very different characterisations in the same year from the Roman experimentalist. I'd watch 'Sex, Demons And Death' in a treble-bill with a pair of equally dark films from the mid-1980s that also focus upon the intertwined fates of a small handful of characters : Joe D'Amato's oppressive period piece 'The Pleasure' (1986) and Andrea Barzini's noir-drenched melodrama 'Desiring Julia' (1986).

'Universal Time Machine' (1998, Documentary - MC Hardy & Dr Island)

Through the looking glass with time travellers Walter Colombo (Massimo Boldi) and Ascanio Colonna (Christian De Sica) whose trip to Universal Studios catapults them through the ages. Their guide for this trip through time is the venerable Professor Mortimer (Dean Jones) and our guide is the esteemed Dr Island.

The 'Crack In Time' pictures are a bit like the 'Bill & Ted' movies because they send an enthusiastic comic duo through time. 'A Spasso Nel Tempo' (1996) and its scattershot sequel 'A Spasso Nel Tempo - L'Avventura Continua' (1997) are skilfully handled by comedy specialist Carlo Vanzina who was able to assemble technical crews overloaded with talent, including costume designer Nicoletta Ercole, composer Manuel De Sica, special effects engineer Sergio Stivaletti, make-up man Gino De Rossi, camera wizard Gianlorenzo Battaglia, and hugely experienced editor Sergio Montanari whose advice for cutting through time proved to be invaluable. Vanzina's carefully constructed mix of fantasy, erotica and historical adventure strikes additional notes of surrealism through snatches of absurdism, animation and musical interpretation. Twenty years on, these movies remain just as entertaining now as they were then.

'After pausing for a moment, the Magnifico then added with a laugh :

"Do you not know that this proposition is held in philosophy: namely, that those who are weak in body are able in mind? So there can be no doubt that being weaker in body women are abler in mind and more capable of speculative thought than men."'

- Excerpt from 'The Book Of The Courtier' by Baldassare Castiglione



'Sir Roderick Stewart : Can't Stop Me Now' (2013, Documentary - Sarah Aspinall)

A sit-down interview with singer-songwriter Rod Stewart at his luxury home.

Sarah Aspinall's documentary about Rod Stewart has been retitled and relaunched to reflect his new status as a knight, with a customised introduction provided by celebrity interviewer Alan Yentob. I think the live footage of Stewart's early days captures an electrifying performer in action. He's cut alot of top records and worked with some great musicians. He's also an engaging interview subject who's comfortable in front of the camera and it's nice to see him together with guitarist Ronnie Wood.

'Versus - The Life And Films Of Ken Loach' (2016, Documentary - Louise Ormond)

A retrospective study of the career of political filmmaker Ken Loach.

Ken Loach has made films, documentaries, adverts and television productions during his long and eventful career in Great Britain. He found a degree of success early on as a theatre actor and translated what he learnt to film. This documentary is very matter of fact which suits its subject well. Loach talks about working-class reality in relation to artificial political reality, in conjunction with the war between trade and capital. I find his films interesting but for some reason I've never felt an urge to watch any of those I've seen for a second time.

'Here signor Gaspare Pallavicino said with a laugh :

"But to find reasons for your opinion you are citing what is done by women, who are quite unreasonable. And if you were to tell us the whole truth, this fellow who won the favours of so many women must have been a fool and a good-for-nothing, because it is the practice of women always to favour the worst and to follow their leader like sheep, whether for good or ill. Moreover, they are so jealous of each other that even if he had been a monster they would still have wished to steal him away from one another."

At this, almost everyone tried to say something in contradiction to signor Gaspare, but the Duchess made them all keep quiet, and then she said :

"I would allow someone to answer you were it not that the wicked things you are saying about women are so far from the truth that they reflect shame and discredit on the one who is saying them rather than on women. However, I have no intention of letting you be cured of your bad habits by hearing all the conclusive arguments against what you are saying, lest you escape the severe punishment that you deserve for your sin, namely, the poor opinion which everyone who hears the way you talk will have of you."'

- Excerpt from 'The Book Of The Courtier' by Baldassare Castiglione



The 'Natali' Cycle : Gems of the Cine-Panettone

'Body Guards' (2000, Body Guards - Guardie del corpo - Neri Parenti)

Christian De Sica & his Xmas gang open the new millennium with an all-star supermodel spectacular, playing a group of bumbling bodyguards who're assigned to protect some of the world's most beautiful women. An acknowledged admirer of America's wholesome midwestern girls next door, 'Christmas' franchise mainstay Carlo Vanzina once had California girl Bo Derek dress up as Michigan sports fan Bo for 'California Dreaming' (1992), before featuring Carmen Electra of Sharonville, Ohio as professional dancer Esmerelda in 'Christmas Vacation 2000' (1999). For 'Body Guards', 'Christmas' stalwart Neri Parenti has acquired the services of Cindy Crawford from DeKalb, Illinois. Christian De Sica personally rubber stamped a special option to extend the budget and bring in signature beauties from around the globe, with Finland's Anna Falchi, Sweden's Victoria Silvstedt, and Australia's Megan Gale getting the call. The film itself is loud, messy and lacks cohesion, but there's a few funny moments here and there.

Great scene : The bodyguards are halted in their tracks by the bootylicious dance troupe Marrons Glaces.

'Merry Christmas' (2001, Últimas vacaciones - Neri Parenti)

Neri Parenti's big-hearted holiday favourite 'Merry Christmas' is a slow starter with a pair of aces tucked up its sleeve. The D.P. is Gianlorenzo Battaglia, Italy's underwater camera guru who's proven as a master of positioning and placement, so the set-pieces do deliver. Franchise favourites I Fichi D'India are a comedy duo who provide slapstick relief, and here they have Biagio Izzo who blows it out the water as a merry gay concierge. Music is almost always a trump card for this franchise, with compositions, covers and incidental bits and pieces overseen by Bruno Zambrini for the last twenty years, but the soundtrack to 'Merry Christmas' is variable in quality, with a closing techno track played over the end credits that's execrable.

Great scene : Cesare Mandrione (Enzo Salvi) barks "Booooner!" at a restaurant and receives a kingsize courgette.

'Christmas On The Nile' (2002, Natale sul Nilo - Neri Parenti)

This one's a pleasant excursion to the land of pharaohs but nothing really stands out for me. The costumes are fun and capture the spirit of Egypt, but the real star of the show is young Lucrezia Piaggio who performs some cool moves as trainee dancer Lorella Ombroni. It's nicely photographed by Gianlorenzo Battaglia and the soundtrack is outstanding.

Great scene : Fabio Ciulla (Christian De Sica) whacks Enrico Ombroni (Massimo Boldi) over the head with a frying pan to quell a creepy black scorpion that's on the move.

'Christmas In India' (2003, Natale in India - Neri Parenti)

It takes half an hour for the 'Christmas' crew to reach the mystical land of India which is just as well as the project pretty much collapses upon arrival. The script is surprisingly weak, the jokes are exceedingly lame, and even the toilet gags fall flat on their backside. On the plus side, the opening scenes set in Italy during the 1980s are sly, satirical and funny. This one's a mixed bag to my mind, but the cast salvage some laughs with a combination of skill and spirited playing.

Great scene : Enrico Paci (Massimo Boldi) removes his towel to reveal his favourite underpants while fanning Giovanna Bertocchi (Giulia Montanarini) in a mixed sauna.

'Christmas In Love' (2004 - Neri Parenti)

'Christmas In Love' is a festive family treat with one eye on the international market. It shows how accomplished Neri Parenti has become as a director and he gets the best out of his featured cast, but the screenplay lacks bite and it's all a bit too polished for my liking. It's basically two hours of joy and happiness beside an open fire, with chestnuts roasting as friends are toasting.

Great scene : Teacher Brad La Guardia (Danny De Vito) shares some Actors Studio techniques with new student Monica Baldi (Cristiana Capotondi).

'Christmas In Miami' (2005, Natale a Miami - Neri Parenti)

The 'Christmas' franchise goes 'spring break USA' for this airy installment set in Miami, Florida that marks a turning point in the cycle. With the veterans getting really old some have bowed out gracefully, so a group of teenagers are left to revel in newfound freedoms. However, the reliable Christian De Sica remains permanently on hand, and Massimo Boldi's up to his old tricks too. This is a fun entry filmed in a beautiful location.

Great scene : A sudden bout of testicular torture and member mutilation sparks a fantastical finale for all concerned.

'Christmas In New York' (2006, Natale a New York - Neri Parenti)

Continuing to explore America, the series goes 'American Pie' for this educational episode set in the state of New York. Unlike 'Christmas In Miami' which feels Italian to the core, 'Christmas In New York' is far too similar to some of the (better) American teen movies that it's desperately trying to emulate. The kids here are no substitute for the absent series regulars, leaving the redoubtable Christian De Sica to soldier on regardless. 'Christmas In New York' fails to capture the magic of the Big Apple.

Great scene : The young pretenders anger some pumped-up jocks in the mens' shower room.

'Christmas Cruise' (2007, Natale in crociera - Neri Parenti)

Christian De Sica & pals take a luxury cruise to watch a beauty pageant and associated talent show. 'Christmas Cruise' is an engaging entry in the 'Christmas' cycle that returns it to its roots. It entrusts an old-fashioned seasonal opening to Swiss comedienne Michelle Hunziker who's hilarious as doo-little doctor Michela Bacci, guest veteran George Hilton adds gravitas as the cruise ship's commander, De Sica displays his deft comic touch while getting to grips with some razor-sharp dialogue, and D.P. Giovanni 'Tani' Canevari shoots the action with welcome clarity and a carefully trained lens. 'Christmas Cruise' is a delight.

Great scene : Paolo Cioffa (Christian De Sica) requests a helping hand to massage Magda Venni (Aida Yespica).

'Christmas In Rio' (2008, Natale a Rio - Neri Parenti)

The 2016 Olympics have kicked off this weekend in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Unfortunately, this sanguine sojourn in Rio is a toothless non-starter. Was Richard Curtis brought in to ghost-write the screenplay for 'Christmas In Rio'? This film is a flaccid, over-extended romcom that not even Christian De Sica and Michelle Hunziker can save. A serious low point for the series and for Neri Parenti as a filmmaker.

Great scene : Linda Vita (Michelle Hunziker) burns her bottom on a hot oven ring.

'Christmas In Beverly Hills' (2009, Natale a Beverly Hills - Neri Parenti)

The evergreen 'Christmas' crew heads to Los Angeles, California to sample the local nightlife but there's more adventure unfolding in their hotel rooms. This enjoyable entry in the series gets plenty of mileage from Michelle Hunziker's comic masterclass; it's also a springboard for Michela Quattrociocche who was recommended for the stellar role of Martina Romano in Ugo Fabrizio Giordano's 'Estate' variation 'Sharm El Sheik - Un'Estate Indimenticabile' (2010) off the back of her work here.

Great scene : Serena (Michelle Hunziker) flops on to macho player Marcello (Alessandro Gassman) while Rocco (Gianmarco Tognazzi) hides beneath her waterbed.

'Christmas In South Africa' (2010, Natale in Sudafrica - Neri Parenti)

Christian De Sica & co. get up to some hysterical safari hijinks in this zany expedition through endangered territory. D.P. Luciano Tovoli is a master of light and he illuminates the desert in 'Christmas In South Africa' with some trademark shining visuals. The wildlife is totally cosmic which adds to the lustrous sheen, cerebral glowsnakes leaping out of bushes to steal the show.

Great scene : Angela (Belen Rodriguez) thinks on her feet to avert disaster during a sudden quicksand incident [there's shades of Erika Eleniak in 'Chasers' (1994) which both Carlo Vanzina and Neri Parenti rank among their favourite comedies - as do I!]

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'Bread And Chocolate' (1974, Pane e cioccolata - Franco Brusati)

Giovanni Garofoli (Nino Manfredi) battles to secure a future as a waiter in Switzerland where pay rates and job opportunities are greater than in his homeland Italy.

'Bread And Chocolate' sets a scene of Swiss bliss gracefully : a string quartet performs with metronomic precision on a finely cut park lawn, spectators check their emotions with clockwork timing, foundations are laid for the studied maintenance of serenity, civility and order. Immigrants come and go. As visitors, they are encouraged to compete and undermine each other at every turn, in the true spirit of capitalism. Loneliness can drive a person to distraction, danger or madness, but penitence is no substitute for contribution, and the show must go on.
Cinematographer Luciano Tovoli allows the camera in 'Bread And Chocolate' to quietly intermingle with the cast who are blocked and orchestrated by director Franco Brusati with the high level of precision required by the setting. This creates the effect of watching a gentle water flow moving slowly upstream, which can be unsettling at times. Nino Manfredi's comic artistery makes it more so; he has this uncanny ability to appear stressed and relaxed at the same time. There's a considered musical accompaniment from composer Daniele Patucchi, augmented by some classical selections.
The beginning of 'Bread And Chocolate' is made all the more unsettling by a sudden, chilling vision of a priest which caused controversy upon release. There had already been a number of disturbing visions of predatory genderbenders hijacking the cloth, as witnessed in the world of Italian crime and horror, in such pivotal giallo entries as Lucio Fulci's 'Don't Torture A Duckling' (1972), Umberto Lenzi's 'Seven Blood-Stained Orchids' (1972), Massimo Dallamano's 'What Have You Done To Solange?' (1972), and the Croatian Aldo Lado's 'Who Saw Her Die?' (1972). As the 1970s had dawned, things had been no less sinister within the realm of absurdist comedy, led by the humiliation of Maria Teresa (Simonetta Stefanelli) in Giulio Petroni's subversive masterwork 'Non Committere Atti Impuri' (1971). By the turn of the decade, the clash between gender fluidity and righteous indignation had become epitomised by the type of pitiful figures cast down by the brilliant comedian Lino Banfi, who'd continue in this vein into the 1980s : in 'La Ripetente Fa L'Occhietto Al Preside' (1980) for example, Mariano Laurenti's 'Liceale' series spin-off, Principal Rodolfo Calabrone (Lino Banfi) is compelled to swap places with a priest; in Sergio Martino's superior marriage crisis comedy 'La Moglie In Vacanza ... L'Amante In Citta' (1980), Valeria Damiani (Barbara Bouchet) takes total ownership of hapless foreign manservant Peppino (Lino Banfi) and proceeds to exploit him on an emotional and physical level; 'Vai Avanti Tu Che Mi Vien Da Ridere' (1982), a detective spoof from the Frenchman Giorgio Capitani, sees Commissioner Pasquale Bellachioma (Lino Banfi) reduced to rubble by tricky target Andrea Maria Ritter (Agostina Belli) - a lady who wears sheer ballet tights under her mini-dress yet uses urinals; in Luciano Salce's aggressive political statement 'Vieni Avanti Cretino' (1982), Pasquale Baudaffi (Lino Banfi) is sent flipping through tyre chains to escape factory muscle when Carmela (Michela Miti) seduces him, leading to a complete mental and physical collapse. Manfredi, like Banfi, takes his characters to places you may not expect, with some of his best known films dealing with issues around catholicism.

"How beautiful is youth, that is always slipping away! Whoever wants to be happy, let him be so: of tomorrow there's no knowing."

- Lorenzo De' Medici


'Christian ~ We Love You' (1995, Documentary, Christian, ti vogliamo bene - Massimiliano Tutti)

Actor Christian De Sica prepares a comedy sketch.

This is an interesting document because it captures Christian De Sica rehearsing behind the scenes. He's preparing a comic vignette, drawn from ancient Greece, but tailoring it to the possibilities offered by open-air theatre. With live comedy, alot of work might go into something that'll last barely five minutes. For De Sica, it's worth it if the audience comes away feeling they've been entertained.

'Football Italia' (2002, Documentary - Alan McCandless)

Analysing the ongoing quest to achieve footballing brilliance in Italy. This action demands skill, passion, flair and creativity, but above all else, discipline.

When they're on their game, the Italians can provide formidable opposition for anyone on the world's biggest stage. League rivalries between Italian clubs are fierce but all that's set aside when players come together to represent their country under one flag.

'Jessica Ennis-Hill : A Coach's Story' (2016, Documentary - Sarah Cook)

Heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill trains for a shot at Olympic glory in Rio under the guidance of Toni 'The Tiger' Minichiello.

This is a nice documentary charting the progress of track & field star Jessica Ennis-Hill as she continues with her rigorous training regime in Olympic year. Coach Toni Minichiello has been supervising Ennis-Hill's preparations for competition since she emerged as a talented child in the English city Sheffield. Minichiello was constantly told that she was too short to be successful in the heptathlon so he told her to work hard and prove the doubters wrong. The 5'5" jill-of-all-trades is competing in Rio this weekend having touched down in Brazil as the reigning World & Olympic Heptathlon Champion. Go Jessica!


The 'Natali' Cycle : Gems of the Cine-Panettone

'S.P.Q.R.: 2,000 And A Half Years Ago' (1994, S.P.Q.R. 2000 e 1/2 anni fa - Carlo Vanzina)

Leslie Nielsen joins Christian De Sica & his Xmas gang for a spell in ancient Rome in the historical parody 'S.P.Q.R.: 2,000 And A Half Years Ago'. This movie is regarded by some fans of the 'Christmas' series as the weakest entry to date and I'd rank it as my least favourite among those I've seen. It made money though, and spawned a television series in the 1990s. I find it limp and ineffectual as parody, lacking the laughs needed to label it a successful spoof. The plot's weighed down by unfunny dialogues and it remains strangely non-committal to its inviting premise, keeping the action at arm's-length.

Great scene : Grand schemer Cesare Atticus (Christian De Sica) and respected orator Lucio Cinico (Leslie Nielsen) put their heads together (it's just great seeing these two old pros working off each other).

'Christmas Holiday '95' (1995, Vacanze di Natale '95 - Neri Parenti)

Special guest star Luke Perry turns Aspen, Colorado into Beverlino Hills 95010 for this wacky edition in the snow. It's sincere and heart-warming, intelligently scripted, laced with lovely moments of observational humour. Neri Parenti's spirited handling of the material enhances the festive mood as Christian De Sica and Massimo Boldi capture the pleasure and the pain that comes with the commercial Christmas season. Perry is a cardboard cut-out used effectively for the purposes of the plot, with Cristiana Capotondi making her big screen debut as a schoolgirl with a crush on him. English model Claire Farwell is very funny in a supporting role.

Great scene : Lorenzo Colombo (Massimo Boldi) manhandles the family jewels of Remo Proietti (Christian De Sica) in the shower but only after he's touched them with something else.

'A Christmas Wedding' (2010, A Natale mi sposo - Paolo Costella)

Massimo Boldi headlines this engaging spin-off, which may or may not be considered an official entry in the series, portraying a gala chef who's charged with preparing a party spread at a mountain retreat. Paolo Costella makes a colourful splash with his franchise debut and shows some serious directing skills in executing farcical situations. The new faces joining Boldi are talented and likeable, the set-plays consistently deliver, and the whole thing feels fresh, vibrant and invigorated. Costella's choice of signature tune is inspired : Katy Perry's effervescent pop classic 'California Girls'.

Great scene : Chef Gustavo Godendo (Massimo Boldi) unveils his natural green Christmas feast and dances provocatively for a pair of hostile doormen.

'Christmas Holiday In Cortina' (2011, Vacanze di Natale a Cortina - Neri Parenti)

Christian De Sica returns fully recuperated from his own Christmas break and he's in sparkling vintage as he leads old pals and fresh faces through their paces. 'Christmas Holiday In Cortina' is no more than an exercise in nostalgia for Neri Parenti and his crew but it's a pleasant one at that. I found the movie mildly disappointing to be honest, as there's nothing new on offer, but it's a charming family feature with a strong moral message that seems designed for repeat showings on television. Merry Christmas everybody.

Great scene : Roberto Covelli (Christian De Sica) explains the importance of family.

'Caribbean Vacation (2015, Vacanze Ai Caraibi - Neri Parenti)

Christian De Sica's finally picked up his free bus pass and he's ready to ride again but he fears he's missed the boat. It's great to see De Sica back in business and diggin' Caribbean life but this tropical Christmas treat poses its own set of challenges. Neri Parenti goes digital big style here, using on-screen key texting, extreme brightness and high definition colour treatments, a virtul reality paradise party zone, and a coastline bathed in the essence of visual purity. It's immaculate film-making but it still feels like Beatles fan De Sica has finally found his retirement home, 'now he's, six-ty, -four!' Woo!

Great scene : Mario Grossi Tubi (Christian De Sica) shocks the evening crowd with his strangely suggestive behaviour around Ottavio Vianale (Massimo Ghini).

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'The Boom' (1963, Il boom - Vittorio De Sica)

Building contractor Giovanni Alberti (Alberto Sordi) tries desperately to drum up money during Italy's post-war industrial boom. If he can't pay his debts, Giovanni runs the risk of losing his wife Silvia (Gianna Maria Canale) to another member of his elite social set.

'The Boom' is part of a wave of Italian comedies made during the 1960s that began examining the emerging fall-out from Italy's post-war financial and industrial success. It has an incredibly dark script by Cesare Zavattini that's pitched in a minor key throughout by director Vittorio De Sica. Alberto Sordi balances sly charm with sharp-toothed malevolence as the contractor looking to clear his debts; the other despicable characters are such shallow, greedy bigots, Giovanni appears a gentleman by comparison. De Sica has the camera close in on faces at odd moments which achieves something quite alarming; it introduces moments of grotesque revelation to the film's consistently sour atmosphere. It's like observing something horrible from a safe distance, but then just as you feel you're becoming anaesthetized to it, you're shown the true extent of the horror in dramatic close-up. Other stylistic devices are used to intensify this feeling of discomfort, including amplified sound (a crunching sequence at a showjumping event becomes particularly cringe-making thanks to the sound design). So, 'The Boom' is a brilliantly made film in my opinion, but one that's deeply unpleasant. Thankfully, it's also extremely funny in places. De Sica immerses his audience inside a world of empty promise with unflinching cruelty, tapping into the raw essence of black comedy in order to submerge the viewer in total darkness.

'Our natural talents and passions - the things we truly love to do - last for a lifetime. But all too often, our talents go untapped. Mark Twain once described a man who died and met Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates. Knowing that Saint Peter was very wise, the man asked a question that he had wondered about throughout his life.
He said, "Saint Peter, I have been interested in military history for many years. Who was the greatest general of all time?"
Saint Peter quickly responded, "Oh that's a simple question. It's that man right over there."
"You must be mistaken," responded the man, now very perplexed. "I knew that man on earth, and he was just a common laborer."
"That's right, my friend," assured Saint Peter. "He would have been the greatest general of all time, if he had been a general."
This story illustrated a truth that is, unfortunately, all too common. Far too many people spend a lifetime headed in the wrong direction. They go not only from the cradle to the cubicle, but then to the casket, without uncovering their greatest talents and potential.'

- Excerpt from 'Strengths Finder 2.0' by Tom Rath

'I know what you did
And now he's waiting
He knows what you did too
You're not what you say you are ...'

- Kay Hanley, 'St Peter'


'A Man Called Blade' (1977, Mannaja - Sergio Martino)

Hatchet-wielding bounty hunter Mannaja (Maurizio Merli) brings his own brand of rough justice to a corrupt mining town that's fallen under the control of a violent mob.

The action-packed western 'A Man Called Blade' has been described as an urgent reply to the complex ecological western 'Keoma' (1976). In an opportunistic act of artistic call and response, filmmaker Sergio Martino duplicates certain aspects of Enzo Castellari's influential western including story dynamics, criminal codes and visual motifs. The film also borrows from the amoral mythical landscape of Lucio Fulci's gruelling psychological western 'Four Of The Apocalypse' (1975) in creating its own vision of apocalyptic doom (the story is set during the presidency of William McKinley of Ohio). Maurizio Merli plays the lead role of Mannaja and he's a strong choice, because just like Fabio Testi and Franco Nero, Merli preferred to perform his own stunts and combat scenes wherever possible.
Cinematographer Federico Zanni employs a mind-boggling array of technical tricks to link up the action. Zanni also finds different ways to lens a dense fog that's overhanging the outskirts of the township and this brings an air of surrealism to the storytelling. The script largely dispenses with the philosophical questions posed in 'Keoma' to focus more on the puritanical rage of the mob, so there's plenty of hardcore action on display. An audacious double-action set-piece combining real-time events with slow-motion carnage is masterfully executed by Martino and Zanni; a muddled can-can dance accompanying a mass slaughter provides an example of the kind of close quarter construction that Martino specialises in and he concludes a consecutive mass slaying with the potent image of a retired angel's visitation. Martino achieved a similar effect with the opening segment of 'Sex With A Smile' (1976) released the previous year, in which sadistic geek Cavaliere Marelli (Tomas Milian) pushes Emilia Chiapponi (Edwige Fenech) deeper and deeper into his sado-masochistic fantasy world (a la 'Belle De Jour' - 1967). The soundtrack written for 'A Man Called Blade' by Guido De Angelis and Maurizio De Angelis compliments the wayward spirit of organic marvel 'Keoma' also; it's a musical suite composed of foreboding folk balladry complete with California-styled, close-set harmonies.

"Creating contrasting scenes is one of my skills. I did the same thing in other movies, intercutting violence with love or comedy. Sam Peckinpah had a similar style. He was my biggest inspiration. I think I learned from him how to determine the rhythm of a scene. It wasn't an idea that came during editing. The script (for 'Mannaja') called for those intercuts. It created drama, intercutting the death sequence with the dancing sequence."

- Sergio Martino, 'A Man Called Sergio'


'A Guy Ritchie Documentary' (2007, Documentary - Goksan Ozman)

Assessing the career of British film director Guy Ritchie.

This is a short documentary about Guy Ritchie. I especially enjoyed the part that compares 'Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels' (1998) with Quentin Tarantino's American gamechanger 'Pulp Fiction' (1994).

'Katie Razzall : Reporter' (2015, Documentary - Richard Perryman)

A profile of award-winning reporter Katie Razzall.

This documentary profile was put into production after Katie Razzall's short film 'Slave Wives' won a couple of awards. She's a superb reporter, as good as anyone working in Britian at the moment. Razzall worked for Channel 4's news division for years before moving to the BBC where she now works as an investigative reporter for 'Newsnight'. I'm among the many who'd like to thank Katie for her brilliant journalism and her bravery. Long may she continue.

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'The Handsome Devil' (1974, Bello come un arcangelo - Alfredo Giannetti)

Buff beach stud Gaetano Avallone (Lando Buzzanca) wreaks havoc on the lives of frustrated lawyer Pantaleo Fortis (Orazio Orlando) and his diabetic mother Donna Mercedes (Paola Borboni).

'The Handsome Devil' is a callous comedy that deals with guilt, faith and catholic devotion. It stars Lando Buzzanca as Gaetano, a wild seaside gigolo with a kingsize member who acts like a horny devil but more closely resembles an angel from history. Gaetano's throbbing physical presence leads to divine temptation when he stays at Pantaleo's house and entices the harried lawyer's frigid partner Immaculata (Erika Blanc), devout daughter Mariangela (Stella Carnacina) and uncontrollable housemaid Sisina (Clarisse Monaco) to reach out and touch him. This abrasive religious satire from Alfredo Giannetti finds depraved double-act Sergio Fiorentini and Ernesto Colli in prime comic form as dodgy cloth-wringer Father Don Fernando and demented bell ringer Cicillo.

'Walter Brandi : A Man Possessed' (2005, Documentary - Raul Tervet)

A tribute to horror icon Walter Brandi.

Eroticism in horror cinema has taken on many mysterious forms and Walter Brandi of Marche was there to see it all. Film-making pioneers Mario Bava and Renato Polselli brought a sado-masochistic edge to horror productions that terrified international censors and catholic observers. One common mode of sexual exploration within genre was hypnosis, a suspect device that could free a protagonist from responsibility and had the power to absolve sin. Egyptian grand master Riccardo Freda used a forbidden tribal dance in 'Caltiki' (1959) to demonstrate how women would ward off evil spirits, while simultaneously showing how they also lured them in. In 'Seddok' (1960), directed by Anton Giulio Majano, interpretive dance became a harbinger of doom and communicative feminine movement cajoled hidden dangers lurking in the shadows. Confused critics asked the question, "Are these women conscious of what they're doing?!"
In addition to perverse exoticisms, cartoonish pleasure spasms were being engineered by a small group of agitators inspired by the works of Freda, Bava and Polselli. Paolo Heusch's delirious mystery 'Lycanthropus' (1961) exhibited a bold comic book sensibility and forged new ground. Piero Regnoli's scandalous experiment 'The Playgirls And The Vampire' (1960), Roberto Mauri's baroque romance 'Slaughter Of The Vampires' (1964) and Massimo Pupillo's chest-beating nightmare 'Bloody Pit Of Horror' (1965) all featured charismatic ladykiller Brandi, while future fantasists Luigi Batzella and Alfredo Rizzo were busy taking notes on the sidelines. This would be important to the Regnoli factory machine, a script-writing delivery service to rival Ernesto Gastaldi's that extended the legacy of forbidden lust well into the 1980s.
In the 1970s, possession became a popular tool in comic fables, provoking more questions of doubt and decision. Joe D'Amato spoke of the "projected astral chaos" that built upon Italian traditions and superstitions. In Franco Rossetti's artistic landmark 'Una Cavalla Tutta Nuda' (1972), Folcacchio De Folcacchieri (pop star Don Backy) employed spiritual trickery to possess Gennata (Barbara Bouchet), but who was controlling who? In Alessandro Metz's much-maligned entry in the 'Pierino' comedy franchise, 'Pierino Il Fichissimo' (1981), Clorinda (Adriana Russo) instigated a revealing power game to win the lasting affections of Salvatore (Sandro Ghiani), but it backfired and brought only bad luck. Perhaps the epitome of social suffering caused by blind superstition came about with Sergio Martino's two-part anthology 'Occhio, Malocchio, Prezzemolo E Finocchio' (1983), where magic, sorcery and witchcraft were explicit entities existing in a post-modern world {and pop star Johnny Dorelli gained special powers}. The age of relaxed lotharios like Brandi may have been over, but his influence could still be felt. Nowadays, the closest thing on offer to the great man is mere pastiche.

'A Love Of Misura' (2007, Un amore su misura - Renato Pozzetto)

Corrado Olmi (Renato Pozzetto) accepts an offer to be the guinea pig in a test experiment designed to amass data needed to kickstart a planned production line of custom-made love dolls.

'A Love Of Misura' is an adaptation of Vittorino Andreoli's novel 'Yono-Cho'. It tells the story of Milanese engineer Corrado Olmi who becomes a test subject for a multinational corporation represented by shady business dealer Mr Schwarzkopf (Fabrizio Kofler). The film satirises big business but concentrates mostly upon the day-to-day life of Corrado who's managing a new relationship with his supermodel doll Elettra (Camilla Sjoberg) while coping with unexpected visitations from his estranged wife Carla (Anna Galiena). 'A Love Of Misura' is tailor-made to suit the talents of star attraction Renato Pozzetto whose stolid direction is functional if uninspired (it's co-produced by his daughter Francesca Pozzetto and son Giacomo Pozzetto).

'Suffragette' (2015 - Sarah Gavron)

The British suffragettes lead a campaign of civil disobedience in 1912. One of their aims is to secure voting rights for women but peaceful protest has fallen on deaf ears.

The hard-hitting feminist drama 'Suffragette' is based on real events in history. The all-star cast includes Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne-Marie Duff, Grace Stottor, Amanda Lawrence, Shelley Longworth, Sarah Finigan, Lorraine Stanley, Romola Garai, Alice Haughton, Lisa Dillon, Natalie Press, Brendan Gleeson, Meryl Streep & imdb COO Col Needham. Director Sarah Gavron captures the period well in retelling this dark chapter in British history. Beautiful music score from composer Alexandre Desplat.

'Orlando greeted them courteously - he was always courteous to women - and they at once stood up and amiably returned his greeting. / They did, in truth, show some dismay on hearing this unexpected voice and seeing so fierce a man come in armed head to foot. Orlando asked who it was who was so unkind, barbarous, unjust, and cruel as to bury a maiden who looked so sweet and lovable in this cave. / The maiden answered haltingly; ardent sighs kept interrupting the flow of soft words that issued brokenly from her coral lips, which parted to disclose such precious pearls. Of lily and rose was the colour of her cheeks, down which her tears streamed until some were swallowed between her lips. May it please your Lordship to hear the rest of this story in the next canto, for it is time now to end this one.'

{Thirteenth Canto}

'They certainly had luck, the knights of old, as they looked in gloomy caves and wild woods, in ravines, in snake-burrows, dens of bears or lions, and came upon sights which today connoisseurs scarcely meet with in proud palaces - maidens in their prime, ravishing beauties. / I was just telling you how Orlando had found a damsel in the cave, and had asked her how she came to be there. Well, after giving vent to many a sob, she began in soft melodious voice to explain her predicament to the count as briefly as she could. /
'Full well I know, sir, that I shall suffer for having spoken to you,' she said; 'this woman is bound to betray me to the man who has shut me up here. Still, I am ready to tell you my story, even if I pay for it with my life. What joy anyway am I to expect from him beyond his finally deciding to make away with me? / I am Isabel. I used to be the daughter of the luckless King of Galicia. I say I used to be - for now I am no longer his: I am daughter to grief, misery, and sadness. Love is to blame: I would not know whom else to complain of more than of spiteful Love - blandly approving at the start, only to weave a web of deceptions on the sly. / Mine used to be a happy life. I was well-born, young and beautiful, rich and esteemed. Now I am poor, wretched, and debased. There can be no sadder condition than mine. I would have you know the root cause of my present wretchedness, for though you bring me no help, your sympathy would be no little comfort to me.'

- Excerpt from 'Orlando Furioso' by Ludovico Ariosto



The 'Summer' Cycle : Cinepanettoni under the Sun

'A Summer At Sea' (2008, Un'estate al mare - Carlo Vanzina)

Carlo Vanzina guides a glittering collection of comedians through this inaugural entry in the 'Summer' series and brings in several performers from the 'Christmas' cycle. 'A Summer At Sea' is concocted through a similar compound formula but the episodic storyline moves from one set-up to the next, so it feels like a classical era anthology with link-up segments. It's confidently assembled by Vanzina who garners eye-catching performances from his ensemble and the production values are strong. This summer splash is fun from start to finish.

Great scene : Couples get fresh on the disco dancefloor after dark.

'Summer In The Caribbean' (2009, Un'estate ai Caraibi - Carlo Vanzina)

This summer season, lucky holidaymakers from Livorno, Napoli, Pavia and Rome are heading to the Caribbean. The location is open and attractive, the script is full of surprises, and a cast shake-up results in a pleasant change in dynamics (the performers let it all hang out!). Let's hope there's plenty more summer fun to be had in future.

Great scene : The contestants in a wet t-shirt contest get carried away.

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'The Long Hair Of Death' (1964, I lunghi capelli della morte - Antonio Margheriti)

A witch's curse befalls the castle of the honourable Humboldt dynasty where women are in desperately short supply.

'The Long Hair Of Death' is a brooding gothic chiller set in a small village that's been ravaged by plague in the 15th century. It details the deconstruction of an aristocratic family in the wake of a connected double-murder that's unleashed a furious curse upon a contaminated bloodline of misogynistic bullies. The terse script by Tonino Valerii and director Antonio Margheriti digests an original story by Ernesto Gastaldi that's filled with mystery. Margheriti exacts measured performances from his featured support cast which consists of George Ardisson as violent abuser Baron Kurt Humboldt, Giuliano Raffaelli as slimy rapist Count Humboldt, Umberto Raho as sneaky manservant Von Klage, Laura Nucci as wily protector Grumalda, and Halina Zalewska as neglected orphan Lisabeth Karnstein. Horror icon Barbara Steele is mesmerising in dual roles as Lisabeth's older sister Helen and suspicious visitor Mary, in the same year that she was called upon to perform double-duties in Lucio Fulci's comedy 'The Maniacs' (1964); Steele had previously played dual roles in Mario Bava's 'Black Sunday' (1960) and would do so again in Mario Caiano's 'Nightmare Castle' (1965). 'The Long Hair Of Death' has a haunting musical score made up of complex movements that's composed by Carlo Rustichelli.

"Barbara Steele is one of those actresses that you do not forget. She is a goddess of horror; she is a timeless actress."

- Tim Burton


'Plot Of Fear' (1976, E tanta paura - Paolo Cavara)

Inspector Gaspare Lomenzo (Michele Placido) investigates a series of gruesome murders in Milan. He enlists the help of fashion model Jeanne (Corinne Clery) to gain some insight into the city's fetish scene.

Inspector Lomenzo - Stop talking about Ruth! She cheated on me with a white guy.
Jeanne - Aren't you white?
Inspector Lomenzo - No, I'm Neapolitan, that's different.
Jeanne - Who said Naples is the only African city with no European quarter?
Inspector Lomenzo - A Neapolitan, of course.


The political giallo 'Plot Of Fear' is a detective story that inserts flashbacks into its narrative framework to flesh out the details. The audacious screenplay by Enrico Oldoini, Bernardino Zapponi and director Paolo Cavara is set during Italy's 'Years of Lead' which is significant as private policing was high on the political agenda. In this regard it could be read as a protest movie but there's alot of humour in the dialogue. It's a stylish affair, much like Cavara's spellbinding giallo 'Black Belly Of The Tarantula' (1971) which also carries a distinct political edge. Cinematographer Franco Di Giacomo creates contrast between decadent parties being thrown for Italy's northern elite and Milan's chilly, atmospheric industrial zones where few care to visit. Daniele Patucchi's rumbling, addictive music is dominated by a motorised fuzztone bass that weighs a tonne.

'The Beautiful Country' (1977, Il... Belpaese - Luciano Salce)

Travelling salesman Guido Belardinelli (Paolo Villaggio) returns to Milan to trade in clocks, watches and luxury timepieces. He finds a city that's been overcome by protest, violence and anarchy.

Luciano Salce's energetic descent into absurdism with 'The Beautiful Country' attaches a freewheeling narrative to a vision of a society entrenched in routine ritualism. Humour is derived from the clash between protestors and terrorist groups at street level, the gaping chasm between the various agitators and a fragile middle-class pursuing a path of economic servitude, and the natural divide between passionate youths who believe in egalitarianism and state-sponsored society elders who've become the bricks in corporate pyramid structures. Salce's impeccable technical acumen is matched by tremendous performances from a hand-picked cast of comics. The dialogue injects shards of classical poetry into a modern socio-political milieu but these snippets have been reinterpreted in the screenplay by Salce, Franco Castellano, Giuseppe Moccia and Paolo Villaggio. A great rock and pop soundtrack transitions through funk, punk and disco.

'Holocaust 2000' (1977 - Alberto De Martino)

Wealthy industrialist Robert Caine (Kirk Douglas) is determined to build a nuclear power plant in the Middle East with the help of his son Angel (Simon Ward). A tragic event fails to derail the project but Caine crosses wits with intrepid reporter Sara Golan (Agostina Belli) while putting forward the case for a clean future driven by nuclear energy. When suspicions are aroused that something ungodly might be taking place, Caine experiences doubt for the first time in his executive career.

Alberto De Martino's prestigious horror production 'Holocaust 2000' is a joint venture between Italy and the United Kingdom. It features a splendid international cast in a story with a direct correlation to De Martino's religious shocker 'The Antichrist' (1974). The talent involved is formidable : Kirk Douglas and Agostina Belli are exciting combatants flanked by fine character players (including Anthony Quayle, Alexander Knox, Virginia McKenna, Spiros Focas, Ivo Garrani and Adolfo Celi), sharp visuals are painstakingly framed with the utmost precision by Erico Menczer, a creeping sense of dread is enhanced by Ennio Morricone's gripping underscore, bristling confrontations and arresting transitions are marshalled by Vincenzo Tomassi. Beyond the impressive technical aspects, the story is forcefully arranged and sensibly articulated by De Martino, a great genre filmmaker operating at the peak of his powers. 'Holocaust 2000' is intelligent adult horror cinema with a thought-provoking theological angle and a strong sense of history. Any finger on the button of a nuclear reactor is a scary proposition but perhaps none is scarier than that of the devil himself.

'Blood Tracks' (1985, Heavy Metal - Mats Helge Olsson)

Pop outfit Solid Gold head to the mountains with their entourage to shoot a promotional video to accompany their new album.

In 'Blood Tracks', a rock 'n' roll dream turns into a soft metal nightmare when red hot band Solid Gold have a meltdown in the snow. Solid Gold are Scandinavian rockers Easy Action; I'd not heard them before but they play 'In The Middle Of Nowhere' which is a pretty cool tune. British filmmaker Derek Ford is the assistant director so there's a bevy of beautiful groupies who are also stuck on the mountain range. Fun movie.

'Employees' (1985, Impiegati - Pupi Avati)

Luigi Stanzani (Claudio Botosso) takes a job at the bank where his father worked in Bologna.

'Employees' feels like an intensely personal work for Bolognese filmmaker Pupi Avati. It's an intimate, small-scale character piece set inside a large banking firm where young professionals are trying to negotiate the lonely environment of an open-plan office. Avati has a nice handle on the kind of immature antics that some office workers initiate as a way to alleviate the boredom of their daily routine. He also captures the darker side of working life as one of the employees is a bully and the cliques aren't much better. It's a pleasing mix of drama and comedy that depicts the modern banking world in a historical urban centre.

'The Final Word - Fellini & Zapponi' (1998, Documentary - Simon Webster)

A look at some of screenwriter Bernardino Zapponi's key artistic collaborations.

This is an interesting piece on novelist Bernardino Zapponi who was a trusted collaborator of Federico Fellini for many years. It puts forth the idea, with some validity, that his relationship with Fellini had a profound influence upon the rest of his career as a prolific scriptwriter. Zapponi helped to reshape the horror landscape through his collaboration with Dario Argento on 'Deep Red' (1975) and Fellini admired the young horror filmmaker's talent. Zapponi was a dedicated humourist who found commercial success alongside Fellini's old pal Dino Risi. One of Fellini's favourite directors was Tinto Brass whom he would visit during productions, and it was Zapponi who helped Brass establish the template for the more playful style of comic book erotica he's specialised in since the early 1990s. But as video essayist Simon Webster so wisely concludes, Zapponi's extraordinary career in cinema was the result of hard work and raw talent (Zapponi himself attributed a good deal of his success to luck). After all, his services were employed by many filmmakers active in Italy.

Excerpt from 'The Secret Life Of Nuns' by Pietro Aretino :

Nanna - After the ceremony, once they'd wafted incense at me, and sung the Benedicimus and the Oremus and the Alleluia over me, a door opened, making the same creaking, groaning noise as the lid of the poor box; then I was lifted to my feet and led to the exit, where some twenty nuns, as well as the Abbess, were waiting for me; as soon as I saw the Abbess, I dropped her a nice curtsey, and she kissed me on my forehead, and said a few words that I didn't catch to my mother and father and other relatives, who were all weeping and wailing, each one louder than the other; and then the door was suddenly slammed shut, and I heard a 'Oh, no!' which made everyone start.
Antonia - And where did the 'Oh, no!' come from?
Nanna - From my poor old lover boy. The very next day he had himself made a discalced friar or hermit in sackcloth, if I'm not mistaken.
Antonia - Poor bloke.
Nanna - Anyway, when they shut the door - so quickly I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to my family - I well and truly thought I was going to be buried alive, and I imagined I'd be seeing women as good as dead as a result of all their austerities and fasting; and I stopped crying for my parents and started crying for myself. So I walked along, my eyes fixed to the ground and my thoughts turning to whatever it was that lay in store for me, and came to the refectory, where a whole troop of nuns came running up to hug me, and they immediately started calling me 'sister', which cheered me up a little bit; and once I'd seen a few fresh, glowing, ruddy-cheeked faces, I felt a thousand times better, and looking at them with a little more assurance, I said to myself, 'One thing's for sure: the devils can't be as ugly as they're painted.' Just then, who should come in but a whole crowd of friars and priests, and the odd lay brother too - the most handsome lads you've ever seen, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and each of them took his girlfriend by the hand. They looked like angels leading the celestial dance.
Antonia - Hey, just you keep Heaven out of this!
Nanna - All right, they looked like lovers laughing and joking with their nymphs.
Antonia - That's a more suitable analogy. Go on.
Nanna - They took their ladies by the hand, and gave them the biggest, sweetest smackers imaginable, competing to see who could give the most honeyed kisses.
Antonia - And which men gave the sugariest ones, in your view?
Nanna - No doubt about it - the friars.

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'The Warm Life' (1964, La calda vita - Florestano Vancini)

Sergia (Catherine Spaak) is invited by Fredi (Jacques Perrin) and Max (Fabrizio Capucci) to go on holiday to the beach with them.

'The Warm Life' is a romantic tragedy based on a novel by Pier Antonio Quarantotti Gambini. Catherine Spaak stars as Sergia, a teenager who wants to attract interest wherever she goes. A degree of tension is generated by Sergia's efforts to understand the motives of her two hosts but there's little to understand. The story is an empty shell around endless shots of Sergia lounging around in a holiday shack or spending days out by the sea. It's shot in a lovely, secluded section of the Sardinian coastline where life moves at a leisurely pace. The sedate tone and blank characterisations almost sent me to sleep but it's nice hearing Spaak sing 'I Giorni Azzuri' and 'Non E Niente'.

'Crimebusters' (1976, Poliziotti violenti - Michele Massimo Tarantini)

Major Paolo Altieri (Henry Silva) teams up with Detective Inspector Paolo Tosi (Antonio Sabato) to take down a criminal network being supplied with high-grade military weaponry.

Michele Massimo Tarantini's action-packed poliziotteschi 'Crimebusters' turns the Italian capital into a war zone where innocent bystanders are gunned down in the street by thugs packing heavy artillery. Henry Silva and Antonio Sabato represent the legitimate army and city police force respectively, turning low-rent criminals inside-out in an effort to regain control of the streets. If the premise is pretty basic, 'Crimebusters' is still rousing entertainment, igniting the touchpaper for an all-out turf war that's filmed with gay abandon by cameraman Giancarlo Ferrando. There's some explosive set-pieces : a savage depiction of mob justice, intercut with Major Altieri meeting up with his girlfriend Anna (Silvia Dionisio) in a park, is surprising, surreal and superbly scored by co-composers Guido De Angelis and Maurizio De Angelis whose soundtrack rumbles like the jungle. 'Crimebusters' is a high-octane actioner that packs a punch.

'Convoy Busters' (1978, Un poliziotto scomodo - Stelvio Massi)

Inspector Olmi (Maurizio Merli) investigates a double-murder in Rome with information obtained from student Lorena (Alice Gherardi) who could be the killer's next target.

'Convoy Busters' is a disjointed entry in the polizio cycle from action supremo Stelvio Massi that feels oddly true to life. The first half of the movie is a standard police procedural in Rome with Inspector Olmi knocking heads together to get answers. The second half of the movie sends the jaded detective to the sleepy coastal commune Civitanova Marche where kids are running wild and strange things are afoot in the harbour. Massi himself was from this part of the Marche region and he delivers a love letter to his home, hooking Inspector Olmi up almost instantly with local schoolteacher Anna (Olga Karlatos) who becomes his bedtime lover and daytime tour guide. Maurizio Merli finds time to pull off a couple of outrageous stunts and he's always good in a dust-up but the crime story gets lost in the shuffle. Despite the abrupt shift, 'Convoy Busters' remains reasonably entertaining and it's certainly different, I just don't think it pulls off the story transition all that well.

'Nothing Underneath' (1985, Sotto il vestito niente - Carlo Vanzina)

Bob Crane (Tom Schanley) works as a ranger at Yellowstone Park in Wyoming. Bob's twin sister Jessica (Nicola Perring) is a lingerie model who's recently achieved her dream by becoming cover girl for the Italian fashion magazine Moda. Having experienced what he fears may be a premonition, Bob travels to Milan to look for Jessica who's gone missing.

The fashion house giallo is a cinematic staple of this lurid crime subgenre so it was inevitable that Carlo Vanzina would make one. The diamonds-and-pearls world of 'Nothing Underneath' allows Vanzina to wallpaper with some of his favourite things including mobile yuppies brandishing high-price stimulants, beautiful catwalk models wearing expensive underwear, luxury items and fancy goods, twin-turbo engines and personalised number plates - it's all on show right here. Donald Pleasence is enjoyable to watch as police detective Commissioner Danesi who's keen to understand twin telepathy but there's zero tension and the terror elements don't come together. In fact, nothing is allowed to intrude upon Vanzina's slick fashion house stylings. Vanzina would remodel 'Nothing Underneath' twenty-six years as the polished digital giallo 'Nothing Underneath - The Last Parade' (2011) which also uses a music score from composer Pino Donaggio.

'Good Morning, Night' (2003, Buongiorno, notte - Marco Bellocchio)

A dramatic retelling of events surrounding the kidnapping of politician Aldo Moro (Roberto Herlitzka) by terrorist organisation The Red Brigade in the 1970s.

The fact-based drama 'Good Morning, Night' is an interesting piece on violent extremism from political filmmaker Marco Bellocchio. It uses a book by Anna Laura Braghetti and journalist Paola Tavella as source material. Music, archive footage, reportage and selected media heighten the impact of what's essentially a filmed stageplay with five characters. The violent act that forms the basis of the plot is shown to be devastating for all those caught up in it yet utterly cruel and futile. There's a good documentary on the making of the film called 'Same Rage, Same Spring' (2003).

'The Night Before Exams' (2006, Notte prima degli esami - Fausto Brizzi)

Luca Molinari (Nicolas Vaporidis) prepares for his final exams with the help of Professor Martinelli (Giorgio Faletti). Luca is also on a mission to find Claudia (Cristiana Capotondi), a girl he met at a party.

'The Night Before Exams' is a lively comedy about a group of students on the verge of completing their education in 1989. It's a breakout hit for long-serving 'cinepanettoni' scriptwriter Fausto Brizzi who directs with a delicate touch. 'Christmas' saver Cristiana Capotondi keeps Italy's Charles Schulz tradition going in the Noughties by wearing her Snoopy t-shirt (the dvd menu cursor is Woodstock!) and the soundtrack is packed with hits from the 1980s to compliment the bedroom walls. Director of photography Marcello Montarsi bathes the imagery in glorious natural light and 'Natali' mainstay Bruno Zambrini chimes in with incidental music. Having fun in the sun are Eros Galbiati as committed Francophile Riccardo, Andrea De Rosa as lightweight player Massi, Sarah Maestri as educated nerd Alice, Chiara Mastalli as shopping enthusiast Simona, Elena Bouryka as beach bunny Valentina, Valentina Idini as left-wing radical Chicca, Eleonora Ceci as aspiring coquette Loredana, Armando Pizzuti as resident weirdo Santilli and Enrica Ajo as popular cosplayer Princess Leila.

'The Night Before Exams - Today' (2007, Notte prima degli esami - Oggi - Fausto Brizzi)

Luca Molinari (Nicolas Vaporidis) prepares himself for tests in the school of life.

'The Night Before Exams - Today' relegates Luca Molinari's fellow students to the sidelines so the focus falls squarely on him. Nicolas Vaporidis is strong enough to carry this sequel on his shoulders and enjoys a summer fling with Carolina Crescentini as marine biology student Azurra. I think the most enjoyable scenes are those with the returning students. It's a fun follow-up when it's being funny but it gets bogged down in sentiment towards the end and becomes too sappy for my liking.

'Masculine-Feminine' (2011, Documentary, Maschile & femminile - Pinuccio Di Anzio)

A cheeky look at the defining characteristics of the "battle of the sexes" pictures directed by Fausto Brizzi.

Fausto Brizzi scored a major box-office success with the romcom 'Ex' (2009). Some of the main cast of 'Ex' followed Brizzi on to 'Men Vs Women' (2010), a defiantly old-fashioned romantic comedy in which men faced off against women with predictable results. The follow-up 'Women Vs Men' (2011) applied an advanced makeover for senior citizens and registered another profitable success for Brizzi. I don't like 'Ex', 'Men Vs Women' or 'Women Vs Men', but to be fair, it's rare that I find myself enjoying a formulaic romcom although I can appreciate their finer qualities.

Excerpt from 'The Secret Life Of Wives' by Pietro Aretino :

Nanna - Well, I can: let me tell you a story that deserves to be rated even higher than the one about the priest. A lady, forty years or so of age, lived in our village and had some land that brought in a nice revenue. She came from a very distinguished family, and was the wife of a learned lawyer who performed miracles with his legal writings. He'd filled many a learned tome with them. She went about dressed in coarse grey cloth, and if on any particular morning she didn't hear a good five or six Masses, she was edgy and tetchy all the rest of the day. She was a walking Ave Maria, a rosary in person, a thorough saint-botherer and church-sweeper, and she always fasted on the Fridays in every month, not just March. At Mass she said the responses like the chorister, and sand vespers in a monkish tenor; and they said she even wore an iron girdle round her flesh.
Antonia - That sort of thing makes me p*ss on St Verdiana.
Nanna - What do you mean? The woman I'm talking about was a hundred times more abstinent than that! She wore nothing but wooden clogs, and on the eve of the feast-day of St Francis of Mt Verna and Assisi she would eat no more bread than she could grasp in one fist, drink nothing but one sip of pure water, and stay up in prayer until midnight; she barely slept at all, and her bed was a heap of nettles.
Antonia - What - no nightie?
Nanna - Not sure about that.



'The Tribe' (2014, Plemya - Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi)

Boarding school pupil Sergei (Grigoriy Fesenko) comes under the control of a vindictive gang of four who command with an iron fist. He falls in love with Anya (Yana Novikova). His struggle has seemingly no end.

'The Tribe' is a harrowing drama about the damage caused by bullying, set in a school for deaf kids that comes to resemble a prison. Myroslav Slaboshpytskyi's film feels unlike any film I've seen on the subject with its sustained aggression, excessive length and single-mindedness. It's totally visceral, extremely effective and features excellent work from its talented young cast (Slaboshpytskyi employed the services of translators and sign language interpreters to assist with on-set direction). Watching 'The Tribe' is like watching 'If....' (1968), 'A Clockwork Orange' (1971), 'Heaven Help Us' (1985), 'The Chocolate War' (1988) .... a great movie that deals with the pain inflicted regularly by obsessive bullies who have nothing else to occupy their minds. A powerful, unsettling viewing experience.

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

Intouchables: great Movie

Also in french Movie: coussin d'allaitement

Http://www.coussinsdallaitement.fr

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'Top Sensation' (1969, The Seducers - Ottavio Alessi)

Sexy self-appointed henchwoman Mudy (Maud De Belleroche) looks towards married woman Paola (Rosalba Neri), nymphomaniac prostitute Ulla (Edwige Fenech) and coastal shepherdess Beba (Ewa Thulin) to take the virginity of her childlike son Tiny Tony (Ruggero Miti).

'Top Sensation' is sold as a torrid sex thriller but it's really one long swingers party that takes place on board a boat where people can lose their inhibitions and couple or triple off. It's vapid nonsense that promises more than it delivers and it's completely lacking in imagination. The actors are weighed down by a weak, unstructured script that dishes out inane lines of dialogue at will and little is made of the coastal location they visit. The low point is a pointless scene with a randy goat that's horrendously filmed. It seems possible that the crew may have lost discipline somewhere along the line as 'Top Sensation' is anything but.

'Death Occurred Last Night' (1970, La morte risale a ieri sera - Duccio Tessari)

Donatella Berzaghi (Gillian Bray) is reported missing by her father Amanzio (Raf Vallone). Donatella has a learning disability which could make her especially susceptible to some of the threats posed by Milan's criminal underworld. Captain Duca Lamberti (Frank Wolff) and Detective Mascaranti (Gabriele Tinti) go undercover to find Donatella.

'Death Occurred Last Night' is a testing mystery thriller that's based on a novel by Giorgio Scerbanenco and directed by Duccio Tessari. It combines raw elements of two crime subgenres that were gaining in popularity at the time, the giallo and the poliziotteschi. Tessari sculpts a proper, intricate police procedural that feels grim and authentic, drawing from his early experiences as a documentary filmmaker in Genoa. The characterisations are vivid and the dialogue is detailed and realistic. Tessari elicits believable performances from Frank Wolff and Gabriele Tinti as the concerned policemen, Raf Vallone and Gillian Bray as a father and daughter who've come to rely on eachother, Beryl Cunningham as hard-drinking hooker Herrero who faces racism and aggravation every day on the job, Wilma Casagrande as seasoned laundrette attendant Concetta who cleans peoples' dirty laundry, Gigi Rizzi as low life street hustler Salvatore who'll trade a secret for a sandwich, and Eva Renzi as the Captain's empathetic wife Mrs Lamberti. Like so many gifted filmmakers of the 20th century who were identified as genre specialists during their careers, Duccio Tessari fought to make strong (and clear) artistic statements against an accepted subculture of bullying and harassment that pervades society, notably within the western genre where he first established himself as a force to be reckoned with; 'Death Occurred Last Night' is a defining statement in this regard. Gianni Ferrio and Mina Mazzini contribute a stunning jazz soundtrack.

'The Bloodstained Butterfly' (1971, Una farfalla con le ali insanguinate - Duccio Tessari)

A man is tried in a court of law over the murder of seventeen year-old French student Francoise Pigaut (Carole Andre).

'The Bloodstained Butterfly' is a deconstructed giallo with a high density of information, clues and circumstantial evidence. Some might find it a trial to watch as there's so much to decipher but I found it to be a well made film that successfully draws the viewer in. The narrative structure is unusual, a bit like a documentary picking apart a case study, with no clear protagonist and no hero to root for. Some scenes are set in the courtroom, others are set in peoples' homes, and there is an ongoing investigation. Director Duccio Tessari also uses flashbacks and projections to enhance the elliptical nature of the technical storytelling. The film features outstanding cinematography by Carlo Carlini and a melancholy score composed by Tessari's regular musician Gianni Ferrio. I imagine I will pick up alot more on repeat viewings but I really like this movie already.

'The Inglorious Bast*rds' (1978, Quel maledetto treno blindato - Enzo Castellari)

Lieutenant Robert Yeager (Bo Svenson) and Private Fred Canfield (Fred Williamson) lead a bunch of deserters through France in 1944. If they can make it to the Swiss border they might escape being court martialled or sentenced to death by firing squad.

'The Inglorious Bast*rds' may well be the most famous macaroni combat picture of all thanks to Quentin Tarantino's award-winning, "men on a mission" smash 'Inglourious Basterds' (2009). Enzo Castellari's jokey actioner isn't much cop as a World War 2 movie but it does deliver entertainment and the comic book finale on board a moving train is exciting. The familiar plot cribs elements of Roger Corman's western 'Five Guns West' (1955), Robert Aldrich's "men on a mission" picture 'The Dirty Dozen' (1967), Armando Crispino's 'Commandos' (1968) and Umberto Lenzi's 'Battle Of The Commandos' (1969) to name but four. It's a rough and tumble picture with a refreshing line in iconoclasm that eventually gives way when the Nazi threat escalates during the finale. Gino De Rossi's special effects team were assisted by uncredited macaroni master Antonio Margheriti.

Excerpt from 'The School Of Whoredom' by Pietro Aretino :

Nanna - Listen carefully and fix my sermons and my gospels in your head - they'll make everything clear to you in two words: if a doctor, a philosopher, a merchant, a soldier, a monk, a priest, a hermit, a gentleman, a monsignor or a King Solomon is made to look a fool by the most hare-brained of whores, how do you think a courtesan with an ounce of common sense would deal with those simpletons?
Pippa - They'd give them a good going over.
Nanna - So, you see, becoming a whore is no career for fools, well I know it, and I won't be hurried in your case; it calls for more than lifting your skirts and saying 'Come - I'm coming', if you don't want to close up shop the day it opens. Anyway, coming to the point, you'll find that, as word goes round that you're on the market, many will want to be first served; and I'll be a confessor reconciling the rabble, with an earful of 'psst psst' from messengers sent by one man or another, and you'll always be booked by at least a dozen - we'd need there to me more days in the week than there are in a month. But I'll be careful and I'll reply to such and such a master's servant: 'Yes, it's true that my Pippa let herself be caught once - God knows how (old gossip, bloody gossip, it'll be paid for!) - but my little daughter is purer than a dove and not to blame. Upon my word, she only gave in once, and I won't give her over to any commoner. But Your Lordship has charmed me so much that I really can't say no, she'll come shortly after the Hail Mary.' And as the envoy gets ready to trot off with the answer, you cut across the house, and pretending your hair has come undone, let it fall onto your shoulders and enter the room, lifting your face just so the fellow can get a glimpse of it.
Pippa - Why should I do that?
Nanna - Because all servants are frauds and cheats to their masters, and as soon as this one gets home to his master, panting and breathless, to win his graces he'll say: 'Master, I was so clever that I managed to see the girl - she has braids like threads of gold, two eyes that would put a falcon to shame; another thing: I mentioned your name on purpose to watch her reaction - well, she seemed about to burn with a sigh.'
Pippa - What good will lies like that do me?
Nanna - They'll put you in good favour with your suitor, making every hour he waits for you feel like a thousand years. And how many dupes do you think there are who fall in love from hearing the praises of chambermaids for their mistresses, and whose mouths water while these liars and hoaxers praise them to the skies?
Pippa - Are chambermaids from the same mould as servants?
Nanna - Even worse.



'Return Of The Bloodsucking Nazi Zombies' (2010 - Mathis Vogel)

A series of bizarre happenings causes panic.

'Return Of The Bloodsucking Nazi Zombies' has been presented as a short film and as a film serial. It's a tribute to the films made by the production company Eurocine. Mathis Vogel is credited as director - Mathis Vogel is the name of the character played by Eurocine director Jess Franco in the horror movie 'Exorcism' (1975). This is a reasonable fan tribute but it lacks the conviction of Eurocine's best products.

'Al Pereira Vs. The Alligator Ladies' (2012 - Jess Franco)

Detective Al Pereira (Antonio Mayans) can't sleep for thinking. He experiences disturbing visions of supernatural temptresses the Alligator Ladies (Paula Davis, Carmen Montes & Irene Verdu).

'Al Pereira Vs. The Alligator Ladies' is an assemblage of bad dreams that dispenses with narrative altogether. It lacks the sense of adventure that signifies the work of Spanish filmmaker Jess Franco whose health was already failing badly during pre-production. As a result, energy and creativity are in short supply and it's pretty dull overall (Lina Romay is sorely missed). I think the value of this troubled production is that it now acts as a record, or document, of a prolific artist seeing out his final days (Franco appears in the movie giving out directions).

'A Butterfly Named Evelyn' (2016, Documentary - Federico Caddeo)

Actress Ida Galli discusses her career in cinema.

This documentary is a treat for fans of Italian cinema as it offers Ida Galli the opportunity to speak at length about her remarkable life in movies. She recalls Lucio Fulci as being "fun", Sergio Martino as a "lovely" man, and says Umberto Lenzi was permanently wired but the two of them got along well. The title of the documentary refers to Galli's American pseudonym Evelyn Stewart.

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'A Fistful Of Dollars' (1964, Per un pugno di dollari - Sergio Leone)

Gun for hire Joe (Clint Eastwood) plays a game of cat and mouse with rival bands of smugglers.

'A Fistful Of Dollars' (1964) is a western remake of Akira Kurosawa's influential samurai picture 'Yojimbo' (1961) that carries its own unshakeable code and identity. Clint Eastwood is terrific as moralistic mercenary Joe, a cool Americano breeze wafting through a tiny town in a hot desert. Director Sergio Leone blends carefully choreographed action with an underlying wit and lets his charismatic actors fully inhabit their setting. The film is tight and stripped down with great camerawork overseen by Massimo Dallamano and a stirring musical accompaniment from Ennio Morricone. Some years after the movie's initial theatrical release, Monte Hellman shot a hilarious prologue for American television starring Harry Dean Stanton.

'For A Few Dollars More' (1965, Per qualche dollaro in più - Sergio Leone)

Bounty hunters Monco (Clint Eastwood) and Colonel Douglas Mortimer (Lee Van Cleef) cross paths on a big score.

The second film in Sergio Leone's 'Dollars' trilogy expands upon the template of 'A Fistful Of Dollars' with a significantly bigger budget. Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef are supremely confident as quick draw specialists seeking the same bounty, surrounded by a powerhouse company of actors that includes Gian Maria Volonte, Mario Brega, Klaus Kinski, Luigi Pistilli and Aldo Sambrell. The languid pace in Leone's epics becomes an asset because the jaw-rattling bouts of violence are so sharp and clearly defined. The choreography in 'For A Few Dollars More' is more advanced than 'A Fistful Of Dollars' and Massimo Dallamano's elaborate camerawork reflects this development. Ennio Morricone's music adds extra layers and there's far more religious iconography slipped into the visual design. But perhaps the biggest difference between 'For A Few Dollars More' and 'A Fistful Of Dollars' is the level of humour as Leone lets his comic sensibility roam free. 'For A Few Dollars More' has one-liners, sight gags and funny noises on the soundtrack that accentuate its quirky demeanour and music hall stylings. It's the fruitiest game in town.

'The Good, The Bad And The Ugly' (1966, Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo - Sergio Leone)

Blondie (Clint Eastwood), Angel Eyes (Lee Van Cleef) and Tuco (Eli Wallach) beat the dusty trail in search of some hidden Confederate gold.

'The Good, The Bad And The Ugly' is Sergio Leone's mammoth western set during the American Civil War. It's the third picture in the 'Dollars' trilogy and has been described by Clint Eastwood as "Sergio's Lawrence of Arabia". Quentin Tarantino calls it "the best directed film of all time" and it's currently ranked in the top ten in imdb's top 250. It was listed among Time Magazine's 100 best films of the 20th century and it continues to be imitated and parodied throughout popular culture.
'The Good, The Bad And The Ugly' is a long, sprawling crawl through desert territory that's peppered with bruising encounters. I think my favourite section is a heart-stopping sequence in which Angel Eyes tortures Tuco to extract pleasure and information while a choir of Confederate soldiers performs the haunting ballad 'The Story Of A Soldier'. With the benefit of increased funding once again, Leone supports his three totemic acting pillars with an enlarged power base of technical talent. Cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli unveils painterly compositions that constantly toy with contrast and depth of field, assisted in his endeavours by Franco Di Giacomo and Sergio Salvati. Leone's perfectly realised comic book constructions are cut together with pinpoint accuracy by Eugenio Alabiso and Nino Baragli. Ennio Morricone and his musical director Bruno Nicolai bring one of cinema's most famous music scores to the screen. The music is complimented by a striking sound design that's manipulated by Vittorio De Sisti and his engineering colleagues for maximum impact : De Sisti's own features 'Fiorina The Cow' (1972) and 'When Love Is Lust' (1974) with Morricone, 'The Private Lesson' (1975) with Franco Micalizzi and the musical drama 'Tutti Frutti - Rock 'N' Roll' (1978) demonstrate his ability to create heightened melodrama by distorting and rearranging sound. Every aspect of the mise-en-scene in 'The Good, The Bad And The Ugly' is beyond impressive, from the costumes and make-up, to the production design and special effects. Okay, maybe Clint's bad case of facial sunburn looks like old pizza but that's splitting hairs.
Sergio Leone would go on to make his operatic masterpiece 'Once Upon A Time In The West' (1968), a fully fledged action ballet graced by some of the greatest gun battles in the history of cinema. His westerns of the 1960s are all great in their own way.

"Whereas many Spaghetti Westerns sought to make their Spanish locations look as much like the American-Mexican border region as possible, Leone’s expansive wide-screen vistas highlight the landscape’s slightly alien feel, creating a setting that certainly doesn’t look European, but doesn’t quite look American either. Leone was a great admirer of surrealist art, and it is perhaps no coincidence that the Spanish locations of his Westerns are the same arid dreamscapes Salvador Dali employed in many of his nightmarish images of the 1930s. Leone was to later comment that the cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli filmed the desert sequence in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly “in a way that was worthy of the great surrealist painters.” In his first three Westerns, Leone introduced into this landscape an array of grotesque characters with faces as weather-beaten as the countryside they rode through. Leone played up the traditional unshaven image of the Western villain, filling his films with an array of bearded, over-the-top Italian actors who leered at the camera and laughed with sweaty abandon at their frequent acts of sadistic violence. Their histrionics formed the perfect counterpoint to the restraint Leone elicited from his American actors such as Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef, cultivating an icy screen presence in the Americans that had only been hinted at in their previous roles."

- Dan Edwards, Senses Of Cinema


'Fiorile' (1993 - Paulo Taviani & Vittorio Taviani)

On a road trip to see their grandfather, two children are told a story by their parents. The Benedetti family have a Napoleonic curse against them that's lasted for almost two hundred years.

'Fiorile' is a gentle fantasy about finding your place in history. It's framed as a storybook that explains the genesis and evolution of a curse and the political fall-out and social upheaval connected to it. Conflict is shown between Napoleon Bonaparte's forces and foot soldiers in Tuscany (Elisa Bonaparte became Grand Duchess of Tuscany in 1809). Co-directors Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani's treatment of events is heavily romanticised and the family relationships are bathed in a warm nostalgic glow. They do, however, retain some of the Brechtian ideas that run throughout their work and the sentiment feels real. This film has lovely music by Nicola Piovani.

'One Man Up' (2001, L'uomo in più - Paolo Sorrentino)

Footballer Antonio Pisapia (Andrea Renzi) considers a coaching role with his playing career threatened by injury. Pop Singer Tony Pisapia (Toni Servillo) indulges in cocaine as his career becomes derailed by a sex scandal. The paths of Pisapia and Pisapia must surely converge.

'One Man Up' is a tragicomedy set in Naples that presents a pair of caricatures drawn from the 1980s as parallels. The sports star displays some potential for the future while the popular entertainer wallows in wasted potential. I think Paolo Sorrentino's debut feature misses its potential as the tone is uneven and the central characters are both crushing bores but there are a few amusing jabs at the decade of capitalist excess ("send Fred Bongusto ..." lol). Nice use of 1990s indie icons Cake on the soundtrack.

”Aside from all the things I've said before about Diego Maradona, he involuntarily saved my life. I lost my parents when I was 16 in an accident with the heating system in a house in the mountains where I always used to go to with them. That weekend, I didn't go because I wanted to go watch Maradona and S.S.C Napoli play a match in Empoli, and that saved me. That's the main reason. It's true, Americans don't know that much about soccer. My American casting agent didn't know who Maradona was.”

- Paolo Sorrentino


'Talking About Cinema : The Taviani Brothers' (2003, Documentary - Carlo Lizzani & Marina Santoro)

Directors Paulo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani discuss their time in cinema with filmmaker Carlo Lizzani.

This feature-length documentary consists of an illuminating conversation piece regarding the inner-workings of the Italian film industry. There's a generous spirit between the three men gathered as Carlo Lizzani was one of the first industry figures approached by Paolo Taviani when he and Vittorio were looking for work in Rome.

Excerpt from 'Talking About Cinema : The Taviani Brothers' :

Paolo Taviani - No! No, no! I remember! Umberto Lenzi and I came to see you at 9pm. We rang your bell. You said : "Must you come at 9pm? Who don't you call me in the morning?" I said : "We {Vittorio & I} want to make a movie, we are blah blah blah ..." We made some sort of proposal - we were to be your assistant directors. You were very kind with us. Very kind. With hindsight I realise that you were kind to the new generation, as kind as (Cesare) Zavattini. You let us in, asked us what we wanted to do. You said : "I'll see what I can do." We went away comforted in some way, you cheered us up.

Carlo Lizzani - You, Vittorio and Lenzi?

Paolo Taviani - Umberto Lenzi, no, at that time we had different missions.

Vittorio Taviani - We assigned missions to each other.

Paolo Taviani - Right. Once we called Age (Agenore Incrocci) and at last he said : "I have a job to do for Mario Soldati. It's "Senalita" by (Italo) Svevo and Mario Soldati wants to adapt it for cinema. We have written a list of scenes, but, as we have no time, you'll write the treatment. You want to work, don't you?"

Vittorio Taviani - They wanted to see what we could do.


'The Consequences Of Love' (2004, Le conseguenze dell'amore - Paolo Sorrentino)

Introverted businessman Titta Di Girolamo (Toni Servillo) breaks from years of virtual silence when his attention is seized by barmaid Sofia (Olivia Magnani).

Writer-director Paolo Sorrentino's introspective mafia thriller runs a compelling line of mystery through an intriguing psychological study of a man in hiding. Sorrentino achieves a fine balance between humour and desperation, focusing the narrative around the downward spiral invoked by a crook who fears he's lacking in imagination. The tidy script is full of small insights that build towards a moment of profundity, at which point things have already gone too far. The propulsive soundtrack mixes bass hummers with block-rocking beats in a dynamic fusion. Sorrentino says this is a film about the fact that every man has a secret he can't reveal. Favourite dialogue - "Luck doesn't exist. It's an invention of losers. And the poor."

'The Family Friend' (2006, L'amico di famiglia - Paolo Sorrentino)

Ruthless loanshark Geremia De Geremei (Giacomo Rizzo) offers words of wisdom while collecting on his debts. When he tries to bully his customer Rosalba De Luca (Laura Chiatti) he gets a surprise.

'The Family Friend' is a nasty comedy about an unscrupulous money lender with an Oedipal complex who exploits the poor for private gain. Giacomo Rizzo is suitably slippery as the grotesque loanshark but he plays Geremia De Geremei as such a gross caricature it's hard to take anything in the movie seriously. The episodic story grows increasingly repetitive and when the humour wears thin there's no emotion to fill the void. I think 'The Family Friend' peaks at the very beginning with its stylish combination of still images and slow-motion snapshots of a volleyball game set to 'My Lady Story' by indie idols Antony And The Johnsons.

'Il Divo' (2008, Il divo - La spettacolare vita di Giulio Andreotti - Paolo Sorrentino)

Italy's Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti (Toni Servillo) fends off accusations of widespread corruption.

'Il Divo' is a dialogue-driven biopic that deals with matters of corruption and conspiracy. Toni Servillo gives an understandably rigid interpretation of a leading politician who's performing as an actor on the biggest stage. It seems that Paolo Sorrentino is interested not only in how Andreotti came under fire from an array of powerful opponents, but also how he managed to cling to his position at the top through being such an accomplished actor. I'm sure there's plenty I'm probably missing due to this being a study of Italian politics but I found it quite interesting and well made.

'The Sublime Brothers' (2016, Documentary - Michael Brooke)

A rough guide to the work of the Taviani Brothers.

'The Sublime Brothers' is an informative video essay about the political films of Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani. They were born and raised in San Miniato, Tuscany; their World War 2 picture 'The Night Of The Shooting Stars' (1982) draws upon their childhood experiences in the region. The Tavianis' loyal and supportive filmmaking collective is like a family unit and many of their films are about family (or communities coming together like family).


'So Eustace calls her back, and tells her: 'Now,
fair damsel, you may end your sorrow, for
soon shall such succour come from us, I vow,
that only fear in you could ask for more.'
Then did Armida smooth her clouded brow
and to her smile such splendour did restore,
enamoured with it grew the very skies,
while with her gossamer veil she dried her eyes.

She showered them, in dulcet tones and dear,
with thanks for all the favours on their part.
Forever, said she, would the world ensphere
their fame, forever etched inside her heart.
And what her tongue could not express, her cheer
expressed with the mute eloquence of art.
So well her mind her outward semblance feigned
that none suspected what her thoughts contained.

And now, since she sees smiling Fortune greet
this great commencement of her wiles, she starts,
before her plot can weaken, to complete
her criminal design upon their hearts,
to gain by her fair looks and gestures sweet
more than Medea or Circe by their arts.
Out of her siren throat such music creeps
that the most watchful mind if lulled and sleeps.

She uses every female trick that might
entangle a new lover in her net,
but not to all, nor always, puts on quite
the same face - now plays loose, now hard to get;
now guards, turned inward modestly, her sight;
now makes it wander, lecherous and wet;
now pricks the spur, now pulls upon the bridle,
as they in lust seem either quick or idle.

If she sees one who from her love draws back
his soul, or who in shyness seeks defence,
she smiles. A planet blazing in its track
her eye with joy irradiates all his sense.
So pricks she his desire by fear made slack,
turns all his dubious hope to confidence,
and by new kindling amorous longing's glow
quite melts the ice that fear and doubt made grow.

With another then, who boldly overreaches
(led by the blind, foolhardy king) Love's bound,
she scants her fair gaze and her loving speeches,
inspires fear and reverence profound.
Yet in the scorn that her proud visage teaches
a glimmering ray of pity, too, is found.
Thus he becomes, not desperate, though in fears,
the more enmeshed the prouder she appears.'

- Excerpt from Canto 4 of 'The Liberation Of Jerusalem' by Torquato Tasso

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

'The Virgo, The Taurus And The Capricorn' (1977, La vergine, il toro e il capricorno - Luciano Martino)

Gioia Ferretti (Edwige Fenech) pretends she's having an affair to get back at her cheating husband Gianni (Alberto Lionello). A queue of men audition across the seafront to be Gioia's "imaginary" lover.

'The Virgo, The Taurus And The Capricorn' is a comedy about adultery directed by Luciano Martino. Being a successful movie producer, Martino applies some tricks of the trade and ropes in an all-star comedy line-up that includes Alberto Lionello, Aldo Maccione, Ray Lovelock, Alvaro Vitali, Gianfranco Barra, Michele Gammino, Mario Carotenuto, Giacomo Rizzo, Riccardo Garrone, Olga Bisera, Fiammetta Baralla, Sabina De Guida, Ria De Simone, Adriana Facchetti, Patrizia Webley, Lia Tanzi and Laura Trotter.
It's been claimed that the reason some of Edwige Fenech's star vehicles of the time are dominated solely by her posing and disrobing in flattering scenes for the camera (without other actresses sharing the load) is because once she gained box-office power and strong producer contacts she looked for projects designed to make her the number one attraction; if true, this is another of those vehicles. Martino's got the production values in place but his perfunctory direction is a drag and there are too many inconsequential characters simply coming and going. I'd recommend this damp squib to Fenech fans only but if you're a Fenech fan she certainly takes centre stage.

"Europe has produced many lovely and talented actresses who have had memorable careers in horror cinema and one of my favorite European “Scream Queens” is the beautiful Edwidge Fenech Fenech was born on December 24, 1948 and began her career as a model before getting into acting in the late sixties. She started out making European sex comedies and she would continue to appear in them throughout her career. But I think her most interesting work as an actress can be found in the Italian thrillers and giallo films that she made for great directors such as Mario Bava, Sergio Martino, Giuliano Carnimeo and Andrea Bianchi. Edwige Fenech’s incredible beauty, sensuality and natural vulnerability made her the perfect protagonist in many giallo films, which rely on aesthetics as well as thrills for great effect. Fenech starred in many of the best Italian thrillers made throughout the sixties and seventies and all the movies she was in definitely benefited from her presence."

- Kimberly Lindbergs, Cinebeats

'Edwige’s sensual beauty couldn’t be forgotten and she soon found herself a major player in an unending list of European films, principally from Italy, France, Spain and West Germany. Generally, these were light comedies (with some primitive humor) and a couple of thrillers, as well. It’s no exaggeration to note that between 1968 and 1982, she was one of the world’s busiest actress, extremely popular everywhere in Europe.'

- Celebrating Edwige Fenech at Cult Sirens


Edwige Fenech became a major starlet in the 1970s and remained a bankable box-office draw in comedy up to the mid-1980s; this was thanks in part to her longstanding association with Luciano Martino and his brother, the director Sergio Martino, who also continued to cast old friend Barbara Bouchet in comedy projects. Venetian film critics Arrigo Bruzoni and Bartolomeo Davidetti have noted that Italian filmmakers in general were among the best at finding ways to constrict actresses' movements on screen so that it became rational, realistic and reasonable for them to flash within the story, rather than making everything appear incidental, or temporarily halting the narrative in order for someone to undress provocatively and take a movie shower. You do sometimes see this in Italian comedies of the early 1980s as the genre was still making big financial returns, whereas the giallo and polizio cycles were starting to go the way of the peplum, fumetti, spaghetti and macaronis (the short-lived barbero cycle would burn out before the close of the decade too). For example, when Celeste La Grasta (Barbara Bouchet) is spied on as she's changing out of her clothes in Sergio Martino's 'Spaghetti A Mezzanotte' (1981); when Giggi (Alvaro Vitali) checks out Adriana (Adriana Russo) who's stuck up a ladder in Marino Girolami's 'Giggi Il Bullo' (1982); when Commissioner Pasquale Bellachioma (Lino Banfi) lifts up the dress of Andrea Maria Ritter (Agostina Belli) as she's preparing to climb out of a window in Giorgio Capitani's 'Vai Avanti Tu Che Mi Vien Da Ridere' (1982); when Giannino Stoppani (Alvaro Vitali) uses an extended fishing pole to raise the dress of Cesira (Maria Pia Monicelli) as she's washing clothes in the river in Pier Francesco Pingitore's 'Gian Burrasca' (1983).

'Arrapaho' (1984 - Ciro Ippolito)

Arrapaho (Urs Althaus) sets his sights on beautiful Italian-Indian Scella Pezzata (Tini Cansino) who belongs to a rival tribe.

'Arrapaho' is basically a compilation of comedy sketches that's been strung together using a loose narrative concerning rival tribes. Neapolitan director Ciro Ippolito made this and 'Birds Of Italy' (1984) with the musical comedy troupe Squallor who appear in these movies. Some sketches work in 'Arrapaho' but I found the success rate to be low. There's not much you can say about a movie that spoofs 'The Day After' as 'The Gay After'.

'Tale Of Tales' (2015, Il racconto dei racconti - Tale of Tales - Matteo Garrone)

Three trials are sent to test women in three kingdoms : the King (John C Reilly) and Queen (Salma Hayek) of Longtrellis must determine the best way to raise a child (Christian & Jonah Lees) with the help of the Necromancer (Franco Pistoni); the King of Strongcliff (Vincent Cassel) must find a way to woo one of sisters (Shirley Henderson, Hayley Carmichael & Stacy Martin); the King of Highhills must find a suitable husband for his daughter Violet (Bebe Cave, whose sister Jessie plays Fenizia).

'Tale Of Tales' is an adaptation of three fairy tales by Neapolitan storyteller Giambattista Basile. It's a large-scale project that's close to director Matteo Garrone's heart and is shot using different methods to those he's used in the past. Garrone trained as a painter and this is one of the most beautiful films I've seen in a long time, artfully constructed and attractively lensed by Peter Suschitzky. It was filmed in four regions - Tuscany, Lazio, Puglia and Sicily - and the castles and locations are stunning.
The gorgeous music in 'Tale Of Tales' is composed by Alexandre Desplat who opens up his music box to unleash lullabies from the deep, the earth and the skies. The flowing narrative stumbles over the occasional speed bump, I think because Garrone is trying to weave three different tales together and then seamlessly climax them in turn at the film's conclusion, but I don't mind a little awkwardness when it comes to such an ambitious fantasy piece. I was transfixed by its beauty and swept up in its magic. It's an adult fairy tale in which horrible things happen and a wonderful celebration of one of Italy's great authors.

'There was at one time a woman who had three daughters, two of whom were so unlucky that nothing ever succeeded with them, all their projects went wrong, all their hopes were turned to chaff. But the youngest, who was named Nella, was born to good luck, and I verily believe that at her birth all things conspired to bestow on her the best and choicest gifts in their power. The Sky gave her the perfection of its light; Venus, matchless beauty of form; Love, the first dart of his power; Nature, the flower of manners. She never set about any work that it did not go off to a nicety; she never took anything in hand that it did not succeed to a hair; she never stood up to dance, that she did not sit down with applause. On which account she was envied by her jealous sisters and yet not so much as she was loved and wished well to by all others; as greatly as her sisters desired to put her underground, so much more did other folks carry her on the palms of their hands ...'

- Excerpt from 'Three Sisters' by Giambattista Basile

'There was once upon a time a good sort of man named Cola Aniello, who had three daughters, Rose, Pink, and Violet, the last of whom was so beautiful that her very look was a syrup of love, which cured the hearts of beholders of all unhappiness. The King's son was burning with love of her, and every time he passed by the little cottage where these three sisters sat at work, he took off his cap and said, "Good-day, good-day, Violet," and she replied, "Good-day, King's son! I know more than you." At these words her sisters grumbled and murmured, saying, "You are an ill-bred creature and will make the Prince in a fine rage." But as Violet paid no heed to what they said, they made a spiteful complaint of her to her father, telling him that she was too bold and forward; and that she answered the Prince without any respect, as if she were just as good as he; and that, some day or other, she would get into trouble and suffer the just punishment of her offence. So Cola Aniello, who was a prudent man, in order to prevent any mischief, sent Violet to stay with an aunt, to be set to work ...'

- Excerpt from 'Violet' by Giambattista Basile


'Youth' (2015, Il futuro - Paolo Sorrentino)

Celebrated composer Maestro Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine) resists a royal call-up from Queen Elzabeth II to stage a performance with a top soprano of his choosing. He's too busy hanging out with tax exile Mick Boyle (Harvey Keitel), a renowned world cinema filmmaker who's now teaching hipsters the ways of film. Fred's daughter Lena (Rachel Weisz) is his agent and he may have a kindred spirit in actor Jimmy Tree (Paul Dano).

There's a moment in the slick, spacious, Swiss-set spectacle 'Youth' (co-produced with Italy, France & the United Kingdom) where an aria is playing and I honestly thought Gloria Gaynor's disco hit 'I Will Survive' was going to start up on the soundtrack. Alas, it never did, but in Michael Caine it has a leading man who transmits the passing of time. Harvey Keitel fulfils a different theme, that of fading memory, but he's edgy, irascible, kinetic, like a time out of mind. These two distinguished veterans have some fun times together which are a pleasure to observe.
'Youth' is a major new project that carries with it a glittering international cast, from indie stalwart Mark Kozelek and pop princess Paloma Faith, to experimental artist Loredana Cannata and fitness queen Jane Fonda. It has big scenes that wash over the screen; a fanciful dream about drowning with a supermodel, the specially conceived "Faith no more" (as Sorrentino's called it) video segment, the famous cover shot set-piece where a beautiful model glides across a swimming pool, the transcendent cowbell orchestra and bird chorus line that are conducted by Caine as if he's the King of Dairylea cheeseland come to hide Kinder eggs and Nestle milky bars in the mountains. Through it all, people are allowed to grow up and grow old together in a sentient alpine location that's experiencing great weather.
At two hours, I felt much older by the end of 'Youth'. I wondered what Gaspar Noe might have done with a rewrite if that rumour had been true. As cinema, 'Youth' conflates two big philosophical ideas into an inflated rubber candy and wallows in its own terminal flatulence. It's dedicated to the great Neapolitan political filmmaker Francesco Rosi which is a nice touch from Naples-born writer-directer Paolo Sorrentino.

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

Just finished A field in England.
I gave it 7/10

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

petrolino,

Where do you find all these rare old Italian films to watch? I'm a big fan of Italian cinema, but there are so many that I can't track down.

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

Hello Jolly-Jack. youtube is a great source of old movies, public domain titles, obscure films with subtitles. Silent pictures are good because you don't really need subtitles anyway.

I shop on Amazon & e-bay. Here's my best tip for Italian films. Look on Amazon Italy, but also Amazon Germany, Amazon France ... and use foreign language titles to search if necessary, or search by director / actor. You can look up French / German / Italian titles etc. on the imdb pages for individual movies and many do have them.
But here's the key, if like me, you're looking for English language / subtitle options. Write the word English at the end of your search option (a film title for example) and often Amazon's search engine will pull up dvds at the front of their queue which come with English as an option. You might need to write 'Inglese' if you're looking on Amazon Italy, or 'Anglais' if it's Amazon France.
Otherwise, you can always search by directors and just click on all the titles, read the general descriptions, also checking customer reviews for information, updates or corrections if you have the time. There's alot readily available on dvd in other countries and these Amazon sites are now helpfully linked at the bottom of U K Amazon (my home shopping site).

Hope you're able to find some nice Italian titles to watch in future. There's also plenty available in English language versions, both from the U K and from America. Check out what's on offer from distribution labels like Arrow Video, Shameless Screen Entertainment, Artificial Eye & Eureka ('Masters Of Cinema') in the U K, or Criterion and Blue Underground in America. There's so many options nowadays if you shop around.

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

I've seen some Italian films on YouTube and have also purchased a few on Amazon Italy (I'm in the US), though I have never tried the French or German versions of the site. There are still a number of films on YouTube for which there are no subtitles (in any language, as I've even resorted to auto-translating other language tracks into English when I find them) available online.

Prior to 2016, I had seen many of the most well-known Italian films, but last year I began to delve deeper and "discovered" several new favorites along with a number of other quality pictures. I stumbled onto this thread and was impressed by the number of rather obscure films you've managed to see. I'll look up the offerings of the labels you mentioned. Some of them were already known to me, but not all.

Thank you for your thoughtful and thorough reply.

Re: What European films did you see? July / August 2016

It can be fun seeking out some different titles when you've seen alot of what's readily available. I translate Amazon user reviews using google translate for films I've not heard of, to gain a general insight into films I've not heard of before. But I mostly search by directors; I started searching this way because I was looking to see more movies from favourite genre filmmakers like Lucio Fulci and Umberto Lenzi (both of whom were prolific).

Good luck with everything. With imdb closing in a week's time, I'll be checking in at some other movie forums, and can hopefully find a home from home. Happy viewing.
Top