The Adventure Of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975)

"Why don't we all drink some very sexy wine?"

This is the second time I have seen this film and it definitely is getting funnier. But how could it not be? The writer, director and starring actor is Gene Wilder as Sherlock Holmes' younger brother Sigerson. He is teamed up with Marty Feldman as his sidekick and Madeline Kahn as the mysterious woman. And let's not forget Dom Deluise as opera star Eduardo Gambetti.

Sigerson does not like living in the shadow of his older, more famous brother. He is determined to solve the crime of some stolen documents that he has been hired to find. However, evil mastermind Moriarty (Leo McKern) is probably behind this wrongdoing as usual and he is especially evil this time around.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976)

This film is based on the contemporary novel of the same name written by Nicholas Meyer. Unbelievably, Meyer was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for this. 

The story starts off dealing with Sherlock Holmes' (Nicol Williamson) addiction to cocaine. He has become delusional, believing his former tutor, Professor Moriarty (Laurence Olivier), is a master criminal. Watson (Robert Duvall) appeals to Holmes' brother Mycroft (Charles Gray) and together they devise a plan to get Sherlock to Vienna where they hope that Sigmund Freud (Alan Arkin) will be able to cure him.

Once Holmes is cured, there is a mystery involving a beautiful red-headed woman (Vanessa Redgrave) that is being abducted by a Pasha. However, the clues to this crime are ridiculous and flawed and are not worthy of the Great Detective.

Available: Stagevue, Netflix, Amazon

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The Defiant Ones (1958)

A white racist convict (Tony Curtis) and a black convict (Sidney Poitier) are chained together in the back of a police wagon when it gets into an accident one night. They manage to escape but must work together if they are to survive. They encounter a group of company men who are ready to lynch them and a lonely woman who wants to run away with Curtis. The posse is led by the sensible sheriff (Theodore Bikel) who must keep the reins on a group of men who want to take justice into their own hands (which includes transistor radio-toting Carl Alfalfa Switzer)

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Mandinga (1976)

Italian exploitation rip-off of Mandingo. All I can say is that this film was horrible.

A widowed plantation owner and his mistress (his sister-in-law) take lots of pleasure in beating and having sex with their slaves. That's all that goes on for the whole beginning of the film until the son of the owner comes back from his travels aboard. The mistress decides to bed her nephew also even though he is engaged to be married to the daughter of a priest. There is also an illegitimate child born of a female slave that surprisingly does factor into the story later. 

Available: iOffer

Brotherhood Of Death (1976)

This blaxploitation film was pretty low budget, but it was still a lot of fun.

Three buddies are traveling around their southern town one weekend and get into a scuffle with one of the white locals. They decide the best way to get away from the KKK (who will now be after them), is to join the army and fight in Vietnam. When they return however, the KKK is still out to get them. It looks like they will have to use the tactics that they learned in combat to battle these killer bigots.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Murders In The Rue Morgue (1932)

A mad scientist (Bela Lugosi) and his intelligent gorilla are part of a traveling circus in 19th century Paris. The doctor is doing experiments on young women by injecting them with gorilla blood in the hopes of creating a super-intelligent ape/human hybrid. However, the experiments always seem to fail, killing the innocent victims.

Directed by Robert Florey, this film has lots of shocking imagery that is still powerful today.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Valerie And Her Week Of Wonders (1970)

Surreal, Gothic fairy-tale from the Czech New Wave movement of film-making. The story opens with Valerie just starting puberty. At the same time her earrings are stolen by Eagle who may (or may not) be her brother. A procession comes to town and with it The Weasel, who also may be Valerie's father. One thing is for sure, he is a vampire. Her grandmother disappears, or becomes a vampire, or turns into a long-lost cousin. People come and go, turn into vampires, die and return to life. They all seem to be after Valerie but her innocence protects her.

Alternate Titles: Valerie A Týden Divu

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Dead End Drive-In (1986)

Another film by Brian Trenchard-Smith, this one takes place in an apparently post-apocalyptic world where teenagers seem to continue on their normal ways. The violence and menace that is just lurking around the next bend doesn't cause them to stop hanging out on the corner at night and going to the movies with their dates. One night, however, Crabs (Ned Manning) and his girlfriend take his brother's vintage American car to the local drive-in. While there, someone steals his tires and they are force to stay the night. Unfortunately they find out the next morning that they are not allowed to leave. It seems that the drive-in is a sort of concentration camp for the deadbeats of society. Most of these kids don't seem to mind though, except for Crabs who is determined to get out.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Turkey Shoot (1982)

This Ozploitation classic is directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. It is set sometime in the near future of 1995 when "social deviants" are sent away to re-education camps. These prisoners will supposedly be released one day when they have been rehabilitated. However it doesn't seem likely, as the guards torture and kill inmates as they please.

Newly arrived at the camp are Paul (Steve Railsback), a political dissident and Chris Walters (Olivia Hussey), mistaken as a rebel sympathizer. They happen to show up just as the camp commander has arranged for a little game with his sadistic friends. Simply, it's a turkey shoot: the prisoners are let loose and the hunters just pick them off.

Alternative Titles: Escape 2000, Blood Camp Thatcher

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Space Is The Place (1974)

This wacky film features Sun Ra and his Arkestra. They also provide the jazzy soundtrack which is an integral part of the film. While the movie doesn't exactly make a lot of sense, there is a sliver of plot that you can hold on to.

It seems that Sun Ra and the Devil have some sort of bet. There is a running tally through-out the film of who is ahead. I believe that Sun Ra is trying to get various members of the black community to go back with him to his planet so that he can save the black race. I could be wrong in all this.

The version I watched is the restored director's cut that includes scenes of loose women having sex that seem to have not much to do with narrative. Sun Ra supposedly had these scenes cut when the film was originally released.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

The Infidel (2010)

British comedy about Mahmud (Omid Djalili), a Muslim who finds out that not only was he adopted but that his birth parents are Jewish. Although he is not devout, his son is to marry the step-daughter of a radical Pakistani cleric who would not look favorably on his Hebrew heritage. Also, Mahmud wants to meet his birth father who is on his death bed. However a militant Rabbi (Matt Lucas) will not let him in to see his dying dad until he can show that he has embraced the Jewish religion. Cue training scene with Mahmud's new best friend Lenny (Richard Schiff).

Available: Amazon, Netflix

Les Enfants Terribles (1950)

Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and taken from Jean Cocteau's 1929 novel of the same name. There is much debate as to whose film it actually is: Melville or Cocteau. This is only Melville's second feature film and a lot of film scholars give credit to Cocteau as the true director.

The story is simply about the relationship between a teenage brother and sister who are orphaned shortly after the story begins. The older sister seems to be the authority, making the decisions for the family. The relationship between the two siblings seems combative at times, but it is obvious that they are two halves of the same personality.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Gigi (1958)

This musical by Vincente Minnelli takes place in turn-of-the-century Paris. Louis Jourdan plays Gaston, a rich playboy who is tired of the conventions of the high society of which he is a part. He finds refuge visiting the residence of Madame Alvarez (Hermione Gingold), the grandmother of Gigi (Leslie Caron). In their welcoming home, Gaston and Gigi can just be silly playing card games or singing songs. However, Gigi's Aunt Alicia (Isabel Jeans) is grooming her to be a lady. And soon both Gigi and Gaston realize that she is turning out to be quite a beauty.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Protagonist (2007)

This documentary by filmmaker Jessica Yu ("In The Realms Of The Unreal") is very hard to describe. On the basic level, it presents four men who tell their tales. There is a homosexual, Christian minister; a Hispanic bank robber; a weakling who becomes a martial artist; and a German terrorist. The facts and events of these stories are completely different. However, all these men experienced the same journey. It is a progression down a dark path that they do not realize that they are taking. We see each of their milestones as the film moves along, highlighted by puppets acting out scenes from Euripides. The marionettes also present scenes from the narratives, such as when one of the men is abused by his father. It is a compelling film and each of the protagonists are excellent storytellers.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Clash Of The Titans (2010)

This is a remake of a 1981 film of the same name. When I first saw the trailer for this I didn't think that it looked very good. However one of my favorite actors, Mads Mikkelsen, is in it so I decided to watch it. Besides, we had just seen Malpertuis, so Greek mythology became a little mini-theme for the week. It was definitely not as a bad as I expected. Nevertheless, it was terribly unoriginal. I thought that Ralph Fiennes (whom I did not recognize) was terrible, playing a kind of Panto villain. And there were hardly any scenes involving the gods! The extras on the DVD included many of the excised gods scenes and gives you a glimpse at how halfway decent the movie could have been if someone wasn't so determined to just showcase the action and the CGI.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Zachariah (1971)

Quirky western film that was quite entertaining. Stars John Rubenstein & Don Johnson as two young, fairly naive men who set out to become gunslingers. Along the way they meet quite a cast of characters including two electric rock bands (Country Joe & The Fish; James Gang), a ruthless outlaw (drummer Elvin Jones), a strange fiddler (Doug Kershaw), and a lovely Madame (Patricia Quinn).

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010)

This is the live-action version of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels, literally. Director Edgar Wright seems to have used the comic as a literal storyboard and matched the scenes exactly.

The story centers around geeky Scott (Michael Cera) who falls in love with cool girl Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The path to love is very rocky though. Scott must fighter her "seven evil exes" before the road to happiness is clear. There are lots of comic book, video game and Manga references & imagery through-out.

And our favorite character has to be Scott's roommate Wallace played by Kieran Culkin.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Malpertuis (1971)

Based on the Gothic horror novel by Belgian author Jean Ray, this film version stars Orson Welles as the intimating Cassavius, an aging, bedridden old man who is ruler of his mansion. His sailor nephew (Mathieu Carriere) has taken leave from his ship to visit his sister. However Cassavius has convinced him, and all the other bizarre characters (with actress Susan Hampshire playing three different women), to forever stay at Malpertuis as a condition of his Last Will and Testament. The existence at the chateau is surreal to say the least.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

I'm Still Here (2010)

In 2009, actor Joaquin Phoenix announced that he was retiring from acting and pursuing a career as a rap music performer. This shocking bulletin was accompanied by a radical change in his appearance and behavior that would make one believe that maybe he was losing his mind or having a breakdown. A good example of this is his bizarre appearance on David Letterman's show in January of that year.

During this period, Phoenix's brother-in-law Casey Affleck filmed him to document this transition to Hip-Hop star. This is that story.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

The Story Of A Three-Day Pass (1968)

This is the first feature film by African-American director Melvin Van Peebles. The story is about a black soldier stationed in France who gets a good promotion. Before starting his position, he is given a three-day pass to visit Paris. There he spends the day sightseeing but not doing much else. He eventually ends up in a nightclub and meets a young white woman. They decide to spend the rest of his vacation together.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Lemmy (2010)

This movie is a documentary about Lemmy Kilmister, the founder and frontman of the heavy metal band Motorhead. There's not much else to say except that this is an excellent movie. Lots of musicians have their words of praise for Lemmy and include Metallica, Dave Grohl, Scott Ian and Ice-T.

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Dorian Gray (2009)

This film is based on the novel written by Oscar Wilde. Starring Ben Barnes as Dorian, Colin Firth as Lord Henry and Ben Chaplin as Basil.

Although I have read the book, I don't remember details enough to say with certainty how accurate an adaptation this is in general. I do know that Dorian's corruption of Sibyl Vane was much more evil in the novel. In this movie, it just seems that Dorian gets bored of her while in the manuscript her downfall is terribly tragic and quite malicious on Dorian's part.

This film uses CGI in its representation of the painting. I personally liked it for the most part because it is actually quite scary. The portrait is supposed to be evil, not just old, and the slight bit of animation that is used is effective.

Available: Amazon, Netflix

The Raven (1935)

This horror film is inspired by, rather than based on, the Edgar Allan Poe story "The Raven". Like other Poe stories that were produced at this time, the title and various elements were taken from the original story, but the plot is usually totally new.

The film stars Bela Lugosi as a doctor who is totally obsessed with Poe. He ends up falling in love with a woman that he saved after she had gotten into a terrible car accident. His desire for the woman reaches the point where the doctor decides to eliminate all who get in his way...Poe-style.

Boris Karloff is an extraneous character. He is a murderer on the run who comes to the doctor hoping to get a new face so that he can escape the law. However, it is thanks to Karloff that we have a happy ending (sort of).

Available: Netflix, Amazon

Three Supermen In The Jungle (1970)

This is one of many in the Three Fantastic Supermen series of movies. The three supermen are one government agent and two crooks that work together to bring justice to whatever small portion of the world they are assigned to. Their costumes protect them from most weapons and they use their martial arts and gymnastic skills to do the rest.

The supermen this time around are Brad Harris, Sal Borgese, and George Martin. On the eve of his marriage, a government agent must rescue the other two supermen from prison and execution in a foreign country. Then all three are sent to get back the lease for a uranium mine from some jungle natives before the Russians can get their hands on it.

Alternate Titles: Che Fanno I Nostri Supermen Tra Le Vergini Della Giungla?

Available: Atlas Visuals, iOffer, Super Strange Video

Breathless (1960)

One of the classics of French New Wave Cinema, this is the first film directed by Jean-Luc Godard. It is all style and imagery with a very bare-bones plot.

A petty criminal (Jean-Paul Belmondo) kills a policeman during a joy ride in a stolen car. He goes back to Paris and hides out with an American girlfriend (Jean Seberg) until he can get some money owed to him. He plans on going to Italy and hopes the girlfriend will come along with him.

Alternate titles: À Bout De Souffle

Available: Netflix,  Amazon

Sister Street Fighter: Hanging By A Thread (1974)

This is the first sequel to Sister Street Fighter. Again, our Chinese heroine must travel to Japan to find a missing person. This time it is the daughter of a friend. The baddie this time is a diamond smuggler who imports his merchandise in the buttocks of beautiful women and then prostitutes them. Fairly perverse stuff that includes a she-male, although I am not sure if he is supposed to be a she or not.

Alternate Titles: Onna Hissatsu Ken: Kiki Ippatsu

Available: Netflix,  Amazon