Trying to fit this in before the end of August, but time is running short! Happily, all the reviews are finished and I just have to fill in the before and after stuff, and check the spelling, etc.
In this month, you will find: a synopsis of each night of Shark Week 2025, a whole bunch of Brokenwood Mysteries, the new Man of Steel movie, Superman, a very weird film where Peter Cushing plays Dracula (or does he?), racing cars, a season of Longmire, some new detective shows, and a restored version of a not-so-classic space movie. (Though boy does it look good!) Plus a lot of other things, too. Let’s dive in and get this sucker done!
Here’s the usual ratings system:
* – This film is not good. Avoid it unless you tolerate dreck well.
** – A flawed film. You may enjoy it if you like this genre or the folks in it.
*** – A good solid film. If you like this genre, you’ll probably like this film.
**** – A superior film within its genre. Thoroughly enjoyable.
***** – An outstanding film on many levels. A great example of its genre.
Note that some shows I’ve given a parenthetical star rating, usually adding (occasionally subtracting) stars, depending on how your amusement may differ from mine. I’ve explained the meaning in the reviews themselves. Mostly.
Tender Dracula (1974 French – a.k.a. The Big Scare) **(*) Peter Cushing is a horror movie star who may or may not be an actual vampire/Dracula. A crazy producer is trying to either lure him out of retirement or keep him from retiring, depending on your POV. Cushing and his (undead) wife live in a big old castle. So, a couple of filmmakers and a couple of pretty girls/actresses go to his estate to try to lure him back into filmmaking. Or something. It’s all a bit like a big, wild party, with unreliable narrators and psychedelic points of view. Pretty to look at, but does it really make any sense? Is it a horror film? Is it a comedy? Is it trying to be both? Most folks will probably lose interest in this “bad” film, but if you like weird 60s-70s psychedelic flicks or are a fan of Cushing you can give it that extra star and maybe enjoy it. Maybe.
Mantopus (2025) ***(*) Filmmaker Joshua Kennedy plays a Michael Gough-like movie director looking to produce the ultimate horror film — and of course mash on a young starlet, much to the dismay of his current squeeze. Just that would be enough to fire a Gough movie along, but because this is also a tribute to his monster movies, said director has used various sources to find a REAL monster to be in his film — the titular Mantopus. Kennedy/Gough keep the Mantopus in a tank most of the time, until he/it is needed on the set. And because such madmen can neer leave bad enough alone, the director also starts sending the Mantopus out to kill his enemies, and even some people who might once have been his friends. It’s all in good fun and well produced in Kennedy’s usual low-budget style but with some extra-bright colors to echo the 1960s, when these kind of flicks were at their Zenith. Composter Reber Clark contributes another terrific/terrorific score. If you like low-budget films, you’ll dig this. If you like Kennedy’s films or Gough’s films like Konga, give it that extra star. I bought it on Amazon, and writing this has made me want to watch it again. I assume it will be out on physical media at some point, too.
Brokenwood Mysteries 5-1 Scared to Death ****(*) When recurring comic relief character “Frodo” stands in for his cousin at a traveling carnival Ghost Train (Dark Ride), the carnival’s owner takes a minute-long ride on the attraction only to come out in the middle of a fatal heart attack. Detective Mike & crew have to navigate the tight-knit carnival family to sort out what really happened, as it turns out the heart attack was (likely) brought on my drugs, though the dying man’s last word was “Ghost.” It’s hard to sort out what that might mean in a ride full of fake ghosts. Naturally, it turns out that the owner was not as well liked as everyone pretends he was. In fact, most everyone in the carnival had good reason to hate him, including the woman dressed as a fairy to paint faces (she prefers scary things, not butterflies), the guy who normally runs the Ghost Train ride, his sweetheart, the guy selling Miracle Cures, and the spacey fortune teller, among others. The carnival atmosphere adds to the fun of this movie-length episode . So if you dig that kind of thing, give it that extra star for a perfect score.
Longmire (S4) ***** They tell me that Longmire switched networks between Season 3 and this one. If so, the switch didn’t slow things down any, because S4 is an other excellent season. Same great show, same great characters. New deputy presenting new problems, new challenges in relations both in the area, on the rez, and in some more far-flung locations. We have a new mystery stalker, new allies and/or frienemies, new loves for both Walt and Vic, and even a new Hector to avenge wrongs done to Indians, especially Indian women. Just a wonderful complex web of characters. Oh, and an unexpected season-ending cliffhanger that make me astounded I’ve been too busy to get back to S5 yet. If you haven’t checked out this modern law-and-order western yet, I highly recommend it.
F1 the Movie (2025) **** An aging race-car driver (Brad Pitt) drifts from circuit to circuit, trying to find new racing challenges. Once he conquers one, he doesn’t stick around to enjoy the glory, he just moves onto the next. His peripatetic life is changed though, when an old friend asks him to come and work on a Formula 1 (F1) team. For those not in the know, F1 cars are some of the fastest and most high-tech in the world (made of space-age materials) and have a brutal team racing season all over the world. Each team is composed of 2 drivers, and Pitt is brought into the second chair, to help teach a promising young driver that there’s more to racing than just going fast. What follows is a very entertaining series of races along with a pretty standard set of plot complications. But, damn, this is well put together. My wife and I are fans of F1 and other motorsports, and we really enjoyed this.
Dead Men Walk *** George Zucco plays twin brothers, one good, the other evil. When the evil one dies at the start of the film he comes back as a vampire to plague his brother and all the people he loves. Sure, it’s a pretty standard idea (aside from the twins), and the budget is super low, but Zucco pulls it off (not surprisingly) and makes the whole thing interesting. I’d love to see a great restoration of this little gem, though I know its public domain status makes that unlikely.
Grand Prix (1966) ***(*) This 1960s Formula 1 film, with many of the actors, including the great James Garner, doing their own driving, takes on some of the courses that are still in the sport today. Of course, some of those courses have changed from rural settings to racetracks, and none will let you stand next to the road without any barriers so you can get killed, like back in these Bad Old Days. The story is about a number of drivers from different countries, including Garner, trying to become champion — and about the soap opera of their lives between the races. It’s a handsomely produced, well made film, but the predictable, standard-type soap really undercuts the action. If you can overlook that mush, give it the extra star — because the racing stuff rocks!
Minecraft Movie, A (2025) **** I was not sure what to make of this movie. My son played Minecraft, but I never did, and I really run hot and cold on Jack Black’s movies. Sometimes, I love him (School of Rock, Jumanji) other times, he leaves me lfat (King Kong). But I am a fan of Jason Momoa, so I decided to give this movie a try… And it’s a hoot! Man for our world (Black) becomes a great builder in the alternate Minecraft dimension, but an ultimate weapon, The Sphere (a cube!), from that world lands in our world and must be retrieved before the evil pig-like monsters can conquer the whole place. Momoa plays a Macho-Man-Randy-Savage-like former video game champion looking to recapture his former glory. A teenager (Emma Myers) and her younger brother get sucked into all of this, along with some others, and must fight and build their way to victory. Cleverly imagined and colorfully executed, with enough jokes for both kids and adults, I really enjoyed this film, and after seeing it free on streaming immediately bought a copy for myself to own.
Your Highness (Unrated 2011) ****(*) I love this goofy, D&D-like rude-and-crude fantasy movie starring Danny McBride, James Franco, Natalie Portman, and Zooey Deschanel. When Zooey is kidnapped by an evil wizard, fiancé Franco — the brave and handsome prince (who can’t carry a tune in a bucket) enlists his slacker brother (McBride) and a band of the kingdom’s best knights to go on a quest to save her, before the evil wizard can marry her himself in astrologically-timed bid to gain ultimate power in a ritual called the Fuckening. Along the way, our heroes are betrayed, have sibling squabbles, battle monsters, and gain an ally in Portman’s bad-ass warrior. During it all there’s a lot of low-comedy, vulgarity, and sex references like you might get from a bunch of teenage Dungeons & Dragons players. I’m sure it’s that nostalgia for rude-and-crude gaming that makes this so appealing to me, though the production and special effects are very good, too. Give it that extra star if you like silly, uninhibited fantasy flicks.
Damsel (2024) **** Millie Bobby Brown is the titular character, a princess — the titular damsel — who believes she’s going to marry the prince of a rich country in order to save her own poor kingdom. But when she gets there and goes through all the rituals, she’s actually dumped into a pit, a sacrifice to appease a dragon who’s got a centuries-long grudge against the family of the rich company. What follows is a harrowing trek through the underground to try to escape her fate, and eventually right the wrong done to her and, it turns out, to the dragon, too. This high-quality fantasy release on Netflix really caught me by surprise. I recommend it.
Super Mario Bros. Movie, The (2023) ***(*) Plumbers (and video-game characters) Mario and Luigi must go to an alternate dimension to both help Princess Peach save her kingdom from evil invaders — and also, as it turns out, save their own world as well. Along the way, they have adventures and gain powers based on the video games, the only one off which I ever played were the original 2 Donkey Kong games. Despite my unfamiliarity with a lot of the source material, I enjoyed this kids’ flick enough to watch it again and add it to my collection. Good all-ages fun.
Snow White (2025) **(*) I love the original Snow White. Who doesn’t? And rather than keep me from watching it, the silly “anti-woke” kerfuffle about the new live-action version of the film just made me want to see it more. We all know the story, jealous queen tries to have Snow White killed because the blossoming teen suddenly replaces Evil Queen as the “fairest in the land.” Adventures in the forest with dwarves and handsome prince follow. Naturally, this story is updated to break down old gender stereotypes. I don’t mind that, and the production looks good. Unfortunately, what did bug me was the CGI dwarves. The Hobbit/Rings movies showed that you can do dwarves convincingly in fantasy movies — with actors and clever photography. I suppose what possessed Disney to go CG with their iconic dwarves is wanting them to have animated-style antics. But for me, every scene with these dwarves pulled me out of the film and fell right into the uncanny valley. Plus, the story adaptation, despite updating, adhered too closely to the razor-thin original film’s fairy tale plot. So, if you can overlook the CGI, give it that extra star. Otherwise… Glad I didn’t pay to see it.
Return of the Vampire (1943) ****(*) Bela Lugosi returns as NOT Dracula, but as a vampire named Arman Tesla, to avoid lawsuits by Universal (this is a Columbia release). But this works really well as a Dracula sequel, and it also has a cool (talking) werewolf. Tesla, terrorizing the English countryside, is slain by vampire hunters, only to have his grave disturbed by WWII bombing. Before re-burying the corpse, British workers remove the spike from his heart, and inadvertently start the whole cycle again. Bela rocks in this flick, but the other thing that really makes it stand out is the main vampire hunter is a woman, Lady Jane Ainsley (Frieda Inescort), who brings both smarts and toughness to her role. I’d have loved to see more films with her character. If you’re a fan of Bela or early film proto-feminism — or both — give this that extra star.
Green Slime (1969) ***(*) The unofficial 5th movie in the Gamma-One (space station) cycle, this American-Japanese production has a lot of elements similar to the Italian Gamma-One films but with an uptick (in most places) on the production and story. Astronauts discover an asteroid is on a collision course with earth. When a team goes to blow that sucker up, they accidentally contaminate themselves with an alien green slime. Once back at the base, the slime grows to human size and marches through the station, flailing electrically charged tentacles. Obviously, this could be just as big a threat to Earth as the asteroid had been, and our stalwart heroes, led by (stars) Robert Horton, Richard Jaeckel (Spencer for Hire), and Luciana Paluzzi must stop it while thrashing out their own past and present romantic triangle. This film is a SciFi monster hoot, and if you like this kind of stuff, give it that extra star.
Brokenwood Mysteries 5-2 Bride Not to Be **** When a dead woman in a bridal gown nearly bumps into a fishing boat, DI Mike, Detective Kristin, & Detective Constable Sam soon discover that a Hen Party (not a wedding) can be not as much fun as it might at first seem. For one thing, the dead woman is a world-class tennis player. For another her future husband & his best buddy are along for the expensive hen party getaway. And of course, not all is love & light among the participants, not even the victim & her future husband. Plus, because the party was expensive, there’s some question as to whether one of the participants may not have been able to afford the festivities, and may have slept around to pay for it. Weirdly, the dead woman in the water wasn’t drowned, she was strangled. A nice twisty one for our crew to sort out.
Brokenwood Mysteries 5-3 Tontine **** One man is accidentally killed in a Brokenwood paddock by a bull when “preparing” to run with the bulls in Spain. Another man apparently has a heart attack while bicycling to the top of a nearby mountain, at least, that’s what it first appears. But Russian ex-pat ME Gina (one of my fave characters) declares the man was killed by caffeine poisoning. One might think the two deaths are unrelated, but it turns out that both were beneficiaries of a strange will — a tontine, where all the people named in the will share in proceeds from a wealthy family farm. The farm was once owned by a real asshole of a man, and his dividing up the land seems to have been a form or revenge. Some of the beneficiaries are family he was disappointed in, others people he didn’t like (including a priest). Now, it seems that one of the heirs may be killing off the rest to end up the sole inheritor. A nice puzzler for Mike, Kristin, & Sam to puzzle over.
Brokenwood Mysteries 5-4 Dark Angel **** When a canoodling couple finds a corpse in an abandoned mental hospital, it turns out it was one of the men who ran the place. Not only that, but a number of former asylum patients turn out to have been at the scene of the crime. One of them believes she is a mouse (among other personas), another believes he is married to a horse inhabited by the spirit of his dead wife. The people at the scene believed they had been invited to a reunion party only to almost witness the murder — which they claim was done by a mythical Dark Angel, who somehow electrocuted the victim. One suspect late to the party fancies himself a stand-up comic, though he’s not very funny. He is, however, compelled to take things apart just to see how they work. Certainly this mystery leaves Mike & his team with plenty to put together. We also get a glimpse into one of Mike’s mysterious marriages.
Brokenwood Mysteries 6-1 The Power of Steam **** A drunken steampunk party goes seriously wrong with one of the port-a-loos explodes, killing one man and sending another to hospital. Naturally, all the suspects are very quirky characters & the victim was an enthusiast for model trains as well as steampunk. And the steam-punkers have their own obtuse dialect for Mike, Kristin, & Sam (as well as the audience) to sort out. Though fireworks were being used at the time, the detectives quickly figure out that the real cause was the loo had been sealed & attached to a propane tank — perhaps to suffocate the man inside. Additionally, the dead man, Lionel, was apparently a racist & homophobic — wanting to exclude “LBGTP” people from his steampunk festival — despite his own daughter being a lesbian. Throw in a possible balloon ride concession, and there’s lots of pieces to this mystery’s puzzle.
Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous (S2) **** The saga of the kids stranded on the Jurassic World island continues, with our young heroes facing a variety of dinosaurs, becoming better friends, and happily finding out a lost comrade is not so lost after all. They also meet grown-ups with less-than-honorable motives, including a couple who claim to be out to save the dinosaurs, when in fact they’re hunting them. Plenty of chills for young viewers and dino-fans alike.
My Son the Hero (1962) ***(*) This flick is an Italian mythological heroic comedy, dubbed into English, though as near as I can tell, even in Italian, the film had its tongue securely in its cheek. An evil tyrant is prophesied to lose his kingdom when his daughter first falls in love (or if she dies). Tired of waiting, the Greco-Roman gods send a minor titan, Crios, to fulfill the prophecy and cast the tyrant to Hades. A lot of the usual peplum (sword & sandal) battles and hijinks ensue, including some acrobatics and strongman antics. It’s all in good fun, and the charming tone really worked for me. Wish this had an HD release, but at least TCM has shown it fairly frequently lately. If you like lighthearted peplum, give it that extra star.
Devil Fish (aka Monster Shark, 1984) **(*) Along the Florida coast, people are being attacked by a mysterious monster that seems more than shark. A group of scientists try to track it down, while a military group, which created the beast, tries to stop them. The thing, it turns out, is a cross between shark and octopus, years before Sharktopus ever arrived on the scene. Unfortunately, though the film is pretty well shot and produced for an Italian cash-in film, even at the fiery climax, we never get to really see the monster. If you can stand that flaw, give it that extra star.
Brokenwood Mysteries 6-2 A Real Page Turner ***** A book reading by a famous author (& ladies’ man) goes horribly wrong when, during a bathroom break, he is discovered murdered on the stairway of the bookshop which gave him deluxe treatment to bring him there. Detective Kristin, a fan of the book, arrived at the event just as the murder happened, along with Jared (a local often on the fringe of the cases). Detectives Mike’s job is complicated by the fact that his ex wife was also at the reading & may — or may not — have slept with the death author. And she’s not the only suspect who may have jumped into the author’s bed, despite the fact that it quickly comes out that he wasn’t a very nice man. Other suspects include a teacher, his star pupil, and her mother, the cleaning woman working at the dead man’s posh rental, and others including the local vicar trying to get the author to read his unpublished novel. A good mystery with an interesting solution.
Jurassic World Rebirth (2025) ***(*) The peaceful world where humans and dinosaurs co-exist from the last Jurassic World movie has broken down. (So sad!) The dinos don’t like the current climate, and now they’re confined to the equatorial regions of the planet, which most humans sensibly avoid. However, a big drug corporation believes the largest dinosaurs may have biology with medicinal properties, so they send a para-military team headed by Scarlett Johanssen and Mehershala Ali to retrieve samples. They also rescue a family stranded after a seagoing dino attack, who then must tag along until rescue arrives. Beautifully produced with some tense scenes and great special effects, for me, this film lost something because the climax features “mutant dinosaurs” — in other words, monsters we made up because we don’t think dinos are cool enough. I’m willing to look past that, and maybe I’ll feel differently on a second viewing, but for now, the film’s 4th star is only tentative.
Superman (2025) **** Thank heaven the days of dark superhero stories seem to be coming to an end. Despite some dark elements, Superman takes a muh more lighthearted approach to its story, despite a truly evil Luthor having a whole team (and his own super being) put together to try and kill the Man of Steel. Superman, though, is not dark at all; he’s all about truth and justice. We also have Krypto, the super-dog, in both touching and comic moments, the “Justice Gang” of Guy Gardener’s Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkwoman, and the nearly-show-stealing Mister Terrific — plus some extra surprises, too. Of course, there’s a possible world-ending menace as well, plus a new Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, and the Dailly Planet gang, and plenty of inside jokes/fan service moments. I really liked it, and I look forward to seeing it again.
Brokenwood Mysteries 6-3 Dead Men Don’t Shoot Ducks ***** During duck hunting season, a woman protesting hunting is shot to death in a “fog of war” volley at the start of the season. The dozen or so suspects were all in duck blinds, everyone fired, and everyone was using the same type of shot, thanks to a giveaway at a pre-season event by the local duck hunting club the previous evening. Some of the suspects are series regulars, including Jared & members of his family, Frodo — who is no stranger to hunting accidents, and is convinced that he actually killed the woman because he’s “cursed” & never should have gone hunting again, as well as the suspect’s husband, who may have been cheating on her, and her sister, an avid hunter & supporter of the hunt. Making matters even foggier, some of the hunters believe that they saw a ghost in a duck blind (maimai) long abandoned, after the near-legendary Māori man who owned & used it went missing. Another fine Brokenwood mystery.
Brokenwood Mysteries 6-4 Dead & Buried ***** A whole bunch of returning murderers (from previous episodes, including former regular barkeep Trudy) now inmates at a women’s prison are suspects when one of their number turns up dead. The murder was committed late at night, when all the women were locked into their cells, yet somehow, the victim was stabbed to death. Adding to the suspect are the permissive prison warden & the guards, as well as many Brokenwood extras who have part-time jobs at the prison, including Mrs. Marlowe. The real delight of this episode is seeing the imprisoned characters, some of whom are serving less time than you might expect because of legalities during their arrests & convictions, return to plot against each other as well as Detective Mike & the police. There are plenty of red herrings & sub plots & moments of real drama, too. Did I mention a “treasure map” to a missing man long assumed dead? An excellent episode!
Treasure of Jamaica Reef, The (Evil in the Deep – 1976) **(*) Another shark film, sort of, this combines elements of Jaws and The Deep, with treasure hunters having to deal with sharks as well as rivals who are more than willing to let our main characters die to get what they want. This film was shot on location and it often looks great. It even has a goofy car chase with a weird custom truck thing (food truck?) Plus, there are handsome & pretty young people to look at, including a pre-Charlie’s Angels Cheryl Ladd. The real trouble, though, is that there often seem to be pieces of critical action missing, because (I assume) not all the actors were on the shoot at the same time. So, we get an exploding boat that we never see either an explosion from or shrapnel. That makes the story hard to follow at times, and undercuts suspenseful scenes. In the end, it’s a near miss, but only tive it that third star if you like the time period, setting, or actors.
Code 7… Victim 5 (1964) *** Lex “Tarzan” Barker plays Steve Martin, a detective/security expert hired to protect a secretive millionaire living in Cape Town, South Africa. Soon, the rich man’s butler is murdered, and attempts are made on Martin and other people’s lives who are related to the millionaire. Eventually, Martin finds a picture of the millionaire and some of the victims together from years ago, and theorizes that all of the people in the photo are targeted for death. Barker’s charm and athleticism are well suited to this flick, which feels like a Euro-spy film, despite the location, and like all of those has overtones of the early James Bond franchise. A fun way to spend a lazy summer afternoon.
Circus of Fear (1966) *** This film starts with an elaborate bank heist for a vast sum of money. The thieves escape the police, but the search for the stolen loot remains an undercurrent in the rest of the film. Soon, we’re introduced to Barberini’s Circus, a show filled with suspicious characters, including the usual ringmaster and wild animal tamers, a sneaky little person (midget), a grumpy knife-thrower, and Christopher Lee as a disfigured man who always wears a black mask, and whose brother was apparently a thief. When people start dying with knives in their back, the cops start connecting the circus with the missing loot — but you know there are more murders to come! Fun, with an interesting part for Lee.
Five Golden Dragons (1967) *** More Euro-Spy-type fun, but this time with a comedy bent. The Five Golden Dragons are the heads of a Hong Kong crime syndicate, their identities known only to each other, because they always wear elaborate masks, and one of them has never been seen by anyone. American playboy Bob Mitchell (the unlikely Bob Cummings” gets mixed up with two tourist sisters and all of them are accidentally sucked into dealing with this crime ring, who think some or all of them may be spies. When one of the women ends up dead, Bob and the remaining sister must flee from both the authorities and try to outwit the mob. Cummings does okay as the hero, despite being miscast — or maybe it’s just me who doesn’t buy him as a handsome playboy ( or spy). Forgot to mention the Five Golden Dragons are: Dan Duryea, George Raft, Brian Donlevy, Christopher Lee, and…???
Mozambique (1964) *** Down on his luck pilot Brad Webster (Steve Cochran) is hired to fly private cargoes to and from Mozambique. But when he gets there, he discovers the man who hired him is dead, and he’s now working for the man’s wife, or perhaps for the skeevy people trying to keep her from inheriting her husband’s business. So, Brad is trying to get the dirt on the bad guys, who are into human trafficking (then called White Slavery) among other unsavory things. Yes, this is another flick with the Euro-Spy feeling, and yes, I did get them all in a pair of 2-fer blu-rays from RoninFlix — and I enjoyed them all.
Sky Pirates (1985) ***(*) This Australian Indiana-Jones-inspired adventure movie features a strange combination of low budget, sincerity, and fluctuating production values. Some scenes and special effects look like they were shot in someone’s back yard (and were); others look amazing — like a wing-walking scene, with an actual stunt-man on an actual plane in the air, that pre-dates the last Mission Impossible by 40 years. A mysterious artifact that can apparently shift time — like the Bermuda Triangle — is sought by both Allies and Axis agents. Our aviator hero, Harris, finds himself caught between factions and insubordinate to his superiors as his chase for the artifact results in hijinx, getting stranded in a sea of lost ships and planes, and eventually ending up on Easter Island. It’s fun, though sometimes seems to be missing insert shots that could help the continuity. If you don’t mind that and like honest effort, give it that extra star. I suspect I will like it even better on a second viewing.
Brokenwood Mysteries 7-1 The Garotte & the Vinklebraun **** An Antiques Road Show-type New Zealand television program comes to Brokenwood, and even Detective Mike & some of the regulars have brought items to be evaluated. (Mike brought some country-western 45 RPM records.) There is also an impressionist painting, by Vinklebraun, whose rich owners have brought it to drum up publicity for the painting’s upcoming auction to benefit a charity. The show’s producers seem to be on a tight schedule, and the two stars a little unsettled. Then the skeezy-seeming older man presenter winds up dead in his hotel room, strapped to a medieval torture device, the garotte of the title. Turns out, the dead presenter was cheating people who came to the auction as a side-hustle, by undervaluing their items and then buying and selling them at a profit. He didn’t gain any fans in his crew by planning to leave the show to start one of his own — which means the current show’s cancellation. He won’t be retaining all the crew. With so much animosity as motive, it’ll be tough for Mike, Kristin, & Sam to sort out which of the airtight alibis for suspects isn’t so airtight. Great start to a new season.
Sinners (2025) ***** Twin brothers return from Chicago to their southern hometown to start a music hall juke joint where other black folks can drink, dance, gamble, and have a good time. The brothers (both expertly played by Michael B. Jordan) seem well prepared to handle any problems with the Klan, but what they don’t expect is a band of folksy vampires who try to infiltrate the club, and one by one, turn the celebrants against each other. Filled with creepy suspense, strong characterization, and great music, Sinners is a dark delight of a movie, and one of the best vampire tales in ages.
Brokenwood Mysteries 7-2 The Witches of Brokenwood ***** At a local fitness retreat club, a fit & wealthy woman turns up dead in the steam room, apparently cooked — though Brokenwood ME Gina (a favorite supporting character) will surely have something interesting to say about that. The New Age-style retreat could be ruined by one of their guests dying, though most of the other odd characters seem more concenred that part of the spa is closed, and they may miss their expensive treatments. Our detective heroes must sort out the suspects including the victim’s husband, who may have been divorcing her, the spa’s owner, who may have been in a romantic situation with her, the much-desired hunky spiritual guru, and especially the dead woman’s three witchy sisters, who hadn’t seen her in years before they all showed up at the club. One of the sisters has had substance abuse problems, and all seem obsessed with a missing ring given the woman by their mother. Adding to the fun are some of the usual Brokenwood extras, including Frodo who is doing a good business supplying spa guests with “forbidden” foods under the radar. With more great character moments & a complex solution, it’s another good Brokenwood story in a strong season. Oh, and we get a fond farewell to DC Sam, as his character moves on to a better job out of town.
Brokenwood Mysteries 7-3 Dog Day Morning ***** It seems like just another morning as former convict Trudy take’s her inn’s profits from last night to the small local bank. Then three men wearing dog masks enter rob the bank carrying guns & a bag they claim holds a bomb. It’s soon obvious to Trudy & everyone there that the trio has no idea what they’re doing; they’re nervous & clumsy, and a bank teller recognizes one of the masked men’s voices. They knock down the teller & force the bank manager to take them to the vault — which in this antiquated bank is merely a room with basic safe-deposit boxes. As Trudy tries to call their bluff, things get confusing, a shot rings out, and the three men escape — only to have their getaway car stall because 4th man, the driver, didn’t fill it up with gas (petrol). The manager’s death lends a grim counterpoint to what is in many ways a very funny episode. It also gives us a chance to get to know new Detective Constable Daniel Chalmers, Sam’s replacement, and how he differs from the rest of the squad. He even gets some help from the usually uncooperative Trudy — much to the chagrin of Mike and Kristin. Some fun work for the always-surly Trudy makes this story an exgra delight, even though I sussed out the mystery well beffore the end.
Brokenwood Mysteries 7-4 Something Nasty in the Market **** Market day takes a morbid twist when the famous cook running it staggers out of the show barn with a pitchfork in her back, right in front of all the contestants vying for a prize product placement spot in her show. Which maker of produce could be responsible, or could it be a friend or family. And how did it happen, while the barn was barred from the inside? The murder investigation becomes even more complicated when its discovered that the victims body has been marked up as if her body were to be portioned out in a meat market. A real puzzler for Mike, Kristin, and Sam.
Helen of Troy (1955) *** This fairly standard Hollywood-style sword and sandal movie has most of what you might expect in a story about the fall of Troy: expansive sets, pretty costumes, handsome and beautiful protagonists, serious thespians, straightlaced, unimaginative dialogue, the love story you expect between Paris and Helen, and eventually a wooden horse. It also has some pretty good combat scenes. What it doesn’t have is any actual mythological content. People talk about the gods, but we never see any supernatural stuff. All of which makes this Robert Wise-directed American-Italian-French co-production more boring than it might be. It’s not bad, though. Just not super exciting, and Paris & Helen have little chemistry.
Brokenwood Mysteries 7-5 Exposed to the Light **** The Brokenwood Empire Cinema is having a fundraising movie to raise money to restor the old film palace and keep the theater going. The film they’re showing was made in Brokenwood, and was conroversial at the time of release for its portrayal of a romance beween a colonist woman and a Maori native. It is also rumored to have a long suppresed nude scene by the lead actress. Some even say the scene has been found and will be shown in the restored print. But, before that can happen, a fire breaks out in the movie house, and when the smoke clears, a man is found dead — not burnt, but strangled, leaving a pretty puzzler for our stalwart detectives to work out.
Office, The (S4) ***** By season 3, the Office was really firing on all cylinders, and this season just continues that trend. Jim & Pam further their relationship; Michael continues his romantic mishaps; Dwight continues to be paranoid and crazy; and the rest of the strong ensemble cast continues their madcap ways. The finale with a party/carnival in the parking lot was a great way to end the season. Very, very funny, though Michael makes me cringe a lot.
Brokenwood Mysteries 7-6 Here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson ***** A family is holding a 1970s themed aniversary party with lots of loud classic music and drinking. When the fog of alcohol lifts the next morning though, the woman who was celebreating is found dead with a yard glass (for drinking beer) shoved into her gut. DI Mike Shepard has to bow out because of personal reasons, but when Kristin & Sam arrive, they soon discover that the woman’s step-daughter is also dead, lying a short distance away from the victim, in the woods. Tangled family histories figure heavily in the investigation. Meanwhile, Mike needs to keep a promise to a woman in witness protection, who was a character in the first season of the show. Another strong show for all involved, and the last one I’ll see for a while, since my subscription to Acorn TV has lapsed — at least for now.
Black Cat, The (1934) ***** Karloff & Lugosi’s first on-screen team up is one of their best, and one of the creepliest horror films of all time. Lugosi returns to Europe to confront Karloff, the man who nearly killed him in WWI and who stole Lugosi’s family. On his way there, Lugosi meets a young couple, but a tragic bus crash (before that became a cliche) injures the wife, and all of them must take refuge in Karloff’s Art Deco mansion. What none know is that Karloff is the head of a devil cult in need of a sacrifice. That synopsis doesn’t nearly do the film justtice, nor can it convey the preversity of the story. If this doesn’t creep you out, you’re not paying attention. Just watch it.
Colossus of Rhodes (1961) ***(*) If you haven’t figured it out yet, I have a penchant for ancient history swor and sandal (and Biblical) epics. This one is set in ancient Greece, Rhodes to be exact, at the time that the famous bronze statue (allegedly) bestrode the harbor entrance of that island kingdom. In this Sergio Leone co-written and directed tale, the huge statue holds a fiery brazier used both in sacrifices and in protecting the city from invasion by sea. The kingdom is ruled by a despot who keeps Greeks and others in slavery. Naturally it will take a bold hero to end this monster’s rule. During the film we have the kinds of battles, escapes, turnarounds, and betrayals you might expect. It’s pretty standard, but wacky enough in some places (and beautifully produced) to get that extra star from me and people like me.
Hercules (1983) **(*) Lou Ferrigno stars as a muscular Hercules in this Italian-made techno-punk adaptation of the classical legends about the hero. And by that I mean that all of the monsters — most of which are stop-motion — from the myths have been replaced with mechanical versions that look like they stepped out of Star Wars, or perhaps the Terminator. It’s a weird mix of magic/myth and science as evil King Minos tries to take over the world, or maybe the universe, with his techno creations. The plot is disjointed, having just enough there to barely hold together the fight/monster scenes and show of Lou’s muscles. Still, there’s something charming about its naieve ambition over it’s seemingly meager budget. If you did that stuff, extra star.
Hercules, Samson, & Ulysses (1965) ***(*) Hercules and his crew, including Ulysses, sail from Greece to defeat a rampaging sea monster. They defeat the beast, but get caught in a storm, are shipwrecked, and land on the shores of ancient Judea. There, Hercules’ great might causes him to be mistaken by Philistine spies for Israelite strongman Samson. When Hercules’ friends are captured, he must then battle the real Samson before the two realize they’d be better off teaming up against their enemies. I will admit that I have a fondness for this movie that’s probalby beyond its actual merits, but I love the audacity of bringing together 3 heroes (Unlesses is only a youngster here) from 2 completely disparate mythologies. The production values are good, and I especially like the Herc-Samson battle, in which they topple ancient ruins and throw huge blocks of stone at each other. If you like sword & sandal stuff like this, give it that 4th star.
Shark Week 2025 Sunday *** – See full reviews on the site, Patreon, or Facebook. Dancing With Sharks ** – Air Jaws: The Hunt for Colossus **** – Great White Assassins *****
Shark Week 2025 Monday *** – See full reviews on the site, Patreon, or Facebook. Great White Sex Battle *** – Jaws vs. Mega Croc *** – In the Eye of the Storm: Shark Storm ****
Damnation Alley *** When nuclear holocaust strikes the world, the environment is changed forever, and savage creatures — including mutant insects and animals, and desperate evil humans — roam the land. After their undeground bunker is destroyed, a small band of former military folks decides to take their multi-part land rover across the blasted lands in search of a new place to live. George Peppard leads the cast of this flick, which includes Jan-Michael Vincent. It looks as though it was maybe made for TV, and my copy is only in 4×3, though I know there’s a widesdcreen version out there somewhere, too. Based on a book/story by Roger Zelazny that I haven’t read, there’s enough here to keep post-apocalypse fans interested.
Shark Week 2025 Tuesday **** – See full reviews on the site, Patreon, or Facebook. Great White Northern Invasion **** – How to Survive a Shark Attack **** – Black Mako of the Abyss ****
Shark Week 2025 Wednesday ***** – See full reviews on the site, Patreon, or Facebook. Expedition Unknown: Shark Files **** – Expedition X: Mapelo Monster Shark ***** – Alien Sharks: Death Down Under *****
Shark Week 2025 Thursday **** – See full reviews on the site, Patreon, or Facebook. Surviving Jaws **** – Caught! Sharks Strike Back **** – Frankenshark ***
Art Detectives (S1) **** In England, Mark Palmer is a Detective Inspector with a particular interest in art and art history. Because of that, he’s often called in on cases that involve art theft and other crimes involving works of art or history. DC Shazia Malik is assigned to one of his cases to “help,” but actually to get both her and him out of the way of her boss. The two work well togethe rand become an ongoing team on cases ranging from wine tasting to a Viking hoard gone missing from a burial mound — and naturally, many of tehse cases involve one or more murders. Only 6 episodes in this first season, but off to a very good start.
Shark Week 2025 Friday **** – See full reviews on the site, Patreon, or Facebook. Great White Reign of Terror **** – Florida’s Death Beach **** – Bull Shark Showdown ****
Shark Week 2025 Saturday **** – See full reviews on the site, Patreon, or Facebook. Attack of the Devil Shark **** – Battle for Shark Mountain *****
From Earth to the Moon – The Making of UFO **** This documentary looks at the making of Gerry & Sylvia Anderson’s first live-action syndicated program: UFO. The series features aliens trying to infiltrate and attack Earth who are opposed by SHADO, a secret government organization that uses a film studio as a front. At SHADO’s disposal are a moonbase with interceptors, land based rovers, super jets on Earth, and SkyDiver — a submarine whose front can blast off into the air as a super jet. So, basically, the show combines the Andersons’ love of super-machines and fashion with actors. I like the series, and this is a good overview of it, with interviews from many of the actors and people involved in the show’s creation.
Trolls (2016) ***(*) This family-friendly flick starts with a prtty scary premise of the wicked Bergens having to eat the happy-go-lucky, colorful trolls to ever feel true happiness. The Bergens, therefore, ketp the trolls’ home tree in a kind of zoo, which they raided every year to get happy. The trolls, though, escape their captors and live free in the woods for a generation, until a troll party gives away their location. Then many trolls are captured, and Princess Poppy and the one gloomy, survivalist troll, must try to rescue their friends before they’re all gobbled up. Despite being a fan of the original Dam Troll toys since childhood (ours were called Wishniks), I was surprised to like this movie as much as I did. Sure, it’s kiddie fare, but it has more than a few clever bits and plenty of colorful fun. I’m looking forward to watching the 2 sequels.
Damon & Pythias (1962) *** This sword and sandal flick tells the classical story of two friends, Pythias, a Pythagorean, and Damon, a street thief and con man. The two encounter each other when Pythias has gone to Syracuse to bring a philosopher out of danger. (Pythagoreans, who were pacifists, are consideerdd a threat by some evil kings.) Through a series of incidents, which include Damon being hired to betray Pythias, the two turn from frienemies to friends who will eventually risk all for each other. This heartwarming story of friendship is well produced, but fairly standard for the genre.
Down to Earth (1947) ***(*) Terpsichore (played by Rita Hayworth), one of the Nine Muses of Greek mythology, is offended that people down on Earth are making a musical about the goddesses that she doesn’t feel is worthy. So, she convinces Mr. Jordan to send her from the heavens down to the Earth to participate. Naturally, since she is the muse of song and dance, she immediately replaces the musical’s leading lady and the play’s creator falls hard for her. She then begins to re-shape the musical to her liking, which, while it may be more accurate to Ancient Greece, is not what a modern audience wants, as it turns out. So both she and the producer must learn some lessons if they’re to succeed. This flick has some really interesing song and dance numbers — I especially like the ancient Greece inspired one — and Rita is gorgeous, of course! The strangest thing, though, aside from the premise, is that the film is a direct sequel to Here Comes Mr. Jordan (the 1940s version of Heaven Can Wait). If this is your bag, it gets that extra star.
Walker Texas Ranger (S1) *** Chuck Norris, of course, stars in this TV series that I happened to get a great deal on the complete series. I liked him in Return of the Dragon (with Bruce Lee), so, “Why not?” I thought. And Norris is pretty much what I’ve expected in this opening season, which is super short becuse of production company issues. Walkerr is a Texas Ranger with part Native American heritage, he’s teamed up with a younger black ranger, ames “Jimmy” Trivette (Clarence Gilyard, the computer genius villain in Die Hard), and the two enforce the law and try to right wrongs, often with Walker’s fists and feet. It’s a little reactionary, but maybe not more than a lot of cop shows. I’ve enjoyed it so far.
King Solomon’s Mines (1985) *** In the wake of Raiders of the Lost Arc, there were a lot of “Indiana Clones” movies (I have a list on my YouTube channel). This one stars Richard Chamberlain as Allan Quatermain (no R before the T), H. Ryder Haggard’s adventurous hero, and Sharon Stone (!) as Jesse Huston. She hires Quatermain to find her missing father, who was looking for the legendary King Solomon’s mines. Naturally less savory characters are also looking for the mines, and therein lies a lot of the adventure’s complications. This film caught a lof of flak when it came out, but watching it now, 40 years later, it’s a pretty decent effort. Sure, it doesn’t have the budget, script, actors, or produciton of Raiders, but how many films do? The actors are competent, and as a mid-budget adventure film, it plays pretty well. I’m looking forward to watching the 2 sequels, one of which was shot simultaneously with this flick.
Fire Maidens of Outer Space (1956) **(*) 5 astronauts are sent to one of Jupiter’s moons, which as recently been discovered to have a breathable atmosphere. When they get there, they find a lush planetoid with Earthlike gravity (like California). There, they discover a beutiful woman being attacked by a humanoid monster. Saving her leads them to the titular Fire Maidens, who are the last survivors of Atlanteans, who escaped the destruction of their island kingdom long ago (on Earth). Naturally, the only man in the group is an old one, who wants the Earthmen to stay and repopulate their dying civilization. This leads to conflict, as you might expect, with eventual disastrous results. Nothing suprirising here. Another film in the vein of Cat Women on the Moon (1953), you’ve probalby seen this or something like it before. However, a great new restoration just came out from Vinegar Syndrome, and if you like this kind of cheesy flick, pick up that version and give it an extra star.
So, that’s it for July 2025. Total for the month is 60 shows, a surprisingly large amount, even counting each night of Shark Week as just 1 show. All of which brings the 2025 TOTAL to 411 films, series, & notable other programs.
NEXT MONTH: Who knows? I’ve spent so much time catching up on my June and July movie reviews in August, everything I actually watched in the month is a blur! Well, except for Fantastic Four: First Steps. So, be sure to drop by for that and a whole bunch of other stuff. With a bit of luck and hard work the reviews will be out before the end of September!
Covid is still here — & other diseases we thought were licked are back — so YOU can still help!
Please… #VaxUp! #BoostUp! #MaskUp! And get your kids & family vaxed, too!
Let’s Make the World Safer for Everyone!
Remember, you can support this and all my other writing work, including Frost Harrow, Dr. Cushing’s Chamber of Horrors, Monster Shark on a Nude Beach, and more, by joining my Patreon for a couple bucks a month, or by dropping me a tip on my Ko-Fi page. Thanks!
Be the first to comment