We’ve had some family stuff going on, as many of our friends know, so I’m going to keep the intro brief for this month.
We had the longest vacation of our lives at the end of April and start of May, traveling through the US southwest all the way to Santa Monica Pier (the end of Route 66), and saw many things in between, including the St. Louis Arch, the Grand Canyon, Vasquez Rocks, Meteor Crater, Winslow Arizona, and Boot Hill in Dodge City, among others. So, I definitely watched fewer films during that long trek than I usually watch. Let’s find out if I’m right about that…
* – 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.
Frankenstein & the Monster from Hell (1974 Sven) ***(*) A young rogue scientist, Simon, is tried for “sorcery” and sentenced to prison. There, he discovers the prison is secretly run by his idol, Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing, in his final portrayal of the doctor). Frankenstein has continued to experiment, using inmates of the prison/asylum as his raw materials, and Simon is eager to help him. His latest experiment is to try to give a brutish, apelike killer (David “Darth Vader” Prowse) a more civilized brain. You can imagine that things do not go as planned, but fans of Cushing will want to seek this out and give it an extra star.
Curse of Oak Island, The (S13) **(**) The Laginas and their helpers have spent another year looking for treasure on Oak Island and (spoiler) not finding it. They do find a lot of interesting things, indicating a rich and unknown history of the island — including strange previously unknown roads, boulders placed in holes lined with stones, and more than a few ox shoes and other artifacts. Does it mean there were people on Oak Island even before Columbus “discovered” the New World? That remains to be seen. If you’re into treasure, you’ll likely be disappointed, but I remain intrigued by the hidden history of Oak Island and the well-conducted archaeology (extra stars). I could do without the repetition, though.
Midsomer Murders 1-1 The Killings at Badger’s Drift (rewatch) ***** Back-flashing to the original inspector Barnaby mystery… An old woman looking for rare flowers sees something in the woods that results in her murder, and Inspector Barnaby is called to Badger’s Drift (a town in the Midsomer county). As will become standard in the series, Badger’s Drift is filled with strange and eccentric characters, including an undertaker and his too-close mother who have a thriving blackmail business — until they turn up dead. And are the deaths somehow related to the death of a rich man’s first wife in a hunting accident. Barnaby & Troy have a real pickle to sort the first time out of the gate in a great kickoff to a great series.
Holt of the Secret Service (1941 Serial) ***(*) Jack Holt plays the title character of the same name, a gruff, aging Secret Service agent on the trail of gangsters and stolen counterfeiting plates. This gets him and his female partner (Evelyn Brent as Agent Kay Drew) in a variety of cliffhanger serial situations from hideouts in the California hills to a fictitious island country It’s pretty standard stuff, but what makes it special for me is Holt not being a young, handsome guy, and Agent Kay playing the tough moll character to Holt’s fake gangster, as the two infiltrate the mob. This gives the pair of them plenty of heroic moments, and — unlike in most serials — she usually gives as good a she gets. For genre fans and fans of strong women in 1940s material, this gets an extra star. The Serial Squadron release (played on TCM) isn’t perfect, but it’s great to have the serial at all.
Tarzan, The Ape Man (1959) *(*) There was a main Tarzan series that started with the original Weissmuller film and extending into the 1960s. This is NOT part of that series, but is, in fact, a cash-in remake of the earlier (great) Tarzan film that shares this title. Imagine taking all the worst elements of that earlier film then making all the characters unlikable, adding a feared rape scene between Tarzan & Jane (!), the actors giving over-the-top cliche (and screaming) performances, and then having some laughable blue-screen work (swimming with hippos). Even the attempt of the natives to burn the white folks alive at the end produces little feeling (even when someone dies.) That extra star ONLY for a bit, but not much, “so bad it’s good” factor.
Tarzan the Magnificent (1960) **** Gordon Scott in his final appearance as Tarzan is pitted against (future Tarzan) Jock Mahoney, who Tarzan is trying to bring to justice with the local African authorities. Unfortunately, Mahoney’s father (John Carradine) and his equally murderous brothers will do anything to rescue their kin, and they start by blowing up the boat that could take him upriver to prison. A group of travelers end up going with Tarzan and the prisoner as the group treks across the dangerous wilderness. My wife astutely observed that this is a “Tarzan Western,” and it really could have been a John Wayne film. The actual African locations enhance the story, as does Scott, who’s Tarzan speaks in whole sentences with proper grammar. One of the best of the later-period Tarzan series. A few twists and a strong battle at the end.
Remarkably Bright Creatures (2026) **** When circumstances bring them together, an old cleaning lady (Sally Field), a young drifter (Lewis Pullman), and an octopus (voiced by Alfred Molina) bond at a Pacific Ocean-side aquarium, where Field works. All three characters carry wounds from their past lives, and soon, almost without knowing it, they’re all trying to help each other work through those problems and move forward. Clever, sweet, and charming with octopus FX that are largely very good, this is an engaging film for all ages with a bit of mystery and a lot of heart. Field gives an Oscar-worthy performance.
House of Dreams (1963) **(*) In this low-budget black & white film, a young author fighting writer’s block has an increasing number of dreams where he’s drawn to an old deserted house where he witnesses the mysterious deaths of his loved ones, dreams that seem to portend the future. The soundtrack can be annoying at times, but the effort is so sincere, that this is worth watching. It’s similar in ways to Carnival of Souls (1962), though obviously not of the same quality. Shot on 16mm and reproduced from the only surviving 35mm print, the blu-ray has good extras, including vintage commercials and trailers on a VHS 3-movie mix, and a commentary with the writer/director.
Daredevil: Born Again (S2) ***** The Kingpin is mayor of New York City and Daredevil (and all other vigilante heroes) and Karen Page are outlaws. At the end of season 1, things look really bad, though with the sinking of a ship full of illegal weapons, the tide begins to turn. Throughout the season, the tension in the city and the often indirect battle between Daredevil and Kingpin. And of course, there’s often-surprising fallout on their friends and allies — including other superheroes and villains like Bullseye. It all builds to an exciting and satisfying climax for another great season of Daredevil, with the promise of at least one more to come.
Wicked for Good (2025) *** Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West) and her bestie Glinda the Good Witch are back with more songs and more twists on the Wizard of Oz original story. Viewers know that Elphaba isn’t that bad, but the Wizard is a fraud (and Madame Morrible is probably the worst of all). So, we have Elphaba trying to prove the Wizard is bad, Glinda trying to get by without magic, and the other members of the cast caught between. And then Dorothy falls out of the sky and things start following the known story, but with twists. I liked it, but I don’t think the film did a great job of reacquainting us with the cast and situations — more like they expected we’d watched the first film over and over and just knew the conflicts & relationships by heart. Maybe I’d like it better on a 2nd viewing. Looks great. Well produced.
Devil Bear, The (1927 – Silent) *** This nearly lost Canadian silent film combines the story of a sea captain who has a pet gorilla and a young man with people trying to steal his gold mine. The captain and ape are shipwrecked after a mutiny, but manage to swim ashore. There, the captain goes mad and is taken care of by the ape, and their lair happens to be in or near the gold mine. The young man is torn between a city girl and a country girl, but who cares? There’s a pretty darn cool ape suit, so if you like ape-suit movies, you’ll like this. It’s a treat on blu-ray from Gold Ninja.
Outlander (S8 – Final Season) ****(*) The saga of “Dr. Claire & Her No-Account Husband,” as I’ve called it since early on, comes to an end — though Jamie hasn’t been a no-account character for years now. Our heroes have traveled around the Old World before ending up in the New World and the American Revolution. The final season continues the high production and story values of recent seasons, and builds to several exciting and satisfying climaxes. There are some predictable points, but if you’ve enjoyed the series so far, give it that 5th star.
Viking, The (1931) **(*) The Viking is actually a seal-hunting ship in this Canadian film with a standard man-faces-his-fears/enemies story lashed over the top of semi-documentary footage of sealing north of Nova Scotia. The scenes of hunting amid the ice are pretty stunning, though the hunting stuff is hard to take for modern, animal-loving sensibilities. The hero goes on the hunting ship to become more manly and quickly picks up a rival who hates them. Not surprisingly, they later have to depend on each other to survive being lost on the ice. More famous than the story, the actual ship in this film exploded during re-shoots, killing the movie’s producer and a lot of other people. Eerily, the ship’s captain in the film (played by the real captain) boast of never having lost any of his crew. Historically, you can give it that extra star.
Rosemary’s Baby (1968) ***** Rosemary and her actor husband Guy move into a nice, big NYC apartment complex next door to a sociable older couple. When that couple’s young roommate dies, they take Roe and Guy under their wing, even as Roe and Guy decide to become parents for the first time. But conception and pregnancy don’t turn how how Rosemary expects, and soon she becomes paranoid that her baby might be the object of a Satanic, baby-sacrificing conspiracy. This Roman Polansky film is a classic of suspense and mystery, but whether it’s truly supernatural is left until near the end. It echoes Lewton’s Seventh Victim in ways, and presages The Omen in others. Great on every level.
Untamed Mistress (1956) *(**) This low budget 1950s exploitation flick starts with an old man telling how he fell in love with a woman who was part of a tribe of gorillas. Apparently, sacrificing/marrying women to gorillas was a local native tradition. (See Ingagi!) We then segue to a younger man also fascinated with a woman “liberated” from her gorilla tribe, Velda. She wants to return to the tribe, and she and a party of 3 men trek across Africa to somehow convince her not to do that. On the way, they discover topless native women in “filmed on location” ceremonies, hitting that exploitation trope. Near the end of the flick, they encounter a tribe of as many gorilla suits as they could round up and topless “African” women who look more likely to be Hollywood nude models to me. Then there’s a surprising battle and climax. Because she’s white and not “native” (I guess), Velda never goes nude in this flick, though she appears ready to fall out of her top in most scenes. It’s a bad movie, but the gorilla and nude women and battle sequence at the end may make it worth a couple extra stars for exploitation fans.
Tarzan Goes to India (1962) ***(*) Tarzan (Jock Mahoney) is called to India to save a herd of 300 elephants whose lives are threatened by a ruthless industrialist’s plans to build a dam. While the dam will benefit the locals in a way, it will also flood the valley killing the elephants and it soon becomes clear that local benefits are secondary to how the rich builders will benefit. Naturally, those greedy folks try numerous times to put Tarzan out of the way. The first of (sadly) only two Jock Mahoney Tarzan films, I really enjoy the location shooting and the then-modern feeling of these epics from the original James Bond era. Extra star for me!
Nightmare at Elm Manor (1961) **(**) Famous 1950s/60s glamour/nude model June Palmer is a young woman who rents a room at Elm Manor, which turns out to be a creepy haunted house with a Nosferatu-type stalker and nudie-cutie overtones. This is short but has a nice creepy atmosphere, and of course June looks stunning, in or out of her clothes. Extra stars if you’re a fan of June or the nudie-cuties.
Mirage (1965) **** During a blackout, David (Gregory Peck) has a strange encounter with a woman who seems to know him on a high-rise stairway, and suddenly realizes that he remembers almost nothing of his life and past history, including about the job he’s supposed to have, and people who are allegedly his friends. Soon, it becomes clear that he’s being stalked, and even targeted by thugs/assassins, but he has no idea why. I enjoyed the Hitchcock-like suspense and mystery throughout most of this film, and the payoff is good, though some of the science presented is more science-fiction (but not in a deliberate way).
Non-Stop New York (1937) *** A young woman in London is a key witness to prevent the execution of an innocent man in London. So, she must take a trans-Atlantic flight aboard a (science fictional) float plane with at least 3 stories and open air observation decks. It’s like an ocean liner (or an Orient Express) in the sky. Naturally, there are some shady types aboard in additoin to our harried heroine, including a blackmailer and, of course, the actual murderer. The early parts of this flick are slow, but it’s a real hoot once everyone’s aboard the fictitious mega-plane.
On the Beach (1959) **** Atomic war has poisoned most of the world with fallout. Only Australia remains unaffected, though everyone there — including Americans at a naval base — are watching the weather forecasts with dread, knowing that radioactive clouds of doom will soon arrive. When a mysterious radio signal reaches Australia from America, an American sub commander (Gregory Peck) takes his crew on a mission to find out if there’s anyone left alive, including Peck’s wife and children. The star-studded cast of this grim sci-fi flick includes Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins, and takes a very serious look at what might happen after a nuclear war. Still powerful today.
Naked Spur, The (1953) **** In this star-studded gritty western directed by Anthony Mann, a grim bounty hunter on a mission of personal vengeance (Jimmy Stewart) has to team up with a grouchy old prospector and a shady former cavalryman (Ralph Meeker) to catch the murderer he’s looking for (Robert Ryan). The killer and his lover (Janet Leigh) are taken captive, but nobody in this five-person drama is quite who they seem or acting for the reasons they say they are. Excellent character studies and exciting western action make this film a standout. Great climax and finale.
Young Sherlock (S1) ***(*) Guy Ritchie has followed up his steampunk-sensibility Sherlock Holmes films with this new Amazon Prime series. It features a college-age Holmes dealing with an apparent murder plot against an Asian princess — at least, that’s what seems to be happening at first. Holmes teams up with (future arch enemy) James Moriarty and has to deal with older brother Mycroft and the Holmes parents as well. Amid the rest of the action, dark family secrets surface and nothing is what it first appears. Well produced and played, if you liked the Ritchie films, you’ll probably enjoy this frenetic adaptation.
Brokenwood Mysteries 1-4 Hunting the Stag (rewatch) **** A group of friends goes on a pre-wedding stag hunting trip for a New Zealand-style literal stag party. But though each member of the hunting party only carries one bullet, the groom-to-be ends up dead, apparently shot with his own rifle. The unlikely apparent suicide brings DSS Mike, DS Kristin, and DC Breen into the investigation. Because this is Brokenwood, naturally, there are numerous twists and turns among the suspect, which includes the man’s fiancée, and later-series regular character, Frodo. Good, but with a nastier climax than one would expect from the series later, cozier episodes.
Sunrise (1927) ***** Sunrise, sometimes known as A Song of Two Humans is a brilliantly shot and produced story of a married farmer who falls under the spell of a scheming city girl who wants him to kill his wife. The man takes his bride out in a boat to drown her, but changes his mind and instead falls in love with her all over again. They spend an amazing day in the (surrealist) city rekindling their love, only to have a storm threaten their newfound happiness. F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu) directed this lush, emotional story where every scene could be framed as a still picture. Winner of one of the first Academy Awards — for Best and Unique Artistic Picture (an award never given again) — Sunrise is one of the crown jewels of the silent era (with synchronized sound FX and music). A must see.
Bret Maverick: The Lazy Ace (1981) ***(*) After the Rockford Files ended, James Garner returned to the TV character that made him famous, the roguish card player Bret Maverick in a one-season TV series kicked off by this pilot. While not as tight ast the original series, this revival is still charming, though apparently comparisons to Rockford doomed it. Maverick comes to a high-stakes poker game in a small town only to end up owning a debt-ridden saloon and running afoul of local politics. Garner remains charming, and there are some good bits. Stuart Margolin (from Rockford Files) appears as white man claiming to be raised by Indians. Extra star for Garner fans.
Anaconda (2025) **** A group of friends (including Jack Black and Paul Rudd) who hoped to make it big in the movies decide they have one last chance and determine to make a shot on location remake of 1997 horror classic Anaconda. They have no money, but somehow manage to put their trip together in this action-horror-comedy that manages to be funny and affectionate but still suspenseful remake/reboot of the original film. I laughed out loud — a lot.
Midsomer Murders 25-1 Treasures of Darkness **** Mudlarking is what the British call beachcombing by river and seaside, usually for profit or historical reasons. Two competing groups of Midsomer mudlarks, one more staid group interested in history and another brasher group looking for artifacts to sell, end up working the same section of riverside, and the rivalry is heated. When the more conservative group turns up a wiccan artifact that might be “cursed,” one of their members soon turns up dead. But is it a spell, or the rivalry, or does it have something to do with a local girl who ran off years ago? While DS winter and DI Barnaby figure that out, Barnaby’s wife helps inquiring minds — including a TV show — figure out the history of the finds. Good, as usual.
Teenage Monster (1957) **(*) In the old west, a meteor strike at a mine irradiates a child, making him grow into a hairy teenage monster. With wolfman-like makeup by Jack Pierce, the monster child — believed to have died in the mine disaster — starts leaving his mother’s isolated home and terrorizing people of the nearby town. Things get complicated when the monster’s identity is discovered, and an evil woman starts blackmailing the family. It’s all pretty slight, but you can give it another star if you like cheapo monster movies or are a Jack Pierce fan.
Brain from Planet Arous (1957) *** An evil alien brain comes to Earth where it possesses scientist John Agar, who then behaves erratically and demonstrates psychic powers, which the alien intends to use to — bet you don’t see this coming — conquer the planet. Then another alien brain arrives to track down the evil one and bring it to justice. Surviving humans who knew the Agar character notice his altered behavior, but remain unsure what to do about it, even as potential doom for the human race creeps forward. The giant brain aliens in this flick are amusing, and Agar’s metallic contacts must have been a pain to wear, but with Nathan Juran (under a pseudonym) directing, this low-budget flick is pretty amusing.
Darby’s Rangers (1958) *** James Garner is Darby, the man the US Army puts in charge of creating a team of elite soldiers to tackle the most difficult assignments. To do this, he picks a group of soldiers to go through training with the British Commandos, famed as some of the toughest troops in the world. In the end these soldiers will be known as the Army Rangers, and they get some of the worst jobs of WWII. The training and war footage is good in this film, and Garner is charming as always, but there’s a LOT of soap-opera romance stuff mixed in, which slows the film down way too much and is largely trite, besides.
Brokenwood Mysteries 12-1 They’re Out There Alright **** A golfer discovers a man dead in a perfect burned circle on a golf course while Brokenwood is hosting a New Age-style UFO festival. A woman who believes she was abducted earlier in her life posits that the man was the victim of a failed abduction. Meanwhile, there are enough grouchy people in and around the golf course who’d been annoyed by the dead man. Mike, Kristin, and Daniel can see that there’s more here than meets the eye even before a second man, this time a Chosen One in the UFO group turns up dead in a burn circle as well. Highly amusing.
Torpedo Run (1958) **** Glenn Ford plays a submarine commander whose family has been captured by the Japanese in WWII. Ernest Borgnine is his best friend and sub XO. When pressure escalates, Ford must make unbearable choices as he pursues a fabled Japanese aircraft carrier that is key to Japan winning the war. Soon, his Ahab-like quest for the ship threatens his command. One of my favorite submarine movies, this flick is suspenseful, well made, and well directed. Unlike some earlier sub flicks, it shows that even in victory, war is still hell.
Lost Patrol, The (1934) **** A small British troop of men, including characters played by Victor McLaglen and Boris Karloff, get stuck in the desert while on patrol. It seems they might be doomed until they find a small oasis fort, which gives them just enough resources to hope they can survive long enough to hook up with a larger army force. The only trouble, the surrounding desert is filled with an unknown number of Arabs fighting for the other side. Soon, the troopers are being picked off one by one, and sparse supplies are driving men mad, and not even Karloff’s devotion to God seems able to help them. Directed by John Ford, this pre-code war picture is tough-minded and has a great cast to support its bleak outlook.
Hercules & the Amazon Women (1994) *** The first of the Kevin Sorbo Hercules films that led not only to future films but the long-running syndicated fantasy series. Living in male chauvinist times, Hercules must cast off his preconeptions to save a town plagued by Amazon raids. Naturally, though Herc hopes to solve the problems with brains instead of brawn, his evil step-mother Hera (always a villian in this series) has other ides. Future Xena Lucy Lawless plays the Amazons’ second-in-command. Decent start to this set of 5 Hercules films.
Vice Academy (1989) **(*) First in a series of sexploitation comedies featuring pretty women who aspire to be police officers working in the Vice Squad in LA. The cast includes scream queen Linnea Quigley and porn star Ginger Lynn (who doesn’t get naked, as I remember). The students range from slackers (the man in the class) to over-zealous, which leads them into comical dangers and sexy situations. About what you’d expect from the title. Extra star if you’re a fan of any cast members or really love (often fake) boobs.
Doctor Who 16-4 The Androids of Tara **** The Doctor and Romana (Tom Baker & Mary Tam) come to a Medieval-Renaissance-type planet looking for another segment to the Key to Time. There, Romana is mistaken for an android, because they have those on this planet — but only for the rich — and taken to be disassembled. Why? Because she resembles a local princess who is key to local political machinations. Soon, the Doctor is also wrapped up in android antics, creating a look alike for the prince about to be crowned. It’s all very Prisoner of Zenda, but still highly amusing, as most Baker Doctor who series are.
Punisher, The: One Last Kill (2026) **** After helping out Daredevil in the Man Without Fear’s recent revival series, the Punisher has rampaged through the crime mob who killed his family. Now,, they’re all dead, and the lack of purpose has made the Punisher slip into suicidal depression. But returning to the apartment complex where he lives, he discovers that the wheelchair bound matriarch of the clan is not the innocent she thought. She’s turned every criminal in the area against him, and made the apartments a death trap. Heavy on action, if ou liked The Raid, you’ll definitely dig this.
Good Omens (S3 movie length) ***(*) David Tennant (Crowley) & Michael Sheen (Aziraphale) are back as the demon and angel frenemies for one last go-round. After the last series, Aziraphale has been left as second-in-command in heaven, but when Metatron suddenly vanishes, he’s now in charge just on the verge of the second coming. Jesus has gone missing, too, on Earth, and Crowley may be involved. Can even Armageddon go wrong? With co-creator Gaiman having serious personal problems, the Powers That Be decided this should be a movie-length wrap up, rather than a mini-series, and while this all seems a little rushed and frenetic, it likely would have felt padded at 4-6 episodes. And even at this length, it’s fun and wraps up satisfyingly. Give an extra star if you’ve liked the previous series. Otherwise it may be hard to follow.
Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous (S5) **** The final season of this animated series features our adventurous teens trapped in a high-tech island habitat with a sympathetic scientist and a bunch of others who want to use dinosaurs for immoral purposes — like cage fighting or as living weapons. And as it turns out, one of the opportunists is Kenji’s father. Like the previous series, there’s plenty of dinosaur action here, including many chases and more than a few bad guys getting eaten (off screen). And this wraps up the whole 5-season arc with a satisfying ending. Although there’s now a new follow-up series, Jurassic World: Chaos Theory, set years later on the mainland.
Hercules & the Lost Kingdom (1994) *** The lost kingdom in question is Troy, which is under some kind of magical curse and Hercules must find it and rescue its people. With him is an annoying refugee from the place, played by future Gabrielle (from Xena) Renee O’Connor. She’s being pursued/helped by a dark figure, and eventually the pair get to Troy and some big revelations about what’s going on, what the curse is, and — of course — Hera is behind it. An improvement from the first TV movie, but still very middling fantasy.
Target Earth (1954) *** A woman wakes up one morning after some kind of a bender only to find herself alone in an eerily quiet and deserted city. Just when she thinks she might be insane or in hell, she meets a man (Richard Denning) who was mugged and also unconscious when it seemed everyone else vanished. They soon meet a drunkard couple in similar circumstances, and the quartet discover that the city is prowled by (cool looking) evil aliens/robots killing anyone they find. The group’s struggle to survive is more interesting than when the film cuts to the authorities and explains what’s really going on, the story becomes more rote. Still, killer robots in a deserted city and people struggling against that and a criminal is amusing and sometimes surprising. Decent low-budget SF.
Earth vs. the Spider (1958 Sven) **** Bert I. Gordon (Mr. BIG) directed and did the special FX on this classic giant bug movie. When a girl’s father mysteriously goes missing while returning home, the culprit is discovered to be a giant spider living in a nearby cave system. After the girl and her boyfriend make a narrow escape, the huge arachnid is killed with insecticide (DDT!) and taken to the local high school gym for display until it can be moved elsewhere to be scientifically examined. But guess what, it was only stunned! The spider revives and attacks the town, people get trapped in the cave, and it’s all great fun. Quite possibly BIG’s best film.
Brokenwood Mysteries 12-2 Angels & Demons **** An exciting new young vicar has come to Brokenwood’s main church, and attendance is higher than ever. This is causing envy in the aging prelate who is a regular in the series, and pangs of jealousy from the prelate’s therapist husband (also a series regular). And then the new vicar’s wife — anchor of an upcoming bake sale — turns up hanging in the cemetery when everyone is turned out for a funeral. Gasp! Mike, Kristin, Daniel, and of course eccentric Russian ex-pat coroner Gina, have a mess of church and local politics to sort out to solve this one. How many skeletons in the closet and ghosts of the past can one small religious community have. A strong mystery, as usual.
Tarzan’s Three Challenges (1963) **** The second and, sadly, last of the Jock Mahoney Tarzan films finds our jungle hero traveling to Thailand to help guide a young Dalai-Llama-type ruler. Tarzan must past tests to get the kid to his coronation (along with several other companions), and (African-American actor) Woody Strode is a native chief whose son could become ruler if the other child does not. Naturally, this means people try to stop the heir from getting to the coronation ceremony by any means necessary. The whole thing ends up with a ceremonial (deadly) contest between Mahoney & Strode for a rousing climax. Like Mahoney’s previous film, this is a spy-era film shot on location, and I enjoy the heck out of it. Being a lean man in his 40s, Mahoney feels like a more “realistic” jungle man than many of his predecessors. He remains the oldest actor to play Tarzan and perhaps my favorite. Sadly, during production Mahoney, who did many (all?) of his own stunts contracted several diseases which caused him to lose a lot of weight and hampered his formerly athletic health for the rest of his life. But this flick is still worth seeing.
So, that’s it for May, 2026! The monthly total is 45 films, series, and notable shorts — about the same as last month — bringing our 2026 Total to 211. Not too bad for 5 months.
NEXT MONTH: I get back into the swing of reviewing… Maybe. Because the World Cup is on, too, and I find myself strangely interested. Plus that family stuff I mentioned, which is having some effect, but I don’t know what. Tune in and find out. Be kind to each other!
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