The Fugitive Kind – Rediscovering ‘Aloha, Bobby and Rose’ (US 1975 – 88 mins)

Rediscover ‐ ‐ March 04, 2017
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The Fugitive Kind – Rediscovering ‘Aloha, Bobby and Rose’ (US 1975 – 88 mins)

A minor cult hit from the exciting 70’s; ‘Aloha, Bobby and Rose’ is one of those pictures that regularly surprises, with a storyline that veers off into different directions, culminating in a tense and rather downbeat ending.

Soon after they start dating, mechanic Bobby (Paul Le Mat) and single mother Rose (Dianne Hull) are enjoying a night out on the town. While at a liquor store, Bobby does a fake “stick up” as a prank to amuse Rose. Tragically, this backfires when the young cashier is accidentally shot and killed by the store’s owner, leaving Bobby and Rose running from the …

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“That Red-Headed Girl” – Peggy Shannon (1907 – 1941)

Rewind ‐ ‐ February 27, 2017
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“That Red-Headed Girl” – Peggy Shannon (1907 – 1941)

Beautiful red-head Peggy Shannon showed a fair amount of talent and appeal in her 10 year movie career. But sadly her personal problems and a serious battle with the bottle, would bring a halt to that career, and ultimately her life.

Born Winona Sammon on January 10th 1907, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Peggy Shannon was discovered at 16 by producer Flo Ziegfeld who hired her as a chorus girl in The Ziegfeld Follies. After a stint on Broadway, Peggy signed a contract with Paramount in 1931, and was touted as the new Clara Bow. Her first movie was ‘The Secret …

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Sleeping with the Enemy – Rediscovering ‘5 Branded Women’ (US/Italy 1960 – 94 mins)

Rediscover ‐ ‐ February 26, 2017
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Sleeping with the Enemy – Rediscovering ‘5 Branded Women’ (US/Italy 1960 – 94 mins)

The grim yet rewarding WW2 drama ‘5 Branded Women’ is one of those hard-to-find gems that’s been criminally forgotten for decades. Liked by the public more so than the critics, it has rightly garnered something of a minor following among film buffs.

Five peasant women are thrown out of their Yugoslavian village for cavorting with a German officer. With their heads shaved and branded traitors, they band together to fight the Nazis, before joining a band of guerrillas where they ultimately find love and loss in equal measures.

Known in Europe as ‘Jovanka and the Others’, what I liked here is that …

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Dark Houses & Dangerous Dogs – Rediscovering ‘After Midnight’ (US 1989 – 90 mins)

Rediscover ‐ ‐ March 30, 2016
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Dark Houses & Dangerous Dogs – Rediscovering ‘After Midnight’ (US 1989 – 90 mins)

A watchable horror compendium that actually contains decent segments within a fairly strong wrap-around story, ‘After Midnight’ was much better than I expected. Coupled with a creepy atmosphere and a cast that took it mostly seriously, it’s a fun addition to the long tradition of anthology horror.

When eccentric psychology tutor Edward Derek (Ramy Zada) humiliates one of his students during class, the vengeful jock seeks revenge one stormy night while Derek and some of his students are telling each other tales on the subject of “fear”.

The three tales told are actually pretty good, with no really weak story among …

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The Odd Couple – Rediscovering ‘Mrs. O’Malley and Mr. Malone’ (US 1950 – 69 mins)

Rediscover ‐ ‐ March 24, 2016
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The Odd Couple – Rediscovering ‘Mrs. O’Malley and Mr. Malone’ (US 1950 – 69 mins)

A delightful and obscure little movie; ‘Mrs. O’Malley and Mr. Malone’ is another of those ‘murder-on-a-train’ mysteries that proved very popular with post-war audiences looking for some easy-going escapism.

When Steve Kepplar (Douglas Fowley), a runaway client of lecherous lawyer J.J Malone (James Whitmore) is murdered on a crowded Chicago-bound train, Malone soon finds himself the chief suspect. After pairing up with sharp-tongued widow Mrs O’Malley (Marjorie Main), this newly-bonded odd couple frantically search the corridors and carriages for the killer, before the law can unfairly nail Malone for the crime.

Based on the short story “Once Upon a Train (The Loco …

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Brides of Satan – Rediscovering ‘Don’t Deliver Us from Evil’ (France 1971 – 110 mins)

Rediscover ‐ ‐ March 15, 2016
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Brides of Satan – Rediscovering ‘Don’t Deliver Us from Evil’ (France 1971 – 110 mins)

Loosely based on the same 1954 murder that later inspired Peter Jackson’s 1994 masterpiece ‘Heavenly Creatures’, the controversial yet intelligent French melodrama ‘Don’t Deliver Us from Evil’ is a shocking (though not too explicit) movie which was immediately banned in its native France, but has slowly gained a following in the last few years.

While boarding at a strict convent school, mischievous best friends Anne and Lore (Jeanne Goupil & Catherine Wagener) decide to pledge themselves to Satan after reading some forbidden books from under their bed covers. During a summer spent playing dangerous games and seducing village elders, things take …

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Carnival of Souls – Rediscovering ‘7 Faces of Dr. Lao’ (US 1964 – 100 mins)

Rediscover ‐ ‐ March 03, 2016
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Carnival of Souls – Rediscovering ‘7 Faces of Dr. Lao’ (US 1964 – 100 mins)

Although I have never been a big fan of fantasy movies, I’ve always enjoyed the colourful drama ‘7 Faces of Dr Lao’, which is at times a dark but mostly charming tale of how a troubled community learns some valuable life lessons from an unlikely source.

At the same time that the residents of a small western town are voting on whether to sell their homes to a corrupt investor (Arthur O’Connell), elderly Chinaman Dr. Lao (Tony Randall) suddenly arrives in town with his mysterious circus. Through various mythical character changes, the impressionable Dr. Lao is soon spreading his wisdom, while …

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The Wild One – Remembering Susan Tyrrell (1945 – 2012)

Remember ‐ ‐ February 27, 2016
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The Wild One – Remembering Susan Tyrrell (1945 – 2012)

Appearing in many cult movies in a long and fascinating career, the unique Susan Tyrrell was a genuine one-off. A chameleon-like performer who could play both attractive flirts and grubby grotesques, she revelled in being an outcast. And in doing so, she created an array of memorable (and sometimes funny) colourful characters, often with a devilishly dangerous streak.

Born Susan Jillian Creamer, in California on March 18th 1945, Tyrrell came from an entertainment background, with her father a powerful agent at the time. She spent the Sixties in regional theatre before being noticed by Hollywood’s elite. Her first role of note, …

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Mirror Mirror – Rediscovering ‘The Man in the Back Seat’ (UK 1961 – 57 mins)

Rediscover ‐ ‐ February 18, 2016
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Mirror Mirror – Rediscovering ‘The Man in the Back Seat’ (UK 1961 – 57 mins)

A nifty London-based B-movie with a surprising twist, the genre-changing ‘The Man in the Back Seat’ is one of those late night relics that takes you by surprise and, at just under an hour in length, wastes no time with its set-up and execution.

After robbing a racetrack of its takings, bickering thieves Tony and Frank (Derren Nesbitt and Keith Faulkner) find themselves lumbered with the unconscious body of the bookie (Harry Locke), who’s still chained to the briefcase they’ve just stolen. After some tricky obstacles and finally freeing themselves of the bookie’s body, the pair suddenly have a spine-chilling encounter, …

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A Cold Night’s Death – Rediscovering ‘Penny Dreadful’ (US 2006 – 92 mins)

Rediscover ‐ ‐ February 12, 2016
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A Cold Night’s Death – Rediscovering ‘Penny Dreadful’ (US 2006 – 92 mins)

A modern horror that’s rightly gained a minor following, the engrossing nail-biter ‘Penny Dreadful’ is one of those little movies you stumble across by accident, but leaves you wanting more. A film that has the possibility to become a cult, it’s got an air of unease running throughout, and features a terrific performance by its lead actress.

Recovering from a childhood trauma, Penny (Rachel Miner) embarks on a road trip with her therapist Orianna (Mimi Rogers) to help conquer her fear of cars. Not long into their journey they accidentally knock down a mysterious figure standing in the middle of the …

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