Bikini (2014)

 

BIKINI  (2014)  ¢ ¢ ¢

    D: Óscar Bernàcier

    Sergio Caballero, Carlos Areces, Rosario Pardo

You'd think a movie called "Bikini" would have a bikini in it somewhere, but you don't see one. It's about the mayor of a resort town on the Spanish coast who calls on the country's strongman, Francisco Franco, seeking permission to allow bikinis on the local beach. Also in on the conversation, and threatening to gum up the works, is Franco's straight-laced, music-loving wife. Who knew that a little two-piece swimsuit could be the cause of so much concern? Or that the mere prospect of making money could be enough to bring bikinis to the beach?

White Hunter Black Heart (1990)

 

WHITE HUNTER BLACK HEART  (1990)  ¢ ¢ ¢ 1/2

    D: Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood, Jeff Fahey, George Dzundza, 

    Marisa Berenson, Charlotte Cornwell, Timothy Spall,

    Boy Matthias Chuma, Alun Armstrong, Richard Vanstone

Clint Eastwood plays a larger-than-life Hollywood director named John Wilson (think John Huston), who goes off to Africa to shoot a picture (think "The African Queen"), but determined to shoot an elephant first. There are layers and layers of artifice in this, a movie based on a novel about the making of a movie based on a novel, and Eastwood, appropriating just enough of Huston's distinctive drawl and lose-limbed body language to make the connection obvious, gives his most expansive performance. It's a departure, both behind the camera and in front of it, and whether or not it entirely works, Clint's never done anything else quite like it. The final shot, a closeup with one spoken word followed by a cut, is a twisted joke, the movie-making equivalent of point-blank nihilism.

Kingdom of Shadows (1998)

 

KINGDOM OF SHADOWS  (1998)  ¢ ¢ ¢

    D: Bret Wood

A documentary on horror in silent cinema, from "Nosferatu" to "Vampyr" to "Witchcraft Through the Ages". An excellent collection of vintage clips. Campy, over-the-top narration by Rod Steiger. Watch out for a brief segment from 1903 titled "Electrocuting an Elephant". It looks like they're actually doing that. 

The Night My Number Came Up (1955)

 

THE NIGHT MY NUMER CAME UP  (1955)  ¢ ¢ ¢ 1/2

    D: Leslie Norman

    Michael Redgrave, Alexander Knox, Sheila Sim,

    Denholm Elliott, Michael Hordern, Ralph Truman,

    Nigel Stock, David Orr, Bill Kerr, Alfie Bass,

    George Rose, Victor Madden, David Yates

A naval commander in Hong Kong has a dream that ends with a plane crash. The next day, a plane takes off for Tokyo, and events start to play out in a way that mirrors the dream. To reveal how it all turns out would spoil the fun. Let's just say the matter of dreams being premonitions is up in the air. 

Playing Unfair (2002)

 

PLAYING UNFAIR: THE MEDIA IMAGE OF THE FEMALE ATHLETE  (2002)  ¢ ¢ ¢

    P: Sut Jhally, Loretta Alper, Kelly Garner, Kenyon King

A documentary about how women in sports are portrayed (i.e. sexualized) in popular culture. Some things haven't changed much since this movie's release, but one thing has: There are out lesbians in the WNBA now. A lot of them. And some of those women are modeling swimsuits, too. Exploitation or empowerment? It depends on who's looking and who you ask. Unfortunately, none of the talking-head witnesses here are female athletes. Maybe it's time for a sequel.

Captive Women (1952)

 

CAPTIVE WOMEN  (1952)  ¢ ¢ 1/2

    D: Stuart Gilmore

    Robert Clarke, Margaret Field, Gloria Saunders

    Ron Randell, Stuart Randall, William Schallert

In the year 3000, the remaining inhabitants of New York City are divided into three tribes. The Upriver People are thugs. The Mutates are the disfigured descendants of those exposed to deadly radiation during a long-ago nuclear war. The Norms live in civilized harmony in the city's old underground subway system. Let's see, what else? The Mutates have remained true to their Judeo-Christian beliefs, while the Norms have reverted to devil worship. The Upriver People prey on the other tribes and enjoy killing and torture. The Mutates go on raids and kidnap Norm women, so they can mate with them. The Norms don't like that for some reason and treat the Mutates badly. What saves the Mutates is that they apparently live in New Jersey and commute to Manhattan through a tunnel under the Hudson River. Which is actually a pretty interesting setup for a pretty silly movie: a storybook sci-fi adventure for the dawn of the fourth millennium. Somebody involved in writing this must've read "The Time Machine". 

The Columnist (2019)

THE COLUMNIST  (2019)  ¢ ¢ ¢

    D: Ivo van Aart

    Katja Herbers, Bram van der Kelen, Claire Porro,

    Rein Hofman, Harry van Rijthoven, Genio de Groot

A newspaper columnist faced with a serious case of writer's block and a deadline to turn in a novel finds salvation and fulfillment as a serial killer. Internet bullying, freedom of speech and social-media addiction are key themes here, and it ends with a twisted reference to the Statue of Liberty. Katja Herbers plays the fidgety, nail-chewing protagonist, which is a little like Holly Hunter taking over the Kevin Costner role in "Mr. Brooks".