Photo caption: Logan Lerman as Isaac and Molly Gordon as Iris in OH, HI!. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
Wow, what a busy week here at The Movie Gourmet – new reviews of the smartly absurd rom com Oh, Hi!, the historical drama Shoshana, the immigration thriller To a Land Unknown, and a very individualistic coming-of-age film, Diciannove.
CURRENT MOVIES
Oh, Hi!: romantic disappointment becomes absurdly unhinged. In theaters.
Shoshana: two lovers amid a deepening conflict. In theaters.
Sew Torn: a thriller like none you’ve seen before. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube.
Bonjour Tristesse: not the life lesson she was expecting. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
ON TV
RIFIFI
On July 26, Turner Classic Movies will broadcast the top heist film ever, the pioneering French classic Rififi: After the team is assembled and the job is plotted, the actual crime unfolds in real-time – over thirty minutes of nerve-wracking silence. TCM’s broadcast will be on Noir Alley with an intro and outro by Eddie Muller.
Photo caption: Eve Connolly in SEW TORN. Courtesy of Vertigo Releasing.
This week on The Movie Gourmet – a new review of No Sleep Till, the sensational debut of indie director Alexandra Sampson, No Sleep Till – I’ll let you know when it releases more widely. I also have recommendations for the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, currently underway, including The Stamp Thief. And the scintillating documentary Made in Ethiopia is now playing on PBS’ POV series.
REMEMBRANCE
Rebekah Del Rio’s rendition of Llorando, the Spanish language version of Roy Orbison’s Crying, was one of the most transfixing scenes in Mulholland Drive.
CURRENT MOVIES
Sew Torn: a thriller like none you’ve seen before. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube.
Every time I hear Stuck in the Middle with You by the one-hit wonder Stealer’s Wheel, I think of Michael Madsen. Madsen was a fine character actor who was good in all of his work, and he amassed 344 screen credits, often as a physically imposing bad guy. But, for anyone who has seen Reservoir Dogs, Madsen’s performance – especially his torture dance to Stuck in the Middle with You – is indelible.
CURRENT MOVIES
Sew Torn: a thriller like none you’ve seen before. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube.
The Friend: grieving with an enormous dog. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
The Count of Monte-Cristo: you think you’ve seen a revenge movie? kanopy (free), Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
ON TV
Belita and Barry Sullivan in THE GANGSTER
On July 12 and 13, Turner Classic Movies airs the hard-to-find The Gangster on Noir Alley, one of my Overlooked Noir. The minor crime lord Shubunka (Barry Sullivan) rules Brooklyn’s Neptune Beach, a noir setting if ever there was one – a sketchy beachfront boardwalk area near subway tracks. It may be a only Coney Island for bottom feeders, but Shubunka enjoys being its master. Then another gangster (Sheldon Leonard) tries to move in on his territory, and Shubunka makes the mistake of underestimating him. Plus Shubunka is distracted – hung up on his night club singer girlfriend (Belita). Much like Marshall Will Kane in High Noon, Shubunka finds out how few acquaintances will help him in a crunch. Barry Sullivan is excellent as a guy who is at first blind to his vulnerabilities, and then increasingly desperate. There’s a phenomenal supporting cast of noir all-stars: Harry Morgan, Akim Tamiroff, John Ireland, Charles McGraw, Leif Erickson, Elisha Cook, Jr. and an uncredited Shelly Winters. The Noir Alley screening will be bookended by an intro and an outro from Eddie Muller, the Czar of Noir (who likes the skater-turned-actress Belita far more than I do).
Photo caption: Eve Connolly in SEW TORN. Courtesy of Vertigo Releasing.
This Week on The Movie Gourmet – a new review of the totally original indie thriller Sew Torn, plus a republished review of the fine biodoc Janis Ian: Breaking Silence, now playing on PBS American Masters.
The Friend: grieving with an enormous dog. Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
The Count of Monte-Cristo: you think you’ve seen a revenge movie? kanopy (free), Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
ON TV
Ray Harryhausen with one of his sword-fighting skeletons from JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS
On July 9, Turner Classic Movies airs Jason and the Argonauts, the 1963 masterpiece of Ray Harryhausen, a unique genius of movie special effects. His stop-motion animation created the vivid creatures that made possible movies about ancient mythology (from the 1958 The 7th Voyage of Sinbad through the 1981 Clash of the Titans) and fantasy literature (The Three Worlds of Gulliver). His pioneering work in stop-motion animation has influenced the field since, all the way to today’s Aardman Animation and Wallace and Gromit.
Jason and the Argonauts packs one action adventure sequence after another in its one hour, 44 minutes, Typical of sword and sandal movies shot in Italy in this era, the dialogue and acting are lame. The voice of the forgettable American star, Todd Armstrong, is dubbed by a British actor. But that’s why you’re watching Jason and the Argonauts – the hooks are the ancient adventure story and the special effects that bring the mythology to life.
In Jason and the Argonauts, Harryhausen created the Harpies, Talos, the Clashing Rocks, Triton, the Hydra and the sword-fighting skeletons that emerge from the Hydra’s teeth. I still watch Jason and the Argonauts whenever it’s on TV, and I often gave the DVD to kids (back in the DVD era).
Todd Armstrong and Harryhausen’s skeletons in JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS
Photo caption: Marion Barbeau in DRONE, one of Must See films at Frameline. Courtesy of Frameline and StudioCanal.
This Week on The Movie Gourmet – my coverage of Frameline, which is running through June 28, centers on directorial debuts in international cinema.
I also posted a reminder to catch the bracing neo-noir Pale Flower this Saturday and Sunday on Turner Classic Movies’ Noir Alley with Eddie Muller. This Japanese slow burn erupts into thrilling set pieces, and you shouldn’t miss it.
REMEMBRANCE
Harris Yulin, with Al Pacino, in SCARFACE.
Character actor Harris Yulin brought intensity and authenticity to characters that ranged from authoritative to kindly to venal ones. He appeared in lots of big movies (Scarface, the 24 series and the Ghostbusters, Star Trek and Rush Hour franchises) and smaller, even better ones (Victory at Entebbe, Night Moves, St Ives, Truman, The Place Behind the Pines).
Ricardo Darín, Gastón Pauls and Leticia Brédice in NINE QUEENS.
As I alerted you to last week, tonight Turner Classic Movies is airing the rarely-broadcast Argentine neo-noir Nine Queens. Nine Queens has a great con artist plot, kind of midway between House of Games and The Sting. And it stars one of my favorite actors, Ricardo Darin, the Argentine Joe Mantegna. Sadly, the writer-director Fabián Bielinsky died at 47, right after his masterpiece The Aura, ending a very promising career.
And, as I wrote this week, TCM is presenting the bracing Japanese neo-noir Pale Flower this Sat/Sun Pale Flower on Noir Alley with Eddie Muller. Don’t miss this one.
Photo caption: Paul Reubens in PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF. Courtesy of HBO Max
This Week on The Movie Gourmet – a new review of the French coming-of-age drama Bonjour Tristesse and a tribute to the groundbreaking French comedy La Cage au Folles, coming up on TCM. Plus a preview of the upcoming Frameline film festival and a fond reflection on La cage aux folles.
REMEMBRANCES
Mara Corday in THE BLACK SCORPION
60s pinup queen Mara Corday starred in a series of monster movies: The Giant Claw, The Black Scorpion (both among my Least Convincing Movie Monsters) and Tarantula. Corday concluded her career in several Clint Eastwood movies, most memorably in Sudden Impact as the waitress hostage rescued by Clint with “Go ahead, make my day.”
Clint Eastwood and Mara Corday in SUDDEN IMPACT
Frederick Forsyth’s early days as a spy and a journalist gave him fodder for his potboiler novels, many of which were adapted into movies like The Odessa File, The Dogs of War and, perhaps my favorite thriller, The Day of the Jackal.
George C. Scott (right) with Michael Sarrazin and Slim Pickins in THE FLIM-FLAM MAN
Tonight, Turner Classic Movies resurrects the great, great comedic performance by George C. Scott as the con man Mordecai Jones in The Flim-Flam Man (1967). Mark Twain would have loved this movie.
And set your VCRs for TCM’s June 20 airing of the rarely-broadcast Argentine neo-noir Nine Queens. Nine Queens has a great con artist plot, kind of midway between House of Games and The Sting. And it stars one of my favorite actors, Ricardo Darin, the Argentine Joe Mantegna. Sadly, the writer-director Fabián Bielinsky died at 47, right after his masterpiece The Aura, ending a very promising career.
Photo caption: Tao Zhao in CAUGHT BY THE TIDES: Photo courtesy of Janus Films.
This Week on The Movie Gourmet – new reviews of the superb documentary Pee-Wee Herman as Himself, the disappointing comedy Friendship and a rant about West Anderson, the director of The Phoenician Scheme.
The best movie of 2025 so far is Jia Zhangke’s sweeping Chinese drama Caught by the Tides, with its stunning performance by Tao Zhao. Seek it out while it’s still in theaters.
Roger Livesey in THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP
On June 11, Turner Classic Movies will air the 1943 masterpiece The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, a remarkably textured portrait of a man over four decades and his struggles to evolve into new eras. Written and directed by the great British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, this is a movie with a sharp message to 1940s audiences about modernity, as well as a subtle exploration of privilege that will resonate today.
Tao Zhao in CAUGHT BY THE TIDES: Photo courtesy of Janus Films.
This Week on The Movie Gourmet – a review of Jia Zhangke’s sweeping Chinese drama Caught by the Tides, with its stunning performance by Tao Zhao; it’s the best movie of 2025 so far. I also have a new review of The Friend. Coming soon – an updated review of the superb biodoc Pee-Wee Herman as Himself and a new review of the new comedy in theaters, Friendship. But, first, three remembrances.
REMEMBRANCES
Joe Don Baker in CHARLEY VARRICK.
Joe Don Baker, with his imposing physicality and country demeanor was the perfect Sheriff Buford Pusser in Walking Tall, a little indie that became a mega hit. No one would be surprised that Baker hailed from a small town near Waco, but I didn’t know that he studied at the Actor’s Studio. His best work was in Charley Varrick, The Outfit, George Wallace and Mud.
Belgian actress Emelie Dequenne was a force of nature in her debut, as an alienated young woman in Rosetta, the 1999 film that mad the Dardennes brothers famous auteurs. For that performance, Dequenne won the Best Actress at Cannes, and she won a Cesar in 2020.
George Wendt played the beloved Norm! in 269 episodes of Cheers and appeared in well over 150 titles, mostly on television. But his carrer began with small roles in good movies: A Wedding, Bronco Billy and The Bodyguard.
On May 31, Turner Classic Movies brings us a testosterone injection. Here’s one of my favorite manly adventure sagas, The Vikings from 1958; a one-eyed Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis bare their chests over Janet Leigh and swill mead with full-bearded Ernest Borgnine – it’s rip-roaring and silly and just a whole lot of fun.
And, on June 4, TCM airs one of the most fun of films noir, The Big Steal, which rematched Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer after their iconic noir Out of the Past. This time, Mitchum and Greer careen around Mexico, being chased by William Bendix. The Big Steal was only the third of the 36 feature films directed by the grievously underrated Don Siegel. Siegel became a master of crime movies (and was the primary filmmaking mentor to Clint Eastwood). I particularly love Siegel’s 1973neo-noir Charley Varrick, the guilty pleasure Two Mules for Sister Sara and John Wayne’s goodbye: The Shootist. Anyway, The Big Steal is delightful.
Photo caption: Paul Reubens in PEE-WEE AS HIMSELF. Courtesy of HBP Max.
This week on The Movie Gourmet – some great Memorial Day Weekend recommendations on TCM, and be sure to watch Pee-Wee Herman as Himself on HBO Max, beginning today.
A few years ago, this platform used to be HBO and then rebranded itself as HBO Max, on its way to just Max; having undoubtedly spent millions on the branding from HBO Max to Max, they are now rebranding back to HBO Max. Go figure.
I caught the coming-of-age film The Summer of 69 on Hulu, but it’s not worth a full review. It’s a raunchy “lose your virginity before high school graduation” comedy , but from the female point of view, which is refreshing. It also gets the teenage awkwardness and embarrassment just right. “Have you kissed him yet?” “No but I’ve practiced on the back of my hand.” Unfortunately, the plot thread about saving an insolvent strip club is hackneyed. The key character of a stripper/escort/sex coach is not written well, and the performance is worse. Too bad.
CURRENT MOVIES
The Count of Monte-Cristo: you think you’ve seen a revenge movie? kanopy (free), Amazon, AppleTV, YouTube, Fandango.
On this Memorial Day Weekend, Turner Classic Movies brings us another of marathons of war movies. I’m recommending three less well-known war films that deserve your attention. TCM is screening all three on May 24.
Men in War: An infantry lieutenant (Robert Ryan) must lead his platoon out of a desperate situation. He encounters a cynical and insubordinate sergeant (Aldo Ray) who is loyally driving a jeep with his PTSD-addled colonel (Robert Keith). In conflict with each other, they must navigate through enemy units to safety. Director Anthony Mann is known for exploring the psychology of edgy characters, and that’s the case with Men in War.
The Steel Helmet (Friday, May 24): This is a gritty classic by the great writer-director Samuel Fuller, a WWII combat vet who brooked no sentimentality about war. Gene Evans, a favorite of the two Sams (Fuller and Peckinpah), is especially good as the sergeant. American war movies of the period tended toward to idealize the war effort, but Fuller relished making war movies with no “recruitment flavor”. Although the Korean War had only been going on for a few months when Fuller wrote the screenplay, he was able to capture the feelings of futility that later pervaded American attitudes about the Korean War.
Men Must Fight is a cultural curiosity, a stridently anti-war film from 1933, reflecting the widespread revulsion against the avoidable horrors of World War I. Men Must Fight predicts many aspects of World War II with unsettling accuracy. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a trip.
The surprisingly uplifting documentary Matter of Mind: My Parkinson’s shines a light on Parkinson’s disease, and what we need to know about it. An estimated one million Americans are living with Parkinson’s, and the key to Matter of Mind’s success is in introducing us to three of them – a Brooklyn optician, a San Francisco fitness trainer and an Alaskan cartoonist – and their families. All three films in the Matter of Mind trilogy, including My ALS and My Alzheimer’s will be available to stream between May 15 to June 3, 2025.
I am looking forward to Matt Wolf’s HBO biodoc Pee Wee Herman as Himself, which begins airing on the weekend after next. The week after, theaters will offer Caught by the Tides, from the Chinese master filmmaker Jia Zhang-ke and his muse and leading lady Tao Zhao and the buzzed-about The Life of Chuck.
Note: I recommended the highly innovative The Accident after screening it for the 2024 Slamdance, and it’s now streaming on Fandor. The Accident went on to win the Narrative Feature Grand Jury Prize at Slamdance.
Lino Ventra, Jean Gabin and Jean Moreau in TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI.
Tomorrow night, May 17, Turner Classic Movies is airing a great and underappreciated film, the French film noirTouchez pas au grisbi on its Noir Alley with intro and outro by the czar of noir, Eddie Muller. A seasoned and very, very cool gangster (Jean Gabin) has hidden a massive haul of stolen gold bullion as his retirement fund. The gold is from a notorious heist that he has never acknowledged masterminding, and the movie’s title translates as “don’t touch the loot”. He has kept his secret with remarkable discipline and cleverness, but his longtime partner may become the weak link.
Probably the greatest male French movie star ever, Jean Gabin had dominated prewar French cinema, and, after the war, he aged into noir and, in the 1960s, into neo-noir. Gabin oozed a seasoned cool (like Humphrey Bogart) and imparted a stately gravitas to his noir and neo-noir characters. Jean Gabin is on my very short list of the most perpetually cool humans to ever walk the planet, along with Dean Martin, Ben Gazzara, Joan Jett and Barack Obama.
Jeanne Moreau appears in an early role. So does that most watchable of French stars, Lino Ventura, whose bloodhound face had been reshaped by his earlier careers as a professional wrestler and boxer. Touchez pas au grisbi is one of my top five film noirs and one of my top fifty movies of all time.
