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thomas-sundback
Reviews
The Evidence: And the Envelope Please (2006)
Good chemistry but some letdown caused by plot holes
Saw this today on Viasat Crime. I thought it was an interesting series and I was disappointed that the episode I saw was actually the last one that was aired. I said in the Summary that I was let down because of the plot holes....perhaps it wasn't the right word, as the problem was more like the story was not taken to the end in the sense that I felt that some things were left open, unanswered.
I though also that the chemistry between the Orlando Jones and Rob Estes character worked well. And I was also pleasantly surprised that Martin Landau was in the series.
I would watch the show again, though, if there would be more episodes. Sad thing that the show was cancelled so soon.
I due figli di Ringo (1966)
Worth to see for the first five minutes after the opening credits
I saw the English dubbed print of this film which was directed by Giorgio Simonelli with co-director Giuliano Carnimeo and released in December 1966.
Now, both Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia were new to me as I hadn't seen any of their comedies before and so was the director Simonelli so I didn't really know what to expect. I did understand, though, that this would be a western comedy/spoof of some sort. George Hilton on the other hand was familiar to me due to his appearances in other Italian Westerns.
Now, the first five minutes after the credits were easily the best part of this film. A fake bounty killer (Ingrassia) "kills" the bandit (Franchi) to earn the reward money (the two of them split the reward in the scene after that). Now, this shootout part in a "Mexican" village was actually one of the better beginnings I've seen in an Italian western. It was quite funny and even cool. There was also a close-up of the hit when the fake bandit was "shot", which was interesting as squibs aren't that frequent in old Italian Westerns. At this point I had high expectations for the rest of the film. Next, our so-called heroes relocate to the U.S. to continue their game and we are introduced to the "real" bounty killer, Joe, played by George Hilton. All is still good here and Hilton is OK in his part.
But then the problem starts. I must have a problem with this kind of Italian humor, since I cannot understand what's supposed to be so funny with Franchi's different facial antics. The facial expressions made by him weren't funny at all, they were annoying-and this continued all through the film! To me, humor is something else than just a "funny face" which was what this film appeared to rely on.
On the positive side, Gloria Paul was gorgeous and Ignazio Spalla (as Pedro Sanchez) playing the bandit Indio was a relief to this film, which would've otherwise been a total pain to watch.
***Possible Spoiler***
There were also some cool scenes, such as the bank robbery scene somewhere in the middle of the film. And it was nice change to see the girls take more charge towards the end. And oh that twist in the end! It really did amaze me! Well, actually no, since at that point I really didn't care anymore, I just wanted it to end.
***end of spoiler***
So what's the verdict for this film? A cool beginning and some (but few) good scenes. It didn't save the film though even if I really tried to like it.
I'd give 8,5/10 for the first 5 minutes, 2/10 for the rest. That's 5/10 overall.
Scalps (1987)
Quite good western from Mattei
Not a bad one for Mattei. Released at the same time with White Apache, and according to rumors with more input by Mattei (who apparently directed most of this film) than on White Apache.
Lots of bad dialogue of course, but that was more or less expected. The music was for certain parts quite good, in the vein of older spaghettis but during other parts awful with more modern (whatever) flavor.
The film was certainly watchable, much better than, for instance, Zombi 3 which he "Co-directed" when Fulci was away for one or other reason. Mattei also tried here for some parts (usually in vein, though) to create this into a some kind of 'drama' film which was not so successful.
I have no idea about which version is uncut and which one is not, the version I saw was on Greek video.
If you find this one somewhere, check it out. It's not that bad as it is rumored to be (depending on your tastes, of course). I enjoyed it anyway.
A Woman's Secret (1992)
Surprisingly good (and commercial) film from D' amato
A Woman's secret (1991) is a bit different to many other D'amato outings. It has a very "American/commercial" feel compared to other of his films and he seems to have a slightly bigger budget than usual. Margaux Hemingway, Apollonia ("Purple Rain") and Dan McVicar (of "The Bold and the Beautiful" fame) handle their parts well and the film itself is easy to get into. It also lacks the sleaze factor that Joe D'amato films usually have (even if the film has some scenes of nudity).
D'amato has added some extra attractions to the film, for instance there is quite a lot of footage from the Mardi Gras, even if the storyline didn't necessarily call for it. But it was nice to watch, though.
The version I saw was dubbed in English. Sadly, the film is very hard to find because it could appeal even to those who would never watch a D' amato film otherwise and is a good showcase of Joe D'amato's more commercial talents.