On Deadly Ground (1994)

 

This for good reason, was the end of Steven Seagal's time as the reigning action movie king. His five movie run previous to this was building up to his environmental passion project. This is what we got. One of the most self-righteous, self-masturbatory, preachy movies ever made. Yet that is kind of why I like it because it takes itself way too seriously and that is unintentionally hilarious. If you thought Seagal was invincible as an action hero before that this movie, watch this and tell me what you think. He survives a giant explosion in this could level a city block without a scratch. He never gets touched in a fight. He convinces racist and cruel men to change their ways by beating them in slapping fights. He becomes this white savior for Native eskimos. He preaches about taking care of the environment while blowing up oil rigs. It is insane. Apart from that it's got some great blood squibs. Michael Caine seemed to be the only person involved who knew the type of movie he was making and therefore gives some levity to an otherwise, serious, but unintentionally funny movie. 

Synopsis: Forrest Taft (Steven Seagal) is putting his considerable talents as a fighter and marksman to use as a hired gun for the sleazy oil tycoon Michael Jennings (Michael Caine). The latter's bottom-line tunnel vision has him destroying entire communities if it means a bigger profit for his business. While in Alaska taking care of some business for his amoral boss, however, Taft meets a native Eskimo woman (Joan Chen) who helps him to discover the error of his ways and pursue a more righteous path.

The film starts with some of the brilliant aerial shots of snowy mountains and transitioning shots of animals like polar bears. That right away shows you what you are in for. Seagal as Forrest shows up and puts out a fire on an incomplete oil rig headed by his friend Hugh Palmer (Richard Hamilton). Forrest is with Jennings, who is the head of Aegis oil. Hugh accuses them of giving him substandard preventers, which of course ends up being true. This scene establishes the type of company man Forrest starts out as. Hugh accuses him of only wanting money and not caring about the people who are in danger. Forrest says, "For $350,000 I'd fuck anything once!" This of course sets up his arc. 

The scene then transitions to a bar which starts the subplot of Forrest being this Native savior and saintly figure. This scene also has some amazing ADR in the background, as did the opening scene on the rig which gives it some more unintentional comedy. Seagal sees a bar patron played by Mike Starr beating up and belittling a drunk Native American. He gets into a bar fight and does his typical aikido stuff and breaks a bunch of people's limbs. He also kicks a lot of people in the nuts and there's some hilarious ADR for that. He then beats Mike Starr in a slapping challenge over and over again. While he has the entire attention of the bar he says, "What does it take to change the essence of a man?" Starr says, "Time." Forrest pats him on the back and walks away. What a scene. 

Forrest finds out about the delay in proper equipment by looking at restricted files. Hugh plans to tell the EPA and makes a copy of the files. Right after he does this Jennings' right hand men played by John C. McGinley in a delightfully evil performance, and Sven Ole-Thorsen torture and kill him. While this is going on there are some great Michael Caine moments like him screaming at his makeup person. There is also a great scene that shows his obvious hypocrisy and self-righteousness when he films a commercial with deer and then he is disgusted he had to touch them. Irvin Kershner cameos as the director of the commercial. There is a press conference where he is rightfully accosted by the Native Tribes. Aegis had bought the rights to the land from the tribes 20 years before but the rights will go back to the Tribes if the oil rigs aren't completed in time, hence the use of faulty equipment. 

Forrest reprimands Jennings for his use of faulty. In the only part of the movie where Seagal seems fallible, Jennings lures him to an abandoned rig site and tells him there is an emergency. While he goes in the building rigged with explosives, Jennings flies away and Seagal survives an impossible explosion. The scene then transitions to Seagal being treated by the Inuit tribe. He goes on a vision quest and sees the error of his ways and pledges to fight Aegis. All of this mysticism seems like something out of Avatar or Dances With Wolves. It goes on too long to be part of an action movie and is also too short to be one of the focuses of it. Jennings and company can't find Forrest's body so MacGruder (McGinley) and Otto (Thorsen) go to tribe to look for it and MacGruder kills the tribe leader and Masu's (Joan Chen) father. 

In one of the film's only moments of levity Masu brings out the tribe's snowmobile. Seagal asks "You've had this the whole time?!" "For emergencies." They go to Forrest's house and find the copy of the files Hugh left there. Jennings wants to use an oil spill to keep the rights while also dumping toxic stuff into another field to profit. Some of Jennings' men come to the house. This starts the film's great use of gunshot blood squibs. You may think that Sven-Ole Thorsen could give Seagal a fight, no he takes him out in seconds. Jennings hires a mercenary team lead by R. Lee Ermey playing Stone. This shows Taft's ability to make traps as some of Stone's men are killed by grenade traps and others are impaled on spikes. These are some awesome bloody kills. 

In the last act of the film Masu and Forrest make their way to the oil rig. There is some great kills and blood squibs as Seagal uses an automatic shotgun to take out some dudes. There are some bloody kills as well such knives through the eyes and people being thrown into helicopter propellers. There is a final confrontation between Jennings and Forrest that ends with Forrest trying to tell him about the people he will kill but he doesn't have a conscience to care. This of course sets up Seagal's preachy environmental speech at the end. While I do like the fact that he calls out the oil companies and government for their greed I don't like being hit over the head with the message, rather than have it be something that naturally comes in the movie. At least he isn't doing the modern thing of the world's going to end in 10 years give me money to stop it. Look for Billy Bob Thornton in an early appearance as one of the henchman who gets a funny monologue right before his demise. Basil Poledouris' score is also great. 

Rating: 9/10 I just have too much fun watching this movie and honestly the action in the second half, while not very well edited, is bloody as hell at times. 

Trivia: Seagal agreed to do Under Siege 2 if he could make this movie. 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7_Ch-XikPk

Double Face (1969)

 

While Iguana with the Tongue of Fire was Riccardo Freda's attempt at a post Dario Argento giallo movie this is him more in his element. This film couldn't be further from the mess of a plot that Iguana had. Instead of constantly reminding you that anyone could be a killer, this movie focuses more on one character trying to find out if what he is seeing is real and if his wife is still alive, rather than a slasher-mystery. The British high-class sets, swinging London, the greatest miniature train to car explosion, a surprisingly heroic Klaus Kinski character, and a great layered mystery and reveal make this worth watching. It's a lot closer to being something De Palma would make rather than a typical giallo. 

Synopsis: Industrialist John Alexander (Klaus Kinski) falls in love with Helen (Margaret Lee) and they get married. After being happy for a while, they are both involved in affairs. John with his secretary Alice (Barbara Nelli) and Helen with her friend Liz (Annabella Incontrera). When Helen dies in an explosion, John is a suspect. His search to find the killer leads him to the world of drugs and pornography.

The film starts in flash forward of sorts with a miniature toy car getting rammed by a miniature train and exploding. John starts the narrative talking about his wife Helen and how they had a great relationship. This is exemplified in.a hilariously bad rear projection sequence of them sledding. The film transitions to John seeing Helen and Liz having an affair. It is later revealed John is having an affair with his secretary, Alice. The scene then transitions to John and Helen at a racetrack and Helen tells him that he is sole heir to her company's money. Later as Helen and Liz are about to leave on vacation the film cuts to show someone placing a bomb on Helen's car. The film gives you some Checkov's gun moments like zooming in on the scar on the back of Helen's neck and showing you the her serpent pearls and the "H" design on her flask. Helen insists on traveling alone. She is apparently killed in the explosion.

Weeks later after many interrogations from some inspectors, John heads back home. When he gets home a very liberated woman named Christine (Christiane Kruger) has been staying in his house. It seems like no problem to her that she broke in. John eventually follows Christine into a club she leads him to. I enjoy the dark green and red colors present in this swinging sixties type of scene. Somewhere at this party there is a pornographic style video featuring Christine and another woman. John sees this video and gets obsessed thinking it is Helen. This is a lot like Body Double. He interrogates Christine about it saying it was filmed only about a week ago and she is getting the video from a man named Peter. John goes to this meeting and buys the film. When he shows the film to Helen's dad Mr. Brown (Sydney Chaplin) it has been altered so he doesn't believe him about Helen. 

Through roughly interrogating Christine, the only time Kinski goes full Kinski in this movie he finds out that the woman she worked with was called "the countess." John later goes to see Liz and she finally reveals more about Helen. At this point John gets a call at the bar saying the Countess wants to meet. This sets up the final reveal and circles back to the beginning. While there aren't many kills in this giallo, there is a decent mystery and some great misdirection. I love little details and MacGuffins that eventually get revealed as well.  It's also one of earliest erotic giallo movies. There is a lot of nudity in this one. All of the women are beautiful in this but especially Barbara Nelli who plays Alice. Freda makes use of extremely exaggerated burning effects just like he did in Iguana. The piano part of the score which features many low notes and one high note is great. Look for Krimi regular Gunther Stoll playing the bad cop Inspector in this. He seems to be the only one throughout the movie who thinks John is guilty. Couldn't expect less from him. 

Rating: 10/10 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZH_frbjIsY

High Tension (2003)

 

A new era of horror started in the early 2000s. The French created several horror films all known for being extremely dark, dread filled, and usually quite bloody and gory. High Tension was the first one to be an extreme version of the slasher film. Alex Aja takes influences from many horror films, and creates a tension filled, unrepentant, and ultra violent horror film that never lets off the intensity and suspense. A reveal toward the end of the film usually makes or breaks someones opinion on the movie. To me the ride up until that reveal is great in itself. This movie has two of the best kills in any horror movie. Regardless of how someone feels about the ending I like the reveal because it forces me to think about how I can justify it and what is really going on scene by scene. Some may say it could never be justified. Whether or not it was Aja's intention he created a movie that doesn't actually make any sense at times unless you make up how it makes sense. It's one of the few slasher movies that really tries to explore the psychology of the killer which makes it more interesting. 

Synopsis: A beautiful young Frenchwoman, Alex (Maïwenn Le Besco), travels out to the country to visit her family and brings along her friend Marie (Cécile de France). Soon after they get settled in the secluded home, Alex's parents are brutally attacked by a psychotic truck driver (Philippe Nahon), who proceeds to stalk the two women as well. When the killer kidnaps Alex in his truck, Marie hides in the back to try and rescue her, but the bloodshed is far from over.

Since this movie is impossible to talk about without talking about what happens toward the end I'll break down some of it until I feel like getting to a spoiler section. The movie starts with Alex and Marie riding the car. Their friendship is established as something natural by having them vibe to the same music. The film then transitions to the driver getting some road head. The next thing we see is him dropping the lady's head out the window. They arrive at Alex's house by nightfall. There are some interesting conversations between the two that do mean something later in the movie. Marie calls Alex a slut for her talk about the men she's been with. Marie gives vague answers to questions from Alex about why she doesn't have a man of her own yet. Marie goes outside to smoke. Alex takes a shower with the window open. The scene then transitions to Marie fingering herself which implies she probably has a crush on Alex. 

At the same time, the driver makes his way to the house. He slashes Alex's father (Andrei Finti) at the door and then traps his head between two holes in the staircase. He runs a bookshelf at him to decapitate him. The lingering on the moment and not relieving that tension was like something from a Fulci movie. Speaking of Fulci, Gianetto De Rossi who did the effects for movies like Zombi 2, aka Zombie Flesh Eaters, as well as The Beyond, did the practical makeup and blood and gore effects for this movie. The decapitation near the stairs shows he's still got it. Not only that but it is the first of many kills where Aja lingers on the violence. After the kill is completed the camera closes up on the robe Alex's father was wearing and the pouring blood coming from it. Alex's mother (Oana Pellea) is awoken and goes to investigate. The killer goes in Marie's room and doesn't bother looking for her under the bed. Alex is shown waking up with the killer over her. The mother is killed in a room with florescent light. Marie goes into that room and hides the closet, very Halloween style, while the mother is killed. This kill might just be the best razor blade kill in any movie ever. The impact of the blade goes past throat, and you see it. The blood starts rushing out slowly, but it's one of the few razor blade kills I can think of where you really can see through the surface of the wound. While Marie rushes back to Alex's room to find her handcuffed. While this is happening the killer goes outside and shoots Alex's little brother Tom, (Marco Claudiu Pascu) trying to run away through the cornfield. 

While killer comes back Marie hides again. The killer abducts Alex and takes her into his truck. Marie grabs a knife before leaving and gives to Alex and she sneaks on the truck. While Marie is asking Alex to relax, Alex doesn't seem to respond to Marie's presence. There are other women's pictures all over the truck implying this isn't the first murder rodeo for the killer. The killer stops at a convenience store and gas station. Marie sneaks in while the killer isn't looking. She tries to get help from the cashier. The killer goes and murders the cashier with an axe. Something to remember is this all on camera. Marie sneaks into the bathrooms. In a very Maniac style suspense sequence the killer eventually leaves. Marie pursues the driver and Alex in another car. More diabolus ex machina moments happen. Marie had taken a gun the cashier had never been able to get to. Later we see the killer has the bullets. These are moments you might want to remember. In a very Duel style car chase Marie and the driver eventually collide. This sets up a final confrontation the woods between Marie and driver. 

This movie is incredibly well shot. It does have that greener and browner cinematography that movies around this time became known for. Like other French movies, such as Inside it mixes bright and florescent lighting at times with darkness to great effect. The blood and gore effects in this movie don't look quite as garish as something Rob Zombie's movies or the Saw films. It has a better and less stomach churning look. The final confrontation sets up one of the best kills ever with a concrete saw blade. Some of Aja's influences and things he could have taken from other movies are actually things I noticed more on rewatch so it doesn't feel like thievery so much as him trying to recreate those things for the better. There is a great use of sound design. There is a scene where a character gets hit by a rock and you really feel it with the sound it makes. Not only that but French films in general seem to have a thing for broken glass, something I hate. Broken glass is used to full impact at times throughout. 

NOW FOR THE SPOILER SECTION

I have tried to come up with my own interpretations of this twist and what it means for a while. Not only that but how does it change things from scene to scene. Marie's relationship with Alex seems real enough. I don't like the idea of her actually being some random killer who just selected Marie. It is possible that all the pictures in the truck are people Marie has had a crush on. I think most of this movie is shown from Marie's perspective. It is important to note that the reveal doesn't come until she is seen on camera which isn't her narrative. My best interpretation is that the killer is a part of her personality with obsessive love who will do anything, obviously including murder so that Alex will have no one else to turn to. Marie struggles with this side of her personality. The fact that she hides from the killer is that part of her personality taking control. She manages to take back control in the final confrontation with the killer but by that point it is too late. Alex rejects her, because she obviously can't see the difference between the personalities and that brings her murderous personality back for one more confrontation. How do I interpret every scene before the reveal? Again if Marie is unreliable narrator it would seem that things are taking place in different times, or she is only imagining the weaker side of her personality actually being in those places. In the scene where Alex's brother is killed I think it is only in her head as that part of her personality is still dormant. The weaker side of her personality gets stronger throughout and confronts the killer first with the car but then actually fights him. While she thinks she has killed him off, Alex's rejection brings him back. The scene in the gas station probably never happened either, up until the point where the driver comes in and asks for whiskey. I know some people still won't say that justifies anything but just being able to think about it is fun enough to me and makes it acceptable. 

Rating: 9/10

Trivia: During the scene where driver is murdered in the car with the saw, the blood oozing on to the camera was accidental. Alexandre Aja liked it so much he kept it in the movie. 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CtFKeZKnTs

The Possessed (1965)

 

If The House with Laughing Windows is the atmospheric giallo that creates dread with atmosphere and a doom and gloom setting this one is that one that does it the same way with nightmare logic and a hint of drama and tragedy. The noir voiceover adds an extra layer to at least keep you within the narrative. The narrative is really all over the place, yet it has an ending that makes sense. The narrator is also unreliable. Most of the movie you don't know what is really happening as with each revelation the main character just wakes up when it is over. Certain things like notes being read more than once gives you a feeling of deja vu. The movie keeps you on your toes and guessing throughout. It wouldn't work without an ending that makes sense that comes with a bittersweet catharsis as the family this film centers around is torn apart by the time this movie is over. The black and white cinematography, as well as the wintery setting adds a different atmosphere and feeling of dread. 

Synopsis: "Disaffected writer Bernard (Peter Baldwin) returnsto the small Italian village he often uses as a hideaway. He has one goal in mind: to reconnect with the beautiful Tilde, (Virna Lisi) with whom he has become obsessed. He is disappointed when Enrico, who runs the local hotel, tells him that Tilde committed suicide the previous year. The local photographer, (Pier Giovanni Anchisi) does not believe it was suicide and sets Bernard on a search to find the killer. -Taken from Troy Howarth's book with some paraphrasing

Bazzoni's film does a great job making use of duality and doubles throughout the film to keep you guessing and on your toes. He also does things that a lot of giallo would go on to do. There are close ups on eyes peeping through doors. Specifically from Bernard, which sets the tone of him being an unreliable narrator. There are times throughout the film where you think he could actually be the killer or he could be involved as he is shown in flashbacks to be stalking Tilde. He is shown to be a voyeur. When he gets to the hotel he sees that Tilde's coat is still around and he follows someone in town wearing it, only for it to be the new maid. That isn't the only misleading scene involving someone wearing a coat. There is sequence of deja vu where Bernard and the photographer go fishing and they talk about the situation. He had gotten a note from the photographer on that day. He wakes up, as he often does throughout this film after a significant scene, and sees the name note again! Now it's implied their conversation on the boat actually happened because the photographer says I have to stop sending notes because people will get suspicious of us talking. Yet, I'm still not sure if he is talking about multiple notes or not. Again that isn't the only note the main character gets and follows instructions for throughout. 

As I stated previously anytime the character has a scene where he gets more info about Tilde or someone's thoughts on her death it usually transitions to him waking up. There is one scene for example, where Irma, Enrico's daughter (Valentina Cortese) is shown ranting about her father not having anything to do with Tilde's death and her family being disgraced because of it. It then transitions to Bernard waking up. Did he dream it? Did she say that stuff to him? Is it something he thinks she would say? There are questions each time more information comes about. This wouldn't work if part of the ending didn't make sense. I'm pretty sure I understood the backstory which is good and also quite tragic. This isn't a feel good type of giallo when it ends. It's more like The House with the Laughing Windows than any other giallo I can think of. I still don't really know what happened involving the deaths of some characters at the end. Those are actually my favorite giallo movies where I put together more of the mystery up on repeat viewings. 

The style in this is amazing. The snow, the wind, the narrative voiceovers, the many layers of clothing, and all the scenes on peers make give this a weird depressing noir-giallo hybrid. While some of Umberto Lenzi's gialli with Carroll Baker have a similar feel with the blackmail, and even more eroticism which you get in more gialli as time went on, this movie had much more of mystery than any of Lenzi's noir-giallo movies have. Adding to both the unreliable narrator and the style there are scenes where you can't see the whole room, or the scenes are replayed through Bernard's mind (or is it) in different ways. Most of what happens in this movie isn't clear to me, except the backstory which only makes me like this more. I almost think this could be a movie I review each time I watch it so I can see what else I picked up or what I think of differently. Look for some great Gianetto De Rossi effects toward the end involving slit throats and scars on hands that was preview for things to come later in this career. I do enjoy the score and I like how it has the low pitched horns that were the same type of cues used during big reveals in Bava's Blood and Black Lace.

Rating: 9.5/10

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKWZ8T70Y7E

The Heroin Busters

 

Enzo G. Castellari and Umberto Lenzi were the kings of the Eurocrime/poliziotteschi genre in 1970s. Both directed some rough ones that border on exploitation. Both directed some that have more to do with organized crime and the criminal side of things than the cops in pursuit of them. Both also directed ones that are little less serious and a little less exploitative. This is that movie. There are several moments that would be awesome fist pump moments in action movies made today. Fabio Testi does some of his own stunts that stars today would never do. It's worth watching just for the Goblin score that is jazzy, funky, and psychedelic at different times. While it's lesser on the fascist politics that usually made their way into these movies it does show how drug-addicted criminals are really stuck in a bad spot. If they turn to the cops they go to jail and don't get rehabilitated properly. On the other side of things they are just as likely to be killed or maimed by the dealers for not having their money. 

The movie starts with a jazzy Goblin score playing and the scenes going back and forth between drug deals from Columbia, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, and New York before transitioning to Fabio Testi in Rome. These scenes are all silent except for the music. Testi's character, appropriately named Fabio is caught with drugs at an airport. Another smuggler is caught by David Hemming's Interpol Agent character, Hamilton. Hamilton talks about the drug route between those countries and places I named above and how he wants to put a stop to it. Interestingly enough, the movie never spells this out but it seems as though he sent Fabio undercover after his arrest which goes with the theme of the criminals being caught between a rock in the hard place with cops and their own drug dealers where each side doesn't care about their well being. 

That is explored more in the subplot with Gilo (Wolfango Soldati) as three thugs are always around beating him up and asking him for money. One of these thugs is played by Castellari regular Massimo Vanni. Gilo is the fall guy at a drug deal near a school. When he is in jail with Fabio you see just how awful his withdrawals are. Fabio has heroin smuggled in the sole of his shoe and he gives it to Gilo for a fix. When they escape, a clever ruse by Fabio to get the cop in the prison cell so they can beat him up, Gilo doesn't know where to turn. He ends up needing money for his addiction and gets killed in a robbery. That just shows you how bad their dependency is and how they can't ever get away from it one way or another.

Romano Puppo, Castellari Regular

Massimo Vanni, Castellari Regular

There is a great scene where Hamilton's men find Fabio at this drug hideout of sorts. Fabio meets the kingpin of sorts there, played by Joshua Sinclair, another Castellari regular. This leads to a confrontation between him and Hamilton on the roof where it is officially revealed he is undercover. Of course one of the three thugs is there so to maintain the ruse Fabio punches Hamilton saying, "Give my regards to your dentist!" Man, I love these english dubs. This leads to Fabio disguising himself with two other thugs and breaking into a police station to get more drugs which is an awesome layer to add as an uncover police officer, further disguising himself to break into a police station. Hamilton is also there and has to kill one of the criminals at one point. 

Joshua Sinclair

While the first 45 minutes of this movie could be a little slow to some, when the action starts it's like a steady incline up the axis where it never stops. Fabio gets into a gunfight at this abandoned building and the echo caused by his magnum when shooting a bunch of bad guys is loud as hell and awesome. He then blows his cover at the laboratory and shows off his physicality by jumping over some big boxes and out of windows. There is another great scene where Hamilton is shot and gets a ride from a woman on motorcycle where he "accidentally" cops a feel on her boobs and she says "thats okay." David Hemmings must have gotten some action later. The action continues and here come three incredible fist pump moments. 

1. While cornered at a construction site Fabio uses a hole in a pole near his cover to aim his gun through and kill the bad guy.

2. He loses his gun while lowering himself down in this pulley drawn lift. At the shootout in the train station he throws a bad guy's body onto his gun, out of reach and drags the body with the gun back to him. 

3. He slides down this long escalator with a gun and kills a bad guy on his corner as soon as he gets to the bottom. 

The last gunfight of the movie takes place at this abandoned amphitheater type of place. I love all of the locations for the action in this. Fabio eventually pursues the drug runner to America on a plane, a sequence where Fabio Testi does all of his own stunts. I haven't even talked about some of the "WTF am I watching" type of moments. There is a moment where the leading thug, dubbed by Edward Mannix says "I'm going to shoot you right in your asshole. That will get messy." Another moment is when Gilo and Fabio are on a staircase and we suddenly transition to two women having sex. Of course one of them is literally sitting still letting the other do all the work, which is exactly how women have sex I'm sure. What is ridiculous about this sequence is you don't know if it's actually happening or maybe Gilo thinks its what is happening. I'm not complaining but it is really out of left field. Fabio Testi's costume is truly one of the best ever. He looks like a homeless man combined with drug dealer. He's got this full denim outfit with a white shirt underneath, plenty of necklaces, an Apollo mission hat, and those big Ugg type boots. The fun action moments, some of the dubbing, and Goblin's versatile and pleasant score make this a fun watch and I would recommend it to any action fan. 

Fabio Testi in costume

Rating: 8/10 

English Voice dubbing cast: 

Michael Forest dubs Fabio Testi as Fabio

Frank Von Kuegelen dubs Wolfango Soldati as Gilo

Edward Mannix dubs the lead thug 

Carolyn De Fonseca and Pat Starkes voices are heard various times as women

Ted Rusoff voices the guy the lead thug harasses in the bathroom

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vcTeZ_KazU

Jurassic World: Dominion

I like the different meanings the title of Jurassic World can mean. The progression here is that the first Jurassic World was the name of an amusement park. Now it is literally a Jurassic World where humans and dinosaurs co-exist. To sum it up there were a lot of things I liked about this movie and a lot of things I didn't like. I liked seeing the characters from the first two films and seeing their progression and arcs. I really enjoyed seeing the characters from the original Jurassic Park movies. What I didn't like was what this movie did at times with those characters and the world it creates. I wanted a post-apocalyptic dinosaur movie and not a pandemic coronavirus world dinosaur movie. Through world building though, the movie makes us ask questions about how the dinosaurs really aren't villain, it's us as humans. That is presented from both the corporate perspective and the black market perspective as dinosaurs have impacted all people's lives. While this movie never bored me and kept me interested I thought it was trying too much to be a Mission: Impossible movie with dinosaurs and anti-corporate message. It should've just been something like 2012 with dinosaurs. 

The movie starts with a giant fishing ship getting destroyed and eaten by a Mosasaurus.  The film then transitions to a news report talking about how the world has changed since the dinosaurs were released into the world since Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. This transitions to Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) breaking into a black market dinosaur facility with two others and saving some dinosaurs to take to an ecological preserve. This version of Claire is much more caring toward nature and much more capable and determined than the vein, corporate-minded version of her we saw in the first movie and is an interesting character progression. There is a scene of a swarm of giant locusts eating crops at a farm. Dr. Ellie Sadler (Laura Dern) deducts that the the locusts are only eating crops that aren't made with Biosyn's seed. She visits Dr. Alan Grant in Utah (Sam Neill) to help her break into Biosyte to find evidence of the locusts' genetic mutation. 

On the side of things it is revealed that Owen (Chris Pratt) and Claire have adopted Benjamin Lockwood's cloned daughter Maisie (Isabella Sermon). They keep her hidden in a cabin in the mountains. Blue the raptor has reproduced asexaully and now has a daughter. Lewis Dodgson the CEO of Biosyte finds Maisie and they abduct her and Blue's daughter. Meanwhile Grant and Sadler are invited to Biosyn by Ian Malcolm. This is where the Mission: Impossible plots start as Grant and Sadler manage to fly to and infiltrate Biosyn without much opposition. Claire and Owen go to dinosaur black market in Malta where they find out from a Biosyn employee where Maisie is being taken. There are lots of interesting things shown in this sequence such as dinosaur dogfighting and dinosaurs being eaten. Again this just shows how dinosaurs aren't really the real bad guys. Dinosaurs are also being used as weapons as the villain in this sequence Soyona Santos (Dichen Lachman) has this laser pointer that can be used for raptors to target specific people. This just shows that Biosyn could use their power to stop any of these illegal and reprehensible activities anytime they want, but don't. Similar to how governments and corporations could do the same thing but don't. They put profit and power over the lives and well being of others. 

There are some really cool action sequences here as there are dinosaur chase sequences all over Malta. This includes an awesome motorcycle chase sequence where Owen is pursued by raptors. A pilot who had transported Maisie decides to help Owen Claire and transports them to Biosyn. Meanwhile Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong) is revealed to have to have genetically enhanced the locusts to make Biosyn the world leader in the agricultural market. This has unforeseen consequences as always where the locusts as now consuming so much that all agriculture could be consumed and our food and our food's food could die off. Wu needs the blood in Maisie and Blue's offspring to find out the genetic code to reverse the locusts bioengineering. Maisie finds a way to escape and Grant and Sadler infiltrate one of the locust preserves on sight and get the evidence they need. After Dodgson finds out what is going on he strands Sadler, Maisie, and Grant in an old preserve cave on their sight. He fires Malcolm. He turns off the airspace protection on the pilot Kayla's (DeWanda Wise) plane so they are attacked by Quetzacoatlus. Claire ejects and lands in the woods. Owen and Kayla crash land. At the same time Malcolm rescues Sadler, Grant, and Maisie.  

This sets up the final act. Dogson's associate, Ramsay Cole (Mamoudou Athie) refuses to go along with him and he has been helping the main characters the whole entire time. Dogson tries to escape with some of the scientific evidence, put in a Barbasol can in a easter egg to the first movie. He is killed by Dilophosaurus' in the same manner Denis Nedry (Wayne Knight) was killed in the first movie. The jeep that Grant, Sadler, Maisie, and Malcolm are traveling in, crashes. Claire is saved at the last second by Owen who chokes out a dilophosaurus in front on her, which is awesome. This leads to a decent suspense sequence that doesn't compare to the T-Rex sequence in the first two Jurassic Park movies where all the characters have to out maneuver a Giganotosaurus to get into a building. They split up to get the flying equipment they need and Owen rescues Blue's offspring. This leads to some funny banter between him and Malcolm with Malcolm saying things like "Is that a dinosaur on your shoulder?" "You made a promise to a dinosaur?" They also take Wu with them as he wants to use his scientific knowledge to help reverse the locusts' habits. A final fight happens where the characters are trapped between the helicopter and the dinosaurs like a Universal ride. While the fight between the T-Rex and Giganotosaurus is fun, it doesn't hold a candle to the fight at the end of the first Jurassic World movie. They all escape and Wu finds his genetic research in order to reverse the locusts crop eating habits. Claire, Owen, and Maisie bring Blue's offspring back to her. Sadler and Grant finally get together. 

While some of the themes were interesting here and the CGI dinosaur moments were good I just wished I was watching the other movies the whole time. On the other hand it kept me entertained and interested enough where I was never bored. This is a good one time watch or an occasional series rewatch especially if you want to see some good, but not reverent moments with the older characters. I hope this is the last Jurassic movie because the CGI dinosaurs aren't as interesting to me. Maybe it's because I'm not a kid anymore but I also think the spectacle has worn off. 

Rating: 6.5/10

Trivia: Jeff Goldblum is the same age in this film as Richard Attenborough, who played John Hammond, was in the original Jurassic Park (1993)

Trailer: 

What Have You Done to Solange?

 

Massimo Dallamano makes a giallo so amazing for how it makes you feel, how well made it is, and how unafraid he is to tackle taboo and uncomfortable subjects. Coed sex gangs, perversion of the church and specifically the confessional, a killer stabbing women exactly where they don't want to be stabbed, and back-alley abortions is just some of the content Dallamano puts in this. His camerawork gives this movie an identity. It may just be the best camerawork of any giallo. He nails the balance of keeping the characters interesting within the story and not just making them murder suspects. This movie was made around the time of the sexual revolution and Dallamano puts some real life concerns over that into this. 

Synopsis: A catholic school for girls is shocked when one of its pupils is savagely murdered. The deed was witnessed by one of the girl's classmates, Elizabeth (Cristina Galbo) while she is having a tryst with her Italian teacher, Enrico (Fabio Testi). Elizabeth only gets a glimpse and doesn't report to the police as it could get Enrico fired. As the killer continues his spree the information erupts and Enrico is a suspect. It is revealed all the students were connected to a tragic event that happened to Solange. -Taken from Troy Howarth's book with some paraphrasing. 

The movie starts with a very pleasant theme from Ennio Morricone, as a group of girls rides their bikes together. The music in combination with the orange color filter give the scene a much different feel from how it is presented later in the movie via flashback. The movie then transitions to Enrico and Elizabeth on a boat. Elizabeth sees vague images of a woman running away and the "flash of a knife," as she says. Enrico doesn't believe her and says she always has an excuse as to why she can't have sex with him. Enrico and her leave. Back at home Enrico hears about the murder on the radio. For whatever reason he decides to drive to the scene. This starts the beautiful string of establishing shots Dallamano has throughout this movie as there are trees perfectly in the middle of the shot with the open fields on the sides. The film then transitions to a teacher's meeting at the school where the murdered girl was enrolled. All of the teachers are introduced including Enrico's wife Herta, (Karin Baal) Gunther Stoll as Professor Bascombe, and Antonio Casale as Mr. Newton. Pictures are passed around of the deceased girl, Hilda, at the scene including one very harrowing image of a knife up her groin area. The exiting shot starts something common throughout this movie as it shows a shot through the keyhole of the door. Dallamano and cinematographer Aristide Massaccesi (Joe D'Amato) frequently show camera shots through objects or through the eyes of others. 

The film then transitions to Hilda's parents. This also introduces Inspector Barth (Joachim Fuchsberger). Hilda's dad doesn't seem to know anything about her daughter's life, including a possible boyfriend. This is a theme throughout the film with men not really knowing much about their own daughter's lives and how they are much more liberated. This ties into the time the film was made and sexual revolution. Dallamano, not a young man by this point may have been putting some of his own concerns into the story. Another memorable moment in this scene is the X-ray which again shows the knife penetrating through the vagina. It may be important to remember that Hilda went to confession that morning. That is something else great about this film is how little details mean something but they aren't beaten over your head to make the mystery so obvious.

The X-Ray

Enrico's picture was taken near the scene and published in the newspaper. Herta has known something was going on for some time. Their marriage is fractured. Inspector Barth is smart enough to see right through Enrico's facade as he knows something else is on his mind besides his student who died. Eventually he is forced to fess up to the Inspector because his pen was found at the crime scene, just like in so many other times throughout this movie, Herta is seen listening behind the bookshelf. Janet, another girl linked to the murders is eventually killed. This sequence is great for so many reasons. There is some great misdirection with the killer calling on the phone claiming to be Helen's dad asking to borrow her Italian book because Helen lost hers. Morricone's theme is more stringy and more eerie. The killer abducts her in the car just after she finds out it isn't Helen's father and the murder progresses to where we actually see her reacting up close to him putting the knife in. The scene then beautifully transitions to Elizabeth waking up from a nightmare. 

Elizabeth eventually tells all the teachers and the Inspector what she knows. It is important to note here that a shower scene is shown in the girl's locker room. While sleazy, the conversations are so nonsensical and there isn't an element of voyeurism to the scene. Rather it shows the innocence and playfulness of the girls. This contrasts to the loss of innocence and voyeurism in a later shower scene. Enrico and Elizabeth plan another. tryst. Enrico doesn't show up in time and Elizabeth is killed. This is a great scene because she is killed by drowning, a much more "classy" way to die so to speak. Since this movie kinda pulls a Psycho and makes her seem like the main character at times she gets a good fight in before dying. The police find hair underneath her fingernails which they try to use to identity the killer to no avail. While Enrico is out in prison and fired after it was discovered she was killed in his apartment. He is let go because Elizabeth apparently saw a priest which clears Enrico. 

This is where the film goes through a transition. The second half of the film becomes Herta and Enrico's investigation, while the first half was Elizabeth trying to figure out just what she saw. Now many people could and should criticize Enrico's actions up until this point. The inspector tells Herta that Elizabeth was still a virgin, though we did see Enrico performing oral sex on her earlier. It is implied, though not explicitly stated he slept with other students as well. Herta gets a big smile on her face while finding out about Elizabeth. This is where she sheds her German ice queen type of look and puts on some makeup. Not only do her and Enrico agree to start over but she agrees to help him however she can. While the actions of both can be criticized, the movie does this so naturally that you don't question it much. There is never a doubt their relationship will be strained again. They make a great investigative team as Herta eventually gets the name of a former boyfriend from one of the girls who knew Herta. This is when Fabio Testi goes full on Fabio Testi and beats up that former boyfriend for info when he finds him. He states that the girls had a secret sex club of sorts though they gave up actual sex "after what happened to Solange." 

While Fabio Testi's character is skeezy in this he still has charm and an awesome beard

Also on display in the second half of this film is the loss of innocence. Remember that shower scene I talked about earlier? Eventually it is shown that that the locker room has a peephole where Mr. Newton spies on the girl's taking showers. Two of the girls talk about the recent events and how they swore they would never tell anyone anything. It is one thing to think about what was going on, but another to actually know. Eventually one of the girl's maid's is killed. This is after the killer sends a message to Enrico about the maid knowing everything. I love the sequence where Enrico finds the maid's body. Morricone's suspenseful and haunting music on full display. The camera tilts when he discovers the body. 

Eventually Solange shows up and Camille Keaton shines with what little time she has in this role. She has mannerisms like a young kid and she seems not quite right. This makes more sense with a reveal later. The last reveal of the film takes that opening sequence and flips it on it's head after the second half where the loss of innocence happens. What I like so much is how Dallamano doesn't blame the girls for their actions. He is more so criticizing how those actions are received by others and how the girls feel like they have to keep it a secret because of that. There is a Psycho type of explanation for the killer's actions at the end and these pins that are the object that link the girls together. It ends on a very nuclear family type of shot which actually ends it on just enough of an ominous note that I like. Buy the Arrow blu-ray or watch the Arrow Print if you can. In HD the detail Dallamano can capture on people's faces is just incredible. This is the guy who shot A Fistful of Dollars after all. I never really thought I'd say this, but after this rewatch Dallamano and Morricone is as great a sound to screen combo as Morricone and Leone were. 

Camille Keaton has this mannerism throughout where she has one of her fingers in or around her mouth

Rating: 10/10

Trivia: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068416/trivia?item=tr5464951

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH4MgQ94OTc