The Movies I Watched in June

Attack (1956)  8/10

 

L'auberge rouge (1951)  7/10

 

The Bachelor Party (1957)  6/10 

Un beau matin (2022)  7/10

Black Narcissus (1947) 8/10

La casa del angel (1957)  7/10

 Il conformista 1970  7/10

 

De Sade 70 (1970) 5/10

The Diary of a Chambermaid (1946)  7/10

The Jazz Singer (1927)  6/10

Jigokumon (1953)  8/10

Louisiana Story (1948)  7/10

M3GAN (2022)  6/10

The Past is Always New, the Future is Always Nostalgic: Photographer Daido Moriyama (2019)  7/10

La Religieuse (2013)  7/10

Rough Diamonds (2023)  6/10

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

 

A former child star torments her paraplegic sister in their decaying Hollywood mansion.

Delightfully over-the-top psychological horror thriller gives Davis and Crawford the opportunity to go into full throttle competition with their performances; full of memorable moments - and some shock along the way.

Halliwell*: "Famous for marking the first time Hollywood's ageing first ladies stooped to horror, and followed by Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte and the other Whatevers, this dreary looking melodrama only occasionally grabs the attention and has enough plot for about half its length. The performances, however, are striking."

Maltin***1/2: "Far-fetched, thoroughly engaging black comedy...Bette has a field day in her macabre characterization, with Buono a perfect match." 

 

Ulzana's Raid (1972)

 

After fierce war chief Ulzana and a small war party jump the reservation bent on murder and terror, an inexperienced young lieutenant is assigned to track him down. 

Relentlessly tough and violent Western shows no sympathy for any side of the conflict, which may seem dubious, but rather emanates a quite nihilistic viewpoint.

Halliwell (no star): "Bloodthirsty, reactionary Western with unpleasant shock moments." 

Maltin***1/2: "Gritty Western tale...with jarring bursts of violence."

 

From my vaults: Robert Aldrich