Vautrin

Pretty good, pretty forgettable. It's basically the same old cons on the loose/heist movie, better than average, with some good location filming to add grit. I thought it was kind of dumb to let the wounded guy drive away in the car. Why not shove him down in the back seat, take off with a healthy driver and head the hell out of town and later stop for some medical attention at the always handy doctor who lost his medical license because he was an alkie or a careless abortionist. But noooo, because Doc Penny is the "brains" of the gang. Just because he uses a cigaret holder doesn't make him any smarter. I'm glad these dumb losers got their's at the end. They deserved it. And I'm happy that Lacey got through this relatively unscathed. The innocent bystander often meets a more deadly fate in these types of movies. Hayden was just your usual nasty cop, the kind who enjoys stomping people just for the fun of it and knowing he can do so without much chance of a reprimand. I got a kick at the end of the movie when he tells Lacey if he gets in trouble again to call him. Who the hell would call a jackass like Hayden for help?

I always feel sorry for the actors who are introduced and then are never heard from again. Introducing Joe Schome.

There is a resemblance, though the actor who played Rafa had sharper features and a rather unusual angular dimension to his face. He reminds me a bit of someone one might see in a Fellini film.

Yes, physically he doesn't remind one of Lorre. Both Lorre and Duryea could do that I know something about you and you're going to have to pay, Duryea more forcefully. Rafa was more sophisticated and light-hearted in going about his game.

Nix the Eddie and Alicia foreign language blabberthon. The longer they talk the later I have to go to bed. I liked Death of a Cyclist, though it's not quite as good as Death of a Disco Dancer. As soon as Maria got into the car at the end of the film you were pretty sure that Jose was not long for this world. And then when she was speeding during the rainstorm, what were the odds she wouldn't get into a crash and die? Near zero. Whenever I see a femme fatale get into a car near the finale of the movie death is usually not far behind. That she crashed due to the actions of the cyclist was kind of cool, as she had killed a bicyclist at the start of the film. Taking into account the practicalities, since killing the cyclist was an accident, I doubt the prison time would have been too severe. I don't think Rafa was that creepy. He just liked to taunt them and make some quick money into the bargain. Third degree creep.

It's also how Evelyn Waugh composed his novels.

This wasn't my first elevator ride. I've always thought the secondary plot about the young punks not on dope was kind of cliched and unoriginal, though it helps in the overall plot to put Ronet on the spot for the murders he didn't commit. If only he had not forgotten to get the rope and grappling hook back. At first it seemed such a dumb move I thought maybe he did it on purpose for some reason. But no ,it was just a stupid mistake that, like many stupid mistakes, starts the whole plot going. Breathless had a certain self-parody, nod and wink aspect to it, like Belmondo looking at a Bogart poster and taking a drag on his cig, saying Bogie. You can't imagine Ronet doing that, he plays it totally straight with no irony. I noticed that in the intro there were two glasses about half full. At the outro they are still about half full. Poseurs.

He didn't hit them and look what happened to him. ✖️

I'll bet Bob Mitchum could flatten that trio with just one punch.

Know when to fold 'em.

Any flick with the Irish blowing up some Brits, I'm there.

Yeah, your standard Hollywood fantasy, though on the rare occasion someone does hit it big right away. I haven't seen Vicki in a while, but it seems there were more details about how she made it to the big time.

Creepy Cregar and Elisha Cooked really helped this movie. Without them, it's a rather pedestrian murder mystery, with Mature and Grable making cow-eyes at each other for the last half of the movie. But Cregar keeps things interesting as the crooked cop with the obsession with Vicki, right down to his personal shrine. Spooky. And Cook takes his usual turn as the pathetic smoe with no chance for the brass ring. There is also a brief look at the pr business of inventing a star out of very little. I'm sure there is some eager beaver who could find an earlier flick that has many noir qualities, it would just take a lot of looking.

Yep, I think there will be one who will not be satisfied.

Hot Spot, should be close enough for Hot Spell fans.

He did not follow Canned Heat's advice, but stayed in the U.S.. And he was definitely not a model for the Good Neighbor policy. He seemed to be a rough-hewn character in general with a particular dislike for the Hispanic people in the town, though he softened a little bit toward the end. He is certainly not a likable character. I also wondered about the old key in the chewing gum hidden just behind the map trick. I guess it was unlikely anyone would notice it, but you never know. But that's a minor point. I forgot to credit Art Smith. He often played a law enforcement officer of some kind who is often, perhaps because of his unassuming stature, under- estimated by the bad guys. He usually came out ahead of them and usually did it with something of a wink and nod. Well done.

There was also the small town girl visiting a big city, okay a bigger village, in the mix too. That comes out in the ending where she has gone back to her ponytails and has something to brag on that she didn't have before, I guess it's a bit disappointing that she isn't just a mystic figure. Either way, I agree that Wanda Hendrix was very convincing in this role.

Rather Bergmanesque. The absurdity of life, death in the midst of life, life in the midst of death, death followed by a dance. And then the one chess match we will all lose.

Checkmate.

Yeah, these kids with their long hair and crazy music.

Fortunately, no. Of course he didn't have her comic timing. Pedophilia on the Installment Plan.

Celine was a notorious anti-Semite, but he was never accused of child molestation. Plus he's a better writer than Woody Allen. Everything You Wanted To Know About Dating Teenage Girls, But Were Afraid To Ask.

I was wondering why a street smart guy like Montgomery's character would go out into a dark alley with the check still on his person. Really dumb move. Of course it keeps the plot going. Then Hugo gives out with a pitch perfect reading of the disillusioned WW II vet theme that is made so much of in film noir theory. He just lays it all out, though he lets it drop there. Wanda Hendrix was good as Pila. She's a bit other worldy and untutored for much of the picture, though at the conclusion she turns into a regular kid telling her friends about her adventure with the stranger. At the start of the flick Montgomery is rather dismissive of the locals. Can you be an ugly American without leaving the U.S. ?

I would publish it as a graphic non-fiction novel. Woody has had some relationships with much younger women, though not as young as seven.

I only saw The Big Combo once many years ago and had forgotten about Donlevy. Okay, one of the few bald hearing-aid wearing villains. Just goes to show how difficult it is to be unique.