A Report on the Party and the Guests (O slavnosti a hostech) Directed by Jan Nemec Written by Esther Krumbachova and Jan Nemec 1966/Czechoslovakia Filmove studio Barradonov
First viewing/Criterion Channel
[box] Hostitel: So will someone tell me what happened or not? A brother shouldn’t turn against his brother. And a guest shouldn’t turn against a guest.[/box]
I liked this scathing allegory on enforced conformity in a Communist State.
A group of friends sets out to have a picnic in the woods. They are oddly overdressed for the occasion. Before long, some delinquents abduct and humiliate them. They are then forced marched to the very odd birthday party of a Leader. There they undergo further adventures.
This film has an appealing, almost Buñuelian, wit and surrealistic feeling. I had fun watching it.
A Report on the Party and the Guests was banned in Czechoslovakia “forever” following the Soviet invasion of that country in 1968.
Billy the Kid Versus Dracula Directed by William Beaudine Written by Carl K. Hittleman 1966/USA Circle Productions Inc.
First viewing/Amazon Prime
[box] William ‘Billy the Kid’ Bonney: What’s wrong with her, Doc? What are those marks on her neck?
Dr. Henrietta Hull: Well, if I didn’t know better, I’d say it was the work of a vampire.
William ‘Billy the Kid’ Bonney: Vampire?[/box]
I just had to watch the companion piece to Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter (1966).
Billy the Kid has gone straight. His sweetheart Elizabeth is waiting for the arrival of her Uncle James, whom she has never met. Unbeknownst to her, a vampire (John Carradine) has assumed the identity of her uncle and has settled on Elizabeth as his undead bride. Billy must save the day.
John Carradine was like the Energizer Bunny – he just kept going and going. Here he plays history’s least sexy vampire. He’s by far the best part of the movie – not to say that he’s very good.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Directed by Richard Lester Written by Melvin Frank and Michael Pertwee from the book to the Broadway musical and an ancient play by Titus Maccias Plautus 1966/USA Melvin Frank Production
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Tragedy tomorrow/Comedy tonight! – lyrics by Stephen Sondheim[/box]
Add Stephen Sondheim’s songs to some of the greatest comic actors ever and a good time will be had by all.
The story is based on an actual Roman comedy. Pseudolus (Zero Mostel), a crafty slave, plots to gain his freedom from young master Hero (Michael Crawford) by uniting him with Philia, a beautiful virgin courtesan under the protection of a brothel owned by Marcus Lycus (Phil Silvers). Complications arise as Philia is already promised as the bride of a blowhard Roman officer. In addition, Hero’s own father (Michael Hordern)) lusts after the girl himself. Appearing at intervals is Erroneus (Buster Keaton) as an old man searching for his missing children. With Jack Gilford as a supposed eunuch.
Nobody is going to accuse this musical of being the best ever made. but it is fun, the colors are bright, and the music is good. It was a very welcome diversion from the epics and misery fests that have been clogging 1966 lately.
But even without all that, I could not possibly leave Buster Keaton’s last film unseen. He died during post-production. I feel sad to be continuing this journey without him.
Violence at Noon (Hakuchu no torima) Directed by Nagasa Oshima Written by Tsutomu Tomura from a novel by Taijun Takeda 1966/Japan Sozosha
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] My hatred for Japanese cinema includes absolutely all of it. – Nagasa Oshima[/box]
Director Oshima’s favorite theme is the intersection of sex, violence and death. Despite the buckets of style applied, this is not a junction at which I want to spend much time.
The story moves back and forth between flashback and current time at regular intervals. The film begins with the rape of a servant girl in a wealthy home and the subsequent rape and murder of her mistress. The fits the MO of the “High Noon Killer” and the servant girl could certainly identify him if she wanted to. Problem is she has a complicated past with the killer and his wife. We then learn, in flashback, about the love quadrangle that set the events in motion. It, too, features a rape.
I have discovered that Japanese films of this era love to portray rape as something that creates some kind of emotional bond between the rapist and the victim. I’d love to know if anyone else sees that. At any rate, I can appreciate the inventive compositions and cinematography without liking the movie much.
I didn’t pay enough attention to either of these movies to write a full review.
Masculin/Feminin Directed by Jean-Luc Godard Written by Jean-Luc Godard from stories by Guy de Maupassant 1966/France/Sweden Anouchka Films/Svensk Filmindustri/etc.
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
Still don’t like Godard or his films. Sub-title is “The Children of Marx and Coca-Cola” which about sums up the conversation here.
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken Directed by Alan Rafkin Written by James Fritzell and Everett Greenbaum 1966/US Universal Pictures
First viewing/Netflix rental
Don Knotts generally cracks me up. Here he does his nervous schtick but it all seemed like a dated sitcom. I’ve discovered this is a beloved movie from childhood for a lot of people and your mileage may vary.
Young Törless (Der junge Törless) Directed by Volker Schlöndorff Written by Herbert Asmadi and Volker Schlöndorff from a novel by Robert Musil 1966/West Germany/France Franz Seitz Filmproduktion/Nouvelles Editions de Films
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Thomas Törless: There’s no mystery there. Things just happen. Anything’s possible. There’s not an evil world and a good world. They exist together in the same world.[/box]
I knew going in that I did not want to watch a movie about torture at a boarding school and got exactly what I deserved.
Thomas Törless (Mathieu Carriere) is a cerebral young man who is the latest arrival at a German boarding school. He is befriended by students Beineberg and Reiting. Another student, Basini, steals money from one to pay a debt owed to another. Instead of reporting the incident to school authorities, the boys devise their own punishment. This comprises escalating forms of torture and humiliation. Basini goes along in the mistaken belief that he will eventually be let alone. Thomas passively looks on in a futile effort to understand human behavior. With Barbara Steele as a prostitute.
If you are not as squeamish as I, there is an interesting analogy to Nazi Germany to explore here and lots of philosophical talk.
Couldn’t find anything with subtitles, so here’s this
Eye of the Devil Directed by J. Lee Thompson Written by Robin Estridge and Dennis Murphy from Estridge’s novel 1966/UK Filmways Pictures
First viewing/Amazon Instant
[box] People tend to fear the ghosts in their own family. You feel these family curses and think, ‘If it happened to my father, it could happen to me.’ Christian Louboutin [/box]
I came for the awesome cast. All I can say is the material let the actors down.
Marquis Philippe de Monfaucon (David Niven), his wife Catherine (Deborah Kerr), and two children live the good life. Then Philippe is suddenly called away to the family vineyards, which are suffering the effects of a drought. He bans Catherine and the kids from traveling with him. She soon disobeys and joins him there. We are introduced to two creepy siblings (David Hemmings and Sharon Tate) who appear to have supernatural powers. Finally, we learn that the vineyard workers believe only a sacrifice of the Marquis will save their crops More stuff happens. With Donald Pleasance, Emlyn Williams, and Flora Robson.
A cardinal rule of the horror genre is that a long build-up must result in a big pay-off. Dull movie ends with a wimper instead of a bang.
Tokyo Drifter (Tokyo nagaremono)
Directed by Seijun Suzuki
Written by Yasunori Kawauchi
1966/Japan
Nikkatsu
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Tetsuya ‘Phoenix Tetsu’ Hondo: A drifter needs no woman.[/box]
This film is a feast for the eyes. Not so much for the mind or heart.
Tetsuya Hondo is the right hand man to yakusa boss Kurata. He follows Kurata in an attempt to go straight. A rival gang tries to muscle in on Kurata’s legitimate business and Hondo decides to become a drifter to take the heat off.
Naturally, this doesn’t work and we follow the gunshots as they follow Hondo throughout Japan.
If it weren’t for IMDb I don’t know if I could have explained the plot. This is all style and no substance. The use of color is amazing. Suzuki keeps the mood playful rather than pretentious so it went down easily.
I lost track of how many times this song is performed in the film. Easily in the two figures.
The Battle of Algiers (La battaglia di Algeri) Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo Written by Franco Salinas and Gillo Pontecorvo 1966/Italy/Algiers Casbah Film/Igor Film Repeat viewing/Netflix rental
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
[box] Journalist: M. Ben M’Hidi, don’t you think it’s a bit cowardly to use women’s baskets and handbags to carry explosive devices that kill so many innocent people?
Ben M’Hidi: And doesn’t it seem to you even more cowardly to drop napalm bombs on defenseless villages, so that there are a thousand times more innocent victims? Of course, if we had your airplanes it would be a lot easier for us. Give us your bombers, and you can have our baskets.[/box]
This amazing documentary-style re-enactment of terrorism and retaliation in Algeria’s struggle for independence is hard to take but more relevant than ever.
The story begins with the radicalization of Ali, an illiterate teenager living in the Casbah of Algiers. He is readily accepted into one of many terrorist cells in the city. We witness many brutal attacks, including a major strike in which the Air France office and two cafes frequented by French people are targeted. The retaliation is equally brutal.
The French call in the army and Col. Mathieu sets about to destroy the Casbah. We are told terrorism was wiped out in Algiers and the war moved to the mountains. In the end, independence is won, not by terrorism, but by a shift in French opinion and a mass uprising of the people.
I just watched in awe as I contemplated the gigantic task Pontecorvo set for himself. There are crowd scenes with hundreds of extras that look exactly like newsreel footage. The chaos of the upheaval is vividly captured. It’s a masterpiece but not anything I will pull out on a regular basis.
In 2003, the Pentagon famously screened this film for officers and civilian experts who were discussing the challenges faced by the US military forces in Iraq. The flier inviting guests to the screening read: “How to win a battle against terrorism and lose the war of ideas”. Folks didn’t seem to learn much.
The Battle of Algiers was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director, and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written directly for the screen.
Grand Prix Directed by John Frankenheimer Written by Robert Alan Arthur 1966/USA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/John Frankenheimer Productions/etc.
First viewing/Netflix rental
Pete Aron: [voiceover continues] The only thing to do here is to drive just as fast as you know how, and hope your car doesn’t break.
If not for the splendid racing scenes, this would just be another waste of some good actors on 3 hours of typical mid-sixties melodrama.
The film begins with several voice-overs that introduce the characters and explain Formula 1 racing to the uninitiated. It then settles on the story of American driver Pete Aron (James Garner) who is accused of causing a British challenger to spin out and become seriously injured. He is fired from his team. Aron becomes a sports journalist but is soon picked up by Izo Yamura (Toshiro Mifune) and drives for him.
Saul Bass title sequence
Pete takes up with the injured driver’s estranged wife (Jessica Walters), setting up a love triangle. Another kind of love triangle is the romance between married super-star driver Jean-Pierre Sarti (Yves Montand) and an American fashion designer (Eva Marie Saint).
It says something about this movie that my husband, a huge Formula 1 fan, had no desire to see this again. Some of the driving shots are absolutely spectacular and the film ends with an unbelievable crash sequence. I just wish they hadn’t hung such a dopey story to it.
Grand Prix won Academy Awards in the categories of Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Effects, Sound Effects .
I’ve been a classic movie fan for many years. My original mission was to see as many movies as I could get my hands on for every year from 1929 to 1970. I have completed that mission.
I then carried on with my chronological journey and and stopped midway through 1978. You can find my reviews of 1934-1978 films and “Top 10” lists for the 1929-1936 and 1944-77 films I saw here. For the past several months I have circled back to view the pre-Code films that were never reviewed here.
I’m a retired Foreign Service Officer living in Indio, California. When I’m not watching movies, I’m probably traveling, watching birds, knitting, or reading.
Photographs and videos found in this blog, unless indicated, are not owned by me and are here only for the purpose of education and discussion. Media found here are not intended for any commercial purpose. Copyright infringement is not intended.
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This film has an appealing, almost Buñuelian, wit and surrealistic feeling. I had fun watching it.
