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Daily Archives: December 20, 2019

The Flim-Flam Man (1967)

Posted on December 20, 2019 | Leave a comment

The Flim-Flam Man
Directed by Irvin Kershner
Written by William Rose based on a novel by Guy Owen
1967/US
IMDb link
First viewing/You Tube

[box] Mordecai Jones: Educational Credits: “M.B.S., C.S., D.D. – Master of Back-Stabbing, Cork-Screwing and Dirty-Dealing!”[/box]

This is an OK con man comedy along the lines of The Sting and Paper Moon which are both superior, despite the heroic efforts of George C. Scott in this.

Curley (Michael Sarrazin) is AWOL and on the run from Military Police. He hitches a ride on a train and meets Mordecai Jones (Scott). Jones takes a liking to the youngster and proceeds to introduce him to many different scams. Some take advantage of the greed of the victim. Others are just theft. Along the way the two run up against Sherrif Slade (Harry Morgan – what a career he had!). Curley falls in love with Bonnie Lee Packard (Sue Lyon) the daughter of one of their marks. With a ton of great character actors including Slim Pickens, Jack Albertson, Alice Ghostly and Strother Martin.

I probably shouldn’t be reviewing this as the copy on YouTube was blurry and distracting. Also I came specifically to hear the title tune, which was written by Laura Nyro and covered by Barbra Streisand. It was nowhere to be found! Setting those things aside, this is moderately enjoyable fare.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hEm6LiU3rw

Laura Nyro singing the song

Viy (1967)

Posted on December 20, 2019 | 4 comments

Viy
Directed by Konstantin Ershov and Georgiy Kropachyov
Written by Konstantin Ershov and Georgiy Kropachyov from a story by Nicholai Gogol
1967/USSR
IMDb link
First viewing/YouTube
One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
One of 1000 Movies on the “They Shoot Zombies Don’t They” List

[box] “I am fated to journey hand in hand with my strange heroes and to survey the surging immensity of life, to survey it through the laughter that all can see and through the tears unseen and unknown by anyone.” ― Nikolai Gogol[/box]

Horror Soviet-style turns out to be entertaining if not particularly scary.

Khoma (Leonid Kuravlyov) is a bit of a sad sack and is studying to be a monk. He and a few of his fellow students go on vacation, which consists of a lot of drinking and other sinful behavior. They run out of money and don’t have a place to spend the night. An old crone at a farmhouse agrees to take them in but they must all occupy different rooms. Khoma is left sleeping in the barn next to some livestock. The old woman enters and tries to seduce him. She talks him into letting her mount his back and flies off with him.

Clearly she is a witch and Khoma proceeds to beat her savagely. As the old lady succumbs to the blows she transforms into a young beauty. Khoma runs away. On her death bed, she instructs her father to sent for Khoma to pray for her soul. She dies and the father forces Khoma to spend three nights praying over her corpse. She and monsters from hell try to scare him to death.

The plot summary may not suggest it but there is a good deal of comedy in this film. Such a relief to get back to a List film that actually tells a story. What these guys could have done with a bigger special effects budget!