Countdown (1967) Robert Altman, James Caan & Robert Duvall Go To The Moon

I’m always a sucker for a good old space yarn centered around Mankind’s reach for the Stars and the Moon. The story of NASA and the lunar project’s have been a fascination for many, young and old. I’m too young to have seen a man on the Moon, though I was a wee little baby at tender age of one when Eugene Cernan last stepped on the lunar surface.  As I grew, my affection and interest with the space programs grew. The 80’s were a fantastic time for all things space related, you had the Space Shuttle program and the first astronaut jetpack untethered space walk, Russia’s amazing Mir Space Station and then unfortunately that doomed Challenger mission. These were just key moments in this here wide-eyed teenaged wolf but from those years, my obsession with space grew.

Dark Passage (1947) Bogart In First Person Face-Off Thriller

Was recommended this noir thriller starring husband and wife double act Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.  I for sure wasn’t expecting to be wowed by its unique take right from the get go. For this film’s first few acts are played out entirely in first person perspective. Meaning that our “hero” Vincent Parry (Humphrey Bogart) face is never seen for a big portion of the film. Filmed in a point of view (POV) style or his face being covered up. A very brave decision for the studio to have made I can imagine, not having your big star, leading man’s face on the screen.

Fat City (1972) Real Life Can Pack Quite A Punch!

Down and nearly out ex-semi pro boxer Billy Tully (Stacy Keach) looks into another empty bottle of spirits and drags himself to his feet, hey he might be down but he’s not out for the count yet. Determined to get back into shape and start a fresh, he packs his dirty old kit and heads off to the boxing gym. Wheezing, straining and sweating off the booze from countless nights, he steps and skips around the hall, shadow punching, ducking and a diving. He’s still got the moves under all that rust and achy bones.

The Honeymoon Killers (1970) The True Life Lonely Hearts Killers

Balding, slimey, lothario Ray Fernandez (Tony Lo Bianco) makes his way through life as a confidence trickster. Seducing older ladies with his charm and perfectly rehearsed, fictional backstory.  Attracting vulnerable elderly ladies whom maybe less lucky in love, wheedling his way into their lives with charisma and the lure of his Spanish accent. Once he has ensnared his prey, the plan is to marry and steal all their cash. Ray scans the lonely hearts columns for his victims, unfortunately there is abundance of unloved, alone ladies for him to play his cruel games on.

The Street With No Name (1948) FBI, Gangsters, Infiltration and Informants

Funny how you watch one superb film and before you know it there’s two more excellent films you see connected to it and off back you go into movieland. This time it happened straight off the bat of watching the first-rate 1955 Samuel Fuller directed, Japan meets US gangster flick starring Robert Ryan called House Of Bamboo. On further investigation it revealed that the film was actually a loose remake of a 1948 Richard Widmark movie called The Street With No Name featuring the same theme of infiltrating a gangster outfit. Now I was hit by a dilemma? I can’t do every film I see, so which film gets a post?

Wolfman’s Science Fiction Soundtrack Music Compilation

Here is a 30 minute delve into the science fiction world of electronic soundscapes created through film scores. Filtered trailers from classic sci-fi movies intertwined with soundtracks from different composers, featuring the works of luminaries from the likes of John Carpenter, Jerry Goldsmith to Vangelis. Traveling through the worlds of Dune to Escape From New York and Blade Runner to name a few.

The Trial (1962) Awesome Welles, Incredible Sets, Surreal Story, Perkins and Eyes!

It’s been a few weeks since I watched this one. My brain keeps constantly flicking back, trying to work out WTF it was all about. The undercurrent meaning, the symbolism, the poetic nuances and trying to decipher what the hell did he do? I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out what could of lead him to The Trial! Definitely some clues in there, and some rather dark ones too I think?

Outland (1981) Sean Connery In Space With A Shotgun! Nuff Said!

I always manage to leave just enough time between viewings of Outland for it to still give me an exciting fresh feeling. Probably watch it every six years since my first viewing in the late 80’s. Actually, I could watch it on Earth, then squeeze myself into the Galileo spacecraft, go into hypersleep for the six year trip to Jupiter I, wake up and watch it on the space station, return home and repeat.

Spaceways (1953) Hush Hush! Top Secret! Hammer Does Spy Sci-fi

I think the poster might over sell it a bit!

I don’t know if the 1953 film Spaceways was Hammer Film Productions first tip toe into the science fiction genre, although it did come a few years earlier than the start of the awesome Quatermass films. Yet the BBC TV series did come out in the same year, I don’t know if Hammer had the rights then?

Crossfire (1947) Robert Ryan & Hate Is Like A Loaded Gun!

Another great thing about doing this here blog is discovering actors I had previously missed. Robert Ryan is one such actor. I know his face well from a couple of classic films, two big favourites of mine too. Playing Deke Thornton in Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch and Col Everett Dasher Breed in Robert Aldrich’s The Dirty Dozen but you know what I’m ashamed to say I never knew his name or filmography.