2nd Birthday!!!

Two years ago today, Blues In The Night was launched. I want to thank you for making this all possible. I've really been busy and have been unable to update this site with regular posts lately, but it is not dead. There are still many, many films to tackle and present here. Stay tuned for big things in the future!
Andrew

The Legend Of The Lone Ranger

1952



SYNOPSIS

When a gang ambushes a group of Texas Rangers, an Indian named Tonto (Jay Silverheels) find one survivor and nurses him back to health. The survivor (Clayton Moore) recovers and rechristens himself "The Lone Ranger" and vows to bring down the gang.

MY THOUGHTS

A promising start quickly devolves into a crapfest.

The film was comprised of the first three episodes of the TV series The Lone Ranger (filmed in 1949.) I never knew how the Lone Ranger came to be, so this origin story piqued my interest.

The initial moments of the story are actually great. You feel for the characters and hope the sole survivor gets back at the all-evil gang. But once the survivor dons the mask of the Lone Ranger, the film quickly becomes cornier than a can of creamed corn and cheesier than Velveeta. The Lone Ranger and Tonto become infallible and undefeatable destroying any believability.

The film/TV episodes are poorly edited together.... with several unnecessary shots of heroes and villains riding horses from left to right of the camera endlessly linked together, clearly to pad the already short 70 minute runtime.

Both Moore and Silverheels give the iconic performances that they are best known for, yet it's clear very early into the simple revenge plot that the film will go their way. It quickly becomes tedious and boring... and practically unwatchable.

Rockin' In The Rockies

1945 Columbia Pictures
Directed By Vernon Keays


SYNOPSIS

Two vagrants (Larry Fine + Curly Howard) duck from the cops in a Reno nightclub. After accidentally winning some cash, they're approached by a prospector/huckster named Shorty Williams (Moe Howard.) He convinces them to invest their money in his new mine, as well as also snaring two nightclub singers (Mary Beth Hughes,+ Gladys Blake.) Shorty takes the four back to his ranch... and soon they learn the place actually belongs to Shorty's cousin (Jay Kirby.) A western swing band (The Hoosier Hotshots) is also staying at the ranch and team up with the two singers once they find out a Broadway producer is vacationing in Reno and try for an audition... all the while while they're looking for gold... and rustling cattle.
 

MY THOUGHTS

A western, a musical, a Three Stooges comedy, all rolled up into one big train wreck.

Rockin' In The Rockies is a departure for the Stooges. In nearly all of their output, they play a trio. Here their characters are split up (Larry + Curly, and a mostly solo Moe) much like the Marx Brothers were usually apart (Chico + Harpo, with Groucho alone or with Zeppo.)
Unlike the other two, Moe has a different character name and is often separated on screen as well, which changes the whole dynamic of the group. He even has a normal haircut! Larry spends his time bossing Curly around when the three aren't together. Their humor is more subdued than usual with a lot less slapstick.
The trademark Stooge shenanigans also take a back seat to some real stupid humor (a talking mounted deer head and a talking horse among others) that just make you groan.


Also look for frequent Stooge foil, Vernon Dent, who (for once) sadly doesn't get a chance to get pissed off at the trio. His role doesn't amount to much though.

The rest of the film is pretty much a mess.
-The other characters are uninteresting and you are never made to care about them.
-The film clocks in at about 65-70 minutes, so with a mining plot, a rustling cattle plot, and the Broadway producer plot all vying for screen time, none of them are really fully developed and fall into cliches. For once in a B movie, there's TOO much plot.
-And the film is a musical, so there are frequent songs also competing for time. The music is mostly western swing music, which is fine and enjoyable, but the songs just aren't memorable.

Rockin' In The Rockies is only interesting when the Three Stooges appear on camera... and I would only recommend the film to diehard fans. (It is not to be confused with the Three Stooges classic 1940 short Rockin' Through The Rockies.)

Rockin' In The Rockies is not available on DVD, but is currently streaming on Netflix.

Bamboo Gods And Iron Men

1974 - American International
Directed By Cesar Gallardo

SYNOPSIS

Boxer Cal Jefferson (James Iglehart) is on his honeymoon in Hong Kong with his new bride (Shirley Washington.) They purchase a wooden Buddha statue and have it shipped back to their hotel. On their way back, Cal rescues a drowning mute Chinese man, Charlie, (Chiquito) who dedicates his life to Cal. The couple (and stowaway Charlie) head to the Philippines with a secret stashed with their statue... a supposed ancient secret to world domination... and a group of people who will stop at nothing to get that secret are after them!

MY THOUGHTS

An obscure, fun kung fu adventure.

The fun stems from the action scenes and the comic tone of the film. Serious stuff may be happening, but the film never takes itself serious and a joke or gag is only a moment away. Much of the goofiness comes from Charlie. His humor is a bit too over the top at times, but it keeps things light.

Though Cal and his new bride are African-American, the film should hardly categorized as a blaxploitation film, due to it's setting and lack of racial politics. I would label it "All Kung Fu."

The fight choreography is not among the best of kung fu films but it is adequate. Same goes for the acting (especially the lame main villain.)
Shot on location in the Philippines, the cinematography is outstanding for such a low budget film. That country looks beautiful anytime the camera is outside.
The film is also well edited, keeping a decent level of suspense and intrigue throughout and well mixed with the comedy and occasional gratuitous nudity. The climax also works perfectly with the tone of the film.

It's not going to win any Oscars, but Bamboo Gods And Iron Men is a helluva lot of fun.

Bucktown

1975 - American International
Directed By Arthur Marks


SYNOPSIS
Duke Johnson (Fred Williamson) heads to a small scuzzy southern town for his brother's funeral. He's willed his brother's home and shuttered nightclub... and soon falls for his brother's girlfriend Aretha (Pam Grier) When he tries to reopen the club, he rubs the corrupt and redneck police the wrong way. He calls his old pal Roy (Thalmus Rasulala) who brings in some muscle and they take down the police. The overjoyed mayor makes Roy sheriff and soon Roy and his goons become worse than the old cops. Duke decides they must be destroyed.

MY THOUGHTS

A gritty, violent blaxploitation near-classic.


The story really works as a blaxploitation film, and would make a great western as well... but the film is not without faults. First, Duke, Roy and his posse never face any punishment for killing the redneck cops. They were bad men, but no one ever gets away scot-free for killing police. Did they not have any family angry over their brazen killing? Second, the level of violence leveled against the rednecks (and later, the posse themselves) is extreme, almost to the point of generating sympathy for the victims. It's hard to root for the hero who inflicts THAT much pain.


Still, Fred Williamson gives a standout performance. In other films, like Black Caesar, Williamson seemed humorless, almost stiff. In the first half of Bucktown, he's loose and funny and thoroughly seems to be enjoying himself. That makes the character a lot more relatable and (a bit ) easier to root for, especially during the second half of the film which is pretty much solid action and has little to no character development.

The solid Pam Grier is somewhat wasted in her supporting role. However, She and Williamson have a great chemistry... and like many of her movies, she gets topless.
The supporting cast is also sharp and memorable. Look for Carl Weathers, as one of the goons, just a year before Rocky.

The film ends in a brutal fistfight between Duke and Roy. The fight plays out better than your average movie fight. It feels less like a stylish, choreographed battle and more like a real slugfest. The pain and suffering is nearly equally dished out between opponents, so it helps to make you forget some of the weaker bits.

There are far better blaxploitation films... but Bucktown is still a very entertaining film for lovers of extreme action.

Sugar Hill

1974 - American International
Directed By Paul Maslansky


SYNOPSIS

When Sugar Hill's (Marki Bey) boyfriend refuses to sell his nightclub to a bunch of gangsters, they beat him to death. Sugar turns to an old voodoo queen (Zara Cully) for help and thanks to Baron Samedi (Don Pedro Colley,) she gets an army of the undead to help her exact revenge.

MY THOUGHTS

A great mix of a blaxploitation and a zombie film.

Rare for both genres, Sugar Hill managed a PG rating. It lacks excessive violence, nudity, strong language or gore that are commonplace for those films... and still manages to be exciting, tense and a lot of fun.
Also lacking was a big budget... but the filmmakers made due with what they had. The zombie makeup was low-tech but creepy as hell... especially the shiny brass eyes.

Plot-wise, the film is very simple... just your typical revenge story, without any unnecessary sub-plot. It gets right down to the story, tells it, and finishes it. Great economic storytelling.


B-movie giant American International was one of the leading studios making blaxploitation films in the '70s, most notably those starring Pam Grier (Foxy Brown, Coffy, etc.) I wonder why she wasn't cast in this. Marki Bey is fine as Sugar, but I think Grier would have been a better choice because she has a stronger screen presence.

The acting is not the strongest overall, but you don't look for master thespians in a film like this.

American International also was responsible for the 2 Blacula films (far better known blaxploitation/horror combos) but this film is far better than either.


Sugar Hill is a fun, well-made film that would definitely impress and entertain fans of both horror and blaxploitation.

Seven Chances

1925
Directed By Buster Keaton


SYNOPSIS

Jimmie (Buster Keaton) stands to inherit 7 million dollars from his deceased grandfather... if he is married by 7 o'clock on his 27th birthday... which is today! His girl (Ruth Dwyer) rejects his sudden and underwhelming proposal... so he tries to get any woman he knows to marry him with no success. After an article appears in the afternoon newspaper about the inheritance... every woman in town will stop at nothing to get him!

MY THOUGHTS

Seven Chances isn't as well known as some of Buster Keaton's films, but it should be.

The first half of the film is slow (almost boring,) setting up the plot. It features no action and a few mildly amusing moments. Then it dramatically shifts from first gear all the way to fifth and the film races to its finish... with Keaton literally running top speed the entire way. A mob of hundreds hungry brides chasing him... he jumps off a cliff onto a tree being chopped down. He then dashes down a steep hill, triggering a landslide with bouncing boulders threatening his life the entire way down. The entire sequence must be seen to be believed. (see above video) The shots and editing are as close to perfect as any scene could possibly be.


The premise, which came from a play, has been used before Keaton and many times after.
 
Fans of the Three Stooges will easily recognize the plot was later 'borrowed' for one of their most well known shorts 1947's Brideless Groom.


With as much success as the Stooges were able to have with the same plot... Keaton's take is still superior in every way.