FLIGHT TO MARS

Huston, Franz and Mitchell

FLIGHT TO MARS (1951). Director: Lesley Selander. 

Five people travel on a spaceship to Mars: scientists Professor Jackson (Richard Gaines), Dr. Lane (John Litel of Runaway Daughters), and Dr. Barker (Arthur Franz); along with Barker's apparent fiancee and assistant, Carol (Virginia Huston); and reporter Steve Abbott (Cameron Mitchell of The Silent Scream). During the journey triangle tension develops between Barker, Carol and Steve, but they are in more danger from passing meteorites. Arriving on Mars they discover an advanced underground civilization. Although the leader, Ikron (Morris Ankrum of Beginning of the End), seems friendly to the earthlings and offers to help them repair their rocket ship, in reality he is scheming to steal their technology so they can leave their dying planet and take over the earth. 

The latest in Martian fashions!

Flight to Mars begins well, with some interesting discussions aboard the ship en route to Mars, and sincere attempts at characterization. One of the scientists puts forth the interesting theory that the universe is one enormous living being. Unfortunately, once the group reaches Mars, the film turns into a dreary and rather dull and cliche-ridden story of dying planets and alien treachery. Fortunately, some of the Martians are on the side of the visitors and help them, and there is some minor suspense as the earthlings make their getaway from Mars. The acting is good enough for this Monogram production. Marguerite Chapman is cast as Alita, a fetching Martian lady who falls for Barker even as his cast-off girlfriend begins falling for the persistent Abbott -- the soap opera aspects of the story are not compelling. 

Verdict: Begins well, becomes a bore. **. 

MURDER IN MESOPOTAMIA Agatha Christie

MURDER IN MESOPOTAMIA Agatha Christie. (1936). William Morrow trade paperback edition. 

Agatha Christie accompanied her second husband, Max Mallowan, on his archeological expeditions, and on occasion used these digs as the location for one of her mysteries. In this suspenseful story, an attractive middle-aged woman, who brought out strong emotions in the people around her, the wife of the dig's leader, is found murdered, and famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot determines that it had to be an inside job. The victim had been receiving threatening letters, but it is not so certain that they were genuine. There are numerous suspects, various motives and strange psychological attributes that Poirot and the narrator, a young nurse, must sort through to arrive at the solution. The book is very well-written with excellent characterizations, as well as Christie's colorful view of the location, circa 1930's. While one aspect to the solution is quite clever, Christie is at her most audacious when she finally unveils the murderer. When I first read this novel decades ago,. I thought this was so far-fetched as to be laughable -- and it would have been a relatively simple matter for the author to clear up one or two points that would have made it more believable -- but now that I take the character flaws of the victim into stronger consideration, I wonder if the book is quite as improbable as I thought. In any case, whatever you think of the denouement, this is a fascinating mystery. This story was featured on an episode of the series Poirot with the wonderful David Suchet. 

Verdict: Christie doesn't kid around! ***

KING KONG VS. GODZILLA

Godzilla and Kong duke it out by the seaside

KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (aka Kingu Kongu tai Gojira/1962). Director: Ishiro Honda. NOTE: This is the original Japanese version of the film with English sub-titles. 

A submarine has an unfortunate encounter with Godzilla even as Mr. Tako (Ichiro Arishima), the hysterical head of a pharmaceutical firm, wishes he had something fantastic to help advertise his products. He orders two employees to Faro island to investigate stories of a berry with amazing qualities as well as of the supposed God that lords it over the natives, Kong. Kong turns out to actually exist, and the berries help put the big gorilla to sleep. Kong is captured and taken by boat to Japan, but he breaks free and engages Godzilla -- also on the loose on the mainland -- although their first encounter ends in a draw. Which of the legendary monsters will win in their second epic slugfest? 

Godzilla is ready for his close up

Godzilla/Gojira had already appeared in several Japanese films since Gojira when the idea came to pit the big lizard against the famous Kong, with not very felicitous results. For one thing, although the movie gets a bit more "dramatic" towards the end, it comes off like a parody for most of its length. The "suitmation" FX for the two title characters are pretty pitiful (Kong has a kind of tortured expression under his comical mask, but that may be the angst of the actor in the headgear), and the process work is also poor for the most part. The best sequence actually has to do with a gigantic octopus -- this appears to be the real thing -- that slithers around the native huts and gets driven off by Kong.

Sahara and Takashima

The human characters -- aside from that low comedy bumbler, Tako -- consist of Tako's employee Osamu Sakurai (Tadao Takashima), his sister Fumiko (Mie Hama), Fumiko's boyfriend, Kazuo (Kenji Sahara), and Osamu's colleague, Kinsaburo (Yu Fujiki). At one point Fumiko is picked off a train by Kong and carried around in his humongous paw (everyone else seems to fall from the train to their deaths but there's no reaction to this). The film is shot in widescreen "Tohoscope" and the score by Akira Ifukube is better than the film deserves. Gotta love the chorus sung by the natives as Kong falls asleep!

By the way it is not true that Kong wins the fight in the U.S. version and Godzilla in the original. In both versions they fall into the sea, Kong swims back to his island, and Godzilla is presumed still alive under the ocean. 

Verdict: Kong deserves so much better. Hell, so does Godzilla.  **. 

PARTY FROM HELL

Jackie Moore as Molly

PARTY FROM HELL (2021). Director: Jared Cohn. 

Denise (April Martucci) is planning to launch a new interface for her company with her sister-in-law, Ashley (Veronika Issa) -- bolstered by seven million from entrepreneur Peter (Eric Roberts) -- and a major party is planned for the event. Denise literally bumps into a party planner named Molly (Jackie Moore) and hires her to put the launch party together. At the tasting session, things don't go so well when Peter's allergy to peanuts sends him to the hospital -- no peanut products were supposed to be in the appetizers -- and things get worse from there. Ashley disappears as a vengeful Molly starts a campaign to not only destroy Denise but everyone around her, including her daughter Grace (Nicolette Langley) and husband, Josh (Matthew Pohlkamp). Molly takes no prisoners, even framing the nice black employee, Liam (DeShaude Barner) for theft of a corporate credit card. 

April Martucci

To be frank, Party from Hell isn't very good but it is entertaining, which counts for something. The actors are competent, although none of the performances stand out. Molly is the latest in a long line of sociopaths with a grudge -- in this case she hates a group of girls who tormented her in school and has already disposed of several of them. The story proceeds at a good pace, but is devoid of style or real tension. There's no elan to the murder sequences. As for primary victim Denise she fires Liam without doing any investigating, and gets absolutely hysterical because Josh has some lipstick on his collar after a party in a bar -- she's not too tightly wrapped, either. 

Verdict: Plan your next party yourself! **1/4.