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Einer frisst den anderen
Einer frisst den anderen (1964)
Mediterranean getaway...
9 June 2002
"Dog Eat Dog" follows the backstabbing adventures of a group of thieves. This black and white, foreign production, is probably most notable for the presence of Jayne Mansfield. Her character, "Darlene" is a member of a three member criminal gang. She is both fond of money, clean underwear, and using the expression "crackers".

Cameron Mitchell is the second member of the group, who is nearly dealt out of the game by the third (Ivor Salter). Mistrustful, but still bound by the money, the group takes to the sea to make their getaway, trailed by an opportunistic hotel manger (Aldo Carmada). Stopping at an island, they encounter a strange group in residency there. Greed and madness lead to murder. And the money becomes a ridiculous fashion accessory.

Not a great deal of depth, to this B movie, but OK for some late evening intrigue and suspense.
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Up to His Ears
Up to His Ears (1965)
French Style 60's Romp...
9 December 2001
I saw this when it was shown recently on TCM, because I have enjoyed Jean Paul Belmondo's films, particularly "The Burglars". Also this film had supposedly provided some inspiration for the "Indiana Jones" films.

Belmondo is a playboy type, living on a ship, who is propelled into an adventure. There is no logical plot to speak of, just a continuous series of madcap events. Some incidents are entertaining, and others less so, but in any event the movie is best viewed with the brain set in neutral. The scenes involving a balloon and also the escapades on scaffolding are particularly amusing.

Inspiration maybe, but comparisons to "Indiana Jones" would seem to be superficial. This movie is more light hearted, and Belmondo is more of a bumbler than a fearless adventurer. There is a scene with a vine bridge across a canyon, which was also part of "Temple of Doom's" plot, but that aside there are no obvious similarities.

Ursula Andress however, appears on a beach in a white bikini very similar to the one she wore in "Dr. No".

In summary, this is not bad if you don't mind a scattered but creative plot. See this if you have the chance just for the experience. It's fun, but not quite for everyone.

K-Rating: 5/10
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The Shootout
The Shootout (1992)
4/10
I should have known ..
20 August 2001
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS!!!! The information available at the IMDB is invaluable when deciding what movies will become part of my collection. So when considering the purchase of "The Shootout" I checked the site to see what others had to say. Surprisingly, for a movie almost ten years old, it had not yet received the minimum number of comments. This should have told me something. Despite this, I took a chance and purchased the DVD version, which is subtitled and not dubbed.

In the movie's opening sequence, an armored car is robbed a gang of thieves on motorcycles. Guards are killed, and the bandits make off with a large amount of cash. Unfortunately, this is one of only two decent action sequences in this film. The second sequence is the film's finale. In between is 80 minutes that fails to be entertaining or amusing. A story that quickly bogs down as a group of four incompetent cops tries to capture the thieves.

The lead actor, Aaron Kwok, plays a bumbling police officer. Instead of focusing on the case, his attention is devoted to pursuing a woman he sees in a market. Lucky for him, she turns out to be involved with the leader of the band of thieves.

Jackie Chan is credited as the Producer, and there are continuous attempts to inject a comedic flavor. It just doesn't work. If you do laugh, it probably will not be at something that the filmmakers intended you to laugh at, like the excessive use of sparks whenever there are shots fired.

The movie's finale is the best action sequence in the film, but it's nothing outstanding, and the close quarters fighting is just OK. Why this movie was titled the "The Shootout" is a mystery. There is no big shootout scene, and when the major baddie dies, it isn't in a gunfight.

Aside from the action scenes at the beginning and end, there is very little to recommend in this film. Kwok's performance is annoying, and without any charm. The rest of the cast isn't much better. Adding the IQ's of the rest of the detective team, you might not get a three digit number.

I wish that reviews had been posted before I got this movie. Avoid my mistake. "The Shootout" is off target, and fires major blanks. (Maybe that's where all the sparks came from)

K-Rating: 3/10.
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