Smile (1975)

Smile (1975) is a forgotten satire about a beauty pageant in Santa Rosa, small town California, representative of the heartland. Written by Jerry Belson and directed by Michael Ritchie, there’s plenty of gags and one liners about the Young American Miss Pageant, which this movie observes, from the preparations to talent show routines to the […]

Radio On (1979)

I’ve never had a strong urge to travel. I’m happy to, when we could, but never felt that strong wanderlust. Over the past two years though, I’ve fallen more and more in love with movies that travel. A certain type of arthouse vibe that’s not about sight seeing or having a good time. Usually it’s […]

Messiah Of Evil (1973)

I was keen to see Messiah Of Evil (1973) as it had often been compared to Carnival Of Souls, a low-budget horror movie that I’ve come to love because of the atmosphere it creates. Like in Carnival Of Souls, a close up on a suspicious, evil person in Messiah Of Evil might reveal bad, cheap […]

Five Dolls For An August Moon (1970)

Five Dolls For An August Moon (1970; 5 bambole per la luna d’agosto) feels like you’ve been invited to a swanky party at a cool pad resting on a hill by the coast of an island. The guests are all glamorous, the music on the stereo system is groovy (score by Piero Umiliani). And then […]

Evil Of Dracula (1974)

Evil Of Dracula (1974; Chi o Sū Bara) is a Japanese cinematic riff on the Hammer Horror formula. It’s your basic Dracula story, this time imagined as taking place in an all-girls residential college out in the countryside. A new hunky psychology teacher, Professor Shiraki (Toshio Kurosawa) arrives by train and becomes acquainted with the […]