Good Burger (1997)

Synopsis: Dex wrecks his mother's car as well as his teacher's and takes a summer job to raise the money to pay for both repairs. He starts at Mondo Burger but is fired and then is offered a job at its smaller rival Good Burger. There he befriends Ed, who has a very low I.Q.

Appraisal: This film manages a smart combination of the awesome and the awful; it somehow works.

Rating: 50

The Namesake (2006)

Synopsis: An Indian couple emigrates to the U.S.A.

Appraisal: A real stinker. No further comments.

Rating: 8

The Munsters: Eddie's Brother (1966) (TV)

Internet Movie Database Synopsis: "When Eddie asks his parents for a baby brother, Grandpa decides to build a mechanical one, 'Boris' in the basement. Eddie soon begins to think that his new playmate is better loved by the family than he is, and runs away in his pajamas."

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: The Fregosi Emerald (1966) (TV)

Synopsis: I missed most of the pre-credits sequence, so I am guessing it's Marilyn's birthday, and people are giving her presents. Eddie found a ring in a chest in the attic and gives it to Marilyn. Grandpa tells them that the ring is cursed and brings bad luck to the person wearing it.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Cyrano de Munster (1966) (TV)

Internet Movie Database synopsis: "Herman starts writing poems for Clyde, a colleague, so Clyde can impress a girl he's met on the bus."

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

'A' gai waak (1983)

English title: Project A.

Synopsis: In XIX-century Hong Kong, the problem of piracy begins to affect the local economy; there is a conflict between the city police and the navy about who gets government money. A series of attacks destroys the naval fleet, and their crew is reassigned to the city police. One pirate corrupts several people in the force so he can obtain rifles.

Appraisal: Relentless, hysterical, childishly convoluted, brilliant at times, entertaining throughout.

Rating: 60

Beyond Borders (2003)

Synopsis: Rich woman decides to take part in an NGO which provides help for refugees, and falls in love with a fellow activist.

Appraisal: This is a bad screenplay in every possible aspect, and I don't think I can add anything to the previously existing reviews.

Rating: 15

As Feras (1995)

Synopsis [spoilers]: A woman starts working on a production of Wedekind's Lulu play or plays for the stage; her boyfriend (named Paulo) gets jealous; the director is a woman; she has a relationship with another actress in the play; Paulo has had a traumatic experience in his youth: he was in love with his cousin but she had a relationship with an older woman who treated him badly; while waiting for the rehearsal to end one day, Paulo has a long talk with the actor who will play Jack the Ripper, who tells him about how his former girlfriend left him for another woman.

Appraisal: The theme (as it is plainly obvious from the synopsis above) is the mix of fear and fascination which some men feel regarding homosexuality in women. This is rarely dealt with in films, I think (the closest things that come to mind are some films by Ferreri and the whole subgenre of female vampires); it's not a good film, it'd better be said, it's repetitive and not at all remarkable on the mise-en-scene aspect. But it's consistent with Khouri's oeuvre, which is devoted to the dissection of the male psyche. It was originally conceived as an episode in a film called As Primas which was completed around 1994 and remained unreleased; Khouri used the material he filmed turning it into a feature-length film which apparently was not released until 2001.

Rating: 32

Clockwatchers (1997)

Synopsis: Iris gets a job as a temporary secretary at a big corporation. She makes three new friends: Margaret, who is outspoken and a little rebellious, Jane, who is about to get married, and Paula, who aspires to be an actress. When a series of thefts starts happening in the office, suspicion seeps in among them.

Appraisal: A perceptive and refined look at office life, which starts out funny and gets progressively sadder as it goes on.

Rating: 61

Les chansons d'amour (2007)

Synopsis [spoilers]: A guy lives with two women in a ménage à trois. One of them dies suddenly, the one with whom he apparently had the stronger bond. He then becomes involved in a homosexual relationship.

Appraisal: I really was expecting to hate this film, but obviously my fears were largely unfounded. While not what I consider a great film (too trivial perhaps?), this is a bullshit-free account of modern relationships, which uses the device of song interludes to expand on characters' feelings and states of mind. Nothing new here, this is what songs are classically used for in musicals, except that the music here is just mediocre and the singing pedestrian.

Rating: 55

Las Hurdes (1933)

English title: Land Without Bread.

Documentary about an extremely poor region in Spain. The term "documentary" is used here loosely, since several scenes are staged; all the same, it's an interesting film.

The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders (1965)

Synopsis: Moll Flanders, raised by gypsies, then sent to an orphanage, marries a fool and then becomes a widow at a young age. She employs herself as maid to a couple of impoverished aristocrats. She meets a thief who thinks she is a lady; he passes off as a ship captain.

Appraisal: Fairly entertaining comedy of customs; it distinguishes itself by precise and elegant editing and camerawork. Much of this film's plot (which comes from a 1722 novel by Daniel Defoe) may be recognized in the inferior Montecarlo (1957).

Rating: 55

The Munsters: Big Heap Herman (1966) (TV)

Internet Movie Database Synopsis: "While on a family vacation, Herman gets lost in the desert and wanders into an Indian village, where he is mistaken for a legendary ancient spirit."

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Just Another Pretty Face (1966) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman plays with Grandpa's laboratory equipment and is struck by an electrical arc; as a result his face becomes identical to Fred Gwynne's without the make-up; everyone is disgusted at his "horrible" new appearance. Grandpa tries a new experiment to give him back his old face and succeeds but with a terrible side effect: Herman is turned into a woman! She goes out of the house and it starts to rain; she is struck by lightning and as a result goes back to being a man.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Tirez sur le pianiste (1960)

English titles: Shoot the Pianist; Shoot the Piano Player.

Synopsis: A piano player who plays at a bar is involved in his brother's criminal life.

Appraisal: This is my second viewing of this film, and I was hoping to give it a better grade this time around. Alas, it didn't happen. The film is simply digressive and unmemorable; the shootout scenes near the end are pathetic -- are they supposed to be modern? Anyway, I may sound a little harsher than I intend: it is not devoid of superficial entertaining value.

Rating: 45 (unchanged)

Asylum (2005)

Synopsis: The wife of the director of a mental hospital starts an affair with an inmate who killed his own wife.

Appraisal: Having read the book a few years ago (a rare event indeed!), I must say that the characters, situations and environments were very much like I imagined; for this, and for the general competence of the project, the filmmakers must be praised. There is one difference, though, and here I may be misremembering, or perhaps I just didn't read the book with the necessary attention: I don't recall the character of 'Cleave' as being homosexual or homosexually inclined or even just perceived as such by other characters; the film also seems to make him cold and calculating, a characteristic that either is absent in the novel or completely escaped me. In general, and again this may be due simply to my poor reading skills, I think the film improved upon the book.

Rating: 59

The Munsters: Grandpa's Lost Wife (1966) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman finds an ad on Shocking Detective Stories magazine offering a reward for the whereabouts of a man; to his astonishment, the man in the photo in none other than Grandpa. Herman decides to write a letter to the person who posted the ad and thus collect the reward, but Lily talks him out of the idea. Through an anonymous phone call, Herman finds out that the person looking for Grandpa is his alleged wife in Sioux City, Iowa. They talk to Grandpa about it, but he denies having an abandoned wife in that city. To complicate things further, Eddie sees the letter that Herman wrote and mails it. Soon they receive the visit of the lady from Sioux City, but Grandpa stays hidden in his laboratory. Later on, he decides to pay his alleged wife a visit at the hotel. She recalls moments of their common life, but Grandpa remembers none of them; he gets interested, though, since she seems to be rich. He signs a paper admitting he is her husband and goes home to fetch his things and move in with her. When he comes back to the hotel he is shocked to learn that it was all a fraud: the woman had to prove she was married in order to collect an inheritance (oh dear) and chose Grandpa from an old photo of his magician's days in a magazine; she though it was very likely that he would be dead, so she placed the ad in the hope that no one would answer it; she had to do it in order to convince she really was married (oh dear). Grandpa returns to the Munsters' house but Herman refuses to take him back because he was greedy and abandoned his family; Lily convinces Herman to forgive Grandpa; then Grandpa asks Herman for a loan and Herman expels him again; Grandpa begs to be let in (he even fabricates snow), and finally succeeds.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

In God We Tru$t (1980)

Synopsis: A monk who has never been outside the monastery walls is sent on a fund-raising mission in Los Angeles. He meets a hooker and falls in love with her.

Appraisal: The film has good moments of slapstick and musical, and some witty dialogue too; but then there is the rest of the film...

Rating: 37

The Munsters: Underground Munster (1965) (TV)

Internet Movie Database Synopsis: "Munster pet Spot runs away from home after Herman scolds it for leaving mud prints all over the kitchen. When Spot is sighted in the sewer system Herman goes down to fetch him, but gets lost himself. Soon local newspaper men have branded Spot a giant lizard monster, and Herman it's 'mate'. The mayor, who is facing reelection, decides to bomb the sewers in order to get rid of the creatures once and for all."

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Robbers' Roost (1955)

Synopsis: A wheelchair-bound rancher with a beautiful daughter hires two known cattle thieves as foremen; his theory is that they will prevent each other from stealing his cattle. A mysterious stranger is hired by one of the gangs as a cowboy. Based on a novel by Zane Grey (1st ed. 1932).

Appraisal: Below average western; it's watchable all the same.

Rating: 31

The Munsters: The Treasure of Mockingbird Heights (1965) (TV)

Internet Movie Database Synopsis: "Herman and Grandpa stumble upon a secret compartment through the dungeon and find a clue that leads them to Henry Morgan's pirate treasure. Lily and Marilyn are touched to see the two men working together, but as soon as the treasure is found, their companionship turns to suspicion and rivalry."

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Krajobraz po bitwie (1970)

English titles: Landscape After Battle; Landscape After the Battle.

Synopsis [spoilers]: In 1945, a German concentration camp is freed by the Americans and the inmates are sent to another concentration camp. The main character is a Polish poet. He meets a Jewish woman who fled Poland; the two escape the camp for a walk in the neighboring woods, and she proposes that she and he flee to France; he declines; they walk back to the camp, but it's unsafe to enter during the day; she decides to do it anyway and is shot dead.

Appraisal: Based on Tadeusz Borowski (1922-1951)'s autobiographical short stories, this is interesting for covering a period in history about which I knew little. The film is not good, though; the camerawork consists solely of a hand-held camera which operates at close-ups most of the time, causing a sense of fatigue, dizziness and claustrophobia throughout the film; I favor a broader technique. The main performance is good, for what it's worth.

Rating: 41

The Holiday (2006)

Synopsis: Two women, both unsuccessful in their love lives, decide to take a home exchange vacation; one is English, the other American.

Appraisal: Fluff is now longer.

Rating: 16

Santitos (1999)

English title: Little Saints.

Synopsis [spoilers]: A woman loses her daughter during a tonsil extraction, the doctor tells her it's a rare virus, they won't open the casket to avoid infection, some time later the woman sees a vision of St. Judas on her oven's glass, he tells her her daughter is still alive, she suspects she was kidnapped and sold to a whorehouse, she employs herself there but the girl isn't there, she returns home, the girl appears to her on the mirror, she moves with her new sweetheart, takes the mirror with her.

Appraisal: Weakly scripted and rather incompetently made.

Rating: 14

The Big Snooze (1946)

The rabbit enters the hunter's dream.

War and Pieces (1964)

Too many sketches to remember, the ones that come to mind are: the coyote painting himself with invisible ink only to be run over by a car; crossing the earth's core to meet a Chinese relative of the roadrunner at the other side.

Tortoise Beats Hare (1941)

The tortoise telephones his friends who step in the race at strategic points, giving the rabbit (or hare, according to the title) the illusion that it's always the same person who inexplicably manages to be ahead of him all the time.

Life with Tom (1953)

Jerry writes a book called "Life with Tom" and it becomes a best-seller. Tom reads it and gets furious. The chapters he reads are snippets of Cat Fishin' (1947), The Little Orphan (1948), and Kitty Foiled (1948).

Neapolitan Mouse (1954)

Jerry and Tom travel as stowaways in a ship to Naples. The cartoon is basically a tour of all the famous spots of that city.

Mouse in Manhattan (1945)

Jerry gets tired of the country life and moves to New York. The cartoon is basically a tour of all the famous spots in that city.

The Munsters: Herman Picks a Winner (1966) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Eddie wins a coin on a bet and his parents scold him -- gambling is bad, they assure him. Herman states that Eddie will never gamble again and Eddie challenges him on that -- "Wanna bet?" -- Herman is willing to take it, to Lily's stark disapproval. [Credits...] Herman has decided to give Eddie a lesson: he steals Eddie's savings and places a bet on a probable loser on the horse track; Grandpa suggests Lily should be the one to choose the horse, since she is the one with the know-how of picking a loser -- after all, she married one. The betting place's front is a laundry house. Grandpa is determined to sabotage Herman's radical approach to education and psychically influences the race to make Herman's horse win. They repeat the experience the following day and score a new win. The folks at the laundry/gambling joint are amazed at Herman's successes and decide to use his ability for their own profit. With the assistance of a cute blonde with car troubles, they get Herman to drive to the bandits' house; he is persuaded to choose a horse and then is kept as a prisoner until the race finishes. The horse loses and Herman escapes through the window, but it's a high-story apartment and he prevents his fall by grabbing on a pole. The bad guys start shooting at him when Grandpa arrives as a bat; he gives Herman an anti-gravity pill and distracts the criminals until Herman has safely reached the ground.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Country of My Skull (2004)

Synopsis: A poet watches the Truth and Reconciliation hearings in South Africa and meets an American journalist covering the event. They become friends despite (or because of?) their initial differences of opinion.

Appraisal: In the background are the hearings -- people telling their stories, crying, pleading amnesty. This poet and this journalist and their relationship are in the foreground; then there is this subplot of the interviews with the perpetrator and his revelations. These elements eventually converge. The purpose of the film, as I see it, is to show a particular moment of a nation where a transition is occurring. It is not fully successful, I think; the choice of central characters is misguided, as they are not where the core of the nation's drama is. Basically, this film is about a rich white woman whose main problem is the "shock" of discovering the things she never looked at when they took place; although I wouldn't dream of passing judgement on her, it's hard to see her as an interesting character.

Note: I saw it on TV; the scenes with Langston in the U.S.A. (before he flies to Africa) were not present on the version I watched; also absent were all the "shits" and "fucks", a fact which ironically echoes a scene in the movie itself.

Rating: 44

The Munsters: Herman's Peace Offensive (1965) (TV)

IMDb Synopsis: "Eddie is being bullied at school by Jack McGinty, and Herman is continuously being tricked by practical joker Clyde Thornton at work. Herman advises his son to turn the other cheek, but when both come home with a blackened eye, they decide it's time to retaliate when provoked."

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops (1955)

Synopsis [mild spoilers]: Willie inherits from his aunt and is persuaded by Harry to invest in a film studio. They are conned: the studio in the photo belongs to Edison. They hear that the crook moved to Hollywood, so there they go. They are hired as stuntmen in a movie directed by the very guy who swindled them.

Appraisal: Watchable comedy; the humor is formulaic yet provides a certain level of entertainment.

Rating: 36

Blue Chips (1994)

Synopsis: A college basketball coach faces the dilemma of (1) breaking the rule of not offering any kind of financial compensation for recruited players or (2) not getting good enough players.

Appraisal: Its central issue is exposed in a clear, almost didactic way; the events unfold into a logical albeit predictable conclusion. In a nutshell, the film is set as a theorem concerning a certain rule in academic sports which forbids schools from providing athlete students with payments (except scholarships of course); the rule is bent in practice by most coaches, with all sorts of advantages given to them either in cash or in goods by some anonymous persons. The demonstration is done ad absurdo: a coach who can't win gives in to the money-and-gifts recruiting system only to find out he has no control over things afterwards.

Rating: 46

The Munsters: The Most Beautiful Ghoul in the World (1966) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: The Munsters receive a package in the mail and it ticks; they think it's a bomb so they dip it in water (and it's supposed to disarm it, go figure). It's a letter from a relative in Transylvania leaving them an inheritance of $10,000. They decide to split the money fifty-fifty between Herman and Lily, so that each of them will invest it in his (her) own way. Herman invests his share on an invention by Grandpa which will transmit electricity wirelessly; Lily opens a beauty parlor. Lily's peculiar concept of beauty transforms her two first customers in horrible monsters, and Grandpa's first field test of his machine damages the public energy system. They are sued and constrained to pay an enormous sum unless they repair the damage they made. Lily says she will undo the customers' make-up, but when they are in the hair dryer Grandpa performs a test which sends an electrical signal to Lily's parlor and therefore also to her customers' heads. As a consequence they become totally bald. Now Lily is in deep trouble; at home she finds out that it was all Grandpa's fault. Suddenly, there's someone at the door: Lily answers it and it's her customers with their hair grown back and more beautiful; the shock waves worked as a hair treatment; they propose to set up a business together. Lily goes back in the house and is dismayed to learn that Grandpa has destroyed his machine.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Jackass Number Two (2006)

Description: A bunch of guys goes through all kinds of excruciating physical experiences.

Appraisal: Very poor as entertainment -- for us viewers; how it is for them actors you have to ask them.

Rating: 5

The Munsters: John Doe Munster (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Once more I will transcribe the Internet Movie Database synopsis: "Herman develops amnesia after a three hundred pound safe falls on his head (and bounces off). The police take him into protective custody and rename him 'John Doe'. The only way for Lily to bring her husband home is to legally adopt him. When 'John' still doesn't show any sign of recognition after ten days, Lily and Grandpa comes up with a plan to shock John back into Herman by having Grandpa disguise himself as Rock Hudson and pretend to woo Lily. He ends up looking more like Rudolph Valentino instead." -- and I will add that that plan was infrutiferous; only when Eddie is in danger after going on the roof to fly his kite is that Herman recovers his memory, triggered by his paternal instincts.

Iklimler (2006)

English titles: Climates; Seasons; The Climate.

Synopsis [heavy spoilers]: Isa, an architecture professor, is on vacation with his girlfriend Bahar. She is behaving strangely lately, very withdrawn; this appears to be related to his recent betrayal with Serap. He can't stand Bahar's behavior anymore and breaks up with her. He goes on an affair with Serap, even though she is already on a steady relationship with another man. Isa misses Bahar and travels east to where she is working (she is a TV art director). He wants her back but she says it is too late. Later, she looks him up at the hotel he is staying at, and spends the night with him without physical contact; his response to her is colder than she probably expected. In the morning he says he has to catch the plane back to Istanbul. It is definitely over between them.

Appraisal: Interesting psychological drama, with a very realistic proposition. I think the film succeeds partially -- the characters have a true feel to them, but not all scenes were fully well resolved filmically. At any rate, it's a valorous attempt.

Rating: 54

Fletch Lives (1989)

Synopsis: Fletch, a reporter, inherits a Southern property. He quits his job and moves South. He is received by his attorney Amanda; he goes to bed with her and she is dead in the morning. He is arrested and then released, with the help of another attorney. He begins investigating Amanda's death. An evangelist who is planning to build a second theme park on the region is one of his suspects. A corporation who is dumping toxic waste in the neighborhood is another.

Appraisal: Enjoyable but uneven; interesting elements can be found both in the plot and in the individual sequences, if you can withstand the less funny bits.

Rating: 43

The Munsters: Herman's Driving Test (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman is promoted to driver of the funeral car. He must renew his driver's license in order to get the job. He takes the tests but fails twice. Grandpa suggests he go to a small town where it is easier to obtain a license. They go to Groverville; the official who is responsible for the concession of licenses is very myopic and thinks Herman and Grandpa are a couple looking for
a marriage license; after he is corrected, he submits Herman to a very perfunctory succession of tests and then gives him the license. Herman is promoted, but is disappointed: initially he is given the horse carriage to drive.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Fatal Instinct (1993)

Synopsis: A police detective who is also a defense lawyer gets involved with a sexy client; his wife is cheating on him (with his mechanic) and plotting to kill him in order to collect the insurance; his secretary is in love with him.

Appraisal: Moderately enjoyable, with highs and lows. The breaking of the fourth wall is overdone (particularly regarding the soundtrack), and a few other jokes are unfunny, but there is a fair amount of interesting ideas.

Rating: 43

Troy (2004)

Synopsis: Trojan prince Paris takes Greek princess Helen to Troy. Menelaus, her husband, goes to his brother, king Agamemnon, asking him to join him in a war against Troy. Agamemnon uses the incident as an excuse for a war he has long wanted for his own political reasons. The Greek army has an enormous asset in Achilles, an extremely skilled fighter who nevertheless despises Agamemnon as a ruler. A possible match for Achilles on the Trojan side is Hector, Paris's brother.
This film was "inspired" by Homer's Iliad, a narrative poem dating from between the 9th and the 6th centuries B.C..

Appraisal: Ridiculous "epic" with the psychology and the dialogue style of a soap opera. With the sound turned off (and the occasional help of the fast forward button) this probably becomes acceptable as visual entertainment.

Rating: 31

The Munsters: Happy 100th Anniversary (1965) (TV)

The Internet Movie Database synopsis is admirably accurate: "Herman and Lily's 100th wedding anniversary is fast approaching. Thinking the other has completely forgotten about it, both of them withdraw $1,000 from their bank account, and both checks bounce. Still wanting to surprise the other with an amazing gift, Herman and Lily individually acquire part time jobs at the Cleaver Employment Agency. Working as welders at the Crosby Shipyards, but not recognizing each other on account of the heavy welder's masks, Herman and Lily start flirting with each other. Tensions rise as the couple simultaneously discover each other's 'secret' identity."

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Jade (1995)

Synopsis: A man is murdered; in his safe are found photos of the governor with a prostitute; one of the suspects is a woman with whom the detective in charge of the investigations had an affair.

Appraisal: Mildly entertaining crime drama; the car chase is the high point; on the whole, it is well filmed and the plot keeps the interest, even though it's hard to make sense of it at some points. I didn't see the director's cut, which contains 12 additional minutes.

Rating: 40

The Munsters: A Man for Marilyn (1965) (TV)

Synopsis: The IMDb synopsis is good enough (and I am lazy today...): "Since none of Marylin [sic]'s suitors ever get passed the front door, Grandpa decides to turn a frog into her own personal prince. A nearsighted one at that, to compensate for her 'plain looks'. When the rest of the family is out to the drive-in, Marylin [sic] accidentally locks herself in her room. A young man passing by mistaking [sic] thinks she is being held prisoner. The rest of the family assume the young man is the frog, turned into a prince, and promptly tie him up in the basement while getting Marylin [sic]'s black wedding gown ready." I added the [sic] comment when there is a grammatical or spelling error.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Herman's Child Psychology (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [mild spoilers]: Eddie is convinced by a friend to run away from home. Herman goes out to look for him; he enters a cave where a mother bear and her cub are spending the night after having escaped from a circus.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Der Große Verhau (1971)

English title: The Big Mess.

Synopsis: In the 21st century, the world is ruled by big corporations, and a civil war rages on; a couple of old pirates ("accumulators") attacks spaceships and then pillages them. An independent group of space travelers is trying to reach beyond the corporation-ruled territories.

Appraisal: Unbelievably bad; its satirical impact is practically null; all that is relevant is told in captions; the visual events are an amorphous succession of close-ups, endless self-indulgent nonsense such as people smearing themselves in pillow feathers and honey, etc.

Rating: 6

Gelegenheitsarbeit einer Sklavin (1973)

English title: Occasional Work of a Female Slave.

Synopsis: The life of a woman who must work and take care of her family at the same time. Initially she works as an abortionist to support her student husband and her kids; after the police comes after her she stops working and begins to devote her time to political and social activism.

Appraisal: The plot is interesting, but the storytelling is cinematically poor; it is just the synopsis of a novel with some images to illustrate it and lots of voiceover to fill in the blanks.

Rating: 36

Bean (1997)

Synopsis: A painting by an American is bought from an English museum by an American one. Due to some internal conflict, the English museum sends a clumsy security guard passing off as an art expert.

Appraisal: Decent comedy: imaginatively written, expertly directed, and of course with a remarkable comic performance in the lead role. (Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.)

Rating: 56

Die Artisten in der Zirkuskuppel: Ratlos (1968)

English title: The Artist in the Circus Dome: Clueless.

Comments: It has the same central character as The Indomitable Leni Peickert. It shows her efforts to bring new ideas to circus performances. The narrative is neither linear, nor focused; trivial events are shown alongside more closely plot-related ones, without any difference in emphasis. It sometimes works as a comedy, and other times doesn't work at all. It dodges categorization, but can't always dodge being plain silly or dull.

Rating: 36

Die Unbezähmbare Leni Peickert (1970) (TV)

English title: The Indomitable Leni Peickert.

Comments: It describes the struggle of a circus manager and entrepreneur to innovate in her art; her struggle to survive makes her quit circus activities to work in television.

The Munsters: Herman, the Tire Kicker (1966) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman goes out to buy a car for Marilyn, and ends up being swindled by "Fair Deal Dan", who sells him a convertible in very bad conditions. Herman and Grandpa return to the place where the salesman's tent was, but they have long departed from there. What they don't know is that the car is stolen, and the police is after it. They soon are stopped by a police car and Herman is arrested (Grandpa takes off as a bat). Lily bails him out, and, by a coincidence, Fair Deal Dan is being taken inside (for drunkenness) exactly when Herman is being released; at the sight of Herman he confesses everything. Marilyn starts dating the officer who was on duty at the station when they were there.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Herman Munster, Shutterbug (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman has become fond of photography. Inadvertently he photographs two bank robbers while leaving the bank they robbed. The robbers locate the Munsters' house and demand that Herman give them the photo; they decide to take refuge in the house while the search for them is going on. Grandpa goes down to the cellar and devises a plan: he will turn himself into a homing pigeon and head straight to the police station with a message about the whereabouts of the robbers. The two robbers suspect of his activities and inquire him about them; Grandpa says he was only drinking a cocktail; the bandits ask for a drink as well; Grandpa gives them the potion he was about to drink and they are transformed into pigeons; they fly right to the police station where they are arrested after they return to the human form.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Lehrer im Wandel (1963)

English title: Teachers in Transformation.

It draws a historic panel about the situation of teachers in Germany throughout its history, explaining why they never enjoyed a favorable status.

Porträt einer Bewährung (1964)

The film shows the professional trajectory of a man through several different governments and historical situations in Germany. First in the army, then in the police, the main character shows a chameleonic capacity of adaptation.

Abschied von gestern – (Anita G.) (1966)

Synopsis [spoilers]: The fim narrates the struggle for survival of a young woman, Anita, in West Germany. She fled East Germany for better chances in the West, but soon got involved in petty thefts which give her a jail conviction. She is released on parole, but keeps getting into trouble. She becomes the mistress of an important government member, but the affair doesn't last long. She is wanted by the police again, and decides to turn herself in (she is pregnant).

Appraisal: Interesting film which succeeds at expressing a strong sense of isolation of a problematic individual in a capitalistic society; the exact nature of the events is not easy to follow at times though.

Rating: 56

The Addams Family: Cousin Itt and the Vocational Counselor (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Gomez and Morticia try to find Itt a profession; they initially think marriage counselor would be a good option, but when they simulate a marriage crisis as a didactic tool, it develops into a real crisis. They decide to call a vocational counselor, and he concludes Itt is a genius who could do well at any profession, but his true calling is.. marriage counselor. The vocational counselor is immediately sent away.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Go (1999)

Synopsis: The film narrates the events which happen to some youngsters during Christmas. First we see it from the vantage point of a young woman who is at the risk of being evicted, and takes an extra shift at the convenience store she works, covering for his friend who went to Las Vegas with his friends. Said friend is a small-time drug dealer, and when some customers at the store come looking for drugs, she sees an opportunity to make a few bucks. The second part of the movie is told from the point of view of the friend who went to Vegas; he and a pal go to a strip club where they get into big trouble. In the end, all loose ends are tied, so to speak.

Appraisal: An easy watch, with interesting characters, a sense of humor and a pace which never slackens; nothing too memorable though.

Rating: 61

Alexander Kluge, the 5th Act: A Conversation with Bruno Fischli (2007)

Not very significative; I am posting this to be thorough, that's all.

Blinde Liebe: Gesprächt mit Jean-Luc Godard (2002) (TV)

This is an interview; the questions are stupid, but regardless of them the interviewee manages to say interesting things about cinema.

Feuerlöscher E.A. Winterstein (1968)

I couldn't make any sense of this one. It's not so unpleasant to see, as it is visually very agitated, and short.

Frau Blackburn, geb. 5.Jan. 1872, wird gefilmt (1967)

An old lady is filmed inside her house; she tells how her life is; the result of a burglar's invasion and damage to her china is shown.

Brutalität in Stein (1961)

English title: Brutality in Stone.

Synopsis and Appraisal: The Nazi party's headquarters in Nuremberg are shown; excerpts of Hitler's speeches are heard ("only narrow minds see our revolution as bringing only destruction; I see it as a gigantic reconstruction"); excerpts of the Auschwitz commander's memoirs are read; Hitler's housing plans for the bombing victims are explained ("a hole in the ground with a wooden plank for a lid"). It anticipates Undergångens arkitektur (1989).

The Munsters: Lily's Star Boarder (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Lily decides to let their spare room; the only person who doesn't back away after seeing the house is a man who won't reveal his profession. Herman, who opposed the letting of the room, is jealous of the new tenant because he is the center of the attentions. He decides to snoop in his room; Grandpa accompanies him. They find a gun and binoculars pointing at their neighbor. They conclude that their tenant is a thief who wants to steal their neighbor's merchandise. In reality, the tenant is a police officer and the neighbor is a receiver of stolen goods.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: Uncle Fester's Toupee (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Uncle Fester's female pen-pal is coming for a visit and he is worried because he described himself in his letters as a very different person from how he really is. His main concern is about his baldness, so Gomez and Morticia call a toupee salesman. Fester's friend has a long list of family names, which she kept from her dead ex-husbands. The toupee falls when she is there, and she leaves in disappointment.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Ondskan (2003)

English title: Evil.

Synopsis: Erik is a Swedish boy who lives with his mother and his abusive stepfather; he is a problematic high school student who is always getting into fights and has been expelled from school due to bad behavior. His mother sends him to a fancy boarding school, where a strict system of rules and punishments is enforced by the students themselves, who are ranked in castes.

Appraisal: Worthy school drama, very precise in its execution; it tells the story from an individualistic angle, choosing to explain the events as the consequence of the particulars of each character; the political analysis is kept at a minimum, but there is certainly much food for thought for those who feel inclined to it.

Rating: 62

The Munsters: Will Succes Spoil Herman Munster? (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Eddie has borrowed a tape recorder from a friend, and Herman records a song in it. Eddie's friend's father is a radio producer and the song ends up on the hit parade. Herman phones the radio station identifying himself as the singer and becomes a star overnight. His ego grows and makes him unbearable for his family; Grandpa gives him a "nothing muffin" (sorry, this may not be its exact name -- you see, I watch a dubbed version), which makes one's talents disappear. He is obliged to cancel his TV appearance and, after some reflection, he decides that he'd better abandon his artistic career altogether. They sing him "He's a jolly good fellow".

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Operation Herman (1965) (TV)

Synopsis: Eddie has his tonsils removed and Herman and Grandpa decide to go visit him in the hospital at night; as it is off visiting hours, they have to sneak in without being noticed; Grandpa disguises as a surgeon, and tells Herman to lie on a gurney so people will think he is a patient; Grandpa leaves Herman alone for a moment and when he comes back the doctor on duty has already taken him to the operation room; Grandpa begins to search for him everywhere until he finally finds him and they go home.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Herman, Coach of the Year (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Eddie is going to take part in the school olympics, and chooses Herman to coach him. Grandpa decides to give him a hand and manufactures an instant strength pill. Eddie wins the competition but in the end it is revealed that he didn't take the pills after all.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: Progress and the Addams Family (1965) (TV)

Synopsis: A new highway is being built and it will pass right through the house of the Addams. They receive a warning (along with a check) but decide to ignore it, up until the explosions are heard. They decide to move the entire house to a new location. By a coincidence they pick a lot right next door to the city hall commissioner who is responsible by the planning of the highway. He is so terrified of being neighbors with the Addams that he moves the highway so the Addams won't have to move from their original address.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: Morticia's Favorite Charity (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: The Addams are donating several of their most cherished objects to a charity auction.Gomez donates Pugsley's beloved clock without his consent, which causes Pugsley to isolate himself inside the chimney (or in the roof, I didn't understand) in protest. Both Gomez andMorticia decide to buy the clock back, but they don't talk to each other about it and unknowingly bid against each other at the auction, raising the price considerably and arousing another bidder's interest; the latter ends up outbidding the Addams; he soon realizes the terrible buy he has made and pays Lurch $5 to take the clock back, much to Pugsley's joy.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Montecarlo (1957)

Alternate title: The Montecarlo Story.

Synopsis: A man and a woman, both of them gamblers seeking rich partners in Montecarlo, mistake each other for rich people. Then a boat arrives with a millionaire from the U.S. and his young daughter.

Appraisal: This film is a big yawn; everything seems to be filmed at a distance (or maybe I am watching too many TV shows). The only things that kept me interested were the outdoors shots of Montecarlo, and, well, some of the indoors ones too.

Rating: 28

The Munsters: Herman, the Master Spy (1965) (TV)

Synopsis: The Internet Movie Database has a good synopsis for this episode: "The Munsters are off for a picnic at Paradise Cove. While out scuba diving, Herman is caught in the net of Russian Troller #47. The Russians very excitedly think they've caught a missing link between man and fish. Moscow, however, is convinced Herman is a new kind of American spy." The word 'troller', apparently, designates a fishing ship.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: My Son, the Chimp (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: A chimpanzee enters the Addams' house without being noticed. He enters Pugsley's bedroom and Pugsley puts his own shirt on him. The two go into a room where Uncle Fester is practicing witchcraft. Pugsley accidentally hits a moveable wall and gets trapped in a small room. Uncle Fester didn't see what happened, so when he looks around and sees Pugsley's chimp he thinks he has turned Pugsley into a chimp.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Bronco Bustin' Munster (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Eddie puts his father in a rodeo contest, without his permission. Herman doesn't want to look like a coward before Eddie, so he accepts. Grandpa devises a plan to prevent Herman from suffering a major accident: he will take a potion that will turn him into a horse, and Herman will ride him. Things don't work as planned, though: the potion loses effect before expected, and Herman rides the real horse thinking it is Grandpa. He ends up winning the riding contest anyway.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Yes, Galen, There Is a Herman (1965) (TV)

Synopsis: Herman frees a little boy's head from a fence and they become friends.

Saw it partly dubbed in Portuguese, partly in the original version.

The Munsters: Hot Rod Herman (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Eddie accepts a challenge from his classmate that their respective fathers will compete in a car race. Herman accepts a bet proposed by his competitor by which the winner gets the loser's car. Herman loses the race, and therefore also the family's coach. Grandpa builds a new car, the Drag-ula, and drives it in a new race, with a new bet being placed, similar to the previous one. His competitor sabotages him by stripping his car of its rear para-chute, which would function as the stopping device after the end of the race. Grandpa wins but can't stop the car by himself; Herman helps him by grabbing onto the car's rear and using his own feet as a brake. They recover the coach but its parts drop one by one as it moves.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese, except for the ending which for some reason was broadcast with the original voices.

The Addams Family: The Addams Family and the Spacemen (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: The Addams decide to make a picnic at night. Cousin Itt comes with them (but the children stay at home). On the radio they hear news of an unidentified flying object in their neighborhood. The police checks the area and, when they spot Itt and Lurch, they think they are the aliens. They try to speak Martian -- a linguist has discovered the language from abstract principles, it seems -- with Gomez and Morticia, which leads Gomez to think that the police are the aliens. Gomez, with the help of Lurch, takes the two officers under arrest up to the Addams' house, and calls the authorities.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese, except for some parts which were broadcast with the original voices.

The Munsters: Mummy Munster (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman volunteers to take Marilyn to the museum for some school research of hers; he doesn't stay there, though: Lily is afraid that he will get into trouble, as is his habit, and tells him to return home and later go back to pick her up. At home, Grandpa gives him a sleeping pill that he just invented: it is so sophisticated that one can adjust the hour it will kick in, and the duration of its effect. Herman returns to the museum but gets lost in there and Marilyn, after waiting a while, goes home by herself. The museum closes and Herman, still inside, decides to call home. He sees a newly acquired sarcophagus and mistakes it for a phone booth. He enters it and the lid closes; while he is trying to get out, he begins to feel the effects of the sleeping pill he took, and falls asleep. In the next morning, they open the sarcophagus for the first time and, seeing Herman inside, think he is the mummified body of pharaoh Amenhotep. The Munsters are worried about Herman's whereabouts when Eddie shows them Herman's photo in the newspaper's front page. Lily comes to the museum and claims her husband; they think she is insane. At that moment she can't prove that Herman is alive because he is under the effect of the pill until that night (well, whatever...). They keep a watchman on Herman to prevent him from being stolen, but he gets so scared by the sight of Herman returning to consciousness that he breaks out of the museum through its door, freeing the passage for Herman. At home, Grandpa convinces Herman to take another pill and he falls asleep again. The museum curator and his assistants come to the Munsters' house to search for Herman and, finding him asleep, take him back to the museum. During the trip back to the museum Herman awakes and everyone in the car gets frightened and gets out of it while in motion.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: Morticia, the Breadwinner (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Morticia overhears Gomez talking on the phone to his stockbroker and falsely assumes he is broke. She gathers the other members of the family in search of ideas for earning money. She finds some stocks of a railway and decides to sell it; by a coincidence Gomez is trying to gain control of that same railway and Morticia's stocks are the only ones missing. Gomez starts a deal with Morticia through his stockbroker, without ever realizing she is the other party. He buys the stocks for a million dollars, after having taught her how to get high prices on a sale. Everything is revealed in the end, but the railway sinks in the swamp. Gomez is sad because he wanted to perform some real-size train collisions.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Herman's Happy Valley (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman buys a holiday house by mail, based on an advertisement he saw in a magazine. It's actually a scam: the place is a ghost town. The Munsters travel there and, as was expected, they find it wonderful. Meanwhile a missile factory wants to buy the property, and talks to the crooks who had already sold it. They pretend they haven't, and plan to buy it back from the Munsters. The latter won't sell it though; the crooks try to scare them out, but, again as expected, they end up scared instead. The Munsters finally sell it to the missile factory ("those kind people who will provide the solution for the problems of the world by blowing it up", says Herman).

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Lily Munster, Girl Model (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Lily wants to go to the movies and nobody wants to go with her. She decides to get a job [note: don't ask me what the connection is]. After trying several professions and failing, she is hired as a model (for her exoticism). Herman gets jealous, and Grandpa suggests he should make her jealous too. Grandpa gives Herman a potion that turns him into a Texan playboy and drinks one that turns him into a beautiful woman (except the voice remains his old one). They attend one of Lily's fashion shows; Lily gets furiously jealous of Herman and pushes a column down on him. She doesn't believe his story that the girl was actually Grandpa, until Eddie shows up in the guise of a little girl, after having mistakenly drunk Grandpa's potion.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: Lurch and His Harpsichord (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: A museum curator is passing by the Addams' residence when he hears the sound of the harpsichord; he stops and knocks at the door. They let him in, and he tells them how fascinated he became with their harpsichord; he only regrets that the museum can't afford to make an offer for it; Gomez, in a generosity fit, donates the harpsichord to the museum; he only asks for a couple of days to make Lurch accept the idea. Lurch is much more affected by the loss of his dear harpsichord than they ever imagined. They decide to build him a new one. They lie to him though: they say they stepped back from the donation decision, and that the harpsichord made by them is really his old one. However, the guys from the museum come to fetch the harpsichord a day earlier than scheduled, when Lurch is alone in the house. They take the Addams-made harpsichord instead of the old one; Lurch thinks he was betrayed, and that he lost his instrument once again, and for good. He packs to leave, but is stopped short by the arrival of the Addams. They talk him out of the idea of leaving. A phone call arrives: the so-called curator was in fact a crook who tried to sell the harpsichord to the museum; since it wasn't a legitimate Krupnik, he was arrested. Gomez declares that it was fate, and decides to keep the old harpsichord after all, much to Lurch's contentment. Gomez says he is defending the phony curator in court, and Morticia is glad: she thinks he deserves a life sentence.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Munster the Magnificent (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Eddie has chosen his father to participate in a talent show for students' relatives at school. Herman is surprised, and doesn't know what exactly he is good at. He tries singing but the results aren't good. Lily asks Grandpa to help him by using his magic and he gives Herman magical shoes which will make him dance; Herman begins to dance non-stop and makes his feet sore. Eddie talks with his teacher and she says Herman can do a magician's act. Herman tries to learn how to be a magician but goes wrong in every attempt. Lily convinces Grandpa to assist him remotely while he is on stage. All goes well until the last trick, which Herman decides to do without having told anyone beforehand: he summons Lily on stage and promises to make her disappear. She is annoyed. It's a simple trick involving a revolving wall; after Lily disappears by turning the box's wall 180º and hiding behind it, she decides to give Herman a lesson, and leaves the stage without no one noticing. Herman tries to make her reappear and obviously fails; he panics. Later he meets her at their home and all is well.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Love Comes to Mockingbird Heights (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: The Munsters get a package from Uncle Gilbert: it's a box full of gold coins; Uncle Gilbert says he is arriving soon for a visit. They decide to keep the money in the bank and call them to send someone to transport it. The bank submanager and Marilyn start a romance, but the guy is only after her money. He convinces her to elope. The Munsters are warned of his monetary motivations by a colleague of his. Grandpa tries a spell that would temporarily send her to old Transylvania, but it fails and instead all of them but Herman are transported to a hotel in Kansas. When Marilyn's suitor comes in through Marilyn's bedroom window that night, he finds Herman sleeping on her bed; he gets scared and flees. The Munsters fly back from Kansas; Marilyn is broken-hearted but will live. Uncle Gilbert arrives: he is the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

King Creole (1958)

Synopsis: Young Danny tries to conciliate his studies with a singing career. He is hired by a small nightclub which defies the monopoly of the local town boss; the latter is not pleased and wants to have Danny on his payroll no matter how.

Appraisal: Decent drama, featuring several interesting musical numbers to boot. The plot is filled with naive touches.

Rating: 51

The Addams Family: Crisis in the Addams Family (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: During one of their indoors war games, Uncle Fester destroys one of the water pipes (the words used at one synopsis I read was "one of the water mains"; I need to learn these expressions). Gomez punishes him by suspending his allowance. Uncle Fester decides to get a job. He employs himself as an insurance salesman. He sells a million dollar policy to Gomez. The insurance company wants to cancel the policy because the Addams are a source of losses to the company. It eventually surfaces that Gomez owns the company.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Country Club Munsters (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: The Munsters win a free membership to the Country Club. At first they are excited, but afterwards they decide that the club members don't meet their standards.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Herman the Rookie (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman is hired as a baseball player due to his enormous arm strength. He does so much damage to the field though -- and to the other players -- that he is fired on his first day.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: Amnesia in the Addams Family (1965) (TV)

Synopsis: Gomez receives a blow in the head and loses his memory; he also has none of the tastes and inclinations which were previously peculiar to him and to the Addams Family in general.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Rocky Balboa (2006)

Synopsis: An ex-boxer in his 50s returns to the ring to fight against the world champion.

Appraisal: This is below any criticism (I am not sure the expression exists in English; I mean it is very, very bad); perhaps I should note that the acting was not bad, but I don't think it matters that much.

Rating: 8

Where the Truth Lies (2005)

Synopsis: A duo of TV performers get involved with the death of a waitress in the 1950s, and 15 years later a reporter tries to discover the truth.

Appraisal: Absurd plot elements and an inexpressive performance from the actress who plays the reporter add up to make this a "should miss" film.

Rating: 19

Raw Deal (1986)

Synopsis: Mark is an ex-FBI agent who had to resign to avoid going to trial for illegal conduct. He is now sheriff of a small town and is looked up by an older FBI agent who lost his son and wants Mark to infiltrate the organization who killed him.

Appraisal: Watchable, with some good car stunts and chases and good acting; on the other hand, it relies too much on apotheotic machine-gun shootouts for conflict solving.

Rating: 41

The Munsters: Herman's Raise (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman asks for a raise and is fired. He doesn't tell his family about it; he goes through a series of jobs without success, the most memorable of which is at a laundry house where he causes a great mess. Lily talks to his former boss and convinces him to rehire Herman -- with the raise included.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: Thing Is Missing (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Thing stages its own kidnapping to test if the Addams would care for him enough to pay the ransom.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Munsters on the Move (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman is promoted and must move to Buffalo. They decide to sell the house; Eddie doesn't like the idea because he has just been made captain of the baseball team. They change their minds, but Grandpa has already signed the contract for selling the house. They barricade outside the house, and finally convince the buyer -- a wrecker company -- to tear the contract up.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: The Addams Family in Court (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: The Addams are coming back from a bat-hunting safari. During their absence, Grandmama put up a fortune teller business. The police arrest her for fraud. Gomez becomes her defense lawyer. During the trial, the judge's wife intervenes -- she was one of Grandmama's clients -- and the defendant is acquitted.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Come Back, Little Googie (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Eddie's friend Googie, a very nasty child who likes to play pranks on adults, comes to spend the day at the Munsters. Grandpa says he can transform a man into almost any animal, and Googie asks to be transformed into a rabbit. Herman and Grandpa put a big bedsheet betwween Googie and them while Grandpa says the magic words. When they look behind the sheet there is a chimpanzee there. They assume Googie has been transformed into a chimpanzee; they try to turn itback into a human but fail. In truth, it's all one of Googie's pranks: he bought a chimpanzee which he placed where he was and then fled. Grandpa and Herman go to Googie's parents and return the chimpanzee dressed as Googie ("it will be dark and he won't notice the difference until we are gone"). Googie reappears with Eddie at the Munsters'; Grandpa and Herman are relieved (Grandpa thinks his magic had a delayed effect); Googie's father returns the chimp to Lily; Grandpa and Herman pass out when they see it.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Conan's parents and people were decimated by an army led by a cult leader; Conan is spared and sold as a slave; he is then promoted to gladiator; finally he is freed. He wants to avenge his parents. A strange insignia composed of snakes is one of the few memories he has of the incident. He meets a witch who tries to kill him during sex. He then befriends a thief. He then meets a beautiful female thief while breaking into a cult ceremony. Conan steals a big precious stone and is attacke by a giant snake; he kills it and escapes. An old king captures Conan and hires him to rescue his daughter who has left home to live with the cult leader. Conan meets an older fight master. They all eventually find the cult headquarters, in some mountains. Conan's girlfriend dies; Conan is captured and crucified; a vulture tries to eat him but he bites the bird's neck, killing it (possibly the movie's best scene). His friends rescue him. They rescue the Princess and build an improvised fortress using the natural landscape. The cult's army comes to recover the princess; there is a huge battle. Conan wins but the old master dies. Conan and the Princess go back to the cult temple where the cult leader is about to lead his followers into collective suicide. Conan kills him and torches the temple.

Appraisal: This is my second viewing of this film; I didn't remember any of it. It gets upgraded by an infinitesimal.

Rating:31 (up from 29)

The Munsters: Movie Star Munster (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman is approached by two men who offer him a job as an actor in a movie; in reality, they are a duo of insurance frauders whose intent is to make him suffer an accident and then collect the insurance. They fail miserably though: first they try to run him over with a car but the car gets totally wrecked -- and its driver, the "screenwriter", is injured -- whereas Herman is unscathed; next they try to drop a sack full of bricks over his head -- the sack ends up hitting the "producer" instead; last they try to make him go through a door which leads outside of the building, on a very high story (the "producer" goes through it). After the last incident, Herman begins to realize they are trying to hurt him.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: Cousin Itt Visits the Addams Family (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Cousin Itt is a short creature with hair covering its entire body. The City Hall bureaucrat responsible for the new zoo visits the Addams in search for a donation. The Addams think Zoo Manager would be a good occupation for Itt. They call the bureaucrat but when he sees Itt he thinks it's a new animal for the zoo, so he takes it away in chains. The Addams think Itt is well employed. When Itt escapes, the Addams hear some news on the radio about a dangerous creature. They arm themselves and wait for the beast. Soon Itt arrives and, a little later, the City Hall employee. When the Addams finally understand that Itt was kept prisoner, they get furious, but then Itt reveals that it rather enjoyed it.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Far Out Munsters (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: The Munsters let their house to a rock band. They go to a hotel but don't like it there, and go back to their house. A party is going on there; they join it.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Follow That Munster (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman signs up to a mail course for becoming a detective. He goes out every night to practice. Lily gets suspicious and hires a detective agency to find out what he has been doing. What she doesn't know is that the agency has assigned the task to Herman. Herman finds out that Lily is the one who has hired the job, and makes up a very favorable report (he goes to church three times, no less!). Herman is commended for his good work and is assigned a new job as the bodyguard of a woman who is being threatened by her ex-husband. By an unfortunate coincidence, precisely when Herman is doing his bodyguard duty Lily comes knocking at his client's door on a fund raiser tour (for the Transylvanian children). Lily gets furious when she sees Herman in a strange woman's house, and punches him. Afterwards, all is explained, but Herman gets fired from the agency. He gets subsequently interested in a hairdressing business opportunity he sees in a magazine, but Grandpa tears the magazine up.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Sunshine (2007)

Synopsis: The Icarus II spaceship has the mission of detonating a nuclear bomb inside the sun in order to rekindle it.

Appraisal: Recycling of old situations in science fiction.

Rating: 49

Bubble (2005/I)

Synopsis: Kyle works at a doll factory; he is young and handsome, and lives with his unemployed mother. Martha also works in the doll factory, is older than him, and has a round figure; she lives with her disabled father. They are close friends. When the factory hires a new worker, a young and good-looking woman, she and Kyle start dating.

Appraisal: Another remarkable film from the pen of Coleman Hough ("Full Frontal") with the same director. The title says it all, there is no mystery; the style is subdued and precise, with disturbing touches of genius like the highlighting of Martha's face against a darker background, thus emphasizing the sense of isolation of this poor soul.

Rating: 71 (3rd position among 2005's favorites)

The Munsters: Love Locked Out (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman arrives late from an office party, and Lily stops talking to him. Marilyn advises Lily to go see a marriage counsellor; Grandpa does the same to Herman; by a coincidence, both go see the same counsellor. Not knowing they are husband and wife, the counsellor gives the same advice to both: be the first to forgive. They end up fighting over that precedence. Grandpa paints spots on Eddie's face to simulates the measles; Herman and Lily both get worried about him and forget their differences.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: The Addams Family Splurges (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Gomez decides to take the family on a trip to the moon. He has bought a supercomputer and makes it calculate the cost of the trip. He tells his financial manager to bet on horses selected by the computer. The financial manager doesn't place the bets and the horses win; he gets desperate. He makes the Addams agree to bet all the money they think they won on a longshot. He pretends to place the bet; the horse loses, as he hoped. The Addams decide to make a trip to the Amazon to catch fish; they tell their financial manager to buy a nuclear submarine for the trip.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Don't Bank on Herman (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Marilyn is feeling ill and Lily asks Herman to cash a check at the bank for her. There's been a series of robberies made by thieves who wear Halloween masks, and when Herman and Grandpa arrive at the bank, everyone thinks they are the robbers, and the cashier gives him all the money readily available to her; Herman thinks it's Lily's money, and leaves. When he gets home and counts the money he notices it's a lot; Lily tells him that it is not her money and that he must go back to the bank and return it. At night Herman dreams he is extremely rich, and wakes Lily up with his mumbling; she scolds him. He can't sleep after that and decides to go right away to the bank and return the money; he takes Grandpa with him. Grandpa short-circuits the alarm with his bare fingers, and they go in. Herman sets the clock which programs the safe opening to that moment, and they can get in it. Meanwhile, the two robbers come to rob the bank and find it very easy to get in, because Grandpa had turned the alarm off. Herman and Grandpa inadvertently lock themselves up inside the safe, and press the button to call the police. The robbers blow the safe's door open, and Herman and Grandpa escape. The robbers pass out at the sight of them. The police arrive and find the robbers unconscious; Herman and Grandpa are already gone by then.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: Uncle Fester's Illness (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Uncle Fester doesn't have enough electric power to feed Gomez's trains during one of his staged accidents, and confesses he's not feeling well since morning. Everyone resents him a little because they planned an excursion for the following day -- they were going to explore some caves. They decide to call their witch doctor in Africa, but he doesn't make house calls anymore. They have no alternative but to call a regular doctor. Dr. Milford examines Fester but the results are positively unhuman: his temperature is below zero, his pressure made the measuring device blow up, his heartbeats sound like a submarine. Dr. Milford tries a second temperature measurement, but this time Fester eats the thermometer, to the doctor's astonishment. To everyone's surprise, Fester feels better after having eaten the thermometer. He is cured, and everyone is happy because they can make the excursion they planned.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: If a Martian Answers, Hang Up (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman has bought a new citizen's band (or "ham", as I think they also call it) radio system; he talks to people all over the world. He likes to sing but people on the other side don't like to hear him. One day he picks up a conversation on walkie-talkies between two children playing aliens. He thinks he has contacted real aliens; Grandpa says he will help him find them with the aid of his direction-finder wand (which he has recently transistorized, and which can be tuned for water, girls, metal or aliens). They hear some noise under a sewer entrance and they take the lid off; Herman receives a water spurt at his face; they had tuned the wand for water, by mistake. After they tune it correctly, they indeed find the boys but the latter run scared at the sight of Herman and Grandpa. They photograph the"alien" spaceship, in fact a toy. They take the photo to NASA, but of course are not taken seriously. Herman makes contact again via radio with the boys, but this time the father of one of them is nearby and very angrily picks up the walkie-talkie and tells Herman he doesn't like him; Herman is not worried: "You don't know where I am", he scoffs. The boy's father replies that in that case he would destroy the entire Earth. Herman is terrified and forces Lily and Marilyn into a cubicle where he says they will be safe during the Earth's destruction; Grandpa sees them there and is pulled in; he tells Herman to stop that nonsense: the NASA has identified the spaceship in the photo as a toy (he shows the MADE IN JAPAN sign amplified). Later, Herman is again at the radio; Lily complains that he is spending too much time at it; suddenly, Herman picks a transmission claiming to be from Mars; Herman tells the guy to shut up and turns it off; but this time it was a real alien, who comments: "These earthlings are very impolite."

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Catch a Fire (2006)

Synopsis: A hard working man in apartheid era's South Africa is unjustly imprisoned; his wife and friends suffer as well. After he is released he joins the rebel forces.

Appraisal: On the technical side, I have no negative remarks to make about this. I think it will please most those people who are always yearning for films which deal with social and political unrest. The psychological characterization in this kind of film often comes across as fake or unconvincing, or shallow; this film is no exception.

Rating: 43

I Dream of Jeannie: Is There an Extra Genie in the House? (1966) (TV)

Alternate (and wrong, in my opinion) title: Is There an Extra Jeannie in the House?

Synopsis: Roger is entertaining a beautiful girl in his apartment; they've just had dinner and now they're having champagne; she says she has to go or else her uncle will be furious; Roger says one more sip and then he'll take her home. He goes to the kitchen for more champagne and whispers to Jeannie to show herself; the smoke is produced and Tony appears. It turns out that Roger borrowed Jeannie for the night, but Tony took her back because she was too tired after cooking 24 courses for Roger's dinner. She was also supposed to turn the clock back 3 hours so Roger could meet the midnight deadline set by the girl's uncle -- who happens to be Dr. Bellows; now Roger is in trouble. The next day Roger meets Jeannie and Tony; Jeannie suggests she summons her cousin Marilla to be Roger's own genie; Tony is contrary to the idea: one genie in Cocoa Beach is enough trouble. Roger is punished for disrespecting Dr. Bellows' curfew -- he is sent on vacation to a remote island. The janitor of the building where Roger lives offers his apartment while he is away to a couple of down-and-out magicians. Roger comes back for some notes he forgot and meets the two magicians dressed in oriental style; he thinks Jeannie has finally granted his wish -- in double! Dr. Bellows cancels his trip, and Roger thinks it's his "genii"'s work. He offers Dr. Bellows' niece a mink coat; he also ask his "genii" to make Dr. Bellows head of NASA's medical department so he gets off his back. Later, he thanks Jeannie for the favor and Jeannie phones Roger's apartment to talk to her cousin; apparently she came of her own will -- on a magic carpet -- since Jeannie never called for her; Jeannie gets suspicious and so does Tony. They go visit Roger to meet his "genii"; they are cooking dinner for Roger and his date, but it's taking too long by Jeannie's standards. Tony asks Jeannie to make the two magicians disappear; Roger says he is more powerful than Jeannie since he has two genii; he orders them to blink Jeannie out. The two magicians get freaked out by all this and reveal they were just looking for a place to stay, but they'd rather sleep under the bridge than to deal with that insanity, so they leave. Roger realizes he is in trouble again and, having promised Dr. Bellows his promotion by 10 o'clock next morning, he would be considered a lunatic. But Dr. Bellows does get promoted after all, thanks to Jeannie's intervention, and Roger escapes his punishment.

The Munsters: Eddie's Nickname (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Eddie comes home from school very upset because his classmates gave him the nickname "Shorty". Grandpa fixes a potion which he says will make him grow 15 centimeters. Eddie drinks it and instead of increasing his stature, the potion grows a beard in him. His parents take him to the doctor -- Eddie wears a paperbag mask so that people won't see his face -- and the prognosis is that there is no cure for his condition. During dinner, Grandpa tries to comfort Eddie by telling him that he will make him his partner in his future business of selling the potion as a cure for baldness -- a 40% partnership, since "you don't give 50% to a 10-year-old kid". Eddie inadvertently wets his beard in his soup, and the wet portion of the beard disintegrates; it disappears completely by applying a cloth soaked in soup to his face, and so he is cured. Lily is very happy, although she confesses that she doesn't know how that reflects on her culinary skills. Herman gives Eddie a sermon about how he shouldn't worry about his height or appearance, because what matters is one's good heart and strength of character.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: Mother Lurch Visits the Addams Family (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Lurch's Mother writes him and he tells her he is a rich man living in a mansion of his own; she says she will come to visit him and he feels depressed because she will find out he lied. Gomez and Morticia propose him an exchange of social positions while her mother is there: Lurch will be the master and Gomez and Morticia will be his servants. He agrees reluctantly. Mother Lurch turns out to be an impossible person; she has Gomez and Morticia fired and sends for new servants. Fester and Grandmama, who happen to be entering the house within a few minutes of her call to the agency, are mistaken for the new servants, and decide to go along with it. Mother Lurch finally goes away, but Lurch has become accustomed to the life of master of the house and so has difficulties in returning to his old servile position.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: And So Died Riabouchinska (1956) (TV)

Synopsis: A man is killed in the premises of a vaudeville theater; he had visited the ventriloquist twice, and that makes the latter the prime suspect.

Appraisal: Not so good, I'm afraid. The development is potentially entertaining, but the mystery's solution makes it a candidate for worst episode so far.

Sometimes in April (2005) (TV)

Synopsis: In 1994, in Rwanda, during the civil war between Hutu and Tutsi, Augustin, a Hutu soldier, is blacklisted and his Tutsi wife's life is put at risk; his brother Honoré is a radio speaker who incites the rage against the Tutsi. Honoré agrees to drive Augustin's wife and children out of the country, but will he be able to pass the many roadblocks?

Appraisal: Honest portrayal of a tragic war with its multifaceted political nuances; it is nevertheless way too slow and long, and not as effective dramatically as I expected.

Rating: 48

The Munsters: Bats of a Feather (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Eddie is choosing an animal for a pet fair at school; Lily thinks their cat would be the best choice, but Herman prefers that he take Spot, their dragon. Grandpa in turn suggests Igor the bat. Spot refuses to leave his refuge under the staircase, so Igor seems to be their only choice, since the cat is considered too unappealing. Herman calls Igor an idiot and, feeling insulted, it leaves the house. Grandpa morphs into his batlike guise so that Eddie can take him; they don't tell Eddie that it's Grandpa though -- he still thinks it's Igor. At the fair, Bat-Grandpa scares people by flying around the room. Eddie comes home with a squirrel: he has traded his bat for it with a classmate -- only for the weekend, he says. They phone his classmate but he sold the bat to his father who is a scientist at NASA. They all fly to Washington, to the scientist's lab where Grandpa is being held. The NASA scientist who has Grandpa is thinking of sending him to space in an experimental flight; Grandpa passes out when he hears it. They get a female bat to make him company. When the Munsters arrive at the NASA facility, Herman goes to talk to the guards at the gate; they think he is some experiment who escaped from the lab, and tell him to go back inside. Herman gets to the lab, but mistakes the female bat for Grandpa, and takes her. When the scientists begin to experiment with Grandpa, they make him fly towards a wall in order to test his radar; he flies right into it, though. He then takes the opportunity and flees the lab; when he is out of the scientists' sight he morphs back into human form; he then reaches the front gate and asks the guards to call him a taxi to the airport. When he gets home, they are all trying to make the female bat turn into Grandpa. Igor returns to the house and falls in love with the female bat. Eddie asks about it and Grandpa tells him he should have a conversation with Eddie about "the bats and the bees".

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: The Addams Family Meets the Undercover Man (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: The CIA is investigating the Addams because coded messages have been detected coming out of their house. Actually, it's Pugsley talking to his friends from all over the world on his Citizen's Band radio. The CIA man hires the postman as an undercover agent; he is supposed to enter their house, read their mail, and locate the source of the radio messages. He doesn't complete the job, because he gets scared and leaves. The CIA man then hires the plumber to do the same job, under the pretense of fixing their lion's water fountain. He too is scared and flees. The Addams suspect something strange is going on and phone the CIA; the call reaches the very man who is investigating them; he takes the opportunity to enter the house and see things for himself. The Addams find his behavior strange and suspect him of being an impostor; they unarm him and put him in the pillory; it's in the same room in which Pugsley makes his transmissions, so he finally finds out what they were about. The Addams check his identity with the CIA and conclude he is legitimate; everything is explained and they let him go.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The AristoCats (1970)

Synopsis: An elderly lady living in a huge mansion decides to make a will leaving all her possessions to her cats (a mother and her three children); she states that after the cats die, the butler will inherit everything, provided he takes care of the cats while they are alive. The butler doesn't like the idea and decides to get rid of the cats.

Appraisal: Good animated entertainment, with elaborate sequences and fine animation. Note 1: I saw it dubbed in Portuguese. Note 2: I had already seen this film as a kid.

Rating: 55

The Munsters: Herman's Rival (1964) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Lily reads Herman's bank extract and sees it has no money in it; she thinks he is broke and decides to take a job. Actually, Herman has loaned money to his brother-in-law Lester, and is not really broke. Lily finds a job as a hand reader at a tea house. Herman arrives early from work one day and finds that Lily is not there; he gets suspicious and is encouraged by Grandpa to follow her on the next day. He and Grandpa follow her to the tea house; they peek through a high window and see her reading the owner's hand; they think they are holding hands as lovers; he goes back home. Later, he decides, again under Grandpa's encouragement, to go to the tea house and demand satisfaction from the owner. When Lily gets home, Herman has already left. Lester calls Herman but he is not in; Lily talks to him: he wants to return the money he borrowed; Lily asks him to meet them at the tea house. Herman breaks into the tea house, and the owner passes out at the sight of him. Lily arrives and explains it all; the owner comes to, but passes out again at the sight of the Munsters. Lester arrives: he is a werewolf, a full-fledged, hairy one; the owner passes out once again at the sight of him.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: Art and the Addams Family (1964) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Grandmama has taken to painting and Gomez invites his friend Bosley Swain the art critic to look at her paintings. He says she needs a teacher, so they decide to hire Picasso to teach her. Lurch calls him in France but can't find him there, so he tries Spain; he reaches another man named Picasso who was about to commit suicide. He agrees to come to America to teach Grandmama. He is only interested in the free meals he will get; Bosley Swain is invited again and says this is not the real Picasso, but a crook who uses his famous relative's name to sell his worthless paintings. The Addams think he is jealous and encourage Picasso to paint; they even lock him up in his studio. Wednesday sneaks in there through one of Pugsley's secret tunnels. Picasso decides to escape through the tunnel; Wednesday takes the opportunity to paint on Picasso's canvases. The Addams catch Picasso escaping and take him back in; they see Wednesday's paintings and think they are Picasso's. They summon Bosley Swain to look at them, and he says they're masterpieces; he buys them; Picasso takes the money and goes back to Spain. Morticia and the Thing decide to paint too.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: All-Star Munster (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Marilyn is desperate because she is being threatened with expulsion from the university due to lack of payment. Apparently, Lily forgot to pay last month's tuition. Herman goes down to the university to solve the matter. He gets lost in the campus and asks for directions in the sports department. By a coincidence, they are expecting a basketball player named Moose whose description matches Herman's appearance. They think he is Moose, and tell him to play a little for them to see. Herman excels with the ball and is tricked into signing a contract there and then. When he asks about the tuition matter, he is told he will not have any problem in that area, even though he never mentions Marilyn's name. Meanwhile, the real Moose arrives with his father and, seeing no one at the bus station to receive him, heads to the university campus. He is dismissed because now that they have Herman they no longer need him. Back at the Munsters', Herman is very excited about his blossoming sportsman career, but is severely repproached by Grandpa and Lily for not having solved Marilyn's problem. They hear the doorbell and it's Moose and his father who came to complain to Herman for having taken his place. They all urge Herman to go to the university campus to straighten things up. It is done, and Moose gets back his position as a player; he begins dating Marilyn, and when he comes to pick her, they all step outside to take a peek and are astonished by the expensive car he is driving; he is not the struggling poor student they thought he was.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

Top Cat: The Maharajah of Pookajee (1961) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Top Cat is selling tickets to a trapeze act starring Brain and Choo-Choo, but it goes awry: Brain hits Dibble while on his trajectory. They all have to scram. They overhear that Dibble is in charge of the security of a maharajah who is coming to town for a visit, and is famous for his generosity -- he hands out rubies for those who happen to pass near him. Top Cat tricks Dibble into telling him the name of the hotel the maharajah is staying at; he and his gang head there. They all disguise as maharajahs in order to enter the hotel; in there, Top Cat is mistaken for the real maharajah, whose arrival has been postponed. The cats profit from the mistake and lodge themselves in the most expensive suite in the hotel. They bought glass beads which they use to tip the hotel employees, pretending they are rubies. When they run out of beads, Top Cat sends Benny to buy some more. On his way out, Benny meets a jeweler who is supposed to deliver some jewels to the maharajah; Benny thinks the hotel service is so efficient that they went to buy beads for him so he doesn't have to go to the drugstore. He receives the jewels and gives them to Top Cat. Their party is over sooner than they expect, though: the real maharajah arrives, and they must leave in a hurry through the laundry chute. When they reach the street, they meet Dibble, who thinks T.C. is the maharajah; T.C. gives Dibble the jewels (which he thinks are beads) in appraisal of the excellent security job he is doing. Farther ahead Top Cat bumps into the real maharajah who gives him a bag of jewels; Top Cat thinks he is just another impostor like himself and throws the jewels in the ocean. The next day, Dibble shows up driving a brand new automobile, which he says he bought with the jewels Top Cat gave him. Benny shows Top Cat the maharajah's photo in the paper, and T.C. realizes it's the same man he bumped into the day before; he also realizes he threw real jewels in the ocean. They decide to dive for them; Top Cat is supervising the search but gets impatient for results and dives himself. Benny is perplexed: "Why did he do it if he can'tswim?"

The Munsters: Grandpa's Call of the Wild (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Eddie asks his father to take him camping. Herman agrees and they all except Marilyn go camping in a park. When they get there Herman sets up their tent; Lily asks him to move it so they would stay out of the sun, but Herman moves a tree instead. Herman is fishing for their lunch but he is so strong that the line goes beyond the lake, landing on other people's food -- he brings a fried fish, then a roast chicken, and so on. At night, Grandpa feels nostalgic when he hears the howling of the wolves. They all go to sleep except for Grandpa who says he will stay a while longer enjoying the night air. The next morning, he has vanished. They hear the news that the park guards have captured a Transylvanian wolf, and they know of course that it's Grandpa who has morphed into a wolf. Lily claims it to the park supervisor, but he says he can't hand it over to Lily. Lily tells Grandpa-wolf to morph back into human form, but he says he can't remember how. When night falls, Herman goes to Grandpa's cage and breaks the locker, freeing Grandpa. They all decide to return home, but they have a problem: how to cross the gate without the wolf being seen by the park guards? Lily disguises the wolf as a stole, and nobody notices it. At home, they give Grandpa an anti-wolf serum to make him go back to his human guise.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Dance with Me, Herman (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Lily snoops in Marilyn's bedroom while she is "cleaning" it (actually, she was putting some cobwebs in it) and finds a letter from school saying there will be a gathering of parents at school. She tells Herman about it and they are a little upset, thinking that maybe Marilyn is ashamed of them and doesn't want them to go to the gathering. Herman asks Marilyn about it and she says that she didn't tell them because it will be a dancing party and she knows how Herman feels about such events. Herman says he will not go because he can't dance. Lily says he should make an effort and learn to dance; she is willing to teach him. After a few unsuccesful attempts at teaching him, they all decide it's best to enroll him at a dancing school, so that's what he does. The school owner tells the dancing instructor to flatter Herman so as to convince him to sign a 10-year contract. Herman is led to believe he is a great dancer, and there is no trouble making him sign the contract. At home, Grandpa reads the contract and finds out it's a big scam to take Herman's money. They call the police, who say they will investigate the school; when the school owner receives a call from the police, he tells the dancing instructor to suspect any student looking excessively naive; she tells him she already has one fitting that profile: Herman. The school owner takes a look at Herman and concludes he can't be a genuine student, so he tears up his contract, gives him all his money back, and tells him he has no future as a dancer, so he better stop his lessons. Herman is disillusioned and decides he won't go to the ball anymore; Lily says in that case she won't go either, but he insists she goes without him; she complies, but pretends to sprain her ankle while going down the front stairs, so she doesn'thave to go without Herman.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: The Addams Family Meets a Beatnik (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Rocky, a young motorbiker, has an accident and invades the Addams' front lawn; they take him in. He has to stay there while he waits for his motorcycle's broken parts to be replaced. Gomez reads in the newspaper about an industry tycoon; he has a hunch and compares the tycoon's name to Rocky's, which he reads in the latter's driver's license. Rocky is the tycoon's son; Gomez also finds out that the following day is Rocky's birthday; he and Morticia decide to give him a surprise party; they invite his father. At the party, Rocky tells his father that he is tired of not being accepted as he is, and that the Addams were the only ones that did not try to change him. His father admits his errors and they make peace with each other.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Grandpa Leaves Home (1964) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Grandpa has an argument with Herman and Lily over some petty issues (an open window, noises Grandpa does when Herman is reading) and decides to leave home. Herman tells Lily to pretend indifference -- he thinks Grandpa is just trying to attract attention. Several days later, though, he hasn't returned and Lily starts to worry; they find an ad in the newspaper announcing Grandpa as a magician in a nightclub. They phone him there and he says he is doing very well on his own, and his show is a big success. The truth, however, is quite the opposite: his boss at the nightclub has threatened to fire him if the show fails to please his customers once again. Herman and Lily decide to go to the nightclub that evening to watch Grandpa; the latter is doing a different act that evening: like Harry Houdini, he has them lock him inside a chest and promises to get out of there in ten seconds without any human assistance. When he fails to break out of there after some minutes, Herman goes on stage and opens the chest. Grandpa is surprised to see him and asks him to close the chest again. The nightclub owner then opens it again and there is a wolf inside; he is scared and lets it close again, but it immediately reopens and Grandpa appears, in his human form. The show is a big success and Grandpa is invited to perform on the East Coast, but he has realized his family is more important than his career and decides to go back home and quit show business.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: The Sleeping Cutie (1964) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Grandpa has invented a pill which produces gasoline when added to water. He sends it to an oil company in the hopes of selling the rights to it. Meanwhile, at home, Marilyn has a bad crisis of insomnia; Grandpa gives her a pill which he says will cure her instantly; by mistake, however, he gives her the "Sleeping Beauty" pill which puts her in a sleep which can only be interrupted by the kiss of a prince. They put an ad in the paper looking for such a prince. At the oil company, they are very interested in the pill and select someone to go in person to the Munsters' house to make an offer for the pill. Grandpa decides to destroy the formula for the "Sleeping Beauty" pill, but by mistake destroys the instant gasoline pill instead. When the oil company guy comes to the house, they initially say they are not interested, but then they read his card and see that his last name is Prince, so they invite him in. They say they will only talk about business after he performs a family ritual which consists in kissing the youngest family member of the opposite sex. He agrees to it, and when he sees Marilyn he is more than delighted to do it. Marilyn awakes and Grandpa reveals that he has destroyed the pill; the company only wants him to agree not to market it, so he signs the contract; Herman forbids him from taking money for it though. Marilyn starts dating Mr. Prince.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: Lurch Learns to Dance (1964) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: The annual Butlers' Ball is nearing, and Lurch is invited; he never goes to these events, and does not intend to make this year an exception. Morticia and Gomez think he should though, in order to develop his social skills. They find out he cannot dance, and decide to hire him a teacher. When she arrives at the mansion, she keeps passing out; eventually she manages to stay conscious, but she cannot teach Lurch anything. Wednesday tries to teach him ballet, with pathetic results; their sizes are too disparate and they are parted to prevent Wednesday from being physically injured . Morticia decides to teach him herself; she is not successful either. Gomez is the last one to try, and he gets slightly better results. On the day of the ball, Lurch dresses up as a little boy (it's a costume ball) and goes. Nobody wants to dance with him there, and he sits dejected at a bench. Morticia decides to go to the ball in disguise and pair with him in the dance contest. They play the tango and the winning couple is Lurch and Morticia.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: The Midnight Ride of Herman Munster (1964) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman and Lily are back from the drive-in one evening and she realizes she has forgotten her furcoat in the cadillac; she asks Herman to go fetch it. Herman goes and he is so tired that he falls asleep inside the car. Two thieves happen to be walking by and when they see the car they decide to steal it for a bank robbery they are about to commit. They drive it to their hideaway and, still not realizing Herman is asleep on the back seat, they get off and enter the house; there they wait for their getaway driver. Herman awakes and enters the house; they think he is the driver. Meanwhile Lily calls the police to notify Herman's disappearance and both she and the police start searching for him separately; the police find a man whom they think matches Herman's description and take him to the station; that man is none other than the driver for whom the thieves were waiting. The police take him to the Munsters' house and put him in Herman's bed. When Lily is informed that Herman has been found and is already at home, she and Grandpa go back there. Meanwhile, Herman drives the thieves to the bank and they rob it. Not knowing what else to do, Herman drives the car towards an obstacle. The police come and arrest the thieves. Herman talks to Lily on the phone and she is confused because she thought that it was him under the blankets. He returns home and the police arrest the man sleeping in Herman's bed.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

I Dream of Jeannie: Whatever Became of Baby Custer? (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: The kid who lives next door to Tony catches him and Jeannie floating on the air; he tells his parents, but they don't believe him; they come to Tony's house for an explanation, but Tony says simply that it was the boy's imagination and they believe it. The kid's father also works for NASA and asks Dr. Bellows to talk to his son; when Dr. Bellows hears that Tony is involved, he takes an interest in the case. He instructs the kid to start spying on Tony. One evening, the kid is spying through Tony's front window and sees Jeannie and Tony dancing; when she sees him, she disappears; Dr. Bellows arrives and both start spying on Tony, who is now dancing alone. A cop arrives and demands explanations from Dr. Bellows; he suggests they talk to Tony so that he will confirm that they are acquainted. Tony confirms it and the cop goes away. In the days that follow, the kid continues to spy on Tony, so Jeannie suggests to make him disappear, but Tony forbids her from doing that; subsequently the kid indeed disappears and Tony suspects Jeannie; she denies she had anything to do with it though. Tony goes to the kid's house and asks his parents whether there is any new item in the house; they say there is a new plant vase, and also a new goldfish; Tony thinks the boy has been turned into the goldfish; he is about to confess all about Jeannie to the kid's parents and to Dr. Bellows when the kid shows up; he was in the park and, instead of spending his money on a call to his parents, chose to buy ice-cream with it. That evening Tony and Jeannie are at home kissing and she sees the boy looking at them from a tree; she moves the tree so that they get out of his sight.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

I Dream of Jeannie: Djinn and Water (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Tony is at home working on an experiment on water desalination; Jeannie starts disturbing him; she wants to ride a motor car; he asks her to leave him alone; she mentions that her great-grandfather had a formula for water desalination; she summons him; the guy is a bit of a crook and a thief -- he pockets several objects in Tony's house. Jeannie goes out and gets in Tony's car and starts driving crazily; she is invisible while doing it; Dr. Bellows is passing by and sees Tony chasing his own car, with no one visible at the wheel; then Tony demands that Jeannie stop the car and it does; Dr. Bellows surmises Tony is testing a new kind of remote control. Jeannie goes back in time to ancient Egypt to fetch the main ingredient of her great-grandfather's formula; it's a seed. The formula works, but it turns out that the plant which produces that seed is extinct since the year 1 A.D.


Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Herman the Great (1964) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Herman is worried that he will not have enough money to send Eddie to the university, so he takes a night job as a wrestler; it was offered to him by the father of one of Eddie's friends: he was impressed with Herman being able to tie a knot on an iron bar.The only person in his house who knows the nature of his job is Grandpa. Initially he loses all fights because his adversaries tell him sad stories about their lives which make him feel pity for them. On the day when he must fight an amateur from the audience he is drugged and his adversary is in reality a professional; this time he wins, thanks to Grandpa's intervention. He also prevents the people in the audience from dying in the fire that started on the gym: they are so scared when he takes off his mask that they leave immediately.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Addams Family: The Addams Family Meets the VIPs (1964) (TV)

Synopsis: Some diplomats from some communist country are visiting the U.S. and they want to meet an average American family; they pick one randomly on the phone book, and the Addams are the selected one. The diplomats marvel at their peculiarities.


Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

The Munsters: Family Portrait (1964) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: The Munsters are selected by Event magazine to feature in its issue devoted to an "ordinary American family". Grandpa is insulted -- he doesn't consider himself common --and refuses to take part in it. He pretends to leave home but is in fact hiding in the basement under his batlike guise. Herman and Lily go out looking for him. Meanwhile the reporters from Event arrive, and are received by Marilyn. One of the reporters feels attracted toward her, but the other is scared after he sees weird things in the house, like Eddie going out of closets. When Herman and Lily arrive, they are not told that the reporters are staying in the guests' room; they hear noises and think there are thieves in the house. Herman goes after them with a water pistol; the reporters are scared of him and run away. Their boss wants the story anyway and orders them back in the house; by then, Marilyn has explained to Herman and Lily what happened. In the end, the story is made and the Munsters appear in the magazine as an "ordinary American family celebrating Halloween".

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

I Dream of Jeannie: The Moving Finger (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Tony is going to Hollywood to work as a consultant for a film about astronauts. Jeannie is jealous and worried because the female star of the film is one Rita Mitchell, who has had seven husbands and is looking for an eighth. Tony says Jeannie cannot go with him; he leaves her his address which he writes on an envelope, so she can send him a letter if she wants. After he leaves, Jeannie enters the envelope and mails herself to Hollywood. The producer explains Tony the plotline of the movie: an American astronaut is shrunken to a pinhead's size and injected into a Russian astronaut's blood stream; he travels up to his brain where he will collect important military secrets. Jeannie meets Tony and accompanies him to the studio pretending to be his secretary. The producer makes a pass at her. Rita Mitchell is throwing a party that evening and invites Tony; Jeannie of course says she will go too. At the party, Jeannie gets jealous of Tony and causes to rain over him and Rita. The next day, Tony has an appointment and tells Jeannie to stay at the hotel; she asks him whether he would date her if she were an actress, and he says yes. She then goes to the studio and asks for an audition; she says she knows all the poems by Omar Khayyam and recites one, to the awe of those watching her. The next day, she tells Tony she has to go to the screening of her successful audition; Tony says he won't go because he has another appointment, but he in fact shows up and stays hidden. The screening is a total fiasco because Jeannie doesn't appear in it at all: it turns out genii cannot be photographed. Jeannie is terribly sad. Tony comes unto her and consoles her. Then they go to the walk of fame, where Jeannie softens the cement, thus causing their footprints to be imprinted on it; she writes the words "Guess Who?" above them. Note: this episode's title is probably derived from the poem Jeannie recites (I haven't understood it perfectly).

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.

I Dream of Jeannie: Americanization of Jeannie (1965) (TV)

Synopsis [spoilers]: Jeannie is feeling neglected. Tony is busy assembling a model of the rocket which will take him to space, and doesn't want her around disturbing him. Whe he finishes it, Jeannie makes it fly through the window. She reads an article in a magazine about the modern American woman and thinks it offers the solution to her problems. She decides to follow all the steps that the article suggests. First, she buys some expensive clothes and stops performing her housekeeping duties; then she refuses to cook dinner. She suggests Tony take her out to a fancy restaurant. In the restaurant there is an Oriental dancer; Tony seems to be enjoying her dance too much, and Jeannie gets jealous. She says she can dance better than the dancer, so she takes the stage and starts dancing. Tony pulls her off the stage and they leave the restaurant. In the following day, Jeannie decides to take a job at a department store; she is selling ovens, and, when none of the customers is impressed with her product, she uses her magical powers to cook instantaneously a piece of meat; they all want to buy it then, but when she produces a cake out of nowhere they get suspicious and change their minds. Jeannie is fired. She feels depressed and Tony suggests she gets a pet; she says she used to have one and Tony suggests she brings it to life; a lion appears.

Saw it dubbed in Portuguese.