B-MOVIE OF THE MONTH - KLONDIKE FEVER (1979)

Canadian director Peter Carter was best known for the B-movie masterpiece Rituals, which, many movie lovers think beat Deliverance at its own game. He died sadly at 49 of a sudden heart attack but not before leaving us with a few other gems like Highpoint with Richard Harris and this sorely overlooked Western drama. Klondike Fever tells the story of Jack London (Jeff East) and his partner (Robin Gammel) as they journey to stake their claim and hopefully take home their weight in gold. It's adventurous, epic in scope with a huge cast and suitable for the whole darn family. Of particular note is Robin Gammel, excellent and funny, Gordon Pinsent who kills it as the crafty "Swiftwater" and an '80's actress who I never tire of mentioning, the lovely Lisa Langlois. It's super cornball along the way and sometimes feels like an afternoon children's special but this is a great film and surprisingly it won a bunch of Genie awards to back that up. Klondike Fever, playing above and on Tubi which recently uploaded a much nicer version than the VHS transfer that they used to have. 2.75 stars/2.75

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

"THE GAMBLER" (1974) TURNS 50 - JAMES CAAN' SHINING MOMENT BRILLIANTLY DIRECTED BY KAREL REISZ AND A SICKNESS LAID OUT BARE

 

There has never been nor will there ever be a character study movie that nails the frightening, sad and destructive effects of gambling addiction like this one. 

James Caan plays Axel Freed and he's in deep. To the tune of 44 grand (and this was 1974.) He makes about every bad choice one can make when sick - gets in with loan sharks, burns his parents, abuses his girlfriend (Lauren Hutton, awesome here.) And of course, borrows from one to burn another and so on it goes. 

Such a great movie and cast, the real surprise performance that steals the show is the recently departed Burt Young as a collector for the mob. 

 

About halfway thru the flick, Axel takes his girl to Las Vegas and cleans up. The iconic Ceasar's Palace ceiling is gorgeously framed and this whole sequence rocks including a quick five-liner by good ole M Emmet Walsh. 

One of the greatest films of the early '70's and like a lot of movies from that time period, about as real and truthful as it gets. 

Currently, The Gambler streams only on Apple TV or VOD but it's worth every penny.   4.5 stars/5

If you or anyone you know suffers from gambling addiction, there's a 24/7 hotline you can call 800-662-HELP. 






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B-MOVIE GAZETTE RATING SYSTEM

5 Stars - Only awarded to the precious few.
4 Stars - Excellent, see by all means.
3 Stars - Very Good, you should like.
2 Stars - Fair, like a frozen dinner.
1 Star - Poor, like a spoiled dinner.

ALL B-MOVIES, DRIVE-IN MOVIES AND TV MOVIES HAVE A MAX AWARD OF 2.75 STARS.