Casino Royale (1967)

Every spy movie has to have some sort of mystery in it. The mystery here: who the hell thought this was a good idea? I mean, it’s not like the legit Bond movies take themselves all that seriously, so how far can you really go in parodying them? The answer to that question is painfully evident here. Every so often this movie raises itself up and achieves a level of extraordinary stupidity; the rest of it is a mishmash of lame, incomprehensible, unwatchable, or some combination of all three. The only moment in the movie that is even within hailing distance of competence is the baccarat scene—and that’s the one part of the script that plays it straight! Otherwise, this is a bomb of staggering proportions, a film that is so bad it can’t even achieve "so bad it’s good." Seriously, I like a spoof as much as the next guy, but this...words fail. At least, as I struggle to find something good to say, I can at least report that a few of the women in the flick are great to look at. So there’s that. Otherwise, yeesh. Your mission: avoid this at all costs.

Gaslight

Here's an interesting example of the problem with some old movies. A certain kind of formalism sometimes pervaded films back in the day. This is especially true of mysteries, where the inclination to take shortcuts through exposition can be irresistible--a path that can create stilted scenes and dialogue. That's what you get here, particularly early in the picture. It makes for a doubtful viewing experience for about the first half of the film. Thankfully, the story picks up a lot of steam in its second half, driven particularly by a strong, understated performance from Joseph Cotten. By the time you get to the denouement, the story wraps up in in an enjoyable final set piece. Put that together with some fine set design, atmospheric exterior scenes that really set the mood late in the game, and solid performances by the other principals--Boyer is arch, Bergman is good in a rangy role (and looks spectacular as usual)--and the ultimate result is a flawed but mostly enjoyable film that just edges its way up into the realms of recommendation,