Day #21,739

Walk km 7792-7797: to T&T and Safeway
Walk km 7797-7801 (13,937 to go): Commercial/3rd/Cotton/Gravely/Clark/Charles/Clark/William/Parker/Venables/Glen/Georgia/Vernon/Frances/Clark

Book #383: Murder Must Advertise (1933, Dorothy L Sayers)

I goofed. I was in the Salvation Army looking for reading material for my upcoming vacation. There I confused Dorothy L Sayers with Dorothy B Hughes. A reasonable mistake since they're both named Dorothy, both use their middle initial, both write crime novels and I'm quite old.
But, what the heck, I'll read it anyway: it might be good. That would be my second mistake. The type of crime novel this is is a whodunit. Whodunits are totally useless. Not only was this a whodunit but it was a 388 page whodunit. I was 3 weeks in Vegas (with 100+ temperatures outside) and I still couldn't finish it.
Actually it's not badly written (certainly better than Agatha Christie) and she does have a wonderful vocabulary. But it is a whodunit.

Movie #1732: Strangers With Candy (2005, Paul Dinello)

Looks like I've already hit bottom with Netflix Canada.

Day #21,738

Movie #1731: The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie (1976, John Cassavetes)

Of all 21 Netflix movies I watched in the States, none are available in Canada. This is one I would have watched if I had had more time. Unique film experience of Ben Gazzara (strip club owner) getting mixed up with the mob. The mob is out to get him. Is he worried? Maybe a little but it's his crappy strip club that always comes first. Let's hear it for Mr. Sophistication!

Day #21,737

Walk km 7789-7792: to the In-And-Out Burger

Movie #1727: John Rabe (2009, Florian Gallenberger)

I read the book about John Rabe a few years ago. So, why did the filmmakers add extra "facts"? To add dramatic affect. But the trouble is, if you add extra "facts" then your whole premise of this being a true story is destroyed. They might just as well have invented a fictitious character on which to base the movie. A waste of time.

Movie #1728: The Big Caper (1957, Robert Stevens)

This one really delivers. A whole set of odd-ball criminal types are contrasted against 1950s suburbia. The key roles go to Robert Harris as a pyromaniac who loves to drink gin and Corey Allen as a sociopath who loves to drink milk.
Best bit: Rory Calhoun gets slugged with a gun butt, kicked out of a car and rolls down an embankment. As the car pulls away it passes a sign: "No Dumping".

Movie #1729: Down Three Dark Streets (1954, Arnold Laven)

This may be the vacation to end my poker playing but maybe it'll end my movie watching too. How in the world can I go back to hit and miss movie watching after such a run of great movies like this. This was another winner. Broderick Crawford is the FBI man assigned to solve three cases so that they can find the killer of an FBI agent. Broderick was great and Ruth Roman and Martha Hyer were perfect examples of 50s pulchritude.

Movie #1730: Spoilers Of The Plains (1951, William Witney)

Weird. Witney is credited with creating the movies that made Roy Rogers a star. I figured I'd watch one. This movie is very odd. They've created a weird 19th/20th century hybrid. The plot concerns the Russians trying to steal America's rocket technology and yet..................... everybody rides horses! They transport the rockets on buckboards pulled by horse teams! It appears that they figure the kids will go for westerns more if they're contemporary. It's a strange idea but it seems to have worked because Roy became America's #1 cowboy star.
Also, thanks to the folks at Republic studios for not spreading the red scare to the kids. Although the adults would know that Roy is fighting commies, they only mention an "unfrienldly world power" in the movie. Could be Ecuador or maybe Luxembourg!

Day #21,736

Walk km 7782-7789: to the Golden Nugget from Sahara

Movie #1726: Ladybug Ladybug (1963, Frank Perry)

Alarm sounds at a rural school warning of an immanent nuclear attack. The second worst thing that can happen does happen. I haven't seen a Frank Perry since The Swimmer which was probably 20 years ago. This one is just as good.

Day #21,735

Walk km 7775-7782: Rancho/Sahara/Highland/Red Oak/Highland/Edna/Westwood/Capelle/Highland/Desert Inn/Industrial/Sahara/Rancho

statue
approx km 7777 Treasure's Gentleman's Club

Movie #1720: Deadhead Miles (1972, Vernon Zimmerman)

A nice change of pace from this long line of 50s b&w films I've been watching. This is one of those jibberish movies that Hollywood made in the late 60s/early 70s. Hollywood knew the youth market wasn't interested in surf and hot rods anymore. They were into mind expanding experiences. This one combined that concept with a truck drivin' movie complete with an authentic Dave Dudley soundtrack. Way ahead of it's time.
Alan Arkin stars and keeps up a steady stream of jibberish from start to finish. Excellent.

Movie #1721: Lure Of The Swamp (1957, Hubert Cornfield)

Even Netflix screwing around with the aspect ratio couldn't ruin this one. "simple" Simon makes a modest living as a guide in the swamp. Then one day, criminals begin popping up everywhere he turns looking for that $290,000 from a Miami bank robbery that's hidden in the swamp. Simon can't resist taking a grab for it too. This was Cornfields first and probably best movie (although IMDB rates it only 48).

Movie #1722: Private Hell 36 (1954, Don Siegel)

Hmmmm.... not really as good as IMDB's 68 rating would have one think. Couple of cops decide to go dirty and of course that causes everything to go haywire. I like the style but I don't see that this one is anything special.

Movie #1723: Young And Wild (1958, William Witney)

This is the other JD movie by Witney available on Netflix. Once again Witney has hit another home run despite Netflix screwing around with the aspect ratio. One of the main differences with these two Witneys is that the punks are just punks - no sob story about it's their parents'/societies' fault.
Also, this one has a plot hole that you could drive a whole herd of trucks through but it still didn't matter: it was still exciting. Tarantino was right.