Cine catch-up

In no particular order, here's brief commentary on the recently viewed. Tsui Hark's Vampire Hunters was dubbed into jokey English, and there was also a new-age soundtrack that must have been substituted for something else. The very worst thing about this was that the forest bandits were dubbed with movie-comedy "Mexican" accents. When the waxen creatures are activated, they hop. Seeing hundreds of them hopping does not inspire fear. National Security was fun. The initial IMDB reviewer hated it, but its defenders sprang into action. Martin Lawrence and Steve Zahn make a good team, so a sequel should be entertaining. Zahn should get more roles than he does. Down Argentine Way showcases the best Betty Grable ever, with a role as an intelligent person. Charlotte Greenwood kicks up her heels and gets to wear some of the most stylish clothes ever designed for a woman of her age and build. Credit Travis Banton for all the great clothes, for men and for women. He has a tribute at the costume designers' guild. Whether he or the production designer chose the colors isn't clear. Probably the production designer, I guess, since there was color theming for everything, not just the wardrobe. The credits for the Nicholas Brothers, if they were there, went by too fast to see, but their work was certainly not the dancing of anybody else! It's surprising that The Smallest Show on Earth is as late as 1957. There are no location shots here, just lots of Margaret Rutherford and other great character actors, including Peter Sellers.