writers_reign This is so far beyond dire we're talking Here Be Dragons. It was the first title in a mini season of films screened in Nitrate prints at the NFT and in their brochure the BFI 'sold' it - along with the other Nitrate movies - on the 'enhanced' image that obtains when shooting on nitrate. I'm here to tell you that I was completely unable to detect anything other than dullness in either the print or the plot. For the record it begins when local gotrocks businessman Eduardo Cianelli mistakes a turn off and drives off a cliff. 90 per cent of interested parties are happy to accept it as kosher but one insurance investigator (let's face it, there's always one) isn't convinced and requests 48 hours to look into it cueing our old friend the flashback during which we learn how singer Janis Paige latched onto Cianelli and wound up as a trophy wife to the chagrin of his stepsister Binnie Barnes. Much is made of the fact that it was shot entirely on location in Italy - explained by the fact that producer Mike Frankovich and his wife, Binnie Barnes, lived there and made ample use of cheap labour in the shape of fifth rate Italian actors. It's ironic that a film that boasts of authentic location work should feature a road sign in perfect English. Danger Dead End. They sure got that one right. For the brain-dead only.