My Monthly Movie Mumble (MMXVII)

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Nice viewing totals, nut-hoarder. Neat layout too. The IMDB links are a convenient touch. Love the succinct, straight-to-the-point "mumblings." You've mastered summing up your general opinion in as few words as possible. I could learn a thing or two from you.

I always like to see such a wide variety of viewing choices. You watch a little bit of everything. There's quite a few few films in here that I've been curious about but haven't watched yet. Also plenty of films that I've seen and generally agree with you on. I'm especially pleased to see your high ratings for Fail-Safe and I Saw the Devil. On the opposite end of the spectrum, your ratings for Ghost Dog and Fright Night disappoint me a little.

Major props for watching all of the Babes, Bombs and Boobs series in one month (although I think I prefer your alternative alliteration titles instead -- Sleaze, Silicone and 'Splosions, especially, with Floozies, Fake Funbags and Firearms a close runner-up). Malibu Express is the only one I've seen so far. It's a terrible movie, but I was fairly entertained and amused by it. I plan on watching the rest of the series, but I'll have to spread them pretty far apart in order not to have my IQ take too much of a hit.

I'll try to remember to check in on this thread at the end of every month.
__________________



What the hell with your weird thread titles! I can't believe it took me 3 months to find my way here.

You see Onibaba?
Hardly anyone is ever interested in what I watch so no point creating a 'come click on me' thread as it would just highlight that fact via it's lack of responses. At least this way I can blame the title for putting people off and not have to deal with reality

Not yet watched Onibaba, think the only one of Shindô's I've seen thus far is Kuroneko (a solid
for me), but do have the Masters Of Cinema dual format copy of it sitting on a shelf so will try to squeeze it in either this month or next.

Nice viewing totals, nut-hoarder. Neat layout too. The IMDB links are a convenient touch. Love the succinct, straight-to-the-point "mumblings." You've mastered summing up your general opinion in as few words as possible. I could learn a thing or two from you.

I always like to see such a wide variety of viewing choices. You watch a little bit of everything. There's quite a few few films in here that I've been curious about but haven't watched yet. Also plenty of films that I've seen and generally agree with you on. I'm especially pleased to see your high ratings for Fail-Safe and I Saw the Devil. On the opposite end of the spectrum, your ratings for Ghost Dog and Fright Night disappoint me a little.

Major props for watching all of the Babes, Bombs and Boobs series in one month (although I think I prefer your alternative alliteration titles instead -- Sleaze, Silicone and 'Splosions, especially, with Floozies, Fake Funbags and Firearms a close runner-up). Malibu Express is the only one I've seen so far. It's a terrible movie, but I was fairly entertained and amused by it. I plan on watching the rest of the series, but I'll have to spread them pretty far apart in order not to have my IQ take too much of a hit.

I'll try to remember to check in on this thread at the end of every month.
You are far too kind a jolly-murderer Sir, truth is I only know very few words so can't write lengthy tomes without that becoming brutally apparent.

I'm the same with movies as I am with music - I cannot abide enveloping myself in the same type of stuff day after week after month after year. Variety truly is the spice of life where I'm concerned ..... narrow taste is simply anathema to me. Sorry to once again disappoint you with some of my ratings but I can only call any fillum on how it entertains or impresses myself personally - if we all liked exactly the same things how boring and stagnant the arts would have become

It's a tough series on the brain cells all right, one a day was the plan at the beginning but after the sixth I had to take a couple of days off as even the thought of starting another one was distressing lol. In the end I think it took 22 days in total and certainly never more than 1 in any 24 hour period ..... in hindsight no more than 1 in any 24 week period would have been better

Always nice to hear from you!



Yea it was because of Kuroneko that I mentioned it. I don't know that you'll enjoy Onibaba more as I did, but I'm pretty confident you'll be pleased with it.



MAY (part i) (25)

Betrayal From The East (William Berke, 1945)
+
Spy thriller that's paced quite nicely with generally decent performances and an ok storyline but could do without the occasional inclusion of rather heavy handed propaganda

Boy, Did I Get A Wrong Number! (George Marshall, 1966)
+
Comedy that eventually drifts into farce and has a few worthwhile lines dotted throughout but Hope and Diller don't bounce off each other nearly enough and despite the best efforts of Ms. Sommer the farce isn't strong enough to stop proceedings from feeling far more flat than amusing

Carne trémula [Live Flesh] (Pedro Almodóvar, 1997)
+
Perfectly watchable but somewhat disappointing drama that sadly for me just doesn't quite sit right in terms of tone - either bizarre/madcap or serious would have worked far better than the semi-lighthearted undertone imo

Coherence (James Ward Byrkit, 2013)

Low-budget sci-fi that quite quickly manages to create a level of intrigue and promise but sadly that gradually dissipates as the periodic attempts to revive it via events/dialogue feel more and more staged whilst for me the shoestring style of filming really begin to grate in the second half

Dead Ringer (Paul Henreid, 1964)

Enjoyable crime thriller with Bette Davis in fine form with a storyline that may struggle a little for plausibility if one cares to dwell on it but is entertaining and evolves fairly nicely right up until the Hays influenced final few minutes

Death Game aka The Seducers (Peter S. Traynor, 1977)
+
Rather ineffective thriller thanks primarily to a combination of a weak characterisation of the protagonist, bizarre soundtrack choices and acting/script that aren't great that whilst managing to emphasise how unhinged at least one of the antagonists is delivers very little by way of tension, atmosphere or edge

Drive (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2011)

Decent enough crime drama that certainly improves as it progresses and sporadically contains some very nicely executed scenes of menace but for me in the first third the score isn't always that well suited (q.f. the scene in the supermarket) and in the initial getaway sequence the pronounced revving and shifting of the engine doesn't match the visual at one point which irritates

Extraterrestrial (Colin Minihan, 2014)

Mixed sci-horror that has a few nice scenes alongside a couple of really irritating sequences and despite appearing self aware of it's generic set-up and use of tropes can't quite seem to make it's mind up what it wants to be, flitting between light-hearted parody and 'us v them' fight for survival

Furyô anego den: Inoshika Ochô [Sex And Fury] (Norifumi Suzuki, 1973)

Pinku offering that is for the most part aesthetically pleasing with mainly acceptable acting containing nudity and soft-core sex scenes, a dash of torture and stylised violence but also frustratingly mixes it's tone too often imo which lessens the enjoyment a little and for a revenge tale could do with a higher degree of violence

Jigsaw (Fletcher Markle, 1949)
+
Moderate film-noir that does retain interest but is marred by weak acting and writing at times and a tendency to lay it's politics on with a trowel in places

Knock Knock (Eli Roth, 2015)

Thriller remake that begins to deviate from the original in the second half but although the protagonist is just as poorly characterised (and acted weirdly in places by Reeves) and the 'seduction' utterly ridiculous it fares a little better overall than it's predecessor thanks to far better production values, a soundtrack that is not out of kilter and antagonists that are a little more believable in terms of ages they are portraying ... plus it's nice to see a bit part for Colleen Camp (who imo was the best thing about the original)

My Favourite Brunette (Elliott Nugent, 1947)
+
Enjoyable enough Hope & Lamour outing lampooning mystery-thrillers that has some crisp dialogue as would be expected and decent touches in places (q.f. the 'finding' of Carlotta's ring) but it never really attains any great heights

Oculus (Mike Flanagan, 2013)

Rather effective horror that takes a little while to both understand and warm up but when it does it mixes it's timelines really nicely and does a good job of playing with perceptions of what is and isn't reality, though it has to be said the conclusion is easily predicted and somewhat pat

Quatermass 2 aka Enemy From Space (Val Guest, 1957)
+
Solid sci-horror sequel, again adapted from television which shows in it's episodic narrative, that also plays as a mystery/thriller allowing far more atmosphere, suspense and excitement to be generated than it's predecessor

Rabid (David Cronenberg, 1977)

Low-budget sci-horror that is a little patchy in terms of pace and atmosphere but Ms. Chambers in the lead actually does a decent enough job and although the central plot stretches credulity and much of the action is less than explicit it's still a relatively fun watch

Revenge Of The Creature (Jack Arnold, 1955)

Creature feature sequel that wastes no time cutting to the chase, has some nice underwater work and a leading lady that fully merits attention but the tale, though perfectly acceptable in it's execution, is ultimately little more than a variation on a theme

Scanners (David Cronenberg, 1981)

Sci-horror that's a little overplayed in places but is a tale that moves along at a decent pace whilst maintaining interest and although events become somewhat overly ridiculous in the closing stages remains a fun watch

Shivers (David Cronenberg, 1975)

A little clumsy with regards exposition/dialogue and certainly unpolished but it's a reasonably well paced low-budget sci-horror and remains a decent, Romero-esque watch

Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976)

Dark and dirty crime drama with a super soundtrack that revels in it's matter of fact portrayal of the seedier side of city life and has one of the most fascinating cinematic depictions of a deeply disturbed individual, though for me the performance of young Ms. Foster is a rare weak point and the very final scene perhaps would have been better left on the cutting room floor

The Piano Teacher (Michael Haneke, 2001)
+
Slow, offbeat drama that is nicely acted, in particular by Ms. Huppert, rather more graphic than expected and effectively unsettling even if the dynamics of the relationships with both her young lover and especially her mother didn't feel all that realistic to me

The Quatermass Xperiment aka The Quatermass Experiment (Val Guest, 1955)
+
Classic big-screen sci-horror adaptation with effects that are modest but respectable enough for it's time and mainly decent performances but sadly never really maintains any atmosphere it occasionally builds, leaving it interesting but also patchy and with it's generally dry, stoic presentation feeling a little sterile

The Winds Of Autumn (Charles B. Pierce, 1976)

Fairly routine revenge western that suffers a little in terms of acting here and there and has a tendency toward melodrama, sentimentality and a 'Disney' tone but for the most part it's an adequately told tale which makes nice use of some beautiful settings and any fillum with a Kermit in it is surely deserving of at least one watch

Thir13en Ghosts aka Thirteen Ghosts (Steve Beck, 2001)
+
Horror adventure laced with comedy that struggles in a number of departments (most notably pacing, acting, tone and storyline) but the mechanics of the house is nice and there is a little fun to occasionally be had in it's more cohesive moments (as long as one is prepared to suffer enough to get to them, though it has to be said that gets more challenging with each watch)

Vampires (John Carpenter, 1998)

Disappointing horror that is poor in most regards and begs the question as to where its reasonable budget went with action sequences that aside from one or two effects are not only generally unedifying but in places are edited to show as little as possible

Zerkalo [The Mirror aka Mirror] (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975)
+
Nicely acted, unstructured drama that is a family affair, in more ways than one, and whilst admittedly somewhat confusing on first watch is nonetheless visually a joy to watch including interesting switches between colour, sepia and black-and-white with some stunning cinematography and his fathers' beautifully soporific voiceover reading his own poetry- both of which are (no pun intended) almost hypnotic in places and intriguing in it's touching on the possibilities of there being more than just a physical connection between generations



OMG! I did NOT know it was May until I seen your thread was bumped, looked in, and seen....MAY
True Story!
Shyte - knew I should have put NOVEMBER



JANUARY (32)

2046 (Kar-Wai Wong, 2004)
+
Very nice but not quite as good as his In The Mood For Love imo

Attack (Robert Aldrich, 1956)
+
The principal characterisaions knock it down for me as they are just too over the top

Bait (Dominic Brunt, 2014)

Absolutely ludicrous with no real redeeming qualities - half a popcorn for it's use of a sink but best avoided imo

Beautiful Creatures (Richard LaGravenese, 2013)
+
Enjoyable enough fantasy piece but hardly memorable

Blue Ruin (Jeremy Saulnier, 2013)

Rather a fun revenge outing

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Anthony Russo & Joe Russo, 2014)

A pleasant surprise in being far better than it's predecessor imo

Divergent (Neil Burger, 2014)

Fun enough for what it is

Divorzio all'italiana [Divorce Italian Style] (Pietro Germi, 1961)

Delightfully understated humour

eXistenZ (David Cronenburg, 1999)
+
Ok but lesser Cronenberg for me

Faa yeung nin wa [In The Mood For Love] (Kar-Wai Wong, 2000)

Beautifully made and for me quite captivating

Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai (Jim Jarmusch, 1999)
+
Ok but tries too hard to be 'cool' imo

Le Doulos [The Finger Man] (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1963)
+
Lovely noir but let down by final act

Predestination (Michael Spierig & Peter Spierig, 2014)
+
Decent sci-fi though a little see-through

Seconds Apart (Antonio Negret, 2011)

Pretty bad and forgettable

Sin City: A Dame To Kill For (Frank Miller & Robert Rodriguez, 2014)
+
Ok but nowhere near as interesting as it's predecessor

Solyaris [Solaris] (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1972)

A little drawn out but nicely made sci-fi

Stalker (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1979)

Decent but less interesting than Solaris for me and likewise somewhat drawn out

The Corridor (Evan Kelly, 2010)

Starts well enough but gradually and inexorably goes downhill in the second half

The Day The Earth Stood Still (Robert Wise, 1951)

Classic sci-fi that never needed remaking imo

The Eichmann Show (Paul Andrew Williams, 2015)

Decent enough tv presentation of the televising of the trial

The Evil Inside aka Dead Inside (Pearry Reginald Teo, 2011)

Substandard low budget offering

The Fly (David Cronenburg, 1986)
+
Classic sci-horror remake that is equally as good as the original, albeit a rather different interpretation

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt 1 (Francis Lawrence, 2014)
+
Ok YA outing that is marginally better than those that preceded it in the franchise imo

The Last Of The Mohicans (Michael Mann, 1992)
+
Very nice colonial period drama

The Letter (William Wyler, 1940)
+
Very nicely made noirish crime drama

The Maze Runner (Wes Ball, 2014)

Decent enough YA outing though could've been pared back a little imo

The Spiral Staircase (Robert Slodmak, 1946)

Nicely atmospheric crime drama

To Kill A Mockingbird (Robert Mulligan, 1962)
+
Deservedly a classic

Transcendence (Wally Pfister, 2014)
+
Sci-fi offering that sadly doesn't live up to it's potentially interesting story

Vivre Sa Vie [My Life To Live] (Jean-Luc Godard, 1962)

Nicely made but sadly didn't blow me away

Wolfcop (Lowell Dean, 2014)
+
Quite a fun werewolf outing in parts

Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow, 2012)
+
Hardly believable but entertaining enough

Nice to see some love for The Letter....not a lot of talk about it on this site.



Nice to see some love for The Letter....not a lot of talk about it on this site.
I'm sure it will get some attention from a few on here with the upcoming 40's countdown .... hope so anyway!



Night Will Fall (Andre Singer, 2014)

Documentary about making of the Frontline WWII death camp documentary Memory Of The Camps
This is high up my list. Looks fascinating.

Too bad you didn't enjoy "The Rover". I thought it was terrific.



This is high up my list. Looks fascinating.
I found it pretty interesting, hopefully you will too.

Too bad you didn't enjoy "The Rover". I thought it was terrific.
That was a second viewing, I wish I liked it better but sadly I've felt pretty much the same about it both times



Lakeview Terrace (Neil LaBute, 2008)
Thriller that builds reasonably slowly and is an ok watch up until the latter stages where events become a little annoying with the climax reached rather blithely


You liked it a little more than I did, but your take on this movie is on the money.



Lakeview Terrace (Neil LaBute, 2008)
Thriller that builds reasonably slowly and is an ok watch up until the latter stages where events become a little annoying with the climax reached rather blithely


You liked it a little more than I did, but your take on this movie is on the money.
Thanks, the law of averages says I have to be in the right ballpark with one every now and then



MAY (part ii) (22)

13 Sins (Daniel Stamm, 2014)
+
Reasonable thriller with moments of horror and a darkly comic undertone that has an interesting premise but suffers slightly because the tone isn't consistent enough and moreso because the narrative is rushed in places and leaving the story feeling underdeveloped

De behandeling [The Treatment] (Hans Herbots, 2014)
+
Belgian crime thriller that manages to unsettle at times with it's subject matter and though not entirely unpredictable with it's story arc and dipping slightly in the final few minutes is a fairly solid entry in its genre

GirlHouse (Jon Knautz & Trevor Matthews, 2014)

Clichéd slasher that starts weakly and takes quite a while to get going but when it does is a fun enough watch that maintains interest even though events are rather predictable

Gun Woman (Kurando Mitsutake, 2014)

Low-budget action offering with generally poor production values that is laughably bad in places with effects that run the gamut from decent to terrible but it remains watchable in a car-crash kind of way, the concept is at least interesting and Noriaki Kamata makes a suitably grotesque pantomime villain

I'll be Seeing You (William Dieterle & George Cukor, 1944)
+
Romantic drama that's well enough acted by both leads but the overall story is somewhat twee and entirely predictable and the inclusion of the ptsd/shell-shock aspect feels as much a public information message as a bone-fide plot device

Out Of The Blue aka Vera Caspary's Out Of The Blue (Leigh Jason, 1947)

Whimsical comedy that is fairly amusing in places with the occasional nice quip dotted throughout but in trying to squeeze every last drop out of it's rather thin plot does become a little repetitive before reaching a predictable conclusion

Portrait Of Jennie (William Dieterle, 1947)

Enjoyable romantic fantasy that presents it's tale well and is very nicely acted but does also suffer from being a little overly schmaltzy and twee, predominantly in the earlier stages, for my taste (though admittedly it does assist in allowing the tone to gradually darken which helps drive proceedings) and the switch to tinted scenes in the closing stages doesn't work well for me

Scarlet Street (Fritz Lang, 1946)

Very nice film-noir with excellent performances all round and a story that not only maintains interest throughout but gradually ratchets up the stakes along the way

Texas Killing Fields (Ami Canaan Mann, 2011)

Mediocre crime thriller that is fairly routine in terms of storyline (purportedly inspired by real events so perhaps not unexpected) with no surprises in store and hardly any likeable characters but remains watchable

The Contract (Bruce Beresford, 2006)

Substandard action thriller that suffers badly from some awful use of filters and a few pretty poorly managed action sequences alongside a number of lesser niggles and annoyances

The Descent (Neil Marshall, 2005)
+
Horror/thriller that employs it's share of clichés but is generally nicely paced and very well staged and executed with some excellent use of sound helping to build and maintain atmosphere

The Filth And The Fury (Julien Temple, 2000)

Mainly enjoyable documentography of the iconic, and hugely divisive group, that helped kickstart the finest years of my adolescence

The Gunman (Pierre Morel, 2015)

Fairly routine action thriller that despite some ok perfomances beggars belief in places and is just too contrived whilst also being predictable and forgettable

The Interrupted Journey (Daniel Birt, 1949)
+
Entertaining mystery thriller that twists and turns nicely and for the most part is well acted and scripted

The Pay Off (Arthur Dreifuss, 1942)
+
Cheap and cheerful but not unenjoyable noirish crime drama that may have low production values but counters that with an acceptable story and performances

The Strange Woman (Edgar G. Ulmer & Douglas Sirk, 1946)

Period piece with noirish attributes that has a very nice lead performance from Ms. Lamarr and a story arc that feels organic but is way too melodramatic in places and though Sanders is solid as would be expected he fails to convince for the role he is playing

The Watch (Akiva Schaffer, 2012)

Comedy sci-fi/action offering that isn't too bad in terms of the sci-fi and action elements and does have the occasional moment to raise a smile but for the most part is painfully lacking in terms of humour whilst the obvious product placement is trite

The Woman In Black 2: Angel Of Death (Tom Harper, 2014)

Disappointing horror sequel that does manage to build pockets of atmosphere with a good location but is terribly clichéd wth some pretty poor dialogue in places, is far too reliant on jump and false scares and to me feels far longer than it's actual runtime

Uchűjin Tôkyô ni arawaru [Warning From Space] (Kôji Shima, 1956)
+
Dubbed Japanese sci-fi b-movie with an interesting premise that is reasonably well executed though some of the acting/dialogue is a little stiff, effects are mixed and shaving ten minutes or so off the runtime wouldn't have hurt

Uneasy Terms (Vernon Sewell, 1948)
+
Mediocre noirish crime thriller with a reasonable story but a little stiffly acted and melodramatic in parts whilst the editing is a little poor at times

Willow Creek (Bobcat Goldthwaite, 2013)

Found-footage horror/mystery in which at least one of the leads (Ms. Gilmore) tries to make it work but to no avail as it's uninspired, for the most part mind-numbingly dull and at times painful to watch

Women In The Night (cut vsn) (William Rowland, 1948)
+
Low-budget WW II espionage thriller infused with propagandist rhetoric that suffers from a poor script in places and very sadly never lives up to the exploitative promise of the IMDb synopsis but remains watchable as long as one has no major expectations and can tolerate low production values



JUNE (pt i) (28)

13 Rue Madelaine (Henry Hathaway, 1946)
+
WWII espionage thriller with a relatively mundane first half but really comes alive in a tight second once the operation is underway though the setting up of the closing act does lack a little credence

American Sniper (Clint Eastwood, 2014)

Biographical war drama that uses a broad brush and feels like it presents a somewhat exaggerated version of events with moments that strain credulity before becoming overtly jingoistic at the end but is still a watch that manages to hold interest and is quite nicely paced

Angel On My Shoulder (Archie Mayo, 1946)

Fantasy mix of comedy/romance that starts brightly and has an interesting premise but would have been better if some of the fat were removed as it drags a fair bit which negates the decent efforts from all three primary players

Black Angel (Roy William Neill, 1946)

Decent mystery noir with solid performances that may take a leisurely approach to building to a crescendo but never drags and is an enjoyable enough watch

Candyman aka Clive Barker's Candyman (Bernard Rose, 1992)

Horror with a memorable antagonist that makes good use of sound and builds atmosphere quite nicely in places but ultimately is a little light on thrills

Counterblast aka Devil's Plot (Paul L. Stein, 1948)

British WWII drama/thriller with an odd choice of storyline that is short on plausibility and intrigue and has a tendency to over-explain at times but is a strong enough tale to maintain interest and it concludes quite fittingly

Dragonwyck (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1946)
+
Nicely made, scored and performed period drama that for the most part avoids drifting into melodrama with an absolutely perfect primary setting that helps create the required atmosphere

Escape (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1948)
+
Noirish crime thriller remake with a decent cast that is mostly well paced and perfectly watchable but despite the plot giving ample scope there's too little by way of tension or excitement and the final act rather disappoints

Hell Night (Tom DeSimone, 1981)

Modest slasher that is a little light on gore/kills but does have a nice location plus generates some decent atmosphere and suspense which means it's still a fun enough watch

How Green Was My Valley (John Ford, 1941)
+
Very nicely presented socio-familial drama that has a tendency to melodrama at times and fails to convince in it's depiction of life in the valleys with sanitised conditions above ground and variable accents but spins an enjoyable enough tale nonetheless

I See A Dark Stranger (Frank Launder, 1946)

WWII spy thriller that has some really nice touches sprinkled throughout but is seriously damaged by it's attempts to mix tones that range from quiet dark and serious through light-hearted to complete farce and less so by the attempted accent from the lead

Instinct (Jon Turteltaub, 1999)
+
Quiet thiller that has decent enough performances and production values but besides being totally implausible is far too contrived in it's secondary storyline and attempts to manipulate emotions for my taste

It Follows (David Robert Mitchell, 2014)
+
Reasonble horror offering that has an interesting concept and opts to try and build atmosphere rather than be reliant on too many jump-scares but it's only partially successful and the overriding feeling at the end credits is sadly for me one of it not having fully realised it's potential

Kanal [Sewer] (Andrzej Wajda, 1957)
+
Understated WWII drama that's nice but not particularly remarkable in the opening segments above ground but the claustrophobic and always murky scenes in sewers that can almost be smelled are a delight

One Million B.C. (Hal Roach & Hal Roach Jr, 1940)

Fantasy mix of romance and adventure that's played more like a silent at times (with accompanying score to match) and is lighter in tone than it's classic '66 remake but the effects are quite impressive for it's time and the whole is not without it's own level of charm

One Million Years B.C. (Don Chaffey, 1966)

Nice fantasy adventure remake that's generally a little darker in tone and grander in scope whilst with Harryhausen on board also incorporates some nice special effects

Proof Of Lies (Peter Svatek, 2006)
+
Formulaic tv thriller in which the twists are easily foreseen and some of the acting and dialogue rather poor

Quatermass And The Pit (Ray Ward Baker, 1967)

Enjoyable final entry in the Quatermass sci-horror trilogy that slowly builds to a satisfying crescendo but sadly suffers from the effects budget operating on the same principle

Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968)

Lovely supernatural horror with excellent performances that relies on atmosphere to crawl under the skin rather than cheap shocks

Sammy's avonturen: De geheime doorgang [A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures] (Ben Stassen, 2010)
+
Watchable animated adventure but some of the voicework irritates in places and there's nothing particularly novel in terms of storyline

That Brennan Girl (Alfred Santell, 1946)

Nice enough tale of moral redemption with a fairly decent performance from Ms. Freeman as the lead but production values aren't the highest whilst the second half drags in places and the story becomes a little contrived in the closing stages

The Adventures Of Tartu (Harold S. Bucquet, 1943)

Acceptable WWII espionage thriller serving as propaganda/morale-booster that is somewhat light-hearted in places and a little lacking in excitement for much of it's runtime but is not entirely without it's feats of derring-do

The Brood aka David Cronenberg's The Brood (unrated vsn) (David Cronenberg, 1979)

Nice enough sci-horror tale that isn't initially that well told but soon manages to engage and builds to a pleasing final act

The Dark Crystal (Jim Henson & Frank Oz, 1982)
+
Enjoyable fantasy adventure with some lovely animatronics work in places and though its tone is an odd mix somewhere between childish and adult is still a universal tale that for me still retains the ability to fascinate up until the twee ending

The Upturned Glass (Lawrence Huntington, 1947)
+
Decent crime drama with a lovely central performance from Mason in an affair that's a little slow to begin but also packed with suspense at times though unfortunately it also chooses to punctuate what should be a thrilling journey to the climax with a little foray into morality and psychology that is purely there to try and justify a code-friendly resolution which jars with events prior to that point

The Way To The Stars (Anthony Asquith, 1945)
+
WWII drama/romance that is overly schmaltzy in places, has barroom musical interludes that irritate and is extremely predictable but is also well acted for the most part, respectful to those that served and those that supported them without straying into jingoism or glorification and in a few places actually remarkably touching

The Woman In The Window (Fritz Lang, 1944)
+
Delightful film-noir that builds nicely with good performances from all involved and although the final few minutes might cause eyes to roll and would have been better left on the cutting room floor it's the only major misstep in proceedings and was likely influenced by that damnable Code

Young Widow (Edwin L. Marin, 1946)
+
Light-hearted romantic drama with serious undertones that is too busy for much of it's first half before thankfully settling down, allowing the audience to connect properly to the central characters and Ms. Russell to bring some life to the role



JUNE (pt ii) (32)

Agora (Alejandro Amenábar, 2009)
+
Period drama centred around Hypatia of Alexandria in which the tale is of interest and well enough told though the early action scenes aren't overly convincing and Max Minghella fails to convince when speaking (though thankfully he doesn't have too many lines)

American History X (Tony Kaye, 1998)

Decent drama that still holds up well enough nearly twenty years later primarily thanks to the central performance, especially when in flashback, though it does have a tendency to soft-play the message at times which lessens any impact imo

Amour (Michael Haneke, 2012)

Drama with a heartbreakingly beautiful performance from Emmanuelle Riva that for me sadly isn't allowed to resonate anywhere near as much as it deserves

Boy Meets Girl (Leos Carax, 1984)
+
Drama with some beautiful imagery and decent performances that eventually comes alive once the two leads finally meet but takes far too long to reach that point and sadly for me is to a large extent a case of style over substance

Deranged (Jeff Gillen & Alan Ormsby, 1974)
+
Reasonable low-budget horror/thriller presented in a docudrama style that's actually far more comical than horrifying in the early stages (despite it's basis in reality) but gradually sobers as it progresses

Dishonored Lady (Robert Stevenson, 1947)
+
Modest crime drama that feels a bit rushed whilst defining it's lead character and a little formulaic in terms of plot but settles down nicely after the first few minutes, generally moves along at a decent clip and although predictable remains of interest up until the not unexpected twee ending

Dr. T & The Women aka Dr. T And The Women (Robert Altman, 2000)
+
Comedy drama that despite the stellar cast simply doesn't work that well for me as the story is unappealing, the comedy aspects weak and a small number of scenes downright irritating

Du zhan [Drug War] (Johnnie To, 2012)

Absorbing Chinese crime thriller with a superb performance from Honglei Sun and some delightful action sequences in places

East Of Eden (Elia Kazan, 1955)

Delightful telling of Steinbeck's tale that may be a touch overly melodramatic from Dean in places but isn't much harmed by it

Garage (Lenny Abrahamson, 2007)

Dry and realistic drama with a surprisingly good lead performance that takes a long while to get to the crux of it's cautionary tale and is more poignant for that but it's still not powerful enough to elevate proceedings that high

Gilda (Charles Vidor, 1946)

Intoxicating noir simply filled with sexual frisson that has great performances from both Hayworth and Ford whilst resolving their mutual past

House Of Strangers (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1949)

Delightfully low-key crime drama in which the principles are all on fine form (though Robinson's Italian pastiche does waver here and there) and builds to a satisfying conclusion

Hunger (Steve McQueen, 2008)
+
'Troubles' drama centred on the 'dirty protest' and second hunger strike in Maze prison, specifically that by leader Bobby Sands, that regardless of political leanings is not an easy watch but is very good and despite using a lack of dialogue beautifully also contains a spellbinding prolonged conversation between Fassbinder as Sands and Cunningham as Fr. Moran

Lady Gangster (Robert Florey, 1942)
+
Crime/prison drama that's no more than 'b-movie' standard but is a fun enough watch

Love, Rosie (Christian Ditter, 2014)

Moderate rom-com that throws in as many barriers to true love as it possibly can to try and heighten the expected payoff but whilst it remains watchable it also stretches credibility and more importantly feels largely devoid of real emotion

Middle Men (George Gallo, 2009)

Drama about the origins of ecommercial pornography that improves once it settles down to a more serious rhythm and is entertaining enough albeit standard fare that likely won't stick in the memory for long

Murder In The Blue Room (Leslie Goodwins, 1944)

Entertaining light-hearted mystery with song and dance numbers that moves along at a decent clip and has enough laughs dotted along the way but it's strictly 'b-movie' fare

My Brother Jonathan (Harold French, 1948)

Lovely romantic drama with a social conscience in which the acting may be a little stiff in places and events a little contrived toward the end but the tale is none the less effective

Nanjing! Nanjing! [City Of Life And Death] (Chuan lu, 2009)

Sino-Japanese war drama in which the central roles are played very nicely and despite lapsing into melodrama or schmaltz on occasion and spurning being overly graphic is still both somewhat harrowing and effective

Nostalghia [Nostalgia] (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1983)

Drama that has some beautifully composed shots as would be expected and the narrative is engaging to an extent but the use of sound in places is somewhat odd and nothing really entices to either revisit or try to delve into it any deeper

Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock, 1946)
+
Very nice espionage romance/thriller that has one of my favourite endings by the director though imo the romance isn't set up particularly well and no matter how bad the cook - burning a chicken fresh from the icebox in around an hour is some achievement

Riddick (David Twohy, 2013)
+
Moderate sci-action with some nicely designed creatures and reasonably entertaining action sequences but the plot is no more than workmanlike whilst the prelude is a little bloated, the occasional attempts at levity poor and the characters straight out of a book of stereotypes

Roses Are Red (James Tinling, 1947)
+
Reasonably entertaining 'b-movie' crime drama that has some nice snippets of dialogue and makes the most of it's rather limited plot

Saboteur (Alfred Hitchcock, 1942)

Mixed espionage thriller in the mould of his earlier 39 Steps that does create a little tension in places and certainly improves in the second half but there's no initial rapport with the 'hero' as early events are rushed (and his good fortune contrived) whilst the whole thing is far too overtly laced with propaganda at times

Silent Grace (Maeve Murphy, 2001)
+
'Troubles' drama centred on a non-political prisoner that claims affiliation and witnesses events in Armagh women's prison surrounding the 'dirty protest' and initial hunger strike that has ok performances from the leads but the script isn't great in places and whilst a tale worthy of being told, cinematically it's only mediocre fare

The Acid House (Paul McGuigan, 1998)

Trio of no-frills shorts written by Irvine Welsh, the first of which has little merit imo, the second is a decent offering and the third mildly amusing and reasonably well realised

The Lodger (John Brahm, 1944)

Slightly sanitised Jack the Ripper offering with good performances from a cast well suited to their roles that's nicely paced and manages to maintain intrigue though the very end is a little crass

The Others (Alejandro Amenábar, 2001)
+
Horror mystery that is nicely shot and edited with a lovely performance by Ms. Kidman and nice enough debuts from both youngsters that perhaps surprisingly still holds up quite well on repeat viewing though Eric Sykes is miscast imo

The Story Of Molly X (Crane Wilbur, 1949)

Mix of fast-paced crime drama and prison drama that has plenty of light-hearted moments 'inside' but also a tendency to unsubtly proselytise about the virtues of a redemptive penal system and an ending that conveniently comes out of left-field to further support that motif though it still remains a watchable curio

Whistle Stop (Léonide Moguy, 1946)

Modest crime/romance drama with noir aspects that has a few moments but some of the acting is a little stiff in places and sadly despite the odd nice moment the whole is rather flat and unremarkable

Wu Lang ba gua gun [Eight Diagram Pole Fighter] (Chia-Liang Liu, 1984)
+
MA drama that has plenty of the expected beautifully choreographed action with some nicely inventive weaponry/set design too and though the story isn't the strongest and lags a little in places there's plenty enough fun to be had and some lovely humorous touches during the climax

Xiao cheng zhi chun [Spring In A Small Town] (Mu Fei, 1948)

Chinese drama that weaves it's tale slowly but very nicely and despite the acting/direction being a little formal in places and one or two minor problems even after the restoration remains quite delightful to watch



JULY (pt. i) (16)

A Million Ways To Die In The West (Seth MacFarlane 2014)
+
Comedy western that is very hit and miss on the comedy but does provide the odd chuckle and for me the romance is more interesting

Blended (Frank Coraci, 2014)

Formulaic rom-com that's predictable, for the most part painfully unfunny and determined to capsize itself on the odd occasion there might be a glimmer of something worthwhile appearing

Easy A (Will Gluck, 2010)

Reasonable 'teen' rom-com that at least for the most part avoids being overly juvenile and raises a smile occasionally but does also drag a little and feel longer than it's runtime

Ginger Snaps (John Fawcett, 2000)
+
Teen werewolf movie that builds quite nicely and is a reasonably fun watch with a lead that transitions from cute to smokin' to completely undateable though some of the effects aren't really up to snuff

Gonin (Takashi Ishii, 1995)
+
Japanese crime/gangster drama that isn't always the most coherent but is enjoyable nonetheless

Island Of Doomed Men (Charles Barton, 1940)

Reasonable b-movie 'thriller' that benefits from the presence of Peter Lorre but at only a smidgeon over an hour in duration presents a fairly 'bare bones' story

Kuro no tenshi Vol. 1 [Black Angel aka The Black Angel Vol 1] (Takashi Ishii, 1998)
+
Japanese revenge thriller that's an odd mix having a nice final third that's sadly preceded by a bit of a mess that's incohesive at times and downright irritating at others

Mea Culpa (Fred Cavayé, 2014)
+
Fairly routine French thriller with a twist that added nothing for me but the extended TVG action scene was fun enough

Monsters: Dark Continent (Tom Green, 2014)

Overly long sequel that's primarily a war movie with a sci-fi backdrop which is pretty poor for the first two acts with some horrible camerawork, editing and dialogue but the remainder is generally much improved and quite watchable

Pinky (Elia Kazan & John Ford, 1949)

Nice Southern drama that suffers occasionally from an overly swelling score and Jeanne Crain being of coloured descent is a little bit of a stretch but her performance is good enough to overcome that and the tale is very well told without recourse to melodrama

Room (Lenny Abrahamson, 2015)

Pretty effective drama that does get a little schmaltzy once or twice but is anchored by excellent performances from both Larson and Tremblay and whilst perhaps struggling to appear plausible in places, headline making captivities of the past few years certainly allow licence on that front

Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (Mat Whitecross, 2010)
+
Somewhat disappointing docudrama on Ian Dury that has a good portrayal of the man by Serkis but there's little depth to proceedings and the inclusion at times of cartoonish elements and one segment of fast cuts are beyond annoying

Sex, Lies, And Videotape (Steven Soderbergh, 1989)

Unimpressive drama that has some ok performances but the score is dreadful and the plot rather dull

Slither (James Gunn, 2006)

Canadian comedy horror with some reasonable effects that builds slowly up to the halfway point before revelling in over-the-top daftness that may lack originality but is well enough put together to suitably amuse and entertain

That Uncertain Feeling (Ernst Lubitsch, 1941)

Comedy that's a little slow to get into gear but is fairly decent once it does

The Wanderers (Philip Kaufman, 1979)

Rock 'n' roll coming-of-age drama that doesn't have the greatest acting in places but as would be expected has a great soundtrack and is a fun enough watch



I was disappointed in Gonin. It being incoherent is an understatement.
It's not that incoherent, only in places. Now Ishii's The Black Angel .... that's a disappointment!