My Monthly Movie Mumble (MMXVIII)

Unconventional fantasy romantic drama that contains some nice touches of humour and despite some of the support being a little wooden and the whole being overly melodramatic for the first transition in time gradually develops into an effective enough tale albeit one that requires a degree of patience

Pleasant enough romantic comedy that never really hits any highs but is quite amusing in places with a few nice lines and acceptable performances

Urban drama that's quite slow and mostly predictable but remains watchable even though some of the acting isn't the strongest and occasionally the dialogue could be clearer

Light-hearted crime adventure adapted from a comic-strip that's fairly typical of its period and a reasonably fun watch although it would have benefitted from trimming the runtime a little imo

WW I mix of espionage and romance with nice performances that's rather slow (though it does burst into action in the closing stages) and a little too convoluted for it's own good imo

Production-line 'thriller' that's extremely televisual in nature with a score determined to lead the viewer by the scruff of the emotion in a tale where everything is pretty much telegraphed anyway

Decent Chilean relationships drama that mixes the serious and the light-hearted quite nicely and though slow in pace maintains interest thanks primarily to a good lead performance

Modest budget post-apocalyptic sci-thriller that certainly isn't the most polished (or original) film in the world and is easily mocked but personally I thoroughly enjoy it's sleazy aesthetic and despite taking itself a little more seriously than it ought in places once the mayhem begins it's always a joyously fun ride

Nicely put together documentary on the coal-miners of the titular county and their struggle to get union representation that unsurprisingly presents a one-sided viewpoint but presents it well and without seeming bias

WW I drama mixing b&w, tinted and colour film that may get somewhat melodramatic in it's closing stages and does suffer occasionally with regards acting but the story is decent enough and it excels with it's aerial work which forms a sizeable part of proceedings

Odd drama with a plot that imo certainly could have benefitted from a further draft and a central relationship that really should appal but actually manages not to do so thanks primarily to the performances of the two leads and for me even develops into quite a compelling watch in the latter stages

Survival thriller/horror that brings nothing new to the table, being fairly clichéd and predictable, but is generally acted well enough to make it watchable

Decent enough rendition of the classic Henry Rider Haggard adventure that builds slowly but manages to maintain interest throughout and comes alive in the final third though for me Ms. Lee's wandering accent does hurt proceedings

Musical rom-com that suffers from fitting the story to the lyrics and the singing is truly cringeworthy in places but the enthusiasm of some of the cast lends it a certain charm at times and many of the songs are quite simply classics

Bio-drama with a very good central performance by Ms. Theron as the convicted serial killer and paced reasonably well though the score is a little over-egged in places for my liking

Lovely blood-sucking horror that employs some nicely presented 'creatures', smart dialogue, decent enough effects and a suitable score to present a generally well paced and thoroughly entertaining tale even if the very climax does feel a little rushed and underwhelming

Low-budget crime/romance drama with a little humour and Busby Berkeley choreographed hoofing that fails to flow all that well in places but is still a reasonably entertaining watch in part at least thanks to Mae Clarke's performance

Disappointing period adventure that is nicely shot in places but personally I didn't care much for it's individual take on the biblical tale

Second entry in the low-budget sexploitation series centred on the sadist Olga that again is narrated with mediocre acting and a plot that's somewhat flimsy and drags in the second half despite an increase in both titillation and brutality

Third in the sexploitation series centred on the sadist Olga that's once again narrated but this time is badly acted with little discernible plot or budget to speak of leaving it both tawdry and boring with only half-hearted titillation and brutality

Documentary centred on the athletics in the '36 Berlin Games that has some beautiful imagery from both the events and overall spectacle and is a worthy chronicle though the prologue while quite nice is a little overly drawn out imo

Documentary covering primarily sports other than athletics in the '36 Berlin Games that again has some nicely inventive positional camerawork but has far too much ground to cover to truly work as a chronicle though does succeed nicely in places as a tribute to the human form

Crime thriller that's pretty fun in places with some over-the-top acting and snappy dialogue alongside some nice action sequences but sadly is far less engaging inbetween those moments for me

Lovely relatable drama that may be somewhat slow of pace but is never boring thanks to the characterisations and those that play them (especially the wonderful Ms. Blethyn)

Reasonably enjoyable light-hearted drama that's a little slow but has some fairly amusing snippets of dialogue, especially between the three female friends, and is nicely acted

Human drama that tackles a worthy topic and for the most part is acted well enough but though overly manipulative in the odd place doesn't feel like it hits home hard enough for me, partly because there is too little connection to whom Alice is prior to onset and partly because the frustrations during the decline aren't presented strongly enough imo

Giallo that may not have the best acting in the world but is visually quite stunning (utilising nice sets/locations combined with a beautifully radiant lighting palette), has a score that works well with those visuals and whilst the tale might be a little hokey it builds nicely to a climax

Romantic drama with a nice performance from Ms. Stanwyck (though Mr. Owsley is not so good in places) in a tale that would be decent enough but sadly is allowed to go rather flat in the middle

Enjoyable boxing bio-drama in which events outside the ring are given prominence and for the most part works well thanks to some very good performances (especially those in supporting roles)

Drama with fantasy elements that has the odd whimsical moment and obviously wants to impart something but fails to do so thanks to unengaging characters and dialogue that feel artificial coupled with a narrative device that for me doesn't work well

Horror that's fairly by-the-numbers and suffers from a lack of originality alongside some overacting ultimately leaving it feeling like a mostly unsatisfying watch

Bio-drama with a nice enough performance from Ms. Streep as the lead but for me the fractured narrative with her imagined husband doesn't particularly work that well and there seems very little actual depth to proceedings

Offbeat social satire mixing comedy and romance that has its moments of amusement and interest, especially when embracing the more absurd aspects, but the bland characterisations do nothing to endear proceedings and the material feels like it's stretched thin and overly drawn out

Formulaic comedy that has the occasional worthwhile moment but for me they are swamped by so much that is either crass, unfunny or shallow

initial entry in the low-budget sexploitation series centred on the sadist Olga that's mainly narrated in a semi-documentary style which actually helps maintain interest even if the acting is passable at best, the pace slow and the story arc primarily there to facilitate a little nudity and light BDSM

Low-budget comedy drama that's very dry, rather slow and aside from a mildly amusing section around the midpoint sadly not really that entertaining

Enjoyable crime drama with it's roots in reality that has nice performances from both leads in a tale that's relatively simple and quite subdued but maintains interest

Coming-of-age drama that's anchored quite nicely by it's lead performance in a tale that may play out fairly slowly and for the most part quite predictably but remains of interest with a tone that mixes the fun and the downbeat quite effectively

Reasonable bio-drama that's well enough acted and has some nicely entertaining passages but sadly never really excels or fully captivates

Musical comedy/drama mix that has some nicely amusing lines and the performances are ok but the plot's rather thin and drawn out whilst the musical numbers are second rate at best

Documentary made up primarily of footage from the past 25 years of the director's work as a cinematographer intercut in bite size pieces which makes it very piecemeal and not so easy to invest in for me

Derivative thriller/horror that irritates far more than it entertains for me

Substandard horror that's watchable and even fun in the odd place but has some fairly poor acting and dialogue, little excitement and a childish/lazy ending

Very nice drama with excellent performances and for the most part a beautifully suited score that may be slow of pace but is all the better for it imo

Relationships drama that for the most part is finely acted with well written dialogue and reasonably well paced though on occasion the dialogue isn't delivered that well and the score a little intrusive

Offbeat psychological drama with an excellent performance from Mr. Firth as the troubled youngster but whilst the central tale is realised fairly well the dialogue heavy script sadly doesn't do that much for me

Decent bio-doc on Janis Joplin that mixes archive footage and interviews pretty well alongside the occasional reading of personal correspondence to chart her sadly all-too-brief but memorable journey from social outcast to the forefront of blues-rock

Adventure thriller of two halves in which the first is somewhat mixed but more than made up for by the second which maintains a good level of tension with decent performances from all those involved in the journey

Very good urban drama that's nicely written and acted and although the basic tale is hardly original and the score a little irritating here and there on the whole it's well presented and a nice watch

Amateurish documentary that's fairly padded and has some atrocious camerawork in places which is a shame as in it's more lucid moments it's not entirely uninteresting

Polish 'what if' drama that after a somewhat messy beginning (with an overblown and overly intrusive score in places) nicely presents it's trio of scenarios based on varying political beliefs bound by a decent enough central performance

Autobiographical documentary that's personal to the director and her family but presented in an engaging way which makes it an interesting enough watch

Reasonably entertaining drama centred on the more radical element in the fight for voting rights for women which may be rather televisual in feel but is performed well enough by the cast to maintain interest

Very nicely shot and acted drama with thriller/horror aspects and a lovely sparse score that holds the attention even though rather slowly paced

Relationship melodrama that's watchable but rather stilted much of the time with a lead performance that's somewhat overplayed by Ms. Bankhead

Surreal revenge sci-horror that's quite inventive and has some beautifully nightmarish imagery and editing at times but becomes somewhat repetitive and less interesting for me in the latter stages

Modest Saudi drama that's quite nicely made and culturally interesting with a decent performance from the young lead but the tale is too predictable and sadly never really captivated me

Social drama that has nice performances from both Ms. Gyllenhaal and Ms. Davis which help make it watchable but the story follows an all-too-familiar arc that ventures into twee and schmaltzy territory at times whilst the whole is overly manipulative

Reasonably fun comedy horror but emphasis is far more on the comedy elements and as a result comes across as rather juvenile to me

Russian drama that may not be the most straightforward or exciting of watches but despite seeming somewhat random and chaotic in places actually coalesces quite well on reflection to present it's own perception of the toll on the people (and by extension systems/institutions) of having lived for generations under a rigid totalitarian regime

Fourth and final entry in the low-budget GNP crime drama series that's watchable and maintains interest though the plot is straightforward but the acting, script and direction are once again mediocre and the inclusion of lame slapstick humour questionable in places

First instalment in The Vengeance Trilogy is a very nice revenge thriller with good performances and direction alongside some nicely framed shots and whilst the narrative skips might be a little disorientating at first they generally work well and the touches of humour (both light and dark) and sporadic violence help maintain both pace and interest

Third and final entry in The Vengeance Trilogy is a far more playful affair than the others for the first half and slightly less interesting a watch for that but the second is much tighter and a delightful watch

Weak horror offering that has the very occasional worthwhile moment but generally lacks any real tension or surprises, the story is not that original and though the priest is initially amusing none of the characters are particularly well fleshed out

Nice silent that's certainly cast and made well with some lovely cinematography but whilst the story is acceptable it's just a little slow for me in places

Romantic comedy that's nicely written and performed (especially Ms. Dietrich) that has some delightful light-hearted moments along the way though the odd scene does linger a little too long and the final third could have been a little lighter imo

Decent enough bio-drama based in reality that has a nice lead performance and though perhaps paints a rather sanitised profile of the lead appears to present the culmination of events pretty fairly

Mediocre musical drama that has a couple of decent numbers but doesn't work very well for me primarily because the story and characters lack much depth and consequently aren't that interesting or believable but also because some of the performances of the musical numbers are a little weak

Somewhat unedifying bio-drama in which the lead performance isn't that bad and some of the location shoots and costumes quite stunning but there's no real insight into the subject and underneath it's veneer of beauty there's precious little substance to proceedings really

Relatively short and routine fare but nice enough documentary on Derry's finest

Rambunctious but corny comedy delivered quite poorly for the most part leaving it distinctly lacking in laughs and actually a bonus that the last few minutes were missing from the copy I watched

Decent enough period drama with some good performances and although the tale is a little slow in the first half it picks up nicely once the accusations begin to fly

Drama that's a little slight in terms of story, a touch stiff in the odd place in terms of acting and made with modest production standards but the tale is interesting enough to maintain attention and the central character played well enough to make it quite an enjoyable watch

Second outing for Mr. Nagel & Ms. Hunt in the low-budget crime drama series suffers from poor production values and despite the best efforts of both leads and a plot involving espionage proceedings feel rather flat at times

Documentary that incorporates real-time alongside reconstruction from those actually involved and does so well enough to provide a watch that maintains interest

Low-budget fantasy MA offering that has a nice enough final confrontation and has a level of cheesy fun but sadly the dialogue and acting are so poor that the whole needed to be either more ott and hokey or faster paced for it to cope with those issues

Second and most well known instalment of The Vengeance Trilogy is a delightfully dark mystery thriller with a spellbinding lead performance and excellent support in a tale that gradually twists and turns in fascinating fashion

Documentary about a major refurbishment project to the National Gallery Of Ireland that's quite interesting though for me the score doesn't fit that well in places

Light-hearted mix of horror, action and romance that works best when tongue firmly in cheek but sadly those moments are too few and far between for me leaving a fair amount rather dull and tedious

Modern day presentation of Celtic folk tale Diarmuid & Gráinne that's watchable but becomes fairly repetitive and never rises above mediocre

Gangster drama that's very nicely acted and realised though the unabashed 'appeal' isn't well managed and does affect the flow slightly but is fairly brief and soon 'forgotten'

'Troubles' drama based around the main hunger strike that centres on the mothers of two of those involved and is well acted and perfectly watchable even if it's blend of fact and fiction does paint a rather one-sided viewpoint

Comedy spy adventure that has it's moments of amusement but contains far too much that feels like it was written by a spotty adolescent with a juvenile sense of humour and the whole certainly could have benefitted from being pared back somewhat

Drama that's entertaining enough to maintain interest and really picks up once the race begins but the comedic aspects are hit and miss and Ms. Shirley may look cute but doesn't give a very good performance

Chinese drama centred on the effect of the 1976 Tangshan earthquake on one family that suffers a little from a score that can be overwrought and even a touch cloying in places whilst the earlier visual effects aren't managed that well but the tale maintains interest and the central characters are portrayed nicely enough (especially Fan Xu as the mother) to provide a satisfying and at times emotional watch

Very nice drama that's beautifully shot and maintains interest throughout with some nice dialogue producing well combined tones and very good performances in general though the climax of the second segment is very poorly realised imo

Light-hearted espionage outing that develops into an entertaining enough watch thanks to the two leads but never really excels and the conclusion is both silly and twee

Sci-horror that has little of the humanity of it's predecessor, opting instead to concentrate more on the effects and develop into a routine creature feature that's unremarkable at best

Third entry in the low-budget crime drama series that presents a routine and predictable tale dulled further by the inclusion of some lame comedy and musical numbers

Final outing for 'Philo Vance' in a murder mystery that's a little overly convoluted for it's own good resulting in a slightly frustrating watch

Romantic drama in which the cast play their parts well enough and the score is suited and rarely intrudes but the contrivances by which the two tales are initially joined annoy and having already seen the cinematic adaptation of the author's The Notebook it's all rather formulaic and predictably twee at times

Light-hearted low-budget crime drama that has no ambition to be anything more than a fun watch and though a little slow in pace with a lead character that takes a while to warm to it manages to be just that

Nicely enough made coming-of-age drama that has a certain charm thanks to it's location and is well enough acted but sadly the tale just isn't particularly to my taste

Enjoyable mystery sci-thriller that slowly reveals itself very nicely to maintain both interest and intrigue though for me it would have been even better had the pace been dropped another notch and the runtime increased as a consequence to allow an even more immersive experience

Slowly paced but enjoyable relationships drama that's nicely enough acted and envisioned though for me it becomes a tad overly contrived in the latter stages

Very nice downbeat drama with excellent performances from both leads in a tale which is beautifully realistic much of the time though for me could quite happily have ended without the closing monologue and scenes

Nice enough WW I romantic drama with a tale that's somewhat flimsy but mainly avoids melodrama with a decent performance from Ms. Clarke as the lead and even though her counterpart is somewhat less emotive it's actually not out of keeping with the character he is portraying

Initial entry in the short-lived, low-budget crime drama series from GNP that's watchable and even enjoyable to an extent but routine stuff that never rises above cheap Saturday matinee material

Enjoyable sci-mystery/thriller that's a little slow in places and fairly predictable but is well enough put together and generally twists and turns around the right points to maintain interest

Enjoyable enough low-budget murder mystery with plenty of light-hearted moments that mainly work though and nice enough performances from both leads though some of the supporting cast do ham it up a little too much and the tale itself is fairly disjointed

Routine action crime adventure that's watchable but unremarkable with no real surprises and in the print I saw issues with sound levels in places

Cornball hodge-podge of genres that sets the bar reasonably low and keeps it there but by simply adjusting the plot to suit as it goes somehow manages to remains watchable regardless

Enjoyable enough bio-doc on the iconic Liverpudlian rock 'n' roll star though the mix of talking heads accompanied by one of his tracks is a little irritating in places

Human drama that's presented nicely enough to maintain interest with a lead that's played well and decent support though the way the tale plays out is a little sterile imo (bonus point for the absence of histrionics in one particular scene though)

Decent enough biographical drama that mixes it's timelines nicely enough to maintain interest but does dwell on the love interest a little too much to the detriment of the more interesting aspects

Slightly uneven mix of mainly light-hearted drama and romance that's initially a little clunky in places with humour that's a tad vaudevillian at times and a script without much nuance but the acting is generally okay and the central romance plays well enough for my particular taste

Low-budget revenge drama that is watchable and even enjoyable but is also frustrating with a screenplay that could have benefited from an amount of tightening and the removal of scenes that offer nothing more than confusion

Low-budget crime drama that's a little contrived in terms of plot and quite stiff, not concerning itself much with atmosphere until fairly late in proceedings, but the acting is generally passable and the whole watchable and even modestly enjoyable despite the relatively low production standards

Romantic comedy that's not without it's moments and Ms. Swanson lights up the screen throughout but it does stutter in places, both editing and sound do have issues and whereas one of the songs retains a place in the plot the first should never have been left in

Sobering but moving and life-affirming partly-autobiographical documentary about young writer/director Simon Fitzmaurice and the devastating effect of Motor Neurone Disease on both him and his family

Interesting semi-autobiographical documentary that focuses more on the person rather than the star and mixes use of personal material alongside primarily familial pieces to camera quite nicely

Gritty low-budget slice-of-life drama in which the young leads both give solid debut performances as troubled teens in a tale that despite it's rather bleak basis contains a few welcome touches of light-relief but is also somewhat rudimentary and both a little far-fetched and drawn out in places

Offbeat low-budget crime drama that employs a few nice darkly comic moments and is a little more cohesive and less frustrating than companion piece Serpent's Path but sadly also less interesting

Disappointing mystery crime drama that does try to build a little intrigue but fails to excite with proceedings generally feeling quite dull thanks to a lack of pace, some mind-numbingly boring exposition, characters that have little to no real depth to them and some irritatingly mumbled delivery in places (most notably Redmayne)

Italian horror involving a murder mystery that builds some nice atmosphere and manages a decent enough level of intrigue but suffers from acting that's mixed and a weak script in places that's also exacerbated by occasional poor translation to English

Low-budget romantic drama that has a serviceable (if rather predictable) tale and a nice enough lead performance but some of the support is rather stiff, proceedings are a little padded and though production values aren't too bad in general sadly the copy I watched has plenty of frames missing and consequently a reduced run-time

Farcical comedy that offers some amusement but unwisely opts for one of it's minor subplots to be more serious which then causes proceedings to begin to drag from which the whole then struggles to regain momentum

Decent biographical period drama that maintains interest and is acted nicely but does veer into feeling like it's trying to be overly worthy in places

Moderate drama that's a little disjointed in places, contains a few weak musical numbers alongside some hit and miss attempts at humour and wraps-up rather ridiculously but does manage to maintain interest and remain watchable

Nice biographical drama that's mainly linear but not narrative driven and acted nicely with some beautiful cinematography, especially in the first and last chapters

Modest mix of comedy, drama and romance that's quite amusing in places with both leads playing off each other quite nicely when given the chance but also hits a number of flat spots when attempting to be more dramatic in a tale that is a little contrived

Laurel & Hardy comedy that contains some iconic imagery and is fun in places but sadly for me never really feels like it gets out of second gear

Low-budget horror/thriller mix that's quite clearly at least partly playful in nature but fails to make this clear early on, initially coming across merely as a badly, directed, scripted and acted affair from which it has an uphill battle to recover

Academy award winning live action short that's laudable in it's message and has decent enough performances from both the young deaf girl and her tutor but the parents are awful and the script so poor it manages to feel condescending

Action thriller that unfolds it's story from various viewpoints and is watchable but tries to be far too clever for it's own good with a supposedly repeating timeline which seems to extend in duration between iterations and get more and more incredulous whilst some of the action sequences are generic and poorly realised imo

Made for television comedy / satirical drama that does have some success satirising the college application process with a little amusement here and there but the style and content are formulaic and predictable with nothing to elevate it above the mediocre

Gritty Sino-Japanese wartime dramatic romance that's a beautifully shot and nicely acted tale which even though occasionally drifting into melodrama remains effective in both its human and anti-war narrative

Gritty low-budget Yakuza tale that's well acted and quite immersive with some nicely drawn characters, even if production values aren't that high, until it sadly devolves into more mundane fare in the closing stages

Comedy/crime drama that doesn't bring anything new to the table, is a little drawn out and doesn't always flow that well but it's enjoyable enough most of the time with some laughs along the way and a few reasonable action sequences

WWII bio-drama that concentrates far too much on the personal drama of the central character and not enough on her wartime exploits, without which there would be no need for a film to have been made

Crime drama that starts off a little weakly but improves as it continues to produce a pretty good watch with some nice performances (especially Ms. Sidney as the focal point) and the occasional nice directorial touch

Light-hearted western which is nicely shot and acted with a tale that's paced well even if the weak songs do interrupt proceedings

Animated wartime drama that suffers from the dubbed voice acting and the score occasionally intrudes a little too much but whilst the tale is a touch overly emotionally manipulative it's still quite powerfully moving and relayed nicely

Delightful drama that's acted really nicely and though the mix of both changing timelines and reveries can momentarily be a little confusing once or twice the tale generally unfolds quite beautifully with the director's fondness for the slightly less conventional integrated nicely

Crime bio-drama with decent performances in the lead roles from Mr. Hardy but for me the tone is a little too light-hearted in places which detracts from the overall feel

Very nice drama that's very well acted and both well paced and effective enough though the inclusion of an air of intrigue to proceedings does result in a slight reduction in impact for me

Animated drama that's fairly crudely drawn with a score that irritates more often than not and despite a smattering of amusing lines here and there and being somewhat dark in nature is actually quite immature

Comedy that's a little hit and miss but is paced reasonably well and has some nice moments with the interplay and buffoonery between the three principals

Period drama that recreates it's era very nicely and has some nice performances but for me hardly any of the central characters are likeable which impacts on enjoyment of the tale

Made for television drama that has decent enough performances and isn't unengaging but the story arc is predictable and there's nothing that really elevates it above the ordinary

Thriller that ticks along nicely for the first fifty-odd minutes building some nice tension in places and for the most part well acted and directed but the final twenty minutes or so struggles primarily because one of the characters just doesn't behave in a way that seems at all realistic

Animated fantasy that's very enjoyable once it moves into it's alternate universe with some beautifully rich animation though personally I'm not enamoured of the score in the odd place

Primarily single location drama with an ensemble cast (some performances are stronger than others but most are decent) that does have a staged feel to it's first half but successfully loses that for the second half as it grows in scope and is entertaining enough to maintain interest throughout

Period musical rom-com that has some nice comedic moments and is generally well made and acted but the songs aren't particularly memorable and I'm just not a fan of operatic-style singing

Offbeat mix of light sex comedy and revenge drama that's somewhat choppily edited in places and not really very amusing but the acting is mostly passable and it's worth a watch primarily as a curiosity piece from the the swinging sixties

Oddball comedy that's reasonably well made and garners a few laughs along the way but for me the acting from Ms. Lombard is a little too over the top and whilst the tale is perfectly watchable it's also a little patchy imo

Lovely revenge drama that is quite restrained for the most part but both draws in and keeps the viewer very ably with generally solid performances all round though for me the score isn't always perfectly suited

Documentary about the meeting of modern art and the catadores at Rio's largest landfill that's both heartbreaking and heartwarming at times (far more of the latter)

Noirish crime drama that's shot quite beautifully and has solid performances from both leads in a tale that may be rather bleak and occasionally melodramatic but is also quite absorbing

Biographical drama that evokes it's period nicely and is reasonably well acted (though Keira. Knightley aside the roles are hardly demanding) but it's quite unengaging, Ms. Knightley's wandering accent irritates and there's little real depth to proceedings

Fantasy drama that has a suitable enough lead performance and a few nice segments (Tweedledum & Tweedledee and the animated Walrus & Carpenter being the highlight for me) but sadly for me the majority feels rather flat with very little sense of fun or wonder

Mystery thriller that has a decent lead performance and remains watchable though the tale not only never really captivates or excites but actually feels contrived in places and the score is quite irritating at times

Romantic drama that contains some nice imagery and is nicely acted but for me the score is mixed and the narrative very drawn out making it difficult to fully engage with at times

Sci-adventure that's not aged badly at all and even though a little light on action remains a fairly entertaining watch thanks to a nicely realised world with a simple yet effective tale, a fitting score and suitable acting from all the principal players

Low-budget mystery thriller laced with comedy in places that employs cheap optical effects and devices plus a fractured timeline to try and obfuscate and aid the mystery but whilst partially successful it's annoying and does nothing to engender a liking for proceedings

Modest drama that's watchable but despite some attempts by the cast never rises above mediocre in any department

Documentary about the culture in Los Angeles and Hollywood during the 'Swinging Sixties' with contributions from an eclectic (and in some cases eccentric) mix of residents that vary in interest and despite the whole being overly long works well enough for me in places as a curiosity piece

Relationships drama that's well acted by Takako Irie as the lead and supported reasonably well but the tale whilst maintaining interest is not only rather simple but also predictable

Biographical prison drama with a great lead performance and good suport that tells quite an amazing story and is quite engaging for the transport to and time in the penal colony but the segment on the lam lacks any real spark leaving it feeling rather detached and uninterested

Decent crime drama that may be quite simplistic but unfolds well enough in the main with good performances from both Warner Baxter and Myrna Loy as the leads

Romantic comedy that's played well enough with some nicely amusing interplay in a tale that may be rather predictable but is paced quite nicely once all three principals are put together

Light-hearted drama that's mostly acted well enough and makes good use of the charms of Jean Harlow in the lead but sadly the slightly odd tone doesn't always hit the mark for me

Somewhat light-hearted musical drama that has a decent enough soundtrack for the most part and the acting okay but proceedings are extremely by-the-numbers and the ending overdone imo

Sci-adventure that's hardly original in terms of plot but for the most part is a fun enough watch and reboot of the franchise

Sci-adventure with obvious influences that's not without it's fun moments but sadly seems to actually take itself seriously far too often even though the acting, dialogue and effects all scream 'spoof'

Comedy crime drama that's a little overly silly in places and dips when trying to be more serious but does also have it's amusing moments and for the most part is aptly played by those involved

Historical bio-drama that's well enough acted and maintains interest though it does pontificate at times and have a slight tendency toward melodrama on occasion

Modest mystery thriller that lacks somewhat in the thrills department and is somewhat contrived but is played adequately and manages it's mystery reasonably well even if the exposition toward the end really isn't required

Biographical period drama that's moderate in most regards and actually concentrates more on the titular lady's husband, Maximilian, and his short reign in Mexico

Sci-horror with a decent lead performance from Boris Karloff and a few very nice throwaway lines that for the most part is nicely paced and manages a little tension in the latter stages but Anna Lee is a little weak, the score overacts on occasion and part of the final journey to conclusion is a little rushed

Creaky low-budget action drama that suffers from being poor in most regards and especially from the inclusion of an irritating character supposedly for comedic effect

Musical rom-com that amuses in places with it's simple tale and is well made with a nice score but the songs aren't that great and overall it's actually a little dull imo

WW I coming-of-age adventure that's paced quite suitably, is well acted and shot with a score that enhances without intruding

Spaghetti western with a storyline that's perfectly serviceable, albeit perhaps not entirely original, which makes good use of pace, sparseness of dialogue and a slightly eccentric score to produce a rather enjoyable affair

Comedy crime drama that does have it's moments of amusement but unfortunately despite those and a lively conclusion far too much of it feels rather flat and lacklustre

Low-budget noirish crime drama that suffers from poor production values but despite the charms of Fay Wray is a fairly stiff and lifeless presentation up until the final few minutes anyway

Interesting enough documentary centred on the infamous scene in Psycho, both the creation of and it's lasting impact

Fairly entertaining light-hearted crime drama that's acted well enough with a script that's quite snappy in places but lacks any real suspense or mystery

Romantic drama with comedic elements that fluctuates between light and dark and although a little childish in places is held together nicely by two very good lead performances and generally well enough paced to counter it's relatively lengthy runtime

Mix of drama and rom-com that even though the most of the cast play their parts nicely enough doesn't always work that well for me and although integral to the story young Johnny Russell has too much screen time for my particular taste

Comedy crime adventure that's paced quite nicely with some very nice interplay between the three principals at times even if the tale itself is fairly routine

Decent drama based on reality that's nicely acted and maintains interest without ever really enthralling and as is Spielberg's wont a little overly saccharine in the closing stages imo

Mob drama with it's roots in reality that for me is a little bloated and dips at times but in the main is an entertaining watch that's well acted with De Niro, Pesci and Stone all in fine form

Sci-horror adventure that's watchable and not too bad in parts but brings nothing new to the table and on occasion is a quite horrendous viewing experience

'Comic book' horror anthology in which some segments work to better effect than others with the final two the clear highlights imo

Low-budget, light-hearted murder mystery that does manage a little intrigue and has some nice comedic moments that help it to remain watchable though some of the humour is less worthwhile, it takes half it's runtime to really find it's feet and the resolution to the mystery somewhat underwhelming

Slice of life documentary that follows an autistic couple as they prepare for married life together which despite occasional sound issues and being a little sporadic in terms of interest remains watchable and contains one extremely moving scene

Drama that's watchable with the odd decent moment of humour but suffers with it's mixed tone and especially the stiff and heavy-handed way it preaches to it's audience

American Southern period drama tinged with the supernatural that's nicely enough acted and reasonably well told though it does feel rather televisual in places and the tone a little confused occasionally

Dry comedy that feels lethargic and uninterested in itself with the result it is very much lacking in either laughs or charm

Horror that may have a few stiff exchanges and the coda feel unwanted and out of place but the whole is beautifully shot and paced with some lovely atmosphere at times, Karloff a delight as the 'monster' and the sets an absolute delight

Comedy adventure that's substandard in most departments but revels in being camp and silly with very much mixed results

Biographical drama about the opposition by Ed Murrow to Senator McCarthy and his 'witch hunt' against Communism that's very nicely acted and presented

Triad drama that's a little messy in the early stages but doesn't take too long to solidify into a quite engrossing tale that's acted well and quite effective with it's periodic brutality

Triad sequel that's much more cohesive from the get-go and tells it's tale very effectively in an understated but compelling fashion with a score that perfectly suited

Moderately enjoyable romantic drama with a nice enough performance from Ms. Lombard but the tale is very predictable and somewhat lacking in vitality

Sci adventure that's visually quite stunning in places and nicely acted but whilst events are structured well enough to build intrigue and maintain interest at times it does feel somewhat repetitive and a little contrived

Thriller that has an excellent lead performance by Yeong-hie Seo but sadly the narrative isn't particularly well managed and events stretch credulity a little too much in places

Music based drama that has a decent enough central premise and Ms. Collette does what she can but far too much of proceedings are peripheral and poorly written whilst the attempt at a whimsical tone and Haden Church's character are huge misfires imo

Well made drama that for the most part is ably acted (though some of the youngsters are a little weak in places) and manages it's content suitably enough to be both absorbing and effective

Darkly comic Danish mystery drama that's nicely played and pretty enjoyable though it is a little patchy, the basics of the mystery are pretty easy to foresee and the coda unnecessary imo

Made-for-tv 'thriller' that watchable but has nothing new to offer with clichés aplenty, a poor script, mixed acting, a caricature for a villain and a score that should never have been let out of the elevator

Splatter adventure that despite the odd moment is far too much of a mess being overly drawn out with action scenes that for the most part are not very well realised even by Nishimura's standards

Modestly amusing battle-of-the-sexes comedy that's played quite nicely as a pastiche of a 1970s movie and is not without an element of charm but it's not one that will linger long in the memory

Drama that's quite heavily laced with propaganda and clearly shows it's proximity to the silent era with it's mix of inter-titles and narration but the tale has enough depth to it to be entertaining and is generally made well enough even if most of the fight scenes are rather poorly realised

Social and familial drama with a soupçon of dry humour that's slow and a little predictable but well acted and fairly enjoyable imo

Period horror that's nicely shot and acted and manages to create some decent atmosphere but all that is somewhat undermined by a climax that's fairly generic and imo rather disappointing

Pleasant enough romantic drama with decent performances (even if Jimmy Stewart does feel somewhat miscast to me) and nicely shot though the tale is rather predictable and the ending a little over-egged

Cheap slasher that has a level of self-awareness but the acting is abysmal, most of the kills are cheap and unrewarding, it's borderline offensive at one point and though the end twist is quite nice it's not enough to elevate that which precedes it

Low-budget musical rom-com that doesn't have the greatest musical numbers nor the best flow but the tale has heart, the odd delightful line and is played well enough to make it somewhat enjoyable

Documentary about the East Coast hip-hop radio show that shines with warmth and a love for the genre thanks to a mix of archive footage and modern-day reminiscing from a cornucopia of stars alongside both the titular couple themselves

Fairly enjoyable romantic drama that's paced quite nicely once the very brief set-up is out of the way and acted well enough by the principals though the attempts at incorporating a little light-heartedness are mixed imo

Playful horror/thriller that builds some nice atmosphere at times, thanks in part to a nice set, and is a reasonably entertaining watch but the whole is somewhat creaky and uneven whilst the casting of Elspeth Dudgeon is bizarre

Light-hearted bio-drama with good performances from both leads that has it's moments of amusement and is touching in the odd place though sadly the whole is presented with very little spark leaving it feeling decidedly routine and bland

Mix of crime and romantic drama with a side of song and dance that for the most part is solid and builds some nice tension in the final third though the climax itself does let proceedings down a little both in terms of some of the acting and the tone

Patchy comedy with modest production values that's sadly more miss than hit though it does contain the odd moment of amusement

Decent crime drama with noirish aspects that's well enough acted and creates some nice atmosphere in places though doesn't always generate as much tension as it perhaps should and the first third could flow a little more smoothly at times

Light-hearted Roy Rogers musical western that's reasonably fun in places but proceedings aren't that exciting and the tale little more than Saturday matinee fare

Low-budget musical period drama that struggles to deliver anything particularly memorable but does maintain interest and is enjoyable to an extent

Reality inspired romantic drama that's well enough made and acted but is formulaically predictable and manipulative, overdosing on schmaltz at times