They All Laughed (1981 Peter Bogdanovich & scr)

Manchester by the Sea (2016 Kenneth Lonergan & scr)

Brilliantly written by Lonergan. Judicious use of flashbacks. The key sequence is amazing - the solicitor's office, where he learns he has to be the guardian of his nephew, cross cut against the awful accidental death of his children, all to the Albinoni - great editing here too by Jennifer Lame (she won the Oscar for Oppenheimer; also Baumbach films).

Why he doesn't want to go back there. The arseholes in the bar. The kids in the hockey team who know the truth. The way Lucas Hedges' mother has turned out - really weird. The shock when he's not being prosecuted. The blossoms you start seeing near the end. The photos we never see. Good subtle nuanced stuff.

Scene where Casey Affleck bumps into ex-wife Michelle Williams will have you in bits. Well, it did me, anyway. Good film. Photographed by (male) Jody Lee Lipes.

Last Woman on Earth (1960 Roger Corman)

A film Corman shot in Puerto Rico (for tax reasons) on the back of Battle for Blood Island, of note for being written by Robert Towne, who for reasons of economy also acts (under the name of Edward Wain!) Betsy Jones-Moreland and Antony Carbone are the other two last people alive, who all end up squabbling and trying to kill each other. It's only OK, and the very faded pint combined with the 1960 decor make it strangely quaint.

Opens up at a live cock fight - only there's no cocks fighting. There are in the trailer so I'm assuming my print is cut, though I also read there are various versions as apparently Monte Hellman reworked the film for a longer TV screening.

It had quite a long shooting schedule for Corman - two weeks. He then had a week left and made the classic Creature from the Haunted Sea!

In Bruges (2008 Martin McDonagh & scr)

McDonagh's a bloody good writer. Cast is exemplary. Jon Gregory's editing notable.

About Time (2013 Richard Curtis & scr)

We accidentally did a Margot Robbie double bill. Richard Curtis has fun playing games with time, Bill Nighy has fun playing ping pong without a ball. Curtis's film is sweet.

Wuthering Heights (2026 Emerald Fennell & scr)

So, the controversial and audience-dividing Fennell Version. I can't really comment on how it relates to the book, except there's obviously more sex in the film; and also I doubt that Heathcliffe's treatment of Isabella is as brutal. But who cares anyway - the film's the film. And as such it is artistic and interesting. The slightly artificial looking sets give it a sort of fairy tale effect, like Cuaron's A Little Princess did. Linus Sandgren's photography is of course stunning and Vic Boydell's editing is amongst her best work (particularly liked that flash forward-back thing she does to take us into the wedding; also her montage of secret encounters between the couple; and the way she uses scarring to takes us into the later time period of the story.) . The cast is great - Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi, Martin Clunes, Hong Chau, Shazad Latif and Alison Oliver.

I think my problem with it is the same as with 'Anna Karenina' - it's just not a very interesting story. Had it not been for the artistry involved, I think I would have been a little bit bored. (In fact to be honest, I think I was getting a little bit bored towards the end. It's 130 minutes.)

Linus shot on 35mm Kodak film, using VistaVision for the wide and landscape shots (for the detail). He tried to use natural fire and candlelight wherever possible. The production designer was Suzie Davies, Jacqueline Durran designed the costumes, music was by Anthony Willis, with songs by Charli XCX.

No Minor Vices (1948 Lewis Milestone)

A bizarre and trippy film. A vacuous artist Louis Jourdan falls for doctor Dana Andrews' wife Lilli Palmer. Reckons if he paints her the truth about their marriage being in a rut will reveal itself. If a vacuous artist played the piano till one in the morning in my flat, I'd kick him out and not invite him back. Anyway, it's quite tiresome in that respect, but is genuinely odd and creative in others:

With Norman Lloyd and Jane Wyatt in support. Photography: George Barnes, music Franz Waxman, production design by Nicolai Remisoff. Made by the short-lived Enterprise productions which had one big hit with Body and Soul but whose previous Milestone film Arch of Triumph had bombed. This put them out of business.

The Crowd (1928 King VIdor)

A timeless classic - the story of an 'ordinary' couple works just as well today as it must have done upon release almost a hundred years ago. Vidor worked on the script from early 1926, then shot the film unhurriedly until the end of 1927 - with a number of alternate endings. It was innovative in the use of hidden cameras on the streets of New York, giving it a very realistic feeling - and the acting's naturalistic as well - none of these grand gestures. In fact James Murray was an extra who Vidor happened to spot and Eleanor Boardman was Mrs Vidor - they're both terrific, e.g. in argument scene involving a cupboard door. It remains funny, well observed, tragic and moving.

John Weaver shared the screenplay credit and Joe Farnham wrote the good titles (in itself an art form - this is where the 'dialogue' takes place).

Wilder borrowed this for The Apartment

Remarkable scenes where the husband is trying to work but the superimposition of the crash that killed his child keeps playing itself over and over in his head. memorable scenes: Christmas Day, train, beach scene, man and son at end.

With Bert Roach, Estelle Clark, Daniel Tomlinson and Dell Henderson.

Photographed by Henry Sharp. I saw a TCM screening which presumably has the good Carl Davis score on  it. An MGM release which doubled its cost at the box office.

Silent Witness - Season 28 (2025)

So. Gabriel and Velvy are out. In comes brusque piano-playing Harriet, Maggie Steed (Fisherman's Friends, The Painted Veil). And (another) diminutive forensic analyst, Kit, Francesca Mills.

Exodus 20:17 is written by Tim Prager. And it's a disturbing story of thugs who bump off old people and take their properties. In this case pensioner David Hargreaves realises his friend has gone missing and starts disturbing the young couple who've moved into her house. Rather than investigating any of this the useless WPC does nothing (a good touch). Rather than lie down though the old man much to our surprise bumps off one of the thugs (a shame really because he'll be banged up) but the other is apprehended and cockily demands that they 'Prove it'. 'We will,' is Nikki's defiant last line.

Sean Pertwee investigates.

In Homecoming, written by Ed Whitmore, two murders are linked to a local Government cover up... apparently. I'm afraid I can't really remember this one, but there are familiar faces in Zoe Telford, Ellie Haddington and Lorcan Cranitch.

Silent Witness (2024)

Death by a Thousand Hits. Ed Whitmore and Tracey Malone. Burmese man found dead on beach links to a massacre in Myanmar and how some social media channel has encouraged it to happen with deep fake video. How nice then that against this our Team can still rely on old-fashioned fingerprints and witness statements to get their man... but the head of the channel seems to get away unpunished.

Julie Graham, Sean Pertwee, Molly Harris, Cavan Clerkin (perhaps familiar from The Capture).

Then in Kings Cross, Ed Whitmore takes us back to one of those multiple body stories we haven't had for a long time, as eight corpses are found buried under that station. The plot's mainly concerned with identifying them all, and when we do find the killer he's not someone we particularly know, so it's all a bit nebulous.

Familiar faces include Hermione Norris and, er, that's all.

But... Jack proposes to Nikki! Nice way to end a series.

What's in the evidence bag?

The series theme is indeed Latin, In Silencium, by John Harle.

Scandal Sheet (1952 Phil Karlson)

Tough newspaper editor meets deserted ex wife after twenty years and accidentally kills her; his star reporter Jon Derek gets on the case and starts to track him down. Good plot, from a novel by ex-journalist Sam Fuller, 'The Dark Page', written for the screen by Ted Sherdeman, Eugene Ling and James Poe. 

With Donna Reed, henry O'Neill, Harry Morgan. Photographed by Burnett Guffey, music by George Duning. Columbia.

Derek became a director of terribly bad films and famously married Bo Derek. 

Karlson should be quite familiar to us as he made Kansas City Confidential (1952) 99 River Street (1953), Tight Spot (1955) and The Brothers Rico (1957). Also known for: Walking Tall (1973), Kid Galahad (1962). The Young Doctors (1961), Hell to Eternity (1960).

This Life - Season 2 (1997 Amy Jenkins)

The style isn't sustainable: everything in close up, whip pans, sudden edits. It's exhausting.

The Pantomime Bitch Queen turns up. Rachel - Natasha Little - is so passively grasping and insinuating we want to shout at her and hurl rotten eggs and fruit at her.

Egg has started work in a café. Millie is so nice to everyone - it's about time she wasn't.

And Kira is trying to keep Joe at arm's length - will she push him away? Luisa Bradshaw-White was latterly in Eastenders for a mere 693 episodes. Steve John Shepherd was only in it for 314 episodes. We just saw him in the Silent Witness film Discovery - didn't even recognise him! And most recently in both seasons of Karen Pirie!

21 episodes.

Silent Witness (2024)

Invisible by Tim Prager. Not one of his outcries against social disorder but in fact a quite guessable story of a dislocated family and the death of a drug dealer.

Also Velvy's living in squalor trying to support his wife and self.

Sharlene Whyte, Jude Cudjoe, Aaron Stephenson. Nadine Marshall is the returning DI.

The Proud Rebel (1958 Michael Curtiz)

Post-Civil War, Southerner ('Rebel') Alan Ladd is travelling North to find help for his non-speaking son; the boy really is Alan's son David. Ladd's still receiving prejudicial treatment, particularly from Dean Jagger and his two sons (Harry) Dean Stanton and Tom Pittman. 

They have a marvellous sheepdog which becomes integral to the story (played by 'King'), as does farmer Olivia de Havilland.

It's something of a Shanealike, enjoyable. Though we don't understand why a trip to the doctor suddenly costs $300 and necessitates the sale of the canine. I'd watch O de H in anything. Must watch To Each His Own again.

Ladd was not the war hero I was thinking of - who was that? Had quite a sad life in the end - suicide attempts. The toll of stardom. That's why I felt a bit sorry for the lad who just won the BAFTA for Adolescence - he's a bit too famous, has so much to live up to, insane pressure.

With Cecil Kellaway, James Westerfield, Henry Hull (judge).

Difficult to comment much on Ted McCord's colour photography as TPTV has kindly supplied us with a print filtered through the Haze-o-Vision process.

An independent Sam Goldwyn Jr production.

Silent Witness - Season 27 (2024)

Kick off a new season with old pros - Jim Keeble and Dudi Appleton wrote Effective Range, but it's one of their more far-fetched ones. (Spoilers.) A body is found staged in the same way as that of a serial killer from 20 years ago, who we see in contemporary police interview footage, quite chillingly portrayed by Leo Starr. The pathologist at the time, John Hannah, whose wife was taken by the killer, is convinced it's not the same man. It turns out to be his son, who has staged the killing (the man was dead already) to ?remind everyone of his father? Turns out Hannah has been keeping the killer in a cage for 20 years!!

However I can concede that yes, DNA could survive for 20 years outside on a boat. How Hannah managed to just magically turn up in the autopsy room though was something of a miracle.

Tim Prager has written Grievance Culture around the side-effects of the 'MeToo' movement, with some flair. Brilliant pathology lecturer Kevin McNally will not bow down to it, positively wants to 'trigger' his students and not let them be in a 'safe space' - quite right, he's there to challenge them. (Lots of good writing going on here: hadn't heard before that the Superman story is a retelling of the Judeo-Christian origin myth!) But one complainer makes him a social outcast with students protesting for his removal (a bit of a jump cut too far for me). The panel of judges who've turned down his application for head of the Criminal Court or something start being murdered. Whilst he's the obvious suspect, particularly of amusing copper John Thompson, it's pretty obvious who the real culprits are.

To have the professor kill himself though is a real wrong note to me.

Meanwhile, Cara's college mate is trying to seduce Jack and makes false allegations against him; and Gabriel wants Jack to teach him how to be a fighter.

The amazing building's the Royal Holloway University of London.

Despite the name it's actually just outside the M25, between Staines and Virginia Water

Aki Omoshaybi

Silent Witness (2023)

Heart of Darkness. Michael Crompton. New train line scheme through woodland is bombed. Family conflicts at the root.

Jack's been able to 'see' what happened since.. well I'm not sure. At least this season.

People run away again.

Southbay. Ed Westmore. Jack accompanies former boss Richard Cordery to crime scene; woman has been stabbed, her sons may have witnessed something. The police are hiding something. What's going on?

Rhiannon May (now Jones)

Richard Cordery

The Incredibles (2004 Brad Bird & scr)

He wrote it? All of it? On his own? Just the scene alone where Elastigirl is stuck between several automatic doors is ingenious. His screenplay was Oscar nominated.

It had been too long since we were last bowled over by this playful super-hero / family adventure. Craig T Nelson and Holly Hunter are Mr & Mrs Incredible, Samuel L Jackson is Frozone and Jason Lee the evil Syndrome. The hilarious designer character is voiced by Bird himself!

The design and animation is seriously amazing, but so is the sound (Sound Editing by Randy Thom and Michael Silvers won the Oscar; Sound Mixing by Thom, Gary Rizzo and Doc Kane nominated.) Michael Giacchino's fabulous parody of John Barry's Bond scores wasn't even nominated - he's using the same instruments and arrangements in points.

American Violet (2009 Tim Disney)

Written by Bill Haney; based on an appalling true story of Regina Kelly, a version of her played here by Nicole Beharie (The Morning Show). Single mother of four is arrested by drug squad in a poor section of Texas town, accused of being a drug dealer on the basis of an unreliable witness and a phone recording. She resists taking a plea bargain to get her out of jail; something the end titles reveal happens 95% of the time in the US courts. Luckily the ACLU takes her side in the form of Tim Blake Nelson (didn't recognise him at all) and Malcolm Barrett, enlisting the help of local attorney Will Patton; Michael O'Keefe is the hateful and racist DA who they must prosecute.

The best scene in fact is the deposition of the DA; Behaire has the bright idea that the black member of their team should lead the questioning, eventually causing the DA to lose it. (And by default get the guilty verdicts overturned.)

With Alfre Woodard, as good as ever. Can't remember when we first 'spotted' her - maybe Grand Canyon (1991)? With Xzibit (ex), Charles S Dutton, Anthony Mackie.

Tim is Walt's nephew

Bad Girl (1931 Frank Borzage)

Minor Borzage, unfortunately. Straight guy James Dunn in his feature debut falls for sassy Sally Eilers. He doesn't take to her best friend Minna Gombell, who calls him 'grouch' but really they grow to like each other. Eilers gets pregnant and thinks he won't like it; he thinks the same. Vina Delmar's novel and play adapted by Edwin Burke.

When Eilers' brother William Pawley finds out she's getting married, he kicks her out - what a cunt! Good moment where Dunn is boxing to make some extra money, reveals to opponent he's about to have a baby; opponent sympathises. Also liked Gombell's kid who adds black ink to milk to make it black, but can't understand why when you add milk to black ink it doesn't turn it white.

Best moment - the just-met couple on the stairway, seeing life go on around them; particularly lady on phone who in single take explains that her mother has just died.

Aspect ratio is 1.2:1 (I think).

The Thief of Bagdad (1924 Raoul Walsh)

A huge production; just the height of William Cameron Menzies' sets is staggering. (As a minor carp I did notice that all the streets and floors in Bagdad are completely flat, giving it all a slightly artificial feeling.) Let alone all the artful mechanics that make those great gates open and close.

The acting - particularly Fairbanks - is of the theatrical overdone big gestures sort, but there's no arguing with his agility and athleticism. (I daresay seeing him spend the entirety of the film topless might have encouraged the odd woman or two to see it.) He was the producer, very closely involved in all aspects of pre-production and production, would rehearse his stunts carefully. Future director Mitchell Leisen designed the costumes. Arthur Edeson filmed it. The makeup's by George Westmore.

Some of Sinbad's 'trials' are a bit much - fake monsters everywhere - but the climax, with his magical summoning of a huge army, and the magic carpet flight over the crowds, still work. It's a fun film.

Other colour tints were available:

With Julanne Johnston

Sojin Kamiyama strangely likeable as evil prince; with Mathilde Comont (!) and Nobel Johnson

Anna Mae Wong in mouse ears up to no good

That giant ape was a (good) trick - the guards next to it are played by children to make it look bigger.

"Defile" = steep gorge or passage.