Jojo Rabbit (2019 Taika Waititi)

Nothing much to add to this, other than the opening - The Beatles in German - is so clever because the screaming of the fans to the Hitler footage is incredibly effective.

Poor Things (2023 Yorgos Lanthimos)

This morning I saw a dog with the head of a duck, a chicken with a bulldog's head and a totally naked Emma Stone. Had I had magic mushrooms for breakfast? No, I was just watching the latest Yorgos Lanthimos film. And I have to say, perhaps his most enjoyable, as the child-woman goes on a metaphorical and literal voyage of (self) discovery. I've mentioned Kubrick in connection with Lanthimos before and I wondered if there is some sort of Barry Lyndon undertow to this bizarre and eye-catching tale, which is frequently very funny, but also deep in its exploration of what it is to be a woman. At least I think that's what the Greek and Tony McNamara and Alasdair Gray are going for. 

The references to the 1931 Frankenstein are quite noticeable. And in fact, The Bride of Frankenstein even more so, if you think of the reaction of Elsa Lanchester to her 'mate'.

Also on the journey: Willem Dafoe (who amusingly doesn't understand the horror his own father put him through), Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef (loved the moment she meets him and punches him in the nose), Hanna Schygulla, Jerrod Carmichael, Kathryn Hunter and Suzy Bemba.

Stunningly shot (on celluloid) through the usual assembly of wide and fish eye lenses by Robbie Ryan in 1.66:1. Production design won Oscar: James Price, Shona Heath, Zsuzsa Mihalek; as did the costume design and the absolutely remarkable music: Jerskin Fendrix. And, of course, so did Miss Stone with her absolutely incredible performance. Edited by Yorgos Mavropsaridis.

The ending is fabulous.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987 John Hughes & scr)

Thoroughly jotted elsewhere.

It's Roy Orbison on the wall - Hughes was a big fan.

What is a noogie? It's 'a hard poke or grind with the knuckles, especially on a person's head.'

NYC to Chicago should take 2 hours 40 minutes, but because of the time difference you lose an hour in the air.

The Velvet Touch (1948 Jack Gage)

An independent production with Rosalind Russell something of a prima donna actress who murders her manager Leon Ames - then in flashback we find out what lead up to this, and her relationship with Leo Genn. Then detective theatre lover Sydney Greenstreet investigates. We know she will not go unpunished for her crime. Silly girl need only to have plead self-defence and all might have been well, but then where's your film (which was written by Leo Rosten and Walter Reilly from William Mercer and Annabel Ross's story)?

It's photographed by Joe Walker but is an unremarkable film, with only Greenstreet's jovial performance bringing it to life, though Dan Tobin is also good value as a snippy gossip columnist (is there any other kind in Hollywood movies?) What's 'snippy', anyhow?

With Claire Trevor, Frank McHugh, Walter Kingsford, Theresa Harris, Lex Barker.

Best bit is Genn getting her to go out with him by saying, 'Well, see you for lunch tomorrow. 1.30 at Le Chatelaine. Good night.' (Restaurant made up, I think.)

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979 Robert Benton & scr)

I imagine it would make a good double bill with Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story. It was based on  a novel by Avery Corman.

Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep and Justin Henry are fabulous in the lead roles. How they did the stitching scene with the boy I have no idea. Hoffman and Streep reportedly got on extremely badly. With Jane Alexander, Howard Duff, George Coe.

Oscars for Film, writer, Director, Streep and Hoffman. Henry, Almendros, Greenberg and Jane Alexander nominated. Interestingly it received no BAFTAs but David di Donatello presented a special prize for the boy.

Loved the second breakfast scene - dialogue free I think - they're settled into a routine. And Hoffman throwing the glass - he only told Almendros he was going to to do it - to get the right look of shock on Streep.

The music (Purcell and Vivaldi) is a point of difference.

Beautifully photographed by Truffaut regular Nestor Almendros on location. Benton asked him to use Piero della Francesca as an inspiration, but Almendros found this wasn't matching so well and instead began to reference David Hockney more - who it tuned out, was a Francesca fan! 

Well edited by one of 'Dede's boys', Jerry Greenberg. I like the way scenes suddenly fade to black, or cut quickly.

Only Murders in the Building - Season 4 (2024 Created by Steve Martin & John Hoffman)

Season 4 already?? Steve's best friend, stuntwoman Jane Lynch, has gone missing, presumed murdered.

Paramount are making a film of Only Murders.. and have cast Eugene Levy as Steve Martin, Eva Longoria as Selena Gomez and Zach Galifianakis as Martin Short, with amusing results.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph is back as the cop. ("She likes us!")

Some of Boardwalk Empire - Season 1 (2010 Created by Terence Winter)

..who was one of The Sopranos writers. This had sat on our shelf for years, unaccountably (though as it turns out, accountably). According to Wikipedia it was inspired by Nelson Johnson's 2002 non-fiction book 'Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City', about the historical criminal kingpin Enoch L. Johnson. Who is played, of course, by Steve Buscemi.

Episode 1 was directed by Martin Scorsese (but interestingly, not edited by Thelma Schoonmaker). He is also an executive producer, along with people like Mark Wahlberg, Winter and Steve Levinson (no relation). And Margaret Nagle, who's one of the writers.

Cast: Michael Pitt (as the WW1 veteran) and wife Aleksa Palladino, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Stephen Graham (Al Capone), Vincent Piazza (Lucky Luciano), Paz de la Huerta (Nucky's woman), Michael Kenneth Williams (The Wire, sadly no longer with us), Shea Whigam (Nucky's brother), Gretchen Moll (Pitt's mum), Anthony Laciura (Nucky's German 'butler'), Paul Sparks.

Fabulous production design by Bill Groom, Colourful evocation of 1920s. Same ingredients as The Sopranos - must-watch plots interspersed with violence, some of the particularly unpleasant kind, lurid and boring sex scenes. Interesting themes: corruption, politics, Prohibition, post-war veterans, movies, women's suffrage. Made for HBO.

Gave up after six and a half hours. Too many uninteresting sex scenes that didn't move the story forward, too much portrayal of women as sex objects, lack of sympathetic characters. A shame as we liked all the actors and the main story thrusts were interesting.

Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters (2024 Benjamin Field)

An interesting claim that the best Hammer films were made whilst the company was based at Bray before moving out in 1966. The film has some quite interesting contributors and contributions, and the use of little clips to underline points is quite cleverly done; but the settings in cod spooky laboratories and stupid editing work against it.

Interesting that Brian Clemens tried to move the studio in an interesting direction but they only half-heartedly release Captain Kronos - which, it is claimed, was way ahead of its time. Also that Nigel Kneale's Quatermass deal with the BBC was shafted and he made no money from the most successful film series - a cause of great bitterness.

And that poor Madeline Smith, innocent teenager on The Vampire Lovers, was basically verbally sexually assaulted by the producer (Roy Ward Baker threw him off the set).

Blitz (2024 Steve McQueen & scr)

Well we enjoyed this original story of an evacuated boy who escapes and tries to get back to his family in Stepney, he being Elliott Heffernan, who's fabulous. The visceral experience of the Blitz - from the opening fire onwards -  is extremely well caught  by cameraman Yorick Le Saux (Little Women, Clouds of Sils Maria), production designer Adam Stockhausen and an army of CGI designers.

Mother is Saoirse Ronan (great accent) and grandfather Paul Weller ('Is that Paul Weller?' Q asked. 'No', 'I replied, confidently). With Benjamin Clémentine (sympathetic air raid warden), Harris Dickinson, Kathy Burke, Stephen Graham, Sally Messham, Erin Kellyman (Les Misérables), Hayley Squires, Joshua McGuire, Alex Jennings.

There's a kind of small genre of 'getting home' films, isn't there, like Walkabout and Sammy Going South and A Far Off Place. And, with adults, 71 and The Warriors and I suppose Odd Man Out. I'm sure I'm forgetting loads. This is a most successful example. The racial references are good. The bravura sequence in the nightclub, followed by the appearance of the scavengers amongst the corpses, is memorable indeed.

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962 Robert Mulligan)

Great film, great performances from everyone, beautifully photographed and edited, wonderful score (I was wondering if it inspired John Williams in his Jaws score).

I was also wondering if it would be an idea to tell Calpurnia's story.

It's funny how the kids frequently disregard their father's instructions. It's not a sentimental film at all - he is just a reassuring and logical parent who calmly reacts to the world around him.

It's not clear but you can't help but think that Tom Robinson was just bumped off by the police rather than 'trying to escape'.

It just keeps on getting better each time we watch it.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943 Powell & Pressburger)

I needed to see this again - it was like therapy.

Noticed that Anton Walbrook is top billed. The Austrian was originally a stage actor, thus he has no trouble at all with the film's single takes. One of course, discussed before, is the key monologue of Emeric's about why he wanted to return to England. But the other, towards the end of the film, is also great, when he tells Blimp that his old-fashioned code of honour is no longer any use. It's a shaded screenplay in its depiction of Germans and Germany, seeing them as people like any other even in the midst of World War II. Quite remarkable. In fact quite remarkable that it was made at all (I guess they had 49th Parallel and the Oscar behind them). And remarkable that it was a hit - you would have thought Brits would have boycotted a film with a sympathetic German in it. But no - it was a big hit internationally.

It has a real sweetness, that 'generosity of spirit'. P&P catch the little looks between people brilliantly. And they do passage of time montages ever so well.

To paraphrase Ian Christie, it's something of an intimate epic.

The Bride of Frankenstein (1935 James Whale)

Seemingly played more for laughs than horror, as the poor monster is attacked by a mob, bound, imprisoned, burned, shot at and shot, only to survive all that only to be rejected by his 'bride'.

'Karloff' is shot on Charles Hall's Universal sets by John Mescall, to Franz Waxman's music. With Elsa Lanchester, Ernest Thesiger (delicious), Colin Clive, Valerie Hobson and Una O'Connor as the shrill voice of reason! And E.E. Clive as the pompous bergomaster, O.P. Heggie as hermit.

Karloff - in James Pierce's make-up - is marvellously expressive.

Boris Karloff: The Face Behind the Mask (2021 Thomas Hamilton & co-scr)

Combinations of many archive interviews featuring people like Leonard Maltin, Peter Bogdanovich, Guillermo del Toro, Christopher Frayling and John Landis, as well as Karloff's rather serious looking daughter. He'd had a bad upbringing as one of seven children, an abusive father, mother with mental problems and brother involved in a killing; perhaps why he then was married five times.

Was a moving Frankenstein and objected to throwing the girl in the water. Moved to stage after initial horror (both The Mask of Fu Manchu and The Mummy look good) and found success in 'Arsenic and Old Lace', but the contract wouldn't release him to be in the film, which he much regretted. Was pleased at a minor renaissance through Val Lewton, then in the fifties returned to the stage. Presented 'Thriller' series in early sixties and acted in some memorably creepy looking episodes. Despite emphysema and crippled legs gamely continued through Roger Cormans and later stuff. 

The Targets story: when he'd finished the 'appoint in Samara' story in a single take, at 2AM, the crew spontaneously applauded. Even though it wasn't, he described it as his final film.

Saltburn (2023 Emerald Fennell & scr)

Divinely photographed and edited film by Linus Sandgren (on celluloid and in 4x3) and Vic Boydell (with Rob Redford responsible for the assembly edit). Evokes Hammer Gothic horror from titles on, possibly has nods to The Servant and The Shining.

The Servant?

The Shining

Fucking the grave is just too far. But loved the parents - Rosamund Pike and Richard E Grant are hilarious. And Paul Rhys as the butler. Also loved the black humour of the breakfast after the murder - wonderfully edited.

Joy (2024 Ben Taylor)

Written by Jack Thorne and his other half Rachel Mason, this is the true story of the development of IVF and the first successful birth. James Norton was promoting it on Graham, says everything you'd believe about Bill Nighy was true - he wears a suit every day, he eats every meal out and is a pleasure to hang out with.

But it's Thomasin McKenzie who steals the acting honours - the simple scene for example when Nighy examines her. She's terrific. With Joanna Scanlan, Rish Shah, Tanya Moodie.

DP Jamie Cairney, well edited by David Webb (with Rob Redford first assistant), production design Alice Normington.

Very good.

Dead & Buried

Really, some utter crap from Ireland. Should have stuck to initial instinct and not watched it. Mad woman finds man who (she thinks) killed her brother... Nothing turns out as you think, but she's clearly nuts. The ending is absurd. The whole thing is.

Annabel Scholey is particularly annoying (her character, not her acting). Colin Morgan we know from Dublin, We Hunt Together.

Colin Bateman adapted his play??? 'Bag for Life'.

No no no.

Made in England (2024 David Hinton)

Loved the line from A Canterbury Tale, to the dereliction and flattened buildings - "Well you get a better view of the Cathedral!" - a brilliant line, quintessentially British.

I did not realise (or maybe I did, but had forgotten) that the last ten minutes of Black Narcissus are silent - in fact the music was written first and then the action is choreographed to the music - the first such experiment Powell attempted; then going on to the incredible Red Shoes ballet, which Scorsese says is filmed not theatrically but from the point of view of the dancer, to be within the ballet - something Scorsese himself used on one of the fight scenes in Raging Bull, keeping us inside the fight. Also that the moment in Blimp where the camera drifts away from the duel he also used for a build up to a fight scene in Raging Bull, which is then not shown.

It was fun seeing how Scorsese would have first seen Thief of Bagdad etc, with missing frames and in jerky black and white. But mainly the film avoids trickery, letting the clips speak for themselves, though dividing the screen into squares here and there is well done.

Then this great quote from Emeric: "I always had the feeling that we were amateurs in a world of professionals. Amateurs stand so much closer to what they're doing and they are driven by enthusiasm, which is so much more forceful than what professionals are driven by."

Receiving the BAFTA Fellowship Awards in 1981

Marty is a sensitive presenter. Talks about when shooting King of Comedy he was in 'a very low place' and Powell was empathic and supportive.

And look - when watching it, magic happened:

Trees Lounge (1996 Steve Buscemi & scr)

Another good example of drip feed writing - we begin to understand exactly how fucked up Steve Buscemi's life is as it goes along, but as he tells his ex in hospital "Things are worse now".

The key moment in the film is that very last fixed shot - Buscemi looking at the sad couple at the bar, and thinking about his old pal in hospital, and then... not having that whisky. Well observed, well acted.

Carol Kane, Mark Boone Junior, Bronson Dudley, Anthony LaPaglia, Elizabeth Bracco, Debi Mazar, Chloe Sevigny, Seymour Cassel, Michael Imperioli, Samuel L Jackson, Daniel Baldwin.

Photographed by Lisa Rinzler open matte:

Edited by Kate Williams. Released through Orion.

Uncle Frank (2020 Alan Ball & scr, prod)

Good drip-feed story of young woman in 1973 and her relationship with her uncle, who it turns out is gay and in long term relationship with a Saudi. They are Sophia Lillis, Paul Bettany and Peter Macdissi (who also produced). I am reminded that Ball's early feature, Towelhead, was good and should be watched again - and this is where we know Macdissi and his striking features from. Liliis is good - she started out in the 2017 It remake. Bettany we never recognise in anything, such a chameleon is he.

Intriguingly, the trigger for this was when Ball came out to his mum, she revealed that his dad might have been 'that way', and once accompanied the body of a friend on a train back to his hometown. I was amused to read that Ball doesn't write outlines for features as "it's more interesting to write them and see where they take me". (scriptmag interview.)

Anyway, it's emotional and very good. Great cast includes Steve Zahn, Judy Greer, Margo Martindale, Stephen Root, Lois Smith, Jane McNeill.

In most States homosexuality was still illegal then.

Photographed by Khalid Mohtaseb.

Thelma (2024 Josh Margolin & scr, ed)

Something of a tall story from Margolin, and dedicated to his own grandmother, who appears briefly at the end. The film was exec produced by stars June Squibb and Fred Hechinger. Captures rather well the feelings of the elderly, not wanting to be ordered about but aware that they aren't able to do the things they used to, and that friends are passing fast. Scammed grandmother goes after scammers who have deprived her of $10,000, aided by friend Richard Roundtree (his last film).

With Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Malcolm McDowell.

The film is meditative, tender and entertaining.

On guns: "How hard can it be? Idiots use them all the time."

Moonflower Murders (2024 Writer Anthony Horowitz)

Lesly Manville is back, trying to solve a disappearance that is connected to a novel by mystery writer Alan Conway (Conleth Hill) and his creation Atticus Pünd (Tim McMullan). Pippa Bennett-Warner is Pünd's useful associate.

So we're also seeing the novel play out and thus the rest of the cast have dual roles: Danny Mays, Adrian Rawlins, Pooky Quesnel, Will Tudor, Rosalie Craig, Joanna Bacon, Thomas Coombes, Mark Gatiss. And the setting of it in the 1950s means we're in that cosy Agatha Christie period.

Horowitz adapted his own  novel in  6 hour long parts. And it's an enjoyable ride.

Alma's Not Normal - Season 2 (2024 Sophie Willan)

The return of Alma, Sophie Willen, her mum Siobhan Finneran and grandmother Lorraine Ashbourne.

Lays the blame for her mum's errant behaviour solely at the door of the failure of social healthcare support. She reads a great poem in prison - would make a brilliant rap.

Ends with Alma / Sophie beginning to write and ends up with her winning the BAFTA! Plenty of imagination e.g. short montages using photos, black-and-white movie recreation.

The Mountains of the Moon (1990 Bob Rafelson)

An awfully big budget adventure film, an unusual choice you would have thought for Rafelson, who's memorably associated with lower budget Jack Nicholson films.

I didn't realise it's the same true story that William Boyd appropriated for his novel 'The Romantic' in which our hero gets involved in the crazy world of Burton and Speke as they journey to find the source of the Nile. It's based on their own personal accounts and written by William Harrison and the director. I didn't really recognise Patrick Bergin, who makes an energetic and charismatic Burton, nor Iain Glen as the more restrained Speke. Their growing friendship, loyalty but ultimate fallout makes the film.

Lots of recognisable people pop up including a young Fiona Shaw, Richard E Grant, John Savident, Peter Vaughan, James Villiers, Adrian Rawlins, Delroy Lindo, Bernard Hill, Roshan Seth, Anna Massey and Leslie Phillips. Paul Onsongo is the faithful expedition organiser. Couldn't work out who is the African king, who's rather good. And must mention One Foot in the Grave's Mrs Warboys, Doreen Mantle!

Fabulous on location work from Roger Deakins, who's also the camera operator (with Dick Pope shooting additional material). The sound designer gets an up front credit - there's a lot going on - production sound mixer Simon Kaye. Thom Nobel is the editor. Produced for Carolco.