Dog Day Afternoon (1975 Sidney Lumet)

A true story, written up in 'Life' magazine in 1972 by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore as 'The Boys in the Bank' - I think the book by Leslie Waller aka Patrick Mann is just a novelisation of the film, which was written by Frank Pierson. I can see why people turn novels into films, but not the other way round. Anyhow, most of the plot details (the sex change and relationship with other 'wife', interaction with hostages, even the reactions of the crowd, the ending) were all substantially true. The Attica prison riot which the robber throws at the bystanders occurred in 1971 where prisoners took control of the prison with demands for better conditions - 43 died.

It has a good, taut beginning (there's no music in any of the film), but it's also amusing - one of the three loses his nerve and goes home! Leaving Al Pacino and John Cazale, who is at once sympathetic and worrying - they're both Vietnam vets, but he's the one the FBI identify as being the true threat.

Pierson also wrote The Anderson Tapes, A Star Is Born (which coincidentally is seen playing at a cinema in this film  - though it must have been one of the earlier versions - even so...) and Cool Hand Luke, and ended up a consulting producer on Mad Men.

Penelope Allen is good as the senior (and most feisty) bank teller, Sully Boyar the manager. With Beulah Garrick, Carol Kane, Sandra Kazan, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Amy Levitt, John Marriott (guard). And Charles Durning (lead cop), Gary Springer, James Broderick (FBI), and Susan Peretz and Chris Sarandon as the two wives.

Marcia Jane Kurtz, Penelope Allen and Al Pacino

Shot on location by Victor J Kemper and edited by Dede Allen, her deft touch evident in the one and only time Pacino fires his rifle, and the ensuing flurry of montage.

Mildred Pierce (1945 Michael Curtiz)

A film of marvellous sweep and style - coming from the recognisable director-composer team of Casablanca. Even the dissolves are fabulously done. James M Cain's novel, as adapted by Ranald MacDougall, comes over like a Sirk rags-to-riches / family melodrama bookended with a film noir. Composed and shot with enormous style by Ernie Haller.

Joan Crawford is the too loving mother. Excellent cast comprises Jack Carson, Ann Blyth as Veda (who Q describes at one point as a 'whore-let'), Zachery Scott, Eve Arden (to Carson: 'Leave something on me. I might catch cold"), Bruce Bennett, Lee Patrick (Mrs. Biederhof), Butterfly McQueen, Moroni Olsen (inspector), and Jo Ann Marlowe as the doomed little sister.

Maybe my favourite shot in the picture - dark turns into light

The Set-Up (1949 Robert Wise)

Taut, tight, music-free noir drama tales place in real time as down on luck boxer Robert Ryan ignores being told to take a dive, with nasty consequences. Audrey Totter is his concerned girl. With George Tobias (his manager), Alan Baxter ('Little Boy'), Wallace Ford, Percy Helton (much on TV - a familiar face). Good fight scene, well-directed film is nice and short.

Shot by Milton Krasner. Based on a narrative poem from Joseph Moncure March written in 1928 (he also wrote 'The Wild Party' which became another film) - the adaptation is by Art Cohn. RKO.

Sleepless in Seattle (1993 Nora Ephron & scr)

Jeff Arch came up with satisfying, referential story which he, Ephron and David Ward wrote for the screen. Opens with Jimmy Durante singing 'As Time Goes By', much reference to An Affair To Remember. Ross Malinger (contrary to my expectations, still acting - I was expecting him to be a CEO or somesuch) is Tom Hanks' son; Meg Ryan is clearly with the wrong bloke, wimpy Bill Pullman. With Rita Wilson, David Hyde Pierce.

Most impressive photography by Sven Nykvist.

For chemistry and warmth, Ryan and Hanks are a difficult couple to beat.

The Green Mile (1999 Frank Darabont & scr)

It was a Stephen King novel. The story reeks of religious allegory (Michael Clarke Duncan = Jesus). He is great, so are Tom Hanks and David Morse (great chemistry). Fuck me, it's a long film (three hours). With Bonnie Hunt, James Cromwell, Michael Jeter, Graham Greene (another prisoner), Doug Hutchison, Sam Rockwell, Barry Pepper, Patricia Clarkson, Jeffrey deMunn and several great trained mice.

Unmistakably scored by Thomas Newman, shot by David Tattersall.

A Clockwork Orange (1971 Stanley Kubrick & scr)

I don't find Malcolm McDowell's character attractive - in fact I enjoyed all the shit that was coming to him. Kubrick's self-banned controversy looks tame compared to today's nastiness, and in the way it attacks various institutions (prison, religion, politics) it reminds me of O Lucky Man (having McD in both probably helps form that link). Very stylishly made (Kubrick was doing the hand-held stuff himself) and often very funny (moment in hospital, for example, and the actorly flourishes of the couple that tease Alex on-stage). The most upsetting moments are McD with his eyes clamped open - his face looks oddly comic and touching.

Some quite idiosyncratic acting from Patrick Magee, Michael Bates (an almost Pythonish prison guard), Warren Clarke ('Dim'), Adrienne Corri, Paul Farrell (tramp), Miriam Karlin ('Catlady'), Pauline Taylor (psychiatrist), Anthony Sharp (politician, much on TV, also in Barry Lyndon), Philip Stone, Steven Berkoff, David Prowse, Gillian Hills.

There's something very catchy about Beethoven's Ninth played on Moog synthesizers. The Purcell theme ('Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary') comes over as totally creepy and maybe paved the way for such horror scores as Dawn of the Dead. John Alcott's photography is claustrophobic, favouring wide lenses - shot on location using natural light in 1.66:1. Very weird production design too (John Barry). One of the first films to use radio mikes.

Suspiria (1977 Dario Argento & co-scr)

Definitely the most gorgeous horror film ever created, with eye-watering photography (Luciano Tovoli) and production design (Giuseppe Bassan), fired along by the director's own rock score played by Goblin. Actually the gory close-ups don't add a thing.

What happens? I don't know.

Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Udo Kier, Alida Valli, Joan Bennett.

Often looks like a silent era horror film. But it's insanely beautiful...

The blood, though, is much too red!

Walkabout (1970 Nic Roeg & ph)

Written by Edward Bond, based on Donald Payne's 1959 novel 'The Children', published under the pseudonym of James Vance Marshall. The kid (Luc Roeg) actually seems the more practical of the two. Sensational combination of photography (often using a zoom lens, but not annoyingly) and Tony Gibbs' editing, with added attraction of fabulous, lush John Barry score.

Jenny Agutter (17), David Gulpilil, John Meillon.

Jenny on location

How can you write a book about Nic Roeg ('Fragile Geometry' by Lanza) and not mention Tony Gibbs?

A Kind of Murder (2016 Andy Goddard)

Susan Boyd's first (produced) screenplay is based on Patricia Highsmith's 1954 thriller 'The Blunderer' - should be fashionable then, you think. But barely gets released.

Patrick Wilson is getting kinda sick of his wife Jessica Biel, takes up with Haley Bennett, whilst bookstore owner Eddie Marsan (terrific) is suspected of his wife's murder. (So a little bit of the 'criss cross' suggestion.) Vincent Kartheiser is the investigating detective - not convinced by his performance.

Lovely production design (Pete Zumba), shot by Chris Seager (mainly TV: Five Daughters, The Girl in the Café).

Seemed to have a decent budget - failed to be released properly.

Halloween (1979 John Carpenter (& co-scr)

Do you know what I was strongly getting a sense of this time? Val Lewton. Shadows and spaces and shocks.

And - in the low budget back-of-the-car filming - Joseph H Lewis. The contribution of Dean Cundey is enormous.

Which horror film do you watch on Friday 13th? Answer: Halloween. It's the best Halloween film. And I still haven't seen The Thing From Another World...

Say Anything... (1989 Cameron Crowe & scr)

A refreshingly honest look at a relationship - the antidote to John Hughes. Great performances, especially from John Cusack and John Mahoney.

Assistant Director Jerry Ziesmer, with John Hillner

Laszlo Kovacs' photography is quite high key for him. With Ione Skye, Jeremy Piven, Joan Cusack, Eric Stoltz, Amy Brooks.

The Green Man (1955 Robert Day)

A jaunty thriller in which a woman (Avril Angers) is murdered and left in a piano - something Alastair Sim's character finds most distasteful - she's not been murdered, either, thanks to John Chandos's ineptitude. Sim is an assassin who favours the fat and pompous. Meanwhile George Cole's discovery of the body (and of Jill Adams' body) gets him into hot water with her fiancé Colin Gordon (who looks like my dad). They then at the Green Man of the title interrupt an extremely seedy evening with politician Raymond Huntley and a wet weekend of a girl who he's taken on a romantic break - Eileen Moore, who was Mrs Cole until 1962.  And they also encounter Terry-Thomas, publican Arthur Brough and Dora Bryan (A Taste of Honey), and a trio of musicians.

Written by Launder and Gilliat, from their play 'Meet a Body'. Scored by Cedric Thorpe Davie and shot by Gerald Gibbs.

Wasn't Alastair Sim a distinctive talent? There's no one else quite like him. Film also gives Jill Adams one of her best parts.

Don't Bother to Knock (1952 Roy Baker)

Daniel Taradash wrote this short thriller from Charlotte Armstrong's 1951 novel 'Mischief' - must have been a short novel - or a hell of a lot of it was ditched. Perhaps 'distilled' is a better word.

Marilyn's on the cusp of success, and working hard. Just before this was released We're Not Married (multi-story), Clash By Night (Fritz Lang - she's in support to Stanwyck and Ryan), Let's Make It Legal (sixth billed under Colbert; Izzy Diamond is a writer), Love Nest (fourth billed; multiple tenants in building), As Young As You Feel (low billed), Home Town Story (fifth billed) and All About Eve (small part).

She's terrific in mad role.

With Richard Widmark, Anne Bancroft, Elisha Cook Jr.

Evenly shot by Lucien Ballard. The music's all from Anne Bancroft's singing and her band, usefully broadcast over the hotel's sound system.

Builds up a nice momentum. Satisfying resolution.

Sense and Sensibility (1995 Ang Lee)

Brilliant screenplay from Emma Thompson, winning Oscar (but not BAFTA, which went to Trainspotting). She is also absolutely wonderful acting in it (the reverse - won BAFTA but not Oscar). Brilliant performances with Kate Winslet (just 20), Alan Rickman, a superbly diffident Hugh Grant, Gemma Jones, Harriet Walter, James Fleet, little Emilie François, Greg Wise, Imelda Staunton, Hugh Laurie (a small but key part for Emma's Cambridge mate), Imogen Stubbs and special mention to Elizabeth Spriggs as the gossipy Mrs Jennings.

Beautifully shot by Michael Coulter e.g. in low light scene where Winslet is rescued. Great editing by Lee's regular Tim Squyres, music by Patrick Doyle.

Good Golden Globe acceptance speech from Emma in the style of Jane Austen - here.

Century (1993 Stephen Poliakoff & scr)

A fairly typical Poliakoff piece, featuring nice houses and interesting locations, slightly maddening characters and a deep plot that's darker than you were expecting (the eugenics movement). Clive Owen is a doctor at Charles Dance's academy where Miranda Richardson (and Neil Stuke) work. Robert Stephens is his eccentric father. All acting good.

Stephens and Lina Headey

With Joan Hickson, Mark Strong in small role as copper. Nicely shot by Witold Stok, good music by Michael Gibbs.

The Reader (2008 Stephen Daldry)

Written by David Hare, from the novel 'Der Vorleser' by Bernhard Schlink, The Reader is a very professionally made and acted film.. it's just a bit dull, perhaps why we hadn't watched it for eight years.

Kate Winslet won the Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe. With David Kross, Ralph Fiennes, Bruno Ganz (professor), Burghart Klaußner, Linda Bassett, Lena Olin. All acting good.

Roger Deakins shot the first six weeks, then Chris Menges 'shot a much larger portion of the film than I did'. They used the same crew and equipment and both did their own operating, though Deakins used 5218 film stock and Menges 5219!

It was produced from beyond the grave by Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella (the film is dedicated to them). Good editing by Claire Simpson (Far From the Madding Crowd, Platoon, The Constant Gardener). Music by Nico Muhly.

Courage of Lassie (1946 Fred M. Wilcox)

Opens with a long pastoral scene showing Lassie (here 'Bill' - played by Pal) at one with the animals - notably a brown bear, a fox and a raven - though also getting into danger escaping a persistent wolf in an amazing river chase scene. None of this comes back later, so it's a bit of a wasted plot opportunity (Lionel Houser). Anyway, the dog is adopted by Elizabeth Taylor and surrogate father Frank Morgan - until it inadvertently ends up as part of the war machine in the Pacific, accompanying a muddy patrol for no good reason other than to save them. Here, Pal displays his great acting in firstly the explosions and weary trudge through mud, then, as war has turned him savage, in unexpectedly snarly mode. The moment he gets his big close up like any human would have made me laugh. Finally, nice judge Harry Davenport saves the day (and the dog).

Canada / Washington, by Leonard Smith

When Ladies Meet (1933 Harry Beaumont)

According to 'The MGM Story' (John Douglas Eames 1975) 'Alice Brady's stylized delivery of laugh lines stole the picture' - it's unfortunate then that none of those laugh lines remain at all funny. In fact the 'comedy' scenes are awful, Martin Burton being particularly (almost relishfully) bad, and the film is awash with fake laughter. Pre-Code plot describes triangle between Myrna Loy (third billed), Ann Harding and Frank Morgan, with Robert Montgomery butting in.

Notice sizes of relative names in billing

Stage source very obvious. One of seven Myrna Loy films released that year (we thought Penthouse was much better).

Dallas Buyers Club (2013 Jean-Marc Vallée)

Vallée is not gay.  Matthew McConaughey won Best Actor Oscar as is always the way for this sort of role, and Jared Leto for Best Supporting. Based on a true story. In Craig Borten and Melissa Wallack's screenplay they chart a growing fondness between the two men, before they both die. A bit long. Vallée edited as usual under his alter ego John Mac McMurphy (with Martin Pensa) and worked again with his cameraman Yves Bélanger.

It's a reasonably entertaining watch, doesn't have the same Roegish style as some of his other stuff.

With Jennifer Garner, Denis O'Hare, Steve Zahn, Griffin Dunne.

It's the second viewing and I admired rather than loved it.

Mr Belvedere Rings the Bell (1951 Henry Koster)

Rather obviously betraying its theatrical origins, almost a filmed version of Robert McEnroe's play 'The Silver Whistle', the weakest Belvedere episode is set in an old people's home. Clifton Webb, 61 playing 46 playing 77, clashes with the dullest man in the world Hugh Marlowe and encourages faux romance with Joanne Dru.

Belvedere's agent is Zero Mostel - he was blacklisted (with friend Jack Gilford) a few years later ('Was it because he was Jewish?' Q asked me innocently), but continued to work in theatre. William H Lynn is one of the olds.

Good photography by Joseph Lashelle.