[J Harker]

Magnum Force, 1973.

I know I've watched a few things recently that I've not wrote about, struggling to actually remember though.
Last night i watched Magnum Force, Eastwoods second outing as San Fransisco detective Harry Callahan.
I've had the boxset ages but never seen any of the sequels.
In Magnum Force, a group of traffic cops have taken it on themselves to rid the city of crime, vigilante style. Ironically Harry doesn't approve and when an old friend gets killed to keep a lid on things he starts digging deeper.
Compared to the original film this feels a more breezy affair, it actually feels more like an early 80's actioner i thought, surprisingl given it was made only two years after the original.
Regardless it's a lot of fun and Eastwood is great just wandering through the film blasting badguys away. In fact for the first half of the film he barely seems involved with the actual plot.
So not as good as the first film which is more a gritty thriller but still a good film. Pity Warners blu transfer is a bit ropey.

Videodrome 1982. (I think)

Videodrome, last week was the first time I'd ever watched Cronenbergs notorious (is anything the guy made not notorious?) Videodrome.
While i can see why it's well regarded by many I'm not sure i really get it. As a straightforward film it's ok. Technically it's brilliant, the effects for the time are incredible. But it feels like the whole premise sort of hinges on the social commentary. Which i just didn't really get. We like television? Is that it? That said it certainly stays in the mind and I'll give it another go soon.

Needful Things 1993.

I used to have the poster for this one, I'd never actually seen the film though.
An adaptation of Stephen Kings novel, with Ed Harris, John McClane's wife and Max Von Sydow amongst others, in fact this one's got quite a decent cast.
A mysterious new shop opens in the small New England town of Castle Rock. The proprieter Max von Sydow seems to have just what you want regardless of how obscure that may be. However for each item sold comes a price, a little favour here or there. Starting out with getting young Brian Rusk to carry out a few malicious little pranks, throwing pigshit on some laundry, breaking a window, things gradually escalate until somehow everyone in town is at each others throats.
I've no idea how this compares to the novel but its not a bad film, one of the better King adaptations I've seen even if it is a little slow in places.
Ed Harris is good quality playing Ed Harris the sheriff. And Bonnie Bedelia a.k.a John McClane's missus is his fiance.