[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

This month's films so far, mostly from the HMV Premium Collection:

To Catch a Thief (1955) ★★★★
One of Hitchcock's most enjoyable capers with a lively script, stunning photography and, in Cary Grant and Grace Kelly, a wonderful leading duo.

VIPCO: The Untold Story (2019) ★★½
A reasonably interesting documentary on the notorious video label which sprang to prominence during the 'video nasty' era. This would have been better if it was a little shorter and the participants put their phones on silent during the interviews! It's one of two documentaries on the bonus disc with the Spoekies Blu-ray set from 101 Films.

Top Gun (1986) ★★★½
It's cheesy and clichéd, but I find it hugely enjoyable and the Dolby Atmos track is a notable step up from the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack from the previous Blu-ray release.

Airplane! (1980) ★★★★
this excellent spoof has aged extremely well – it's still very funny with some cracking one-liners, well-written characters, and a scenario which (aside from post-9/11 aeroplane security) hasn't aged in the last 40 years.

Pretty in Pink (1986) ★★★½
This John Hughes-scripted coming of age comedy is quite endearing with fine performances from Molly Ringwald, Harry Dean Stanton, Jon Cryer, Annie Potts, and James Spader, and assured direction by Howard Deutch. This was my first viewing – it definitely won't be my last.

The Young Master (1980) ★★★
After watching the extended and international cuts of this, I decided to watch the theatrical version with the Cantonese audio. I'm not sure which version I prefer, but it's definitely better with the Cantonese audio track. The film isn't one of Jackie Chan's best, though it has some excellent stunt work and sequences for the star to showcase his phenomenal strength and flexibility.

Ghost (1990) ★★★★
A wonderful blend of drama, comedy, romance, fantasy, and horror, with genuine chemistry between Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, though Whoopi Goldberg steals every scene in which she appears. It's a very clever and engaging film with an accessible storyline on the grieving process.

Urban Cowboy (1980) ★★½
Half the film seems to be about Bud, John Travolta's oil worker riding a mechanical bull and engaging in some form of domestic abuse, victimising his girlfriend, Sissy (Debra Winger). I didn't love this but didn't hate it either; I think I need to watch it again.

King Creole (1958) ★★★½
Similar in some ways to Rebel Without a Cause, though lacking the intensity of James Dean's performance. Instead, we have arguably Elvis Presley's best film performance – he's a believable character, the songs are good and well integrated into the narrative, and Presley is well supported by Dean Jagger, Carolyn Jones, and Walter Matthau.

They Were Expendable (1945) ★★★★½
A brilliant World War II drama about PT boats and the men crewing them. John Ford's direction is superb and the performances from the likes of Robert Montgomery, John Wayne, and Donna Reed are all top-notch.

Super Fly (1972) ★★★★
While not as famous as films like Shaft, Sweet Sweetback, or Foxy Brown, this groundbreaking blacksploitation Gordon Parks Jr. is a compelling watch with an intelligent, pulsing soundtrack from Curtis Mayfield and a fine leading performance from Ron O'Neal.