nice job if you can get it! :lol:

Double Indemnity and Spellbound (Hitchcock) last night, both amazing as usual. Up early with the little man today, and it's been Tarzan and Cars on BD. They're alright, Cars is probably the worst Pixar though.

I saw the devil - I've got mixed feelings on this one. It's very well done and it's got an interesting take on revenge. Choi Min Sik is a fantastic bad guy and the momentum is always there. But the secret service guy left me cold - even though there was a deliberate point behind him acting in the way that he did. It was a bit too nihilistic for me.

I will watch it again though to see if my view improves.

Blade/Ring of Death - Blade was a by-the-numbers hunt and stop the killer procedural. Took a bit of getting into but it was watchable.

Ring of death aka Detective Belli - I really enjoyed this one, even though it was confusing at points with the blackmail plot. Great ending.

The Sweeney Messenger of the Gods - what a cracker of an episode!

virus
 

watched 'virus' with jamie lee curtis last night. honestly,i couldn't wait for it to finish. some ok effects in it but that was it. thought it an odd choice of a movie for donald sutherland,but there you go.part terminator part aliens part the thing.if you never get to see it,don't cry about it.

The Battle Of Algiers - 1966 Italy d: Gillo Pontecorvo

Having bought the Sight & Sound poll edition yesterday, I'm in a mood to watch classics and high-brow film snob stuff!

So, last night I watched The Battle Of Algiers (after I had fixed my laserdisc player so I could do so!). I hadn't seen it for a very long time and had been pondering a rewatch for a while - its many mentions in the Top 50 poll were the push I needed.

It is undeniably a masterpiece. Using techniques and approach from the Neo-Realist movement yet eschewing the sentiment often present in that era. I don't think there is a better film about terrorism and counter-terrorism.

And yet...

For all it deserves its classic status, I do now find it a hair over-rated (and only a hair). It is easy to admire, but doesn't grab my heart with a fist like, say, Paths Of Glory or Come And See or Rome, Open City. This doesn't make it a bad film, of course, just one I cannot personally rate as highly as other people do.

I really like the high contrast look and the clumsy documentary-style camerawork (interspersed with some truly beautiful slick camera-work now and then, if you watch for it). The non-professional cast are exceptional and the leads are perfectly chosen. Morricone's score is a work of utter brilliance - it's one of his best.

I cannot flaw the film and I do love it and respect it. It's just that last bit of emotion I was craving never showed up. Another viewing may be different. And shall watch it again very soon.

Despite my issues, very, very highly recommended. Essential viewing if you claim to like film.

THE GIRL NEXT DOOR - An adaption of the Jack Ketchun novel about horrendous abuse in 50s small town America. I remember it being hyped as really depraved or transgressive when it came out - in fact, it struck me as a measured, serious film which attempts to do some justice to its subject matter, although an undercurrent of exploitativeness remains and is probably intrinsic. The performances needed to be good, and are, particularly Blanche Baker as the terrifying Aunt Ruth. What let it down if anything was the filmic approach, which imo was too straightforward and direct, almost TV flat at times - would've benefited from a more oblique stance a la 'Snowtown', or something more harshly documentarian. But, despite its unadorned style, which thinking about it was maybe at least a sensible choice, the film is powerful and really difficult to watch in places, and certainly I imagine will stay with many viewers after the credits have rolled.

I really liked this adaptation of a very powerful novel. Blanche Baker is just unbelievably good, in my opinion.

I found it interesting to compare the also brilliant performance of Catherine Keener in An American Crime, which is the same story, but based on the Likens case itself rather than Ketchum's fictionalised version.

Really liked both films. A harrowing tale. Hard to conceive that it really happened.

THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED - Kriby Dick's brilliant documentary on the secretive MPAA
They are liars, full of excuses, right wing, and break the law in copying the submitted film without the film makers consent
Yet these people are dictating to everyone if you copy etc a film you will get prison and a fine
Everything is about money just to get a rating, which isn't suprising to the Yanks
Jack Valenti who came up with the so called 'morals' of telling you what you can't see
I saw this film before and the MPAAA are homophobic amongst other things and don't like showing nudity/sex esp gay but violence is okay
Hypocrites
Yet there are films made years ago which have strong sex scenes and were uncut
:crazy::crazy:

Thanks for reminding me about 'An American Crime', a film I meant to track down but ended up forgetting. Notice it's on Lovefilm, so I might watch it now. It's a toss up between that and 'The Amazing Transplant'... hmm, which to go for, harrowing awfulness or mindless trash? Might watch both if I have the time, but it seems wrong!

An American Crime is not as good a film as The Girl Next Door, and Ellen Page is as annoying as ever, but it's pretty dashed well done, actually sticks to the facts of the case fairly closely and Catherine Keener is wonderful.

I am about to watch Leave Her To Heaven, then Come And See and if I can fit it in, The Godfather. That's the plan. Subject to changes of mind!