Cat People - 1942 ***

This film seems to have been almost impossible to track down, and it was only by chance that I saw it was to be on late one night that I recorded it.

Anyway, in the end it didn't really matter, because it wasn't nearly as good as I was expecting it to be.

Simone Simon (I've always thought it was a stupid name) plays a woman named Irene who meets a draftsman and falls in love with him. However she is paralysed with fear that if she becomes intimate with him she will turn into a cat, like the Serbian myths told her in her childhood. However she goes ahead and gets married, and her husband soon realises that she needs serious help with her fears and tries to get her to see a psychiatrist.

It goes from being pretty terrifying (you will all have seen the famous scene where the woman is walking down a dark street and stops every now and again because she thinks she is being followed. It's really quite a scary scene) to being absolutely ridiculous (the girl jumping into the swimming pool in the dark because she thinks that will deter the giant black cat that is chasing her) with a load of dull blurb in between. Except for a few exciting moments there isn't much to recommend in this film.

(NOIR) Shoot to Kill - 1947 **

A really dreadful offering from Robert Lippert, in fact probably one of the worst noirs I have seen. I couldn't really make head nor tail of the story, the acting was hideous (the lead acts like she is tuned up to an electric wire) and the quality was dire (not that that could be helped of course.)

Not even so bad it was good, just very bad full stop. It wasn't even a good B movie, more like a diabolical C movie.

*goes off to fume about the acting in the film and the non-existant storyline *

Natalee Holloway:The Movie 2009 **

I'm not sure how close this film was to the truth and the real reactions of friends and family, but it certainly doesn't portray them in the best light.

Her friends are shown as people who can't look out for their drunk friend as she gets inot a car with 3 men she doesn't know. They also don't seem to put up much of a fight into staying on the island to help look for her the day after. Her chaperone doesn't pay any attention to the panic this is causing everyone and dismisses it as a foolish prank. The mother becomes manical, even breaking the law by speeding to get to the airport, then attacking witnesses and highjacking news reports about her daughter. The Aruba officials seem to have a friendly pact going on with the suspects, feeding them information to cover their tracks before the mother is told, and the suspects themselves are so completely lacklustre and relaxed about the whole thing that you couldn't actually believe people this stupid could be hiding something. Added to which, Natalee is presented as a girl who, despite not being a drinker, goes wild the second she is away from her parents getting drunk constantly and having strange men grope her. She then wanders off with 3 of them to the beach and 'teases' one of them into wanting to have sex.

I don't know this poor girl but I seriously doubt that she was anything like her character here.

I don't think her mother was this unhinged person either that she is being made out to be, and the only reason people seem to have a problem with her is because she made sure everyone knew about her daughter's case, and worked tirelessly to get her message across. I don't doubt however that the police in Aruba where totally corrupt, and I think they tried many times to cover up vital information from Natalee's family which may have ultimately have led to her being found, dead or alive.

Also, at the end of the film, the main suspect is bugged in a car and his "friend" (who is actually an undercover official or news man) gets out information from him, to the extent that he left her unconscious on the beach but didn't know for sure whether she was dead or not. Natalee's mother appeared to take this information at face value and the whole film sort of wrapped up with her announcing that she finally 'had the answers and could move on', despite the fact that the suspect then admitted that he had lied about the story to impress his friend. So nothing is ever concluded and we are no closer to knowing what happened to her. At the time the film was made, no one had been arrested regarding Natalee's disappearance, but fast forward a couple of years, and the main suspect has been charged, as well as being charged with another murder of a girl named Stephany Flores, who was found murdered in her hotel room. That at least, can be some comfort for Natalee's family.

Butterfield 8 - 1960 ****

I watched this straight after 'A Summer Place' and my goodness what a contrast in glamour for 2 films made just a year apart.

Elizabeth Taylor is as always breathtakingly beautiful, playing a good time girl (many would call her a call-girl) named Gloria, who struggles to maintain real relationships with the people around her that don't consist purely on where she can get her next fur coat or diamond bracelet from. Her close friend Steve is totally besotted with her despite having a girlfriend of his own who is fiercely jealous of Gloria. She also mingles with an assortment of unsavoury and dodgy men who treat her badly but always seem to deliver on the money/jewellery side which is the root core of all her energy.

Taylor does a wonderful job of this girl who, despite spending her time taking money from men, seems quite a pitiful and disturbed character with many problems in her life. You can see Taylor mirrored in many aspects, (especially the constant drinking) but she still manages to maintain a glamourous and exuberant existance.

The ending is really awful and quite upsetting, as the all familiar story of a girl who changes her life only when it's too late.

Watch it.

(NOIR) Born to Kill - 1947 ***

I can't say that this was one of the best noirs I have seen but it did have something going for it, and that was the roaring passion of Laurence Tierney and Claire Trevor.

Tierney plays a psychotic con man called Sam who likes killing people when they get in his way. He also has a weird and slightly homosexual relationship with his roommate Marty (played of course by Elisha Cook Jnr) as well as knocking people out left, right and centre if they annoy him. He becomes jealous after finding out the person he is seeing has another boyfriend and promptly 'does them both in.' Que Helen Trent (Trevor) who finds the bodies and doesn't tell anyone, oh except when she goes off to her sister's and casually lets it drop in a conversation. She also becomes fascinated by Sam despite the fact that she is engaged to be married and Sam is a thug and hooligan. Helen's sister is rich and so Sam goes after her, marrying her on a whim a short time later whilst being attracted to Helen. They don't think anything of having a grope in the kitchen in the middle of the night with the light on and the door open.

Things get sticky after a detective is put onto watching Marty and makes Sam believe that Helen is trying to double-cross him when all she wants is to double-cross her sister. This ends with a shoot-out etc, and I'm not telling you anymore. I'e probably told you too much already.

I love how Cook Jnr pops up in mostly all the 40s noir films that I see and nearly always plays the same character, he's like a staple of the film.

A good movie, worth a watch but not a classic.

A Summer Place - 1959 ***

The best thing about this film was the theme tune, I think I knew that before I started watching it. The movie cannot compare to how wonderful and typically 50s the music is.

The movie has become dated, despite the fact it deals with many modern topics such as adultery and teenage pregnancy.

Sandra Dee is utterly infuriating but she isn't the worst thing about the film by far.

A couple and their daughter (Dee) go to a lovely resort on an island in Maine for the summer to spend time together and when they arrive the father bumps into the love of his life whom he left a number of years ago when last at the island. She is now also married and has a son (Richard Egan), but both of them realise they still have feelings for each other and that they are still married to their spouses purely because of convention and their children. The same time they are there, the daughter and the son of the 2 families meet and fall hopelessly in love, despite the almost tyrannical afflictions of the girl's mother, who is completely backward in her way of modern thinking, and believes her daughter is becoming some sort of harlot.

Despite being forbidden to meet or see each other the couple exchange words on the phone and letters when they are back home and plan to meet secretly whenever they can. The next big blow comes when the daughter's father and the son's mother publicly divorce their partners and get married. The 2 children are distraught and refuse to accept it despite going up to spend time with the family in their lovely new home.

The film plays out like a modern day soap opera and the acting is completely ridiculous and over the top. The characters are mostly unlikeable (except for the father of the daughter and the mother of the son) and watching Dee and Egan exchanging romantic words and acting up to their parents gets completely predictable.

This film is only popular (I'm assuming it is actually popular although I have never heard anyone mention the fineness of the film without leaping in to praise the music) because of the breaktaking theme music immortalised by Percy Faith. Nothing more.

Pink String and Sealing Wax - 1945 ****

One of the first Ealing movies I have seen that wasn't a comedy. I've always been drawn to it by the title of the picture, it sounds so old-fashioned and just up my street!

Googie Withers was looking lovely as Pearl, the wife of an alcoholic pub owner who befriends an innocent chemist's son in an effort to obtain some poison to kill her husband. At the same time there is another story going on in the son's household where the strictly religious father keeps a tight leash on his family to the extent where his daughter's plea to become a professional singer falls on deaf ears.

Exciting film, and a bit bizarre, plus it has the guy from George Formby movies as the alcoholic pub owner (and of course Googie Withers who was in one of George's films too, ironically with the pub owner actor!)

Hold Your Man - 1933 ****

A great film. Jean Harlow can never be in a bad film and I think she knew this by the time she starred in 'Hold Your Man.' By this time her social life was constantly in the tabloids and she was one of the most talked about stars of the early 1930s. So basically we know for sure that if Harlow is in something then it's going to be great.

In this snappy picture she plays Ruby, a wisecracking and smarmy girl who bumps into con Clark Gable whilst he is running away from his latest scheme (well to be precise he runs in on her in the bath!) and she hides him when the police come looking. Gable is also smooth talking and the pair hit it off immediately, bouncing off jokes and insults at each other as fast as Grant and Russell in 'His Girl Friday'. However after a plan of his goes wrong, Ruby gets blamed and taken down and placed in a penitentiary for 'fallen women.'

Harlow looks absolutely stunning in every scene, and her presence lights up the whole shot. She has this amazing quality whilst acting that means you can't take your eyes off her. A bit like Monroe. She also has some lovely costumes. Harlow was a national treasure.

This is one of a number of films that Gable and Harlow did together and I can't wait to see the first one they did (Red Headed Woman).

PS What I love about films like this is how much they incapsulate the time period they were filmed in. You really get to see what the city and the restaurants/bars, vehicles etc looked like and so from that aspect it's good to have as a keepsake of how the world has changed.

The Catered Affair - 1956 ****

I was surprised by this film. In fact from the beginning I could tell it was made for the stage.

Bette Davis is a really brilliant actress, and each time I see her in a film my appreciation of her grows. And Ernest Borgnine was a really good addition to the family.

The story basically encapsulates this one family. The young daughter (played superbly by Debbie Reynolds) announces to her parents that she is getting married. Her mother Aggie (Davis) is determined that she will have a big, exciting wedding despite the fact that the family are barely surviving on the father's (Borgnine) low income as a taxi driver. The daughter herself and her fiance don't actually want a big wedding, just a simple affair with their closest family. But the mother wants her to have the wedding she never had, with hundreds of people, limos, champagne. The more Aggie pushes the daughter, the more the daughter feels trapped into doing what her mother wants and what will be right for her. Added to which the father realises how much it will put him in debt paying for the extravagance of a reception for people that he doesn't really know.

The film is tense, gritty and quite hard to watch, and Davis nails her part exactly as the tired and worn housewife who never had an exciting or worthwhile part to play in life.

I realise that times were different then and being a housewife was the norm, but I found Aggie's attitude to money really awful. I hate the fact that she doesn't work and instead of looking for work herself when she knows how expensive the wedding will be, leans harder on her husband to give up the last amount of money that he has scrimped and saved for years and years because of something she wants. She has an attitude that the money is also hers to do what she wants with it, and I think that's a very arrogant way to behave. She actually has the nerve to go off and start booking a totally over the top venue for the wedding without even consulting her husband.I feel so sorry for him!

Anyway, my rant over, it's a well acted film, and as usual Bette Davis makes me feel strongly about a character that she plays.

Harry, He's Here to Help - 2000 ***

I can't say I think much of the translation of this film's title, it sounds completely unsuitable for the film. It sounds like the lead has broken down in their car and sent for the AA, which appears in the form of Harry..

I much prefer the rougher translation that the English have used ' With A Friend Like Harry.'

I must say this was a remarkably strange film, if slightly bizarre and unsettling.

Michel and Claire live in a lovely old French house on the outskirts with their 2 children. One day whilst out driving, Michel bumps into an old classmate named Harold at a rest stop.

Harold "Harry" invites himself and his girlfriend Plum, over to their house to have a drink despite it apparently being hundreds of miles out of their way. And once they reach the house, both Harry and Plum start to intergrate themselves into the family, and aren't going anywhere...

This is a sort of mixture of all the well known films that cover this 'captive at home' scenario, (The Strangers, Funny Games, The Talented Mr Ripley) although it's never quite that bad on the surface. It's more a terrible uneasiness of feeling like your visitors have outstayed their welcome and won't take the hint to leave. Harry starts off as a rather charming and friendly man, but soon it feels like his mask has slipped and he becomes outwardly obsessive (I'm assuming over Michel) to the point where he is trying to destroy everything in Michel's life. It's very weird, and there are a few loose ends as regards to what happens in certain scenarios that will have you scratching your head, but on the whole, an interesting and surreal experience into a very twisted mind.

The Roommate - 2011 ****

Yes, this film is very like 'Single White Female', so if you are one of the vast population who has seen that then you won't be surprised. However I'm quite a fan of obsessive friendship/relationship films, so I wasn't too bothered about roughly knowing what was going on. Many of you will notice that the joint lead is Leighton Meester from 'Gossip Girl.' This actress could not play a more different character if she tried. I watched the film thinking 'she must be loving playing this part!'

Minka Kelly plays a student named Sara who gets assigned a new roommate named Rebecca. Things start off well and both girls bond. But when Sara starts dating someone and hanging out with another girl, Rebecca's true colours come out and she becomes a total nutcase, obsessive of everything Sara does and who she is with. Several eerie events make up Sara's mind that she doesn't want anything to do with Rebecca anymore, but Rebecca isn't letting her go that easily...

In all fairness, the acting from these 2 girls was amazing. Meester really can act and I will never stereotype her as the ditzy girl from 'Gossip Girl' again. Billy Zane also pops up as Sara's art teacher who can't stop hitting on female students in a half funny and half creepy way. Don't take the film too seriously, as 'Single White Female' is a better crafted example of female obsession, but 'The Roommate' is certainly not far behind.

The Suspicions of Mr Whicher - 2011 ***

I wouldn't agree that this production was a classic, although I suspect that the book itself was probably much more detailed and interesting. Paddy Considine as Mr Whicher was very good as a sort of 1860's Sherlock Holmes who finds all the clues that people miss despite being ridiculed and very unpopular with the crowds of the time. The story is based around the true events that happened in Road Hill House in 1860, where a 3 year old boy named Saville was brutally murdered by an unknown person, his body dumped in a privy outside the family home. The results are somewhat bizarre, and at times it seems that the film hasn't really progressed from the beginning to the end. I understand that the dramatisation is being very precise in the facts, and none of the names or events have been changed, but it was a bit of a shame that *SPOILERS* you never know the true identity of the murderer. As a big fan of Victorian murders I was surprised that this book and film have become so immensely popular over the last year. I would very much now like to read the book to see if my opinion about the story is justified.

Dorian Gray - 1945 ***

George Sanders stole the show for me in this. If he hadn't been in it I would have been pretty disappointed. Hurd Hatfield was in my opinion pretty dreadful as the main character, only saved by the quick-witted Sanders (quoting like mad from Oscar Wilde) and the beautiful Donna Reed as his love interest. Angela Lansbury is very good as well. In fact most of the characters have some redeeming qualities about them except for Dorian Gray. Everyone knows the story so I won't go into it, but will say that the painting (amazingly shot in colour) is absolutely hideous and gives me the shivers thinking about it. I'm not sure whether the actor chosen to portray Gray was completely dull because all his energy and emotion was supposed to have gone into the painting, or whether he was just genuinely a boring actor. Either way I didn't agree with the choice.

Will watch the new version to see how it compares.

Too Many Crooks - 1959 ***

I think in all honesty, that if Terry Thomas and Sid James hadn't propped up the majority of this film then I would have been rather disappointed.

A gang of crooks set out to kidnap a wealthy man's (Thomas) daughter, but get his wife instead who, unbeknownst to them is driving her husband up the wall. The initial excitement of having kidnapped his beloved and thinking of the huge ransom they can ask for is short-lived when he tells them that they can have her for nothing because he's fed up of her and has his eye on his new secretary.

Hearing this, his wife decides to get her own and join the crooks, and help them to a vast sum of his money, stupidly stashed under the floorboards of his house.

The plot sounds funny and it really is, but I felt the presence of some actors (such as Bernard Bresslaw) really dampened the mood. Bresslaw would later go on to play in the Carry on films with Sid James, but his character is so desperately unfunny and dull that it's only luck that gives us Sid James to actually make us laugh. (Why is Sid James always called 'Sidney' in his films??)

Terry Thomas is always funny, and as I said at the top, without him this film would not be as well thought of as it is. Despite being a thoroughly unpleasant character he still manages to be charming and very 'caddish' which only Thomas can be. 3 stars for him.

Christmas in July - 1940 ***

As another viewer quite rightly pointed out, this has all the makings of a 'B' not an 'A' movie. Dick Powell is average, this time playing an office clerk who has dreams of winning a huge amount of money and being able to marry his girlfriend and give her a good life. Several of his colleagues overhear his wishes and decide to play a prank on him, sending him a letter pretending to be from the winning company. However events do not go as they planned.

It's not a bad film, and I am trying to see all of Preston Sturges movies, but I can't honestly say that this is one of his best.

(NOIR) The Shanghai Gesture - 1941 ****

I would imagine that this completely underrated classic was very shocking for it's time. It followed the decline of a woman who goes to Shanghai for some fun and excitement and becomes obsessed with gambling at the hands of the casino's owner 'Mother Gin Sling'.

One thing that stands out in this neo-drama is Gene Tierney's outstanding acting. She really acted her socks off and you believe every word that she says. She also seems to take on this amazing physical transformation throughout the course of the film, starting out with a bubbly, lively girl, and ending with a tortured, bedraggled addict. Amazing.

PS Victor Mature is great as well in his fez hat.

Sabrina - 1995 ****

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this 1990s version of the 50's movie starring Bogie and Hepburn.

Harrison Ford was excellent as the dry and uncompromising Linus Larrabee, the man obsessed with his multi-million dollar company on Wall Street whilst Greg Kinnear was suitably slimy and in my opinion completely unattractive as Linus' younger and completely immature brother David.

Sabrina Fairchild is the 'ugly duckling' daughter of the Larrabee chauffeur and so has had a crush on David since she was young. She has spent her adolescent years watching his many exploits with various women at his various parties from her favourite tree in the grounds, and has always wished more than anything that she coulod be one of those women. Fast forward a period of time (I would imagine it's a year or so) and Sabrina has been to Paris to 'find herself' and is back at the Larrabee household with a more sophisticated outlook on life, causing David to fall for her despite being finally engaged to someone else.

Of course as we all know, obsessive crushes on people when we are young never really shows us what the person is like in reality, and Sabrina discovers that whilst she thinks David is very handsome, he is also a pretty shallow and arrogant human being.

I can't say I liked this characterisation of Sabrina as much as the 50s one, (in fact I found the actress utterly annoying and whimpish with a ridiculous, angelic opinion of a man she didn't know well at all) but I did like the two male characters very much, especially seeing them bring an ounce of humour to the storyline.

A good story, showing us that the value of attraction towards another person should be more than skin deep, and also the whole 'love is more important than money' adage.

Harrison Ford is great in sarcastic comedy!

So Long at the Fair - 1950 ****

My best friend hunted down a copy of this for me and I am so grateful (thank you pasta!) because it was a brilliantly constructed and shockingly overlooked mystery gem supposedly based on a true story.

The story is of a sister and brother who go to Paris in 1889 to see the world fair. The night before they are due to depart to the fair they check into a hotel with separate rooms. The next morning the sister eagerly rushes to her brother's room to wake him, and finds with horror that both he and his room have disappeared. And even more shocking is that the owners and staff og the hotel claim that she arrived alone and that they never saw her brother. Enter Dirk Bogarde, the one man who spoke to her brother the night before the disappearance, and the one person who can help her unravel what happened.

A tight plot, with a shocking ending, Jean Simmons and Dirk Bogarde are totally in sync with each other.

Vanity Fair - 2004 *** 1/2

I do wonder whether William Mackpeace Thackery's novel went on for quite as long as this film seemed to. I'd wanted to see this for a while, and thought it would be interesting to see Resse Witherspoon in a period drama. But she was actually very good, and very natural (you wouldn't imagine through watching her that she was the same actress as in 'Legally Blonde') and gave her character Becky Sharp a real edge.

The story is typical of the period, or regency era, a young girl from a not too privileged background seeks greater things by climbing her way up the social ladder by any means necessary.

Interesting and at times quite gripping, 'Vanity Fair' is a story of a gutsy woman who grabs opportunites with both hands regardless of the consequences, something maybe more of us should take on board.

Anne of a Thousand Days - 1969 ****

A sumptious dramatization of the short life of Anne Boleyn with Richrd Burton on top form as the sometimes jolly and sometimes murderous Henry VIII. Genevieve Bojold shines as Boleyn, who catches the eye of Henry VIII at one of his many feasts. Because she is unattainable and seemingly not interested in him, Henry goes to extensive measures to woe her, despite being still married to Katherine of Aragon who has not been able to give him a male heir.

Henry VIII appears to be one of those men who only chases a woman until he has 'defeated' her, and then she is apparently useless to him. Once he finds out that Anne has also not borne him any male heirs, he decides that she is also worthless and is on look out for his next conquest.

Brilliantly acted and interesting, this is one of the great historical films you must see.

Lady Jane - 1986 ****

Another film I've wanted to see for ages which I can tick off my list. And captivating it was too.

One of the things that is so upsetting about films like this is how utterly despicable the monarchy was in the 16th century. Putting innocent people to death to make a transaction easier for a new Royal, bullying people into taking the crown and then throwing it back in their face when they can's rule the country like their advisors want etc.

Jane Grey was a poor unfortunate girl, and she really was only a girl of 16 when she was ordered to take the crown despite being against the idea, and become married despite feeling that she was too young (there is a scene that shows her being whipped until nearly unconscious by her mother when she disagrees with the idea) and then was ultimately beheaded for treason on account of her being Queen (along with her husband Guildford) when she had never really wanted to be in the first place, hence her being known as the Nine Day Queen, and as her mother chillingly put it towards the end of the film 'If she is the Nine Day Queen then what happens to her on the Tenth?'. In these times it seems like people in the moarchy really couldn't trust anyone, even their family, and it was incredibly sad to watch Jane's world collapse as her parents ordered her to do more and more without a thought for her own feelings. Only being a child she didn't have a clue what ruling her country meant (her first wish when she became Queen was to have a batch of real shillings made for her!) and was forced into marrying someone that she didn't know (although in the film she eventually falls in love with him) yet again by her parents, whose plans of grandeur overtook the feelings of their own daughter.

A stunningly acted piece, both from Helena Bonham Carter and Cary Elwes who play the doomed lovers, with extra support from Patrick Stewart (again!) and Michael Horden. A masterpiece of a tragic event that could have been avoided, like so many other monarchy fatalities.

The Canterville Ghost - 1997 ****1/2

I remember having a tape of this story which I listened to avidly when I was 10 or 11. It never scared me despite the subject matter sounding quite eerie, but actually used to help me get off to sleep. And I remember it still to this day (I'm 25 now).
Patrick Stewart plays the ghost of Sir Simon De Canterville who finds it impossible to get any peace once a loud and brash American family move into his house. Added to which, he is destined to walk through the house groaning and clanking his chains for eternity until a curse put upon him by his late wife's family is lifted. which doesn't go down very well for anyone. The only people who believe in him are the three children, (the two young boys and the teenage girl played very well by Neve Campbell) leading them to set up an elaborate production of Hamlet (with him playing the ghost of Hamlet) to show the parents that he does in fact exist.
Campbell soon becomes close to the ghost who recounts to her the nature of his and his wife's death and she realises that only she can lay him to rest forever after finding the riddle of Canterville hall in an old book in the library.
I just loved this film, and I loved Patrick Stewart, he was just the epitome of who I imagined Sir Canterville to be when I listened to my audio tape all those years ago. It also made me cry bucket loads. Lovely film. And no blood or half naked people in it. The film simply had a great storyline instead...

(HORROR) Sick Nurses - 2007 **

This film was neither 'sexy, sick or full of shocks' as the poster knowingly depicts. Its about a bunch of nurses who go around without very much on and then get bumped off during the course of the film by the 'ghost' of a patient they killed with copious amounts of blood involved.

I thought it would be funny, but it's not even that. The only thing I can say is that its the most predictable thing I've seen in ages horror-wise. It's strange how these bad horror films have to rely of buckets of blood and half naked women to make up for the lack of a storyline, and as I keep asking myself, why do I keep watching them??

(HORROR) The Torment - 2010 *

Absolutely diabolical. Why do I bother watching these supposed 'horror' films and then end up being continually disappointed???

Still, as usual I thought this would be different. And it wasn't.

A man breaks up with his girlfriend and goes to stay with his friend and his partner. Whilst there, he experiences some horrifying things.

Really bad. I don't think any movie to do with possession has really scared me in the last few years, except maybe 'An American Haunting.'

Wild Strawberries - 1957 **** 1/2

On contrast to the last Bergman on my list (Cries and Whispers) this was absolutely superb. The acting was stunning, the cinematography was divine. For this film, Bergman was the master.

The film follows an old academic who goes on a journey to collect his doctrote accompanied by his daughter in law and an assortment of characters. Along the way he revisits his past and experiences scenes from his life in amazing detail.

To me, this movie had a hint of 'A Christmas Carol' about it. It was a story of regret, of past moments, and of excepting your choices in life. The main character spends several scenes watching his past life without anyone being able to see him (as in ' A Christmas Carol' ) and also watches himself woo his first love (again, as in CC). What I loved about this film was how some of the actors play more than one part, many in the present scenes also play characters from the academic's past and the fun part is being able to spot them.

I really enjoyed this film, and there were several scenes (including his dream at the beginning) which have not left my mind since I saw it. Amazing.

Cries and Whispers - 1972 **

What a disappointment. And very strange because this is the second colour Bergman film I've seen and the first was equally dark and unexciting.

On a contrast, all the black and white ones were amazing that I have seen so far. This film was based around illness, and infidelity, and negativity and so it's hardly something you might want to watch if you were hoping for something happy.

It has the same sad and melancholy tones as 'Autumn Sonata' (which was the other colour one I saw). Maybe his films are meant only for b&w.

I couldn't enjoy it, maybe for it's dreadfully depressing storyline.

The Red Shoes - 2005 ****

This was a very confusing Tartan Asia film. (I'm back on my TAE buzz). It was good, and my god it was creepy, terrifying in fact, but there was a lot of it that I didn't understand which therefore would probably render a re-watch sometime.

The red shoes are in fact pink, although there is a specific reason why the title says 'Red' but I haven't been able to find it out.

The shoes are cursed (as usual there is a long story that goes into why), and claim anyone who dares to pick them up and try them on. This usually means a painful death or in other cases, the person having their legs cut off. The 'victims' also become sort of manic and psychotic around others when faced with losing the shoes and usually there is also a girl with long black hair down her face near the scene of the crime. I think it's quite a good storyline, and the Asians are so talented at weaving bizarre plots around bizarre objects that they do it like no other, (added to which, the black haired girl is now their sort of 'gimmick' which is darn effective no matter how many times it's seen). However there was a lot that I missed in this film despite paying attention, and I can only guess that that is because I will need to see it again (which is not a bad thing!).

(HORROR) The Devonshire Terror - 1983 ***

This was a rather low budget film. And as with many films that I have watched recently, it started off well and with good prospects and ended rather poorly. I'm all for low budget movies, but when the acting is wooden and the plot partly implausible it makes it hard to take them seriously.

The story is of three young women who are burned at the stake on witchcraft charges in 17th century Devonshire.

300 years later three women arrive at the town almost to the day of the burnings to take up various positions in the community and are subsequently accused of witchcraft by the younger generation of the accusers hundreds of years ago.

A bit predictable, but not too bad. Apparently the director went on to make the notoriously bad 'Green River Killer' afterwards which I have to see just to see how dire it really is.

Prime - 2005 ****

This film was good actually, mainly because it didn't follow the typical 'chick flick' formula that so many romcoms these days do.

It was more of a film about growing and maturing as an individual and in a relationship and had a good motto as well, added to which, it's ending was a bit like 'The Break -Up' in that it wasn't a particularly happy ending, or an ending that the audience may want to see, but it certainly taught you a lot.

A divorced 37 year old business woman (Thurman) becomes entangled with a 23 year old painter (Greenberg)who just happens to be the son of her psychoanalyst (Streep). Pretty soon she is telling her analyst all her feelings and worries regarding the relationship and the analyst is instructing her to do certain things that she would never dream of suggesting if she knew that her son was involved. However that is all to change for the better and the worse.

A nice film, and a real film about real life and real relationships which is somewhat refreshing in today's predictable American market where you always expect a happy ending.

Who Slept with her? - 2006 ****

This Japanese film was actually very quirky and very funny, and I stumbled upon it by mistake.

A new member of staff at a strict boys school causes a stir as each boy fantasises over her and three particular students are convinced that they can 'have her' without their manical headteacher finding out. Things as expected, don't go to plan. It does sound rude and maybe if it was an American film it would be a bitn crude but actually as it's Asian it's not to be taken too seriously and I raised a smile quite a few times.

The three male students are hilarious, the headteacher is completely loopy, and the female member of staff is a complete tease.

Watch with some wine and chocolate and have a laugh at a pointlessly funny film.

(HORROR) And Soon the Darkness - 1970 ***

The poster was actually the thing that drew me to this film. As well as the fact that I'm really into 60s and 70s horror.

The story is of 2 British girls who go on a cycling holiday to France. Whilst they are there, the girls have an argument and fall out. This ends up in them going off their separate ways.

One of the girls feels guilty and decides to cycle to a cafe along the road and wait for her friend to appear. But she never does. And sooner or later she realises that her friend has vanished. She then meets an assortment of weird characters, each of whom it's hard to know whether to trust them or not and tries to get to the bottom of the mystery, with some terrifying results.

The film has a very eerie feel about it, but some of it was a bit annoying and the remaining girl is the most irritating character ever. Flouncing around in her stupid pink hotpants and ridiculous haircut got a bit tiring after a while.

Tesis - 1996 **** 1/2

I think that the first part of this film was superb, I was totally gripped to it and couldn't tear my eyes from the screen.

However the last 20 minutes or so lagged just a bit which was a shame because I was enthralled into finding out what the outcome would be.

A young student working on her thesis about AudioVisual Violence on the screen (it took me over 5 hours to realise that the title was actually thesis in Spanish....) unwittingly uncovers a snuff film involving a girl who used to be at her university but mysteriously disappeared several years beforehand. With the help of her slightly sadistic friend who has his own collection of violent and pornographic films, she tries to figure out the connection between the film and the camera that is used.

It's a really excellently made film. A good storyline and very watchable, although Ana Torrent gets a bit annoying after a while.

Dogtooth - 2009 ***

A very weird movie. One that leaves you with an empty and slightly unhinged feeling in your stomach, but one that I have been itching to see for sometime. There definitely is a hint of Michael Haneke in it as well which adds to the strangeness.

Also it is the only Greek film that has ever won at the Cannes film festival so Yorgos Lanthimos must be very pleased with himself.

A husband and wife go to bizarre and sometimes frightening extremes to 'protect' their three children from the outside world. The children cannot go out the house, are barely able to interact with anyone who comes to visit, and are taught words that have different meanings everyday by listening to tapes their mother makes (i.e. a zombie is a yellow flower, a sea is something you sit in with leather armrests).

It is not clear why the parents are being this way, (one bizarre scene has the father lining them up and telling them that cats are their enemy and that as long as they don't venture out into the garden for too long then they will not be eaten by one) and one suspects that they are either the most paranoid human beings in the world or just utterly mad.

The children survive by making up games with each other that appear to be mostly sexual, and spend a lot of time being incestuous with each other.

It is a complete head ****, which I'm sure is what the director intended, but like 'Funny Games' it makes you feel very uneasy afterwards, although the thing about films like this is that they don't have a point. It is pointless to expect there to be a reason to this film, so just watch it and suspend your disbelief.

The Soft Skin - 1964 *****

Francois Truffaut yet again serves up a sumptuous visual delight for us with this story of a famous writer who starts an affair with a woman he meets on his plane to a conference and continues the affair once back in Paris, despite being married with a small child.

You feel everything with this film. The uncertainty, the worry, the awkward moments (i.e where he has to pretend not to acknowledge her when she runs up to greet him in front of his work collegue) and they all appear true to life, as it appears this story was based upon Truffaut's own accounts of leaving his own wife for the actress Fanny Ardant.

Jean Desailly is not an attractive man, in fact his character is very unsympathetic and very shallow which makes it even more pathetic to see him throw away a good marriage with a wife who clearly loves him for someone he meets on a whim.

I have so far seen four Truffaut films that I know of: This one, The Girl Next Door, The 400 Blows, and Jules and Jim. Each one has been superb and I enjoy Truffaut's 'New Wave' approach to his film directing each time I see more.

(NOIR) Dark City - 1950 *** 1/2

'Dark City' will never be one of the best film noirs, and if anything, having Lizabeth Scott in it really made it worse (every film I have seen with her in she has acted like a wooden, unexciting version of Lauren Bacall), especially when she spends a lot of her time singing and looking panic-striken. She has the most unexpressive face I have ever seen in a 'femme fatale' role and I'm sorry to say this but I don't think she can really act which leads a lot of her scenes to be quite flat.

Anyway, the main star is Charlton Heston who definitely can act, and he's pretty good as a nasty, petty hoodlum who runs an illegal poker racket. He's even more nasty when he gets tangled up in the death of one of the men he fleeced, and finds himself falling for the dead man's wife, despite being somewhat attached to Fran (Scott).

I love film noir, and this certainly falls into the category of a watchable one, but not a 'classic'. Interesting to see Charlton Heston in a nasty role when ultimately he would end up playing a whole series of good characters though.

(NOIR) The Prowler - 1951 ***

I kept seeing the very beginning part of this film being shown advertising scary or bizarre films and so thought it was about time that I saw it all the way through. It starts off well - a woman reports a prowler outside her window at home and 2 policemen arrive to speak to her. One becomes infatuated by her and tries to get her to run away with him, despite her being a married woman. Then certain unpleasant things happen and the story just suddenly goes downhill. Bit of a pity really because this is one of those sort of film-noir, sort of thriller movies that, if it were really good, you would be scared of on a Saturday night, but it ended up being far too ridiculous for that. Van Heflin is a good actor though, and Evelyn Keyes would end up acting in the hilarious 'The Seven Year Itch' in years to come.

Dr Terror's House of Horrors - 1965 ****

Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing in the same scene? Enough said.

But no, really, this is actually a very good Amicus production, and yes, there may be parts in the film that don't add up, but who cares, it's enjoyable and pretty eerie to boot.

Five men aboard a train are joined by the mysterious Dr Schreck (German for terror, hence Max Schreck) who presents them with a packet of tarot cards and offers to tell each of them their destiny. We are introduced to a variety of topics, including vampires, voodoo, werewolves, walking hands etc and nearly frightened out of our wits.

The twist comes at the end, as it always does in any Hammer or Amicus movie, and it is totally fitting. Cushing is almost unrecognisable in this because of his thick bushy eyebrows etc so it took me a while to work out it was him, but Christopher Lee is on top form, proud, intellectual and sophisticated.

The Devil's Backbone - 2001 ***

Guillermo del Toro is one of those interesting directors, because he can bring out either a masterpiece (Pan's Labyrinth) or a pretty dire effort (Cronos), as well as a load in between that don't sway you much either way.

The Devil's backbone was bizarre. And I won't deny that it had some very frightening parts, and one of the cutest little boys I've ever seen in a Spanish film, but the story didn't flow right for me, it didn't connect, and I think that is what let it down.

The young boy Carlos, is sent to an orphanage towards the end of the Civil War, and is given the bed of a boy named Santi who died due to a mysterious explosion in the orphanage years ago. Carlos begins to see him as a ghost, but no one else does, and he realises that this is Santi's way of trying to get Carlos to avenge his death, and in the process of doing so, he uncovers some rather terrifying facts about his new home, and the people who live in it.

Del Toro has obviously stolen quite a bit from this for his later work 'The Orphanage' which features several similar ghostly scenes which send shivers down your spine. The war going on around them is significant, but it doesn't quite overpower the story like it did in 'Pan's Labyrinth' and I feel too much time is taken up with pointless scenes that don't add much to the storyline.

Worth a watch for a die hard Del Toro fan however.

Blood Relatives - 1978 *

Of all the Chabrol films I have seen, I'm pretty sure that this is the worst. It's so unlike anything else that he has done, and maybe that's why I couldn't get my head around it. Donald Sutherland is usually quite an interesting presence in the film world, but I didn't connect much with his performance here. Obviously the fact that it is not a French film in french set in France probably has something to do with it, and I don't begrudge Chabrol for edging out of his comfort zone, but I really hope the next one of his that I see isn't like this, as it may halt my quest to watch every one of his films.

Sweet Smell of Success - 1957 *****

'Match Me Sidney', 'The cat's in the bag and the bag's in the river.'

This is probably one of the most quoted films I have ever seen. And one of the grittiest and nastiest portrayals of a columnist and his unashamed bullying and intimidating of his press agent who, despite his awful treatment, still idolizes and looks up to him, to the point where he will break up relationships and ruin people's lives to give him what he wants. It's terrifying in a way, the power of the newspaper, and the power one man can have over another man, but also utterly fascinating, with one of the most sleazy and memorable soundtracks of the 1950s, captivating New York at it's slimiest and slickest.

Lancaster is amazing to watch as the power hungry JJ, and Curtis is pitiful as the press agent Sidney Falco who can't seem to get a break, however hard he tries.

Although gritty to watch, and fairly uncomfortable, it cannot be denied that behaviour like this happens in the world of journalism, and the lengths some people will go to is astounding.

Lancaster and Curtis must be two of the greatest pairings to ever be seen on screen.

The Tingler - 1959 ****

This is a totally bizarre film with the always wonderful Vincent Price.

This time, Vincent stars as a scientist who discovers a parasite that feeds on the fear of humans, named the Tingler (aptly named because it makes the victim's spine tingle when they are scared). After finding out that his friend's wife who is deaf and mute has died from shock, he sets out to discover the truth about her death.

It's very camp, but actually some scenes are very scary, and I did have to look away sometimes.

The tingler is the weirdest looking creation, sort of a cross between a person's spine and a large caterpillar and there is a particularly eerie scene in a theatre where the tingler is loose amoung the audience. Watch for Price, preferably on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

The Baby - 1973 **

This is one of the weirdest films I have ever seen. Apparently a 'cult classic' I can only imagine it's because people are completely traumatised by it afterwards.

A young social worker goes to investigate a case involving a family's strange relationship with their baby, the only thing out of the ordinary is that the 'baby' is a 31 year old man.

It's one of those films that gives you the creeps and afterwards you feel a bit disturbed. I suppose it does satisfy 'cult' status but it's not something I would want to see again. Sort of makes you wonder why this film is so hard to find. It reminds me a bit of how I felt after watching 'Pink Flamingos', just like I wanted to drench myself in cold water to get rid of the shock. The only thing I did like was that the mother character sounds a cross between Joan Crawford and Shirley MacLaine. Bizarre.

(NOIR) The File on Thelma Jordan - 1950 *** 1/2

I have never heard of this film, but it kept coming up as a recommendation that I must see, and as I am on a film noir kick I decided that I had to. Plus it had Barbara Stanwyck who nearly always delivers a good performance and was directed by Richard Siodmak (who directed 'Criss Cross'). And she certainly did here. One of the lovely things about old films, and seemingly film noir at the moment, is that even when you think you've seen all the good ones, there are always dozens and dozens of unexplored gems left to enjoy.

Wendell Corey stars as Cleve, a DA who crosses the path of Miss Thelma Jordan when she appears at the station wanting to make a complaint about suspected burglars at her house which she shares with her aunt. This first meeting soon turns to an affair despite the fact that Cleve is married and Thelma has a complicated past of her own.

Soon afterwards, Thelma's aunt is found murdered, Thelma is on trial for the crime. And it is up to Cleve to untangle her from the mess.

Film noir certainly, and Stanwyck is known for playing the ultimate 'Femme Fatale (although interestingly I wouldn't cite her as one in this movie, as she has a complex and layered character that is not completely ruthless). Worth a watch.

(NOIR) Criss-Cross - 1949 ****

A very well done thriller-noir from director Richard Siodmak who went on to direct 'The Killers.'

Burt Lancaster gives a gripping performance as a man who gets caught up with his ex-wife and her mobster husband. It's not one of the best film noirs out there but it sure is worth a watch, and I think the academy award for acting in this film should go to the totally underrated Dan Duryea who steals practically every scene he is in. Yvonne DeCarlo is a beautiful femme fatale but I found her performance to be a bit wooden and her role probably would have to been better suited to someone like Claire Trevor or Gloria Grahame.

However, Lancaster is a good half good/half bad guy and I will have to check to see if he has been in any other film noirs of the 40s.

(NOIR) Woman in the Window - 1944 **** 1/2

A stunning offering from Fritz Lang starring the amazing Edward G. Robinson and the gorgeous Joan Bennett.

Robinson plays a professor named Richard who leads a comfortable yet uninteresting life with his wife and children. One evening he notices a beautiful portrait in a window opposite the men's club where he spent time with his friends. While staring at it he turns and comes face to face with the subject of the portrait, the glamourous woman who posed for it, and he soon finds out that his life will never be quiet and comfortable again.

I thought the ending was excellent and I really wasn't expecting it. This is what makes such a brilliant film noir; the shadows on the walls, the sultry woman, the shady bad guys and the subtly witty dialogue. They really don't make them like this anymore. They really had to act then. I'm happy to tick this off my list and I'm sure it will be a film I will be revisiting. Fritz Lang is a god. You know that anything with his name on has the sealed stamp of approval.

Julia's Eyes - 2010 ***

I saw Guillermo del Toro's name and thought 'it's going to be superb'. I wouldn't say it was superb but it wasn't a badly done movie. It's the story of a woman whose blind sister suddenly commits suicide. Or so everything thinks. But Julia doesn't. And she won't rest until she uncovers the mysterious truth, despite the fact that she is now starting to suffer with her own sight as well.

It's one of those teeth-clenching movies where you can see what is going to happen but the main character can't which always gets under my skin. Glad I've seen it.

La Rapture (The Breach) 1970 ****

I've never heard of this Chabrol film, and was blown away as usual. Chabrol is back on form. Or rather, his 1970s movies show him at his peak.

Stephane Audran is yet again the star, totally captivating and mesmerising the audience.

She stars as Helen, who runs away from home with her son after her mentally ill husband attacks them both one morning.

Leaving him in the care of a hospital, she rents a room in a boarding house across the road and meets the strange assortment of people staying there whilst waiting to obtain a divorce. Her husband goes back to live with his wealthy and manipulative parents who think that they can buy Helen's son with their money . They then hire a distant family friend to help them effectively 'get the dirt' on Helen to prove that she is not fit to look after her son.

The story is bizarre, surreal and everything you would expect a Chabrol to be. 1970s France has never looked so edgy and exciting.

(HORROR) The Last Victim - 2011 **

First off, this is nothing to do with John Wayne Gacy's life story. It's a film based around a student who becomes obsessed with Gacy after deciding to research him for a project. He makes the decision to contact him to find out about his reasons for committing murder and gets some terrifying results. Nothing new here, just entertaining. But doesn't follow a specific 'serial killer' story.