(HORROR) Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things - 1972 *

'Children Shouldn't play with Dead Things' is too unfunny to be a comedy, and too unscary to be a horror. It doesn't really fit into one category. There is one thing it is however, and that is ridiculously bad. The quality, both of the acting and of the film itself is dire. The plot is ludicrous ( about zombies and criminals and digging up bodies, all in the worst possible lighting). The director went on to direct 'Black Christmas' which is actually quite a good horror, but also directed 'Porky's' which is a ridiculous 'coming of age' comedy that makes everyone cringe now. It is clear he didn't know which genre to stick with.

(HORROR) The Case of the Bloody Iris - 1972 *** 1/2

I'm rather ignorant when it comes to Italian suspense/ horror (Giallo) and so I'm not entirely sure what this comes under. But whatever category it falls into I enjoyed it. I didn't much notice the dubbing (which usually drives me mad when I'm watching a foreign film). Beautiful girls appear to be getting bumped off by a masked man and no one has a clue who could be committing these awful deeds. A young model and her friend move into an apartment building where the murder of the previous tenant is all the gossip. Soon however, the model is being stalked herself by the masked killer.
Watch this.

Chloe in the Afternoon - 1972 ***

I'm really into Rohmer's films at the moment and am taking much delight in watching one after the other, much as I did with Claude Chabrol some years earlier. I am keen to see all his 6 'Moral Tales' - a selection of films with specific morals running through them, and so far I have seen this, and 'My Night at Maud's.' MNAT was superior by far, as although I found his next offering a delight to watch, I couldn't help being put off by the ugliness of the lead female and the disturbingly male behaviour of the lead man. The whole film seems to revolve around the typical arrogance most males seem to exude when they get married, that they are somehow 'missing out' on all the other women who they could be with. This one particular man raves on about how much he loves his wife and how he would never be unfaithful to her, but when an old flame 'Chloe' turns up they begin a weird cat and mouse game of chasing each other and then pulling back when the other becomes interested. As soon as she shows interest in him he gets a sudden attack of conscience over his lovely wife who has at this time just given birth and rushes back to her. Pathetic. A good film, but the two leads repulsed me too much with their behaviour.

Avanti - 1972 *** 1/2

This was a gentle movie with some lovely music. You wouldn't know it was Billy Wilder but watching Jack Lemmon is enough for anyone.

Lemmon plays Wendell, a businessman who goes to Italy to collect the body of his father who died there whilst on holiday. Along the way he meets Pamela, and soon finds out that she is also there to collect a body, that of her mother, whom Wendell's father was having a 10 year affair! Wendell is initially gobsmacked and disgusted with the idea that his father would do something so immoral, whilst Pamela thinks it's awfully romantic, and the pair start to bond very slowly.

Along the way there is drunkeness, murder, blackmail and an assortment of dodgy characters who spent lots of time in Wendell and Pamela's respecting rooms, moving furniture about, and all the other things that people find funny in a film, made even more hilarious by Wendell and Pamela's impending relationship which is interrupted more times than is actually possible. This is not a screwball comedy, i.e. not manic and fast talk (could be why the films is over 2 hours) but instead it's slow-paced and enjoyable with just enough humour for you to raise a smile (or guffaw if Lemmon is in the scene) but not too much that you would be on the floor in stitches. Am so glad I've seen it! And I love Jack Lemmon!

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.

Play it Again, Sam - 1972 *****

Yet again I have stumbled across another of Woody Allen's gems.

This, along with M.N.S.C and Manhattan Murder Mystery are now my three of his favourites.

Allen plays his usual neurotic and slightly hyperactive character, this time trying to get over the breakdown of his marriage with the help of his friend Diane Keaton and his love of old movies (Humphrey Bogart even puts in an appearance) which seems to go drastically wrong when Keaton and her husband try to set Allen up on a series of blind dates.

I think Allen is somebody that people either love or hate for his type of comedy, I can understand why his personality can get a bit much for some people but I personally love him and can never get enough of his movies.