Category Archives: Uncategorized

Nov 10 2025
Leave a comment
Art, Cinema, Film, Movie, Movies, Uncategorized

The Conjuring (2013).

I’m always dubious when it comes to horror as there is so much detritus a mere click away; this genre is uniquely positioned to beat a successful premise to death, a running theme for all of celluloid and beyond.

This shocked me (horror!) by not being shit. It was disconcerting from the very start, an expert lesson in how to develop a creepy atmosphere and build chills. The director evidently studied the winning tropes of modern horror and all the usual pitfalls were avoided, as there are genuinely terrifying moments.

Cinemas are suited for fare like this, not a laptop screen smaller than a squirrel. I can only apologise.

Impressive movie.

Tagged , , , , ,
Nov 03 2025
Leave a comment
Art, Cinema, Crime, Film, Movie, Movies, Uncategorized

Why Julianne Moore is almost top billing in The Fugitive (1993) – answered at last.

Thank you, IMDB. This has bothered me for decades:

‘Originally, Julianne Moore’s character had a bigger role in the film, even after she exposes him briefly. Kimble was to have sought her out for help and eventually fall for her. These scenes were filmed and deleted from the final cut of the film. This is the reason that her name is still credited as one of the main stars of the picture.’

Tagged , , , , ,
Oct 13 2025
Leave a comment
Art, Cinema, Crime, Film, Movie, Movies, Technology, Uncategorized

The Conversation (1974).

With the films of Alan J. Pakula, The Conversation (1974) sits right in the middle of Watergate as a dark inspiration, and you couldn’t get a more clinical, claustrophobic portrait of paranoia.

Hackman is masterful. His character’s job and the perfectionism he demands is his entire life, and once he makes mistakes, succumbing to emotions that compromise his skills, he is at a loss, a petrified wreck, playing his saxophone in a torn-to-pieces-apartment. 

It’s one of Coppola’s few original scripts and one wonders at the output if he did more of that. There is so much going on in this film, from the moody low-key jazz score to the extraordinary sound design, and it’s a movie obsessed with the peculiarities of its era. 

The twist ending is just shocking and I must confess I never saw it coming. 

And Harrison Ford is in it. 

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
Sep 29 2025
Leave a comment
Art, Cinema, Film, Germany, Movie, Movies, Uncategorized, United States, World War Two, WWII

Fury (2014).

By its climax, it descends into the rather ludicrous in such a far-fetched way that even someone with no basic knowledge of warfare would be aghast at, though it never entertains the farcical.

But I forgive its transgressions as it’s so well put together, the action – no-holds-barred as one would expect from the trailers – is ferocious, and the characters all have their arcs. Most of them aren’t even likeable, which adds to the realism the movie achieves for much of its duration. 

And stranger things have happened in war, so our five-member tank crew holding off what seems to be an entire SS division for half a day isn’t that outrageous and insane. 

I think. 

Tagged , , , , , ,
Sep 24 2025
Leave a comment
Art, Cinema, Film, Uncategorized

Claudia Cardinale.

Thanks for the memories. X.

Tagged , , ,
Sep 22 2025
Leave a comment
Art, Cinema, Movie, Movies, Uncategorized

Dead Ringers (1988).

This is one of those gleefully macabre movies that upon reading the premise you know exactly who the director is. Yes, it’s David Cronenberg again proving that his oddball interests are not only weirder than yours, he’ll make a film about them. 

Two Jeremy Irons for the price of one, and this is the only time he’s gone nuts in a movie. These days, he’s your token British supporting bore. He turns up and he’s the same in every film, phoning it in.

A shame.

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
Sep 15 2025
Leave a comment
Cinema, Film, Movie, Movies, Uncategorized

Romeo Must Die (2000).

This turn-of-the-century slice of hip hop-infused kung fu hokum is worth seeing as a curiosity piece, and Aaliyah is so naturally gifted as an actress you do wish this was a stepping stone to more hefty material. It wasn’t meant to be.

The Timbaland-produced ‘Try Again’ is a banger and a half; the music video is amusing, as even in 2000 the lad was incessantly mugging and rolling his eyeballs like Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). The lack of self-awareness is nuts. Mate, you look like a plonker.

Speaking of which, the theatrically maladroit Anthony Anderson demonstrates that he was always an infuriating pudding to watch and hear and should not have ever been in front of a camera. He would for some oblique reason rock up in The Departed (2006), and I’d like to think his character’s grisly fate in that film has subtext.

Jet Li is fine but his martial artistry is ruined with cruddy CGI and I cannot fathom why it’s there. A desperation is in the works, like the commercial ramifications of The Matrix (1999) are still being felt and the filmmakers felt the need to ape the aesthetic.

But it’s entertaining enough. 

Banger Alert:

Tagged , , , , ,
Sep 08 2025
Leave a comment
Art, Cinema, Crime, Film, Movie, Movies, Uncategorized, United States

The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990).

First viewing after years of hearing the most scathing reviews, and they’re not wrong.

I thought Brian De Palma was meant to engulf daft, badly scripted projects with his patented style; whatever happened, the movie is that of visual neglect, as anonymous as the work of the next hack.

I didn’t get any of it. Was it satire? Was it meant to be funny? Was there an underlying point to anything?

I didn’t believe a moment of the picture and even the title vexed me.

It’s as shite as they say, and Tom Hanks is as awful here as he has been anywhere else.

Rubbish.

Tagged , , , , , ,
Sep 04 2025
Leave a comment
Uncategorized

Nuremberg (2025).

Russell Crowe as Hermann Göring. Now I’ve seen everything.

Sep 01 2025
Leave a comment
Uncategorized

Carry-On (2024).

This is not a Carry On movie, but it does share the series’ diabolical dialogue, though I doubt that was the intention.

The lead actor looks like the ersatz version of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, which adds curiosity, and Dean Norris is in it. And it sums up creatures in airports; in one exchange at the start of the movie, a character even says something like, “Why do airports always bring out the worst in people.” That is true.

But it all gets way too far-fetched and repetitive for an airport drama to the extent that it got so dull that I wished to just watch Airplane! (1980).

An okay movie, mostly crap, but with a smidgen of good bits. 

← Older posts
Newer posts →