The_Late_Peter_Cook

THE MAN BETWEEN - Very under-rated (perhaps because it isn't THE THIRD MAN).

OPERATION AMASTERDAM - A fight on a bridge had the same kinetic energy as the fights in the early James Bond movies.

DB7

One Summer

The sort of drama CH4 did well in the early days and a coming-of-age story that engrossed most of us going through school in the early 80s. Even then David Morrissey was clearly an actor of some promise and having not seen Basic Instinct 2 yet I'll cling to that belief.

ChristineCB

Calvaire. "Some people hunt for company..." Not as impressive as SPOORLOOS (The Vanishing) but it really tries to be. It's a wannabe Norman Bates when raised in the Texas Chainsaw BBQ Family, with a dash of Most Dangerous Game thrown in, but sometimes, more ingredients don't help the stew.

Revenge Of The Living Dead Girls (1987). Mostly a too-funny-to-be-too-awful, but the final quarter of the film pushed me past "patience". And it was heartening to see a crashing car that explodes with a sub-nuclear fireball. Every time I see that, I remind myself to be more careful and avoid bumping a curb when parking.

smudge

THE SHOOTING PARTY, after BBC2's rescreening at the weekend. A later James Mason film about the end of the 'halcyon' days of the upper classes immediately before the first world war. A cleverly constructed script wherein you must find the nuggets of truth and wisdom amongst all the chatter of an Edwardian house party.

Excellent performances from Mason, Judi Bowker and Gordon Jackson, along with John Gielgud's seemingly effortless performance on first meeting Mason's character ; a wonderful two-hander vignette. Shot in a muted palette, but an effective and powerful piece.

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

A Pemberton

Good Night and Good Luck 2006

A tale of tv station CBS and namely anchorman Ed Murrow daring to criticise communist hunting america gripped by McCarthyism.
With George Clooney at the helm and David Straithairn as Murrow this is sober thoughtful cinema and shows all is not lost in commercialism with american film.It annoys me that Clooney is good looking and a talented director,worth a look just as a vague history lesson.

One criticism of Mr Clooney, I hope he doesnt continue his politics outside of his films as he did recently, although the cause was noble.A good director can move hearts and minds with a message in a film as with his "Syriana" and "Good Night and Good Luck" . In my opinion actors dont make good politicians

foha80

I found this a well made and informative film,I don't mind the "one for you one for me' arrangement that the big stars have with the film industry when the result is that movies such as this get made.

Terry

Steve Crook

Re: Good Night, and Good Luck
Did either of you (or anyone else) see the 1986 TV movie Murrow starring Daniel J. Travanti ?

I was wondering how they compare.

Steve

foha80

Yes I saw itand like it very much,it dealt more with Murrows broadcasts from London during the Blitz to America helping in moving them away from an isolationist position.the last time I looked it was available on VHS from Amazon U.S.

Terry

Steve Crook

I also liked the way that Murrow & Fred Friendly got all the team together and warned them what to expect when they started to attack Joseph McCarthy.
Good leadership

Steve

DB7

Light Up the Sky

Mediocre Lewis Gilbert comedy charting the humouros and tragic events surrounding a searchlight battery during WWII. Starring Ian Carmichael, Benny Hill, Tommy Steele and Dick Emery.

Ascoyne D'Ascoyne

Except, of course, some of them did behave according to type, playing-up throughout rehearsals, not attending and dropping out - in one case right at the last minute.
I agree,though, that those who did persevere right through to the final performance acquitted themselves splendidly and performed with great talent and a maturity which belied their tender years.

Freddy

Mrs. Henderson Presents.

This is the first time I've had more than one naked woman in my living room and been disappointed.

The story of the Windmill Theatre and the war years with Dame Judy Dench and Bob Hoskins. Dame Judy was fine but Bob Hoskins I felt was miscast, he just didn't seem right, his voice not matching his stature, hindering every sentence and any rousing 'Churchillian' speech he would deliver about not closing. I simply didn't get the feel of wartime London. The viewer never got any sense of depth of character, any emotional scene was wooden and telegraphed and as for the use of computer enhanced imagery such as a biplane flying to France and the background of the blitz from the Windmill rooftop was, to put it bluntly, pathetic.

This though has led me to perhaps the Richard and Judy film critique. The more actors that appear on their couch pushing a film the worse it's going to be.

Sorry to be so negative but the British film industry has missed what could have been a good story.

Freddy

smudge

Oh dear - and I just went out and bought this one

I shall let you know my thoughts once I get round to viewing it Freddy...

SMUDGE

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

A Pemberton

I really dont know how to comment on this,I liked the performances, Timothy Spall is his best ever,its filmed what looks like two colours brown and darker brown ,there is a lot of camera work on the back of Pierrepoints head and shoulder to give the condemned man following look, the scene of his hangings of nazi criminals has a very strange waltz type music and the whole look is very Vera Drake-ish(??)
I suppose I viewed it from my biased perspective and therefore the had trouble with its subject matter.As a film its in no way entertaining but I know the filmakers set out with a idea of being thought provoking.

A good film yes,entertained no, enjoyed no,disturbed yes,subject matter painful.

I would welcome other reviews if anyone has seen it.

Freddy

Will look forward to your comments Smudge, other people I know have enjoyed it and watched it more than once. My negativity ( is that a non-faith school's Christmas play) I hope, doesn't spoil it for you.

regards

Freddy