What Movies Did You Watch Last Week? (27/03-02/04) CLOSED

Hi. I really like 'Single White Female'. Terrific performances from Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh and strong support from Steven Weber, Peter Friedman and Stephen Tobolowsky (there's other fine actors filling out the smallest of roles). The two women worked incredibly hard to pull off their eerie relationship. The action is beautifully shot by the great cinematographer Luciano Tovoli who accentuates mood with every frame. There's a sense of purpose in the writing and music by Howard Shore. This is a movie I can enjoy again and again.

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My viewings :

’Do You Remember Dolly Bell?’ (1981, Sjecas li se Dolly Bell? - Emir Kusturica)

In Sarajevo in the 1960s, 16 year-old Dino (Slavko Stimac) dreams of landing a beautiful dame and becoming a certified ‘G’, just like his heroes in Hollywood. When Dino is hired by criminals to hide prostitute Dolly Bell (Ljiljana Blagojevic), he enters into a relationship that spells danger.

Emir Kusturica’s debut feature ‘Do You Remember Dolly Bell?’ is an auto-biographical social fantasy parlayed into an unconventional crime film format. It’s crudely shot by camera co-conspirators Vilko Filac, Milenko Uherka and Kusturica, perhaps even a little clumsy in its execution, but the performers bring a lot to the table. Kusturica studied film in the Czech capital Prague and the influence of Vojtěch Jasný, Miloš Forman and Jiří Menzel is clear, especially during talent show segments. I think Kusturica’s made significantly better films than this one but there’s a charm to ‘Do You Remember Dolly Bell?’ that carries it through some awkward moments.

'Prisoners Of The Lost Universe' (1983 – Terry Marcel)

Television presenter Carrie Madison (Kay Lenz) and hardware handyman Dan Roebuck (Richard Hatch) are catapulted into the future where evil warlord (Kleel) John Saxon awaits them.

‘Prisoners Of The Lost Universe’ is a spotty British adventure shot in South Africa by fantasy specialist Terry Marcel. There are lots of strange creatures and aggressive beings chasing down easy-going hero Dan who engages sparring partner Carrie in a battle of the sexes. Kay Lenz is hilarious as the host of cable show ‘The Weird And The Wacky’ but a poor script and crummy special effects let her down. Marcel would iron out the creases with his next theatrical feature, the excellent ‘Jane And The Lost City’ (1987), which is a similarly romantic romp-a-long.

’Blondie : One Way Or Another’ (2006, Documentary – Matt O’Casey)

Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Jimmy Destri, Gary Valentine, Clem Burke, Frank Infante and Nigel Harrison, members of the rock group Blondie, are reluctantly reunited on stage for their induction into the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame.

The fractious documentary ’Blondie : One Way Or Another’ details the band’s fraught efforts to overcome anarchy, addiction, destruction, mismanagement and bitter internal disputes. There are interviews with the band, clips taken from the seniors tour and random contributions from Iggy Pop, Tommy Ramone, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Shirley Manson. Also interviewed are independent filmmaker Amos Poe, fashion photographer Roberta Bayley, television presenter Glenn O’Brien, punk journalist John Holstrom, club owner Hilly Kristal, graffiti artist Fab 5 Freddy and record producer Mike Chapman.

’The Concert’ (2009, Le concert - Radu Mihaileanu)

Blacklisted conductor Andrey Simonovich Filipov (Aleksey Guskov) rallies a new-fangled Bolshoi Orchestra in Moscow, Russia to perform music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky at a special concert.

‘The Concert’ is a real crowd-pleaser. Aleksei Guskov turns on the charm as celebrated maestro Andrei Filipov who invites violin virtuoso Anne-Marie Jacquet (Mélanie Laurent), talent agent Guylène de La Rivière (Miou-Miou) and events organiser Olivier Morne Duplessis (François Berléand) to join him in Moscow. Warm relationships between Catholic, Jewish and Gypsy communities are broadly rendered for light comic effect under Radu Mihaileanu’s safe direction but it’s the music on show that remains the film’s biggest prize.

’Blondie's New York And The Making Of Parallel Lines’ (2014, Documentary - Alan Ravenscroft)

Charting the planning and construction of Blondie’s iconic rock album ‘Parallel Lines’.

This is a dry evaluation of the techniques used by Blondie to create the album seen by some critics as the apotheosis of their career, a notion I’d reject completely as ‘Eat To The Beat’ and ‘Autoamerican’ are stunning artistic achievements in their own right. It’s narrated by Rebecca Gethings and invites the punk legends to deconstruct their own working methods.

’Goya : Visions Of Flesh And Blood’ (2015, Documentary - David Bickerstaff)

A major exhibition of portraits painted by Francisco Goya is put on display by the National Gallery in London, England.

The work of progressive painter Francisco Goya is generally bold and striking. Personally, I prefer the blood and thunder of his unsettling illusions to his formal portraits and glancing self-portraits which make me laugh. Goya’s disturbing fantasies and militaristic visions have been a source of inspiration to many horror filmmakers. The highlight of this documentary, for me, is a look at an Italian sketchbook used by Goya to draw ideas and take notes.

’Valley Of Love’ (2015, Valley of Love: un lugar para decir adios – Guillaume Nicloux)

Gérard (Gérard Depardieu) and Isabelle (Isabelle Huppert) respond to a fateful letter from their late son Michael by attempting to reissue their explosive love rites.

‘Valley Of Love’ is an existential romance wrapped up in an old-fashioned mystery. It’s strangely compelling with parts that are funny, loving and affecting offsetting a propensity for short dramatic passages punctuated by abrupt bursts of melodrama. Gérard Depardieu makes for a callow and unlikely hero while Isabelle Huppert drifts positively as the story’s philosophical heroine. Huppert has expressed a strong belief in her director Guillaume Nicloux and it’s easy to see why. Nice music by Charles Ives.

’Don’t Breathe’ (2016 – Fede Alvarez)

Thieves Rocky (Jane Levy), Alex (Dylan Minnette) and Mo’ Money (Daniel Zovatto) decide upon one last score. If Rocky can raise the cash in Detroit, Michigan, she can leave the mean streets behind for sunny California.

‘Don’t Breathe’ is a tidy home invasion thriller with a neat premise. It’s committed, serious and reasonably spare. It displays a strong feel for cinema of the early 1990s, borrowing elements from Wes Craven’s subversive crime horror ‘The People Under The Stairs’ (1991) and home invasion thrillers like ‘Pacific Heights’ (1990), ‘The Hand That Rocks The Cradle’ (1992), ‘Single White Female’ (1992) and ‘Unlawful Entry’ (1992). Director Fede Alvarez manages to successfully carve out his own indie identity though, helped by a blistering turn from veteran stage star Stephen Lang who’s right at home when confined to a set of small interior stages. ‘Don’t Breathe’ does exactly what it says on the tin which is refreshing.

’Renoir : Revered And Reviled’ (2016, Documentary – Phil Grabsky)

The Barnes Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania houses a collection of 181 paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, largely taken from his late period leading up to his death.

Like so many great 19th century French painters, Pierre-Auguste Renoir chose to project the luminous sheen of females with tangible detail and textural brushwork. He was a skilled technician and a profound innovator, inspiring future artists like Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, as well as generations of French filmmakers, animators and comic book artists to come. ’Renoir : Revered And Reviled’ sheds light on Renoir’s controversial work by quoting from the book ‘Renoir, My Father’ which was written by his son, film director Jean Renoir. I think it’s fair to say nobody mixed paint like the Renoirs.

’Turning The Worm’ (2016, Documentary – Doctor D-Cloud)

A profile of political commentator and Fox News contributor Jesse ‘Wildman’ Watters.

News stud Jesse Watters is being groomed by veteran broadcaster Bill O’Reilly to dominate the roster at the Fox corporation for when he and Sean Hannity finally make way. This David Schwimmer lookalike from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania says he's going to make American news great again.

’Inside The White House 2’ (2017, Documentary – Charles Iverson)

A look at the important role played by Washington Examiner journalist Sarah Westwood in obtaining the latest news from the White House.

Sarah Westwood is a graduate of George Washington University. She worked for the Marietta Daily Journal in Georgia and is now employed by the Washington Examiner. She’s a supremely talented journalist whose probing style of inquisitive journalism leaves no stone unturned.

’The State Of Things To Come 2’ (2017, Documentary – Charles Iverson)

CNN reporter Kate Bolduan tackles more news action on daytime.

Kate Bolduan co-presents a CNN show called ‘New Day’ with Chris Cuomo; this is in addition to her sterling work hosting the evening programme ‘State Of America’. ‘The State Of Things To Come 2’ analyses the rapid development of one of America’s most exciting young journalists whose blossomed under the assured guidance of the Wolfman.



"Kate Bolduan grew up in Goshen, Indiana, a small (population 31, 719) manufacturing town in the northern part of the state. Her father, Jeff Bolduan, is a surgeon and her mother, Nadine, is a former nurse. The third of four girls, she was a cheerleader, dancer and athlete (she played on GWU’s volleyball team her freshman year). She edited her high school paper, performed onstage and was named Goshen’s Junior Miss in 2000, singing show tunes in the talent portion of the competition. Her biggest disappointment, she jokes — at least it seems like a joke — is that she lost out as high-school valedictorian (she was the salutatorian)."

- Paul Farhi, The Washington Post

Some hardcore action. 'Predator' is thrilling. It's probably the Arnie classic I've seen the most times. Quotable dialogue really helps and the cast is totally pumped.

I keep meaning to watch 'Soldier' whenever I see it playing on TCM. I liked it when it came out, hoping I still will.

'Timecop' is one of my favourite Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicles. I need to pick it up on dvd.

The only one of yours for me this week was Life. I pretty much agree with everything you said. Far from original, but it still kept me engaged. My viewings for this week:

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) - 6
Chaplin (1992) - 7
Caddyshack (1980) - 5
Time After Time (1979) - 6
Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell (1968) - 5
Horror Express (1972) - 5
The Thing from Another World (1951) - 5
Body in the Web (1960) - 1
The House that Dripped Blood (1971) - 5
Frosty (1964) - 2
Life (2017) - 7
Lady in the Lake (1947) - 6