Favorite films

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Recent reviews

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  Twentieth Century 1934

  ★★★½ Watched 10 Jan 2023

  In the typical 1930s Hollywood-on-Broadway role of inexorable theatre impresario, John Barrymore is relentlessly hammy (very late in the film, wide-eyed and fists clenched he booms "...and don't overact!"). Much to my surprise, the manic shtick was never not funny.

  It's not just a lone spotlight affair. Hawks, Hecht and MacArthur's welcome riff on the backstage plot, which is really done away with in twenty minutes, gives us Carole Lombard pirouetting from weepy a-ma-teuur to ferocious diva, and increasingly funny…

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  The Woman in the Window 1944

  ★★★ Watched 09 Jan 2023

  Not quite the dry run for Scarlet Street that I had hoped for. Initially stiff and simple, this right man thriller comes to life when Dan Dureya enters the picture, playing the hits.

Popular reviews

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  Interstellar 2014

  ★★½ Watched 28 Oct 2014 6

  Almost instantly forgettable, Nolan's latest feature might contain some stunning visual sequences but they are squished between mountains of clunky exposition, underwritten characters and cringe-inducing dialogue.

  The film takes 45 minutes to actually get started, the Earth-set first act tethered to a very poorly explained future and weirdly simple plan to save it before we actually get into space. When that happens, we find ourselves at a recurring juxtaposition between some of the best visual depictions of deep space ever…

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  Miss Violence 2013

  ★ Watched 05 Jun 2014

  This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

  It’s rare for me to say that a film truly breaks new ground but Miss Violence, the second feature from Greek writer/director Alexandros Avranas, may just do that – being both completely repugnant and ploddingly dull. The film is near-reprehensible in its depiction of violence, both sexual and physical, against women (and children) and lacks any semblence of meaning or thematic value. It is, without a doubt, one of the worst films I have ever seen programmed at a film…