Favorite films

Recent reviews

• 

  The Pigeon Tunnel 2023

  Watched 02 Dec 2023

  If, like myself, you find John Le Carre’s interview persona and his meticulously grim view of both human nature and human enterprise immensely entertaining and reassuring, then this is the movie for you. To me he’s like a Cold War relic W.A.S.P. version of Fran Leibowitz.

  Points off for crap CGI (the recre’s were pretty dismal across the board, if i’m honest), churning strings score, and Errol Morris’ slightly embarrassing need to insert his thumb in the soup bowl but, honestly, I could’ve happily sat through 4 more hours of this. And for fuck's sake why NOT talk about his sex life! Cowards!

• 

  Priscilla 2023

  Watched 26 Nov 2023

  Inert and patchy. Like a really long boring trailer for itself. Liked Jacob Elordi’s Elvis, though. He nailed the graceful fingers. Sick to death of Elvis biopic portrayals. What a cruel fate for a guy who struggled to even honestly play himself onscreen.

Popular reviews

• 

  Frontier Marshal 1939

  Rewatched 19 Nov 2023

  Saw this once before either at the old Thalia in the 80's in one of their mind-expanding Monday night western triple bills, or during an Alan Dwan retro Kent Jones programmed at FSLC during his tenure there in the late 90's. Maybe both? Either way, had utterly forgotten, or failed to grasp at the time(s), that its first/foremost a love rectangle between the four leads. Cesar Romero is quite striking as a violent yet soignée yet tubercular Doc Holliday crowned…

• 

  Prom Night 1980

  Watched 13 Sep 2023

  Relentlessly Canadian, poorly paced and so appallingly lit that I spent most of it wondering if I was wearing someone else’s specs. Was it supposed be set at a school for flight attendants? Everyone was way too old, thin, tackily styled and overdressed for high school. Disco stuff was great. Am guessing it was entirely re-written in the edit. I can never detect a trace of her mother in JLC or vice versa but that’s okay.