A day in the life, Aug 13, objet trouvé
Saturday, August 15, 2015
First Lines: Peter Lovesey - Bertie and the Tin Man
The Tinman asked, "Are they coming?" and reached for his revolver.
Friday, August 14, 2015
New Stuff: Women in Film Noir
I bought this booklet in 1978 and cherished it very much, but obviously I donated it to our film club's library. Now I can finally check it out again, a classic of feminist film criticism.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
The Last House on the Left (1972)
Two teenage girls head to the city for a concert, then afterward go looking for drugs, but they find a gang of escaped convicts who subject them to a night of torture and rape.
Highly influential low-budget slasher that replaces suspense with effective shocks and presents an uncanny cast of depraved characters.
Halliwell (no star): "Low-budget shocker, updating and debasing Ingmar Bergman's Virgin Spring."
Maltin*1/2: "Cheap, and looks it. Repellent but admittedly powerful and (for better or worse) influential horror shocker."
New Stuff: Maria's Lovers
I wanted to rewatch this movie, and the DVD was available for a very reasonable price.
Desert Fury (1947)
The daughter of a Nevada casino owner gets involved with a racketeer, despite everyone's efforts to separate them.
Unusual Noir melodrama in Technicolor has good story and atmosphere, and Lizabeth Scott holds it all together very well, but the male protagonists are all a shade sallow.
Halliwell (no star): "Muddled melodrama slightly helped by Arizona colour settings; unconvincing characters mouth unspeakable lines in an airless tedium."
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
Monday, August 10, 2015
First Lines: Jack Higgins - The Eagle Has Landed
Someone was digging a grave in one corner of the cemetery as I went in through the lychgate.
The Dark Mirror (1946)
A man is found murdered, with witnesses convinced about the woman they saw leaving his apartment, but it becomes apparent that the woman has a twin, and finding out which one is the killer seems impossible.
The amateur psychology doesn't hurt this well-staged and effective Noir thriller; and Olivia de Havilland in the double role of good sister/bad sister is a treat.
Halliwell**: "Unconvincing but highly absorbing thrilller with all credits plus; the best brand of Hollywood moonshine."
Sunday, August 9, 2015
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