Coney Island, July 4, New York 1949, photo by Andreas Feininger
Saturday, October 31, 2015
First Lines: Simon Brett - What Bloody Man Is That?
Charles Paris looked out from the bar of the Pinero Theatre, Warminster, over the gathering September twilight, and felt mildly guilty that he wasn't really listening to what Gavin Scholes was saying.
New Stuff: Olimpia Splendid
Olimpia Splendid are Heta, Jonna and Katri, an all-female trio from Finland.
Lies & Illusions (2009)
A self help author is hunted by thugs who believe the writer holds millions of dollars in diamonds stolen by his dead fiancée.
Not so convincing thriller which offers an uneven mixture of suspense and humor.
Armored (2009)
A newbie guard for an armored truck company is coerced by his veteran coworkers to steal a truck containing $42 million, but a wrinkle in their supposedly foolproof plan divides the group, leading to a potentially deadly resolution.
High-tension heist drama with an impressible cast, well done, but all for the usual 'crime doesn't pay' result.
Maltin**: "A throwback to low-budget B movies of yore, this OK actioner will neither overly impress nor greatly disappoint genre fans."
Earthflight (2011) (TV)
A nature documentary about a bird's-eye view of the natural world, joining the journeys of snow geese, cranes, albatrosses, eagles and other birds across six continents.
Top quality nature shooting, nice to watch, but not really that insightful.
Friday, October 30, 2015
First Lines: Ed McBain - Sadie When She Died
Detective Steve Carella wasn't sure he had heard the man correctly.
New Stuff: Kate Bush
A luxurious book with photos all through Kate's life and career by her brother John Carder Bush.
Diabolique (1996)
The wife and mistress of the sadistic dean of an exclusive prep school conspire to murder him.
Superfluous remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot's classic which proves that a star cast and adequate production don't necessarily result into a great movie.
Halliwell (no star): "An appalling remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot's masterly Les Diaboliques; it is boring, badly made and miserably acted."
Maltin*1/2: "Top-notch cast founders in this amazingly monotonous (not to mention crude and embarassing) redo of the 1955 classic...This dreary film thoroughly trashes the memory of the original - and even the made-for-TV remakes!"
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Enjoying a peaceable existence in 1885, Doctor Emmet Brown is about to be killed by Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen, so Marty McFly travels back in time to save his friend.
Satisfyingly exciting comclusion of the series, this time as an amusing Western parody and with a nice romantic interest for the doctor.
Halliwell***: "Good-natured fun at the expense of calssic Western movies."
Maltin***1/2: "Delightful conclusion to this time-travel trilogy...The dormant movie Western gets a major dose of adrenaline from this high-tech, high-powered comic adventure, which offers great fun, dazzling special effects, and imagination to spare. There's real movie magic at work here."
