Saturday, December 31, 2016
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
The Trouble with Harry (1955)
The trouble with Harry is that he's dead, and everyone seems to have a different idea of what needs to be done with his body.
Likable, but not too malicious black comedy; quite slow-paced and light-weighted which is remarkable considering it's a Hitchcock movie.
Halliwell**: "Black comedy that never quite, despite bright moments, catches the style of the book; however, it is finely performed and the autumnal backgrounds are splendid."
Maltin***: "Offbeat, often hilarious black comedy...Gwenn is fine as usual, MacLaine appealing in her first film. Beautiful autumn locations, whimsical score (his first for Hitch) by Bernard Herrmann."
The Zero Theorem (2013)
A hugely talented but socially isolated computer operator is tasked by Management to prove the Zero Theorem: that the universe ends as nothing, rendering life meaningless.
Intended as a dystopian satire with a message about the meaning of life the result is haphazard, incohesive and finally disappointing; cast and visual effects are worth the watch, though.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
First Lines: Michael Bond - A Bear Called Paddington
Mr and Mrs Brown first met Paddington on a railway platform.
2010 (1984)
A joint U.S.-Soviet expedition is sent to Jupiter to learn what happened to the Discovery.
A downscaled, superfluous and thoroughly disappointing sequel of a classic of cinema history with a ridiculous Messianic ending; as it is technically well made and offers some good effects it can be appreciated as a standard sci-fi movie.
Halliwell (no star): "Tame, almost flatfooted sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey, with none of the supposed significance and not much else to offer."
Maltin***: "Ambitious sequel...More concrete and therefore less mystical than 2001, with an ending that's much too literal, but still an entertaining journey, with state-of-the-art visual effects..."
Santa's Slay (2005)
Santa Claus is actually a demon who lost a bet with an Angel, so he becomes the giver of toys and happiness, but when the bet is off, he returns to his evil ways.
Intended as a malicious Christmas spoof this humorless movie will hardly amuse except maybe for a few adolescents sick of the holiday festivities.
Monday, December 26, 2016
Sunday, December 25, 2016
First Lines: Jonathan Safran Foer - Here I Am
When the destruction of Israel commenced, Isaac Bloch was weighing whether to kill himself or move to the Jewish Home.
