Monday, December 31, 2018
New York
City Hall Newspaper Row Buildings (l-r) World Building (aka Pulitzer Building), Sun Building, Tribune Building – all demolished. New York Times and Potter Buildings are still extant
First Lines: Tim Powers - Last Call
Georges Leon held his little boy's hand too tightly and stared up from under his hatbrim at the unnaturally dark noon sky.
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)
A man is reunited with his childhood friend and her husband, who believe he knows the truth about the death of her rich aunt years earlier.
High-pitched melodrama with Noir elements takes its intricate plot to its bitter ending; the star cast make it work.
Halliwell**: "Irresistible star melodrama which leaves no stone unturned; compulsive entertainment of the old school."
Maltin***: "Gripping melodrama..."
Sunday, December 30, 2018
First Lines: Connie Willis - Doomsday Book
Mr. Dunworthy opened the door to the laboratory and his spectacles promptly steamed up.
First Lines: M. John Harrison - The Course of the Heart
When I was a tiny boy, I often sat motionless in the garden, bathed in sunshine, hands flat on the rough brick of the garden path, waiting with a prolonged, almost painful expectation for whatever would happen, whatever event was contained by that moment, whatever revelation lay dormant in it.
Saturday, December 29, 2018
I Still See You (2018)
Set ten years after an apocalyptic event that killed millions and left the world inhabited by ghosts.
Although this movie is nicely made, has atmosphere and some well-staged scenes, it is hamstrung by a wildly far-fetched plot based on a likewise implausible premise.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Season 2 (2018)
In the Season Two premiere, Midge takes the stage for a foreign audience, while Abe and Rose find themselves in a new world. Susie experiences the repercussions of having a bad reputation in the business, as Joel regroups after quitting his job.
The second season successfully continues in the same quality as before - complete with a meandering plot, with Rachel Brosnahan and Alex Borstein holding the show together with their brilliant performances.
