last movie you watched

[pmp]

Tonight I reached back to the Eureka blu ray release of Paul Leni's last film, The Last Warning. This mystery thriller is set in a theatre where the star of a play is killed on stage, and the cast is reunited in the same theatre to perform the same play in an effort to discover the murderer. It's not Leni's best, but it is still very good, and this silent movie moves along at breakneck speed. There's plenty of the hallmarks of Leni's work here, from clever (sometimes risque) montages to unusual and somewhat leftfield camera shots. The blu ray is very good, and it's worth a watch.

[pmp]

I watched Starve Acre tonight, a film that I know Greystoke was rather impressed by a few months back when he reviewed it here. Sadly, i didn't feel the same way - although I had the disadvantage/advantage of having just read the short novel that it's based on, which I have to say I thought was superior in every way. The book doesn't have a linear timeline, and flashes back and forth throughout, which I thought was largely more successful than knowing what happened to the child at the very beginning of the film. The characterisations in the film were also rather different to the book, particular the Matt Smith character, who isn't anything like as insular or gruff in the novel. Whether I would have felt differently had i not read the book, I'm not sure, but the film on this occasion didn't do anything for me.

[pmp]

Tonight I saw the 1974 film version of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" - the film was called various other titles in different territories. This version changes the location to Iran for no obvious reason other than the desert setting might have seemed more cinematic than where the novel is set (the 1965 version also changed the location, that time to a snowbound mansion). The 1974 film actually doesn't alter the 1965 script a great deal, but what it does do is bring in a starrier cast - Richard Attenborough, Herbert Lom, Elke Sommer, Charles Aznavour, Oliver Reed, and the voice of Orson Welles. It's actually not a bad version of the oft-told story, although it is one of those slightly clunky European co-productions that were made so often during the period. Christie wrote two endings to the story - one for the book, and one for the stage play which she adapted herself. As with most film versions, this one uses the somewhat less depressing climax of the stage play. The performances and direction are both fine, but don't compete with the same year's Murder on the Orient Express, which won Ingrid Bergman an Oscar and had that film nominated for a further five. And Then There Were None is currently showing on Sky Arts in the UK (as is the 1985 film version of Christie's Ordeal by Innocence - or, perhaps, Ordeal by Dave Brubeck's score).

[pmp]

Tonight I saw "Monstrous," a 2022 Christina Ricci film just added to Amazon Prime. It lives up to its name for all the wrong reasons. The trailer promises a horror film, but it's not a horror film at all, just a very unexciting drama with an unsurprising twist. In the 1950s, a woman and her young son rent a house in the middle of nowhere in an attempt to escape a seemingly vicious husband/father. At the same time, the son appears to have made contact with a monster living in a nearby lake. It's nice to see Ricci in a prominent role, but one has to wonder if this is the best script that she could find. She's fine here, but the script is lame and overlong (even at 90 minutes), and the same "twist" to the story has been used in a couple of much better films in recent years. One to avoid.

[pmp]

I returned to "The Black Phone" tonight, and just looked up my comments on it on here from the first time I saw it. I think I must have been in a bad mood that night as I think I enjoyed it considerably more this evening.

I also saw a little B-movie from the 1950s called Pharoah's Curse, which is kicking around on Amazon Prime. It's a Mummy horror movie, but pretty lame, but no worse or better than most of the Universal mummy sequels of the 1940s.

[Johnny2523]

An innocent man starring Tom Selleck, i've never seen the movie before but recently aquired it as a sealed vhs.
Pretty good movie about a man who gets framed by two cops after a mistake shooting and the cops covering up their tracks, life in prison and then after 3 years the repercussions and ultimate showdown. Pretty decent soundtrack too

[pmp]

Over the last week or so I've revisited The Changeling, a wonderful ghost story from 1980 which is always a great watch at this time of year. Also, I've returned to Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent from 1940 - a good movie, if a little overlong - and the horror movie Lights Out from 2016, which is a solid if unremarkable affair.

I've also started watching the new season of Dalgliesh on Channel 5, which remains excellent, as well as starting to watch The Judy Garland Show from the very beginning. Sadly the first recorded episodes of the Garland show are pretty rocky due to the poor comedy elements with Jerry van Dyke, but the music is nearly always excellent, especially in the episode with Mel Torme and Count Basie.

Tonight I also started watching the new remastered edition of The Box of Delights which, remarkably, was first shown forty years ago. I feel old. But the new blu ray really is excellent and, despite being recorded on video, a surprisingly good picture and sound upgrade has been achieved. It's the best I've seen it look.

It's also worth adding that Moviezyng are having a Warner Archive sale with 33% off 3 discs or more.
https://www.moviezyng.com/sale-items?Attribs=33

[pmp]

Tonight I saw Hitchcock's Frenzy (1972) for the first time in the blu ray era, I think. I certainly don't remember seeing it in the last fifteen years or so. It remains a gripping, but uncomfortable, watch. There are elements that must have seemed edgy at the time that now seem merely gratuitous - Hitch finally felt allowed to show naked women on screen and delve further into sexual fetishes, and he makes the most of his opportunity. But it does seem unnecessary for much of the time in 2024. That aside, it's a much better film than pretty much anything after The Birds, and one could argue it's on par with that film, too. The let-down is the final act, which is pushing credulity to its extremes. Was the protagonist ever likely to get away with such a ridiculous plan (I'm trying to avoid spoilers, here)? Not really, and it seems more than a little silly. Thankfully, the blu ray transfer is surprisingly good - not always the case with the Universal Hitchcocks, and there's a nice lengthy documentary as an extra.

[ForeverElvis]

Last night my wife and I picked a Christmas themed movie. Instead of reaching back to an old film we thought we’d go with Dwayne Johnson in “Red One”.

My god what garbage.
We would have been more entertained watching a feature length version of the fake film featured in the opening of “Scrooged” - “The Night the Reindeer Died”.

Red One - the CGI is dark and crappy, the characters one-dimensional. It’s padded, easily 30 mins longer than needed. Nobody acts well. I don’t believe anyone. I didn’t feel anything with the forced sentiment. Long sequences exist solely for the cgi they don’t move the film along but bring it to a dead stop.

JK Simmons has a few scenes at the beginning and end but spends the bulk of the film in a comatose state in a bubble, clearly a CGI rendering.

Supposedly this near-atrocity cost $250m!

I’ll probably rewatch the Christmas Chronicles with Kurt Russell soon, a much better film.

[pmp]

Continuing my Hitchcock season, I went back to Rope tonight. I don't remember the last time I saw it - it might not have even been during the blu ray era - but it's a film that I used to watch regularly, but have unintentionally veered away from in recent years. Tonight it was a case of necessity - it's short, and I didn't have time for some of the others I have yet to rewatch. I confess I know the original play very well indeed. I've seen it several times, and was planning to direct it about twenty years ago for a local drama group, although that fell through - but not after lots of planning. Hitchcock's version is best known for the ten minute takes, but watching it tonight, I found myself barely noticing that device, and it's hard to say whether Hitchcock would rather you notice or not notice such a device. The three leads (Farley Granger, Jon Dall, James Stewart) are superb, and it's interesting how Dall seems to have some of Stewart's speaking mannerisms here. I'm not sure if that's intentional or not, but it helps to show how much teacher has influenced pupil. It's a brisk movie, all over and done with in 81 minutes, and it works better than the play because of the lack of interval. A "real time" play doesn't really work with an interval in the middle - although many theatres seem to be ditching intervals for shorter pieces, and I'm sure one ninety minute stretch for Rope on stage would be better drama. The blu ray is excellent, and I seem to think this was Hitch's first colour film. Am I right in that? It's odd that he chose colour for a film that doesn't have all that much use for it, but it looks great in HD.

[pmp]

Tonight I watched Monster Summer (2024), an awful name for a good solid film. In a seaside town, strange things are happening after some of the kids are abducted. Mason Thames (Black Phone) stars as a teenager trying to find out what is going on, and teams up with Mel Gibson, playing a grouchy ex-detective. While the final reveal was a little limp, this is enjoyable stuff, although it's difficult to ascertain quite whether this is a kid's film, aimed at teenagers, or at adults. It switches back and forth quite a bit, but it's otherwise well-written and the two leads have a chemistry which is a joy to watch.

Also this week, I've watched the latest series of "Strike" on the BBC, based on the books by J K Rowling. I confess that I don't think J K Rowling is a good writer. She's great at coming up with memorable characters that readers genuinely care about (and the worlds in which they exist), but her sense of self-importance rears its ugly head when she takes a straightforward murder mystery and turns it into a 1024 page epic for no particular reason. In one book, she spends 100+ pages covering a case of appendicitis that has nothing whatsoever to do with the main narrative. She needs a good editor. All of the Strike books could be done and dusted in half that length, and she only gets away with such flabby writing because of her name.

However, the BBC have done well with their adaptations of the Strike books, chopping away at the padding and coming up with a well-written series with two charismatic leads. The latest series sticks to that, but it shows up the issues with Rowling's writing, because it demonstrates that this is really a basic murder mystery that Agatha Christie would have polished off in 70,000 words. Rowling's effort is approximately 320,000. We should at least be pleased that Rowling doesn't write the screenplay, or it would be 20 hours of TV instead of 4.

[pmp]

Tonight I saw Lord of Misrule, a British folk horror from a year or so ago. A family moves to a small village, the baby goes missing, and the villagers don't seem to be telling the truth about her disappearance. Sound familiar? Well, much of it is very reminiscent of The Wicker Man (albeit with a different ending). It's a perfectly decent film and well-made, especially if you haven't seen the films it borrows from, but there's not much originality here, and I would imagine it's pretty bland for die-hard fans of folk horror (which I am not).

Last night, I finished the new blu ray of The Box of Delights. The blu ray is a HUGE improvement on previous releases, and it's good to see it looking better. The series has issues, but for the most part is excellent, and was a huge deal in 1984. The last episode in particular is completely bonkers, but I assume that only reflects the book (which I haven't read all of). And the infamous coda to the story remains very problematic.

[pmp]

Sadly, I thought the Ghost Story for Christmas on the BBC this Christmas Eve was rather a limp, and at times unpleasant, affair. As always, it's nice to see the strand continuing, but the quality has been more uneven of late, despite last year's fine effort.

And so I returned to classic horror fare with The Haunting from 1963, based on The Haunting of Hill House. Undoubtedly the best of the "let's investigate a haunted house" films, it is brilliantly directed by Robert Wise, who was having a great run in the 1960s, with this, West Side Story, Sound of Music, and The Sand Pebbles, although his film-making activities slowed down somewhat from that point on. If The Haunting has a fault, then it's a little too ponderous for its own good, clocking in at close to two hours, but otherwise it's an excellent affair, and the blu ray is very good indeed.

[pmp]

This week, I have been delving into the Indicator/Powerhouse blu ray boxed set, Columbia Horror. These are six programmers/B-movies from 1932 to 1944. However, despite the title of the box, only half of the films have any real horror element.

Cry of the Werewolf from 1944 is an excellent little movie, rather in the style of the Val Lewton movies for RKO, being produced at the same time.

Black Moon (1934) is a strange and hypnotic film about voodoo and the power of suggestion. This is aided and abetted by a strong cast, which included Fay Wray, and the rather strange decision to tint various sequences.

The other title from the box I've seen this week is Air Hawks, whose only link with horror is a semi-futuristic ray that can bring down aeroplanes. It's fine as a B-movie, but Ralph Bellamy makes for a rather clumsy hero.

Of the other three movies (Behind the Mask, island of Doomed Men, Soul of a Monster), only Soul of a Monster has a real horror connection.

Tonight I saw "Beneath the Darkness," in which Dennis Quaid plays a deranged mortician who has kept his dead wife in a good state of repair so that he can dance with her each night and pretend she's alive. Meanwhile, a group of teens finds out what is going on, and he starts trying to bump them off. It's off-the-wall silly, but actually rather entertaining, and Quaid is suitably unhinged. It's showing on Amazon Prime.

[pmp]

I've watched a lot of Hitchcock this year, and my final Hitch film of 2024 was Vertigo - a film that, oddly, I haven't seen for a very long time. I'm not sure why that is, although I'm guessing that, like Rear Window, it was watched and discussed a great deal during my university degree and I possibly got a bit weary of it. That did mean that I came to the film fresh, and having forgotten much of the plot beyond the basics. It's regarded these days as Hitchcock's masterpiece, but it received very mixed reviews on release. Is it his best work? i don't know. I'd rather the "what really happened" reveal about half an hour before the end was somewhat closer to the finale, and there is that rather niggly problem of coincidence on which the whole second half of the film balances. I prefer Strangers on a Train as a candidate for Hitchcock's best film, but Vertigo is still very very good, and the cast is splendid - not just James Stewart and Kim Novak, but also Barbara Bel Geddes is excellent. Also worthy of note is the location shooting - so much superior to those Godawful backdrops that plague so many Hitchcock movies.

[ForeverElvis]

I've watched a lot of Hitchcock this year, and my final Hitch film of 2024 was Vertigo - a film that, oddly, I haven't seen for a very long time. I'm not sure why that is, although I'm guessing that, like Rear Window, it was watched and discussed a great deal during my university degree and I possibly got a bit weary of it. That did mean that I came to the film fresh, and having forgotten much of the plot beyond the basics. It's regarded these days as Hitchcock's masterpiece, but it received very mixed reviews on release. Is it his best work? i don't know. I'd rather the "what really happened" reveal about half an hour before the end was somewhat closer to the finale, and there is that rather niggly problem of coincidence on which the whole second half of the film balances. I prefer Strangers on a Train as a candidate for Hitchcock's best film, but Vertigo is still very very good, and the cast is splendid - not just James Stewart and Kim Novak, but also Barbara Bel Geddes is excellent. Also worthy of note is the location shooting - so much superior to those Godawful backdrops that plague so many Hitchcock movies.

I think vertigo is a great film.

But my favourite Hitchcock is “North By Northwest”. It may be cliche to say that now but, it’s been my fav since I first saw it in the 1970’s.

Last night I watched “In The Heat of the Night” (1967) (4k UHD disc)

An amazing film. Groundbreaking in 1967.

The rare time acting, writing, cinematography, direction, editing and music come together seamlessly to make a perfect film. It looks fantastic on 4k.




I also watched the follow-up film Poitier made playing the same character in 1970, “The Call Me MISTER Tibbs!”



Not a perfect film.
Looks good on BluRay.
Film is overlong, its mystery contrived.
It’s dated. Poitier is very good with the little arc he’s given by the script. It wants to be gritty but everything and everyone is so clean! Oh, Ed Asner has hair!

I plan to watch the last film he played Tibbs in, “The Organization” tonight.

I just completed “The Organization”.
Early 70s fodder, wants to be hip, but isn’t. Of the two sequels, “they call me Mr. Tibbs“ is the slightly better film.




An overly complicated plot, mediocre performances, and at least 1 foot chase too many. The opening 10 minutes is the best part of the film and there is no real resolution at the end. Did Poitier get his guy, did he bring down the organization, is he still a cop? Unless you’re a fan of the genre not really worth it.

[pmp]

I've watched a lot of Hitchcock this year, and my final Hitch film of 2024 was Vertigo - a film that, oddly, I haven't seen for a very long time. I'm not sure why that is, although I'm guessing that, like Rear Window, it was watched and discussed a great deal during my university degree and I possibly got a bit weary of it. That did mean that I came to the film fresh, and having forgotten much of the plot beyond the basics. It's regarded these days as Hitchcock's masterpiece, but it received very mixed reviews on release. Is it his best work? i don't know. I'd rather the "what really happened" reveal about half an hour before the end was somewhat closer to the finale, and there is that rather niggly problem of coincidence on which the whole second half of the film balances. I prefer Strangers on a Train as a candidate for Hitchcock's best film, but Vertigo is still very very good, and the cast is splendid - not just James Stewart and Kim Novak, but also Barbara Bel Geddes is excellent. Also worthy of note is the location shooting - so much superior to those Godawful backdrops that plague so many Hitchcock movies.

I think vertigo is a great film.

But my favourite Hitchcock is “North By Northwest”. It may be cliche to say that now but, it’s been my fav since I first saw it in the 1970’s.

Last night I watched “In The Heat of the Night” (1967) (4k UHD disc)

An amazing film. Groundbreaking in 1967.

The rare time acting, writing, cinematography, direction, editing and music come together seamlessly to make a perfect film. It looks fantastic on 4k.




I also watched the follow-up film Poitier made playing the same character in 1970, “The Call Me MISTER Tibbs!”



Not a perfect film.
Looks good on BluRay.
Film is overlong, its mystery contrived.
It’s dated. Poitier is very good with the little arc he’s given by the script. It wants to be gritty but everything and everyone is so clean! Oh, Ed Asner has hair!

I plan to watch the last film he played Tibbs in, “The Organization” tonight.

I just completed “The Organization”.
Early 70s fodder, wants to be hip, but isn’t. Of the two sequels, “they call me Mr. Tibbs“ is the slightly better film.




An overly complicated plot, mediocre performances, and at least 1 foot chase too many. The opening 10 minutes is the best part of the film and there is no real resolution at the end. Did Porter get his guy, did he bring down the organization, is he still a cop? Unless you’re a fan of the genre not really worth it. Kid

In the Heat of the Night has been sitting on my shelves for about two years, and for some reason I still haven't got around to watching it!

[ForeverElvis]

I've watched a lot of Hitchcock this year, and my final Hitch film of 2024 was Vertigo - a film that, oddly, I haven't seen for a very long time. I'm not sure why that is, although I'm guessing that, like Rear Window, it was watched and discussed a great deal during my university degree and I possibly got a bit weary of it. That did mean that I came to the film fresh, and having forgotten much of the plot beyond the basics. It's regarded these days as Hitchcock's masterpiece, but it received very mixed reviews on release. Is it his best work? i don't know. I'd rather the "what really happened" reveal about half an hour before the end was somewhat closer to the finale, and there is that rather niggly problem of coincidence on which the whole second half of the film balances. I prefer Strangers on a Train as a candidate for Hitchcock's best film, but Vertigo is still very very good, and the cast is splendid - not just James Stewart and Kim Novak, but also Barbara Bel Geddes is excellent. Also worthy of note is the location shooting - so much superior to those Godawful backdrops that plague so many Hitchcock movies.

I think vertigo is a great film.

But my favourite Hitchcock is “North By Northwest”. It may be cliche to say that now but, it’s been my fav since I first saw it in the 1970’s.

Last night I watched “In The Heat of the Night” (1967) (4k UHD disc)

An amazing film. Groundbreaking in 1967.

The rare time acting, writing, cinematography, direction, editing and music come together seamlessly to make a perfect film. It looks fantastic on 4k.




I also watched the follow-up film Poitier made playing the same character in 1970, “The Call Me MISTER Tibbs!”



Not a perfect film.
Looks good on BluRay.
Film is overlong, its mystery contrived.
It’s dated. Poitier is very good with the little arc he’s given by the script. It wants to be gritty but everything and everyone is so clean! Oh, Ed Asner has hair!

I plan to watch the last film he played Tibbs in, “The Organization” tonight.

I just completed “The Organization”.
Early 70s fodder, wants to be hip, but isn’t. Of the two sequels, “they call me Mr. Tibbs“ is the slightly better film.




An overly complicated plot, mediocre performances, and at least 1 foot chase too many. The opening 10 minutes is the best part of the film and there is no real resolution at the end. Did Porter get his guy, did he bring down the organization, is he still a cop? Unless you’re a fan of the genre not really worth it. Kid

In the Heat of the Night has been sitting on my shelves for about two years, and for some reason I still haven't got around to watching it!

What better time than now.
Is it the 4k disc?

[pmp]

I've watched a lot of Hitchcock this year, and my final Hitch film of 2024 was Vertigo - a film that, oddly, I haven't seen for a very long time. I'm not sure why that is, although I'm guessing that, like Rear Window, it was watched and discussed a great deal during my university degree and I possibly got a bit weary of it. That did mean that I came to the film fresh, and having forgotten much of the plot beyond the basics. It's regarded these days as Hitchcock's masterpiece, but it received very mixed reviews on release. Is it his best work? i don't know. I'd rather the "what really happened" reveal about half an hour before the end was somewhat closer to the finale, and there is that rather niggly problem of coincidence on which the whole second half of the film balances. I prefer Strangers on a Train as a candidate for Hitchcock's best film, but Vertigo is still very very good, and the cast is splendid - not just James Stewart and Kim Novak, but also Barbara Bel Geddes is excellent. Also worthy of note is the location shooting - so much superior to those Godawful backdrops that plague so many Hitchcock movies.

I think vertigo is a great film.

But my favourite Hitchcock is “North By Northwest”. It may be cliche to say that now but, it’s been my fav since I first saw it in the 1970’s.

Last night I watched “In The Heat of the Night” (1967) (4k UHD disc)

An amazing film. Groundbreaking in 1967.

The rare time acting, writing, cinematography, direction, editing and music come together seamlessly to make a perfect film. It looks fantastic on 4k.




I also watched the follow-up film Poitier made playing the same character in 1970, “The Call Me MISTER Tibbs!”



Not a perfect film.
Looks good on BluRay.
Film is overlong, its mystery contrived.
It’s dated. Poitier is very good with the little arc he’s given by the script. It wants to be gritty but everything and everyone is so clean! Oh, Ed Asner has hair!

I plan to watch the last film he played Tibbs in, “The Organization” tonight.

I just completed “The Organization”.
Early 70s fodder, wants to be hip, but isn’t. Of the two sequels, “they call me Mr. Tibbs“ is the slightly better film.




An overly complicated plot, mediocre performances, and at least 1 foot chase too many. The opening 10 minutes is the best part of the film and there is no real resolution at the end. Did Porter get his guy, did he bring down the organization, is he still a cop? Unless you’re a fan of the genre not really worth it. Kid

In the Heat of the Night has been sitting on my shelves for about two years, and for some reason I still haven't got around to watching it!

What better time than now.
Is it the 4k disc?

No, it's the blu ray. I think it was one of those "£2.99 with any purchase" efforts from HMV, which I bought thinking I'll get around to it someday. Which I will. For better or worse, though, this has largely been a year of "comfort watching" - returning to films I've seen before for the nice fuzzy feeling that familiarity can bring. Talking of which, tonight, for my likely last film of the year, I went back to Closet Monster, a 2015 movie starring Connor Jessup. I genuinely always find this film to be amazing - breathtaking, even. If I was in a position where I could only save one queer/LGBTQ film, this would be it.

Which brings us to the moment, where I put together the list of all the films I've seen this year. As always, the asterisks are films I hadn't seen before, and the score out of 10 is how much I enjoyed the film on that particular viewing. That score can be skewed by any number of things - health, life events, when I last saw it, etc - but it's the best I can do in giving an indication of my own feeling towards its worth.

Strangely, about 40 more films seen this year than in the previous years when I've kept a record. That's probably because I haven't done any writing of note in a couple of months.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. 1939. 7/10
*Air Hawks. 1935. 6/10
The Amityville Horror. 1979. 5/10
*And Then There Were None. 1974. 7/10
*Athena. 1955. 5/10
*The Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. 1958. 6/10
*The Bad Seed. 1956. 8/10
*Baghead. 2023. 5/10
The Bat. 1926. 7/10
Beneath the Darkness. 2011. 6/10
*Between Midnight and Dawn. 1950. 7/10
The Big Clock. 1948. 7/10
The Black Cat. 1934. 8/10
*Black Moon. 1934. 6/10
The Black Phone. 2022. 8/10
Blackmail. 1929. 6/10
*Body Snatchers: The Invasion Continues. 1993. 5/10
*The Body Stealers. 1969. 5/10
*The Boob. 1926. 5/10
*Borley Rectory. 2017. 5/10
Bride of Chucky. 1998. 8/10
*Cabin in the Sky. 1943. 7/10
*Captain Clegg. 1961. 5/10
The Case of the Black Cat. 1936. 6/10
Cast a Dark Shadow. 1955. 8/10
The Cat and the Canary. 1927. 7/10
The Changling. 1980. 8/10
Cherry Falls. 2000. 7/10
*Chevalier. 2022. 6/10
*Children of the Corn. 1984. 7/10
*Children of the Corn: Final Sacrifice. 1992. 5/10
*Children of the Corn 3. 1955. 6/10
The Chocolate War. 1988. 8/10
*Circle of Danger. 1950. 6/10
Citizen Kane. 1942. 8/10
City of Fear. 1958. 6/10
The City of the Dead (aka: Horror Hotel). 1961. 7/10
Closet Monster. 2015. 10/10
*Convict 13. 1920. 6/10
*Count Dracula. 1970. 5/10
Crossfire. 1947. 8/10
Cry of the Werewolf. 1944. 7/10
*Curse of Chucky. 2013. 7/10
*The Curse of the Crying Woman. 1963. 5/10
Cursed. 2005. 6/10
The Cry of the Werewolf. 1944. 5/10
*Damn Yankees. 1958. 6/10
*Danza Macabra. 1964. 6/10
The Dark Eyes of London. 1940. 6/10
*Dark Places. 1973. 6/10
Dark Places. 2015. 6/10
Darkness Falls. 2003. 5/10
*Daughter of the Dragon. 1931. 5/10
Dead of Night. 1945. 7/10
*Dead of Night. 1977. 7/10
*The Devil Doll. 1936. 6/10
*Die Screaming Marianne. 1971. 5/10
*Dirty Harry. 1971. 8/10
The Disappearance of Sidney Hall. 2017. 8/10
Disturbia. 2009. 7/10
Disturbing Behaviour. 1998. 6/10
Double Trouble. 1967. 6/10
*Duke Bluebeard’s Castle. 1963. 7/10
*Dracula AD 1972. 1972. 5/10
The Eagle has Landed. 1975. 7/10
Extreme Ops. 2002. 6/10
*The Factory. 2012. 5/10
*The Fall of the House of Usher. 1928. 5/10
*The Fall of the House of Usher. 1942. 5/10
The Fall of the House of Usher. 1960 7/10
*Femme. 2023. 7/10
*Figaro. 1929. 9/10
*La Fin du Monde. 1931. 5/10
Final Destination 2. 2003. 7/10
Final Destination 3. 2006. 5/10
The Final Destination. 2009. 5/10
Final Destination 5. 2011. 7/10
The First Time. 2012. 8/10
*Five Nights at Freddy’s. 2023. 7/10
Foreign Correspondent. 1940. 7/10
Frenzy. 1972. 7/10
Ghost Story. 1981. 6/10
The Ghost Writer. 2010. 7/10
Go. 1999. 9/10
The Good Neighbour. 2016. 8/10
*Good News. 1947. 6/10
Great Expectations. 1946. 9/10
Guys and Dolls. 1956. 8/10
*Hard Luck. 1921. 6/10
*The Haunted House. 1921. 7/10
The Haunted Palace. 1963. 7/10
The Haunting. 1963. 8/10
Hellbent. 2004. 6/10
*Hello, Frisco, Hello. 1943. 8/10
*Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush. 1968. 6/10
*High School Confidential. 1958. 6/10
*Hit the Deck. 1955. 6/10
The Horrors of the Black Museum. 1959. 7/10
The Hound of the Baskervilles. 1959. 7/10
*The Howling. 1980. 5/10
The Hunger Games. 2012. 9/10
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. 2013. 7/10
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1. 2014. 6/10
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2. 2015. 5/10
The Hurricane. 1939. 8/10
I Confess. 1951. 8/10
*Imaginary. 2024. 4/10
*Inner Sanctum. 1948. 6/10
*The Iron Curtain. 1948. 5/10
*Island of Terror. 1966. 6/10
*It! The Terror from Beyond Space. 1958. 5/10
It Came from Outer Space. 1953. 7/10
*It Happened in Hollywood. 1937. 7/10
Jack the Ripper. 1959. 5/10
*The Johnstown Floor. 8/10
The Kid Detective. 2020. 7/10
*Ladies They Talk About. 1933. 8/10
The Last Warning. 1929. 7/10
*Late Night with the Devil. 2023. 8/10
*The Life of Emile Zola. 1937. 10/10
Lights Out. 2016. 7/10
*The Long Arm. 1956. 9/10
*Longlegs. 2024. 7/10
*Lord of Misrule. 2023. 6/10
The Lost Boys. 1987. 7/10
*The Lost World. 1925. 8/10
The Mad Magician. 1954. 7/10
*The Man in Search of His Murderer. 1931. 7/10
The Man Who Knew Too Much. 1934. 6/10
The Man Who Knew Too Much. 1956. 8/10
*Margeaux. 2022. 6/10
The Mask of Fu Manchu. 1932. 7/10
*Monster Summer. 2024. 7/10
*Monstrous. 2022. 4/10
My Name is Julia. 1945. 8/10
My Soul to Take. 2010. 6/10
The Mystery of Marie Roget. 1942. 5/10
The Nanny. 1965. 9/10
Nerve. 2016 8/10
Night of the Eagle. 1962. 8/10
Night of Terror. 1933. 5/10
*The Night of the Party 1934. 5/10
*Night Swim. 2024. 6/10
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5. 1988. 6/10
*The Oblong Box. 1970 . 5/10
Ordeal by Innocence. 1985. 6/10
The Orphanage. 2006. 7/10
Peeping Tom. 1960. 8/10
Pendulum. 1968. 7/10
*Permission to Kill. 1975. 6/10
*The Phantom Speaks. 1945. 5/10
*Pharoah’s Curse. 1957. 5/10
*The Pioneers of British Cinema (doc). 2022. 7/10
*The Pit. 1962. 7/10
The Pit and the Pendulum. 1961. 6/10
The Pleasure Garden. 1925. 5/10
*Prelude. 1927. 5/10
The Quatermass Experiment. 1955. 6/10
The Raven. 1935. 8/10
Rear Window. 1954. 8/10
*Red Eye. 2005. 7/10
*A Romance in Seville. 1929. 6/10
Rope. 1948. 8/10
*Rynox. 1931. 5/10
Sabotage. 1936. 8/10
Saboteur 1942 8/10
*Salem’s Lot. 2024. 4/10
Scandal Sheet. 1952. 7/10
*Scoob. 2020. 5/10
Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase. 2001. 7/10
Scooby-Doo and the Frankencreepy. 2014. 7/10
Scooby-Doo and the Lake Monster. 2010. 6/10
Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico. 2003. 6/10
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. 1998. 8/10
Scooby-Doo: Legend of the Phantosaur. 2011. 6/10
Scooby-Doo: Pirates Ahoy. 2006. 7/10
Scooby-Doo: Return to Zombie Island. 2019. 6/10
Scooby-Doo: Stage Fright. 2013. 7/10
The Secret of My Success. 1987. 7/10
*See No Evil. 1971. 6/10
*Seed of Chucky. 2004. 3/10
The Seventh Victim. 1944. 8/10
Shadow of a Doubt. 1944. 7/10
*The Shadow on the Window. 1957. 7/10
*The Shed. 2018. 7/10
*Sherlock Holmes’s Fatal Hour. 1931. 6/10
Sherlock Holmes: Masks of Death. 1984. 4/10
Sinister. 2012. 7/10
Sinister 2. 2015. 5/10
Sitcom. 1998. 8/10
The Skull. 1965. 6/10
The Skulls. 2000. 7/10
*Smile. 2022. 6/10
The Sorcerers. 1967. 6/10
*Sorry, Wrong Number. 1948. 5/10
Spellbound. 1944. 7/10
Spinout. 1966. 4/10
Stage Frights. 1950. 7/10
*Stage Mother, 2020. 7/10
*Starve Acre. 2024. 5/10
The Strange Case of Dr Rx. 1942. 6/10
*The Strange Case of Uncle Harry. 1945. 6/10
Strangers on a Train. 1950. 9/10
*A Study in Scarlet. 1933. 4/10
*The Suspect. 1944. 8/10
*La Symphonie Fantastique. 1942. 7/10
*Tarot. 2024. 5/10
Teaching Mrs. Tingle. 1999. 7/10
*Thanksgiving. 2023. 6/10
*That Cold Day in the Park. 1969. 7/10
That’s Entertainment. 1974. 9/10
That’s Entertainment II. 1976. 6/10
That’s Entertainment III. 1994. 9/10
The Tijuana Story. 1957. 6/10
*The Tomb of Ligeia. 1964. 7/10
Trage Liefde. 2007. 7/10
*Trap. 2024. 8/10
*Turn Me On. 2024. 8/10
*Two Minute Warning. 1976. 6/10
Un Chant d’Amour. 1950. 8/10
Uncharted. 2022. 8/10
The Unknown. 1927. 8/10
The Unseen. 1945. 6/10
Unman, Wittering and Zigo. 1971. 8/10
*V for Vendetta. 2005. 7/10
The Vampire Bat. 1933. 7/10
Vertigo. 1958. 9/10
*Walk a Crooked Mile. 1948. 7/10
Went the Day Well. 1942. 10/10
*The Whistler. 1944. 6/10
White Zombie. 1932. 7/10
The Witches. 1966. 6/10
*The Witch’s Mirror. 1962. 7/10
*Witness to Murder. 1954. 7/10
*Wonka. 2023. 9/10
X The Unknown. 1956. 8/10
Zodiac. 2007. 8/10

[ForeverElvis]

I've watched a lot of Hitchcock this year, and my final Hitch film of 2024 was Vertigo - a film that, oddly, I haven't seen for a very long time. I'm not sure why that is, although I'm guessing that, like Rear Window, it was watched and discussed a great deal during my university degree and I possibly got a bit weary of it. That did mean that I came to the film fresh, and having forgotten much of the plot beyond the basics. It's regarded these days as Hitchcock's masterpiece, but it received very mixed reviews on release. Is it his best work? i don't know. I'd rather the "what really happened" reveal about half an hour before the end was somewhat closer to the finale, and there is that rather niggly problem of coincidence on which the whole second half of the film balances. I prefer Strangers on a Train as a candidate for Hitchcock's best film, but Vertigo is still very very good, and the cast is splendid - not just James Stewart and Kim Novak, but also Barbara Bel Geddes is excellent. Also worthy of note is the location shooting - so much superior to those Godawful backdrops that plague so many Hitchcock movies.

I think vertigo is a great film.

But my favourite Hitchcock is “North By Northwest”. It may be cliche to say that now but, it’s been my fav since I first saw it in the 1970’s.

Last night I watched “In The Heat of the Night” (1967) (4k UHD disc)

An amazing film. Groundbreaking in 1967.

The rare time acting, writing, cinematography, direction, editing and music come together seamlessly to make a perfect film. It looks fantastic on 4k.




I also watched the follow-up film Poitier made playing the same character in 1970, “The Call Me MISTER Tibbs!”



Not a perfect film.
Looks good on BluRay.
Film is overlong, its mystery contrived.
It’s dated. Poitier is very good with the little arc he’s given by the script. It wants to be gritty but everything and everyone is so clean! Oh, Ed Asner has hair!

I plan to watch the last film he played Tibbs in, “The Organization” tonight.

I just completed “The Organization”.
Early 70s fodder, wants to be hip, but isn’t. Of the two sequels, “they call me Mr. Tibbs“ is the slightly better film.




An overly complicated plot, mediocre performances, and at least 1 foot chase too many. The opening 10 minutes is the best part of the film and there is no real resolution at the end. Did Porter get his guy, did he bring down the organization, is he still a cop? Unless you’re a fan of the genre not really worth it. Kid

In the Heat of the Night has been sitting on my shelves for about two years, and for some reason I still haven't got around to watching it!

What better time than now.
Is it the 4k disc?

No, it's the blu ray. I think it was one of those "£2.99 with any purchase" efforts from HMV, which I bought thinking I'll get around to it someday. Which I will. For better or worse, though, this has largely been a year of "comfort watching" - returning to films I've seen before for the nice fuzzy feeling that familiarity can bring. Talking of which, tonight, for my likely last film of the year, I went back to Closet Monster, a 2015 movie starring Connor Jessup. I genuinely always find this film to be amazing - breathtaking, even. If I was in a position where I could only save one queer/LGBTQ film, this would be it.

Which brings us to the moment, where I put together the list of all the films I've seen this year. As always, the asterisks are films I hadn't seen before, and the score out of 10 is how much I enjoyed the film on that particular viewing. That score can be skewed by any number of things - health, life events, when I last saw it, etc - but it's the best I can do in giving an indication of my own feeling towards its worth.

Strangely, about 40 more films seen this year than in the previous years when I've kept a record. That's probably because I haven't done any writing of note in a couple of months.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. 1939. 7/10
*Air Hawks. 1935. 6/10
The Amityville Horror. 1979. 5/10
*And Then There Were None. 1974. 7/10
*Athena. 1955. 5/10
*The Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. 1958. 6/10
*The Bad Seed. 1956. 8/10
*Baghead. 2023. 5/10
The Bat. 1926. 7/10
Beneath the Darkness. 2011. 6/10
*Between Midnight and Dawn. 1950. 7/10
The Big Clock. 1948. 7/10
The Black Cat. 1934. 8/10
*Black Moon. 1934. 6/10
The Black Phone. 2022. 8/10
Blackmail. 1929. 6/10
*Body Snatchers: The Invasion Continues. 1993. 5/10
*The Body Stealers. 1969. 5/10
*The Boob. 1926. 5/10
*Borley Rectory. 2017. 5/10
Bride of Chucky. 1998. 8/10
*Cabin in the Sky. 1943. 7/10
*Captain Clegg. 1961. 5/10
The Case of the Black Cat. 1936. 6/10
Cast a Dark Shadow. 1955. 8/10
The Cat and the Canary. 1927. 7/10
The Changling. 1980. 8/10
Cherry Falls. 2000. 7/10
*Chevalier. 2022. 6/10
*Children of the Corn. 1984. 7/10
*Children of the Corn: Final Sacrifice. 1992. 5/10
*Children of the Corn 3. 1955. 6/10
The Chocolate War. 1988. 8/10
*Circle of Danger. 1950. 6/10
Citizen Kane. 1942. 8/10
City of Fear. 1958. 6/10
The City of the Dead (aka: Horror Hotel). 1961. 7/10
Closet Monster. 2015. 10/10
*Convict 13. 1920. 6/10
*Count Dracula. 1970. 5/10
Crossfire. 1947. 8/10
Cry of the Werewolf. 1944. 7/10
*Curse of Chucky. 2013. 7/10
*The Curse of the Crying Woman. 1963. 5/10
Cursed. 2005. 6/10
The Cry of the Werewolf. 1944. 5/10
*Damn Yankees. 1958. 6/10
*Danza Macabra. 1964. 6/10
The Dark Eyes of London. 1940. 6/10
*Dark Places. 1973. 6/10
Dark Places. 2015. 6/10
Darkness Falls. 2003. 5/10
*Daughter of the Dragon. 1931. 5/10
Dead of Night. 1945. 7/10
*Dead of Night. 1977. 7/10
*The Devil Doll. 1936. 6/10
*Die Screaming Marianne. 1971. 5/10
*Dirty Harry. 1971. 8/10
The Disappearance of Sidney Hall. 2017. 8/10
Disturbia. 2009. 7/10
Disturbing Behaviour. 1998. 6/10
Double Trouble. 1967. 6/10
*Duke Bluebeard’s Castle. 1963. 7/10
*Dracula AD 1972. 1972. 5/10
The Eagle has Landed. 1975. 7/10
Extreme Ops. 2002. 6/10
*The Factory. 2012. 5/10
*The Fall of the House of Usher. 1928. 5/10
*The Fall of the House of Usher. 1942. 5/10
The Fall of the House of Usher. 1960 7/10
*Femme. 2023. 7/10
*Figaro. 1929. 9/10
*La Fin du Monde. 1931. 5/10
Final Destination 2. 2003. 7/10
Final Destination 3. 2006. 5/10
The Final Destination. 2009. 5/10
Final Destination 5. 2011. 7/10
The First Time. 2012. 8/10
*Five Nights at Freddy’s. 2023. 7/10
Foreign Correspondent. 1940. 7/10
Frenzy. 1972. 7/10
Ghost Story. 1981. 6/10
The Ghost Writer. 2010. 7/10
Go. 1999. 9/10
The Good Neighbour. 2016. 8/10
*Good News. 1947. 6/10
Great Expectations. 1946. 9/10
Guys and Dolls. 1956. 8/10
*Hard Luck. 1921. 6/10
*The Haunted House. 1921. 7/10
The Haunted Palace. 1963. 7/10
The Haunting. 1963. 8/10
Hellbent. 2004. 6/10
*Hello, Frisco, Hello. 1943. 8/10
*Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush. 1968. 6/10
*High School Confidential. 1958. 6/10
*Hit the Deck. 1955. 6/10
The Horrors of the Black Museum. 1959. 7/10
The Hound of the Baskervilles. 1959. 7/10
*The Howling. 1980. 5/10
The Hunger Games. 2012. 9/10
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. 2013. 7/10
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1. 2014. 6/10
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 2. 2015. 5/10
The Hurricane. 1939. 8/10
I Confess. 1951. 8/10
*Imaginary. 2024. 4/10
*Inner Sanctum. 1948. 6/10
*The Iron Curtain. 1948. 5/10
*Island of Terror. 1966. 6/10
*It! The Terror from Beyond Space. 1958. 5/10
It Came from Outer Space. 1953. 7/10
*It Happened in Hollywood. 1937. 7/10
Jack the Ripper. 1959. 5/10
*The Johnstown Floor. 8/10
The Kid Detective. 2020. 7/10
*Ladies They Talk About. 1933. 8/10
The Last Warning. 1929. 7/10
*Late Night with the Devil. 2023. 8/10
*The Life of Emile Zola. 1937. 10/10
Lights Out. 2016. 7/10
*The Long Arm. 1956. 9/10
*Longlegs. 2024. 7/10
*Lord of Misrule. 2023. 6/10
The Lost Boys. 1987. 7/10
*The Lost World. 1925. 8/10
The Mad Magician. 1954. 7/10
*The Man in Search of His Murderer. 1931. 7/10
The Man Who Knew Too Much. 1934. 6/10
The Man Who Knew Too Much. 1956. 8/10
*Margeaux. 2022. 6/10
The Mask of Fu Manchu. 1932. 7/10
*Monster Summer. 2024. 7/10
*Monstrous. 2022. 4/10
My Name is Julia. 1945. 8/10
My Soul to Take. 2010. 6/10
The Mystery of Marie Roget. 1942. 5/10
The Nanny. 1965. 9/10
Nerve. 2016 8/10
Night of the Eagle. 1962. 8/10
Night of Terror. 1933. 5/10
*The Night of the Party 1934. 5/10
*Night Swim. 2024. 6/10
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5. 1988. 6/10
*The Oblong Box. 1970 . 5/10
Ordeal by Innocence. 1985. 6/10
The Orphanage. 2006. 7/10
Peeping Tom. 1960. 8/10
Pendulum. 1968. 7/10
*Permission to Kill. 1975. 6/10
*The Phantom Speaks. 1945. 5/10
*Pharoah’s Curse. 1957. 5/10
*The Pioneers of British Cinema (doc). 2022. 7/10
*The Pit. 1962. 7/10
The Pit and the Pendulum. 1961. 6/10
The Pleasure Garden. 1925. 5/10
*Prelude. 1927. 5/10
The Quatermass Experiment. 1955. 6/10
The Raven. 1935. 8/10
Rear Window. 1954. 8/10
*Red Eye. 2005. 7/10
*A Romance in Seville. 1929. 6/10
Rope. 1948. 8/10
*Rynox. 1931. 5/10
Sabotage. 1936. 8/10
Saboteur 1942 8/10
*Salem’s Lot. 2024. 4/10
Scandal Sheet. 1952. 7/10
*Scoob. 2020. 5/10
Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase. 2001. 7/10
Scooby-Doo and the Frankencreepy. 2014. 7/10
Scooby-Doo and the Lake Monster. 2010. 6/10
Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico. 2003. 6/10
Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island. 1998. 8/10
Scooby-Doo: Legend of the Phantosaur. 2011. 6/10
Scooby-Doo: Pirates Ahoy. 2006. 7/10
Scooby-Doo: Return to Zombie Island. 2019. 6/10
Scooby-Doo: Stage Fright. 2013. 7/10
The Secret of My Success. 1987. 7/10
*See No Evil. 1971. 6/10
*Seed of Chucky. 2004. 3/10
The Seventh Victim. 1944. 8/10
Shadow of a Doubt. 1944. 7/10
*The Shadow on the Window. 1957. 7/10
*The Shed. 2018. 7/10
*Sherlock Holmes’s Fatal Hour. 1931. 6/10
Sherlock Holmes: Masks of Death. 1984. 4/10
Sinister. 2012. 7/10
Sinister 2. 2015. 5/10
Sitcom. 1998. 8/10
The Skull. 1965. 6/10
The Skulls. 2000. 7/10
*Smile. 2022. 6/10
The Sorcerers. 1967. 6/10
*Sorry, Wrong Number. 1948. 5/10
Spellbound. 1944. 7/10
Spinout. 1966. 4/10
Stage Frights. 1950. 7/10
*Stage Mother, 2020. 7/10
*Starve Acre. 2024. 5/10
The Strange Case of Dr Rx. 1942. 6/10
*The Strange Case of Uncle Harry. 1945. 6/10
Strangers on a Train. 1950. 9/10
*A Study in Scarlet. 1933. 4/10
*The Suspect. 1944. 8/10
*La Symphonie Fantastique. 1942. 7/10
*Tarot. 2024. 5/10
Teaching Mrs. Tingle. 1999. 7/10
*Thanksgiving. 2023. 6/10
*That Cold Day in the Park. 1969. 7/10
That’s Entertainment. 1974. 9/10
That’s Entertainment II. 1976. 6/10
That’s Entertainment III. 1994. 9/10
The Tijuana Story. 1957. 6/10
*The Tomb of Ligeia. 1964. 7/10
Trage Liefde. 2007. 7/10
*Trap. 2024. 8/10
*Turn Me On. 2024. 8/10
*Two Minute Warning. 1976. 6/10
Un Chant d’Amour. 1950. 8/10
Uncharted. 2022. 8/10
The Unknown. 1927. 8/10
The Unseen. 1945. 6/10
Unman, Wittering and Zigo. 1971. 8/10
*V for Vendetta. 2005. 7/10
The Vampire Bat. 1933. 7/10
Vertigo. 1958. 9/10
*Walk a Crooked Mile. 1948. 7/10
Went the Day Well. 1942. 10/10
*The Whistler. 1944. 6/10
White Zombie. 1932. 7/10
The Witches. 1966. 6/10
*The Witch’s Mirror. 1962. 7/10
*Witness to Murder. 1954. 7/10
*Wonka. 2023. 9/10
X The Unknown. 1956. 8/10
Zodiac. 2007. 8/10

I ‘ve seen 48 on your list.
Surprised with the high Double Trouble rating.

[Walter Hale 4]

I've watched a lot of Hitchcock this year, and my final Hitch film of 2024 was Vertigo - a film that, oddly, I haven't seen for a very long time. I'm not sure why that is, although I'm guessing that, like Rear Window, it was watched and discussed a great deal during my university degree and I possibly got a bit weary of it. That did mean that I came to the film fresh, and having forgotten much of the plot beyond the basics. It's regarded these days as Hitchcock's masterpiece, but it received very mixed reviews on release. Is it his best work? i don't know. I'd rather the "what really happened" reveal about half an hour before the end was somewhat closer to the finale, and there is that rather niggly problem of coincidence on which the whole second half of the film balances. I prefer Strangers on a Train as a candidate for Hitchcock's best film, but Vertigo is still very very good, and the cast is splendid - not just James Stewart and Kim Novak, but also Barbara Bel Geddes is excellent. Also worthy of note is the location shooting - so much superior to those Godawful backdrops that plague so many Hitchcock movies.

I think vertigo is a great film.

But my favourite Hitchcock is “North By Northwest”. It may be cliche to say that now but, it’s been my fav since I first saw it in the 1970’s.

Last night I watched “In The Heat of the Night” (1967) (4k UHD disc)

An amazing film. Groundbreaking in 1967.

The rare time acting, writing, cinematography, direction, editing and music come together seamlessly to make a perfect film. It looks fantastic on 4k.




I also watched the follow-up film Poitier made playing the same character in 1970, “The Call Me MISTER Tibbs!”



Not a perfect film.
Looks good on BluRay.
Film is overlong, its mystery contrived.
It’s dated. Poitier is very good with the little arc he’s given by the script. It wants to be gritty but everything and everyone is so clean! Oh, Ed Asner has hair!

I plan to watch the last film he played Tibbs in, “The Organization” tonight.

I just completed “The Organization”.
Early 70s fodder, wants to be hip, but isn’t. Of the two sequels, “they call me Mr. Tibbs“ is the slightly better film.




An overly complicated plot, mediocre performances, and at least 1 foot chase too many. The opening 10 minutes is the best part of the film and there is no real resolution at the end. Did Porter get his guy, did he bring down the organization, is he still a cop? Unless you’re a fan of the genre not really worth it. Kid

In the Heat of the Night has been sitting on my shelves for about two years, and for some reason I still haven't got around to watching it!

What better time than now.
Is it the 4k disc?

Good on you PMP and ForeverElvis,

In The Heat of The Night is one i usually revisit and watch every 6 months. I Love it ITHOTN gets a good run on our free-to-air TV here in AU on both the SBS World movies channel (with very few adverts) and the 9GEM channel (loads of adds).

But I wasn't aware there was a sequel made "They Call Me Mister Tibbs".

[Walter Hale 4]

I been watching online a Lee Remick movie made in 1975 called "Hustling". For a made for television film it features a compelling plot i thought (in contrast to the two others, TELEFON and TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS I mentioned on another thread, yesterday).

The girls, the cops, the cheap hotels, the twilight world of ... Hustling ! During the 1970s, a NYC magazine reporter (Lee Remick) investigates to see who benefits financially the most from New York's prostitution industry.

[pmp]

I ‘ve seen 48 on your list.
Surprised with the high Double Trouble rating.

I generally enjoy it for some reason - although I confess I do fast forward tthrough some of the Wiere brothers scenes. But I think it's nice to see something with a plot and a slight change of pace, despite the obvious shortcomings. A change is as good as a rest, as they say!

[ForeverElvis]

I've watched a lot of Hitchcock this year, and my final Hitch film of 2024 was Vertigo - a film that, oddly, I haven't seen for a very long time. I'm not sure why that is, although I'm guessing that, like Rear Window, it was watched and discussed a great deal during my university degree and I possibly got a bit weary of it. That did mean that I came to the film fresh, and having forgotten much of the plot beyond the basics. It's regarded these days as Hitchcock's masterpiece, but it received very mixed reviews on release. Is it his best work? i don't know. I'd rather the "what really happened" reveal about half an hour before the end was somewhat closer to the finale, and there is that rather niggly problem of coincidence on which the whole second half of the film balances. I prefer Strangers on a Train as a candidate for Hitchcock's best film, but Vertigo is still very very good, and the cast is splendid - not just James Stewart and Kim Novak, but also Barbara Bel Geddes is excellent. Also worthy of note is the location shooting - so much superior to those Godawful backdrops that plague so many Hitchcock movies.

I think vertigo is a great film.

But my favourite Hitchcock is “North By Northwest”. It may be cliche to say that now but, it’s been my fav since I first saw it in the 1970’s.

Last night I watched “In The Heat of the Night” (1967) (4k UHD disc)

An amazing film. Groundbreaking in 1967.

The rare time acting, writing, cinematography, direction, editing and music come together seamlessly to make a perfect film. It looks fantastic on 4k.




I also watched the follow-up film Poitier made playing the same character in 1970, “The Call Me MISTER Tibbs!”



Not a perfect film.
Looks good on BluRay.
Film is overlong, its mystery contrived.
It’s dated. Poitier is very good with the little arc he’s given by the script. It wants to be gritty but everything and everyone is so clean! Oh, Ed Asner has hair!

I plan to watch the last film he played Tibbs in, “The Organization” tonight.

I just completed “The Organization”.
Early 70s fodder, wants to be hip, but isn’t. Of the two sequels, “they call me Mr. Tibbs“ is the slightly better film.




An overly complicated plot, mediocre performances, and at least 1 foot chase too many. The opening 10 minutes is the best part of the film and there is no real resolution at the end. Did Porter get his guy, did he bring down the organization, is he still a cop? Unless you’re a fan of the genre not really worth it. Kid

In the Heat of the Night has been sitting on my shelves for about two years, and for some reason I still haven't got around to watching it!

What better time than now.
Is it the 4k disc?

Good on you PMP and ForeverElvis,

In The Heat of The Night is one i usually revisit and watch every 6 months. I Love it ITHOTN gets a good run on our free-to-air TV here in AU on both the SBS World movies channel (with very few adverts) and the 9GEM channel (loads of adds).

But I wasn't aware there was a sequel made "They Call Me Mister Tibbs".

And the second follow-up, “The Organization”.

They are not sequels to the story of ITHOTN but stories set in San Francisco with a character named Virgil Tibbs.

In ITHOTN Tibbs was single and working in Philadelphia. In both follow ups he is married with two children working in San Francisco.

Neither film can hold a candle to the 1967 film, but they contain some good performances; Poitier and Martin Landau to name two, a wonderful opening in “The Organization “. Cliched but worth seeing once at least.

[pmp]

I managed to sneak one last film into 2024, with a watch of Buster Keaton's Sherlock Jr - a very useful film for sneaking in as it's only 45 minutes. Short it may be, but it's also one of Keaton's features that still holds up extremely well today, and, as always, there are some innovative moments. It's also one of the more shocking moments - Keaton broke his neck during one of the stunts, and only found out a decade later.

In contrast, tonight I saw The Comeback, something of an impulse buy, but it's a surprisingly good movie. Jack Jones (yes, THAT Jack Jones) stars in this horror thriller about a singer making a comeback while, unknown to him, a killer is bumping off his ex-wife and associates and trying to make Jones lose his sanity. It holds together much better than that description, and Jones is, maybe surprisingly, excellent in the lead role - a role that rather goes against his image, not just with the topic of the film but also with the use of the F-bomb. Produced by Pete Walker, this is a cut above his normal standards, and it only falls down in the final ten minutes or so, due to the final reveal being a bit of a mess. The 88 Film blu ray looks great.