Sunday, July 29, 2007

July 29th
Monsters of the Id (12)
Odeon Southend
GB TVM 2006. Ambient Light/Calvertfilm. 74m.

Superheroes in people's dreams combat their various nightmares, which include an arch villain named Nemesis.
Imaginatively conceived computer animation on admittedly limited means, a little long and repetitive for its basic story, but with plenty of affectionate fantasy/adventure movie references (everything from Jaws to James Bond, Forbidden Planet to Star Wars, The Matrix, etc), and an impressive vocal cast.
Written and Directed by: Laurie Calvert.
Voices of Garrick Hagon, Eileen Daly, Phil Delancy, Rosie Jenkins, Marsha Crenshaw, Warwick Davis, Ed Bishop.
Music: Philip Guyler.




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Sunday, July 22, 2007

July 21st
The Lives of Others*** (15)
Electric Palace, Harwich

In Communist East Germany a crack surveillance officer begins monitoring the lives of an acclaimed writer and his lover, and finds his loyalty to the Stasi severely tested.
Excellent German character drama, not just a damning and subtle indictment of the oppressive methods of the Stasi police force, but also a fascinating exploration of the power of art and humanity to soften even the hardest of hearts. Riveting from first scene to last, with a whole clutch of fine performances.

d: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.
s: Ulrich Muhe, Sebastian Koch, Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme, Hans-Uwe Bauer, Volkmar Kleinert

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Thursday, July 19, 2007

July 18th
Psychomania*
GB 1971. Benmar. 83m.

Teenage delinquent bikers who call themselves "The Living Dead", decide to become literally just that.
Silly but entertaining cross between The Wild One and Dennis Wheatley with an impressive cast, tapping into the youth market quite effectively with some Clockwork Orange-style mayhem, and bending a few rules of the horror genre along the way.

Written by: Armand d'Usseau.
Producer: Andrew Donally.
Director: Don Sharp.
Starring: Nicky Henson, Beryl Reid, George Sanders, Mary Larkin, Robert Hardy, Ann Michelle, June Brown, Bill Pertwee.
Photography: Ted Moore.
Music: David Whittaker.

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Tuesday, July 17, 2007

July 14th
Paris Je T'aime* (15)
Screen on the Green, Islington

Fra 2006. Victoires International/Pirol Film. 120m.

Appropriately for Bastille Day, I saw this compilation of 18 vignettes set in most of the various districts of Paris, "the city of love".
Typically, it's a VERY mixed bag, with many of the segments resembling extended commercials or trailers, and the subjects range from conventional French romance to animated mime clowns in love - there is even a vampire tale featuring Elijah Wood. Other segments seem to stop short just when the characters are becoming interesting, whilst on the other hand they leave the audience to pleasantly imagine what happens next.

Producers: Emmanuel Benbiby, Claudie Ossard.

"Montmartre": w, d: Bruno Padalydes; s: Bruno Podalydes, Florence Muller.

"Quais de Seine": w: Paul Mayeda Berges, Gurinder Chadha; d: Gurinder Chadha; s: Leila Bekhti, Cyril Descours.

"Le Marais": w, d: Gus Van Sant; s: Gaspard Ulliel, Elias McConnell, Marianne Faithful.

"Tuileries": w, d: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, s: Steve Buscemi.

"Loin du 16e": w, d: Walter Salles, Daniela Thomas; s: Catalina Sandino Moreno.

"Porte de Choisy": w: Gabrielle Keng, Kathy Li, Christopher Doyle; d: Christopher Doyle; s: Barbet Schroeder, Li Xin.

"Bastille": w, d: Isabel Coixet; s: Sergio Castillitto, Miranda Richardson.

"Place des Victoires": w, d: Nobuhiro Suwa; s: Juliette Binoche, Hippolyte Girardot, Willem Dafoe.

"Tour Eiffel": w, d: Sylvain Chomet; s: Paul Putner, Yolande Moreau.

"Parc Monceau": w, d: Alfonso Cuaron; s: Nick Nolte, Ludivine Sagnier.

"Quartier des Enfants Rouges": w, d: Oliver Schmitz; s: Aissa Maiga, Seydou Boro.

"Place des fetes": w, d: Richard LaGravenese; s: Bob Hoskins, Fanny Ardant.

"Quartier de la Madeleine": d: Vincenzo Natali; s: Elijah Wood, Olga Kurylenko, Wes Craven.

"Pere-Lachaise": w, d: Wes Craven; d: Rufus Sewell, Emily Mortimer, Alexander Payne.

"Faubourg Saint-Denis": w, d: Tom Tykwer; s: Natalie Portman, Melchior Beslon.

"Quartier Latin": w: Gena Rowlands; d: Gerard Depardieu; s: Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, Gerard Depardieu.

"14e arrondisement": w, d: Alexander Payne; s: Margo Martindale.

Photography: David Quesemand; Bruno Delbonnel; Eric Gautier; Kathy Li; Pascal Marti; Eric Guichard; Tetsuo Nagata; Frank Griebe; Michael Seresin; and others.
Music: Pierre Adenot, and others.


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Monday, July 16, 2007

July 11th
His Girl Friday*** US 1939. Columbia. 92m. bw


A soon-to-be-married newspaper reporter is tempted away by her unscrupulous ex-husband editor, in order to chase "the big story".
An absolute onslaught of journalistic and witty one-liners - in which the moments of pathos seem out of place - delivered by an accomplished cast at such rapidity that simply could not be done nowadays. A reworking of The Front Page (itself filmed on two other occasions), where Hildy Johnson is sensibly made a female character, allowing for some cracking repartee between Rosalind Russell and the all too eligible Cary Grant, so that the ultimate outcome of this love triangle is no surprise.

Written by: Charles Lederer, from the play "The Front Page" by Charles MacArthur, Ben Hecht.
Producer/Director: Howard Hawks.
Starring: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy, John Qualen, Helen Mack, Gene Lockhart, Porter Hall, Ernest Truex, Cliff Edwards, Clarence Kolb, Roscoe Karns, Frank Jenks, Regis Toomey, Abner Biberman, Alma Kruger, Billy Gilbert, Pat West, Edwin Maxwell.
Photography: Joseph Walker.
Music: Sidney Cutner.

Preceded by:
Superman inEleventh Hour*(US 1942. 8m.; Superman turns saboteur in Tokyo.; d: Dan Gordon; voices of Bud Collyer, Joan Alexander; for Paramount/Famous Artists.)

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