Nov 29th
Battle of the V-1
GB 1958. Eros Film/John Bash. 109m. bw

Secret agents in Poland risk their lives to uncover the truth behind the Nazis' new secret weapon.
Clunkily efficient WWII programmer on a mini budget with some interesting patches that echo Schindler's List but with much less verisimilitude.

Written by: Jack Hanley, Eryk Wladek, based on the book "They Saved London" by Bernard Newman.
Producer: George Maynard.
Director: Vernon Sewell.
Starring: Michael Rennie, David Knight, Patricia Medina, Milly Vitale, Esmond Knight, Christopher Lee, Carl Jaffe, Peter Madden.
Photography: Basil Emmott.
Music: Robert Sharples.

Nov 22nd
My Man Godfrey**
US 1936. Universal. 90m. bw

A destitute man is rescued from the slums and adopted as butler by an eccentric New York family, but turns out to be an ex-millionaire himself on the skids.
Pleasurable screwball comedy combined with Depression era overtones: in the latter regard hardly very incisive but the production is quite slick and stylish, and the cast certainly sparkles in all directions.

Written by: Morrie Ryskind, Gregory La Cava, Eric Hatch, from his novel.
Producer/ Director: Gregory La Cava.
Starring: William Powell, Carole Lombard, Gail Patrick, Alice Brady, Eugene Pallette, Mischa Auer, Jean Dixon, Alan Mowbray, Robert Light, Pat Flaherty.
Photography: Ted Tatzlaff.
Musical Direction: Charles Previn.
Art Direction: Charles D. Hall.

Nov 16th
Kameradshaft***
Ger/Fra 1931. Gaumont- Franco film-Aubert/Nero Film AG. 91m. bw

In a Franco-German border town a mine explodes, and the German miners defy the border controls to help rescue the trapped French miners.
Powerfully moving social melodrama based on the Courieres mine disaster in 1906, here transposed for added effect to between-the-wars Europe, laying home its Socialist message rather heavily, but acutely observes some of the human tragedy and the disaster itself is brilliantly captured with scary authenticity. It couldn't be more relevant today, in the wake of the ongoing debate about migrant workers as well as the recent mining disasters in New Zealand and Chile.

Written by: Peter Martin Lampel, Karl Otten, Gerbert Rappaport, Ladislaus Vajda, Leon Wurth.
Producer: Seymour Nebenzal.
Director: G.W. Pabst (and Robert Beaudoin)
Starring (in no particular order): Alexander Granach, Fritza Kampers, Ernst Busch, Helena Manson, Daniel Mendaille, Georges Chalia, Andree Ducret, Alex Bernard, Pierre Louis, Elisabeth Wendt.
Photography: Fritz Arno Wagner, Robert Baberske.
Music: G. van Rigelus

+ available on YouTube

Nov 9th
Fanboys*
US 2008. Weinstein Company/Trigger Street/Picture Machine. 90m.

Four Star Wars fans travel across America intending to break into Skywalker Ranch to see Star Wars Episode I before its release, for the sake of one of them who is terminally ill.
The Star Wars fan film cult reaches professional level: as fan films go a rather average effort. A gross-out spoof road movie exclusively for its generation with knowing in-jokes, and the plot turns sentimental before long, but with some good vignettes and effortless guest cameos.

Written by: Ernest Cline, Adam F. Goldberg.
Producers: Dana Brunetti, Kevin Spacey, Matthew Perniciara, Evan Astrowsky.
Director: Kyle Newman.
Starring: Sam Huntington, Dan Foglert, Kristen Bell, Jay Baruchel, Christopher Marquette, Danny Trejo, Seth Rogen, Billy Dee Williams, William Shatner, Carrie Fisher, Ray Park.
Photography: Lucas Ettlin.
Music: Mark Mothersbaugh.
Production Design: Cory Lorenzen.

+ LAST LINE OF FILM: "Guys...what if the movie sucks?"


Preceded by:
Miracle Fish*
(Australia 2008. Qoob TV/Screen Australia/Druid Films.Blue-Tonge Films. 17m.; On his birthday a bullied schoolboy suspects his wish has come true when the school is suddenly emptied - by a serial killer.; w, d: Luke Doolan; p: Drew Bailey; s: Karl Beattie, Brendan Donoghue.)