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Saturday, 22 January 2011

#9 Jimmy's second

Alice (Jan Svankmajer 1988)

Unusual Czech live action/stop motion animated adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland. A real dusty attic retelling, with some impressive and bonkers re imaginings of familiar scenes and characters.


Dellamorte Dellamore (Michele Soavi 1994)

This G. Gough approved low budget Italian movie is almost impossible to catorgorise. Although somewhat gory and having the trappings of a horror movie, its more of an absurd, deliberately baffling, black comedy. A surprisingly cool Rupert Everett in the starring role is an unexpected treat.


Saturday, 13 November 2010

Saturday, 9 October 2010

#7 Graham's second

Last Night is a cult Canadian film made in 1998 that recently received a belated DVD release. Directed by, written by, and starring Canuck crazy-face Don McKellar, Last Night follows several Toronto natives as they prepare for the end of the world. It’s a surprisingly funny and uplifting low budget film featuring a who’s who of Canadian character actors, including Sandra Oh, Callum Keith Rennie and even David Cronenburg. Definitely one of the best films I’ve seen this year.

Mad Max 2 should need no introduction but I’m going to give it one anyway. Mad Mel stars as the post-apocalyptic saviour and leather-clad badass in possibly the greatest action movie of all-time. Commando favourite Vernon Wells does his bit as a hideously kinky savage who’d rather like to see our hard-bitten hero get deaded, while some of the most memorable supporting mutant bastards ever seen provide evil support! And if that isn’t enough for you, Mad Max 2 features the best chase scene of all-time - often imitated but never improved.

Friday, 1 October 2010

Saturday, 28 August 2010

#5 Kate's first


Barbarella (1968)


Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)

Saturday, 21 August 2010

Saturday, 7 August 2010

#3 Jimmy's first

Sanjuro (1962):

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056443/

Sanjuro is Akira Kurosawa's sequel to his influential Yojimbo (remade by Sergio Leone as A Fistful of Dollars). Sanjuro's tone is lighter than its prequel, emphasising the characters manipulative cunning and well concealed good nature. Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe was described as a "knight in dirty armour" and this fits Mifune's character in Sanjuro as well.

For a Few Dollars More (1965):

Is Leone's sequel to A Fistful of Dollars, and although in no way based on Sanjuro, it is similarly more reflective than its prequel. Clint Eastwood's classic portrayal of his man-with-no-name is superbly supported by Lee Van Cleef as his partner, and Gian Maria Volante as the unforgettable lead villain. Klaus Kinski's sneering hunchback is a bonus and the legendarily immense soundtrack closes the deal.