Gangster Story (1959)

The only film Walter Matthau ever directed. Plotting is solid (there’s a clever bank heist sequence that's screaming out to be re-enacted by Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney). Matthau’s performance is charismatic as ever, albeit uncharacteristically low-key. Love interest, a foxy librarian willing to take a blind chance on a hood, is played by Matthau’s wife, Carol Grace, ‘the inspiration for Holly Golightly’ (or so I’m told). The editing is by Radley Metzger, the blue movie maverick behind The Opening of Misty Beethoven. Overall assessment: a lean noir in the Gil Brewer, Day Keene, Jim Thompson tradition hampered by a glaringly tight budget.

The Standout Movies of 2015

The standout films I saw for the first time (or so long ago it may as well be for the first time) in 2015 in the order in which I saw them: 

Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde – Roy Ward Baker 1972

Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn – Steven Spielberg 2011

American Reunion – John Hurwitz & Haden Schlossberg 2012

Silver Lining Playbook – David O Russell 2012

Pretty Poison – Noel Black 1968

The Guard – John Michael McDonagh 2011

And Soon the Darkness – Robert Fuest 1971

Angel Face – Otto Preminger 1952

The Monster Club – Roy Ward Baker 1981

Violent City – Sergio Sollima 1970

Fort Apache, the Bronx – Daniel Petrie 1981

A Prophet – Jacques Audiard 2009

New Centurions – Richard Fleisher 1972

Dark Shadows – Tim Burton 2012

Lunacy – Jan Svankmajer 2005

The Boys From Brazil – Franklin J Schaffener 1978

Key Largo – John Huston 1948

The Sicilian Clan – Henri Verneuil 1969

Maniac – Franck Khalfoun 2012

Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon – Tsui Hark 2013

The Dogs of War – John Irvin 1980

The Master – Paul Thomas 2012

Horror Express – Eugenio Martin 1972

Midnight in Paris – Woody Allen 2011

Dance of Reality – Alejandro Jodorowksy 2013

Colossus: The Forbin Project – Joseph Sargent 1970

Pasolini – Abel Ferrara 2014

Damsels in Distress – Whit Stillman 2011

Judex – Georges Franju 1963

Critics -- feh!

Wikipedia: 'Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked was panned by film critics. It currently holds a 12% rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 77 reviews, with the critics consensus: "Lazy, rote, and grating, Chipwrecked is lowest-common-denominator family entertainment that's strictly for the very, very, very young at heart." The film also holds a 24 rating on Metacritic'

Critics -- feh! Alvin & the Chipmunks 3: Chipwrecked is, minute for minute, the most entertaining entry in the Chipmunks franchise. And I should know: Maya, my four-year-old daughter has made me sit through it every single day since I bought her the dvd.

What The Force Does Next

The Force awakens, drags a comb across its head, finds its way downstairs and drinks a cup, and looking up it notices that it's late ...

The Best Thing on TV

Welcome to Underhand Productions' 'Master Surgeon'.

You six amateur surgeons must choose from a selection of twelve surgical instruments.

Surgeons, you have one hour to perform a cholecystectomy. Good luck!

You are now about half way.

Five minutes.

Time is up. Surgeons put down your scalpels and step away from your tables.

Put down your scalpels!

Hardboiled Sentence of the Week

Hardboiled sentence of the week: 'I usually drink for good reason -- Immanuel Kant's birthday, the anniversary of my third paternity suit -- but I was just trying to pass the time while I waited for the client.' 

Jay Russell, Celestial Dogs

Setting Your Teeth On Edge

So there I was in the dentist's office, waiting for my appointment, reading Arthur Conan Doyle. Which book? 'Tales of Unease'.