I'm okay logging into my bsky account on a laptop but it keeps giving me "incorrect username or password" on my phone app. I've uninstalled and reinstalled the app but can anyone suggest any other ways to fix this @bsky.app ?
MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS (****) I knew nothing about Mishima when I first saw this, introduced by Alex Cox as part of a BBC Japan weekend. A superb distillation of the author and his work that also, for me, one of the finest works of cinema ever made.
CITY ON FIRE (***1/2) An undercover cop is caught between an overambitious superior and loyalties to the criminals he's supposed to bring down. Possesses a physicality and rawness absent in most American films in the crime genre during the 1980's. First time seeing this.
"THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS" (***) A psychiatrist falls for a patient who believes himself to be Sherlock Holmes. The title is from Don Quixote, with Woodward doubling as Watson and Sancho Panza. It doesn't fully work but one could argue for it to be considered a noble failure.
DESTINY (***) Death offers a grieving widow three opportunities to bring her beloved back. Shares the same themes as PETER IBBETSON but weakened by dated depiction of Chinese and Arab culture. Strong visuals show why this was a breakthrough hit for Lang.
CAT'S EYE (***) A Stephen King anthology film with the same cat passing through. Has a few recognizable names but the real star are the animal wranglers. Some great VFX work in the second and third part. I enjoyed this more then CREEPSHOW.
THE SHOUT (***) Strangely compelling story about a couple whose life is disrupted by a stranger who claims to have a shout that kills. Told by an unreliable narrator with hallucinatory editing. This film exploits the then new Dolby Stereo tech though I wish they got Alan Splet.
VICE SQUAD (***1/2) A sex worker is pursued by a killer pimp through Hollywood. It sits between two stools, as a great docu-drama featuring Season Hubley who is superb, and a conventional cop procedural. Kubrick's regular DoP, John Alcott, shows why he was the best in the biz.
HEAVEN & EARTH (***1/2) Remember this got poor reviews, some of it understandable, but theres a lot of good stuff here. Oliver Stone's decision to show the Vietnam war from a female POV is to be commended. Hope it gets a restoration soon.
NIGHT MOVES (**1/2) One of those films where the thesping is of more importance then the plot, slight that it is. Worth watching for the performances and cinematography.
THE DAMNED (***1/2) Imagine Visconti adapting Harold Robbins because this feels like it. Disturbing, repulsive and yet can't help admiring its ambition. Though its set in pre-war Nazi Germany, the themes of capital's compromising to autocracy remains relevant today.
DEAD OF NIGHT (***1/2) A effective mix of horror and comedy. Younger audiences may find some of it dated but its worth checking out. @studiocanal.co.uk have supplied a lot of good extras.
PETER IBBETSON (***) It starts as a studio weepie and then goes in a direction that I didn’t expect. The film gained notable fans with surrealists such as Bunuel and Breton. Some gorgeous cinematography and art direction with @indicator.bsky.social supplying informative extras.
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON (****) Reminded me of Hitchcock's SUSPICION with DiCaprio as a blue collar Cary Grant. The stench of systemic racism and white supremacy grows stronger as the film progresses with none of the victims getting justice. 4K UHD only released in Italy.
HARLEQUIN (**1/2) Aussie supernatural thriller inspired by Rasputin. A mysterious clown appears to heal the son of a ambitious senator. The story is disjointed but Robert Powell's enigmatic performance kept my attention. Hope @indicator.bsky.social consider restoring THE SURVIVOR next.
RISKY BUSINESS (***1/2) Not seen in over 30 years so forgot how funny this is. Great chemistry between the two leads, a witty script, a fitting Tangerine Dream soundtrack. The @criterion.bsky.social release assembles a nice bunch of extras.
Kubrick used music to direct child actors and can spot this in the making of documentary of THE SHINING.
Watching rushes for a old Steven Spielberg film and yeah get a good idea how he gets such great performances from child actors. Basically talks them through the scene as its shooting like he's directing a silent film.
I'd stick the first six seasons of RED DWARF on there too.
OUTLAND (***) The plot maybe HIGH NOON but the world building is terrific. Aided by Sean Connery and one of Jerry Goldsmith's best score get over the some shortcomings. Clearly an influence on THE EXPANSE @ArrowFilmsVideo supplements are to their usual high standard.
THE LEOPARD (****) Sumptuous epic about an aristocrat seeing his way of life fade away. Burt Lancaster is dubbed but his performance still commands the screen with support from the ambitious Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale. The shorter US cut is included here by @criterion.bsky.social .
WATERSHIP DOWN (***1/2) Rabbits fleeing a doomed warren seek a new home. It shouldn't work but it does, keeping the attention of both children and adults, balanced by a director who never done animation before. The @bfi restoration is its usual high standard.
NIGHT HAS A THOUSAND EYES (***) A fraudulent psychic is tormented by real visions of a woman in danger. Loosely adapted from Cornell Woolrich's novel. A crime writer who specialized in torturing characters trying to escape their predestined fate. Good extras by @indicator.bsky.social
DARK CITY (****) Saw this in 1998 and could feel the audience breath taken away at the moment of conceptual breakthrough. Anyone interested in screenwriting should hunt down the various drafts of the scripts and see what each writer contributed.
ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS (**1/2) The dialogue is stilted. Characters. What characters? But where else are you going to find a zombie fighting a shark? Real zombie. Real shark. All underwater. Bet you won't get that on Celebrity Love Island. Zombie vs Shark. That's all you need to know.
IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (***) A PI goes searching for a missing horror author whose overdue delivering his next best seller. One of the better Lovecraft inspired tales. It may not succeed all the time but its worth sitting back to admire its ambition.
CARLITO'S WAY (****) A classy gangster opera. Decades ago a mate got the rights to make this after a crazy week wooing Edwin Torres. At the time, he rejected Pacino to play the lead for being too young. Now its difficult to see anyone else in the role.
DRESSED TO KILL (***) Biased as a mate appears in this and only realized half way through. Stylishly put together tale of a hooker investigating a murder but with a plot twist that likely have a writer kicked out the room if tried today.
MONKEY MAN (****) Clearly made by folks who had no fucks to give. Think of it like the story of Batman but coming from the gutters rather than a manor. Balances hard action with contemporary politics that may have scared off a streamer but which only adds to its appeal.
CARRIE (****) Sissy Spacek performance is the heart of the film. Piper Laurie ain't bad either. I prefer this far more then THE BREAKFAST CLUB. @arrowvideo.bsky.social extras give further context.
