Woman of Straw (1964) ***

Nicely produced twisty murder thriller with some gorgeous shots of Majorca. Sir Ralph is very good here.

A Perfect Murder (1998) **

A sloppy ending mars an otherwise nifty thriller that is gorgeously produced. Top notch cast delivers the goods.

Mademoiselle (1966) ***

The great Jeanne Moreau is good at being bad and the great David Watkin shoots it beautifully in this fable of desire and prejudice in rural France.

The Moustache (2005) ***

Tries to get inside the mind of a man having an identity crisis and mainly succeeds. Well done.

The Zone of Interest (2023) **

Nicely shot and designed drama about "the banality of evil" but it could have been a terrific Twilight Zone episode at 30 minutes and we'd get the point and perhaps even have more impact.

Happyend (2024) ***

Director Neo Sora's bildungsroman/dystopian mashup is a great example of how to shoot an effective film without extreme closeups. Good cast and no schmaltz.

The Millionairess (1960) *

Fails to engage despite lustrous cinematography and peak Sophia.

Who Killed Teddy Bear (1965) **

Admirable ambition and weirdness in depicting the often overlooked (in films) gauntlet women have to deal with nearly every day but there's a lot of awkward and amatuerish moments that ruin the vibe. Has an unrelenting need to provide EVERY character with a too pat motivation that's irritating. Still, the divine Juliet Prowse is worth the price of admission to whatever she decides to do.

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (2025) **

Essentially a remake of The Way It Is with an added focus on Elvis's POV and showcasing footage not used in that earlier film. It's well done and highly entertaining (how could it not?) but it's impact was fleeting despite the ominous foreshadowing ending. Benefits immensely from the photography by the great Lucien Ballard.

Le Magnifique (1973) **

Over-the-top slapstick aside, an amusing take on pulp spy novelists and their sometimes dreary lives. Belmondo shows a deft hand with comedy and Jackie Bisset was never lovelier.

Winterset (1936) *

Might have worked better as a play. Interesting that to this day, in America, any sympathy with the working class is considered radical, leftist and dangerous.

The Internecine Project (1974) ***

Well produced heist flick masquerading as a political thriller features Jimmy Coburn and the eternally lovely Lee Grant (still kicking at 99!) essentially playing themselves. Nifty 70's London locales, beautifully lit.

Wuthering Heights (2026) **

It's entertaining but the soundtrack is overbearing at times and the lighting and shot selection is terrible, as are so many current films, but it has a nice collage of images at the finale that works well. The casting is strange and it's interesting that Edgar (Shazad Latif) would appear to more closely resemble the features of Heathcliff per the novel than Elordi.

Heat Lightning (1934) **

The two female leads are the attraction in this desert noir. Nifty direction at the climax evokes kaidan films.

The Woman in Green (1945) **

Fairly forgettable Holmes flick watchable for the top cast members.

The Time Travelers (1964) **

Intriguing classic Trek style sci-fi flick could have used a bit more moolah for the spfx, but the cast are all game and the script keeps things fairly straight. Interesting ending.

Light Sleeper (1992) **

Answers the question nobody asked: what if Paul Schrader had directed Taxi Driver? Top notch cast keeps it watchable. Nice soundtrack too.

Gentlemen Don't Eat Poets (1995) *

I think it was supposed to be more of a comedy but not sure that would have helped. Terribly shot, cut and directed. Waste of a good cast.

Peter Hujar's Day (2025) *

Technical prowess of the two leads aside, the premise has already been done and this go round brings nothing more to the table.

Monterey Pop (1968) *

Nice time capsule of The Summer of Love with an eclectic concert in beautiful Monterey. Too bad Pennebaker can't seem to shoot in anything but close-ups. You get no sense of place and no sense of the performances.

Shampoo (1975) ***

Manic day in the life of a swinging LA hairdresser is an entertaining charcter study and subtle critique of late 60's mores and manners. Excellent cast is top notch.

The Oblong Box (1969) *

The photography is the only reason to sit through this mash-up of various horror tropes.

Fremont (2023) **

Indie character study has its moments but the lead is just not a compelling enough actress to handle such an under-written role.

Extract (2009) ***

Hilarious plot driven comedy that is perfectly cast and well played. The production design is top notch and rings true.

Two Minutes Late (1952) **

Nobody's a hero in this sordid Danish noir that was definitely not approved by Bill Hays.

Hidden in the Fog (1953) **

Human behavior takes a back seat to murder mystery tropes in this Swedish noir that has just a few too many twists.

Death Is a Caress (1949) **

I suppose it's a "noir" but really it's a realistic look at a couple who have a very strong physical attraction but little else. Troubles ensue.

Girl with Hyacinths (1950) **

Ulf Palme, a Swedish Alastair Sim, keeps it entertaining enough but it's very difficult to care about the lead. Maybe that was intentional?