Day of the Outlaw (1959) **

Western noir has enough weirdness to recommend even though it falters in the third act.

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) ****

Anti-Bond spy thriller with a stellar script and top performances all around.

My Blueberry Nights (2007) **

Well made though hardly credible road-trip-to-find-myself flick features a good A-list cast.

The Happy Ending (1969) ****

Sharp, realistic look at what happened when post-war America started to wake up from its dream. Beautiful time capsule of 1969.

The Sacrament (2013) *

Found footage flick never convinces.

The Winslow Boy (1999) ***

Well crafted courtroom drama that doesn't have one scene in a courtroom. Terrific adaptation by Mamet, well acted by all.

A Serious Man (2009) ****

One of The Coens best and that's saying something. Hilarious, odd, truthful, thoughtful.

Bright Days Ahead (2013) **

Typical (good thing) French character study is a showcase for the wonderful Ms. Ardant.

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) **

Early counter culture Brit flick but the utter stupidity of the lead character undermines its message.

Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx (1970) **

Amusing character study thanks to the talent and charm of Mr. Wilder.

Pépé le Moko (1937) **

Influential French noir is long on characters and short on story. Jean Gabin has some terrific scenes.

The Vast of Night (2019) **

A little too darkly lit for my tastes, and goes overboard on the long tracking shots, but impressively constructed Twilight Zone episode.

Panique (1946) **

Nicely done Simenon story, early French noir.

Market should have seen a US jobs gain coming - Asia Times

It shouldn’t have been a surprise. Google publishes daily data for workplace mobility –the number of smartphones whose GPS signal shows up at workplaces – and a slight improvement is clear from mid-April to mid-May. The second half of May, though, showed no further gains.

The Comfort of Strangers (1990) **

Beautifully designed and shot, it's a shame it is so poorly constructed. A waste of its beautiful stars.

The Wrong Missy (2020) **

Raunchy rom-com has quite a few laughs thanks to Lauren Lapkus. Formulaic but fun.

Frosty (1965) **

Soviet era Russian mish-mash of nearly every fairy tale trope you can think of has a certain Kroft-ian lo-fi charm. It's quick and colorful and clearly for 10yo and under.

Gate of Hell (1953) **

Sumptuously designed and photographed, this fable of imperial Japan doesn't quite reach the emotional heights it aspires to.

The Call of the Wild (1972) **

Better than it should be given the dubbed cast and threadbare budget. Heston does the best he can with the flimsy script and it kind of works.

In the Mood for Love (2000) **

A visual feast but the stylistic approach leads to confusion and unresolved questions.

Irma Vep (1996) **

A pleasant enough time with Ms. Cheung even if the flick is slight.

Fat City (1972) ***

Searing look at small time boxers and their struggles. Well cast and directed by Mr. Huston.

The Go-Between (1971) **

Lovingly mounted period drama let down by a less than satisfying ending.

The Promoter (1952) *

The sort of English comedy that was hilarious in 1952 but is just bewildering now. Watchable as a document of its time.

The Browning Version (1951) ***

Lovely production of the oft-filmed play featuring a terrific Michael Redgrave.

Aniara (2018) **

Hard sci-fi look at human nature and how lost we are without Earth.

The Passionate Friends (1949) **

Romantic melodrama with a fine trio of leads and some interesting shots by Mr. Lean.

Green for Danger (1946) ***

Sharply written whodunit with some interesting blitz-era English touches, nicely produced.

Screwed (2000) **

Decent dumbbell comedy with plenty of laughs if you don't try to think it through.

Hobson's Choice (1954) **

John Mills steals the show in this period romcom.

Madeleine (1950) ***

Fascinating look at social dynamics in Victorian Scotland and one determined woman. The casting seems a bit off but well directed by Mr. Lean.

Golden Salamander (1950) **

Nifty noir, sort of a poor man's Casablanca. Early lead for the lovely Anouk.

This Happy Breed (1944) **

Well cast and acted look at an English family between the wars. A little too idealized.

Lovely & Amazing (2001) ***

I enjoy Ms. Holofcener's films because they give their characters space to be human and if they change it is very subtle.

Separate Tables (1958) ***

Solid drama with an all star cast marred by an overbearing score.

Blithe Spirit (1945) *

This sort of thing is better on the stage. A waste of Ms. Rutherford.

Bad Education (2019) **

Hugh Jackman is terrific in this so-so Scorsese ripoff.

Brief Encounter (1945) ***

Very British and very of its time, still its charms are plenty thanks to Celia Johnson and Mr. Lean of course.

Le Plaisir (1952) **

Dazzling camera work, but a cold clinical look at different aspects of "l'amour".

The Whole Town's Talking (1935) **

Edward G. does double duty in this so-so screwball dramedy. Kind of shocked this wasn't re-made by this guy.

Blind Alley (1939) **

Well acted, though heavy handed, melo-noir about a killer holed up in a shrink's lake house. Comical to note how Hollywood bought the Freudian mythos hook line and sinker. Psychiatrist as super hero.

The Death of Stalin (2017) **

Well made take on the maneuverings in the USSR once Stalin was out. Nice to see Michael Palin and Steve Buscemi get well deserved choice roles.

Winter Light (1963) *

Bergman talkfest is completely un-engrossing.

Topkapi (1964) *

The actual heist is superbly done but the rest of the film is surprisingly sloppy. Disappointing overall.

Ben-Hur (1959) **

It's actually pretty good for the first two thirds (except for Hugh Griffith) and of course the chariot race sequence is unparalleled, but that last third really drags. Terrific use of the wide screen by Wyler.

Hour of Glory (1949) **

Lesser Archers production, still has some imaginative sequences, is lovingly photographed in black and white and has the compelling Kathleen Byron.

Kinetta (2005) *

Nothing to see here. Just check out Lanthimos' other better films.

Anne-Marie (1936) **

Enjoyable if you view it as a proto Wes Anderson flick. Otherwise it's not very compelling.

From Bats to Human Lungs, the Evolution of a Coronavirus | The New Yorker

Analyses of the sars-CoV-2 genome indicate a single spillover event, meaning the virus jumped only once from an animal to a person, which makes it likely that the virus was circulating among people before December. Unless more information about the animals at the Wuhan market is released, the transmission chain may never be clear. There are, however, numerous possibilities. A bat hunter or a wildlife trafficker might have brought the virus to the market. Pangolins happen to carry a coronavirus, which they might have picked up from bats years ago, and which is, in one crucial part of its genome, virtually identical to sars-CoV-2. But no one has yet found evidence that pangolins were at the Wuhan market, or even that venders there trafficked pangolins. “We’ve created circumstances in our world somehow that allows for these viruses, which would otherwise not be known to cause any problems, to get into human populations,” Mark Denison, the director of pediatric infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, told me. “And this one happened to say, ‘I really like it here.’”

Woody Allen Memoir Apropos of Nothing Is Hilarious & Endearing | National Review

Looking ahead to the future (at 84, he says, “My life is almost half over”), Allen figures to continue vexing his many haters. He had difficulty assembling a cast for his latest movie, but it’s now in the can, and even if he couldn’t make movies, he’d write plays. If no one would produce his plays, he’d write books. If no one would publish the books now, he’d write them for later. The image comes to mind of Allen’s Bananas hero Fielding Mellish, representing himself in a treason trial, getting bound and gagged by the judge, but continuing to speak (and reduce a witness to tears). Sorry, you there with the pitchforks and the torches, despite putting him through (Bananas again) a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham, Allen still doesn’t care what you think of him, and he’s going to keep creating till he drops. “If I died right now I couldn’t complain,” he says. “And neither would a lot of other people.”

The Lady from Shanghai (1947) ****

Despite the studio "corrections" there's enough Welles-ian oddities and eccentricities to make this a perrenial favorite.

A Dandy in Aspic (1968) ***

Stylish cold-war spy thriller with a terrific Laurence Harvey as the cold, cold spy. More Le Carré than Fleming.

Earthquake Bird (2019) **

Nicely produced but meandering script. Less would have been more here.

The Jesus Rolls (2019) **

Much better than its source material just don't expect another Lebowski. There is bowling however. Amiable romp with a top cast.

Onward (2020) *

Pixar finally lays an egg and it's on the Disney-in-the-60's level. Contrived and insulting.

The Wicker Man (1973) **

Shirley Jackson would approve and the cast is good and game but it's a little too loose to be great. Still its images and integrity to the story (not to mention the lovely Ms. Ekland) keep it relevant.

The Call of the Wild (2020) **

Apparently the filmmakers intended to show the film to 10 year olds only. Even so it does have impressive CGI and Harrison Ford is pretty good.

Cause for Alarm! (1951) **

Loretta Young keeps the picture together despite the crazy noir-ish contrivances.

Force Majeure (2014) **

Extremely subtle performances as well as extremely long scenes undermines the impact the film intends. Beautifully shot and well constructed.

Downhill (2020) **

Thankfully avoids Hollywood-izing the source material but the casting leads viewers to expect a laugh riot which it is certainly not.

Three on a Match (1932) **

Breakneck pacing helps this sordid melodrama of 3 grammar school chums and their varying paths in later life.

Red Desert (1964) ***

The lovely Ms. Vitti can't cope with reality after a brush with death. Welcome to the club. Beautifully shot.

Hardcore (1979) **

George C. is always an interesting actor and he's the best thing about the flick, another exploration of the Calvinist upbringing of Schrader as it clashes with modernity.

The Draughtsman's Contract (1982) *

Period snoozer is pretty to look at. Might have been better with the sound off?

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) ***

Beautifully shot period romance, not played as a weepie but as a melancholic remembrance.

Clear History (TV Movie 2013) **

An all star cast and excellent use of some great Chicago tunes help this enjoyable Curb-esque comedy.

Day for Night (1973) **

Enjoyable movie about movie making from a French perspective with a lovely Ms. Bisset.

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) **

Despite Damon being very wrong for Ripley and some significant deviations from the source novel, this is a well made, enjoyable romp through some lovely Mediterranean locales.

Dark Victory (1939) **

Intermittently successful weepie with a nonsense ending. The times when it hits are due to Ms. Davis.

Where the Money Is (2000) **

Under-produced and under-written heist flick proves that even at 75 Paul Newman could carry a picture.

Realism Is False | Edge.org

I'm not denying that there is an objective reality. There is some objective reality that exists independent of whether or not I perceive it, but that objective reality is not space and time or anything inside space and time. Those are just human forms of perception. That's what quantum theory is telling us. It's telling us local realism is false, non-contextual realism is false, and realism is false, at least what we call realism of objects in space and time. They don't exist, except when they're perceived. They don't have their properties, except when they're perceived because spacetime is not fundamental. That's what the physicists are now telling us, like Nima Arkani-Hamed. Spacetime is doomed. There is an objective reality, but it's not space and time. It's a deeper reality outside of space and time. Spacetime is emergent and is not fundamental.

In This Our Life (1942) ***

Entertaining melodrama, paced like the Indy 500, with Ms. Davis in a risky wild performance. A little heavy with the music but well composed scenes, few single closeups.

Blue Chips (1994) **

Well made look at college sports exploitation of athletes. Good use of actual athletes as actors.

The Cabin in the Cotton (1932) **

Pre-code Hollywood melodrama "picturizing" Great Depression era inequality and potential remedies. Nice to see Bette in the vamp role.

Beyond Fracking: Oil-and-Gas Industry's Toxic Waste Is Radioactive - Rolling Stone

The levels of radium in Louisiana oil pipes had registered as much as 20,000 times the limits set by the EPA for topsoil at uranium-mill waste sites. Templet found that workers who were cleaning oil-field piping were being coated in radioactive dust and breathing it in. One man they tested had radioactivity all over his clothes, his car, his front steps, and even on his newborn baby. The industry was also spewing waste into coastal waterways, and radioactivity was shown to accumulate in oysters. Pipes still laden with radioactivity were donated by the industry and reused to build community playgrounds. Templet sent inspectors with Geiger counters across southern Louisiana. One witnessed a kid sitting on a fence made from piping so radioactive they were set to receive a full year’s radiation dose in an hour. “People thought getting these pipes for free from the oil industry was such a great deal,” says Templet, “but essentially the oil companies were just getting rid of their waste.”

Parasite (2019) ***

Satire is tough to do and this flick almost hits its ambitions, keeps it real while making its points.

Now, Voyager (1942) ***

Archetypical Hollywood melodrama is done so well you ignore the preposterous story, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Loophole (1981) **

A fine cast and an intriguing heist plot, but directed so earnestly the life gets sucked out of it.

Bad Genius (2017) **

Seldom seen Thai culture adds freshness to an otherwise formulaic but well done heist flick.

Berlin, I Love You (2019) *

Berlin just doesn't hold a cinematic candle to Paris.

Of Human Bondage (1934) *

The idea of having the actors speak directly to the camera instead of each other nearly all the time does NOT work. Only saving grace is Bette's big scene near the end where she nails it and you forget all about her terrible Cockney accent.

Westworld (1973) **

Like many of Crichton's flicks it's an interesting, provocative 1 hr sci-fi TV episode padded out to feature film length. Yul Brynner is perfect.

The Donald’s Assassination Of General Soleimani—As Stupid As It Gets, by David Stockman - The Unz Review

But that’s just colossal nonsense and imperialistic arrogance. The Assad government in Syria, the largest political party in Lebanon (Hezbollah), the dominant population of northern Yemen (Houthis) and a significant portion of the Iraqi armed forces represented by the Shiite militias (the PMF or Popular Mobilization Forces) are no less civilized and no more prone to sectarian violence than anybody else in this woebegone region. And the real head-choppers of ISIS and its imitators and rivals have all been Sunni jihadist insurrectionists, not Shiite-based governments and political parties.

The truth is, America has no dog in the Shiite versus Sunni hunt, which has been going on for 1300 years in the region. And when it comes to spillover of those benighted forces into Europe or America, recent history is absolutely clear: 100% of all Islamic terrorist incidents in the US since they began in the 1990s were perpetrated or inspired by Sunni jihadists, not Iran or its Shiite allies and proxies in the region.

The Terminal Man (1974) **

Thoughtful, earnest sci-fi flick would have been much better as a 1 hour episode of Twilight Zone. Still it has a number of stylishly shot scenes and that great '70's vibe.

2019 In Review: Movies

**** Apollo 11
**** The Irishman

*** Joker
*** Little Women
*** Marriage Story
*** Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story By Martin Scorsese
*** The Lighthouse

** The Aeronauts
** Dolemite Is My Name
** High Flying Bird
** Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood
** The Good Liar
** The Laundromat
** The Lion King
** Toy Story 4
** Velvet Buzzsaw
** Where'd You Go, Bernadette
** Wine Country

* Annabelle Comes Home
* Cats
* Late Night
* Ready Or Not

Little Women (2019) ***

Greta confirms that Lady Bird was no fluke in this personal and topical adaptation of well-worn material.

2019 In Review: Music

**** Electric Light Orchestra - From Out Of Nowhere
**** Ex Hex - It's Real
**** Hatchie - Keepsake
**** Jenny Lewis - On The Line
**** Juliana Hatfield - Weird
**** Ladytron - Ladytron
**** New Pornographers - In The Morse Code of Brake Lights

*** Allah-Las - Lahs
*** Cranberries, The - In the End
*** Diane Coffee - Internet Arms
*** Fascinations Grand Chorus - Presentations of Electrical Confectionery
*** Flasher - Constant Image
*** Girl Ray - Girl
*** Keane - Cause And Effect
*** Lolas - A Dozen Or Seven Tapestries
*** Lolas - Bulletproof
*** Muffs, The - No Holiday
*** Nick Lowe - Love Starvation
*** Ocean Blue, The - Kings and Queens-Knaves and Thieves
*** Pernice Brothers - Spread The Feeling
*** Pete Yorn - Caretakers
*** Piroshka - Brickbat
*** Raconteurs, The - Help Us Stranger
*** Shonen Knife - Sweet Candy Power
*** Steve Hackett - At the Edge of Light
*** Tacocat - This Mess Is A Place
*** Temples - Hot Motion
*** Vampire Weekend - Father of the Bride
*** Who, The - WHO

** Barrie - Happy to Be Here
** Brian Jonestown Massacre, The - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
** Cate Le Bon - Reward
** Coldplay - Everyday Life
** DIIV - Deceiver
** Dido - Still on My Mind
** Dream Syndicate, The - These Times
** Jess Ribeiro - Love Hate
** Le SuperHomard - Meadow Lane Park
** Marika Hackman - Any Human Friend
** Pure Bathing Culture - Night Pass
** Seeker Lover Keeper - Wild Seeds
** Son Volt - Union
** Strand Of Oaks - Eraserland
** Swervedriver - Future Ruins

Cats (2019) *

The source material is not strong enough for a film and the director doesn't help by cutting it as an action flick. Also, could somebody get Jennifer Hudson a tissue please!

The Aeronauts (2019) **

Terrific aerial action scenes (with seamless CGI) are the draw here as the rest of the flick is laughably misguided and poorly executed.

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) *

Apparently a laugh riot in its time, it's not only not funny it's cruel and vicious.

The Irishman (2019) ****

A trio of superb performances makes the 3.5 hours fly by. Epic masterpiece.

The King of Marvin Gardens (1972) **

Oddball character study ends with a redeeming bang. Terrific support from Mr. Crothers.

Comfort and Joy (1984) *

Pointlessly quirky and bizarre which ends up supremely annoying. It's a shame because Bill Paterson is terrific as always.

The Letter (1940) **

Ms. Davis is in fine form, as is the entire cast, but it seems a superficial take on the source material.

Track 29 (1988) *

Well cast misfire is too manic for the viewer to care much.

Clint Eastwood’s Richard Jewell: Atlanta Newspaper Sends Legal Plea – Variety

“The film literally makes things up and adds to misunderstandings about how serious news organizations work,” said Riley. “It’s ironic that the film commits the same sins that it accuses the media of committing.”

Riley did not personally know Scruggs and was not at the paper during the time of the bombing. A recent article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution talked to people who knew and worked with Scruggs and who felt that her portrayal in the film “veers from reality.” It quotes Ron Martz, who co-bylined Scruggs’ initial story on Jewell being a suspect, with saying that no one associated with the film reached out to him.

“If they had actually contacted me it might have ruined their idea of what they wanted the story to be,” Martz told the paper. “It’s obvious to me they did not go to any great lengths to find out what the real characters were like.”

The Hollywood biopic strikes again. Look, if you're going to monetize your claims of veracity you MUST be accurate. If you can't do that, CHANGE THE NAMES! It's not that difficult.

Dodsworth (1936) *

Soapy Hollywood melodrama about the leisure class.

Marriage Story (2019) ***

Uneven divorce story has a number of scenes that strain credulity and annoy, and others that are pitch perfect and strongly resonate. An actor's showcase with a fine cast especially Mr. Liotta who nearly steals the picture.

Anthony Hopkins talks to Brad Pitt About Movies, Mortality, and Mistakes

HOPKINS: Well, it’s such a mystery when our first memories are made. I can remember that day on the beach with my father. I’d been crying, because I’d lost a little candy he had given me in the sand. And that frightened little boy—who was destined to grow up and be an idiot at school, clueless, alone, lonely, angry, all those things—I look at him and say, “We did okay.” And the fact is that one day we’ll be gone. Our parents are gone. Most of my friends I’ve known have gone. I was driving around Venice the other day, and I thought, “It’s all a dream. What a struggle it all is. It’s all an illusion, but it’s the glory of life, the sheer glory of looking for it in everything.” And I’ve become aware of that now, more than ever. It’s in there. It’s in my cat, it’s in my dog, it’s in you. How could it be otherwise? I watch my cat jumping to a little pinch on the fireplace. Now, he can’t write a book, he doesn’t know anything about philosophy or mathematics. But how the hell does he do that? That is totally awe-inspiring.

The Pawnbroker (1964) **

Screams "Serious Drama" from the get go and it's pretty bleak stuff to be sure but it's so close to parody it loses resonance.