Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) ***

Well done sci-fi/rom-com that manages to avoid most of both genre's cliches. Very entertaining.

Seven Samurai (1954) **

Again too long and repetitive for my tastes but some nice sequences.

A Private Function (1984) ***

A cast of nearly every top British comedic actor available at the time elevates this droll Ealing-esque comedy about the severe food rationing in Britain after WWII. Witty script.

Drunken Angel (1948) **

Early Kurosawa is a Japanese noir featuring some nifty sequences. Could have been trimmed a bit.

Phantom Lady (1944) ***

Never mind the plot holes just enjoy this well paced, well shot hyper-noir.

The Rise of Catherine the Great (1934) **

Flora Robson, expectedly, steals the picture but she's only in the first half. Bergner is fine as Catherine but her look calls to mind Harpo Marx to a distracting degree. Fairbanks is just awful.

One Wonderful Sunday (1947) *

Not so wonderful. Repetitive, ploddingly paced tale of two lost souls drifting towards insanity.

Sullivan's Travels (1941) **

Preston Sturges was a very influential filmmaker (this one in particular) but his films just don't seem to gel for me. This one is no different.

La veuve Couderc (1971) **

Slight look at French country life as it slides into semi-Fascism in the mid 1930's. The two leads make it worth the while.