The Train (1964) **

Talky actioner is more of a spy procedural with too much detail. Some great train wrecks.

My Dinner with Andre (1981) **

Interesting experiment that largely succeeds. Could have been trimmed a bit in the middle third.

Arrowsmith (1931) **

There are many interesting aspects to this film (the photography, minimal soundtrack, shots with one actor's back to the camera in dialogue) but not enough to overcome the glorification of The Scientist as something above us normal slobs. Nice Ron Colman performance.

Eureka (1983) **

Seems like there's a big chunk of narrative that is missing. Aside from the first third, what's left is not very engaging. A waste of the divine Ms. Russell.

Zola (2020) **

Directed with style and featuring a couple of terrific leads it's undermined by a slight script which doesn't seem to go anywhere.

Legend of the Lost (1957) **

Boilerplate Hollywood actioner is beautifully shot and well paced.

Ten Nights, 250 Songs, Only One Elvis Costello

In the end, Costello played 250 songs. Many were reinterpretations and most were a revelation; the scope of the project took me back through so many periods of my life. I asked him whether he regarded the stint as a sort of reappraisal, a consideration of his legacy.

EC: I’m probably the least nostalgic person in the room. I don’t know what an adventure like this suggests about the future, but I don’t ponder that place any more than I do the past. The road ahead can’t possibly be as long as that behind us. Pete Thomas is three weeks older than me and I told him when we were approaching our UK retirement age, “OK pal, you’re on ‘Route 66’ now, and you’d better enjoy it, because there are less theme songs up ahead. Just ‘76 Trombones’ and ‘77 Sunset Strip’ and then it is a clear and silent road until we get to ‘99½ Won’t Do’.”

But any reminiscences should not be taken for a longing to return. Legacy is the last thing on my mind. I know it sounds idiotic, but I wasn’t much more than 30 when people started kindly asking me how I might be regarded by posterity. Posterity, my arse. Posterior more like it. I won’t be here, why the hell should I care? We live now, whenever the songs were written. Onward.

Mother Night (1996) ***

Nick Nolte is terrific in this bleak, uncompromising adaptation of the Vonnegut novel.

White Mischief (1987) **

Top cast, lushly photographed, well produced but really needed a much stronger, surer directorial touch.

Chan Is Missing (1982) **

Admirable indie needs just a bit more polish to be something more than that.

Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart (1985) ***

Touching look at Chinese-American lives in mid-80's SF Chinatown. Might be director Wayne Wang's best.

Deep End (1970) **

Snapshot of early 70's London is well shot and Ms. Asher is stunning but the lead can't pull it off.

The Big Mouth (1967) *

Jerry's films are often not very funny, but just as often they are impeccably shot, lit and produced. This fits that mold.