El Conde (2023) **

Beautifully photographed in stunning black and white and filled with eye popping visuals, it still disappoints because the script can't keep up.

Highball (1997) ***

A terrific ensemble cast elevates this endearingly funny look at 20-something friends over the course of a year. Proof that you don't need $200 million to make a good movie.

Wuthering Heights (1970) **

Gorgeously produced and photographed but never rises above overwrought melo unlike some previous verions.

May December (2023) ***

Natalie Portman is the standout in this thoughtful, interestingly shot melo.

Waiting for Guffman (1996) ***

Hilarious send up of small town bumpkins and the let's-put-on-a-show mockumentary genre. Stellar cast.

A Night at the Opera (1935) ***

Probably their best flick. If only they could avoid those piano and harp solos that bring the festivities to a screeching halt.

Maestro (2023) **

Very well crafted biopic with stellar lead performances and one of the best makeup jobs I have ever seen, but the directorial gimmicks are annoying and the screenplay assumes you know and love the subject already and that's a big mistake.

Icarus XB 1 (1963) **

Obvious influence on 2001 and Star Trek, this imaginative space opera's interior design and photography make up for what it lacks in special effects, and that's quite a bit. Not much of a story, but so well and earnestly done it doesn't matter.

2023 In Review: Movies

*** Asteroid City
*** Barbie
*** The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
** Bottoms
** Killers of the Flower Moon
** Priscilla
** The Holdovers
* Heart of Stone

My Favorite Wife (1940) *

The film is premised on the audience being complete idiots. Not funny in the least.

2023 In Review: Music

**** Albert Hammond Jr. - Melodies On Hiatus
**** Anna Hillburg - Tired Girls
**** New Pornographers, The - Continue As A Guest
**** Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Council Skies

*** Bar Italia - Tracey Denim
*** Beach House - Become
*** Belle And Sebastian - Late Developers
*** Buddie - Agitator
*** Bully - Lucky For You
*** Clientele, The - I Am Not There Anymore
*** Diners - Domino
*** Frankie Rose - Love As Projection
*** Frankiie - Between Dreams
*** Guided By Voices - Welshpool Frillies
*** Jenny O - Spectra
*** Keeley - Floating Above Everything Else
*** Lightheaded - Good Good Great!
*** Locate S, 1 - Wicked Jaw
*** Marnie Stern - The Comeback Kid
*** No Ones, The - My Best Evil Friend
*** Paula Carino - Thundersnow b-w Fall Preview Issue
*** Pip Blom - Bobbie
*** Ratboys - The Window
*** Rolling Stones, The - Hackney Diamonds
*** Shonen Knife - Our Best Place
*** Tubs, The - Dead Meat

** Barrie - 5K
** Dengue Fever - Ting Mong
** Emma Anderson - Pearlies
** Graham Parker - Last Chance to Learn the Twist
** Guided By Voices - La La Land
** Jenny Lewis - Joy'all
** Ladytron - Times Arrow
** Pretenders - Relentless
** Ringo Starr - Rewind Forward
** Sea Lemon - Stop at Nothing
** Speedy Ortiz - Rabbit Rabbit
** This Is The Kit - Careful of Your Keepers
** We Are Scientists - Lobes

Brightwood (2022) **

I'll allow for the over-reliance on close-ups given the miniscule budget of this absurdist relationship allegory. Good effort.

The Dead (1987) ***

Lovingly crafted adaptation of the Joyce story.

Christmas in Connecticut (1945) *

Has nothing to do with Christmas and everything to do with standard rom-com tropes. The performers are good and there are a few laughs.

Marked Woman (1937) **

Ripped from the headlines melo is preachy at times but has a mostly sharp script and two stars in their prime who make up for the annoying direction. Nice to see Bogie as a crusading assistant D.A. instead of a gangster.

The Holdovers (2023) **

Terrific early '70's look and feel and thankfully shot and color balanced without the noticeable, ubiquitous blue or yellow hue, nevertheless disappoints with a lackluster story about 3 characters I found it hard to root for or care about. Kind of a waste of the great Paul Giamatti.

Blast of Silence (1961) ****

Bleak, brutal Christmas-noir has style to burn with crisp b/w shots of gritty, early 60's NYC and a taut sparse script. Director/writer/star Allen Baron (looking for all the world like a poor man's George C.) hits on all 3 cylinders.

Denny Laine, of Paul McCartney's Wings and Moody Blues, Dies at 79

Denny Laine, the British singer-guitarist best known for his work with Paul McCartney & Wings and the Moody Blues, has died after a long battle with interstitial lung disease, according to a social media post from his wife. He was 79.

Remember the Night (1939) **

If you can get past the heavy dose of cornpone, you can enjoy watching Fred and Babs who work so well together and seem to bring out the best in each other.

Priscilla (2023) **

It has Sofia's impeccable soundtrack choices but nearly every interior scene is shot with a glaring backlight, distorting the image so you can't see the actors faces. Disappointing.