Haunted house dramas did not start with The Amityville Horror in 1979 (yes, I saw it on release, but haven’t been watching the Origin Story currently on BBC 2) or even the splendid The Haunting in 1963. I have just pre-ordered the original The Cat and the Canary (1927) from Eureka; I have seen Bob Hope’s 1939 version and the 1978 update, but not this one. The director Paul Leni died much too young – of blood poisoning in 1929 – as did F.W. Murnau, of course; he was killed in a car crash in 1931.
AFTERSUN (2022) Sunday 11 February 10.00-11.35pm BBC 2 P !! Well, would you Adam and Eve it – the Freeview premiere for our lowest-rated film ever! Actually, some members (not many) have been wondering if they misjudged the film, so it gives us an opportunity to take another look. It might just play better on TV, too, and subtitles will help compensate for those Scottish accents. The Radio Times gives it 4 stars and is another media outlet that says it “leaves a lasting impression”. BLACK TUESDAY (1954) Sunday 11 February 10.05-11.45pm TP (Channel 82) We have a clash this evening, so Aftersun might have to be postponed to later on BBC iPlayer. (Black Tuesday is repeated on Thursday, but see the final entry below.) This film is a short, ferocious and rare crime drama starring Edward G. Robinson. He and Peter Graves play convicts who escape from death row. I haven’t seen it, and can hardly wait! THE ETERNAL MEMORY (2023) Tuesday 13 February 10.00-11.25pm BBC 4 P The Eternal Memory is a moving and sensitive documentary from Storyville. Actor (and politician) Paulina Urrutia allowed a film crew to document her husband’s fight against Alzheimer’s. It has been nominated for a 2024 Oscar. Pablo Larrain (Jackie and No) supported the project as a producer, and director Maite Alberdi’s The Mole Agent was equally well received. ONE DAY (2011) Wednesday 14 February 6.40-9.00pm Film Four Happy Valentine’s Day! Even if you agree that, structurally, it needs the new Netflix 14-parter to do justice to David Nicholls’ novel, there is still enjoyment to be had watching the cinema original. It had a successful run at the Regent, as I recall. THE LAST LETTER FROM YOUR LOVER (2021) Wednesday 14 February 10.40pm-12.25pm BBC 2 P Reminiscent – in a modest way – of The French Lieutenant’s Woman in that it weaves the present day with past events. A journalist uncovers some love letters from the 1960s; cue flashbacks to the time and place. THE THREE FACES OF EVE (1957) Thursday 15 February 9.00-10.30pm BBC 4 Joanne Woodward won an Oscar for her performance as a young married mother with split personalities. It isn’t as well known as other films of that era, but is worth a look. Who knows – in another life, LRFS might have programmed it!
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You won’t need to be at the film on Sunday to know that Aftersun did not fare too well last time out. Not all the films that have ‘sun’ in the title would share the same fate with members (he suggests, tentatively): A Walk in the Sun (1945) is a fine war movie from Lewis Milestone (the director of 1930’s All Quiet on the Western Front). The Sun Shines Bright (1953) was John Ford’s personal favourite; the director’s original cut is in Eureka’s Masters of Cinema series. Run for the Sun (1956) is a decent remake of The Most Dangerous Game (1932), directed by Roy Boulting and starring Richard Widmark and Trevor Howard. The Sun Also Rises (1957) gave Errol Flynn an opportunity to show that he could act. Even Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969), Gerry Anderson’s only live-action feature, but directed by Robert Parrish, has an intriguing story and is worth a look.
NOBODY (2021) Saturday 3 February 9.10-11.00pm Channel 4 P Nobody shares some similarities with our thriller Riders of Justice – a quiet, innocuous man attempts to track down the lowlifes who have been terrorising his family. Unfortunately, there are some out there who are even nastier. It is good to see Christopher Lloyd and Michael Ironside in supporting roles. It is a film not for the fainthearted, though! TWO FACES WEST (1950) Monday 5 February 12.55-2.45pm TP (Channel 82) And, following a break for a cup of tea/walking the dog . . . STORM IN A TEACUP (1937) 4.30-6.15pm TP (Channel 82) I have made the point before that I find Robert Wise’s earlier work in science-fiction and thrillers more interesting than, say, The Sound of Music (1965). With Two Flags West, he tries his hand at a western. It has a good plot, strong male leads (Jeff Chandler, Cornel Wilde and Joseph Cotten), and the climactic attack on the fort is especially well staged. In contrast, Storm in a Teacup is a rare, gentle comedy set in a small Scottish town, and built around a simple premise: the press pick up on the story of the confiscation of an elderly woman’s dog – and milk it for all it is worth! This film also has a trio of fine actors, here on the cusp of stardom – Rex Harrison, Vivien Leigh and Cecil Parker. RED SUN (1971) Thursday 8 February 9.00-11.10pm Legend (Channel 41) Most of this week’s films of interest are westerns, I’m afraid. Both Blazing Saddles and How the West Was Won are on BBC 4 tonight, but Red Sun is a much rarer bird (maverick?) and a little different. It is helmed by Bond director Terence Young and the international cast has samurai Toshiro Mifune teaming up with Charles Bronson in pursuit of a venerated sword stolen by Alain Delon. Ursula Andress and Capucine are also in the cast. THE PROUD REBEL (1958) Friday 9 February 1.00-3.10pm Great Action (Channel 42) The Proud Rebel is one of the gentlest westerns you are likely to see. Alan Ladd hopes to find a doctor who can help his young son, who hasn’t spoken since the death of his mother. Olivia de Havilland is very good, too. Directed by Michael (Casablanca) Curtiz the film has enjoyed respectful reviews ever since its initial release. The 2024 Oscar nominations were announced last Tuesday. Oppenheimer leads the way (13 nominations) and Killers of the Flower Moon has also been given the nod in the Best Film category. Anything for LRFS, I hear you ask? Quite possibly – American Fiction and Past Lives are two interesting titles that could well appear on the questionnaire. Assuming they are not ring-fenced by streaming platforms, of course.
BATMAN (1966) Saturday 27 January 3.35-5.45pm TP (Ch 82) ‘Holy trip to the Odeon Batman!’ – I just had to bid a warm welcome to what was one of my earliest visits to the cinema. The comic book character and the various franchises have become very serious, and dark, since this camp classic appeared. The 1966 vintage is much more fun (so, too, was the TV series) and Adam West and Burt Ward will always get my vote. Zap! Pow! Thwack! BEYOND UTOPIA: ESCAPE FROM NORTH KOREA (2023) Tues 30 January 10.00-11.50pm BBC 4 P A Storyville documentary that was good enough to warrant a cinema release. It follows several people desperate to flee the dictatorship – including a family of five whose circuitous route takes them through China, Vietnam and Laos. A PASSAGE TO INDIA (1965) Wednesday 31 January 10.20pm-12.10am BBC 4 This is not David Lean’s epic adaptation (released in 1984). As it is a quiet week, we are breaking with convention and recommending a BBC Play of the Month (in b/w). A very good cast is headed by Sybil Thorndike and Virginia McKenna and the director, Waris Hussein, has filmed a special introduction that is on at 10pm. Thank you, BBC – and keep these treasures coming! RELIC (2020) Friday 2 February 11.05pm-12.30am BBC 2 Relic tries very hard to bring something a little different to the horror genre and it helped earn it a good critical response. Emily Mortimer’s mother, who has dementia, goes missing. After her return, things seem a little odd – could there be an unexplained presence? |
By David JohnsonChairman of Lyme Regis Film Society Archives
March 2024
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Updated 27.3.2024
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